Max’s brown eyes had studied him, watched every move he’d made. After half an hour of close inspection, Todd figured he must have passed whatever test Max had devised. For the rest of his visit, Max hadn’t left his side. But he didn’t know how to explain any of that to Sally. So he stuck with a story he could explain, something that didn’t lead to more questions he didn’t want to answer.
“I grew up on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. For half of my life I’ve been surrounded by more animals than people. Dylan told me about Max and it seemed like a perfect fit.” Todd wasn’t sure his words would convince her that Max would be in good hands, but they’d have to do.
“Max is six years old. He doesn’t run around an awful lot, but he likes to explore. How would you keep him safe?”
Todd gripped the top rail of Moon Dance’s stall. Keeping people safe wasn’t something he was good at. “He’ll be as safe as any dog is on a ranch. I can’t promise you that nothing will happen, but I’ll do my best to give Max a good home.”
Sally turned her back on Moon Dance and Starlight. She looked straight at him, weighing what he’d said against what her brain was telling her. “I guess that’s all anyone can ask. Do you have time to show me where Max will be sleeping?”
“Does this mean you’re happy for him to stay with me?”
Sally stuck her hands in her pockets and sighed. “About the only thing I’m sure about is that you’ll look after Max. He’s a special dog.”
“At least that’s something we can agree on,” Todd said half seriously.
Sally’s mouth tilted into a smile. The air around Todd stilled, and he held his breath, waiting for what would happen next.
“I like the way you think, Todd Randall.”
He stared at the dimple on Sally’s check and wondered why he felt so relieved.
***
Sally poured herself a glass of orange juice and helped herself to another chocolate chip cookie. Her friends; Molly, Tess, and Annie, had arrived at her apartment half an hour ago to choose another four letters from people wanting bridesmaids’ dresses.
A few months ago, they’d read a newspaper story about a young couple who’d had everything stolen from their home, including the bridesmaids’ dresses for their wedding. Between Sally and her friends, they’d accumulated more than enough bridesmaids’ dresses to help the bride-to-be. From that first adventure, The Bridesmaids Club had been formed. Since then, they’d had a constant stream of dresses and letters arriving each week.
Molly took a photo of Tess as she opened one of the letters. “Can you try smiling a little?”
Tess plastered a fake smile on her face while Molly snapped another photo. “There has got to be a better way of doing this. I’m worried about all of the letters we’re not answering.”
Sally looked in the box. There must have been at least fifty letters randomly thrown inside. “What if we’re doing this the wrong way around?”
Tess pulled the letter from the envelope and looked at Sally. “What do you mean?”
“When we started out, we weren’t getting many letters. It didn’t matter how we chose them, because we’d eventually look at each one. Now, there’s just too many to guarantee one won’t get missed.”
Annie frowned. “Do you think we should open them all, then try and work out which ones need our help the most?”
Like all of Sally’s friends, Annie was struggling to juggle her spare time between The Bridesmaids Club and everything else in her life. In a few weeks she’d be starting her own catering business. The commercial kitchen she’d be working from was nearly ready, her marketing plan was going well, and she had a list of clients waiting for the grand opening.
Sally pointed to the box of letters. “What if someone was in charge of answering each of the letters as they arrived? We could sort of triage them from there?”
Tess nodded. “I like that idea. But it still doesn’t reduce the amount of work.”
“I could ask my friend, Rachel, to help us? If we had a standard letter that we sent back to everyone, it would save us time when people called to see if we got their letter. After that, we could work out whether we can fit people in around the time we’ve got.”
Molly left her camera on the coffee table. “Do you think Rachel would be interested?”
“She’s already offered to help,” Sally said. “She can’t work on the weekends, but she could reply to the letters during the week.”
Annie glanced at the box of letters. “I think it could work. At least this way, every person who sends us a letter will get a reply. Do you think Rachel would send letters to the people we’re not able to help?”
“I can’t see why not.” Sally took an envelope out of the box. “Some of the letters we receive haven’t got anything to do with weddings. At least this way we’ll know exactly how many bridesmaids we’re dealing with.”
Molly smiled. “I think it’s a good idea. We definitely need to work out a better way of sorting the letters. Otherwise, we might miss an opportunity to help someone.”
“Talking about helping someone…” Tess held her letter in the air. “This letter is from Janelle Smith. She lives in Three Forks and is getting married in two months’ time. She needs four bridesmaids’ dresses.”
Molly flicked through her diary. “If she can organize her bridal party to meet us next Wednesday or Thursday evening, I could help them. Are you doing anything with Logan on those days?”
Sally smiled when she thought about Tess’ fiancé. Logan had converted the loft above his garage into The Bridesmaids Club headquarters. It was a beautiful space, with lots of windows overlooking his front yard. They’d made the large bedroom their changing room, and stored all of the dresses on long racks in the open-plan living room. With a small kitchenette, ensuite, and its own entrance, it was perfect for what they needed.
