Free Dying To Marry by Janelle Taylor Page A

bridesmaids,” Holly said. “Do you think whoever is behind all this is after them because they’re part of the wedding?”
    â€œYes,” he said. “Whoever wants to stop the wedding knows that Lizzie cares more for the safety of her friends than her own. Which is why I have to caution you to be very careful while you’re in town. I assume you’re in the wedding, too.”
    â€œMaid of honor.”
    â€œJust make sure you’re with someone at all times,” Jake said.
    â€œI hear you’re the best man?” The way she said it registered her disbelief.
    I thought I was the best man for you at one time, he thought out of nowhere. Get a grip, Boone!
    â€œYup, the best man,” he said. “Although Dylan and the groomsmen have been spared such petty immaturity.”
    She stared at him. “So it’s just Lizzie and her friends, her bridal party, who are being hurt. That seems a clue in itself. Whoever is behind this is not a fan of Lizzie’s but has no problem with Dylan or his buddies.”
    â€œI’ve thought of that, too,” he said. “Although, it’s only been a week since the invitations went out. No one’s gone after Dylan or me, and his two other groomsmen live out of state. They’re his close friends from college.”
    â€œI’m surprised he doesn’t have ten of his high school best friends standing up for him,” Holly said, her tone icy.
    â€œActually,” Jake responded, “Dylan didn’t have many close friends in high school. He was very popular and had a ton of acquaintances and everyone wanted to be his friend, but he never really clicked with any of the guys in his crowd.”
    â€œDidn’t click with them? I don’t understand. A crowd is made up of people you click with.”
    â€œNot always,” he told her.
    She glanced at him, and he could see she didn’t understand what he was talking about, but she didn’t press him. Dylan wasn’t who she thought he was, a snot-nosed rich kid who ran with a mean, reckless bunch who got away with everything. Dylan was a smart, sensitive person who’d been under his father’s thumb for too long. Rather than risk his dad’s wrath, Dylan had done what was expected of him—was at the center of the popular crowd, was captain of the football team, dated the right girls, got into every Ivy League school he wanted, and came back home after college to one day take over the family empire. Dylan might have revolted on his own eventually, but the truth about Dylan’s father’s own way of living had made itself uncomfortably clear one fateful day, and Dylan had become his own man. He might have left Troutville years ago if he weren’t so involved with the Boys’ Center that he and Jake both volunteered a lot of time to.
    â€œWell,” Holly said, “I imagine it’ll be tough to figure out who’s behind these ‘incidents’ and the notes. There are a lot of people in this no-good town who’d like to see Lizzie hurt rather than marry a Dunhill.”
    â€œNo-good town?” Jake repeated. So he was right. She was still living in the past.
    â€œYou know what I mean, Jake,” Holly said.
    He stared at her. “It’s been a long time since you’ve been in Troutville, Holly.”
    â€œI was in Troutville for one minute when I was called Holly the Whore. Five minutes before my cousin was insulted in a restaurant.”
    He winced. “I understand all that. I know that Lizzie and her friends are still picked on for absolutely no reason at all. What I’m saying is that they don’t let it affect them anymore. They took the power back.”
    Sparks flew in her blue eyes. “Excuse me?” she asked, incredulous. “Are you saying we had the power back then to change how we were treated?”
    â€œNot how we were treated,” he said. “How we responded to