“Trent planned it. He’s taking classes again and working full-time. Plus, he’s on a budget. Don’t bitch if you didn’t offer to help,” Taylor said.

I expected Thomas to lash out, but he accepted the scolding.

“Touché.”

“What about the, um…” I pointed to the dog looking up at me like he was going to lunge for my throat at any moment—or maybe he just wanted a pat on the head. I couldn’t be sure.

A car pulled up next to us, and a woman hopped out, leaving the engine running and the headlights on.

She opened the back door and smiled at me. “Hey, there.” She looked at Thomas and stopped smiling. “Hey, T.J.”

“Raegan,” Thomas said.

I already loathed the nickname. Taylor didn’t refer to him that way. The woman was exotically beautiful with her layers of chestnut hair, the wavy ends stopping at just above her waistline.

Raegan unclipped Toto’s harness and then gathered his things.

“Thanks, Ray,” Taylor said. “Abby said everyone else was going to the wedding.”

“No problem,” she said, trying not to look at Thomas. “Kody can’t wait. He’s been wanting a dog so bad, but I don’t know how people keep a puppy from being lonely while they go to work and school.” She looked down at Toto and touched her nose to his, and he licked her cheek. She giggled. “Dad offered doggy daycare, so we’ll see. Maybe babysitting for a few days will help us decide. Should I walk him? I don’t want a mess in my car.”

Taylor shook his head. “I just took him right before I picked them up. He should be good until you get home. Did Abby tell you about the harness?”

“She told me—in detail.” Raegan scratched the dog’s head and then turned around, opening her back door. She let the dog walk around on the backseat while she buckled in the harness, and then he sat, astonishingly well-behaved, while she buckled him in again.

“Okay,” Raegan said. “That’s it. Good to see you, Taylor.” Her expression instantly lost all emotion when she looked at Thomas. “T.J.”

She had to be an ex-girlfriend. Between the nickname and overly cool demeanor, he must have really burned her.

She smiled at me again. “I’m Raegan.”

“Liis…nice to meet you,” I said, completely unsettled by her one-eighty.

She hurried around the front of her car and then disappeared inside. The car pulled away, and Taylor, Thomas, and I sat in silence.

“Okay then!” Taylor said. “Let’s party.”

“I don’t understand this,” Thomas said. “He’s not a bachelor.”

Taylor patted his brother’s shoulder, again so hard that it made me wince in reaction. “The whole point of this weekend is to celebrate what we missed out on because that little bastard eloped. And, Tommy…” Taylor’s grin faded.