LITMIR.BIZ

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and her sister Lee. Too many times Marissa’d been unsure if she was in trouble when their father would yell Mar-Lee. Was it the both of them, or just her sister? After a while, though, she was too well behaved to be doing anything wrong, so she’d been able to ignore him.

      Her sister had the same mischievous glint in her eye now as she had back when they were little and she was up to something.

      “Who, Lee?” Her sister’s excitement was infectious.

      Marlie bit into the cupcake. “This is so good.”

      “If you don’t tell me who you spoke to…”

      “Relax,” she said around a mouthful of cake. When she swallowed she said, “Before I tell you, though, I need you to do me a huge favor. You have to promise me.”

      Marissa frowned. Her sister had asked her for many favors over the years, none with such a hazy preface. “What’s the favor?”

      Marlie picked at the wrapped edge of the cupcake. “I have a new client and I need some help. Will you act as my assistant? It won’t be all that time-consuming, but I need an extra set of hands. Not to mention it will make my business look better if I have an ‘assistant.’”

      “I guess.” Weddings were months and months of planning. She’d be able to schedule her employees around the wedding activities and the times she had to prepare for parties.

      “You have to promise. Say, ‘I pinky swear’.” Marlie bounced on the balls of her feet.

      “You’re calling out the pinky swear?” Since they were six and hatched a scheme to sneak out Duff’s favorite cassette tape so they could play it—and promptly broke it—they’d pinky swore every time one needed the other to cover for them. They’d never broken a pinky swear. And Duff never found out they were the ones who destroyed his copy of Van Halen.

      “Yes, it’s that big of a deal.”

      Marissa leaned over the counter and held out her pinky to her sister. “I pinky swear, I’ll be your assistant.”

      Marlie squealed and latched on her finger for their elaborate handshake.

      “Now tell me.” Marissa grabbed a cupcake for herself and sat with her sister at the closest table. “Who called you?” She took a bite of the black cherry cupcake.

      “None other than Bunny Carlisle.”

      Marissa didn’t even taste the food as she chewed. It had been almost a full week since she’d seen Jax Carlisle and that was after nearly twenty years. Why hearing he was getting married sat so heavily with her… Probably because the moments she did sleep over the past week, she’d done nothing but fantasize about the man. “That’s…great.”

      “It’s more than great. It’s going to be the wedding of the year.” Marlie dragged her finger across the top of the icing and scooped some up. “There’s only one catch.”

      Marissa frowned around another bite of her food. There was always a catch. Her mouth was too full to ask, but she didn’t need to—Marlie plowed right on anyway.

      “It’s a less than a month away.” Her sister swiped at her mouth with a paper napkin and folded it neatly on the table.

      “What is?” she asked when she finally swallowed. “The wedding?” Marissa’s easy schedule was quickly flying out the window. “Why so fast?” Why such a speedy wedding after he’d just moved to town? Not to mention, why was Bunny involved? The last she’d heard they weren’t on the best of terms. Was it an olive branch to get back in his mother’s good graces? Though, that was a hell of an olive branch. “Can you get a wedding done under a month?”

      Marlie pouted, as if Marissa had insulted her, then she said, “I can get it done. Most of the details are in place. Bunny has already fired the three previous wedding planners.” She leaned closer. “Actually I think I heard the last one walked out and forfeited her fee. Anyway, it’s more or less overseeing the finishing touches.”

      For the next two hours, Marlie ran over the details that were already in place from the previous planners. Most of the details were already set in motion. Why couldn’t the Carlisles just proceed on their own? When she wasn’t helping her customers, she made notes of what Marlie needed her to do.

      “I have a face-to-face with Callie and Bunny first thing tomorrow morning. Do you think you could tag along?”

      “Where is it?”

      Marlie looked away briefly and mumbled, “At the country club.”

      Marissa’s stomach pitched. It was bad enough she’d agreed to help her sister with the Carlisle wedding. To have to go to the Oak Hollow Country Club was almost too much. She’d worked there in high school, not fancy or rich enough to become a member. But she’d been good enough to wash towels and table linens. “You’d go back there? After what they did?”

      Their father had worked at the club for nearly twenty years, the last five as the head mechanic. Marissa and Marlie’s senior year in school, all the white towels and linens had turned up pink. Marissa had been the last one on duty, and though they were white and in the closet when she’d left, she’d been promptly fired. As had her father. They said if he didn’t agree to it, they’d press charges against her for property damages.

      Even though her father believed in her innocence, he didn’t want to chance that the incident would adversely affect her and her chances in college.

      “That was nearly seventeen years ago. Dad got over it, why can’t you?” Marlie crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “You pinky swore, so you’re going. It’s one wedding, a wedding that can really put my name out there. It won’t be that bad.”

      The bell over the door chimed. Marissa gave her sister one last lingering “how could you” look then turned to greet her customer. “Speak of the devil. There’s your groom now.” Marissa nodded her head toward Jax.

      Marlie swiveled in her seat. “Where?”

      “At the door?”

      “No.” Marlie jiggled the pen in her hand. “Who’s that?”

      Marissa leaned into her sister and whispered, “Who’s the wedding for?”

      “Bunny’s daughter, Callie. You remember her, don’t you? She was a few years behind us in school.”

      Relief washed through Marissa with so much force she swayed a little on her feet—though she had no reason for it.

      She did remember Callie. As a matter of fact, she’d always suspected Callie was the one who’d turned all the linens pink. She’d seen the girl lurking in the back hallways of the club the night of the incident, but it wasn’t as if Marissa could accuse her of doing it. And she’d only been eleven or twelve at the time. She’d been a spoiled, rich brat, but not deliberately malicious.… Marissa gave a mental shrug. Given that Callie Carlisle had gone through three wedding planners already, it sounded as if things hadn’t changed much.

      She turned her attention to Jax. “Good evening, Chief.”

      Jax removed his hat and nodded to Marissa and her sister. He sure did make that OH uniform look good. Marissa gaped a moment, worried he could read her mind as he held her gaze. She fought off the urge to fan herself.

      “Ladies.” He interrupted her thoughts. “I came to check on how you’re doing. Any more break-ins?”

      “Break-ins?” Marlie’s head whipped around and she pinned Marissa with her narrowed, blue gaze. “When did you have break-ins? Why didn’t you tell me?”

      Behind her, Jax shifted and his eyebrows rose.

      “It was no big deal. I didn’t want to worry you.” Marissa moved around her sister and turned her attention to the chief. “All’s well. My brother came out and fixed the door.”

      “Duff came over here?

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