The Billionaire and the Virgin (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #1)(67)

Cheers exploded as the couple left the altar, hand in hand, and then everyone stirred to life once more. The wedding was over officially, but the party had just begun. And for a heart-weary bridesmaid, the day was far from done. Most of the guests returned to the resort to await the reception, but the bridal party remained for endless photo after endless photo. Marjorie’s smile began to ache and felt more and more forced. She wanted nothing more than to return to her room and hide, but this was Bront?’s day, and she was going to suffer in silence and enjoy herself for her friend’s sake.

Eventually, they headed back to the resort, where the reception was picking up steam. The beautiful, ten-tiered cake was the centerpiece of the table, and there was an open bar and a dance floor. Marjorie looked longingly at the open bar—how nice it would be to get sloppy drunk and forget her heartache!—but she skipped it and sat at her assigned table instead.

Logan and Bront? showed up, and the cake-cutting ceremony was held. Each delicately put a piece of cake into the other’s mouth, though Logan suggestively licked Bront?’s fingers in a way that made the bride blush. Marjorie began to re-contemplate the open bar.

“Is this seat taken?” A voice said.

Marjorie looked up and smiled at Cade Archer. It was hard not to like the guy. For one, he looked like an angel, all blond hair and blue eyes and gorgeous, friendly smile. She leaned over and examined the place card at the seat next to hers. “It looks like it’s taken by you.”

“What a stroke of luck,” he said, and sat down next to her, grinning. “How come you’re hiding back here in the lonely hearts corner?”

She gave him a halfhearted smile. “My date had to go to the mainland for a dialysis appointment.”

His brows drew together. “What?”

“My date was Dewey. A nice old man I picked up at the shuffleboard courts. He told me he loved weddings, but not as much as he loves his kidneys.” She smiled. “It’s all right. I’m bad company today anyhow.”

Cade smiled and sat next to her. “I’ll join you in the bad company ranks, then.”

“Where’s your date?” she asked politely.

His friendly smile faltered, and for a moment, he looked incredibly sad. “She had a sudden and last-minute change of plans.” He shrugged. “I should have expected no more from her, but I find I’m still disappointed.”

She knew the feeling. She knew she shouldn’t want Rob, but she still did. She still missed him, even though she knew he was bad news. Only time would heal this wound, and she hadn’t had a chance to properly grieve for her broken heart yet.

“It’s a beautiful wedding,” she said softly. “And Bront? and Logan look so very happy.”

“They do,” Cade agreed. “I’m thrilled for them—for all of my boys, actually. There’s quite a few weddings coming up and I’ll probably be a groomsman at all of them.”

“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?” she guessed.

He gave her a quick flash of grin, and then gazed back out on the dance floor again, his thoughts far away. Again, she got the impression that he was just as achingly lonely as she was. After a long moment, he turned and gave her another smile that didn’t quite catch his eyes. “I suppose so.”


Poor Cade. He seemed almost as miserable as she was. She was poor comfort for a brokenhearted man when her own had been trampled to shreds.





Chapter Twenty-three

One Month Later



“This is a super cute apartment,” Bront? gushed, carrying in a box of donated linens. “How on earth did you find such a score on the Upper East Side?”

“Apparently by paying through the nose,” Marjorie teased, holding the door open for her. “And the bed is in one of the closets.”

Bront? giggled. “But hardwood floors! Come on. You have to admit that’s a bonus. And you have a window! Maylee didn’t even have a window when she moved to the city.”

“It’s pretty great,” Marjorie agreed, taking the box from Bront? and setting it down on her tiny, tiny kitchen countertop. “The city’s just a big adjustment from Kansas, you know? I’m pretty sure I could have gotten a huge house for this much back home.”

“Probably,” Bront? agreed, opening a closet door and peeking in. “Huh. That is the bed. Well, that’s fine. The location’s good and the apartment’s cute. If the rent’s high, the trade-off is that you’re living in the greatest city in the world. Seriously—you’ll have so much to do that you won’t have time to sit at home and mope.”

“I already know someone in the building,” Marjorie admitted. “Remember Agnes? She lives two floors down. She’s the one that got the landlord to pick my application out of all the others.”

“Oh! That’s so wonderful. You already have a friend here.”

“I do,” Marjorie said. “Agnes wants me to go to Friday night bingo with her and a few friends.”

“See?” Bront? beamed at her. “You’ll love it here. It’s a fresh start.” Her face grew concerned and she looked Marjorie over. “Speaking of . . . are you okay? How are you doing?”

Marj forced a smile to her face. “I’m fine. Really.”