Hitched (Promise Harbor Wedding) - By Erin Nicholas Page 0,86
going crazy.
Allie pounded on Josh’s door for a full minute, but there was no answer and she had to accept that this wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d hoped.
She had Greta’s cell number. She supposed she could try to get a hold of her. What would Greta think about Sophie and Owen getting it on?
Allie frowned and dropped onto Josh’s top front step.
Sophie and Owen? Getting it on?
She made herself breathe. They could just be antiquing, she supposed. Maybe they just both needed to get away. They were friends, after all, and they’d both had a child starring in the Wedding That Wasn’t. Maybe they were just drinking mai tais and shopping.
And maybe they were getting it on.
“Argh!” Allie covered her face with her hands, propping her elbows on her knees. It was true that not knowing was the hard part.
She didn’t really care if they were involved, she realized. She loved Sophie and neither of them should be alone. They’d known each other forever.
Good for them.
But she’d like to know what the hell was going on.
Was Owen okay? Was Sophie reminding him to take his blood pressure meds and to watch his salt intake? Did she know that he was allergic to mangos?
More, did she know that he watched NCIS nonstop? And that he’d tell her about the same story he’d read in the newspaper three or four times? And that she’d have to physically take him to get his haircut or he’d never remember?
Yeah, there was more to being involved with Owen than Sophie might realize.
He might drive her nuts.
This little getaway might be the first and last.
Allie looked up at the sound of a car pulling in to Josh’s driveway. Josh got out a moment later. Then the passenger side opened. And Devon Grant stepped out.
Allie got to her feet.
Um…
“Allie, Jesus, I went to your dad’s. What are you doing here?” Josh asked, rounding the car and coming toward her.
He didn’t seem surprised to see her, exactly. “Why’d you go to my dad’s? He’s not there.” She put her hands on her hips. “Did you know he was with your mom?”
Josh stopped at the bottom of the steps. “Gavin told me you were back and needed me. What’s going on?”
That tripped her up. “Gavin told you I was here? And needed you?”
“Yes. What’s going on?”
“What’s going on?” She stomped down the steps. “My father is gone. And you weren’t here. I’m the one who needs to know what’s going on.”
“Mom and Owen went up to Greenbush Island for a few days. Everyone’s fine.”
Allie waited for him to continue. “And?” she finally demanded.
Josh frowned. “And nothing.”
“Did you talk to them?”
“I…” He cleared his throat and glanced over at Devon, who had come up beside him. “Briefly on the phone. I just got back Saturday. We just missed them.”
Allie narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, heard you were gone too.”
“And you wouldn’t think of being pissed about that, everything considered, right?” he said, eyebrows up as if daring her.
Allie blew out a breath and crossed her arms. She’d love to be self-righteous here and yell at Josh for letting all of this happen. But, of course, she couldn’t. It was her fault.
All of it.
Losing what little energy she’d pulled together with adrenaline and ire, Allie let her shoulders slump. “Sorry about the wedding.”
That was a really stupid way to apologize, of course, but she didn’t know what else to say.
“Me too.”
She looked up. “You’re sorry? You didn’t run out on me.”
“No, but,” Josh glanced at Devon again, “I never should have proposed in the first place.”
Allie looked at her ex-best friend too. Then she nodded. It was true. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Josh repeated. “Now why is Gavin texting me about you?”
Allie felt her heart cramp. She lifted a shoulder. “He’s worried about me.”
“But he’s not here with you?”
“He’s here. He’s just not here.”
“Why not?”
“Because I thought it might make you uncomfortable.”
“Oh. Right.” Josh looked a little uncomfortable that he clearly wasn’t all that uncomfortable seeing his ex-fiancée for the first time since she’d left him at the altar.
Suddenly, the whole thing hit Allie as really funny.
Allie started laughing. And couldn’t stop.
She was here with her ex-fiancé and her ex-best friend, who were obviously now a couple—again—talking about her father and her ex-almost-mother-in-law, who may or may not be a couple, and telling them that she was now home with the guy who’d stolen her away from the wedding that neither her nor her ex-fiancé were upset hadn’t happened.