Tess tapped the screen on her cell phone. “Both of those evenings work for me. The only appointment I’ve got is with the travel agent on Friday. I’ll contact the bride and find out which day suits her.”
Molly poured herself a cup of coffee. “Where are you going on your honeymoon?”
“I don’t know. Logan wants to go somewhere warm.”
Annie put her hand inside the box of letters and pulled one out. “What about Fiji? Someone I know went there for their last vacation. They loved it.”
“Fiji is amazing.” Molly picked up her camera and took a photo of Annie as she opened her envelope. “I worked there a couple of years ago. If you want lots of beaches, white sand, and coconut trees, it’s the place to go.”
Twelve months ago, Molly had been an international fashion photographer. She’d traveled the world, worked in exotic locations, and lived the kind of life that most people dreamed about. Then her granny had died in Ireland, and she’d moved to Bozeman to be closer to her sister. It hadn’t been easy, but with her sister’s help she’d created a new life, a new business, and a new outlook on life.
“Sounds like the perfect place to me,” Sally said as she shooed Muggles, one of her cats, away from the plate of cookies. She loved her apartment, but it wasn’t big enough for the three cats, two turtles, and six goldfish she looked after. Having Max living with her at the weekends had nearly tipped her neighbors’ kindness into overdrive. Adopting more shelter animals wasn’t an option.
Annie leaned down and patted Muggles. The gray and white striped cat purred loudly. “I’ve got some news,” she said.
“Sounds serious.” Molly took a photo of Muggles and smiled. She showed Annie the photo, then moved around to Sally. “I hope you haven’t got another box of donated dresses hidden in your bedroom?”
Annie shook her head. “Not today. Dylan asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
Molly’s mouth dropped open and Tess coughed into her hand.
Sally sat down on a chair. She couldn’t believe Annie was getting married. Last she’d heard, Dylan was still having issues with touching people. She knew he’d come a long
way, but still…Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder wasn’t something you took lightly.
She looked closer at Annie. The soft blush and excited smile on her friend’s face made her feel guilty for thinking she was crazy. “When did you fall in love with him?”
“I’ve loved him for a long time. I just didn’t realize it.”
“Are you sure you want to get married?” Molly looked shocked. They all knew Annie’s first marriage had ended in disaster.
“I’m sure.” Annie sighed. “He’s an amazing man. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
Tess frowned. “What about touching him? How are you ever going to…you know...”
Annie’s blush deepened.
Tess laughed. “How did you keep that a secret?”
“It wasn’t easy,” Annie muttered. “You’re all going to be my bridesmaids, so you’d better get used to the idea.”
Sally smiled at the determined look on Annie’s face. “Dylan’s a great guy. He’s lucky to have found you.”
Annie hugged Sally close. “Thank you. I feel lucky, too. If it hadn’t have been for Tess falling in love with Dylan, I might never have met him.”
Sally grinned at the tears in her friend’s eyes. “I guess the next big question is, when are you getting married?”
Tess passed Annie a box of tissues. “Please don’t tell me you’re getting married in two months’ time?”
Annie shook her head. “We thought we’d get married in November after you get back from your honeymoon.”
“We can try on different bridesmaids’ dresses for your wedding,” Molly said. “Goodness knows there are enough of them to choose from.”
Sally pushed the plate of cookies away from her. “You know what this means, don’t you?” When everyone stared at her with blank looks on their faces, she sighed. “I’m going to be on a cookie-free diet from now until November. My life won’t be the same.”
“You’ll never make it.” Tess laughed. “Cookies make up half of your calorie intake each day.”
“It just takes willpower.” Sally frowned at the envelope in her hand. “I know I can do without cookies, but I’m worried about Max.”
Annie patted Muggles. “Max shouldn’t eat cookies. It’s bad for his health.”
Tess laughed. “I’ve seen what Sally feeds him. Believe me, cookies don’t get anywhere near his bowl.”
Molly frowned. “So if Max isn’t eating cookies, what’s wrong with him? I thought you were taking him out to Todd’s ranch?”
“I did.” Sally watched Muggles wrap his super fluffy body around Annie’s legs. “Max was happy to stay there, but I’m not so sure that Todd’s the right person to look after him.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Annie asked.
“I don’t know. He just doesn’t seem like the type of person who’d want a big dog around.”
Molly passed Sally a cookie. “You can start your cookie-free diet tomorrow. It sounds to me as though you’re missing Max. Why don’t you ask Todd if you can visit him?”
Sally put the cookie back on the plate. “He’ll think I’m strange. No one visits a dog they’ve adopted out.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Tess said. “What have you got to lose?”
Sally thought about visiting Max. Todd already thought she was over-protective of the big Irish wolfhound, so he might not be surprised with her weird request. She just wished she’d thought of it before she’d left his ranch. “Todd will think I’m paranoid.”
