“I’m surprised to hear from you,” Josh said, sounding condescending. “Has something happened to Libby?”
“Nothing has happened to Libby.” Noah tried to remind himself once again that he’d earned his brother’s distrust. “But I am calling about her.”
“If this is about her driver’s license, Gram’s bringing it.”
“Bringing it?”
Josh laughed, but it sounded like he had something up his sleeve. “Megan’s grandma caught Libby’s bouquet when she tossed it while running to your car. Gram heard you were going to Vegas, so she decided to head there herself to find a man for a quickie wedding. In fact, she’s probably checking into Caesar’s Palace as we speak.”
“And Megan’s mother let her?”
“She may be in her seventies and she may be a bit eccentric, but she’s not senile. Knickers really couldn’t stop her,” Josh said. “Besides, when Megan realized she couldn’t be talked out of it, she convinced Gram to act as your chaperone.”
“Our what?”
“You don’t mind Gram hanging around, do you?” Noah heard the challenge in his brother’s voice. If Noah was up to no good with Megan’s friend, he wouldn’t have reason to protest. While Noah appreciated Gram’s eccentricity more than most people, he wasn’t sure he wanted her hanging around. Josh had him. “That works out for us. In fact, we’re checking in tonight instead of tomorrow. So she came by herself?”
“No, believe it or not, she’s brought Garrett’s nana with her too.”
“Oh, God.” Everyone knew they’d hit it off at Blair’s reception for the wedding that didn’t happen, but a trip to Vegas together? “How’d they arrange it so quickly?”
“It’s Gram. That says it all. I’ll text you her number so you can arrange to meet her somewhere.”
“Yeah,” he said absently. “Thanks.”
“Now what were you calling about?”
Noah hesitated, wondering how much to tell him. “Something’s going on with Libby. She’s not herself.”
“Well, she did just dump a guy at the altar.”
He shook his head, wondering how much to tell of what he knew. It only took him a millisecond to realize he didn’t want to break her trust. He’d play dumb. “No, that’s not it. It’s something else. Something bigger. She’s upset that she hasn’t reached some goal by her thirtieth birthday. Do you have any idea what it is?”
Josh groaned. “It’s that stupid curse.”
“Yes,” Noah said, getting excited. This sounded exactly like something that would motivate her. “When we talked about Libby getting married, you said something about a wedding curse. But you didn’t remember the details.”
“That stupid curse and pact have been about the only thing Megan and Blair have talked about since the wedding.”
Noah glanced toward the restroom door, wondering how much time he had left. “So enlighten me.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure I should tell you anything. You should ask her yourself.”
The bathroom door opened and Libby came out, but she stopped to say something to a little girl who was walking out with her mother. Noah started to panic. He hadn’t learned anything. “Josh! What about the curse? This is important.”
“They all made a pact when they were girls. Megan and Blair didn’t even remember it, let alone take the curse part seriously.”
Libby was heading toward him now. “The pact is the curse?”
“No. The pact was that they were all supposed to be married by thirty. A fortune teller cursed them. She told them their weddings would be a disaster and each of them would end up marrying someone else. The person they were destined to marry.”
“Thanks.” He hung up, still dazed as he watched her make her way to him.
Libby had asked Mitch to marry her. She’d tried to set the curse in motion. But whom had she wanted to marry instead? Could it be him? But maybe not. Blair had broken up with Garrett years before her wedding to Neil, and Megan hadn’t even met Josh until the week of her wedding. Both men had needed to convince their now-wives that they were meant to be together.
Libby stopped in front of him and a smile lit up her face.
And suddenly, Noah had hope they could work out after all.
Chapter Fourteen
Libby practically shrieked with happiness when Noah told her the news about Gram. “So Gram’s really coming to Vegas?” she asked as they walked toward the car. “And Garrett’s nana too?”
“That’s what Josh said . . .”
Libby heard the hesitation in his voice, not that she blamed him. While Noah seemed to love Gram, the older woman was always trying to talk him into being her nude model in her senior citizens’ art class. Lord only knew how wild she might get in Vegas. But Libby was thrilled she was coming. After Libby’s abuela died when she was seven, Gram became a loving substitute grandmother. Libby was just as fond of the older woman.
“Knowing Gram, she won’t be that tired when she gets there. I bet she’ll want to do something tonight.”
Noah turned to face her as he opened the passenger door of the car. He seemed to be studying her more intently than usual. “You’re really happy about this, aren’t you?”
His question surprised her. “You aren’t?”