Free How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock Page A

taken a lacrosse ball to the eye socket in gym class once. Then there’d been the time her mother had accidentally punched her in the jaw a few years ago when she’d been going for Melanie’s father. But seeing Grady stride off toward the plane—knowing how much she’d hurt him even though she loved him—hit a level of pain that all but doubled her over.
    She didn’t deserve him. Hadn’t believed he loved her. Yet, somehow, he wanted her as much—maybe even more—than he wanted a career in the majors. After a lifetime of reverberations in her family from her father’s inability to make it on a major league roster, that simply hadn’t computed in her brain. But was it so hard to believe that just maybe her family experience was wildly dysfunctional? That she’d been given a false view of love, marriage and sensible priorities?
    What was she doing playing referee for her parents at her age, anyhow? She deserved her own life. A chance to make her own choices.
    The knowledge that she was making the biggest mistake of her life cinched her chest like a vise. Her gaze dropped to the diamond ring in the cupholder and she leaned into the Honda to retrieve the double bands. She squeezed it so tight the setting imprinted on her skin. Fear of hurting Grady even more weighed her down like lead. An even bigger fear of losing him forever forced one foot in front of the other anyhow. She didn’t know what she’d say when she caught up to him. But panic fluttered inside her with the urge to try something. Anything.
    The time for small ball and a safe at-bat was long gone. She was down to her last out.
    “Grady!” she called, feet kicking up gravel in the parking lot as she outran the glow of her headlights. “Wait!”
    “Sorry, ma’am.” A big, burly man stepped into her path from out of nowhere to shine a flashlight on her face. “No unauthorized parties past this point.”
    “I’m not unauthorized.” She squinted past the flashlight beam as the security guard’s name badge came into view. “Stephen?”
    She recognized him from odd jobs around the spring training facility. They’d both been assigned to lay pavers in a walking path behind right field two years ago.
    “Hey, Melanie. I didn’t know that was you.” He clicked off the flashlight. “What are you doing here?”
    “I’m – um. In charge of pets on the plane,” she fibbed. “A couple of players are bringing animals with them and I’m taking care of them during the flight.”
    She sidled past him while he made a low whistle.
    “Sweet gig!” He gave her a thumbs-up sign. “But I thought you married the second baseman yesterday? Was that, like, an Internet hoax?”
    She could not let her marriage come down to that—a brief social media rumor stomped out with a press release in the cold light of dawn. There had been peonies.
    And love.
    “Actually, I really hope not.” She pointed to the plane. “Do you mind if I—”
    “Sure, sure.” He waved her past. “Don’t forget the little guys when you’re a big deal player’s wife, okay?”
    She smiled at him even though his words made her stomach tighten painfully. She brushed past one of the other Stars, a lanky pitcher who towered over her as she neared the steps to the plane.
    Taking the steps two at a time, she shot past the catcher, a Cuban built like a bulldog who stood joking with one of the other air hostesses in the aisle of the posh private jet.
    “Grady?” she called, turning the heads of the handful of players already in their seats.
    And then, she saw him. Middle of the plane. Bulky, noise-cancelling headphones already in place. He stared out the window next to him even though it was pitch black on that side of the aircraft.
    “Excuse me, miss.” A woman in a sharp navy suit approached her from the back of the plane. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave—.”
    One of the other players – Boone Sullivan – tapped Grady on the shoulder and pointed. Grady turned to