The Chapel Wars (29 page)

She’s a good girl. She deserves goodness. If you have any of that in you, please help her. Help me. You’ll be helping yourself
.

Jim Nolan

I want to thank my childhood, and most everyone in my childhood, for the bike rides, suburban freedom, field trips to the Strip (wherein our teachers mapped out the fastest route through smoke-filled casinos), and friends “macking” in the Forum shops, wherein little “macking” actually ever occurred. Las Vegas, you’re an odd home, but you are mine, and so much of who I am is a result of the weirdness that is you.

I especially want to thank Lynn at Wee Kirk o’ the Heather Wedding Chapel, a chapel quite similar in my mind to the fictional Rose of Sharon, for answering questions for hours and hours. Also Chapel of the Flowers, Little Church of the West, and Elvis impersonator Shane Paterson for help with all things Vegas.

For tidbits on everything from class schedules to balloon
payments: Katie Erickson, Kim and Ken Scriber, Eric Taylor (okay, fine, I’ll call you Dad), Rachel Hawkins, Lisa Schroeder, Tera Lynn Childs, Cailee Kelly, Emily Wing Smith, and the Neon Scribblers.

Paige Bledsoe, Jessica Wilcox, Kassidy and Paige Gammel for childcare. My family and friends for always being there, even when you probably didn’t want to be—especially when you didn’t want to be.

Sarah Davies, a solid agent who helps me keep my head on straight.

Caroline Abbey, an editor and friend, in equal order.

And to the fabulous team at Bloomsbury: Patricia McHugh, Amanda Bartlett, Beth Eller, Linette Kim, Courtney Griffin, Elizabeth Mason, Emily Ritter, Erica Barmash, Catherine Onder, Jenna Pocius, Holly Ruck, Jennifer Edwards, Claire Taylor, Vannessa Cronin, Mark Von Bargen, and Jennifer Gonzalez.

Viva Las Vegas!

Sean Griswold’s Head
Going Vintage

Copyright © 2014 by Lindsey Leavitt

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

First published in the United States of America in May 2014
by Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
E-book edition published in May 2014
www.bloomsbury.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Walker BFYR, 1385 Broadway, New York, New York 10018

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leavitt, Lindsey.
The chapel wars / Lindsey Leavitt.
pages        cm
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Holly’s grandfather leaves her his financially strapped
Las Vegas wedding chapel in his will, along with a letter asking her to reach out to
Dax, the grandson of her family’s mortal enemy and owner of the chapel next door,
who is both cute and distracting.
ISBN 978-1-59990-788-8 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-61963-232-5 (e-book)
[1. Wedding—Fiction. 2. Family-owned business enterprises—Fiction.
3. Family life—Nevada—Las Vegas—Fiction. 4. Inheritance and succession—Fiction.
5. Las Vegas (Nev.)—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.L46553Ch 2014 [Fic]—dc23 2013045821

ISBN 978-1-6196-3232-5 (e-book)

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