Chapter 6 - The Morning AfterBy 8:00 AM the next morning, Maddie Price was no longer just an abandoned bride in a small Kentucky town. She was a national sensation.
Before leaving the venue, Connor—in a final act of redemption—had taken a photograph of Maddie sitting alone at the grand head table. She was in her stunning wedding dress, holding a glass of red wine, cutting into a massive steak with her chin held high in absolute defiance, while the empty groom’s chair sat beside her.
He had posted it online with a simple caption: “He ran from the FBI. She stayed for the filet mignon. Legend.”
Maddie woke up in her childhood bed to her phone vibrating off the nightstand. There were thousands of notifications. The photo had gone insanely viral on Facebook and Twitter.
“Queen behavior.”
“Where is this venue? The food looks amazing.”
“I want to buy this woman a drink!”
And then, the local news picked up the real story. GROOM ARRESTED AT O’HARE FOR CORPORATE EMBEZZLEMENT; BRIDE EATS $15,000 WEDDING FEAST ALONE.
Tyler’s mugshot—sweaty, panicked, and humiliated—was plastered across the morning broadcasts. His firm publicly denounced him. Jessica, true to her word, had thrown him under the bus, leaving him facing up to twenty years in federal prison.
Maddie walked into the kitchen in her pajamas to find Frank making coffee, a massive grin on his face.
“The bank called,” Frank said, holding up a mug. “Sterling Hospitality wired the full refund. It’s sitting in my retirement account right now. And,” he added, pointing to a massive bouquet of white roses sitting on the kitchen island, “those arrived by courier ten minutes ago.”
Maddie walked over to the roses. Nestled in the petals was a thick card made of expensive, heavy stock.
“I owe you a dance. - Elias.”
Below the message was a private phone number.
For the first time in eighteen months, Maddie didn't feel the suffocating pressure of trying to be the perfect fiancée. She didn't feel the weight of Tyler’s manipulative expectations. She felt entirely, wildly free.
She picked up her phone and dialed the number.
He answered on the first ring. “I was wondering if you liked roses, or if I should have sent scallops.”
Maddie laughed. “The roses are beautiful, Elias. Thank you.”
“How does it feel to be the most famous bride in America?”
“A little overwhelming,” Maddie admitted. “But mostly... I feel like I dodged a massive bullet.”
“You did,” Elias said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming softer, more intimate. “I’m flying back to New York this afternoon. My training here is done. But I’ll be back in Kentucky in two weeks to oversee the new property acquisitions.”
Maddie’s heart did a strange, wonderful flutter. “Are you telling me this as a hospitality executive, or as a guy asking for a date?”
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“I’m telling you this as a guy who hasn't been able to stop thinking about the woman who ate a five-course meal in a wedding dress,” Elias replied. “Have dinner with me when I get back. A real dinner. Where I don't have to wear a name tag.”
Maddie smiled at the sunlight streaming through her kitchen window. “I’d love that.”
