On the Way to a Wedding by Suzanne Stengl Read Free Book Online Page B

eyes.
    Right .
    He touched her arm and shook her.
    She awoke with a start and looked around, like she didn’t know where she was. Or, like she did know, and she didn’t want to be here?
    “Sit still. I’ll be back in a minute.”
    He got out of the truck, jogged up the walk and rang the bell. Almost immediately, the door opened and a woman, about his mother’s age, stared out at him. Her dark hair poked out of a clip on top of her head.
    “Mrs. Whitney?”
    “Yes?” She smiled at him, her eyes wide.
    “I’ve got your daughter here.”
    Mrs. Whitney frowned.
    “She had an accident.”
    Mrs. Whitney’s hand went to her heart.
    Christ . This was coming out all wrong. “She’s all right,” he said, reaching out to touch Mrs. Whitney’s arm. “Her car is totaled, but she’s all right.” He let go of her arm. “I’ll bring her in.”
    Turning around, he saw Toria getting out of the truck. He ran down the walk and reached her just as her good foot touched the ground. “Take it easy, tiger.”
    “Oh—my—God. Victoria, what have you done?” Mrs. Whitney stared at Toria’s tensored foot.
    “It’ll be all right, Mom. Don’t worry.” Toria handed her mother the running shoe.
    “But your foot? What happened? Can you walk?”
    Ryder slipped his arm around Toria’s waist, ready to lift her. He would have picked her up right away, except―
    She was shaking, and she looked pale.
    “Can you walk, Victoria?” her mother repeated as she fluttered around them.
    Toria didn’t answer.
    So he said, “It’s a sprain. She says, it’s just a sprain.”
    “Oh thank goodness,” her mother said, wringing her hands. “She’s getting married in three weeks. Did she tell you? She has to be able to walk down the aisle and―”
    “Mom, I don’t know if I―”
    “Of course you can, Victoria. It’s only a sprain. You’ll be all right in three weeks. You have to be. We can’t postpone now. The hall. The caterers.” She paused for a breath and then, speaking to Ryder, she added, “We’ve got the Red & White club at McMahon.”
    “Mom, he doesn’t need to know th―”
    Mrs. Whitney ignored her. “Greg’s mother has hired the band. Did she tell you? We’ve got a four piece band. Two guitars, drums, and an accordion player who sings. And the―”
    Toria gripped his arm. “Mom. I think it’s broken.”
    · · · · ·
    “That’s her mother?”
    Pro had driven up just as Mrs. Whitney had backed out a white Cadillac SUV from the triple car garage, and driven away with Toria. The gray sky was threatening more rain.
    “That’s her mother,” Ryder confirmed.
    “Taking her to the ER?”
    “Yeah. Nose Hill.”
    “What about her luggage?”
    Pro must have noticed the extra suitcases in the back of the truck. “I didn’t think Mrs. Whitney wanted to take time to move luggage,” Ryder said.
    Never mind the time. He didn’t think—in fact, he was sure—Mrs. Whitney didn’t know her daughter had taken off for Kalispell last night. Bringing out the luggage would have meant a lot of questions that Toria probably didn’t want to answer. And she probably wouldn’t have been able to explain the wedding dress either.
    Why would someone who was having a reception at the Red and White Club be taking her wedding dress to Kalispell?
    He shrugged. None of his business.
    Maybe her father lived down there and she wanted to show him the dress? Maybe he hadn’t seen it yet?
    Maybe he wasn’t invited to the wedding.
    Pro stood next to him, with his arms folded. “So what are you going to do now?”
    Ryder stared at the empty driveway. “Damned if I know.” The construction site would be solid mud.
    “You could try to stay away from work. At least, give it a try,” Pro said. “One day won’t kill you.”
    “Okay,” Ryder said. “I’ll stay away.” He didn’t like mud anyway. And then he looked at Pro. “I can help Toria get her car back to Calgary.”
    “A tow truck can do that.”
    “Wait a