Rescuing the Bad Boy (Second Chance #2)(24)
Lacey Martin’s fiasco.
“I don’t do weddings,” Sofie bit out, purposely keeping her eyes on her food.
If she had the time to plan her sister’s wedding—and she didn’t—she wouldn’t. The rift between her and Lacey was alive and well. The water may be under the bridge, but it churned enough to create an undertow.
Having been the go-to girl at the Club during the years she worked there, Sofie knew how to plan a wedding, so it wasn’t her lack of knowledge that had gotten her fired by her eldest sibling. Nor was it fallout because Lacey was nearly impossible to please. I know it’s peach, Sofie, but I want a peachier peach. It wasn’t the demands, the cost, or the time…
What caused the blowout was the groom.
Jeff Bluff. What an idiot. Belching, brash, foul-mouthed… the man was Lacey’s polar opposite in every way. He made the entire family uncomfortable, belittled Kins and Sofie in a vain attempt to get a laugh out of their father—Patrick was not impressed—and, to top off that charming package, Jeff had also been jobless.
Lacey and Jeff had dated three months when they decided to tie the knot. Sofie kept quiet as long as she could, but at the cake tasting when she caught him flirting with the young, cute baker’s assistant, Sofie said something to Lacey. She cared too much about her older sister to let her be the butt of that butthead’s joke. But when she thought Lacey might appreciate the information, Lacey surprised Sofie by firing her on the spot.
Sofie wished she hadn’t lost her sister in the debacle. Especially since it was all for naught. Jeff did cheat on Lacey a week before the wedding and Lacey called the wedding off.
What Lacey didn’t realize—or wouldn’t admit—was that Sofie had acted out of love. She didn’t want to see Lacey hurt. After the split and the wedding was called off, Sofie took zero delight in being right about Jeff. She loved Lacey. She wished her sister could see that.
They’d since managed to make their way to the family dinner table, but the “damage,” as Lacey liked to call it, was done.
Across the table, Lacey tucked a perfectly straight piece of dark brown hair behind her ear and took a dainty bite of her food. She wore a snow-white shirt adorned with large silver, gold, and bronze circles sewn into a V at the neck, and designer jeans that skimmed her figure. Her earrings matched her bracelets. Her nails were professionally manicured. Perfection, as per her usual.
Not that Sofie was a slouch. She’d worn a lightweight striped shirt and a black skirt with her new black heels. Kinsley wore an enormous pair of fuchsia-glitter “stripper” heels, a scrap of a skirt that was way too short for Sylvia’s comfort, and a bright fuchsia T-shirt with a middle finger on it.
Twenty-two-year-old Kins liked to push their mother’s buttons. Sylvia, as of yet, had not taken the bait.
“Lacey, dear. You could save so much money if you let Sofie help you. And I can help. I used to make flower arrangements, you know. Artificial would be much more cost effective. We—”
Lacey cut her off. “Did you ever consider I don’t want either of you planning my wedding?” Every pair of eyes around the table went to her. “I mean… you’re both guests. I don’t want you to work.”
Minor correction: Sylvia was the mother of the bride. Sofie was a guest. Kinsley was a bridesmaid, along with Lacey’s four closest friends from college, for a total of five bridesmaids.
Five.
“Sofie’s not in the wedding, darling?” Sofie had overheard her mother ask Lacey over one family dinner past.
“You know how she feels about weddings,” Lacey had responded. “And anyway, all of Kenneth’s friends are dating the bridesmaids. Including Kinsley’s boyfriend, Mark. I can’t pair Sofe up there with someone else’s significant other. It wouldn’t be right.”
Now, chatter continued around the table while her father ate his dinner, head down, letting the women in the house filter through their own stuff. Sofie loved her father, loved that he worked hard, was dedicated to his wife and girls in every way, loved that he’d taught her how to ride a bike, and sneaked her out of bed one Christmas Eve to help eat the cookies left for Santa. But sometimes, she wished he saw how she was feeling. Wished he would interject on her behalf.
Sofie glanced over at Kins, who was slumped in her chair, texting.
“Darling?” Her mother addressed Sofie and changed the subject yet again. Conversations in the Martin household were like the fast-paced card game, War. Sentences were slapped down, then trumped by the highest rank. “Did you ever get a chance to go out with Scott Torsett? I ran into his mother at the bank yesterday. He’s still single, you know.”
Oh, here we go. Sofie gave her mother a patient smile. Like she hadn’t gotten around to it? Like that was the issue?
She felt Lacey’s smirk and Kinsley’s gaze on her.
“You know he’s a lawyer,” Sylvia continued.
With a sigh, Sofie put down her fork.
“Yes, I do know he’s a lawyer. His office is a few doors down from mine. We’ve… talked.” About Donovan, mostly.
“Delightful!” Yes, Sylvia Martin actually used the word delightful. “What have you been talking about?”
“Work stuff. I planned his Christmas party last year, and this year we have a client in common.”
A tall, dark, handsome client with a chip on his shoulder. And, so help her, a client her mother and sisters would never meet. She imagined Lacey would love to learn about Sofie’s biggest relationship pratfall.