Free Touch of Amber: Hot Rods, Book 7 by Jayne Rylon Page B

Gotta go.”
    Then he flew out the door, sandwich still in hand, saving himself from a freshly ripped asshole.
    Amber felt her teeth click together as they chattered. She was tired and on edge. This could not be happening. Gavyn stepped aside right when she needed to lean on him most. It would have hurt her if she hadn’t realized Nola was squeezing between them to surround her in a gentle hug.
    “Amber, I love you.” Her sister stayed that way for a while then retreated, rubbing her noticeable baby bump. “I appreciate everything you’ve done to make today wonderful for me and the rest of the Hot Rods. But honestly, we have the important stuff already. Our friends and family are here. We’ve got food and music and each other. Today is a celebration, yes. Rain or no rain, we’re going to enjoy every minute. So please, don’t worry or spend an instant of it being upset. That’s the absolute last thing I want.”
    Gavyn put his hand on Amber’s shoulder and squeezed. Could he know that her heart was shriveling, wondering if all her effort had been for nothing? Either because it would be ruined or because it didn’t actually matter to anyone except her at the end of the day.
    Nothing like feeling useless.
    Especially when she’d spent her whole life taking care of her sister, trying her best to help Nola survive, aiming for them both to be happy. In reality, the spectacular woman her sister had grown into hadn’t needed Amber for anything in a very long time. Now, she was officially out of a job.
    At least the man holding her hand seemed to have some ideas on how she could spend her free time. For the next few days, at least. Then what? When she packed up and went back to Middletown, where would that leave them?
    A fun memory, she supposed. Possibly the only one from this disastrous event.
    “Come on, sis.” Nola waved toward the living room. “Why don’t we keep on your schedule and hope it blows over? No use getting upset for nothing, right?”
    “Sure.” Amber smiled her best fake smile and went to check out the other gorgeous brides in their distinctive gowns. They truly did look lovely. Kaelyn wore a more casual, though no less dazzling, hand-painted silk gown covered in a riot of wildflowers. Nola had on the flowing lavender dress with a beaded crystal bodice and an empire waistline she’d fallen in love with the first time she tried it on.
    They were stunning and unique.
    Amber couldn’t help herself. She diverted toward the window to curse the skies for taking anything away from the three beautiful friends and their five handsome grooms.
    Two hours later, Amber stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main house, watching rain pour in streams down the panes. They were supposed to be taking group portraits in the flower gardens as of fifteen minutes ago. Hope of that happening had vanished.
    She glanced down at her phone and updated the radar once more. It seemed like a cluster of rogue clouds were parked directly above Bare Natural. If they would just scoot out of the way…
    Of course, she’d been thinking that very thing for the past hour and a half.
    So at first she thought she was imagining it when the rain came slower and slower.
    In the distance she spotted blue skies. Limning the edge of them and growing stronger and stronger, sunlight pierced the gloom.
    Gavyn squeezed her hand, his fingers entwined with hers as they had been since she’d taken up watch over the storm. “Hey. It’s breaking up, love.”
    She turned to him with a mammoth smile, but when she faced the room she found no one else looking except her. The rest of the guests were laughing, snacking on the finger foods the caterers had set out, talking and generally enjoying their time together. Decked out in their snazziest clothes, they lounged around the log cabin as if it were the posh surroundings she’d precisely arranged for today’s festivities.
    How much had she missed out on with her back turned in the pursuit of