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And the rest was history.
Most weddings that hired them only required a MOH or a bridesmaid, and with the high turnover at Something Borrowed, no one had ever complained about their friends finding out they had to hire someone to be there on the bride’s special day. Most of the women who worked at Something Borrowed were twenty-one to twenty-four and only worked one or two summers when they came home from college. Marley was the oldest at twenty-eight, and had been with Kelly for seven years.
If it had been up to her, she would have escaped Sweetheart a long time ago, but she couldn’t leave her mom with the mountain of medical bills that had stacked up for her little sister, Bethany. The money she earned had saved the Sweetheart Café and paid off everything insurance hadn’t covered. All she needed was one really good summer, and Marley would have enough money to start over somewhere new. To finally go to New York, get an intro job at a large publishing house, and work her way up to a full-time book editor.
Of course, that was just a dream at the moment. Although she had a masters in English, she hadn’t quite gotten up the nerve to apply for any jobs yet.
Marley smiled at her friend, Rylie Templeton, who was sitting behind the front desk eating a delicious looking muffin and licking the crumbs from her lips.
“That looks good,” Marley called in way of greeting.
“Hey!” Rylie got up and came around the desk, holding the muffin out to her. “You have to try this! I made a bunch last night.”
Marley eyeballed the half eaten muffin. Rylie knew that she didn’t like to share food. “If you made a bunch, then why do I need to eat yours?”
Rylie’s round cheeks turned pink. “Cause I got excited. Come around here and grab one. I think they’re my best ones.”
Marley came around the back of the desk and picked up one of the big, fluffy muffins and took a bite. A burst of sweet cake and chocolate with just the hint of spice exploded on her tongue.
“Oh my God, what is that?” She licked her lips and hummed in approval as she took another taste.
Rylie was practically squealing, and Marley smiled around the chunk of muffin in her mouth. Rylie was so freaking excitable, it was adorable.
“They’re chai chocolate chip muffins. You like?”
The only problem Rylie had was her lack of self-confidence, due partly to her asshole of a boyfriend tearing her down every chance he got. Rylie was three years younger than Marley and had been at Something Borrowed for three years, and in all that time, Marley had never seen Rylie stand up for herself. It was probably why all the clients loved her. She was sweet, bubbly, and didn’t rock the boat.
“No, I freaking love. I’m going to need another of these bad boys later after lunch.”
Rylie was practically bouncing in her ballet flats, her teal skater dress dancing with her. With her chocolate brown hair laced with golden highlights and her big doe eyes, Rylie was lovely, especially when she smiled.
If only she saw herself the same way.
“I’ll save one for you.”
“Thank you.” Marley took another bite of the muffin as she headed down the hallway toward Kelly’s office. She stopped off for a cup of coffee, black “like her soul” she always joked, and knocked softly on the closed door.
“Come in.”
Marley went inside and held up the muffin. “Have you had one of these?”
Kelly gave her a wide grin and pointed to the small chunk of what was left of her muffin, her hazel eyes glittering. With long straight black hair that drifted almost to her waist, Kelly was classically beautiful, like Elizabeth Taylor, yet Marley had never seen the other woman with anyone in eight years. Kelly had told her that she had a fiancée once upon a time, but he’d gone into the Army, and never came home.
For a woman who made other people’s weddings the stuff of dreams, it was strange that she hadn’t found somebody to love.
Of course, Marley had no room to judge. The dating pool in Sweetheart was small and she was reluctant to form any attachments, especially since she planned on hightailing it out the first chance she got.
Kelly popped the last chunk in her mouth with a hum. “I swear, that girl is going to end up on one of those reality cooking shows as a judge.”
“Seriously.” Marley sat down across from her, holding her muffin in her lap. “So, what’s going on? Your message last night was pretty cryptic.”
Kelly leaned her hip against her desk and clasped her hands in front of her tight purple dress. “Well, yesterday I received a call from Sonora Star.”
Marley was surprised. She’d never been a fan, but her sister, Bethany had adored her. “The pop singer? I thought she was in rehab?”
Kelly shook her head. “No, she went to rehab last year. Now she is marrying one of the richest men in America and her maid of honor just flaked
.”
