Work is always the solution, she told herself, closing her laptop. She hadn’t thought about Maddie in hours. Stuart would be here any minute to pick her up for dinner, and she didn’t even feel the need to overdress. Tonight was supposed to be casual, after all. She was calmer now than she’d been since she arrived in Loveland. Why she’d thought she could leave her work behind her for two weeks was a mystery. It was everything to her. Once this wedding was over, she would devote herself to it entirely. It was what she was good at, after all—no, more than good at. She was incredible at her job. And really, who needed more?

She had a nice, quiet dinner with Stuart and Jai. She’d been warned about the cats, but she found, once there, that they didn’t bother her as much as she’d dreaded. Now that she’d had one cat on her lap at Jai’s parents’, another one didn’t faze her. Jai was a good cook and prepared something he knew she’d like, thanks to Stuart—a fresh salad, some local cheese, and grilled fish. They drank some nice scotch afterward, and she and Stuart reminisced about their shared pasts. She’d brought the wedding journal Stuart made as a teenager, which Jai howled over, laughing so hard he strained a muscle in his side. Stuart was clearly pleased she’d kept it all these years, squeezing her hand and smiling at her while Jai laughed and laughed. Both men agreed they would have to display it at the reception for everyone else to chuckle over.

Jai told some of his own stories, and by the time she was getting in her Uber to return to the hotel, she knew him far better than before. Every moment she’d spent with him confirmed that he was a great person—the best, as Stuart had so frequently repeated (which was a lot when he had three glasses of scotch in him).

She slept well, deeply and late, waking up once again after the designated breakfast hours, blinking in the bright sunshine. She’d forgotten to close the blinds again. She had a slight hangover but seemed to have slept off most of it.

Her phone buzzed again on the side table—the sound that had woken her up—and she saw three missed messages from Maddie.

Appointment at the party-rental place is at 10:00 read the first, sent this morning quite early. Are you up? the second, from an hour ago. OMW the last, sent ten minutes ago.

“Shit,” she said, sliding off the bed. It was nine thirty, and she was still in her PJs. She had no idea how far away Maddie lived or how long it would take her to get here, but no way could she get ready before she arrived. She could just get dressed and hope for the best.