Loretta walked behind Molly, fanning her flushed face. “I’m getting hot and bothered with all of the emotions swirling around the salon. I’ll make you a nice hot cup of coffee to wash away your pre-wedding blues, Tess.”
A truck stopped in front of Loretta’s salon. The UPS driver got out of the cab and opened the back doors. Stacey jumped off her seat and pointed at the window. “Look at the flowers.” Her hand pointed at the window.
Everyone stopped and stared at the bouquets of flowers in the driver’s hands.
Tess frowned. “Who do you think they’re for? We didn’t ask for the flowers to be brought here.”
The driver headed across the sidewalk to The Beauty Box’s front door. Loretta let him in. “Thank you, ma’am. Is there a Tess Williams here?”
Tess stepped forward. “That’s me.”
“Logan Allen said to deliver these to you at the salon.” He handed Tess the bouquets and took an iPhone out of his pocket. “Would you sign here?”
Tess put the flowers on the table and scribbled her signature on the electronic screen.
“I’ll be back in a minute, ma’am.”
“Are there more?” Sally asked.
The driver smiled. “You could say that.”
He walked outside and Tess took the card out of the first bouquet. She read the words, then wiped more tears from her eyes.
“Read it out loud,” Loretta said. “I don’t know if I can stand the suspense.”
Tess smiled. “It’s a lovely message. It’s from Holly, one of the brides we helped in The Bridesmaids Club. The message says, I hope your marriage is as happy as ours. Lots of love, Holly.” Tess passed the card to Sally.
“How sweet,” Sally said as Tess read the card in the second bouquet.
“These flowers are from Connie,” Tess said. “They’re both brides we’ve helped in The Bridesmaids Club.”
“Goodness,” Loretta sighed. “Look at all those flowers.”
Eight heads swiveled toward the sidewalk. The UPS man had another four bouquets in his hands.
Stacey jumped up and down. “They’re so pretty.”
Rachel opened the door for the delivery man. “It looks like a lot of the brides are sending their love and good wishes your way.”
“How did they know I was getting married today?” Tess asked. “We didn’t tell anyone except our wedding guests.”
Rachel sent Tess an apologetic smile. “That could have been me. I emailed all of the brides we’ve helped, thanking them for being part of The Bridesmaids Club. I told them you were getting married today.”
“I think we’re going to run out of room,” Kate said as the UPS man went back to his truck for more flowers.
Loretta stuck her hands on her hips and looked at the bouquets. “We need somewhere cool to store the flowers until you can take them home. We’ll ask the driver to put the next delivery of bouquets in our staffroom. Give Logan a call, Tess. Ask one of his groomsmen to come down here and take the flowers to where you want them to go.”
“I’ll do it,” Sally said from the window. “Everyone needs to go back to their chairs. We’ve got a wedding to get ready for.”
Molly put her camera in its bag and sat down in front of a mirror. When Tess had read the first card, she’d taken a photo of her face. She’d caught a moment of wonder, a deep sense of knowing that this was a day to remember. It would be a grand photo and one that would be treasured.
As she watched Kate take a hairdryer from a hook on the wall, Molly couldn’t help but feel blessed. She had friends who loved her, a sister who would be beside her no matter what, and a new career she enjoyed.
If she could just get the prickly man that was her new boss out of her mind, it would be a fine day indeed.
***
Jacob sat quietly at the back of Tess and Logan’s wedding reception, watching what was happening at the front of the room. But it wasn’t the bride and groom that held his attention, it was Molly. Apart from looking stunning in her deep red gown, she seemed as fidgety as a cat on a hot tin roof.
She’d eaten her meal with the rest of the wedding party, laughed and smiled with the other bridesmaids seated beside her. But as soon as the food had been cleared away and the speeches said, she’d been looking for something that wasn’t there.
And then he realized what was wrong. She didn’t have her camera with her.
