“Yes, I am.” Skyler dabbed at her eyes. “I should have the wedding of my dreams—some cheap little thing would be an embarrassment to this gorgeous ring. You don’t need that money, and you’ll probably never get married anyway.”
“No,” Jayden said.
“As in no, you do plan to get married?” Skyler asked.
“I’m not giving you my money.” Jayden could feel guilt floating out of the sky like a big black cloud and settling in her heart. Refusing her sister was so tough that it put a lump in her throat. Her mother would be disappointed, and her father would hate her even more.
Skyler’s chin quivered. “I’ll let you go with me to pick out the dress.”
Jayden shook her head. “The answer is still no.”
“You’re being mean and selfish, just like you always have been,” Skyler accused.
“Maybe so, but I’m not giving you my savings.” Jayden had trouble even saying the words.
“Then I guess this is goodbye.” Skyler stood. “I never want to see you again. I will have my dream wedding if I have to borrow the money, and you aren’t invited.”
“I wish you all the best,” Jayden said, “but step back and listen to yourself. You sound like a teenager, not a thirty-four-year-old woman.”
Skyler crammed the tissues back in her purse. “I hope you are happy that you’ve reduced me to taking out a loan. What’s family for anyway, if you can’t support me? I’m leaving.”
Elijah had left the barn when he saw Skyler coming across the yard. He waved and pointed toward the dining hall, but she kept coming toward him. They met about halfway and she held out her hand.
“I’m engaged.” She held up her hand for him to see the ring.
“Congratulations,” he said. “Did you get my message about working the rest of the summer?”
“No, but Jayden told me. I can’t take another job. David and I have so much to do the rest of the summer. We’ll have to really rush to get the wedding ready and then we’re going to Mexico to begin our exclusive new school at the first of September. It’s all so rushed that I simply wouldn’t have time to help you out,” she answered. “Do you know where I can find Novalene and Diana?”
“They’re around here somewhere, probably overseeing a job. You remember how busy we are from daylight to dark most days.” He wondered why he’d never noticed how self-absorbed the woman was.
“I do remember, and FYI, darlin’, Jayden just broke my heart, so I don’t care if I ever see her again.” Skyler’s tone was full of hate, but then she smiled, and everything changed again. “There’s Novalene coming out of the barn. Bye, now,” she yelled across the distance and left him standing there without any more explanation.
Holy hell! What had happened that Skyler would say such a thing? His thoughts were spinning like they were on a merry-go-round. He had just realized how much he was counting on the idea of Skyler helping, but after that comment she had made, he was worried about Jayden. He lengthened his stride and hurried to the dining hall. He scanned the whole place, but there was no Jayden. He had turned around to go to the Daydream Cabin when he heard a whimper.
“Jayden?” he called out.
“Right here.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He rushed into the kitchen to find her sitting against the back side of the buffet bar, weeping into her hands. He sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? What’s happened?”
“I told Skyler no and now she’ll have to take out a loan for her wedding, and I feel so guilty, I probably should just write her a check,” she said between sobs.
Elijah could barely make out the words. Something about taking out a loan.
“You did what?” He massaged her back and drew her even closer.
“I said no,” she told him.
That was what Skyler was talking about when she said Jayden had broken her heart. Why would the woman need money? That rock on her hand had to cost thousands, so evidently she was marrying into wealth. He could have wrung her skinny neck for making Jayden feel guilty.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “Talk to me.”
Between sobs she blurted out what Skyler had told her. “She’s used all the money she got from the sale of Mama’s house and now she wants my savings so she can have a beautiful wedding. She said that I’d never get married