Page 12 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

He tossed back his whiskey and straightened his sleeves before glancing back at me. “Wish me luck.”

“I thought you were fine.”

He winked. “Maybe I lied, but I’ll see you out there.”

“See you.” I watched him go, left with the distinct feeling that something was off. I didn’t know what, but I really didn’t like it. A long time ago, I’d learned to trust my gut, and right now, it was screaming.

The guests were all settling into their seats though, so I went and found my place too, watching for the moment she would appear. When the music started, Cathy Cavendash practically sprinted down the aisle, followed shortly by the rest of the bridesmaids.

One by one, they made their way toward Daniel and the guys. At least he looked calm now. Maybe even a little bit bored. I guessed the whiskey had mellowed him out a bit.

When the last bridesmaid reached the end of the aisle, the music changed and we all rose for the bride. Daniel looked toward the entrance, but nothing happened. I twisted in my seat too, that nagging in my gut so bad now that it felt like it was setting the red ants in my blood on fire.

Her music kept playing, but when the song finally ended, she still hadn’t arrived. Daniel didn’t look particularly surprised, but hundreds of people were waiting in utter silence, staring at the empty doorway where Maggie Pembroke was supposed to appear, but she wasn’t there.

That bad feeling I’d been trying to ignore finally became a fact. Maggie had pulled the same stunt she had on her thirteenth birthday. I knew it all the way down to the marrow of my bones.

Instead of making her grand entrance like she was supposed to, the little princess had run.

CHAPTER 6

MAGGIE

When I turned the corner, I saw hundreds of faces gathered on the deck stretching onto the beach, dozens more around the barriers. Everyone had stood, waiting for me to go and say vows I didn’t mean.

My father was standing at the top of the aisle, ready to walk me toward my future, but my foot stopped mid-stride and refused to keep moving. Daniel stood at the front with his brothers and mine, a solid line of ten guys standing shoulder-to-shoulder in what could only be described as a wall of muscle.

God, our wedding party really has become obnoxiously large.

Daniel himself appeared as calm as always, tall, handsome, wealthy, and kind. I would be lucky to have him. Really.

There were women who’d kill for a husband like him. If I went through with this, he would be good to me.

It’s just… he’s not the man I want to marry.

I suddenly felt too hot in the expensive dress I hadn’t picked. I hadn’t chosen the flowers in my hands either and they suddenly felt like they weighed a ton. My stomach rolled, the copious amounts of champagne I’d drunk this morning that I hadn’t wanted either suddenly threatening to make a comeback.

No matter how hard I swallowed, I was still going to be sick if I took one more step toward that aisle. My father glanced at his watch, but he hadn’t seen me yet. He was still looking toward the door, waiting for his daughter to appear from the lobby.

More like waiting for me to do what I was raised to do—obey.

But I couldn’t do it. Not today.

What he was asking was too much this time. I mean, is it really so bad? It’s only the rest of my life that we’re talking about here.

I was still frozen with my foot in the air when my father shifted and began to turn. Just like that, I snapped out of my thoughts and my body started moving of its own accord. I was spinning and running before my brain had even made a conscious decision to do it.

Slipping back in through the hallway door I’d just emerged from, I dashed into the ballroom, lifting my skirt as I hurried between the tables. When voices sounded behind me, I didn’t think. I just ducked, simply dropping to the floor and crawling beneath the closest table, which was ridiculous.

I was a grown woman wearing a wedding dress that probably cost more than some people’s houses, and here I was, hiding under a table from waiters who were supposed to be catering my wedding, but I couldn’t breathe.

The voices passed and the room fell quiet, but before I could even think about taking my chance to get the heck out of Dodge, soft footsteps approached. Slow and measured, it sounded like whoever those feet belonged to was going to stop right next to my table. And they did.

Someone crouched and I prepared to bolt, my muscles already tensing, but when the tablecloth suddenly lifted, Ryan’s face came into view.

His blue eyes met mine and the corners of his mouth twitched into something that might’ve become a smile. “Really?”

“What?”