Love Under Review

by Britney M. Mills

  “I know that’s not your ultimate dream, but I’m sure your mother will be grateful to have you around for longer than a few hours.” Becca stuffed the binder into her bag and then said, “Are you ready? We need to head over to Bridal Bliss. Susie said she’d stay a bit later to get your dress fitted.”

  Danielle stopped mid-bite, the ice cream dripping down the side of her mouth. Wiping it off with a napkin, she glared at Becca. “You didn’t tell me that was the reason I needed to meet you today.”

  “You didn’t want to see your best friend after all the time you’ve been away?” Becca’s voice sounded innocent, but her friend knew her too well. “I knew you wouldn’t come if I told you outright. Let’s go. Susie’s been waiting for fifteen minutes already.”

  Groaning, Danielle left some cash on the table and slid out of the booth. Of all the things she’d sacrificed to be at this wedding, this was not something she wanted to do. She was so used to the power suits for her job, and she’d always been somewhat of a tomboy, preferring t-shirts and jeans to the more girly things Becca preferred. And most of the dresses were made out of tulle or other itchy fabrics she couldn’t name. But it was finally time for Becca’s happily ever after, and Danielle could sacrifice comfort for at least twelve hours.

  Chapter 5

  Liam left a sign on the bookstore door Tuesday afternoon, the same one he used every day he had to pick up Cari from school. The wind blew down from the pond, and he made a mental note to start wearing a jacket now that the weather was turning.

  He’d received a call from the hospital that Kara had woken up but that they were still waiting a few days to see if the radiation had helped with any leftover cells. He’d wanted to call her right after, but he pictured his niece’s face puckering, saying something about not waiting for her. With all the things she’d been protected from after losing her father when she was very young, it was near impossible to shield her from this disease. Especially if things didn’t work out and Kara started to decline.

  But he couldn’t think about that right now. He had to be positive, or Cari would work out that something was wrong, even though right now things were good.

  He stood in his usual spot outside the chain-link fence surrounding the school, enjoying the view of the mountains in the background.

  “How’s it going today?” a familiar deep voice asked.

  Liam turned to see Tanner and Colton walking up behind him. He smiled at the two of them, grateful for their friendship since he’d come to town. Tanner had invited him along to a few things, making the transition easier than Liam expected when he’d first arrived.

  “Oh, you know. Just waiting for Cari. She’s always the last kid out of the building.”

  The doors opened, and several of the kids came running out, backpacks and papers in hand as they made their way to the various exits on the property. Of course, Cari was still nowhere among them.

  “What are you two up to?” Liam asked.

  Colton stuffed his hands into his pants pocket and shifted his weight to one foot. “We’ve got to put together a few things for the ceremony this weekend.”

  “Danielle called and said the ceremony is going to be up by the pond instead of in the rec center.” Tanner said the words like it was a done deal. “It’s going to take whatever spare time we have to get it done.”

  “What about the bachelor party?” Liam asked, grinning at Colton.

  Colton shook his head. “No need for that. My idea of a bachelor party would be the three of us watching a football game. But we can turn one on while we work on this so Danielle doesn’t come after us.”

  Danielle, Mrs. Holloway’s daughter. Liam’s mind turned, wondering how a woman who’d just barely come to town could have so much sway with these two. Then again, he remembered the feisty nature he’d seen when she retorted against the Crestview woman.

  Liam stepped away from the fence, folding his arms over his chest. “We’re doing this because Danielle asked?”

  Tanner and Colton turned to each other and laughed louder than Liam had heard in a while.

  “Danielle is Becca’s best friend and maid of honor. Becca told her she really wants the ceremony up by the pond, that the wedding planner is the one who kept pushing for the rec center,” Tanner said. “She just uses a little more force when requesting things.”

  “The pond is important to Becca, and if that’s where she wants to get married, we’ll make it happen. I’ve been hoping she’d say something. That wedding planner we hired has been a nightmare to work with.” Colton’s eyes glazed over as he stared over Liam’s shoulder.

