24. Chapter 24
Chapter 24
T he lobby was total chaos—loud, so loud, and people instantly in motion. The fire alarm anchored to the ceiling by the front desk flashed red, emitting a piercing, wailing sound.
The bellman approached Jane and Tommy. “Everything’s fine,” he assured them. “But we just need you to step outside for a few minutes so they can clear the building.”
Jane looked down at herself, all dressed up, and then looked at Tommy, who held up his palms and shrugged. She sighed. “All right.”
They trudged outside, where people were starting to gather in the parking lot. “Do you know what happened?” Jane heard one person ask. “They better let us back in soon,” grumbled another. A little boy covered his ears and started crying, and his dad carried him off to look at the water.
Jane and Tommy stood at the edge of the parking lot, watching it all unfold. She took her phone out from under her arm and sent a text to Haley first: ???? And then a text to Luke: Hey. Followed by another one: Where did you go? She watched for a minute, waiting for one of them to reply. When nothing came in, she tucked her phone back under her arm and turned to Tommy.
“Of course something crazy had to happen today,” she said.
“Right?” he said, putting aside his own phone.
They looked at the scene in front of them, taking it in. She kept turning a little, this way and that, glancing around for Luke just in case. “Was it weird?” she said to Tommy. “When you talked to Uncle Bob?”
“I mean, you know Bob,” he said. “I think he felt a little bad about it.”
“He’s Team Tommy, you know,” she said.
He chuckled a little. “I don’t know about that.”
“He is,” she said. “He’s Team Everyone.” Which was true.
He slid his phone into his pocket. “So what’s the story with you and that guy Luke?”
She glanced over at him and shrugged. “What’s the story with you and Bree?”
“Nothing,” he said. “It’s Bree.” He pulled his elbows back, stretching out his chest in his suit. “She did me a big favor coming up early this weekend, though.”
“Yeah, I’ll say she did,” Jane said, and thought of Luke, and the big favor he had done for her, and what she hoped it meant. “So she’s not seeing anyone?”
“I mean, she didn’t have a date to the wedding.”
“Hmm,” she said. “Interesting.”
He gave her a look. “What’s interesting?”
“I’m just saying, someone who would do that for you …”
He looked at her, realization beginning to dawn behind his eyes as he started to get what she was trying to say. “I’ve known Bree since we were in diapers,” he said.
“Well …” she said. “Maybe you should … I don’t know.” Look at what’s in front of you , she wanted to say, but instead she settled for: “Maybe you should just think about it.”
The expression on Tommy’s face was pensive, and a little confused. “Yeah. All right.”
She saw Haley then, coming out a side door in full bridal mode—hair, makeup, beautiful white dress. She was walking gingerly, holding up the edges of her dress with each step, followed by Ashley and Maddie, who had their arms full of who knows what—whatever they felt like they needed to grab just in case, Jane figured.
Jane hurried over to them. “Block me,” Haley half-shrieked as she waved her arms in front of herself. “Wherever Blake is, don’t let him see me.”
“He’s not with Tommy,” Jane said. “I think he’s still back at the house.”
“He better be back at the house,” she said, each word a step into an imminent meltdown. “I am gonna flip if he sees me before the wedding.”
Jane glanced around for her benefit. “I really don’t think he’s here.”
“I’m not kidding, Jane,” Haley said. “I know I’ve been a very go-with-the-flow bride so far, but this will be the thing that puts me over the edge. I am not going to let my marriage be cursed before it even starts.”
“Your marriage is not going to be cursed,” she said, trying to sound soothing.
Haley kept turning and looking all around her. “Seriously,” she said. “I let it go with the sunburn, I did the whole Ashley thing—”
“The whole Ashley thing?” said Ashley, of course, who was standing behind them. “What does that mean?”
Haley gave her a withering look. “Just make sure, Jane, okay?” she said. “Please.”
“Okay,” she said, reaching out and putting her hands on each of Haley’s arms. “Just—it’s okay. Just breathe.”
“I will breathe when you tell me for sure that Blake is nowhere near here.”
“All right,” Jane said. “I’ll talk to Tommy and make sure.”
“It’s bad luck , Jane.”
“I know,” she said, patting her arms. “Hang on.”
She went back over to Tommy. She confirmed, for the record, that Blake was not only not on the premises, he was not planning to be on the premises. He was definitely at the house, most likely still getting ready, and he absolutely would not see his stunning, superstitious bride before the wedding, under any circumstances.
“Text him,” Jane said. “He cannot leave the house.”
“Got it.”
“Not like the sunscreen, Tommy.”
He gave her a good-natured salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
She went back over to Haley, who was trying to shield herself behind a tree even as random passers-by called over with congratulations. “Okay, Tommy’s on it,” Jane said. “We’re good.”
“Did he see me?” Haley asked. “I know it’s not the same as the groom, but—”
“I don’t think so,” Jane said. Given the circumstances, it was going to have to be good enough.
“Okay,” Haley said, letting out a long breath. “Thank you, Jane.”
A member of the hotel staff was conferring with someone from the fire department near the entrance. “What even happened in there?” Jane said to them. “Do you guys know?”
“They think it was an electrical thing,” Maddie said. “Some guy in the hallway said that. But they made us leave anyway.”
“You were too hot in that dress,” Jane said to Haley. “The electrical system couldn’t handle how hot you looked.”
“Don’t even,” Haley said, but she started to laugh.
They heard a sound next to them. They turned to see the photographer crouched down, snapping a few shots of them all standing outside with the fire truck in the background.
“Oh, brother,” Haley groaned, covering her face with her hands.
Jane started laughing. “One of these pictures better make the album for sure.”