Free Stealing the Groom by Sonya Weiss

me think.” She snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it. You can throw yourself on the mercy of the board. You’ve told me before that they like you.”
    “They like my grandfather too, but don’t have a problem wanting to toss him out on his ass. What makes you think they’d work with me on this? I’m still only a few years out of business school.”
    “Because you’re charming? Handsome? Persuasive?”
    He set his coffee cup on the small table beside him. “The die has been cast, Ame.”
    She got up and paced the room, waving her hand to cool her heated face. “No, no. There’s always a way out.” Stopping suddenly, she faced him, her eyes wide. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She headed to the door but he beat her to it, giving the woman at the desk a reassuring smile when she frowned at them.
    With his arm wrapped around her shoulders, he guided her back to the chair. “Take a deep breath and sit.” He sat beside her. “You give new meaning to the term runaway bride.”
    “Don’t be so nonchalant about all this.” How could he be so damned calm?
    “What do you want me to do? Beat on my chest? Swing from the light fixture? Tapping into my inner Neanderthal won’t help.”
    “So you’re going to accept our fate? You’re not even going to try to help me come up with a way out?” Amelia wiped her forehead. Where was a fairy godmother when you really needed one?
    “Nope, I’m not going to help.” He reached for a section of the newspaper and snapped it open.
    She slumped back against the seat and watched the clock tick slowly toward her doom. If she got out of this mess, she was going on the straight and narrow. No more interfering in Chad’s life. She’d become a better person. Give more to charities. Recycle more.
    She looked hopefully out the window. No superhero in the sky to rescue her. Reality was such a kick in the teeth. She bit her lip. What could she do? She pressed a hand to her chest. “I’m having a heart attack,” she whispered.
    “No, you’re not.” Chad didn’t even look up from the paper. “You’re having a panic attack brought on by responsibility charging at you.”
    “I don’t have panic attacks.”
    “Relax, Ame. A minivan and two kids later, you’ll see the light side of this.” He cast a glance at her.
    “Go ahead. Yuk it up. Have you forgotten that you’re the groom?”
    “Sticks and stones, my dear.”
    She pushed down the top of the paper and met his gaze. “That’s all you’ve got?”
    “Pretty much.”
    She let go of the paper. It was going to be the longest day of her life. Wedding dress, straitjacket, same difference. Flowers. Someone droning all that forever and ever stuff that linked one life to another.
    “If I kick it, say some nice words at my funeral,” she said.
    “I’ll even shed some manly tears.”
    “I don’t know why I’m talking to you,” she said and closed her eyes. Then opened them.
    Almost three hours later, Chad’s grandfather Henry Walker and her grandfather Noah Snyder arrived. When the door of the sheriff’s office closed behind them, there was a long moment of silence. Then Henry cleared his throat. “Let’s get this over with.”
    He went in search of the sheriff and Noah moved forward, wrapping Amelia in a tight hug. “You about finished creating havoc?”
    “I’d say my work here is almost over,” she said in a pained voice.
    Henry returned. “I’ve written a check paying for the damage to the cabin.” He tucked his checkbook back into his coat pocket. “Let’s get this wedding over with so you can get back to the company.”
    Chad stopped him. “Did you talk to the board?”
    “I was able to reach a couple of the members, but it wasn’t productive.”
    Noah rubbed Amelia’s cold hands. “We made the ceremony arrangements on the way here. There’s a formal-wear shop across the square. A minister will meet us at the chapel once you two are changed and ready.”
    They left the sheriff’s office