  Liam nodded, still not getting a real answer to his question. “What does Danielle do? Someone said something about her traveling the world.”

  “She’s a media correspondent in LA,” Tanner said. “They send her all over to cover things for the station. I think the last place she reported from was the hurricane in Florida. At least, that’s what her mom told me.”

  “Sounds adventurous.” Liam couldn’t think of anything else to say, but the fact that she was a public figure, even if only for Los Angeles, was a good enough reason for him to stay away. He’d had enough drama after dealing with his ex-girlfriend, the lover of all things fame. After what she’d done to try and gain more fame, he was better off being the bachelor bookstore owner in this small town.

  Cari finally emerged, chatting with her teacher. That was Cari, the girl with all the questions. He smiled as the teacher ushered her outside and waved goodbye.

  “Good luck building whatever it is you’re building,” Liam said, waving to Cari as she crossed the schoolyard. “I’ll come help when the store is closed.”

  Tanner and Colton nodded, walking up Main Street in the direction of the pond.

  When Cari reached him, Liam swooped her up into a hug and turned, carrying her down the road a bit. “How was school today?”

  “It was a rough day for our class. That’s what our teacher said. We all had to clip down on our behavior chart a few times for not listening, but then I helped the teacher and she let me clip back up. I got a prize because of it.” The words tumbled out of her like she’d been waiting all day to tell him. “How’s the bookstore? Did you sell a lot of books today?”

  Liam nodded. “A good amount. We had one of the book clubs in, and they bought a bunch of stuff.”

  “We’re going to the park, right?” Cari asked, walking beside him now, her hand in his. They turned right onto Fourth Street in the direction of the bigger park on that side of town. She tugged on his arm and gave him her best begging face, her lip jutted out and puppy-dog eyes in full effect.

  “We can head there for a bit. The hospital said your mom woke up, so we can call her in a little bit. Then I’ve got to get back to the store, and you need to get your homework done.”

  Cari groaned next to him. He usually scolded her for it, but his eyes caught on the girl from the bookstore walking with Becca, both coming in their direction.

  “Hey, Liam,” Becca called, waving.

  “How are you today, Becca?” Liam asked, stopping a few feet short of the two women.

  Becca grinned. “Doing well. Just taking Danielle here to get fitted for her maid of honor dress.”

  Danielle was standing a few inches behind her, and she grimaced, looking as if that was the last thing she wanted to do.

  Liam couldn’t keep a smile from his lips, almost taunting her. “Maid of honor, huh? I guess we’ll be seeing each other at the wedding, then.”

  The woman’s eyebrows cinched together, and he could see the curiosity brimming in her eyes. “You’ve been invited?”

  Becca’s laugh broke their gaze. “He’s one of the groomsmen.” She pointed to Liam like that was a perfectly logical explanation when it was kind of surprising to himself. It wasn’t like he’d grown up with Colton or had worked with him at one point. But living in Sage Creek had its peculiarities, and becoming good friends with a guy in only six months didn’t seem like such a
stretch anymore.

  “Oh,” Danielle said, her mouth forming the letter. She glanced to his side and bent a little bit, saying, “And who is this?”

  “I’m Cari.” Cari pointed to herself proudly, causing the three adults to chuckle.

  “She’s my niece. I promised her she could play at the park after school for a bit, so we’re heading over to that one.” He pointed just past the diner.

  Becca grabbed Danielle’s arm. “Well, we’ll let you two get to the swings, then. Those were always my favorite.” She said the last words to Cari.

  The little girl bounced on her toes excitedly. “Me too. I love going high.”

  “The swings are the best. Building a sandcastle is pretty great too,” Danielle said, her smile lighting up her face as she spoke to Cari.

