The Engagement Embargo: A Meet Me at the Altar Novel Read online

  “You know what? I think I left my phone back in the suite.”

  “Want me to go grab it for you?”

  But Elliott waved him off. “You go ahead. I’ll go grab it and I think I’m gonna just walk around for a while and then grab an Uber or something. Or maybe ask Josie for a ride. I’m sure she’s going to hang around with her staff for a while.”

  “Dude, don’t just wander around the city in your tux. That’s just sad.”

  “Yeah, well…kind of fitting, don’t you think?”

  “Don’t do this,” Tyler pled. “Get your phone and we’ll get out of here. I hate thinking of you being alone right now. It’s not good for you.”

  “Maybe not, but honestly, it’s what I need. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

  With a silent nod, Tyler waved and climbed into his car, and for the first time in over an hour, he felt like he could breathe.

  Pulling his tie from around his neck, he stuffed it in his pocket and opened the top button of his shirt before heading back into the catering hall. Making his way across the event space, he wondered if this kind of thing had ever happened before to anyone else. He was fairly certain it had, but…he kind of wished he had some idea of what he was supposed to do or how he was supposed to feel. Was there a support group he could join to find out what he should be doing next?

  Other than being forced into an embargo.

  He snorted at the thought. Embargo. It was ridiculous. No one could honestly expect him to just change who he was and stop wanting to be involved with a woman for a year, could they? Of course, there was some merit to the idea–after all, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to take on a new hobby or find something new to do. If anything, it would be a great way to meet someone new.

  “Ugh…just stop,” he muttered, spotting someone walking into the groom’s suite. He saw the swish of a long, blonde ponytail and immediately knew it was Skylar. She was probably just doing her job–cleaning up another spot after an event.

  When he stepped into the doorway, he stopped in his tracks. She wasn’t cleaning up.

  She was looking through his phone! Seriously, could this day just stop already??

  Storming into the room, he yelled, “What the hell, Skylar?” and then watched in horror as the phone slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor.

  She gasped.

  Elliott froze.

  And he heard the distinct sound of glass breaking.

  Why didn’t I get the screen protector when the salesman told me to?!

  Rushing across the room, he crouched down and went to pick up the phone. Unfortunately, so did she, and their heads crashed together.

  “Ow!”

  “Dammit!”

  Steadying himself, Elliott reached out to do the same for her. With his hand on her arm, he asked, “Are you okay?”

  Rubbing a hand over her forehead, she nodded. “Yeah. Sorry.”

  Releasing her, he picked up his phone and stood before extending a hand to her again. Once she was on her feet, he looked at her with annoyance, then down at his phone.

  And its cracked screen.

  “I am so sorry,” she said breathlessly. “I was cleaning up in here and saw the phone and was trying to see if I could tell who it belonged to. I swear I was going to come out and try to find you!”

  It sounded plausible, but he wasn’t in a particularly trusting mood right now. He knew he was seconds away from a complete breakdown and decided to just take his busted phone and go. He’d made it all of three steps before she spoke.

  “Hey, I said I was sorry.” And then she was standing in front of him looking sincere. “Please, I’ll even pay to replace it, Elliott.”

  All he could do was stare.

  “I’m serious,” she went on, as if sensing that he was having a hard time believing what she was saying. “I mean, it was an accident, but I could have been more careful. I know I tend to be a klutz sometimes and I try to avoid handling things that aren’t mine, so…”

  “It’s fine, Skye. Really. I just want to go.” He made it two steps farther before she called out to him again.

  “And I’m sorry about what happened out there. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling, but…at least you were surrounded by so many people who care about you.”

  “Yeah. Lucky me.” And then he stepped around her and started toward the door again.

  And she was in front of him in the blink of an eye.

  “Look, I get it. You’re having a crappy day.”

  “Ya think?” he asked, hating his own snarky tone.

  “But…let me be the one person today who maybe does the right thing for you,” she said softly and damn if her big brown eyes didn’t convince him. “I didn’t mean to break your phone and I’m sorry that it all happened the way it did. I’m sure this is like the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back for you right now.”

  “Something like that.”

  “So…can I please fix your phone? Or replace it? It would really make me feel better.”

  “I don’t see why,” he commented. “It was an accident. If I had been paying more attention, I wouldn’t have left it in here. So really, it’s okay. You’re not responsible. I’ll take care of it.”

  “But…”

  This time Elliott stood a little taller and did his best to sound firm. “We’re good.” And then he stepped around her and finally–finally!–walked out the door. He avoided talking to anyone and breathed a sigh of relief when he was outside and no one was talking to him. Looking around, he wondered where he should go and what he should do and…nothing came to him. Going home seemed like the obvious choice, but the thought of being alone was suddenly beyond unappealing. He could walk around but…Tyler was right; walking around the city in his tux just seemed a bit pathetic.

  “So now what?” With a weary sigh, he found himself standing on the sidewalk watching the traffic speed by.

