Blair only relied on alcohol when she was scared.
His relatives wouldn’t scare her. Not Blair. He suspected she’d tolerated his aunt the evening before in an attempt at compromise. Something else scared her, and God help him, he hoped she was scared of what she felt when she was close to him.
“I also gave Neil’s mother her lemonade. I know there’s a story there, which I’m dying to hear, but this one gets my attention first.” The black-haired beauty turned her dark chocolate eyes on him, looking him up and down like he was an amusing street corner act.
He would have known this newcomer was Blair’s other best friend even if she hadn’t been identified by name. Blair had always told him that men were drawn to Libby’s exotic beauty and vivacious personality, so he kept his attention on Blair, smiling at her as though she were the only woman in the world. After all, as far as he was concerned, it was true.
“Aunt Debra is a fundamentalist teetotaler, and I suspect last night was her first encounter with alcohol, even if she didn’t realize it,” he explained. “It will be interesting to see if she gets as loopy as she did last night.”
“I still don’t know why you’re here.” Megan stared at him and planted her hands on her hips. “Somebody better start talking.”
Blair gave him her iciest glare, but he grinned, undeterred. “I’m Neil’s cousin.”
“What?” Megan gasped, then tilted her head as she turned her attention to Libby. “Why don’t you look just as surprised as I do?”
Libby shrugged, looking like a kid with a big secret.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Blair groaned. “Now is not the time to get jealous of who knew what when. The important part is that Garrett has weaseled his way into our wedding and is now a groomsman.”
Libby tapped her foot, wearing a smug expression. “He’s also claimed the ring on her hand.”
“What?” Megan gasped loud enough to draw the attention of some of the newly arrived shower attendees.
“I don’t have time to deal with this.” Blair took another healthy sip of her whiskey, then lowered the cup and shuddered, as though trying to lodge the practical, no-nonsense part of herself back into place. “It’s a family ring. Garrett has claimed it belongs to him. His grandmother is supposed to sort it out.” She took a deep breath and glanced down into her cup. “I suppose I’d better go meet her and break up the scuffle over who wore it best.” She started to hand her cup to Libby, then hesitated and took another gulp before relinquishing it. “Hide this.”
“I’m going to exchange the waffle iron I got you for your wedding for a flask,” Libby teased.
Blair started to walk away, then turned around and pointed her finger at Libby. “You better not have gotten me a waffle iron.”
Libby burst out laughing as Blair swung back around and started across the patio. Garrett was about to take off in pursuit, but Libby blocked his path. “I don’t think so.”
“Look,” Garrett said, lowering his voice, “I know you want to grill me, and I promise to answer any questions either of you throw at me—later.” He glanced over at Megan and nodded. “But right now I need to get over there and try to defuse a pending nuclear war.”
Libby studied him for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized him. “Fine. But I get to read your palm later.”
Megan snorted.
“What?” He shook his head, sure he’d heard her wrong. “Sure. Whatever.” Garrett would have agreed to anything so long as she willingly let him go. If they were still her best friends—and the way they hovered around her assured him they were—he knew they had influence over her. He was desperate enough to recognize he needed all the help he could get. “Done.”
Libby made a shooing motion toward him. “Go.”
He hurried after Blair, ignoring the adversarial conversation between the two sisters. He reached her just as she stopped in front of his grandmother.
“Nana,” he said, as she stuck out her hand to the elderly woman. “This is Blair Myers Hansen. Blair, this is Nana Ruby. The true instigator of all the trouble in this family.” He winked at the older woman. “She taught me everything I know.”
Blair shot him an irritated glare before returning her attention to his nana, who cracked a grin.
“So you’re the bride everyone is making such a fuss about.” She looked Blair over.
Blair bristled, and her eyes turned frosty. “I need this wedding to go off without a hitch, so let’s get this ring issue sorted out as quickly as possible. And if we need to replace the ring before the ceremony, I’d prefer to know sooner rather than later.”
Nana laughed, and Garrett was surprised to hear it was genuine. Blair gave her a look of uncertainty.
“You’re not what I expected,” Nana said once she’d settled down.
“And what did you expect?”
“Some hoity-toity, dainty woman who thinks the world revolves around her.”
“Is that how Neil painted me?”
Rather than answer, she gave Garrett an inscrutable glance. “I like you,” she said, turning back toward Blair. “Do you want the ring?”
Blair blinked in surprise. “I . . .” She swallowed. “It’s Neil’s.”
But not hers. Garrett was certain his grandmother had picked up on her peculiar wording too, because she studied Blair for several moments. “I haven’t decided that yet.”
Blair groaned. “Why does this family have to be so difficult?”
As if to punctuate her statement, the argument between Nana Ruby’s two daughters rose in pitch. Nicole Vandemeer, the woman who had greeted Garrett and Nana at the door, was standing between the women trying to get them to reach a truce. Her eyes were wild with frustration.
Nana put two fingers in her mouth and released a loud whistle that filled the air and stopped everyone mid-word or mid-movement. “That’s enough nonsense, Debbie Sue and Barbara Mae,” Nana shouted. “I raised ya better than that. You’re guests here.” She waved to Nicole. “You get on with what you need to do, Mrs. Vandemeer.”
“It’s Debra,” his aunt grumbled.
Nicole smoothed back her hair and took a deep breath. “Oh, dear. Why doesn’t everyone help themselves to some refreshments, and then we’ll start the games.”
Nana hobbled over to the food table, muttering about needing a Coors, and everyone else followed, leaving Blair alone with him on the deck.
“Games?” Blair groaned under her breath. “Shit.”
Garrett chuckled. “How bad could it be?”
She gave him a baffled look, as if he’d just claimed to be a Martian. “What are you doing? Why are you here?”
“I told you, Nana Ruby made me come.”
“So why don’t you go inside with the men?”
“What men?” A shot of worry worked through his veins. Was Neil here after all?
She groaned. “Megan’s dad and her husband Josh. And for some reason, Noah, Josh’s brother, came along. He follows Libby around everywhere she goes, even though she has a—” Letting the sentence break off, she shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t know why I’m telling you anything.”