  His niece tugged on his arm. “Can we make a castle? Can we?” she begged.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he said, his eyes locked on Danielle’s. There was something there that intrigued him, like she was a mystery he had to solve.

  Their gaze broke when Becca pulled Danielle in the direction of Bridal Bliss and a thread of disappointment flowed through Liam.

  “Good luck with the fitting. We’ll see you around.” He didn’t glance back as they walked away, reminding himself that Danielle Holloway was in the public eye and there was no way she would be staying in this sleepy town longer than she had to.

  Chapter 6

  Danielle wiggled into the dress Becca had picked out for her, wishing she could be at the park with Cari instead. She’d always loved kids, and there were many times when she didn’t feel like she’d grown up at all. Plus, there was something about Uncle Liam that made her want to ask him all the questions and figure out who he truly was. His baby-blue eyes pulled her in, and she was starting to feel flutters in her stomach. That hadn’t happened since high school and she needed her body to cooperate, to not start feeling things for a guy she barely knew.

  Pushing him out of her mind, she focused on the dress. The amount of tulle and beads on the bodice sent off warning signals in her brain, telling her she was going to be uncomfortable for as long as she had to wear it.

  It had to be tulle.

  Once the dress was on and zipped up, she looked at herself in the mirror. “I look like a purple cupcake,” she muttered.

  “I heard that!” Becca’s voice came from beyond the curtain. “Come out and let me see it.”

  Danielle kept her arms raised, hoping to avoid the scratchy tulle. She opened the curtain and spun, knowing Becca would make her do it anyway.

  “You look beautiful. Why do you look like you want to shoot me?”

  Trying to decide if she should just be agreeable, Danielle finally said, “Is there a dress that would work with less of the stuff bound to give me hives?”

  As if just realizing it, Becca’s eyes flew wide. “Oh, Danielle. I forgot about the fabric. The rest of the bridesmaids are wearing a more simple dress. We could do something else to make you stand out a bit more as the maid of honor.”

  Danielle nodded. “As long as I won’t want to scratch my eyes out the entire time wearing it, I’ll do it. Just save me from the tulle.” She smiled, hoping Becca would see she was teasing a bit. If there were no other options, she’d just grin and bear it.

  “Let me go get Lucy. Susie said she would know where everything is while she’s gone.”

  Turning back to the dressing room, Danielle removed the purple fluff as quickly as possible, grateful for the relief. She’d always had sensitive skin, but with lotion and the right clothes, she’d been able to keep things from flaring up on a regular basis. She just wished she’d brought some cream in her purse to quell the itch beginning in her forearms.

  Becca peeked in, stretching out a deep purple satin dress. “See how this one fits.”

  Danielle looked at the dress. Satin was better, but it would’ve been nice to have a knit dress for the occasion. Also not appropriate for a wedding. She unzipped the back and stepped one foot into the cool fabric. Better already.

  “So, what do you think of Liam?” Becca asked through the curtain.

  Danielle’s foot caught as she placed the other foot into the dress, and she had to catch herself on the wall so she didn’t face-plant in the ground.

  “What do you mean? I’ve met the guy for a total of two minutes.” Not entirely true. Maybe ten. Trying to steer the conversation in a different direction, Danielle asked, “He’s a groomsman, though, huh?”

  “Yeah, Colton doesn’t have too many people from his past to invite, and he, Tanner, and Liam have gotten pretty close since they moved to Sage Creek. He’s a good guy.”

  Zipping up the back of the dress as high as she could, she stepped out, giving another twirl.

  Becca clapped her hands together. “Oh, that looks perfect on you. We can get them to add a few embellishments, and you’ll look amazing. Maybe you’ll catch someone’s eye.” She winked.

  Danielle groaned. “I’m currently off the market.”

  “Oh really? Who’s the guy?” Becca asked, not looking convinced.

  “Myself. I’m taking time to reflect on my life at the moment.” She paused, Liam’s light hair and strong jaw making an appearance in her mind. “Can I get out of this thing?” she asked, moving her fingers up and down in front of the dress. Anything to get herself to stop thinking of the attractive bookstore owner.

