Wednesday Walks & Wags by Melissa Storm

Author:Melissa Storm [Storm, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2020-05-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Everyone loaded up their plates with that week’s eclectic mix of potluck cuisine, then those who could fit crowded around Bridget’s dining table. The others settled in the living room.

Although Bridget had secured a seat at the table, Wesley had not. So while Olivia and Amy regaled the group with their camping adventures of the past week, Bridget slipped away to join the men on the couch.

Trent and Wesley sat as far away from each other as possible, leaving plenty of space for Bridget to plop between the two of them. Neither had eaten much of anything, and they didn’t appear to be talking, either. Instead, they stared down at the loaded plates in their laps and wore matching expressions—blank, impassive, yet somehow also pained.

If they knew each other, it seemed both would rather forget it.

It also seemed that breaking the tension in this room would fall to Bridget. As much as she preferred the weeks when one of the other members hosted their weekly get-together, she still didn’t want to see her gathering fall to pieces almost as soon as it had started.

Swallowing down a bite of biryani, she balanced her fork carefully on the rim of the plate, then slung an arm over each of the men’s shoulders. “Wesley, I know you’re new here, but, Trent, you should definitely know better. No one stays quiet during a Potluck Club meeting, and no one leaves hungry. C’mon, guys. Don’t break our perfect streak.”

She chortled, but neither man joined in or attempted to explain what had them so upset that one had turned to ice and the other to granite.

“This was a mistake,” Wesley said, untangling himself from Bridget and getting to his feet. “I shouldn’t have come.”

Trent cleared his throat but remained quiet as he watched the other man with a cold, hard stare. Bridget had begged Wesley to join her, but now everything was falling to pieces and she had no idea why.

Where was Amy? Couldn’t she help rein them in?

“Wesley, wait,” Bridget called as she jumped up and hurried after him, but he was already at the door, pulling it open and striding away.

“Wait!” she cried again, stepping out into the hall and pulling the door shut behind her. “What happened? Why are you going?”

Wesley froze at the head of the stairs but didn’t turn to face her. His entire body shook as if a sudden chill had swept through the hallway. Impossible in this stiff summer air. Then again, everything about this afternoon felt as if it couldn’t possibly be happening, couldn’t possibly be real.

Bridget approached him slowly, hoping not to frighten him away or to make this—whatever it was—any worse. “I don’t understand,” she said softly. “Do you and Trent know each other somehow?”

“I shouldn’t have come,” he said, repeating the same words he’d spoken before. His body stiffened, and she could already sense him closing off; somehow, it was even worse than it had been in the beginning. This wasn’t her Wesley. Not at all.

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