Mitchell pointed to me. “Golden? That’s the blonde veterinary assistant who’s dating your former high school crush who you fooled around with this summer but never slept with, and broke up with on Monday, by the duck pond? He talked about the moon and made you sad?”
Shayla elbowed me. “If Mitchell already knows everything, how are he and I supposed to bond with each other? We were supposed to gossip about you at the fitting today.”
Mitchell did a fun hand swoosh. “I’m sure there’s something. Peaches can’t go five hours without doing something shocking, unless she’s asleep.”
“That’s my girl,” Shayla said proudly.
Mitchell followed Shayla up into the house, both of them chattering away without waiting for the other one to respond to a question.
Mr. Galloway waved from his porch, catching my eye.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but congratulations on the new car, and on the wedding, of course.”
“You are coming, right?”
He beamed. “Yes, and I have a date. Do you know Dottie Simpkins? Pink hair. Very interesting lady.”
“Wow. You’re ready to start dating again, and you’re diving in at the deep end. Watch out she doesn’t make you husband number seven.”
He chuckled, looking like a man smitten. He was definitely under Dottie’s spell, and that made me almost as happy as getting my new car. Almost.
“Where is this wedding?” he asked.
“Secret location. Show up at the bus depot and they’ll take you there.”
He looked around for anyone who might be in hearing range, then held up his hand alongside his mouth and whisper-shouted, “I hear they’re setting up tents at Duck Pond Park.”
I held one finger to my lips. “Shh.”
He winked and nodded. “The secret’s safe with me.”
I made Mr. Galloway promise to come to the bus depot anyway, and then I went into the house to join the Shayla-Mitchell gossip session in progress.
CHAPTER 37
The drinking started innocently enough.
We were showing off our booze collection to Mitchell, and he suggested we sample the vodka he’d brought up with him.
The vodka was tasty.
We became too inebriated to go anywhere, but then Shayla called our friend Chantalle Hart and asked for a favor. She got Chantalle to agree to driving us around for a spur-of-the-moment bachelorette party.
With a sober person as our chaperone and driver, the three of us in the wedding party were free to get into as much trouble as we wanted.
And we had no problem finding trouble.
From the house, we proceeded to Cougar Town, where we consumed chicken wings, nachos, and as many drinks as they’d serve us.
That place was pretty dull, even for a Wednesday night, so we left in search of our own fun.
After a dire warning about what I’d do to people if they threw up in my new car, we got back into my sweet ride and started driving up and down Leonardo Street while passing around the vodka bottle.
I can’t say for sure whose idea it was to break into Dalton’s cabin, but we all agreed the idea was excellent.
Chantalle made a few wrong turns, but eventually we found the heritage site for the cabin, at the edge of Dragonfly Lake.
“This is the wedding site?” Shayla asked as we pulled up to the cabin.
“That’s a secret!” I yelled at her.
Chantalle turned back to me. “It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone. I’m just glad I’m invited.”
“Peaches, honey, I don’t think the wedding is going to be here,” Mitchell said. “I think Dalton lied to you, to throw us off. That man is as cunning as he is gorgeous.”
I groaned. “He’s such a liar!”
“This place is a total construction site,” Chantalle said. “There’s no way you can have a wedding here. Are the guests going to sit in those dirt-digger things and have tractor wars?”
“That would be awesome!” Shayla said brightly. “Who cares. We’re still breaking in. I gotta pee.”
We parked the car and all jumped out.
We ran up to the cabin first, but found the door locked tight and all the windows boarded up for the construction.
“I could climb down the chimney,” Mitchell offered.
Shayla and I thought that was a marvelous idea, because after as much vodka as we’d had, we were pretty sure anything was possible.
Luckily for Mitchell, Chantalle ran over to the Airstream, found it unlocked, and called us over.
Giggling, we all climbed up the steps into the trailer.
It was even smaller with four people inside.
We all squeezed into the kitchenette and were absolutely silent. I was trying to figure out where the wedding was going to be, and Mitchell was fascinated by the trailer’s compact interior.