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“All due respect, you are seven weeks out from your wedding so, yeah, you kind of are.”
Holy shit. Luke started moving, hoping to pull Marley out of the line of fire before Sonora went bridezilla on her ass.
Brent stepped in just as Sonora’s face turned purple. “She’s right, babe. It’s our fault for putting stuff off. Why don’t we have Marley set up a couple auditions with some of the local bands and we’ll see if any of them work out?”
Kendall smiled, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, sis, it’s no big deal. Besides, a DJ can play everything—”
“Mind your own fucking business!” Sonora screamed. “When I want the opinion of an overrated little nobody, I’ll ask for it.”
The whole dance hall went dead silent. As if she realized what she’d said, Sonora’s eyes widened just before she burst into tears and ran out the door again.
Luke watched in surprise as Marley went to Kendall and put her arm around her. “She’s under a lot of stress. She didn’t mean it.”
“Yeah she did,” Kendall said softly.
Luke stroked his chin. Why had Marley comforted Kendall instead of chasing down her distraught friend?
Brent seemed torn, but ended up following his fiancée . Luke waited as Kendall left the room, probably to go to the bathroom. Sonora’s other bridesmaids and Brent’s groomsmen stood talking in the corner, and he wondered if Marley would ignore him to join them.
“Well, that was dramatic,” she said, flopping down next to him.
“Yeah well, that’s Sonora.”
“I know, but does she have to be so damn hateful to Kendall? I just can’t stand the way she treats her.”
Again, it was as though Marley didn’t even know Sonora. He’d been around her less than four months and it hadn’t taken him long to realize there was nothing redeemable about her. How had Marley been so blind to her friend for over a year?
“That’s how Sonora treats everyone. Kendall just gets it worse than most because they’re family. You always hurt those closest to you.”
“Not when you know what it’s like to lose someone.”
Her soft reply ate at him and he wanted to prod, to ask her more about the person she’d loved and lost, but remembered that she didn’t want any part of him.
“Unfortunately, Sonora has lived a pretty charmed life.”
“Yeah, I gathered.”
Luke’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You guys didn’t talk much in rehab?”
She jerked back for a second and almost appeared offended. Then slowly she shook her head and looked away from him.
“Of course we talked. She was just a different person there, is all.”
Luke’s bullshit meter was going haywire, but he had no idea why Marley would lie. Most people wouldn’t lie about going to rehab…
Unless they had something bigger to hide.
“The Harwood Party?” A robust woman with big hair and plump, dark red lips tapped across the dance floor. “Marley, you’re with the Harwood party, aren’t you?”
Marley stood up and Luke went with her. “Yes, Delores, but the bride and groom had to step out.”
“That’s fine, we can get started with just the bridal party. Gather around, gather around.” Delores’s shirt was covered in sequins and she seemed to shimmer as she moved her arms.
All but Kendall, who was still absent, came out to the center of the room. Delores paired them according to who they were walking with…
Which meant he was going to be dancing with Marley.
Sure enough, Delores grabbed first Marley and then Luke by his arm, flashing him a lecherous grin. “Oooh, you’re firm. You two, let’s see your form. I’m thinking something fun, with lots of lifts and swinging Marley around. Think you can handle that, Muscles?”
