And Tess was sitting at the back of the room feeling miserable.
“Cheer up. You’re supposed to be enjoying your day off work.” Molly sat beside her and passed her a bucket of popcorn. “There’s no better way to drown your sorrows than to munch your way through this lot.”
Tess started eating the buttery popcorn and decided Molly might have found the cure for a broken heart. “When did you get to be so wise?”
“About a year after my ex-husband left me. Popcorn’s much more forgiving than ice cream. Have you heard from Logan?”
“He texted me from London. At least he’s alive.”
“A text? What was the man thinking?”
Tess had thought the same thing. “All he’d said was that he’d arrived safely and not to worry.”
“Well that’s charming,” Molly huffed. “When is he coming home?”
“I don’t know.” Tess went back to feeling miserable. The last twelve days hadn’t been great. She’d spoken to Logan twice and received a text from him two days ago.
Molly nudged her arm. “It’s Annie’s turn.”
They both watched Annie line up the next bowl, take five steps backward, then stalk toward the beginning of the lane, letting go of her bowling ball as gracefully as a ballerina. The ball shot along the wooden floor and knocked all of the pins down.
Molly jumped in the air. “Another strike. She’s on a roll.”
Tess put the bucket of popcorn on the floor and stood up and cheered. Annie was hoping to do well today so she could try out for the State Bowling Team. So far she was doing better than okay. Annie’s coach beamed from the sidelines, high-fiving Annie when she walked back to her seat.
“Are you ladies willing to share that popcorn?”
“Dylan? What are you doing here?” Molly sounded as surprised as Tess to see Dylan standing beside their seats.
“Someone mentioned there was a bowling competition on this weekend. I thought I might come and have a look.”
Molly shuffled along a seat and patted the chair she’d left. “Come and sit between us. You’ll get prime position on the bucket of popcorn.”
Dylan looked gratefully at Molly. He didn’t mind being in a room full of noisy, excited people. But he did mind if anyone got too excited and decided to slap him on the back or hug him.
He grabbed a handful of popcorn and looked down at Annie. “Who’s the guy talking to Annie?”
Tess looked at the seats in front of the lane and smiled. “That’s Annie’s coach. I thought he’d be on the crusty side of seventy, but he’s about our age.”
Dylan took his sunglasses off and stared at the intense conversation going on below them.
“His name is Brad Johnson,” Molly said. “He’s a very nice man. Works at the local High School when he’s not representing Montana in bowling competitions around the country.”
Dylan frowned and quickly glanced at Molly. “You’ve met him?”
“Of course,” Molly said. “He brought some books into the café for Annie and I just happened to be there. We had a nice chat while Annie finished serving the last customers of the day.”
If there’d been any hint of restfulness about Dylan before he’d seen Annie, there wasn’t now. He was watching Annie and her coach like a lion stalking its prey.
Tess looked at Molly and they both looked at Dylan.
“Is everything okay?” Molly asked.
“Couldn’t be better.”
Molly raised her eyebrows and Dylan avoided looking at her.
“She’s getting ready for another turn.” Tess watched Annie collect her ball from the machine beside her. She lined her shot up and swung her arm back.
“If she gets this she’ll win the game,” Molly whispered.
Tess crossed her fingers. “She’ll get it. She’s done so well.”
The ball shot down the lane and struck the front pin dead center.
Molly started jumping up and down. “She did it,” she squealed. “Annie did it.”
Tess yelled and clapped, waving frantically when Annie looked up at them. Coach Johnson tapped Annie on the shoulder then swung her in a circle.
Dylan stayed where he was, watching what was going on with a cool detachment that was almost scary.
Molly picked up her bag. “That’s her last game of the day. Annie’s in the finals. We’ll have to do something special for her tonight.”
“We could have pizza at Antonio’s?” Tess said. “They don’t take too long and their food is out of this world.”
Dylan held the popcorn bucket while Tess put her jacket on. “Before you go to dinner, I’ve got something I want to show you.”
Molly hunted for her car keys. “You can come to dinner, too. It’ll be fun.”
If Tess read Dylan’s expression correctly, he’d sooner have his teeth pulled out than go with them. Interesting.
“Thanks, but I can’t make it. I heard you’re running out of room for the bridesmaids’ dresses?”
“You can say that again,” Tess said. “If it wasn’t for the temporary rack you made for my living room we’d be stuck by now.”
Dylan glanced down at Annie. Her coach had put her down and the rest of her bowling buddies were congratulating her. “I’ve found a solution to your storage problems.”
“You have?” Tess had been looking for somewhere to store the dresses for the last week. But it had to be the right place. Women would be coming to look at the dresses and try them on. It had to be clean and tidy and not expensive.
“I can show you now if you’ve got the time? Annie’s nearly done.”
Tess looked down at Annie. Dylan was right. She was packing her ball into its bag and saying goodbye to her friends.
“Let me call Sally,” Molly said. “She can meet us there. What’s the address?”
Dylan glanced at Molly. “I talked to her a few hours ago. She’s going to meet us there.”
