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I parked in the parking structure as soon as I found a spot that was open and headed into the airport. The Boise airport wasn’t the worst airport ever, and it was the one I preferred to fly out of when I could. I was glad that it wasn’t very big, either. I met them at the baggage carousel and immediately recognized Elliott. He waved at me, and I waved back.
Then, I caught sight of his sister, and my heart about stopped. She had long blonde hair, which had been pulled into a high ponytail for the flight. Her electric brown eyes looked like amber alight with the sun and made my heart thud against my chest. She was about Stacey’s height, maybe about 5’5", and was in good shape. I figured she must work out.
“Mav! Man! It’s been too long,” Elliott said as he walked over to me. “Maria’s watching for our bags. She brought three suitcases, partially because we had things Stacey wanted.”
“She paid for those suitcases and will pay for them on the way back, too,” Maria spoke up as she walked towards the carousel.
It didn’t take her long to roll two large bags over and plop them beside Elliott. She also had a small carry-on suitcase that she had stacked on top of one of the larger suitcases.
“So, the accommodations sleep ten, I hear. How big a car is Jacob renting?”
“He said he had a minivan on his list, so between the three of us, Caleb having his own car, me having a truck, and the rest of the groomsmen, there’s enough transportation for everyone.”
“And I can walk to Stacey’s if needed,” Maria piped up. “I packed sneakers for a reason.”
“She lives about a ten-minute drive away. It would be a lot faster for one of us to drop you off,” I blurted out, not really knowing why I said that. A ten-minute walk isn’t much.
Then, my phone buzzed, as did Elliott’s and Maria’s. It sounded like we were all getting news from the couple. A quick look at my phone revealed that one of the flights had been delayed, so we would be a groomsman short until later today. Fortunately, it wasn’t Jacob who had rented the van.
“Hey, that means Maverick here – it’s Maverick, right? – and I can go drop off the luggage we brought and that’ll be less luggage to lug back in Jacob’s van,” Maria said. “That was part of why Maverick came, right? To help balance all the luggage?”
“I’m just here to make sure that everyone gets to the AirBNB today. And I think that’s a good idea because I think I’ll only be able to take the two of you right now.”
“I don’t mind waiting here to greet the guys as they arrive. I’ll grab some food to eat,” Elliott said. “But just make sure you get all the bags. Will you need help?”
“Please.”
Elliott pulled a couple of the bags and I rolled a smaller carry-on suitcase and one of the larger suitcases, so we were able to get all the bags out to the truck. I helped Elliott stack all the larger suitcases in the bed while Maria stuck the smaller one and her backpack in the back seat. Then, Maria hugged Elliott and got up in the passenger seat.
I got into the driver’s seat and put my phone into its spot. Once it was all connected, in case more texts came in, I got us started on the road back to the Airbnb.
“I’ve read all about what’s here in Boise that we could do when we’re not involved in wedding planning or set up,” Maria started as soon as we were out of the parking structure. “There’s this place that offers go-karting, mini-golf, an arcade, laser tag… and more! I’ve never done half of that stuff. Oh, and something called the Village or something or other – great shops! Stacey said part of the reason she wanted us to come early was so that we could enjoy some time in Boise before things got crazy with the wedding. And she’s not even sure what kind of a bachelorette/bachelor party we’re doing.”
She continued talking, and I focused on the road. However, that didn’t stop me from coming to two conclusions. One: She could talk a mile a minute, and I had to wonder if she was in sales because, oh boy, could she have sold me something. And two: We were in town for a wedding. When did she think we were going to have time to do half of these things that she was talking about?
I could give her window shopping at the mall today since no one would want to do anything after arriving after a flight. But the rest of what she wanted to do was all the stuff she should have checked into and booked an earlier flight that left her more time in Eagle Falls to do these things with her sister.
“What do you think, Maverick? I like that name,” Maria continued. “It’s a fun, Western-style name. Makes me think of cowboys.”
I cleared my throat, trying to hide a blush that I felt rising to my cheeks. While I had agreed to walk down the aisle with her, I was now wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into because this woman was wound up! Stacey was nothing like this. Nor was Elliott!
Chapter two
Maria
As I spoke about everything I had found that could be done in the Boise area (within a thirty-minute drive of our Airbnb because I wasn’t stupid enough to want to do something that’d take me far enough away I’d be useless to Stacey if she needed me), I couldn’t help but notice that Maverick had this kind of longish brown hair that looked like it had beautiful blondish highlights in the sun. His blue eyes looked like shimmering pools when the sun hit them, and I couldn’t help but swim in those pools of color.
I didn’t get a chance to say anything or ask about how he knew Elliott and Caleb before we arrived at the Airbnb. I must have been blabbering too much because I could not stop looking at him, and talking to him gave me an excuse to look.
“Wow. This is a beautiful little place. Looks so welcoming,” I said as I got out of the truck to help grab bags.
I opened the back door to grab my carry-on and backpack. Mav, as my brother had called him, opened the bed of the truck so that he could start carrying bags inside. However, I had to wait for him because I didn’t have a key to the place.
“How many keys are there for this place?” I asked as he walked up the steps with one of the larger suitcases.
“Just one key, but I think we’re getting another one or two. Since I was the first to arrive with Caleb, I have it. I think Caleb’s here. Maybe he went to see Stacey, though. I’ve been gone a while.” He shrugged as he opened the door. “Welcome to the house for the week, Miss Maria.”
“Thank you, Mav,” I said.
