Sealed with a Kiss by Leeanna Morgan (mobile ebook reader TXT) đź“•
Read free book «Sealed with a Kiss by Leeanna Morgan (mobile ebook reader TXT) 📕» - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
- Author: Leeanna Morgan
- Performer: -
Read book online «Sealed with a Kiss by Leeanna Morgan (mobile ebook reader TXT) 📕». Author - Leeanna Morgan
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Have a great time.” Rachel ended the call, then looked at Tanner. “I guess this is what you call tough love?”
Tanner shook his head and reopened the back door. “No. What you call John’s decision is plain stupidity. Let’s go to Angel Wings Café before Tess’ breakfast deal expires. I don’t need two disappointments this early in the morning.”
Rachel followed Tanner outside. It would take more than her bodyguard’s charming personality and Tess’ pancakes to make her feel better.
John leaned forward. Dan Carter had just told him the news he’d been waiting for all night. “You’re telling me that Bella wasn’t followed? That the man running behind her wanted a coffee before he went home to his children?”
“Brian Tanner hasn’t done a thing wrong in his life. No parking fines, speeding tickets, or tax evasion issues. It looks as though Bella panicked.”
John stood and looked through the window. “I’ve been so paranoid about anyone getting close to her that she must have overreacted. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m not sure if I’d act any differently if I were in your shoes. The CIA and the FBI are still working on the Oracom case. Until we hear back from them, I wouldn’t change what you’re doing. It will be Christmas soon. Enjoy the time with your family.”
“I will. Are you going to be here over Christmas?”
Dan nodded. “I drew the short straw this year. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know straight away.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank your buddies in the FBI. If it hadn’t been for them, the CIA would have cut us out of their communication channels before now.”
“It didn’t have anything to do with me. Oracom’s reputation for getting what they want started long before our case. The only difference is that this time, they’re up against the US Government.”
“Have you heard anything more about the security drone?”
“Nothing that I didn’t expect. Thanks for what you’re doing. It means a lot.”
Dan shook his hand. “No problem. Call me if you need me.”
John left Dan’s office and headed toward his truck.
Tank was waiting for him on the sidewalk, talking on his cell phone. When he saw John he ended the call and moved swiftly across to their vehicle.
“Everything okay, boss?”
“Everything is fine. I want to head over to Angel Wings Café and thank Tess for what she did yesterday.”
Tank opened John’s door and walked around to the driver’s side of the vehicle. “Tanner’s there with Rachel. They’re having a late breakfast.”
John hesitated before sliding into the passenger seat. He wasn’t ready to see Rachel. He’d fired her and called her irresponsible.
But it was the things he hadn’t told her that made him feel even worse. He hadn’t called her and said that after Bella was safe at home, he’d calmed down and realized what an idiot he’d been. He’d woken up knowing that Rachel wasn’t the only person who’d made a mistake yesterday.
He pulled his seatbelt across his chest and locked it in place. “Forget the café. I promised Bella I’d come home early to watch a movie with her. Do you know if Mrs. Daniels has got popcorn and ice cream in the kitchen?”
Tank turned on the ignition and moved into the traffic. “I’ll call through to the house and ask. Are you sure you don’t want to stop by the café first?”
“Positive.” It was about the only thing he was sure about.
As they drove down Main Street, John checked his emails, but all the time his mind was on Rachel. Yesterday he’d been worried about Bella, angry that Rachel and Tank had deviated from a plan that he wasn’t happy with in the first place.
Rachel had been as worried as he was about Bella, and all he’d done was tell her to leave. She was headstrong, beautiful, and intelligent. She deserved someone who appreciated and loved her as if she was the most important person in the world.
He hadn’t been that person yesterday, but he wished that one day he could be.
Rachel looked around The Bridesmaid Club headquarters. It wasn’t where she thought she’d be on Christmas Eve, but then she couldn’t have predicted anything that had happened over the last few days.
She handed a bridesmaid a purple organza dress. It had big, puffy sleeves and so many sparkly beads that it could have been used as a lighthouse off the coast of Maine.
“Cheer up,” Tess whispered as all three bridesmaids walked into the changing room. “It’s supposed to be the happiest day of their sister’s life. You look as though you’re dressing them for a funeral.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll put my smiley face on.” Rachel plastered a fake smile across her face and turned to Tess. “Is this better?”
“A little. Now you look as though you’ve had too much Botox.”
Rachel felt her smile droop at the sides. “It’s no use. It keeps slipping.”
Tess laughed so loud that she had to slap her hand across her mouth. “This is so not the Christmas Eve that I imagined.”
“You can’t help it if the dresses the bridesmaids were going to wear never arrived.”
“But I could have told them we were closed for Christmas. Who gets married on Christmas Eve, anyway?”
Rachel quite liked the idea. “I think it’s romantic. They couldn’t help the snowstorm.” For the last ten days, the bride had been waiting for her bridesmaids’ dresses to arrive from Italy. With all the airport closures and diverted flights, the dresses were somewhere in New York City.
Tess put one of the rejected gowns on a hanger. “No one could have predicted the storm, but they could have ordered their dresses earlier.”
“When did you become so cynical? You’re usually the first person to donate dresses to brides in distress.”
“I’m not cynical, just practical,” Tess whispered as the first bridesmaid came back into the living room.
Tess had called Rachel from the café at two o’clock that afternoon. She’d told her that she had a desperate bride on the phone. She needed three bridesmaids’ dresses in the next two hours.
Rachel had been inside with Tanner for most of the day, getting more and more bored. Tess’ phone call had given her an excuse to feel like a normal person. So she’d told Tanner that four women were coming over to Tess’ home to find the perfect bridesmaids’ dresses.
He wasn’t particularly impressed, but he’d walked her through to the loft, making himself scarce once the bridesmaids arrived.
An hour later, the only good thing Rachel could say about the last-minute dress fitting was that she wasn’t bored.
She looked at the bridesmaid who was standing in front of her. “It’s not the one.” The petite redhead had chosen a hot pink, crinoline skirted dress. It looked like something Scarlett O’Hara would have worn in Gone with the Wind.
The bridesmaid twisted left and right in front of a full-length mirror. “Are you sure?”
Rachel walked across to the dresses in their Cinderella Collection. “Sometimes less is more. Why don’t you try this dress? It’s still got a full skirt with little bows at the back, but it’s a softer shade of pink. And there aren’t too many sparkles to overshadow you.”
The bridesmaid didn’t look convinced that the dress was a good choice. “I’ll try it on, but we only have half an hour before we need to leave for the beauty salon.”
“Come and see us after you’ve put it on.”
Tess stood beside Rachel and watched the bridesmaid disappear into the changing room. “The hot pink dress would look better on her sister.”
Another bridesmaid came out of the changing room and Tess sighed. “That looks perfect.” The pale yellow dress hugged the bridesmaid’s upper body and fell to the floor in soft pleats. It wasn’t frilly or flouncy, and it didn’t have a sparkly bead in sight.
The young woman smiled shyly at Tess. “I think so, too. Everyone else liked it, so I guess this is it.”
“What did your original bridesmaids’ dresses look like?” Rachel asked. Each of the bridesmaids had totally different ideas about what looked good on them and what didn’t. Finding three dresses that not only looked good, but could be made in time for the wedding, must have been difficult.
“The other dresses were almost the same as this one, except they had lace overskirts and sweetheart necklines. They were made by a designer in Milan.”
Comments (0)