Something odd was going on. First off, Dylan never looked unsure of anything, and secondly, it seemed weird that he’d turned up out of nowhere at the bowling alley.
“What did you think?” Annie stopped on the step below them, beaming like she’d just won an Olympic gold medal.
“You were awesome.” Molly stepped down and hugged Annie tight. “Well done.”
Tess joined in the fun. “I’ve never seen anyone knock so many pins over in a row. Congratulations.”
Annie looked at Dylan. He hadn’t moved from his seat, but Annie didn’t seem to mind. She grinned at him as if he’d just told her she was the best bowler in the world. “You can carry my bowling bag, if you like, Dylan?”
Dylan, with all his issues, blushed beet red and shyly picked up the bag.
Molly and Tess looked at each other again. They’d been doing a lot of that today.
“Well…” Molly said with a smile. “I’d say it was time Dylan showed us the mystery storage area he’s found for our bridesmaids’ dresses.”
Annie looked at Dylan. “You have?”
Dylan nodded and walked toward the exit.
“I guess we follow the man holding the pink and silver bowling bag,” Tess said. “Does anyone know what’s going on here?”
Molly shook her head. “Haven’t got a clue, but we’re about to find out.”
Ten minutes later, two cars were following Dylan’s big black beast of a truck around the streets of Bozeman. And only one driver knew where he was going.
***
Tess looked out of the windshield of Molly’s car. “This is Logan’s house.”
“I wonder what we’re doing here?” Molly stopped behind Dylan’s truck and took her seat belt off. “Sally’s already arrived.”
Tess got out of the car and headed across to Dylan. “Logan’s not here. He’s in London.”
“He wanted you to look at the space above his triple garage.”
“When were you talking to him?”
Dylan started walking toward Logan’s front door. “He had the room painte
d in case you like it and want to move in right away.”
Molly looked at the outside of Logan’s home. “What a beautiful house. How long has he lived here?”
Dylan put a key in the front door and let them in. “Since he moved here from Seattle. There’s a separate entrance to the loft on the outside of the building. If you decide to move your dresses here, you could use that door.”
Molly and Annie followed Dylan. Tess hung back and put her hand on Sally’s arm. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“Haven’t got a clue,” Sally whispered. “Dylan called me this morning and asked if I could meet you all here this afternoon. He called me fifteen minutes ago and said you were on your way.”
“Are you two ladies coming?”
Tess frowned at the sound Dylan’s voice coming down the hallway. “I don’t know why Logan didn’t say anything before he left.”
“Maybe because we didn’t have so many dresses. Let’s go, otherwise Dylan will think we’re running off with the family silver.”
Tess smiled as they walked into the garage. Her smile fell off her face when she saw the three cars parked inside. “Is that a…”
“Porsche?” Sally said with awe. She walked across to the driver’s door of the first car and grinned. “Forget the family silver. This is what I want.”
“So does everyone else,” Dylan said from the bottom of the stairs. “Logan will give you a ride once he’s home. For now you’re stuck with me. Upstairs.”
Tess grabbed hold of Sally’s hand before she decided to try out the driver’s seat. “We’re right behind you.”
Sally sighed. “You’re so cruel.”
“Only when I need to be. Come on, let’s see if the room will work.”
They followed Dylan up a narrow staircase and stopped and stared.
“Oh, my,” Tess said. The room was perfect. The high chapel ceiling gave the space a lightness and grandeur that wouldn’t have been there with a normal height ceiling. Logan had painted the entire room white. It would highlight the bridesmaids’ dresses and make choosing colors and designs so much easier.
Sally walked over to a small kitchen area. It was big enough to make a drink, store food in the mini fridge, or wash your hands in the sink. “Where did Molly and Annie go?”
Dylan pointed to a door they hadn’t noticed. “Through there.”
“There’s more?” Tess couldn’t believe it. This room was perfect. More space would make it almost too perfect. She opened the door and couldn’t hide the astonishment on her face.
Sally nudged her from behind. “Would your six-foot self please move out of the doorway. I can’t see around you.”
Tess stepped inside the large bedroom and nearly cried. “It’s amazing.”
Molly and Annie came out of what must have been the bathroom.
“You’ve got to see this,” Annie said. “The apartment’s got its own spa bath and triple head shower. If you don’t want to use it for The Bridesmaids Club, I’m moving in tomorrow.”
“You can’t,” Molly said. “You’ve got a bowling tournament to go to. I, on the other hand, am squashed into a small apartment with my sister. This would be perfect for me.”
“Sounds like Logan could start his own harem,” Dylan said dryly from the doorway.
If Tess didn’t know better, she’d swear Dylan had just joked with them. But his face was as deadpan as ever.
“What does everyone think?” Sally asked. “Will this work?”
Everyone yelled ‘yes’ at the same time.
Tess turned to Dylan. “When can we move in?”
Dylan cleared his throat and looked at his watch. “There’s some paperwork you need to sign first. Wait here.”
Before Tess could ask him what he was talking about, he disappeared.
“What’s all that about?” Annie asked.
