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“It’s just so crazy, you know?” Kendall said hoarsely. “Sonora played a part in everything that went down, yet everyone feels bad for her. I’m the horrible sister who stole her fiancée .” Kendall grabbed a tissue from the box on the vanity and dabbed at her tear-filled eyes. “Brent and I didn’t do anything except have feelings until after he called off the wedding. She actually slept with someone else.”
“I know, love,” Marley said.
Kendall chuckled bitterly, and blew her nose. “It’s all right though. Brent’s family has been amazing, and his older brother offered to walk me down the aisle, but I kind of thought you and I would just walk together.” Kendall turned and took Marley’s hand. “I don’t know why, but from the first time we met, I’ve always thought we were kindred spirits, like Anne and Diana from Anne of Green Gables.”
Marley squeezed her hand. “How did you know I loved that book?”
“See? Kindred spirits.”
“Well, sister from another mister,” Marley said, pulling Kendall to her feet with a laugh. “What do you say we walk out there and get you your happy ending?”
“I am so ready.”
Marley looped Kendall’s arm through hers, and they left the bridal suite, heading down to the double door exit out onto the veranda. Even in late September, the weather in Northern California was still summery and Marley could feel the warmth from the afternoon sun beating through the doors. Droplets of sweat rolled down her temple, and she told herself it had everything to do with the heat and was not because just beyond that door, Luke would be waiting.
Two of the attendants opened the doors and the music from “God Bless the Broken Road” played over the outdoor patio. As they stepped down, the guests stood, but both Marley and Kendall were focused on who was waiting at the end of the aisle.
The minute that Marley saw Luke, her chest tightened and her breathing grew unsteady. Her heart kept slamming against her breast bone, and she had to tell her feet to slow d
own, not to run into the arms of the man she loved.
Loved.
Kendall had mentioned it, browbeat her with the truth, but it was the first time that Marley had ever let herself think it. She was in love with Luke Jessup.
Luke wasn’t looking at her as though he was happy to see her, and her stomach knotted. Instead, he smiled at Kendall, not even casting his dark eyes Marley’s way through the whole ceremony and she resisted the urge to run weeping back inside.
It’s not about me or us. It’s about Kendall today. Tomorrow, I can cry.
* * * *
Luke fought the need to stare at Marley as the officiant pronounced Brent and Kendall husband and wife. She looked so happy for them, her smile nearly splitting her face, her soft blonde curls pinned back from her face and the simple silver dress fanning out to below her knees. It was modest and sexy all at the same time.
Luke wanted to get her alone and his hands under it.
Don’t rush into anything.
When he got her letter, he’d gone through several stages of emotions. At first, he was pissed that after almost two weeks, she sent him a damn letter instead of picking up the phone. He tossed it in the trash and went to work, biting heads off the whole day and making pretty much everyone miserable.
Then he came home, dug it out of the trash and read it, sadness wrecking him all over again. He’d almost called her, but then fear settled over him. What if he called her up, told her he forgave her and she hurt him a second time?
It was why he hadn’t been able to respond, and he still hadn’t figured out what his next move would be.
Until he saw her, staring down the aisle at him with so much joy that it knocked the wind out of him. It took all he had to not meet her in the aisle, wrap her up in his arms, and tell her he forgave everything.
But he wasn’t going to just fall to his knees for her. She could work for it. He’d chased her all summer.
She could sweat for a couple of hours.
He held out his arm to her, and she took it silently, placing her hand on his forearm. As they followed behind the bride and groom, she asked, “How are you?”
She sounded so casual, he almost tripped. Here he was practically coming out of his skin and she was cool as a cucumber.
Well, he could play it close to the breast too. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Okay.” She paused, smiling and waving at several guest before adding, “Did you get my letter?”
“I did.” That was Marley, right to the point. He liked that she was still direct, but damn, he did not want to have that conversation in front of all of Kendall and Brent’s guests.
