The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,118

in an accident several years ago, so they never had a chance to reconcile.” She released a heavy sigh. “She loves you, Megan. She just has a hard time letting anyone close now. She’s always waiting for them to betray her.”

Had her mother viewed many of Megan’s decisions as betrayals?

“And please don’t hold this against your father. Even though this is news to you, it happened nearly twenty years ago. Water under the bridge for both of them. Trust me, he’s more than paid for his crime.” Gram climbed to her feet, releasing a groan. “I didn’t get a chance to do my au naturel yoga yesterday, and today I’m all stiff.”

Megan’s mouth lifted in a small grin despite her emotional stew.

“Megan.” Gram turned and paused. “The boy you’re marrying today is better than the one you were supposed to marry.”

Megan stood, sure she’d heard her grandmother wrong. “What?”

She gave Megan an ornery grin. “I know that man isn’t Jay Connors. I talked to that idiot several months ago on the phone. The man you’re marrying today isn’t him.”

Megan started to protest, but what was the point? “How long have you known?” she asked in shock.

“Since I met him at the airport.”

“And you didn’t say anything?”

Gram shrugged, then hobbled to the door. “I wanted to see how it played out.” She paused at the doorway. “I could tell he was a good man, and I figured you’d come clean eventually.”

“We’re not really getting married, Gram. It’s all a misunderstanding. I was afraid to tell Mom I broke up with Jay. She’d spent so much money—”

“You don’t have to explain. But I hope you don’t give that boy up after this wedding.” She winked. “He does have a very nice patootie.”

Megan started to assure her that she had no plans to let Josh go, then stopped herself. She needed to save the assurances for after Blair dropped her bombshell.

She only hoped her heart wasn’t blown to pieces when Blair was done.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Oh, Megan,” Libby gushed. “You’re beautiful.”

Megan stared at her reflection. Libby had helped with her makeup, and the hairdresser had just finished her hair. It wasn’t the up-do her mother had wanted. The front was pulled into a loose knot at the base of her neck, and the rest of her hair tumbled in soft curls down her back. “I’m not even wearing my dress yet.”

“What if your mom doesn’t get here in time?”

Megan chuckled, but her stomach twisted with nerves. “She’ll be here. Dad says she’s raising holy hell, insisting it shouldn’t take so long to fix a dislocated shoulder and a scratched cornea.”

It had been hard to talk to her dad on the phone without confronting him, but she’d forced herself to set her anger aside. She knew without a doubt he loved her mother—his voice practically broadcast it as he relayed Nicole’s current status—and was mature enough to realize things weren’t always black and white. She only had to look at her own mess to see that. Still, a new heaviness had settled over her heart. Her father wasn’t the perfect man she’d always believed him to be.

“Do you think she’ll really wear an eyepatch?” Libby asked.

“Maybe she’s wishing she’d picked a pirate wedding theme instead.”

Libby laughed. “If anyone can pull off pirate chic, your mother can.”

“I know.” Megan cast a glance at the door, feeling heavy-hearted. “I don’t think Blair’s coming.”

Libby put her hands on Megan’s upper arms. “Blair will show up. We all made a promise to each other.”

“The pact.”

“Yes, the wedding pact. We promised we would be married by the time we were thirty. We’d be in each other’s weddings, and we’d be the first ones to see each other in our dresses on our wedding days.”

“We were nine years old, Libby.”

“But it still means something to us all, whether she admits it or not. She’ll be here.”

“It’s almost time to get dressed.” Megan’s nerves were getting the best of her. “She hates me. I haven’t answered any of her calls today, and I wouldn’t listen to her last night. She’s not coming.”

Libby gave her a side hug. “She doesn’t hate you. Give her a few minutes. She’ll be here.”

They were silent for a few moments, and Megan started to pace. Finally, she stopped and turned to Libby. “Aren’t you wondering why Josh and I are going through with this wedding?”

“No.”

“Really?”

Libby smiled. “No, this feels right. You feel it too, or you wouldn’t be here right now. You and Josh are perfect for each