Another photographer had taken photos during the wedding ceremony, and afterward, on the steps of the old brick church. The group shots had been carefully choreographed by Logan’s mom and sister. The list of photos in their hands had been impressive, but they’d managed to herd all of the guests into at least one shot in the shortest time frame he’d ever seen.
But now, with the first dance of the night fast approaching, Molly looked as though she was about to leave the table in search of her camera.
“It’s such a lovely wedding, isn’t it?”
Jacob looked down into Logan’s grandma’s cornflower blue eyes. Elizabeth Allen must have been at least ninety-years-old. She had a sharp mind and an even sharper sense of humor. Her favorite man of the moment was a miniature poodle called Basil. Basil, he’d been told, had been a perfect gentleman while he was being dressed this morning. And the biggest miracle was that his black doggie tuxedo was still attached to his small body.
Jacob smiled into Grandma Allen’s lovely face. “How is Basil holding out?”
Elizabeth patted Basil’s head and fed him another doggie treat from the bag beside her. “He has been so good. Charlie should be taking him for a walk outside soon.”
Elizabeth’s great-grandson had been following Elizabeth around for most of the day. The only thing stopping him from being here now were the ‘just married’ decorations being added to Logan’s sports car.
“Do you want me to take Basil outside?” Jacob asked.
“Would you?” Elizabeth said with a sigh. “The whole family thinks I’m slightly batty taking Basil everywhere, but he’s my best friend.”
Jacob looked down at the fluffy white poodle and smiled. “I’ll take care of him.”
Elizabeth pulled a blue leash with diamante sparkles out of her handbag and attached it to Basil’s neck. “Be a good boy.” She kissed Basil’s head and handed Jacob a small green bag. “He likes a little walk beforehand. If you find some grass it makes the cleanup so much easier.”
Jacob stuck the bag in his pocket, took the leash Elizabeth held out to him, and walked toward the main doors. Basil’s stubby little tail flicked in the air as his feet pranced toward freedom.
They’d just made it outside when Jacob’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked down at Basil. Basil looked up at him.
Finding somewhere for Basil to do his doggie business meant more than reading a text, so Jacob ignored his phone and found a secluded patch of grass. With Basil’s main business of the day taken care of, Jacob deposited the green bag in the trash and headed back toward the wedding reception.
His cell phone vibrated again. “Sorry, little guy. I’m going to read this one.”
Basil didn’t seem the least put out by their change of plans. He followed Jacob’s hand as it disappeared inside his pocket. His soft whimper when Jacob pulled his cell phone out instead of doggie treats, was almost funny.
Jacob looked down at his cell phone and frowned. Molly had texted him. Twice. He didn’t even know if she knew he was outside. He read both texts and smiled. She knew all right.
He texted her back, put his cell phone in his pocket, and walked into the hotel.
Molly was definitely having withdrawal symptoms. It was just a pity it was her camera she wanted and not him.
***
Molly looked around the dance floor. Jacob should have been back by now, but she still couldn’t see him.
Peter, the groomsman she was dancing with, had just finished telling her about his last assignment in Syria. He had worked with Logan for more than five years when they’d both been war corr
espondents.
“Have you ever been to Syria?” he asked.
Molly looked over Peter’s shoulder. “The closest I’ve ever been is Israel. Not many designers want to send their models to the Middle East.”
“I guess not,” Peter said. “How long have you lived in Montana?”
Molly caught a glimpse of a tall man with dark hair moving through the wedding guests. “Umm…about eighteen months.” She tried to concentrate on what Peter was saying, she really did. But all she was worried about was where Jacob could be.
The man on the other side of the room turned toward her and she sighed. It wasn’t Jacob.
When he’d left the ballroom, Jacob had Grandma Allen’s little dog with him. But it wouldn’t have taken long to walk Basil and bring him back. When she’d texted him, he’d said he was on his way inside. That was more than half an hour ago and she still couldn’t see him.
Peter spun her around and Molly saw Jacob sitting at a table not far from the dance floor. He was talking to a pretty blonde woman, totally engrossed in their conversation.
