Page 58 of Cabin Mate

Preston’s jaw moves from side to side like he’s grinding his teeth. “I wish he would’ve taken his anger out on Todd instead of his bourbon glass.” His eyes shift to Todd briefly. “What a waste of good bourbon.”

“Yeah.” I purse my lips as if I know what he’s talking about. “I can’t believe Todd was being such a jerk.”

“Well, I think he got his point across by smashing a glass with his fist.”

I nod. “And … what point would that be?”

“Not to say anything disrespectful about his woman,” he says with a smirk, like it was so obvious.

“Right.” I huff out a little laugh. “Brooks will whoop his butt next time for sure.”

A man and a woman enter the room. They’re dressed in black pants and white button-down shirts, and they’re carrying cameras and large bags, which I assume are filled with lenses and such.

They get right to work telling us where to stand and setting up their equipment, but it’s all a blur. All I can do is picture Brooks trying so hard to control his temper about whatever Todd said that he shattered his glass.

The fact that someone would have that kind of reaction to another person disrespecting me gives me that strange fuzzy feeling in my stomach, and makes me feel warm all over.

I don’t even care what Todd said. I only care about the man I woke up next to this morning. The same one wearing a unicorn onesie and goofy underwear. The same one who defended my honor without saying a word.

I’m beginning to dread heading back to Kansas … but only because I have a very strong feeling I’m gonna miss waking up next to Brooks Windell every morning.

Thirty minutes before the wedding ceremony, I’m in the designated bridal party room helping my sister go to the bathroom one last time before walking down the aisle. This is something they don’t warn you about before committing to be someone’s maid of honor. Bridal bathroom duty. It’s like babysitting a toddler in taffeta.

Mildred looks at me with an unamused smile as she washes her hands. “Thanks, sis. Let’s hope this is the last time ever that you’ll have to help me in the bathroom.”

I close my eyes and cross my fingers, making her laugh.

When I look at her again, she’s looking back at me in the bathroom mirror. Her expression is serious, and she opens her mouth to speak then closes it again.

“What is it?” I ask. She looks nervous and unsure then turns to dry her hands on the bathroom towel. “If you want out of this, it’s not too late. I’ll help you climb down the banister.”

She chuckles. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t last a day without Preston.” She sighs and glances at the door. “It’s just, I think Todd’s mom and ours are …”

She stops suddenly when our mother opens the bathroom door and steps inside. She notices our silence upon her entering and looks from me to Mildred and back skeptically.

“Molly, sweetheart,” she finally says. “We need you.”

I look at my sister, but her eyes are scanning the floor. “Okay, sure. What for?”

“Umm. Your father,” She pauses. “He needs help with his tie.”

Neither my mom nor Mildred will look me directly in the eye. I’m not sure what’s going on, but my father has never in his life had trouble tying a tie.

“Uh, okay,” I say.

My mother opens the door and lets me walk through before she follows. There’s a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach warning me that I’m being led to the gallows, or something just as bad.

We walk out of the bridal room and down the upstairs hallway in silence before she stops in front of her and my father’s bedroom door. She feigns a smile before gesturing toward the door, then turning and walking away.

“Weddings make people weird,” I mutter to myself as I open the door and step inside.

The room is eerily quiet. “Dad?” I call out.

Someone who’s not my father appears from the small nook off of their room, which they turned into a library. Actually, it’s someone I’d rather not be alone with at all.

I cross my arms, trying to look intimidating and irritated. “Todd, what are you doing in here?”

“Molls, thanks for coming,” he says with a confident grin.