Page 23 of 4 Weddings and a Feud

“Better.” She drained her wineglass. “Now that’s settled?—”

“There’s something else.” He reached for her hand and held it. “I need you, Mary.”

She blinked her eyes wide. God, he could get lost in their brown depths.

“Rochelle needs you, too. We can’t do this wedding without you.”

She slipped her hand from his and rubbed the back of her neck. “Of course you can. You have an entire staff?—”

“None of them are as good as you. Rochelle doesn’t want to work with anyone else. She asked me to remind you that she’s hormonal and pregnant.”

Her eyes softened. “She only thinks she needs me.”

“You know as well as I do that the customer is always right. Please, Mary. Come back. If not for me, then do it for Rochelle.”

“What about the boys? They can’t run the shop without me.”

“I’ll double your fee. You can use it to hire help at the shop.”

“Double?” Her eyebrows rose.

“Triple.” He hated the desperate tone of his voice. But there was nothing for it. The Paradise was on the line.

She smirked. “How did you become a casino magnate with those terrible negotiation skills?”

He shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess. Does that mean you’ll do it?”

She paused for a moment, and he could see her weighing her family against the money. Which she’d undoubtedly use to help her brothers. Finally, she said, “I’ll get started tomorrow.” When she lifted her chin, the warmth again filled his stomach.

Like her namesake, she was the queen of angels, and he was nothing but a sinner. But he’d keep that hidden. He couldn’t afford to lose control again. Not if he wanted the Paradise.

ChapterTen

The next day, Mary sat at the counter at the shop as the mail carrier handed her the usual handful of bills and junk mail. Mary talked with her for a minute about the weather—hot—and the car business—slowing for the summer—when a thin envelope slid out from the pile and landed on the three-ring binder Mary used to organize her thoughts for Rochelle and Rohaan’s wedding.

She turned it over in her hands. It was addressed to her brother Rafe, and it came from Starring Role Talent Agency. She frowned at it. Was this the check Alex had told her about?

As soon as the mail carrier got into her truck, Mary carried the envelope to the back, where Rafe polished Grace Kelly for her night out. A plastic bag covered his splinted finger.

“A letter came for you,” she said.

Rafe didn’t pause his polishing. “Hold on to it for me? I’ll look at it later.”

“No, I think you should open it now.”

He straightened. “I’m not being audited, am I?”

“Just open it.” She held it out.

He walked the few steps toward her and took the envelope just as the bay door opened and Michael drove the Presidential through, bringing in a blast of hot air.

Mary planted her hands on her hips as Rafe fumbled the envelope with his broken finger and finally managed to break the seal. He pulled out two sheets of paper folded into thirds. He scanned the first one, breathed a sigh of relief, and flipped to the second sheet. When his gaze caught on the bottom third, he froze.

“What is it?” Mary asked.

Michael ambled over and peered over Rafe’s shoulder. “Looks like a check.”

“It’s the payment from that photo shoot I did during the wedding expo. It’s…it’s five thousand dollars.”

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