Maybe This Time(28)

“Over here.” There weren’t assigned seats so I took her by the arm and led her to a table in the corner that had open spots.

“Also, my invitation said plus one, but I didn’t know if that meant Gunnar, so I left him in the car.”

“You left Gunnar in the car?”

“The windows are rolled down and it’s unlocked. He’s ten, Soph, why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just surprised. You didn’t mention bringing him … or coming at all. I thought you had to work.”

Mom shrugged. “I got done early. I see other kids here. Go tell Gunnar it’s fine.”

She was right, there were other kids at the wedding, but they were related to the bride or groom. “I’ll go talk to him.”

I walked to the gravel parking area and found Mom’s car. Gunnar sat in the passenger seat, his feet on the dash, playing a game on his iPad. His jeans were dirty but he wore a clean green polo shirt and his hair was combed.

I leaned my arms on the open window. “Hey, kid. What are you doing?”

“Playing motocross.”

“Are you winning?”

“I keep getting flipped.”

“Did you want to come in and watch people eat and dance, or do you want to stay out here and play your game? I can bring you food.”

“You’ll bring me food?”

“Yes.”

“Then I want to stay out here.”

“Probably a good choice. I’ll be right back.”

I returned to the reception area and found Micah on her way back inside the house. “My brother is in the car. Think you can steal me a plate of food for him?”

“You know he can come in,” Micah said. She looked around and gestured at the flower girl racing across the grass. “There are tons of kids here. This is a country wedding, Soph.”

“I know. But Caroline had that talk with me, and I’m just trying to show her that I’m professional.”

“Yes, I’ll sneak you some food. Give me a sec.”

“Is this the secret meeting for party workers?” Andrew asked, joining us.

“I’m sorry, are you working this event?” I said. “Or do you own the place?”

“Sophie doesn’t like my suit, Micah. Tell me I look nice before I get a complex.”

Micah laughed. “You look so handsome.”

I gave an exaggerated eye roll.

“Stop distracting me, you two,” Micah said. “I’m supposed to be working here.” She tapped my shoulder with her empty tray, then flitted off.

Andrew and I stood there for a moment in silence. The sound of Kyle’s voice singing a slow song filled the air between us. Kyle had a nice voice. The songs the band was forced to play tonight made that more apparent. At the head table, Chad stood, pulling Janet up with him, and they danced right next to their seats, him holding her close.

“What are the odds?” I said, more to myself than anything.

“Of what?” Andrew asked.

“Of two people who can be compatible for the rest of their lives actually finding each other.”

“Not sure I know the exact numbers on that,” he said.

“The odds are low. Very low,” I said.

“A cynic about love,” Andrew said dryly. “How original.”

Maybe I was a cynic about love. My gaze drifted to Kyle. Was I the one not letting us move forward? I wasn’t exactly surrounded by good relationship examples. If my dad could up and leave, no looking back, after fifteen years with a person, what guarantees were there?

I started to walk away when several loud screams sounded from somewhere in the middle of the tables. My first thought was that it had finally started raining. But people weren’t looking at the sky, they were looking at the ground. One guest was up on her chair. Chad and Janet had stopped dancing and were leaning over their table in an attempt to see what was happening.

“What do you think that’s about?” Andrew asked, but I was already moving toward the commotion.

A group of men stood around a very large opossum. Its razor-sharp teeth were bared and its black eyes were glowing. Several of the guys had their cell phones out and were snapping pictures or videos. One guy had his jacket off and was swatting at the animal, supposedly in an attempt to get it to move along. The poor opossum was frozen in fear, seconds away from playing dead, I was sure.

“That is terrifying,” Andrew said from where he stood at my shoulder.

I whirled around and ran back to the house in search of a trapping device. The closest room was the kitchen, and the first thing I found was a large box on the ground. I swiped it up and went running, vaguely hearing the sound of Jett shouting something after me.

When I reached the group again, I turned the box upside down and lowered it over the opossum. There were a few cheers and a couple of boos as well, as if I had taken away a fun toy. The guests scattered back to their tables or to the dance floor.

Janet shouted out a “Thank you!” to me, and I waved to her and Chad.

“What now?” Andrew asked, nodding to the box. I still had my hand on top of it.

I took a breath. “Now we slowly slide this box through the tables and let the wedding crasher loose past the trees over there.”

“We?”