Page 82 of Puck My Stepbrother

“To the person you’re really supposed to be with—the person you ultimately give yourself to.”

He was right in the sense that I wanted to be married. I’d been dying to meet my one and only for the longest time. I wanted Jeff to be my one and only. If not him, then someone like Jeff. Anyone who thought I could achieve any kind of happily-ever-after with Levi Dunn was crazy.

I checked my phone again. Still nothing from Jeff.

“You really shouldn’t worry about that, son.”

“Why not?”

“Listen, I’ve told you already that it’s probably a coincidence that you haven’t heard from this guy. Or maybe something happened, like an emergency.”

“And what if it isn’t?”

He shrugged and said, “Then you have to ask yourself: is this the guy you really want to spend your life with?”

It was my turn to shrug. “That’s a fair question.”

32

LEVI

“Sit down a minute, would you?” I told Quinn. “You’re gonna collapse if you keep this up.”

“How can I sit down at a time like this? There’s way too fucking much to do.”

“You just swore in a church. Does that mean you’re going to hell now?”

Quinn flashed me a look that suggestedIcould go to hell. After everything I’d been through in the last few weeks, that didn’t sound too bad. We were working together in the church’s upstairs lounge while preparing for the ceremony, which would start in a few hours. Quinn kept checking his phone, and I knew damn well why. Did I dare point it out?

“By the way,” I said, “where’s that boyfriend of yours?”

Quinn didn’t answer. That told me everything I needed to know. Not that I expected Jeff to help us with last-minute preparations or anything, but his absence spoke volumes. My stepbrother-to-be could deny being worried all he wanted, but I knew what was really bothering him.

“He’s not coming, is he?” I asked.

“He’ll be here.”

“Right. You know, guys like him can be total flakes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means they have no discipline. If he were coming, he should’ve been here by now. With Coach Hardison, if you’re not ten minutes early for practice or a team meeting, you’re considered late.”

“Well, good for him.”

Even at his most defiant, Quinn had never sounded so snarky. Obviously I’d struck a nerve. But maybe that was a good thing. Someone needed to show him what was going on with Jeff, and I was as good a person as anyone. I’d seen situations like this play out a thousand times. I knew what was coming, and Quinn needed a bite of a reality sandwich.

“You don’t have to get all snippy, you know,” I said.

“Why shouldn’t I? This is the most stressful day I’ve had in a long time, and you’re trying to create this doomsday scenario that totally doesn’t help.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are. You’re assuming I’m stressed out because of Jeff.”

“You are, aren’t you?”

“Of course not. If I seem stressed, it’s because I want this wedding to go off perfectly. Jeff’s going to be here. He’s just running a little late, that’s all.”