  Then he continued to stand there and lost all track of time–not that it mattered; he had nowhere to go and no one was waiting for him.

  And that was the way it was going to be for at least the next year, thanks to his family.

  Chapter 3

  I never fall in love, because everything that falls breaks.

  Unknown

  “You broke his phone?” Josie cried.

  “I broke his phone.”

  “What is wrong with you? How could you do something like that? Hasn’t the poor guy been through enough?”

  Groaning, Skye rubbed her temples and willed herself not to lose her patience. “It wasn’t like I did it on purpose! I went to clean up the room, saw the phone, and knew it had to belong to him. I had just seen him walk out a few minutes earlier, and I figured I’d slip it into my pocket and go after him.”

  “So why didn’t you?”

  “Because he came back first, yelled, and scared the crap out of me! I dropped it! It was an accident, for crying out loud! It wasn’t like I found the phone and deliberately smashed it on the ground. Sheesh. Give me a little credit here.”

  Josie studied her for a long moment. “Okay, sorry. Everything is just…I’m frazzled, that’s all. I still can’t believe this all happened.” She sighed. “And I’m doubly stressing out because not only was this a job for us but this was my brother’s wedding! The look on his face was just…”

  “I’m sure,” Skye gently interrupted because she didn’t even want to think about it. She had seen it and it broke her heart.

  “And then you go and break his phone…”

  “Okay, for the record, it’s not like I dropped the cake and ruined the wedding. This party had derailed way before I dropped Elliott’s phone.”

  “Still, you certainly didn’t help matters.”

  Yeah, she knew that and still felt wildly awful about it. If he had simply let her pay to fix or replace his phone, she knew she would have felt much better–less guilty. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason Elliott had even more negative thoughts abo
ut this day.

  And towards her.

  Hopefully she hadn’t pushed him over the edge…

  Although, in the grand scheme of things, a busted phone was nothing compared to getting dumped at the altar.

  “Skye?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Look, I’m sorry I snapped. I’m just worried about my brother and being that I can’t snap at Tracy, I took it out on you.” She paused. “I’m going to go change out of this dress and then help with getting everything in order here.”

  All she could do was nod.

  “But I need you to do me a favor.”

  “Of course. Anything.”

  “Here,” Josie said, thrusting a large paper shopping bag into her hands.

  “What’s this?”

  “This is enough meals for a few days. For Elliott.”

  She eyed the bag suspiciously. “O-kay…”

  “He said he wanted to be alone, and he seemed annoyed with the family after the whole embargo thing…”

  “The what?”

  Josie then explained what went down in the groom’s suite and Skye felt her jaw drop and her eyes go wide. “It’s for his own good,” she explained. “He’ll realize that in the long run.”

  There were no words and yet a million thoughts raced through her mind. “That just seems a little…”

  “Drastic? Yeah, I know. But we all talked about this when he and Tracy first got engaged. I honestly thought we were never going to have to use it, but…here we are.”

  Again, her psychology-degree mind was going wild but there was no way she was going to get into it with Josie.

  Not today anyway.

  “And why are you giving me his doggie bag?”

  “Like I said, family members are probably the last people he wants to see. But you? You’re neutral and it won’t bother him if you show up and give him a bag of food. We both know he’s probably not going to want to cook for himself, and considering he should be heading off on his honeymoon, I greatly doubt he even has food in his house.”

  “There’s always takeout…”

  “Sure, but this way I can feel good knowing he’s at least going to have a few homemade meals. There’s crab cakes, champagne chicken, a couple of lamb chops, mashed potatoes, some baby quiche bites, and a plate of shrimp. All his favorites.”

  “Jos, do you really think he wants food from the wedding reception? Don’t you think that’s going to be a little strange? Plus, this food should be going to the shelter,” she protested, pushing the bag back.

  “Oh, please! That family owes my brother for what their heartless daughter did to him! If I thought he had room, I’d send all the food to him!”

  “It was a good menu…”

  Before she knew it, another bag was thrust into her arms. “And a bag for you since you’re doing me a favor.”

  “Okay, but let me help with the cleanup and…”

  “You’ve already broken a phone,” Josie said with a hint of a grin. “Besides, I have a lot of rage to get out so I am more than happy to stay and bark orders at everyone.”

  “Yeah, I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.”

  “I promise not to make anyone cry,” she promised. “Please just go and check on Elliott and text me later, okay?”

  It was the last thing she wanted to do, but how could she say no without alerting her friend to there being so much more to the whole situation? Leanna was the only one who knew about her feelings and telling Josie certainly wouldn’t help.

  Especially now that there was an embargo in play.

  Which was utterly ridiculous.

  Once she had her things, Skye waved to the servers she passed on her way out and once she stepped outside, she wondered how she was going to handle all of this. Elliott was clearly annoyed with her and she probably wasn’t going to be any more welcome than his family. Hopefully she could just hand him the bag and go without upsetting him even more.

  “I had one chance to be the one to maybe make him feel better, and instead I made things worse,” she murmured as she walked toward her car.

