Chapter 1

I was just about to go find Elliott Chambers when the wedding coordinator came hurrying over with her binder.

"Mr. Chambers, the groomsmen need to get into position."

Elliott lowered his head to adjust his cufflinks and gave a brief acknowledgment. That was when I noticed the person standing beside him wasn't Owen Reed.

It was Theo Carver, Claire Carver's younger brother, wearing a groomsman's suit with a white boutonniere pinned to his lapel.

I had placed that boutonniere in Owen's gift box myself the night before. When Owen tried on his suit, he'd been so nervous he didn't know what to do with his hands. I teased him about it, and he just held the boutonniere and looked at it for the longest time.

He told me, "I won't embarrass you tomorrow, I promise."

Now it was pinned to Theo's chest.

Theo patted the flower with an easy smile. "Looks good, right? Elliott said it suited me better."

I turned to Elliott. "Where's Owen?"

"Last-minute change."

"Why?"

"Your brother's too stiff. The guest list is all Chambers Corp shareholders and major clients, and the groomsmen need to hold their own."

I didn't look at Theo. I kept my eyes on Elliott. "So, you pulled my brother."

He lowered his voice. "The ceremony's about to start. Don't let something this small derail the schedule."

Something this small? I turned and walked to the waiting room.

Owen was sitting in the corner of the couch. The groomsman's suit was gone, and he was back in his own old white dress shirt, the cuffs slightly frayed. The moment he saw me, he jumped to his feet and hid something behind his back.

"Sadie, what are you doing here?"

I went over and pulled his hands away. The boutonniere was gone, and all that was left inside the gift box was a bent pin.

Owen kept his head down, his ears slowly turning red. "Elliott said there was a last-minute change. He told me not to go up."

He paused, then added, "It's fine, really. I was worried I'd mess it up anyway."

His voice was so quiet, like he was afraid I'd hear the hurt in it.

Theo's laugh carried in from the doorway. "Being a groomsman isn't for just anyone. You've got to actually look the part in a suit."

Owen's fingers curled at his sides.

Elliott stood by the door. He didn't look at Owen, only at me. "Theo's young. He doesn't watch what he says. Don't take it personally."

"Owen's two years younger than him," I said.

Elliott went quiet for a second, then glanced at his watch. "Sadie, it's almost time."

Owen tugged at my sleeve. "Don't. Just leave it."

His palm was damp with sweat.

Our father came rushing in, forehead glistening, an old wooden chest clutched against his body. He'd pulled the red flower off it and tucked it into his pocket so only a sliver of crimson peeked out.

"Sadie, did Owen cause trouble again?"

Owen shook his head quickly. "No, Dad."

Dad turned to Elliott with an apologetic smile. "Elliott, Owen doesn't know any better. It's perfectly fine if he doesn't go up. He can just sit in the audience."

Then he looked at me. "Sadie, today's your big day. Don't let us hold things up."

He didn't say it was because of him, or because of Owen. It was because of all of us. Because we weren't polished enough.

A hotel staff member walked in and pointed at the chest in his arms. "The groom's mother says that the chest doesn't belong in the main hall. She'd like it moved to the back."

Dad tightened his grip. "It can't be moved."

The staff member looked at Elliott, and Elliott frowned. "Take it. It's in the way."

It took Dad a moment to find his voice. "It's Sadie's hope chest."

Elliott glanced at the chipped paint on its corners. "It can wait until after the ceremony."

Dad lowered his head and slowly loosened his grip. When the staff member took it, one corner caught on the doorframe with a dull thud, and Dad's shoulders flinched with it.