“Seriously? Things I never needed to know. Ever.” Sadie made a gagging noise in the back of her throat.
Eli leaned closer to the phone. “We need legal help today.”
That got Sadie’s attention. “Where are you?” She switched from little sister to attorney Sadie in an instant. “Are you in jail?”
“Chill. We’re in a hotel room.” Eli slid his glance to Marlee.
“We took you up on that dare,” Marlee said into the phone.
The line went silent.
“So we’re going to need some help getting an annulment pushed through,” Eli finished for Marlee.
More silence.
“Sadie?”
She coughed. “Marlee?”
He handed his cell phone to Marlee.
“Hey.” Her arm brushed Eli’s.
“Take me off speaker,” Sadie demanded.
Marlee did as directed and held his phone to her ear.
“No,” she replied to whatever his sister had asked. “Yes.” Now, she bit at her lip. “No prenup.” She glanced at Eli in apology. “It wasn’t like we planned it.”
“Phone?” Eli held out his hand.
Marlee returned it. He pushed the speaker button.
“Sadie? It’s me. I’m not an ass. I’m not going to take any of Marlee’s money. I don’t want her house. I just want this to have never happened.”
There was clicking of keyboard keys in the background. Sadie never went anywhere without her work laptop. “You can go to the courthouse first thing Monday with the rest of the weekend oopsies. But I’ve got to be home by noon Monday, so you two are going to be on your own. Looks simple: you file, show up in front of the judge, and this never happened.”
Which was exactly what he wanted.
Chapter Eight
Monday Morning
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God,” Marlee whispered under her breath.
“Mar.” Eli reached for her hand and squeezed. “Chill.”
Oh crap, his tie was crooked. Marlee reached for it, adjusting his collar until it was nearly straight.
He cleared his throat, pushing her hands down from the blue silk necktie and lacing his fingers with hers.
“I’m not done,” she whispered. Sadie had instructed them both to come dressed in their best. That meant a suit for Eli—along with a microdermabrasion treatment that removed most of the henna—and a cleavage-covering blouse with slacks for Marlee. Eli clearly wasn’t happy about the suit, and even less excited about the hours he’d spent at the spa, but he’d followed Sadie’s instructions.
Except his tie was crooked.
And looking his best didn’t involve an off-kilter tie. Not after the emergency trip to Neiman-Marcus for a blouse that matched that exact shade of JC Penney cobalt. They couldn’t ruin it now with something as easy to fix as crooked silk. Marlee unlaced their hands and tugged at the cloth.
“All rise,” the bailiff said. “The honorable Judge Milburn presiding.”
