The Forever Girl (Wildstone, #6)(94)

Dillon nodded and looked away. “My last fiancé said it was me. That I don’t listen. That I railroad people to get what I want.”

Dillon’s mother came down the aisle. “What’s happening? We’re late starting.” She looked at Walker. “Where is she? And the other one, the one with the bad attitude. Go get them.” Then, before Walker could respond, she stormed off.

Because Caitlin had planned to walk herself down the aisle to be greeted by both parents before turning to Dillon, Jim and Sherry were seated in the front row. Walker made eye contact with them, and both stood up as if to come over. He gestured that he had this, and they sat back down. With a deep breath, he headed to the bride’s chambers. When no one answered his knock, he let himself in. The room looked like a cyclone had hit, but it was empty. The window was open, and, more telling, the flowers in the window planter box were crushed, and there was a piece of torn silk on a nail on the windowsill.

He turned in a slow circle and froze when his gaze landed on the mirror.

I’M SORRY

He actually staggered back a step, instantly transported to a certain morning in Vegas, when he’d found a note with the same message. His chest actually hurt and he rubbed it. Logically he knew this wasn’t about him, but there was nothing logical about the road his brain had just gone down.

He pulled out his phone.

No messages.

He called Maze, but her phone was either dead or off, and that’s when he knew the real reason for the way his gut had turned itself inside out. It wasn’t just Caitlin on the run. He couldn’t explain it, but deep inside, he knew. Maze was on the run too.

Again.

And he knew why. Over the past week, they’d connected on a level deeper than they ever had, and he’d forgotten to hold back, to keep himself from opening up to her. Instead, he’d told himself when and if Maze got cold feet and wanted to run, they’d run together.

He’d been an idiot.

His mission had been simple: get the divorce. But he should’ve known that nothing was ever simple with Maze. Now the mission had gone FUBAR, and he was back at square one, grieving her all over again.

But hell if he’d do it.

He strode out of the room. Jace and Heather both looked at him and he gave a very slight head shake. There’d been a low-level hum of quiet talking among the guests, but at the sight of him, all two hundred went silent. One hundred and ninety-eight of them he couldn’t care less about. Walking straight to Shelly and Jim, he crouched down and took Shelly’s hand. “Cat’s not coming,” he said quietly.

Whatever he’d expected, it hadn’t been for them both to smile. “We know,” Shelly whispered. “She texted.”

Jace came over. “What can I do?”

“Take Heather and Sammie home,” Walker said.

Shelly stood up and grabbed Walker’s hand before he could turn to go talk to Dillon. “The cake.”

“The cake?”

“I swapped it out for the carrot cake Caitlin wanted. I want that cake, Walker.”

“Then I’ll make sure you get it.” He looked at Jim. “You’ve got her?”

“Absolutely, son.” He squeezed Walker’s shoulder. “You got our girl?”

“Absolutely,” Walker said grimly. He turned and came face-to-face with Dillon.

“So . . . I guess we should tell people,” Dillon said, looking like he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

Walker knew how he felt. He knew because something not so unlike this had happened to him, which was almost enough to make him feel bad for the guy.

“My mom’s going to blow a gasket,” Dillon said.

“Listen,” Walker said, “I’m going to offer some advice you didn’t ask for. I didn’t know my mom, so I can’t say how I’d react if she walked all over my life at every turn, but I can say that the woman you loved enough to ask to marry you should probably be higher up on the totem pole than your mom.”

Dillon closed his eyes and nodded. “Getting that.”

“You need to make the announcement.”

“No. I can’t. I’ve gotta get out of here,” Dillon said, and spun on a heel and left.

Walker looked out at the waiting guests and rubbed his jaw. Shit. He moved to where the officiant stood in front of the microphone, looking shell-shocked. He leaned toward the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry, but love’s not going to happen here today.”

Not for anyone . . .

MAZE WATCHED CAITLIN take a long pull on her bottle of champagne. “You should eat something,” she warned. “Or you’re going to get drunk.”

“Too late,” Caitlin said, and let out an involuntary hiccup. She covered her mouth and giggled and hiccupped again. “You should join me.”

“I’m your DD.” Maze was having a serious moment of fear and regret, because everyone was going to think this was all her fault. But really, what could she have done differently? She wasn’t about to advocate for a marriage that Caitlin clearly didn’t want. Yes, she could’ve made the decision sooner, but who was Maze to judge?

Cat looked down at herself. “Seriously, these boobs are far more trouble than they’re worth. Kind of like men.”

“Well, I’ve had a serious shortage of both, so I wouldn’t know.”