It's About Time (Blossom Peak #4)(3)

“No, you’re not, Elliot. She left with her boss about an hour ago.” He hands me the paper clutched in his hand. “Now, just how well do you know her boss, Barry?”

The mention of the dipshit she calls a boss makes my blood pressure rise as my eyes scan the background check my friend took the liberty of running without my consent.

Tori’s boss has been the one issue we’ve gone back and forth on over the course of our relationship. Her job with Barry Eggert Talent Agency in Nashville meant a lot to her, so I put up with the endless phone calls, late nights, and commuting back and forth between the two cities because I wanted to be supportive.

But now that nagging feeling comes back with a vengeance, and I’m wishing I wouldn’t have pushed it aside.

My stomach drops as my eyes scan the words proving my intuition was right, and I realize that if I’d just let Rhonan run a background check months ago like he asked, I wouldn’t be standing here right now in a tux with no bride. He tried to convince me it was the smart choice, given our complicated history with Tori and what he sees every day as a sheriff.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, right?

Hell, even Dilynne—Henley’s younger sister and the biggest pain in my ass—turned out to be right.

Jesus, she’s never going to let me live this down.

“He…she…” The paper starts to shake in my grasp and the words in black ink become blurry. My eyes lock onto Rhonan’s. “Move.”

“Elliot…”

“ I said fucking move, Rhonan!” I can faintly hear the windows rattle behind me from the volume of my voice, but I don’t care.

Rhonan’s eyes bounce back and forth between mine before he reluctantly slides out of my way, a defeated sigh leaving his lips. I tear open the door and stomp down the hall to the bridal suite, where I’m hoping I’ll find my fiancée inside and this whole act Rhonan is putting on is just his idea of a joke.

But when I thrust the door open, the knob slamming into the wall behind it, the last thing I expected to see is my best man with his tongue down the throat of the maid of honor.

Laney and Fletcher?

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Lucky for me, Rhonan beats me to the punch. Seems he followed me. “What the fuck is going on here?”

Laney and Fletcher freeze, turning their heads slowly toward the door where we’re standing. I can feel the heat of Rhonan at my back, but we’re both motionless. Fletcher releases Laney from his grasp and moves to quickly adjust his shirt and coat.

“Rhonan…” Fletcher starts, but Rhonan cuts him off.

“What the fuck is this?” Rhonan waves his hand between them. “You and my sister?”

More anger builds in my chest because the last thing I imagined adding to the turmoil of the day would be finding one of my best friends sneaking around with another’s little sister.

I clench my fists at my sides as the reality dawns on me. “You broke the pact, man.”

The pact that we made in high school that nothing would ever come between us—me, Rhonan, Fletcher, and Henley—which included any feelings for sisters.

Guess that went to shit today too.

Fle tcher takes a step toward us, his hands up in the air. “Listen, it’s not what it looks like…”

“Jesus Christ.” Henley, the fourth part of our friend group, appears behind us, pushing me and Rhonan into the room far enough that he can shut the door. “I guess we’re doing this now too.”

“Then what is it?” Rhonan asks. “Because to me it looks like you were about to fuck my sister in our family’s winery.” His eyes move around the room as anger rolls off him, mixing with my own. “God, I fucking knew it. That night with the popcorn cart…” Rhonan turns to his sister. “I asked you if something was going on, and you lied to me.”

“I know—” She starts, but I cut her off before she can attempt to explain because the volcano boiling inside of me is about to erupt.

“You fucking violated bro code, Fletch.” My voice is low, almost void of any emotion, but the intensity in my body is saying otherwise. All I can feel is rage coursing through my veins, extending down each of my limbs and burning me from the inside out.

“This isn’t just some fling, okay?” Fletcher explains. “I’m in love with her.”

Laney gasps as Rhonan lunges forward. Henley takes a step in front of him, holding Rhonan back. Rhonan shoves him off. “Love? You don’t know the first thing about love!”

“You’re right. I don’t, but—”

That’s when I snap.

My laugh is maniacal. “Love? Love is a fucking joke!” I point a finger at Fletcher and that’s when pieces start snapping into place. “You lied to Rhonan! And you knew Tori was gone and didn’t fucking tell me!”

“That’s my fucking sister, asshole!” Rhonan shouts, stepping toward Fletcher to seek his own revenge. Laney moves to stand in front of him , but she’s too slow. Rhonan cocks his fist back and swings at Fletcher’s face, forcing Laney and Fletcher to both stumble back. The sound of Rhonan’s fist connecting with Fletcher’s nose gives me the push I need to hit something—or someone—too.

“Rhonan!” Laney screams, but I rush toward Fletcher next.