Page 91 of Wedding Crasher

‘It’s nothing like that.’ He nodded towards the photos. ‘I had no clue what love was back then.’

He glanced over towards the chapel.

‘But I do now. Love is five foot six with wild red hair and crazy shoes, and I just want to look at her and never look away again.’

Dora sniffed and rooted around in her apron pocket for a tissue.

‘It probably sounds stupid, but I knew it the moment I met her. BOOM. Just like that. She’s it for me. Marla’s the one.’

Gabe grinned. It was a heady relief to say it out loud.

‘Then just get your backside over there and tell her, lad.’

Gabe shook his head with a snort of derision. She made it sound so simple.

‘You know what she thinks of me, Dora. Especially after we …’

‘After you what?’ Dora leaned across the desk with narrowed eyes. She didn’t miss a trick.

Gabe fished around for a delicate way to phrase ‘after we had mind-blowing sex in her back garden for hours’.

‘We kind of spent her birthdaytogether, if you understand my meaning.’

Dora’s eyebrows sprang up into her grey curls.

‘I see.’

‘But then, all that stuff in the paper came out, and now she won’t even look at me.’

Dora shook her head regretfully. ‘You did look rather sleazy, Gabriel.’

Gabe sighed. ‘I know. So here’s the thing. I’ve come up with a bit of a plan, but I can’t do it without help.’

He reached out and held her hand.

‘Withoutyourhelp.’

He knew from the excitement that twinkled in Dora’s elderly eyes that he’d just gained himself an accomplice.

Outside the office door, Melanie flattened herself against the wall, listening to each poisonous word with her eyes screwed shut. Her fingernails bit into her palms as she balled her hands into tight little fists at her side.

Why were all men such stupid fucking idiots?

Gabriel had seemed so different.

How dare he? He was just like the rest of them. He didn’t see her either.

She’d been so sure, yet here he was confessing his undying love for Marla fucking Jacobs.

A couple of months back she’d had both Rupert and Gabriel eating out of her hand, and now both had tossed her out of their hearts as carelessly as yesterday’s newspaper.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Like most plans, Gabe’s was fraught with the potential for disaster.

The main challenge withthisparticular plan was timing; he required a morning when Marla was going to be alone in the chapel.

He definitely didn’t want an audience.

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