Marlee met her at the doorway.
Sadie wrapped her in a hug. “I brought Eli to kill Scotty for you, but we passed him on the street. Eli will be lifting all the heavy things instead.”
Marlee looked over Sadie’s shoulder to where Sadie’s brother, Eli, stood on the top stair. His talent as a chef would now be wasted since he wouldn’t be catering the wedding anymore.
“Hey, Mar.” He said her nickname so softly it hardly seemed fitting coming from a guy who looked like he had driven there from a UFC fight. A cross between Joe Manganiello and Jason Mamoa, Eli had the tall, dark, and scary-as-hell bit down. The scary-as-hell bit was only to those who didn’t know him. Everyone who really knew him knew he was all pudding and marshmallow fluff inside.
“I’m here to lug suitcases and crack skulls, whatever you need,” he said.
“Thanks.” She cleared the emotion that was starting to lodge in her throat. No emotions. Scotty didn’t deserve them.
“You’re on Marlee duty.” Sadie released Marlee from her hug and shoved her toward Eli. “I’m on getting-everything-sorted duty. Becca and Kellie are on their way.”
Eli pulled Marlee in for a hug and…well…this was nice. She had her friends, she’d be fine. So why were her eyes leaking all over Eli’s gray tee? She started to pull back, a hiccup wrestling its way out. She’d left tear-stained mascara smudges all over his shoulder.
There was no reason to cry. She was practically already over Scotty. He’d done her a favor.
“Hey.” Eli’s thumbs wiped her tears from her cheeks. “Let’s let Sadie deal with the packing. Aspen already called to cancel everything, so she’s got that covered.”
“I need a place to live for a while.” Marlee swallowed another hiccup before it could escape. “I was thinking a hotel. And I’d like to get out of here before my parents show up. Dad will talk about what a great guy Scotty is, and Mom will make the breakup all about herself.”
Her parents meant well, but they were nothing if not predictable.
“Why are you the one leaving?” Eli asked, his thumbs resting on both sides of her cheeks.
“Because I know he won’t.” And when was the last time Scotty had comforted her when she was upset?
“Then we’ll start with finding the hotel.” Eli pulled her in for another hug. “And evacuate to it after.”
She nodded. This was good. Sadie and Eli had a plan. They’d probably even written it down somewhere. The release of years of wedding planning, the official death of her relationship with Scotty—it had all just bubbled up in her chest and flowed out of her eyelids. That’s all.
She wiped at her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “I’m a mess.”
“You’re practically part of the family. We’re here for you,” Eli whispered against the top of her hair. Then he let her cry all over his shoulder. He didn’t even balk when she snorted. Somehow, he managed to produce a handful of tissues she could only believe Sadie had slipped to him.
He shifted, readjusting her in his embrace. One thing Marlee had never noticed about Eli before was how really nice he smelled. Not cologne, per se. That morning, he smelled like pancakes and bacon and man. Eli shifted again.
“Were you working this morning?” she asked.
“Yeah, we catered a thing before Sadie caught me.” His voice was comforting, warm syrup over pancakes.
“You smell really nice,” she said through a sniffle. “Like breakfast.”
He shifted again.
“Sorry.” She pulled back. “I’m making you uncomfortable.” Probably because she was smelling him up.
“It’s not you.” He rubbed the spot between her shoulder blades with his palm. “But what do I need to do to get your dog to stop humping my shoe?”
She looked down and, sure enough, Lothario was going to town on one of Eli’s trainers.
“Shit.” She leaned down and lifted the pup. “This is Lothario.”
“We’ve met.” Eli nodded toward her lecherous dog. “Nice to put a name to the feeling in my toes.”
“I’ll just…uh…I’ll just put him outside.” Squirming dog in hand, she hurried down the stairs and dropped him off on the patio. She pointed at him. “Stay.”
He whined.