  Halfway across the parking lot, she froze.

  Elliott was standing on the sidewalk looking more than a little lost.

  Hanging her head, she knew there was no way she could just get in her car and go. How was it possible his family and friends just left him here? She glanced over her shoulder toward the building and considered going to get Josie, but immediately reconsidered.

  “What have I gotten myself into?” she wondered as she made her way toward him. If he heard her approach, he didn’t let on. When she was beside him, she asked, “Are you waiting for a ride?”

  Glancing at her, he held up his phone. “That was the plan, but I can’t get the app to work. So I was just trying to figure out what my plan B should be.”

  Hanging her head, Skye knew she was in for a little more self-torture. “C’mon. Let me give you a ride.”

  He may not have said any words, but his face said it all.

  Laughing softly, she said, “I’m being serious, El. Josie asked me to bring you some food so you were going to be seeing me anyway. Might as well let me do this for you or I’ll just show up at your place later.” When he didn’t respond, she rambled on. “And really, is that what you want? You could be settled in and all cozy and comfortable and then I’ll come banging on the door–probably trip and hurt myself in some way–and then spill all this food on your floor. And with my luck, you’ll have white carpet or something and the only thing that will spill will have a red sauce.” She let out a long breath. “Then you’ll have to be reminded of me every single time you walk in or out your front door because…you know…red sauce stains. Is that really what you want?”

  And then the most amazing thing happened.

  He laughed.

  An honest-to-goodness, genuine laugh.

  And for the first time all day, Skye had hope–for both of them.

  “So what do you say?” She motioned back toward the parking lot. “Can I give you a ride?”

  Nodding, he turned to follow her.

  “Let me take the bags,” he said, and when she turned to hand them to him, their hands brushed and it was the first time she had ever touched him. His skin was warm and a little rough and it felt really good.

  She murmured a thanks to him and did her best not to make eye contact. They walked in companionable silence until they reached her sporty little Hyundai SUV. Using her key fob, Skye unlocked the doors and watched as he put the bags in the back seat before climbing in. Once she was seated, she noticed Elliott simply sitting and looking down at his hands.

  It took her less than five seconds to realize she needed to say something.

  “Can I say something?” she asked, even though she knew she was going to talk no matter what.

  He shrugged.

  “Did you have any idea that this guy–you know, the officiant guy–had feelings for Tracy?”

  His eyes went wide when he looked at her and sputtered for a moment before responding. “That’s more of a question than an observation.”

  “Who said I was going to make an observation?”

  “It was kind of implied. You asked if you could say something, not ask something. Say implied an observation.”

  She never knew he was quite so literal.

  “Okay, fine. Hey, Elliott, can I ask you something?”

  “Not with that attitude.” With a snort of disgust, he turned his attention out the window.

  Luckily, she wasn’t deterred. Sure, he may resent the question right now, but she knew he needed to talk about what happened today.

  Whether he realized it or not.

  Turning the car on, she adjusted the air before twisting in her seat to face him and repeated the question. “You can’t ignore the situation, Elliott. The fact is, I’m not going to be the only person to ask about this. Why not start talking about it? What have you got to lose?”

  His head snapped around and he winced. “I do
n’t see where this is any of your business. If you ask me, it’s a little macabre to want to know–like morbid curiosity–and frankly, I’m offended.”

  Nice speech, she thought, but again, she wasn’t deterred.

  “I’d say that response will work a couple of times,” she said levelly. “It’s a good distraction and some people will pull back and possibly apologize, but I’m here to tell you, you need to talk about this.”

  Another snort. “No, I really don’t. And certainly not with you.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with me?”

  “Other than the fact that you’re my sister’s best friend and you’re probably going to run back and tell her everything I said? Oh, and maybe because you have no idea what you’re talking about? Or maybe…”

  “Actually, I am the perfect person for you to talk to right now,” she countered.

  Clearly Elliott was a snorter–something else she never knew–because it was the third time he had that initial response to something she said. “Now this I’ve got to hear.”

  “I’m kind of a neutral party,” she explained. “I have no real connection to you…”

  “Josie’s your best friend…

  “Or your fiancée…”

  “Ex-fiancée,” he corrected.

  “Right. Ex,” she agreed. “So you can say whatever it is that you’re feeling and I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong or that you should have seen this or that. I’m just someone who is willing to sit here and listen to you.”

  “I have friends who can do that,” he grumbled, but she could tell he wasn’t nearly as offended by her offer as he was a minute ago.

  “I’m sure you do. But at some point, someone’s going to try to tell you that you should have seen this coming or that they did and tried to warn you or…”

  “Were you listening to my conversation with Tyler before the wedding?” he asked incredulously.

  “What?! No!”

  “Then why would you say that?”

  “Say what?”

  “About someone trying to warn me…”

  “Was he trying to warn you?” she countered and quickly realized this was getting them nowhere. Now he was going to be defensive and honestly, that was the last thing she wanted.