The Bride Changed. The Bill Didn't. novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: Three Demands

Dalton tells Mara to run the wedding, hand over her townhouse and give Kelsey her grandmother's pearls. She refuses, then calls seven vendors and withdraws her card, leaving the balance to whoever signs as the couple.

Estelle raised one eyebrow.

"What about Saturday?"

I almost told her.

Then the door opened, and Dalton came in, loosening his tie.

He looked tired and annoyed, and he looked at me like a problem on his schedule.

"Mara. Kelsey is crying in the bathroom."

"She'll live."

"Jesus." He dropped into a chair, put his elbows on his knees, and switched to the soft voice he used on subcontractors. "Let's be adults. I'm going to say this once, because I think you're spiraling, and I want to help."

He held up one finger.

"One. You take my mom's offer and run Saturday. You're the only one who can."

A second finger.

"Two. Kelsey moves into the townhouse on Monday. You can keep the guest room until you find a place. I'm not a monster."

The room went still.

"The townhouse is mine," I said. "I bought it two years before I met you."

"I've lived there four years." He shrugged. "A judge would call it shared. Do you really want a fight you'll lose?"

"And three," Estelle said. "Kelsey needs something borrowed. She'll take your pearls."

My hand went to my throat.

"These were my grandmother's."

"Details," said Estelle.

I looked at the man I had loved for four years.

He had a good jaw and an easy smile.

He had kissed my knuckles on our kitchen floor and promised me forever.

I felt the last thread behind my ribs let go.

"Dalton," I said. "I don't need to buy back my dignity from you."

His jaw tightened.

Estelle spoke first.

"You ungrateful little..." She stopped, and she fixed her own necklace. "Do you know what you are without this family? A girl with a clipboard. You think anyone in this town will hire a planner who sabotaged her own fiancé's wedding?"

"I guess I'll find out."

"And Saturday?" Her voice went sharp. "You're going to walk away from sixty-four thousand dollars?"

I lifted my purse.

"The vendors have my card on file," I said. "Order whatever you like."

Estelle's face went through three colors and landed on something close to triumph.

"Good," she said. "Let's see how generous you are, Mara Linden."

I walked out past Kelsey sniffling at the coat check.

I walked past the cousin who was still filming.

I walked past the easel with our engagement photo on it.

The October air outside was cold, and I was grateful for it.

My phone buzzed before I reached the car.

Estelle had sent a new message to all sixty-three people:

"Saturday, 2 PM, Aldergrove Estate. Bring EVERYONE. Plus-ones, kids, neighbors, your hairdresser. Open bar ALL NIGHT. Mara's card is on file. Anyone who skips is disrespecting Dalton and Kelsey, and ME."

The answers rolled in.

"We're COMING."

"Bringing my whole softball team!!"

"Can we add a champagne tower? The big ten-tier kind?"

"Estelle just told the venue ninety more guests lol."

"Fireworks. Somebody book fireworks."

"Order the good stuff, Mara has savings."

I sat in the driver's seat and read every one.

Then I opened my calendar and made seven phone calls.

The venue. The caterer. The florist. The quartet. The baker. The bar service.

The fireworks company that Estelle had booked forty minutes ago, in my name.

I said the same thing to each of them, in the same calm voice I had used two hundred and twelve times before.

"This is Mara Linden. Effective immediately, I'm withdrawing as the contracting client. Please remove my card from your file. Under your standard terms, the balance is due in full, on site, before service begins, from whoever signs as the couple."

The venue manager was quiet for a second.

"Ms. Linden. You should know that Mrs. Thurston has added a hundred and twenty-one thousand dollars in upgrades since Thursday."

"Then those belong to her," I said. "Thank you."

The caterer, Florence, laughed so hard she had to put the phone down.

"Honey," she said when she came back, "I'll cook it. But I'm not lifting a pan until somebody pays."

I thought about six hundred thousand dollars.

I thought about my mother's lace.

I thought about how high they were all bouncing right now.

I started the car and smiled.

At two o'clock on Saturday, three hundred people were going to find out who had been paying all along.

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