Page 76 of Married With Lies

“There you are.” Sadie’s soft arms hug me from behind. She moves to my side and I swing one arm around her shoulders.

“Your dad just came over to say hello,” I say. “Isn’t that nice?”

“Hi, Dad,” she says. “I’m so glad to see you getting along with my husband.”

“Mercedes.” He glares at his daughter. “You made quite the scene during the ceremony.”

“Did I? Forgive me. After being blindsided by the last minute best man replacement, I felt like I ought to be spontaneous too.”

Asher Wingate is a man who hates to lose. He must realize that he cannot win right now. It’s me and Sadie against him. He tips his head to us and says, “Excuse me.”

Sadie watches him go from the shelter of my arm. She playfully pokes me in the stomach. “Mad respect. You shut my father up. That takes skills.”

“Actually, you got the last word on him. Now tell me about how you got stuck with the steakhouse demon.”

She groans. “Griffin’s real best man fell into a city manhole yesterday. One compound fracture later, he’s not exactly up for the job. Griffin and Grant have been friends for ages. Their families are extremely tight. But I suspect it was my darling, always rational, never vindictive sister who suggested using Grant as a stand in. Honestly, I don’t know why I put myself through this.”

“Neither do I. Let’s leave. I’ll buy you dinner at the vegetarian eatery of your choice and we can go hang out in the city.”

“That sounds amazing. But I’ll finish what I started.” She looks up at me and bats flirty eyelashes. “Can I have a raincheck on that offer?”

“Absolutely. You look beautiful.”

“I look like a dessert glass of orange sherbert.”

“You look beautiful, Sadie.”

The pleasant moment is broken by the sound of Hadley screeching Sadie’s name and waving frantically from the other side of the reception tent where the bridal party is assembled for some photos.

“Yuck,” says Sadie. “Maybe I’ll cross my eyes for the pictures.”

“And maybe I’ll choke Grant with his own tuxedo bowtie.”

Sadie squeezes me around the waist. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Then she’s off and running to join the photo shoot while I’m left thinking that might just be the best thing anyone has ever said to me.

21

SADIE

My sense of time is off. I feel like I’ve been trapped in wedding purgatory for six years even though it’s only been two hours.

I’d describe my approach to maid of honor duties as minimalist. Whenever Hadley bellows that I need to fix the train of her dress or adjust her diamond tiara I pretend as if my ears don’t work. If she’s not happy with me, so be it. I’m not too happy with her either.

Cale sure wouldn’t put up with this nonsense. Earlier, when he suggested leaving early, I was severely tempted to take him up on the offer. An evening with Cale beats watching the clock and avoiding unpleasant people.

If I’m being honest, an evening with Cale would beat just about any alternative. When I think about being alone with him, my cheeks feel so hot I want to rub some of the ice from my water glass on my face.

Hadley coasts off the dance floor and pulls on my arm. “Scraps, I have to pee.”

“Have fun,” I say.

She exhales noisily. “I need you and Shayna to hold my dress up. Let’s go.”

I chew on a lettuce leaf, the last remnant of my salad. “Sorry, I can’t right now. But I have faith in Shayna to handle pee duty on her own.”

Hadley tries switching to sulky mode. “I don’t know why I thought I could depend on you.”

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