AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kendall jumped to his defense, and he had to admit, watching her let it all out on her sister was a sight to behold. “No, you shut up, Sonora. I would have let you have him, stepped back and allowed you marry the man I love because despite your obvious personality flaws, I didn’t want to hurt you. Today, I don’t care. You are a mean, selfish woman and I hope that someday you grow up, or you’re going to wake up years from now and realize you’re all alone.”
When Brent moved, it was like watching a movie in slow motion. He stopped at Sonora’s side and took her hand. For a brief moment, Luke watched her face soften, and he thought Brent was going to forgive her.
And then Luke noticed Brent was holding her ring hand.
She seemed to realize what he was doing a moment too late as he slipped the large diamond engagement ring off and held it between two of his fingers.
Then he dropped it into his pocket and held his hand out to Kendall. “I’m hungry. Want to grab some dinner?”
Kendall’s smile was massive. “Yeah, I do.”
“What? You can’t do this!” Sonora wailed. “She’s my sister!”
The two of them walked down the aisle, ignoring Sonora as she cried, cursed and screamed. Luke came down the stairs past her to stand beside Marley.
“So, does this mean we can be seen in public together?”
Marley nodded enthusiastically, and without warning, he flipped her up and over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice shaking with laughter.
“Taking the conquering hero somewhere I can have her all to myself.”
Chapter 21
Hours later, Marley snuggled deeper into the warmth of Luke and the smell of his skin. On the drive back to her place, she’d explained everything: how she started at Something Borrowed to pay off all of the medical bills that had piled up during her sister’s care. That she wanted to date him, but the no-fraternizing clause made it impossible because she would have lost her commission. Luke had taken it all in stride, and she was actually relieved that he wasn’t furious with her over her ruse.
She was just drifting off to the steady thump of his heart when the sound of her phone ringing in the quiet of her bedroom startled her.
“God, why can’t we just have a moment’s peace?” she grumbled.
“Um, babe? We’ve had eight hours and forty minutes of sweaty”—he kissed her shoulder—“peaceful”—kissed along her neck—“bliss.”
“Still not long enough.” She picked up her phone and answered sharply, “Hello?”
“Marley? It’s Fire Chief Riggs.”
Marley jerked up, her heart skipping nervously. “Chief Riggs? Is everything okay?”
“No, Marley, it’s actually not. Someone set fire to the Sweetheart Café.”
The world tilted on its axis and Marley gripped her cell harder. “Oh God—”
Luke sat up, putting his hand on her naked back, smoothing his hand in small comforting circles.
“That’s not all. Your mom was inside when the fire started. She’d fallen asleep while baking the daily pastries. We got her out, but she’s been taken to Marshall Hospital for smoke inhalation.”
No. No this wasn’t happening again. Not again. She couldn’t lose her mom too. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I think so, but Marley, we couldn’t save the café. It’s gone.”
Tears spilled over, mostly relieved that her mom was going to recover but also heartbroken. Her mom had put everything she had into the café. Hell, Marley had put a lot into it too. All her money, time, blood, sweat, and tears? How was her mom going to feel when she found out her livelihood was gone?
“Do you know who did it?” Marley wanted them tarred and feathered. The hair from their bodies plucked slowly and painfully.
The chief hesitated, clearing his throat. “The police have a suspect in custody, but I don’t think that’s what you need to be worrying about now.”
“Who is it?” The knot of dread in her stomach already knew though.
