Page 9 of First Bride to Fall
Misty’s eyebrows knitted together like she couldn’t quite believe it. “So, you and Grant are what now? Dating?”
Nell was so annoyed, she couldn’t resist embellishing. “We’re practically exclusive!” They’d have to beat leastthat shortly if they were going to be engaged by month’s end. Nell’s stomach did a queasy flip-flop. She really had her work cut out for her.
Charlotte’s jaw dropped. “You. Exclusive? With Grant?”
She hadn’ttotallylied. She’d inserted that “practically” in there.
Meaning almost. Not quite.
New attraction coming soon!
She hoped.
Because there was nothing she wanted more than Grant actually falling in love with her. In a real way. With his whole heart. Not pretend.
Nell licked her dry lips. Pretty hard to walk back that dating thing now. What’s more, she didn’t want to. How dare Charlotte and Misty be so judgy, assuming that naturally Nell would fail and they would win their bet. “I saidpractically. Meaning things are looking good.”
She flashed Grant’s first text in their direction.
“See?” Nell grinned. “He’s all-in.”
Looking forward to it!
G.
Misty scanned the message. “Looks like he’s all-in for something.” She stared up at Nell. “What’s the link?”
“Directions,” Nell said calmly, even though her heart was beating a million times a minute. She dumped her cell back in her purse. “We’re meeting up at avery romanticspot.” She decided not to mention they’d have nine other hikers tagging along as chaperones.
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Wow, Nell. Way to go.”
“Yeah,” Misty said. “Nice going.”
Nell swallowed past the lump in her throat.
Operation First Bride, here I come.
Chapter Four
Grant took a head count by the trailhead in the parking lot.
Only nine so far, and ten had signed up for this hike.
His buddy Jordan Caldwell leaned toward him. “How much longer should we wait?” Jordan was Grant’s assistant manager at his camping store. He also occasionally tagged along on adventures to lend support, like he was doing today.
Grant checked his watch. “Let’s give Eleanor D. five more minutes.” Then they’d need to get things moving, with or without her. It was already fifteen minutes past their designated meet time, and the others were getting impatient.
The two younger couples were staying at the Majestic B&B. Big-city people out for a fun adventure, who were obviously growing chilly in the cold coastal air. The Gomez family had their RV registered at the nearby campground. Both of their teenage daughters appeared bored, standing close together and several feet away from their parents.
The only Zen one in the bunch was the young guy in a bucket hat and with the mega-beard. He wore hiking boots with shorts and a tie-dye shirt under his jacket. He kept his eyes closed, steadying himself on his trekking poles. Either he was very at home in nature or way hungover from partying the night before.
Grant scanned the partly cloudy sky, then checked the weather app on his phone. There was only a slight chance of rain later, and they should be up and back from their circuit hike in plenty of time. He’d asked people to bring rain gear just in case it started drizzling, but a few raindrops shouldn’t really affect their short hike.
A faded red sedan screeched into the parking lot, scattering gravel.
“Uhhh,” Jordan said under his breath. “What’sthat?”
The car was a foreign make with several dings and dents in its doors and one end of its front bumper drooping. The driver pulled into a parking place, and the driver’s side door popped open. A bundle of hot pink emerged. The person slammed shut the car door and searched the area, locating the group.
