Meg's Best Man: A Montana Weekend Novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

wore moose antlers because they made her feel pretty. Meg could see the images forming in her mind’s eye, and she almost missed the fact that Leah was walking down the imaginary aisle.
    When Jeffrey got to a summary of the vows, both Joshua and Leah got giggly. Then Uncle Jeffrey started snickering. This could make for an entertaining ceremony, Meg thought. She glanced sideways and caught Gage staring at her. He wasn’t laughing, he was just staring. It made her feel so awkward that she had to look away. Was she doing something wrong? Fly undone? A bug in her hair?
    As soon as the rehearsal was over, they all got busy decorating. Swags of cloth and white solar Christmas lights went everywhere. Meg had plenty of ideas, and Leah had a good critical eye. With two ladders and willing workers, they managed to turn the meadow into something very special. Meg wouldn’t say it out loud because it would sound silly, but it looked like a fairy circle to her, a magical place made out of lights and trees and carpeted in wildflowers and silvery grass. She couldn’t wait to see it lit up tomorrow night, but for now all the solar cells were tested and then turned off. They would have to wait to see how it looked tomorrow afternoon.
    Cars started arriving shortly after noon. The drive of choice of Joshua’s many friends and relations seemed to be beat-up pickups, and soon the place looked like it was half fairy circle and half used car lot. There was a lot of laughing and unpacking, and the woods around the cabin sprouted tents like overgrown wildflowers. Catherine was able to convince most of the guests to drive down to the valley and park there to ease the crowding. And besides, now was the perfect time to head down the road: the tug-of-war was scheduled for three o’clock.
    Joshua’s Monster was there to carry many of them, a half-destroyed, half-restored old Hummer he and Uncle Jacob loved to work on. Everyone insisted Leah ride shotgun, leaving Meg and a herd of Joshua’s high school buddies to find a place in the back where they could hold on. Gage was late getting to the Hummer, and there was a lot of good-natured groaning as everyone had to readjust to make room. As he climbed up, stepping on someone’s leg by accident, she noticed he still had his jeans and work boots on. “You sure you want to swim in those?” she asked, pointing.
    Gage looked down at his shoes, looked down at her, and grinned. Then he stepped on a few fingers as he altered his route and plopped down beside her, right on top of her messenger bag. She yanked it out from under him and hoped nothing in it was broken. “I won’t be swimming,” he said.
    “You’re not going to be in the tug-of-war?”
    “I am. But I’m going to be on the winning side.”
    “Aha!” Joshua called from the front. “You must be on my side, then.” The engine roared and smoke belched out in a cloud all around them. She waved it away, thinking a swim sounded good, just to wash the fumes off.
    Meg noticed Leah had a stiff smile on her face. Her wedding was filled with Joshua’s friends, family, and allies. They must have seemed kind enough, but their ties went deep with Joshua. Most of the people here had probably spent as much time at this cabin, at one time or another, as Meg had. It had been in the Parks family for generations, and it was everyone’s favorite gathering place. Something about Catherine attracted stray kids like some people attracted mosquitoes.
    Meg needed to even the score for Leah.
    “I see,” she said to Gage. “Yours is the hairy, smelly side. You guys can all buddy up with Joshua, chest butt each other, high five, grunt, whatever. I’m sure none of you would want to be on the bride’s side. You might get girl germs.”
    One of the young men raised his hand and almost got knocked off the Hummer as it lurched forward. Once he righted himself he said, “I’ll be on the girls’ team. I’m secure in my masculinity. I’ll be even more secure