Eden and Jace walked up the aisle, Grace following with Jace’s friend Sam. Amelia came out of the pew and followed behind.
Grace nearly broke into a run when she reached the narthex, handing Amelia her flowers. “I gotta get to the reception.” She turned to Casper. “Give me a ride?”
“With pleasure. Let me grab my stuff.” He took off down the hall, clearly as anxious as she to escape.
She did notice, however, that he stopped and kissed Eden on the cheek, shook Jace’s hand as he dashed by.
“You’re still wearing your dress,” Amelia said. Thankfully, Eden was a smart bride and had let Grace pick out her own attire. She could easily hike up her short blue dress for the motorcycle ride. Sure, it might not be ladylike, but at least she’d get to the reception hall before anyone burned the place down.
Casper reappeared, holding a backpack and his helmet.
Grace hooked his arm. “Let’s go.”
He didn’t look back as he headed outside. Nor did he say a word as he retrieved an extra helmet from his seat. He turned to fasten it on her head. “I’m leaving, Grace.”
She caught his hands. “Wait—what?”
“I gotta go.”
But—
“I was asked to be part of a treasure diving crew in Central America this fall, and I kept putting it off because . . . well . . .” His jaw tightened. “I thought I might be sticking around. But I can’t.”
“Casper,” she said softly, “don’t run away.”
His expression bore more pain, more truth in it than she could bear. “No. I’m just . . . changing scenery for a while. I’ll be back. I promise.”
“Mom and Dad?”
“They know.” He kissed her on the cheek, then fitted on the helmet.
She blinked back the bite in her eyes.
He got on the bike, held out his arm for her.
Grace climbed on, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Be safe, Casper. And come back to us.”
She felt him sigh, his rib cage rising and falling hard as he gunned the bike.
She hung on to him, her eyes closed as they drove through Minneapolis toward the warehouse. It pulsed inside her to tell him that Raina needed him, but they weren’t her words to say. And who knew where Raina had vanished to?
Keep him safe, Lord. Heal his heart.
Casper dropped her off at the warehouse. Flipped open his visor. “Don’t burn anything.”
“I love you, Bro.”
He smiled, but it didn’t touch his eyes.
And then he was gone.
She stood on the sidewalk, watching him go. Oh, Casper.
Just before she turned away, she caught sight of her car, parked down the street away from the warehouse. Or at least, what looked like her car.
Raina? Grace ventured toward the car, peered into the window.
Raina stared straight ahead, hands cupped to her mouth, tears running over them. She stared in the direction Casper had driven.
When Grace knocked on the passenger window, Raina nearly jumped through her skin. Her bloodshot eyes widened.
“Can I come in?”
Raina wiped her cheeks. When she leaned over to unlock the door, Grace saw that her hair looked greasy. Had she slept in the car?
Grace slid into the front seat. “Hey.”
“I’m sorry I stole your car.”
Grace gave her a smile. “In the scope of things that happened today, trust me—you can have this old clunker.”
One side of Raina’s mouth tweaked up. Then it vanished and she looked again in the direction of Casper’s exit. “Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. Central America, he said.”
“Roatán. There’s some sort of pirate dig there.”
“He was always a treasure hunter.”
“He said that.” She closed her eyes. “I hurt him. I really hurt him.”
“Yeah, you did,” Grace said. “But . . . that’s the risk we take when we love someone. He’ll be okay.” She touched Raina’s arm. “What about you? Are you . . . ? Did . . . ? I need to know, for my parents’ sake. Did Owen do something to hurt you? Should we know about anything?”
“Just that I’m stupid and fall hard for Christiansen men. Although Owen was just a weak, stupid mistake. Maybe it was the wedding and I was lonely, and you were going to Hawaii and I felt sorry for myself and . . .”
“And Owen is dark and troubled and needed someone too.”
She nodded. “I never meant to fall in love with Casper—I especially never meant to hurt him.”
“I know,” Grace said. She took her hand. “So the baby is Owen’s?”
Raina nodded.
Oh, boy. “You should have told me. I would have listened.”
“How could I tell you that? I was so ashamed, and you love your family so much. You’d do anything for them.” She glanced at her. “Even agree to be a maid of honor and cater your sister’s wedding.”