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As Ms. Penelope turned to storm away and the police officers stepped together to speak quietly, Kelli walked to the edge of the landing, propped her arms up on the railing, and placed her face in her hands. Although Amanda was pretty sure she, the bride, was having the worst day of anyone, she thought Kelli might be in a close second.
Suddenly, Amanda bolted for the grand staircase.
“Amanda!” Audrey cried. “Where are you going?” Already, she was hot on her heels, with Noah coming up behind her.
Amanda had never flown up stairs in heels this quickly before. Mercifully, she didn’t break her ankle. When she reached the second floor, she gasped and straightened her back as sweat beads bubbled along the back of her neck.
Kelli turned and gazed at Amanda. She looked like the last-picked dog at the animal shelter.
“Oh gosh,” Kelli said, her voice wavering. “You still didn’t find him. Did you?”
Amanda’s chest felt tight. She approached Kelli gently, aware that she was on the verge of bursting into tears. She felt as though she was at the very end of a terrible, heartbreaking movie— like inTitanicwhen Rose had to leave the dock without her love.
“Are you all right?” Amanda asked Kelli.
Kelli raised her chin. “I should be asking you the same thing.”
Amanda leaned against the railing, peering out across the grand ballroom with its glittering chandelier and its mahogany bar.
“It’s not hard to imagine this place one hundred years ago,” Amanda heard herself say, her voice dreamy.
“That was my vision,” Kelli said, her voice thin. “I’m glad you see it, too.”
“It’s like being taken back in time,” Amanda said.
Kelli nodded and wiped a tear from her cheek. Through the big window, Amanda could just make out several of her wedding guests standing up from their white chairs with confusion and glaring at the double-wide doors.Where was their bride? Hadn’t they come all this way to see her? Didn’t they deserve a show?
“Why were you looking for Sam earlier?” Amanda asked finally, dreading the answer.
Kelli was quiet for a moment as she glanced back at Noah, who shook his head. It was clear there was something Amanda didn’t know.
“Just tell me,” Amanda said. “Trust me. I’ve been through this before. It’s better to rip off the band-aide.”
Her voice had begun to sound more solid, as though she’d already begun to face her fate. She imagined herself two years from now, telling the story about how she’d been left at the altar twice.“What luck I have!”Maybe she would even find a way to laugh about it.
“I saw something,” Kelli said finally. “Noah doesn’t believe me.”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just think you saw something you didn’t understand,” Noah blared from behind them.
Kelli glowered at him, and the two of them had a face-off. The air was taut.
“What did you see, Kelli?” Amanda asked.
Kelli sighed. “I saw Sam really far down the hallway. He was with someone, whispering very secretively. It looked strange to me.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Sam wouldn’t do this.”
“Who was he whispering with?” Amanda demanded. “Just tell me, Kelli. I can handle it.”
Kelli finally locked eyes with Amanda as her chin wiggled with sorrow. “It was your friend. My employee. Sandra.”
And suddenly, all the color drained from Kelli’s cheeks, her knees gave out from under her, and she collapsed across the carpet, abandoning the world.
ChapterTwenty-One
Chaos ensued after that. Amanda dropped to the ground to place Kelli’s head on her lap and, in the process, tore the bottom of her dress. Little beads burst from the fabric and scattered across the floor like glitter. Meanwhile, Audrey hovered over the side of the railing and called her mother’s name, saying, “Mom! Kelli passed out!” Noah raced to the nearest bathroom to pour her a glass of water, and Amanda curled Kelli’s sweaty hair behind her ears and whispered, “Come on, Kelli. Come on. It’s okay.”
As time seemed to speed up around her, Amanda’s head spun with what Kelli had just shared with her.Sam and Sandra? Was it possible? How could it be?
