Once Upon a Marriage

He was a fly-by-nighter. She was a planner.

If their marriage didn’t work, Threefold would be in jeopardy, and the company currently held Gabi’s entire life savings.

If their marriage didn’t work, a lifelong friendship would end.

And Gabi had said marrying Liam still felt right.

“But...” Marie wasn’t ready to give it up.

And didn’t want to examine possible reasons for her to be holding so tightly to her need to believe that marriage was a business too risky to invest in.

“I need to marry him more than I fear being hurt,” Barbara said. And then nodded, a smile breaking through on her face again. “That’s how you know. When you need to marry him more than you fear being hurt, then he’s the right one for you.”

Maybe her mother’s words wouldn’t work for the general public, but to Marie, they made perfect sense.

They also calmed her enough to help her sleep.

Or at least to end the barrage of questions that had been attacking her mind.

Which was a good thing. She needed her rest.

Her mother was getting married in the morning.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ELLIOTT AVOIDED THE BRIDE. And her daughter. Dressed in the tuxedo he’d brought with him—one he owned for the occasions when he had to accompany clients to black-tie affairs—he trailed behind the bridal party as, all dressed in their finery, they made their way through the luxury resort to the small, discreet wedding chapel down a hallway on the second floor.

Until that point, he hadn’t known there was anything small or discreet about Sin City. Nor had he known that the city famous for impromptu garish weddings officiated by Elvis impersonators also had on-the-spot facilities for more traditional unions.

He stood in the back of the chapel while final arrangements, including music and video choices, were made. The nondenominational pastor, Reverend Billings, introduced himself, gave a rundown of the proceedings, asked the bride and groom to choose their vows from the various ceremonies he had available and then directed the bridesmaids into a vestibule where they were to enter on cue. For the ceremony video that the bride and groom would have as a keepsake of their special day.

Barbara had chosen to walk up the aisle on her own. She’d be entering from the back of the chapel after her bridesmaids—Marie and Gabi—had taken their places from the side door. Bruce, Liam and Bruce’s brother, Michael, were mingling up front, where, when they were told, they’d take their places at the altar.

Michael’s wife, Erin—the token audience member—was already seated.

Elliott had it all down. He knew where every player was and where they would be when.

There’d been no one in the hallway as they approached the chapel. The outer vestibule had been vacant, as well.

Still, he was on the job. Prepared and focused.

“So?”

He turned when he heard the bride’s voice. She was in the vacant vestibule. Talking in a pseudo-whisper so only Elliott could hear her. Because it would look odd for the bride to suddenly have reason to converse with Liam Connelly’s bodyguard.

But as soon as she spoke, he knew what she wanted. Knew, too, that it was up to him to make himself available to her without raising suspicion.

She might be getting married. But her daughter’s happiness was still on her mind.

Elliott texted Liam. Telling the other man to stay put. He was taking a very quick bathroom break.

And then he slipped into the vestibule.

“He played at a five-dollar table.”

“And?”

“At the end of the night he was up a thousand.”