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Marley’s jaw dropped. “Are you out of your mind? Your parents are on the hook for thousands of dollars in deposits. They’ll lose all of that if you bail.”
“Whatever.”
“No.” Marley grabbed her arm and squeezed. Dragging her into the nearest empty room, she closed the door and turned on Sonora, furious. “I have taken your shit, and tried to create the perfect wedding day for you, and you will not stick me with having to explain to your guests why you took off.”
“Get your hands off me! You’re the help—”
“That’s right, I’m the help. I am here to help you, and you know what will not help you? Insulting one of the richest and most powerful men in America within hearing distance of over a hundred guests at your bridal shower! If you don’t want to get married, that’s fine. Tell Brent, tell your parents, but you need to give up on this notion of you and Dustin Kent because he is not going to be your knight in shining armor. He’s not even a toad in tin foil.”
Sonora’s blue eyes narrowed into slits. “How do you know about Dustin?”
“Because I saw him coming out of your hotel room a few weeks ago.”
Sonora started tapping her nails on the tall glass table next to her. “And are you going to tell someone?”
Marley’s stomach twisted. Kelly had told her that she couldn’t reveal what Sonora was doing unless she wanted to break the confidentiality clause, so she was stuck keeping her mouth shut.
“No, I’m not going to tell anyone. I just want you to know that if I saw you, other people could too. You need to be careful, especially if you decide you want to go through with this wedding.”
Sonora crossed her arms and struck an arrogant pose that told Marley she would not like what came next. “While I appreciate…actually, I don’t appreciate your opinion. At all. Here’s the deal, Marley. If you say a word about me to Brent or anyone else, I will destroy you and everything you love. Your mom owns that crap diner? I may be broke, but I still have friends in very important circles. If you say a word about any of this, I will bankrupt her.”
It was one thing to mess with her, but threaten her mother? Hell no.
Marley stepped into her to the point that she either had to back up or fall over. “Do not threaten me or my family ever again, or I will piss on that confidentiality clause, Sonora. And let’s face it, a washed-up diva can only survive scandal so many times before she’s done.”
Marley expected her to slap her too, but instead, Sonora smiled like a Cheshire cat. It was too damn creepy.
“Well, Marley Stevenson, check out the pair on you. I didn’t know you had it in you.” She patted Marley’s cheek. “But you shouldn’t mess with me, sweetheart. I’ve been chewing up little mice like you since I was in my first beauty pageant.”
Marley jerked away. “Don’t call me sweetheart.”
“Oh, did I irritate you?” Sonora’s sweet tone turned into a scoff. “Like I give a shit. Now get out there and make sure everything is just right. If I am going through with this sham of a wedding, then I want it perfect.”
Marley left the room, wishing like hell she could just keep walking, but she was only two weeks away from the end.
She could make it. Even if she had to gag and hog tie Sonora to shut her up.
* * * *
Luke was hanging out in his hotel room Saturday evening, looking out the window as he sipped on a glass of whisky. He was supposed to meet Brent at the bar in a few hours, but Brent had been called back to New York for a work emergency. So, he decided to just take it easy instead. He would have texted Marley, but he had no idea how long she’d be at the bridal shower, and he wasn’t sure if things were better since he’d taken care of her. He knew he agreed to wait, but it was still weird that Sonora and Brent’s wedding was the deadline.
A lone figure in a pink sports bra and black jogging pants ran in front of the hotel, her blond hair swinging as she moved. Luke didn’t have to get any closer to know it was Marley.
Setting his whisky down, he pulled on his tennis shoes and ran down the stairs. He raced past a startled couple coming through the entrance of the hotel, hoping to catch Marley before she disappeared out of sight.
When he turned down the way she had, he saw her heading for the dirt road that lead to Buzzard Gulch. Why was she jogging up there?
Luke picked up the pace to catch her before she took that first hill. When he was about ten feet behind her, she glanced over her shoulder at him. Her gaze went from worried to irritated in three seconds flat.
She stopped jogging and yanked out her earbuds.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking on you. I saw you jogging and thought I’d join you.”
She was shaking her head before he finished his sentence “No. Not right now. I just want to be alone and run my feelings into the ground.”
Without giving him a chance for a rebuttal, she replaced her earbuds and started up the massive hill.
