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I’ll forget about love, romance, and marriage. I’ll make lists of my potential next steps. And I’ll live in the moment. That’s all we have anyway.

A cold slosh of water seeps into my shoe, alerting me that I’ve traipsed right into a creek. I back out of the cold, trickling water. Shaking out my shoe, I watch water droplets spray outward. Leaves stick to the hem of my dress, which now looks gray with dirt. Mentally, I add ‘take dress to the cleaners’ to my ever-growing list. I lift my skirt and hopscotch across the creek, slipping on rocks. Then I look around and turn back.

Where am I?

Dread slides down my spine. Or maybe it’s the cold water sloshing around in my shoe. I rush back, trip over a root, and land with asplat!So much for that manicure, I think, as I examine a broken nail. Brushing off my palms, I head in a different direction. Where is the Bookmark B&B? Tall pines block my view. The sun overhead shines gloriously on this non-wedding day but offers no indication of east or west. Still, the hum of tires tells me I must be near the highway.

That will be my guide.

I climb, more like crawl, up a ravine, scraping my knee and causing a rip in the hem of my gown. My veil catches on a limb, tugging my head backward, and I carefully unhook it, pulling only a couple of threads.

Scrambling the last few feet, I stumble onto the highway’s gravel shoulder and lean over to catch my breath. I recognize the bend in the road and know which direction to head. But is the B&B really where I want to go?

A rumbling noise jolts me. Around the bend, a truck careens and rattles toward me. The driver slams the brakes and skids to a stop.

A window rolls down and music blasts from the crackling speakers. It’s Luke. In his tux. Not that it’s needed anymore. And, I notice, he shaved. It makes his square jaw even more so.

He turns down the radio and peers out at me. “Libby?”

I feel frozen, as if I can’t speak, my mind numb, overwhelmed, and overloaded. He moves the truck forward, pulling off the highway and blocking my path.

“Big wedding up the road. Hear a bride is needed.” He grins as if nothing is wrong, as if I haven’t imploded my whole world. Then, he leans over and opens the passenger door. “Hop in. I’ll give you a lift.”

Ducking my head, I keep walking. I can’t face all those curious glances or sympathetic looks. I plow forward as if I’m charging at a bullfighter.

Luke jumps out of the truck and forces me to stop. “Hey,” he says, “did something happen? What did Derek do?”

I swerve around him, but he blocks my way, arms spread wide as if he might tackle me. He better not.

I dodge the other way, but he’s right in my path.

I glare at him. Bridezilla rising. “Are you going to move?”

“I can’t let you walk along the highway.”

“Why? Am I a wide load in this getup?”

“I don’t want to scrape you off the asphalt if a semi runs you over.”

We engage in a stare-off.

Finally, he gestures toward the open passenger door. “Those shoes won’t take you far.”

That makes the most sense. I can still feel the creek water sloshing with each step. A car zips past and lays on the horn, the noise jarring me. I have no choice. Hefting up the voluminous skirt, I scramble into the truck and tuck the veil around me.

CHAPTER 5

Luke

“Don’t take me to the B&B.” Hands shaking, Libby clacks the seatbelt against the metal lock.

I gently cover her hand and secure the seatbelt, clicking it into place.

Our gazes meet. I shift back to the driver's side.

“The wedding is off."

“Did Derek get cold feet?”