She blew out a long breath. Brek would lose his ever-loving mind.
He had been on edge since the chocolate fiasco. The Buttercup incident had threatened to push him over. But the last hour since Sophie’s disappearing act? He’d been a total basket case. He’d held it together, but with each second that passed, he moved closer to tumbling over the precipice of his temper.
Well, Velma didn’t have much of a choice. Heaving a breath, she wrenched her body over the windowsill—one leg, then the other. Her balance precarious, she kicked her low-heeled pumps below, said a prayer, and jumped unceremoniously the six feet to the ground.
She slipped on her shoes. Her headset crackled against her shoulder. She ignored it. Best she find Sophie and get her bum down the aisle before Brek went bananas.
Stiletto footprints led to a clearing where Velma discovered the white silk Louboutins abandoned. Carefully, she picked them up and wiped dirt from the heel. The dang things, which retailed for over a thousand dollars—half Velma’s mortgage, for goodness’ sake—were tossed aside because a bride had short-circuited in the eleventh hour.
She hurried around the building, following the tracks Sophie had left in the soft dirt. Mountain air wasn’t generally this hot in the summer. Today was the exception. Brek had been certain Sophie wouldn’t leave the building—not decked out in a ten-thousand-dollar wedding gown. Apparently, Sophie had other ideas.
Velma held the headset microphone to her lips. “Brek?”
“Do you have her?”
“She’s outside. I’m not sure where. Looks like she went toward the road. You go north, I’ll head south.”
Brek cursed a slew of colorful words. Velma dropped the headset to her shoulder again and trudged forward, moving aside branches and calling Sophie’s name.
“Sophie,” she called again, her voice scratchy from all the hollering.
Velma paused for a moment to catch her breath. She glanced around. Nothing but an older white house across the road. Sophie couldn’t have gotten far with bare feet. Velma pulled the headset on and pressed the button. More nothing. Apparently, Brek had trekked past the limit of reception. Fantastic. She hurried to the tree house Brek had built near the ceremony arch. A distinct sniffle came from inside.
“Excuse me,” she called. “I’m looking for a bride. Have you seen her?”
Silence.
Louboutins in hand, Velma carefully climbed the boards nailed to the tree as footholds.
“Sophie?” she asked as she came through the opening to the primitive tree shack. The place was beyond cramped. Sophie had squeezed herself into the corner, a half-full bottle of sauvignon blanc in hand. She’d dropped the designer shoes but kept the wine? Sophie definitely had her priorities mixed up.
“May I join you?” Velma didn’t wait for an answer as she heaved herself into the tight space.
Tears trailed down Sophie’s cheeks, smearing her meticulously applied eyeliner and blush. First thing when they got back to the church, Velma would grab the makeup artist. Hopefully she had something in her bag of tricks for red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
“This is cozy.” Velma squeezed next to Sophie.
Sophie offered her the wine, and Velma took it, setting it aside with the shoes.
“Everyone’s really worried about you.” Velma adjusted her legs beneath her.
Sophie doodled a fingertip along the beads of her dress. “I’m making a mistake.”
Considering the two of them were shoved into a tree house while several hundred guests anxiously waited for their pineapple-topped steak dinners, Velma agreed with Sophie’s assertion.
“You told me you love Troy when we were picking tablescapes.” A trickle of perspiration dripped down the center of Velma’s back. “You love him. He loves you. That’s what today is about.”
“It’s not about love. It’s about Dad showing off to his friends. It’s about Troy being inducted into their boy’s club. I wrote him a note and went to slip it under his door at the church.” Sophie hiccupped and handed the crumpled piece of paper to Velma. Velma unfolded it and smoothed the crinkles—a love note that was absolutely none of her business. “Do you know what he said?”
Velma handed it back, but Sophie shook her head. “He and Dad were talking behind the door. They didn’t know I heard them. Dad told Troy once the marriage certificate is signed, then he’ll have paperwork ready to make him a full partner.” Sophie paused. A new onslaught of tears slid from her eyelids. “That’s why Troy’s marrying me. Not because he loves me. He’s marrying me so he can be a partner.”
That explained so much.
Velma tucked the note into her pocket.
“Have you ever been married?” Sophie asked.
Velma shook her head. “No.”