Molly stared at him, sent him telepathic messages to get his attention.
“Have you seen any rodeo’s while you’ve been here?” Peter asked.
Molly gave up on Jacob. He was lost in the rapt attention of his new friend. No amount of telepathic prodding would make him see her.
“Sure. I’ve been to the Livingston Roundup twice. It’s a sight to behold.”
“I’m going to Texas after Logan’s wedding. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo starts next week.”
Molly nodded. She needed to forget about Jacob and concentrate on Peter. He was a nice man. He had an interesting job, even if it was dangerous. He had a home in Maine and most importantly, a wife sitting at a table not far from them.
“Will your family be going with you?” she asked.
Peter smiled. “They wouldn’t miss it for the world. My son thinks cowboys are better than Superman.” The music stopped and Peter stepped away from her. “Thank you for the waltz.”
“Sure, you’re welcome. Say hello to Danielle from me.” Peter had introduced his wife to Molly after they’d eaten dessert. Danielle didn’t like dancing and Molly didn’t have a dance partner. If Molly hadn’t spent most of the last two waltzes looking for Jacob, she would have enjoyed herself.
She followed Peter off the dance floor and headed across to Jacob’s table. As she got closer, she tried to see where he’d put her camera. It was no wonder he hadn’t noticed her. His full attention was focused on the woman beside him, and from the look of it, he was enjoying every minute of her company.
Molly stood in front of the table. He looked up and smiled. “Did you enjoy dancing?”
“To be sure. But you’re not using your manners, Jacob Green.” She held out her hand to the woman beside him. “I’m Molly O’Donaghue. I work for Mr. Green.”
Jacob’s eyebrows shot upward.
The blonde woman looked relieved. “I’m Samantha Holt. My friends call me Sam.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Sam. I just have a wee question to ask of Mr. Green, if I may?”
Sam looked pleased that Molly had asked permission to interrupt their conversation. Jacob had a closed off look on his face that told Molly nothing.
“Would you be holding my camera in your possession, by any chance?” she asked sweetly.
The wicked gleam in Jacob’s eyes didn’t bode well for finding her beloved camera. “I left it somewhere safe where no one would see it.”
Molly waited for him to tell her where it was. She could have waited until the moon boiled blood red from the stubborn look on his face. Molly wasn’t too keen on waiting for anything, especially when her camera meant so much to her. “And where would that be?”
Jacob smiled at his new found friend. “If you’ll excuse me, Sam. I need to help Molly find her camera.
“It would be such a shame to interrupt your conversation,” Molly cooed. “I’d be more than happy to find my camera on my own.”
“It’s no problem. Have a good night, Sam.” He turned toward Molly and pointed to the back of the room. “It’s over there. I’d suggest we don’t stand here arguing about whether or not you’re coming with me. Logan and Tess are getting ready to leave.”
Molly looked at the bridal table. Tess was picking up her bouquet and Logan was beside her. If she wanted to get photographs of the bride and groom leaving, she needed her camera.
She gave Sam a quick smile before following Jacob toward the back of the room. “You didn’t need to leave Sam. I’ve got a good pair of eyes in my head to see what’s going on.”
Jacob stopped and turned toward her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means what you think it means. It’s not my place to interrupt your social life.” She glanced at Tess and Logan and groaned. “I really need my camera.”
“You’re jealous.”
“Don’t be daft,” Molly hissed. “And I’d thank you to give me my camera in the next few minutes, Jacob Green, or you’ll see the Irish come out in me.”
“I believe that’s, Mr. Green to you.”
“Camera, Jacob. And I’m not pulling the wool over your eyes.”
He sent her a baffled look before heading toward the back of the room. “I need to invest in an Irish dictionary around you.”
“It wouldn’t do you any good,” Molly muttered. “You’ll be gone from Bozeman before you finish the first page.”
Jacob frowned something fierce before introducing her to a lady in a lavender dress and pretty pearls. “Molly O’Donaghue, this is Elizabeth Allen, Logan’s grandmother.”