“I don’t care. I’m going to look at the view from the living room windows.” Sally walked out of the bedroom, then came back a couple of minutes later. “Logan owns three expensive cars, a house that screams fall in love with me, and an apartment that I’d die for. I’d marry him tomorrow if he asked me.”
“You might have to stand in line,” Logan whispered from behind Sally.
Tess’ mouth dropped open. “Logan? What are you doing here? When did you…” Logan walked across the room. His mouth landed on Tess’ lips and she gave up thinking. It felt so good to have him in her arms that she forgot about everyone else in the room. She held his head, ran her hands over his back. He was alive. He was safe. But later on he’d be in serious trouble for not calling her.
Dylan cleared his throat. “Excuse me? Hello? We’re not in Amsterdam now folks.”
Tess felt Logan’s lips tilt into a smile beneath her mouth.
“Leave them be,” Molly said gently. “It’s a love story in the making. I wish I’d brought my camera.”
Tess buried her head in Logan’s neck. “You smell too nice to be fresh off an international flight. Where have you been?”
Logan wrapped his arms around her waist and held on tight. “I arrived in Bozeman two hours ago.”
“And he didn’t smell too sweet,” Dylan added.
Logan groaned when Tess’ lips nuzzled his neck.
Dylan made a half-strangled sound and pulled them apart. “You can do that later. Tell Logan what you think of the apartment for The Bridesmaids Club.”
“It’s perfect,” Tess said. “Sally wants to marry you, but if that’s not an option, Molly’s prepared to move in without a ring.”
“And what about you?” Logan asked.
The smile fell off Tess’ face. “What do you mean?”
Everyone was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop.
Logan swallowed. A blush spread along his cheeks and he looked so unsure of himself that Tess nearly cried. “Would you move in here with or without a ring?”
“I don’t…I mean, I don’t know…”
“For Pete’s sake,” Dylan growled. “Ask her properly.”
Logan kept his eyes focused on Tess. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small white box.
Molly sighed, Annie started crying and Sally’s legs wobbled so much that she sat on the floor.
Logan took a deep breath. “I love you, Tess. I can’t remember the first time I knew I loved you because it’s been inside of me for so long. I can’t imagine you not being in my life, not being beside me. I want to be part of your life, to share all of the good and not so good times. I want to love you like no other woman has ever been loved.”
Logan got down on one knee and opened the box in his hands. A beautiful solitaire diamond sparkled from the center of the satin lining. “Tess Williams, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Tess gazed into Logan’s eyes. The sincerity, honesty, and love shining back at her nearly broke her heart. She loved him so much that she didn’t know how to say what she felt.
“I love you too, Logan. I love you so much that I…” Tears fell down Tess’ face.
“Tell him you’ll marry him,” Molly whispered as she dabbed her eyes. “Or I will.”
Tess smiled and pulled Logan to his feet. “Yes, I’ll marry you. And yes, I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. And yes, we’ll use this apartment for The Bridesmaids Club.” She turned to her friends and smiled. “Does that cover everything?”
“What about a ride in the Porsche?” Sally asked. “Do potential, unasked bridesmaids get to ride with the groom-to-be?”
“Only after the bride-to-be is wearing her ring,” Logan said quietly.
Tess held her hand out and Logan slipped the diamond ring on her finger. “It fits.”
“I had a little help from an Irish Fairy,” Logan said.
Tess turned to Molly. “You knew?”
“I’ve known for a long time. You just needed to look between the layers of what was and what could be.”
“And find what is,” Logan said as he
kissed Tess gently. “And what will always be. I love you, Tess.”
“I love you, too.” And she knew she always would.
THE END
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Keep reading for a preview of Loving You, Dylan and Annie’s story in The Bridesmaids Club!
LOVING YOU
Book Two in The Bridesmaids Club - Available Now!
If making a bride’s dream come true is easy…why is falling in love so hard?
If you asked Annie O’Leary to choose between a red hot male and a quiet night with her friends, she’d take her friends every time. Life had a funny way of working out and sometimes it wasn’t all that funny.
Four years ago, Annie arrived in Bozeman with a heavy heart and no hope of ever being happy again. Now here she was, part-time baker, part-time receptionist, and part-time fairy godmother to brides in distress.
She stared out the window of Angel Wings Café, only half listening to the conversation going on around her. Six weeks ago, Annie and three of her friends had started The Bridesmaids Club. They’d read a newspaper article about a bride who’d had all of her bridesmaids’ dresses stolen from her home. Within a couple of days, they’d gathered all of their old bridesmaids’ dresses together and offered four of them to the bride. With more twists and turns than should have been possible, their first bride and groom had enjoyed a beautiful wedding.
After the publicity their story generated, they’d ended up with over fifty donated bridesmaids’ dresses, a dozen bridal gowns and a box full of letters from other women asking for help.
“Are you listening, Annie?” Tess Williams, the owner of Angel Wings Café, and one of her best friends, nudged her leg under the table.
All of Me (The Bridesmaids Club Book 1) Page 25
