Busted (Promise Harbor Wedding) - By Sydney Somers Page 0,23
another way. Any other way. And she couldn’t wait to hear his explanation. It would likely blow his previous excuse of I-had-to-borrow-the-truck-to-take-Hayley-to-the-hospital-to-get-a-splinter-out right out of the water.
“Hayley?” Jackson crossed the front of the church to meet her.
The buzzing church exploded into a frenzy of picture-reviewing and can-you-believe-it chaos.
A stern look from Josh’s mom got Hayley moving with Jackson right on her heels.
She stopped in front of the closed door and shot Jackson a sidelong look. “What if we’re supposed to stay out of it?”
“Josh is my friend.” Jackson put his hand on the door but didn’t look nearly as convinced that he should follow.
Realizing everyone within earshot was following their conversation, Hayley nodded toward the back of the church where they could have more privacy. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Now?”
She nodded, not waiting for him to agree before hooking her hand around his elbow and leading the way. More camera flashes went off as they passed.
She paused in the church’s vestibule, torn between wanting to give Gavin time to figure this out and needing to stop the Wedding That Wasn’t from turning into a complete train wreck.
“How do you know Gavin?”
She raised her chin a notch, not liking the disapproval in his voice. “He’s my best friend.”
Gavin was the most stand-up guy she knew. Usually. They’d had each other’s backs since middle school, and until she knew better, she’d assume his actions today had come from good intentions.
“Do you need backup, Detective?” Mrs. Brewster prompted, her voice carrying from the front of the church.
“That won’t be necessary,” Hayley called back. Unless Gavin and Josh were going at it in the back parking lot.
Maybe they were better off going outside to see what was happening.
Unsure, she glanced at the stirring crowd inside, then back at Jackson. It didn’t take a genius to know he was about five seconds from going outside without her. Maybe less.
Decision made, she went with the front door instead of backtracking to the side one. Fewer people would be tempted to follow them that way. Jackson kept up with her and the door closed behind them, silencing the commotion inside.
They rounded the corner, but by the time they reached the side door, everyone else had disappeared.
“Where did they go?”
Hayley shook her head, wondering the same thing. She scanned the cars parked at the other end of the lot, then held her hand to her head salute-style to shield her eyes from the sun as they turned the next corner and stepped into the bright afternoon sunshine.
Still no sign of them.
Jackson led the way in heading around to the other side facing the street. Hayley dug her cell phone out of the small purse around her wrist. Jackson fished his phone from his pocket.
Gavin’s number went straight to voice mail when she dialed. She left a brief message of, “Call me back, Gav,” and glanced expectantly at Jackson.
He shook his head a minute later to indicate Josh wasn’t picking up either. Hayley didn’t waste time calling Allie since it was doubtful she’d walked down the aisle with her phone on her.
“What the hell was your friend thinking?”
“I have no idea,” she answered honestly, but clearly Gavin hadn’t been able to sit back and let Allie marry someone else after all.
“Did you know he was going to do this? Aren’t you his best friend?”
“He apparently forgot to text me that he planned to storm the church.”
“You could try not sounding half-impressed by that.”
She met Jackson’s scowl. “If Gavin wanted to talk to Allie, he probably should have gone about it another way.”
That answer wasn’t good enough to appease a frustrated best man. “She was marrying Josh. Maybe he should have left her alone.”
“Their situation is complicated.” And getting more complicated by the minute. Where the hell had they disappeared to?
“Did they or did they not break up?” Jackson pressed.
“Yes—”
“Then he should have stayed away from her.”
Annoyed that Jackson was blaming Gavin for everything when Allie clearly hadn’t put up a fight, she matched his glare. “You couldn’t possibly have your head shoved so far up your ass to think it’s that black and white?”
“It is.”
She blew out a breath. “If you hear from Josh, let me know, okay?” She walked away without having decided the best way to track her friend.
“Where are you going?”
“To see if any of Gavin’s family knew he was back in town.” She highly doubted it though, given his abrupt entrance, but she couldn’t sit and wait for him to call her