Mrs. Allen smiled at Molly. “It’s a pleasure to meet a friend of Jacob’s. He has been such a lovely table companion.”
Molly watched a slow blush spread across Jacob’s face.
A little poodle yipped from a chair beside Mrs. Allen. Logan’s grandmother patted his head and gave him a bone-shaped biscuit. “Basil thinks Jacob’s nice, too.”
Molly sighed. She’d walked into a Jacob Green fan club. It would have been sweet if she wasn’t so anxious about her camera. “I’m sorry to be rude, Mrs. Allen, but have you seen a camera in your travels?”
Mrs. Allen looked at Jacob. “Did you forget where you put it?”
Jacob shook his head. “No, ma’am. I know exactly where it is.” He walked around the table, reached under the tablecloth, and took a camera case off the seat beside Mrs. Allen’s dog.
Molly almost ran around the table. “Thank you for looking after my camera.” She took the old leather case out of Jacob’s hands and hugged it to her chest.
A flash of white caught her eyes. Tess and Logan were nearly at the door. The person they’d asked to take photographs while Molly was doing her bridesmaids’ duties was nowhere to be seen.
Molly picked up the skirt of her dress and rushed across to Tess. She had a few minutes to adjust the settings on her camera and take the shot that would close the circle on the day.
And then she might have a moment to think about Jacob Green, and the mischievous look in his eyes when she’d left.
***
The next morning, Jacob opened the front door of his home and headed down the same dirt path he’d run along too many times to count. He loved October, loved the Fall colors turning the trees to different shades of burned gold and amber. The air was crisp, the scenery breathtaking.
On days like today, he thought he must be the craziest person alive to want to sell his property. But New York beckoned. The building he’d seen had twenty floors of residential apartments, three floors of commercial space for lease, and the potential to blow his profit margins off the planet.
He’d never been more tempted by a property, more convinced that the risks were worth the financial gain. All he had to do was sell the four parcels of land he’d subdivided, say goodbye to his family for at least a year, and start a new life in a city that never slept.
He veered left, sprinted up a
bank and ran across a meadow filled with wildflowers. Jacob smiled as he remembered the flowers he’d picked for his mom’s birthday when he was about ten-years-old. He’d biked across his parent’s ranch to find the perfect picking spot. Every basket and bucket that he’d been able to carry had been filled to overflowing with flowers.
His mom had hugged him for so long that he thought she was never going to let go. He’d been worried that the tears in her eyes were because she was upset. He’d picked a lot of flowers, more than anyone had seen inside their house. But her tears were because she loved what he’d done. Because she loved him.
He kept running, dodging the worst of the uneven ground, smiling as plants slapped against his legs. He pushed himself harder, shot along a ridge and dipped closer to Emerald Lake. Ever since he’d decided to sell his land, he’d tried not to get attached to the view in front of him. But it was hard not to be impressed by the crystal clear lake, the mountains rising around him like silent sentinels, or the feeling that you were the only person alive.
People would pay millions of dollars for views like this. Fifteen million if he found the right buyers.
He kept running, slowing down when trees rose around him, shading him from the rising sun. He wiped sweat out of his eyes and kept up a steady pace, breathing deeply as the forest turned to pasture. When he reached the edge of the lake he slowed down, took a moment to appreciate what was around him, then quickly focused on his future.
He glanced further down the shore and almost tripped over a rock. He wasn’t alone. Someone was crouched over the edge of the lake, staring into its clear depths.
Hunters would have been carrying a gun and he didn’t see anything that looked like a rifle. A light flashed in the morning air and he looked hard at the slight figure. The person stood up, and Jacob sighed.
Molly.
He jogged along the shore, making enough noise to scare half the wildlife around him. “Molly O’Donaghue,” he yelled. “What are you doing out here this early?”
Molly put her hand above her eyes and looked his way. “I’ve got a boss who’s desperate for some photos.”
Sweet on You (The Bridesmaids Club Book 4) Page 7