  Becca nodded, but she wasn’t giving up on the conversation. “You should get to know Liam. I feel like you two would have a lot in common.” Becca’s voice came out more of a sing-song.

  Danielle knew that tactic all too well. She pulled on her shirt and jeans before walking out with the dress draped over one arm. “I know I don’t have a job at the moment, but I doubt I’ll be sticking around here long enough to make it worth it.”

  She could date him, but then she’d be left with that same old guilt once she had to pack up and leave for another assignment. There had always been plenty of that as her mother tried to smile whenever Danielle had to jet off to some new country. But would she be able to handle it from someone not directly related to her?

  She handed the dress to the young assistant of the dress shop, grateful that the dress fit well enough to avoid the pins and needles part.

  “Sage Creek isn’t the worst place to be, Dani. You might find yourself surprised by how life can be here.” Becca must have seen Danielle’s eye roll because she waved her hands in front of her. “I know there’s a lot that goes into you being you, but maybe give it a chance for a couple of weeks. Take a break. Work on something you’ve wanted to do or finish for a while but haven’t had time for because you’ve been so busy. It might be the real passion you’ve been looking for.”

  Danielle stared at her friend, the words tumbling around in her brain. “Says the girl who’s got her entire year planned out.”

  Becca tipped her head back and laughed. “Yes, but I’m not you. Maybe something different will be good for you. And anyway, Colton has been getting me to be more spontaneous. I even let you cross things off my pre-wedding-activities list. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me?”

  The two of them laughed as they walked out the door. The sky was dim, filled with gray clouds and the threat of rain.

  “I sure hope this storm leaves before Saturday,” Danielle said as they walked toward Main Street.

  Throwing her hands up, Becca said, “Well, at least we’ve still got the rec center reserved. It would just mean so much more if we could say our vows by the pond.”

  Danielle rolled her lips in, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Love had never been big for Danielle since everyone she’d known, aside from her mother, had left her at some point. She’d get through this wedding and hope that by some miracle she’d get hired on again, even if it was somewhere she had to work her way up again. Distance from the deeper feelings kept her safe, balanced even.

  After saying goodbye to Becca, she walked slowly up Main Street, thinking
about her best friend’s advice. It had been at least two years since she’d released the last of her cozy mysteries. Maybe it was time to continue the series.

  Chapter 7

  Wednesday rolled around, and Liam had already dropped Cari off at school. Since business tended to be slower on Wednesdays, he usually opened the store later, getting most of his errands run.

  They’d been able to video chat with Kara the night before, and although she appeared weak and tired, Cari had talked of nothing else since. Liam just hoped all the surgeries and procedures would be worth it, that Kara would be able to come home and recover. She’d been there through so many of his harder moments, and the thought of losing her wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on, for himself or for Cari.

  After grocery shopping and taking the mail to the post office, Liam walked over to the newspaper. He’d seen in the last issue that they were looking for a copy editor and was interested in the position. It had been a while since he’d done anything like it, but with a minor in English and having worked on his college newspaper all four years, he hoped it was like riding a bike, maybe with a few courses to brush up.

  “Hey, Clyde. How are things today?” he asked the chief editor sitting at the front desk.

  “Another day at the office. Lucy had an appointment this morning, so I’m trying to cover the phones while she’s gone. I have to say, she does a better job than I do. How that gal manages to work here and at the bridal shop and still keep everything together is beyond me.” He leaned forward, rubbing his thumb and pointer finger over his forehead. “I haven’t been able to get any work done with all of the calls coming in. Most of them are for a cat that was stuck in the tree for an hour. Three people have called to ask if we’d send a photographer over to take pictures while the fire volunteers rescued it.”

  Liam laughed and nodded. “I guess it’s good that nothing too crazy happens in this town, right?”