That vulnerability attracted me to her.
“How’d you find time to talk to her anyway? You were late for the wedding.”
“I ran into her in Fernwood and gave her a ride. Her car was acting up.”
I scanned the crowd for Lizzie, not that she was hard to miss. She was the only one wearing a fancy ball gown.
The autumn wind was blowing hard, and her hair had come loose. When I’d first laid eyes on her, she’d been perfectly coiffed and manicured. Now her dress was blowing in the wind, her hair was down, and she was rocking my little sister’s spare pair of hiking boots.
Lizzie looked alive now. Vibrant.
I also couldn’t help but notice that Frankie was following her around, glued to her side. My dog was falling for her, too.
I wondered if Shelby was right. If Lizzie needed someone to save her from herself.
And why did I want that particular job to fall on me?
Don’t get attached. She’ll be back in New York in days.
And then I’d just be a faded memory, a man she met during a crazy wedding trip to see her old friend.
Lizzie spotted me in the crowd, a dazzling smile crossing her lips. Then she walked towards me.
I could see the determination inside her. Lizzie was used to getting what she wanted, and in this moment, I got the feeling what she wanted wasme.
“Hey, Hudson. For a minute I thought you ran off with my kitten.”
“Yourkitten? I think we have joint custody.”
She grinned at me. “That’s going to be hard to arrange. Should we fly her back and forth between Arkansas and New York?”
I threw a flirty smile her way. “That’s one approach. Not the one I’d recommend.”
Lizzie reached out and took Leona from me. “There you are, baby. I missed you.”
The kitten meowed once and settled contentedly in her arms.
“Thatcher said we can take Frankie and Leona over to their place. I think this one’s tuckered out. The Autumn Harvest Festival might be too much for her.”
Lizzie grinned. “That sounds awesome. I’ve been wanting to see Shelby’s new place. Let me go find her first, though. I want to get a few minutes in with her while I can.”
“Yup, I’m happy to wait.”
I watched her sweet ass swish away, kitten in tow as she looked around for her old best friend.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth
Shelby was absolutely glowing when I finally caught up with her. They were getting ready to go to the after-party at the Fall Festival, but she spared a few minutes to chat with me.
This might be our only chance to talk before she left on her honeymoon.
The second she saw me, she ran up and hugged me fiercely, taking care not to crush Leona.
“It’s so good to see you!!!”
Then she squeezed my hands and hit me with a barrage of questions. “Is that an Elie Saab dress? I can’t believe you did that! And why are you wearing hiking boots with it? Not that I mind, but you don’t look like the Lizzie Merley thatIknow. And is that a kitten? What in the world have you been getting into, girl? Sara told me you showed up with Hudson, making lovey-dovey eyes with him.”
