The Wedding Trap

The day was a bizarre combination of constant anxiety and crushing boredom.

  Beth had been out of the room for six hours and she hadn't left the hotel once, not even for a walk around the parking lot. It was too open, Alex said. There were too many variables. Too many ways that things could go wrong. She guessed that what he really meant was there were too many hiding places for a sniper to hide and take her out with a single shot.

  She might never get over how strange it was to think about her life in those terms. She only hoped that she lived long enough to get used to it.

  Alex was true to his word and stayed by her side. He sat with her in the lobby. Stood next to her in the coffee shop line. Then back to the lobby. Walked with her down to the spa store. Ate lunch with her at the restaurant. Then back to the lobby. Walked down the hallway with her. Then back to the lobby again.

  The problem wasn’t with the monotony of the day. It might have actually been relaxing to have a whole day with nothing planned, nowhere to go, nothing to do. It was that she couldn’t relax, not even for a second.

  People came and went. Beth watched them all. Some she knew. Most she didn't. Every now and again someone from the wedding would stop by and say hello, and Beth would worry about their motives for doing so. But even that was a welcome distraction from obsessing over the intentions of strangers who just happened to glance her way.

  It was exhausting, this ever-vigilant existence. Beth wondered how in the world Alex managed it. He hadn’t complained once since they’d stepped out of their room. He'd taken up his position by her side today and settled in. He'd chatted with her, keeping it light. He lounged on the couches as though there wasn't a worry on his mind.

  Beth, on the other hand, was ready to start pulling her hair out. The only thing preserving her sanity was keeping one eye on the clock. She'd made it to five thirty. It was almost time for the rehearsal. And while she was certain that none of the anxiety she felt would fade when she got there, at least the boredom would.

  Alex patted her on the knee and gestured toward the front door. John was walking in. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to acknowledge him, so she kept her face as impassive as possible. She figured they were through pretending when he sat down beside them.

  “Hey,” Alex said.

  “Nothing yet?” John asked.

  Alex shook his head. “Anything on your side?”

  “Negative.”

  “Riveting stuff, guys,” Beth said. “Hey, since I've got two bodyguards now, do you think I could risk a quick trip out to the balcony? My legs are cramped, and I haven’t seen real sunlight all day.”

  The men looked at each other. She saw the discussion going on between them in their eyes.

  “John can watch over you for a minute,” Alex said, standing up. “I'm going to the men's room. Then we'll get you ready for that rehearsal.”

  Alex didn't look too happy. She knew that the day had been a bust for him. Nothing had happened, and time was slipping away.

  She stood up and walked to the set of double doors that led out to the balcony. John stayed by her side until they were outside. Then he fell back, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His expression was, as always, impassive, but at least he was giving her some space. Well, as much space as one could get on a fifteen-foot balcony.

  The Kensington was built into the side of a hill, and this part of the lobby was technically on the second floor. It was a lovely place to sneak out to watch the sun sinking below the San Francisco Bay. Tonight was no exception, and Beth caught it at just the right time.

  She sighed with pleasure as she leaned against the railing. After a day of being shut up inside the hotel this was heaven.

  Ribbons of brilliant orange and flaming red streaked the sky. The darkening waves of the bay caught the last of the evening light and shimmered as if they were capped with diamonds. A slight breeze caressed her cheek, bringing with it the scents of the blooming gardens below.

  If only she'd had a glass of champagne in her hand and Alex by her side, it would have been a perfect moment. As it was, she had a can of flat diet soda and a hulking stranger behind her, one that she still wasn't quite sure she trusted.

  Beth turned around at the sound of the doors opening behind her. She expected to see Alex. Instead, it was Spencer. The group must have just returned from the museum.

  “I thought I saw you out here,” he said.

  John looked at her, raising his eyebrows a fraction of an inch. Do I need to take care of this guy?

  For a split second, she indulged in the fantasy of taking him up on the offer. Maybe if she put her hands up and screamed, John would slap his cuffs on Spencer and drag him away. Even better, he might just pick him up and chuck him over the side.

  Beth gave John a slight shake of her head. Spencer was a royal pain in the ass, but he wasn’t dangerous.

  “What do you want, Spencer?”

  “That’s not a very nice welcome.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not feeling very welcoming toward you at the moment.”

  Spencer took up the empty spot next to her on the railing. “Are you still mad at me for calling out your little date for what he was?”

  Beth considered telling Spencer just how big of an ass he was, but she realized there just wasn’t enough time left in the day to cover everything. Besides, anything she said would just turn into another fight, and she didn’t want that vibe carrying over into Isobel’s rehearsal.

  “Where is he, anyways?” he asked. “Did I scare him off or did you come to your senses?”

  Beth rolled her eyes. “Was there something that you wanted, Spencer?”

  “I wanted to see if you were all right,” he said. “I know I got a little out of line last night, and I was worried that I might have upset you.”

  Beth looked at him from the corner of her eye. That didn’t sound like Spencer. He’d never worried about anyone other than himself. He sure as hell didn’t apologize.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “Good.” He nodded, and leaned a little closer. “I just wanted you to know that even though you’ve made a fool of yourself this weekend, I forgive you.”

  Beth’s jaw dropped. “You forgive me?” she demanded when she had recovered from her stunned silence.

  “Sure I do. I saw you out here, looking so sad, and I thought you should know that I’m not holding any of this against you.”

  “How magnanimous of you.”

  He smiled and shrugged. “I know things ended badly between us, and you probably just wanted to show me up. It’s natural.”

  Beth downed the rest of her soda in an attempt to keep her mouth shut. Her fingers bit into the thin aluminum, crushing the can as she drank.

  “And the fault isn’t entirely yours. It’s obvious that our break up devastated you. Maybe I was too hasty. I mean, you are a decent-looking woman, Beth.”

  Beth felt bile rise up and burn her throat. “Are you asking me to get back together with you?”

  “I’m asking you to come to my room tonight after the rehearsal dinner, and we can discuss it.” He arched his brows suggestively.

  Beth heard a quiet laugh from John’s direction. So the guy did have a sense of humor after all.

  “Thanks for the offer, Spencer, but I’m going to pass,” she said.

  He looked confused. “Why?”

  The door behind them opened. Both she and Spencer turned at the same time. This time it was Alex. His eyes were unreadable as he stared down Spencer.

  “Because I already have plans for this evening,” she said before walking to Alex’s side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and turned them back toward the lobby without a word.

  The door shut behind them, but not before Beth heard John say, “Tough break, bro.”

  Chapter 10