Molly took an envelope out of the box. “You can’t be any more paranoid than the rest of us. We’ve just been planning how we’re going to reply to every bridesmaid’s letter so we don’t miss someone out. A lot of people wouldn’t care.”
Sally changed her mind about a cookie. Molly was right - her diet could wait until tomorrow. “Who cares what Todd Randall thinks? I’ll give him a call tomorrow and go and see Max.” She bit into the chocolate chip cookie and smiled. “At least Max will be glad to see me.”
Tess picked up her coffee mug and saluted Sally. “Here’s to happy reunions, and to Annie and Dylan, proof that true love is closer than we think. Whoever said life gets dull and boring in Bozeman needs to see what happens in our lives.”
“I’ll second that,” Sally said. Whether Todd Randall knew it or not, she was about to spend more time on his ranch. And she had a feeling he wouldn’t be impressed.
CHAPTER TWO
“What are you doing here?” Todd stood beside the four-wheeler he’d been driving. With his hands planted on his hips, he looked about as happy as Sally thought he’d be.
She closed the door of her truck with a bang. “I thought I’d visit Max.”
“Did you consider calling first?”
Sally had been feeling guilty about not calling him ever since she’d left town. But that hadn’t stopped her roaring along the highway toward his ranch. “I thought I could spend time with Max without bothering you. Am I interrupting something?”
Todd tilted his hat to the back of his head. He had a scowl a mile wide on his too-handsome face. “Does it look as though you are?”
Sally’s gaze traveled over his dirt-stained t-shirt and worn jeans. He looked hot and bothered, and too much of everything that she didn’t want to think about. “It looks as though you’ve been working hard. I brought you something.” She opened the back door of her truck and took out a plastic container. Before she could change her mind, she passed it to him.
He glanced at her before taking the lid off. “Muffins?”
“Raspberry and chocolate. I’m sorry for not calling. I guess I was worried that you’d say no.”
“So the muffins are a bribe?”
Sally shrugged her shoulders. “More like a peace offering. I made them as soon as school finished. I thought you’d probably be back home by now and not halfway across your ranch.”
“I arrived home an hour ago. Max is in the living room if you want to say hello.”
Sally glanced at the home that could only be called a work in progress. “Is he all right?”
Todd sent her a loaded stare. “You left him with me three days ago. He’s fine.”
“Is he eating his kibble? He’s a big dog and the food the vet recommended has got extra vitamins and minerals in it.”
Todd started walking toward his front porch. “Max is eating enough to sink a battleship. He also likes my chickens.”
Sally stopped in the middle of the yard. “He’s not eating them, is he?”
Todd’s short, sharp, burst of laughter surprised her. “He sits beside the door of their coop and waits for them to come outside. He spends half his day herding them around the ranch.”
“And they do what he wants?”
Todd opened his front door and frowned. “Sort of.”
As soon as the door opened, Sally saw a big brown blur hurtling toward her. She opened her arms and braced herself for the impact. Max skidded to a halt, but not before he’d knocked her to the ground and planted slobbery doggy kisses on her face.
“Max, down.” Todd tried pulling Max off her face.
Sally giggled and hugged Max tight. “He’s okay. I love you too, boy.” She ruffled his fur and slowly got to her feet. Max sat down, staring at her with big brown eyes full of mischief. She’d never missed any of her foster animals as much as she missed Max. But then he wasn’t like the other animals.
Todd left the muffins on the coffee table and wiped his hands down the side of his jeans. “I’ve been taking Max for a walk beside the creek each afternoon. You’re welcome to join us?”
Sally smiled at Todd. He didn’t return her smile, but then she hadn’t expected him too.
He reminded her of the strays they put up for adoption at the shelter. He was cautious, too preoccupied with making the right choices to live spontaneously. She didn’t know if he was afraid of getting too close to someone, or afraid of what would happen if he did.
She tried smiling again. “That sounds great, b
ut I don’t want to bother you. I could take Max for a walk to save you the trouble?”
“Max isn’t any trouble,” Todd muttered. He headed toward the front door and Max took off, catching up to his new owner in four easy strides.
Sally glanced at the door Todd held open. “I’m not going to kidnap him, or anything.”
“I never thought you were. I need the walk as much as Max does.”
Sally didn’t know why he wanted to add more exercise to a day that probably burned more calories than most people used in a week, but she wasn’t going to argue. If the only way she’d get to spend time with Max was with Todd, she’d take it.
Todd waved her through the door and pointed toward the path that Max had found on the first day she’d visited. “That way.”
Max was already halfway across the yard, heading into the tall grass like a lion stalking his prey. A flurry of feathers and panicked squawks filled the air.
Todd shook his head. “Max hasn’t been pecked yet, but he’s heading for trouble if he takes on Milly.”
Sally wasn’t sure she’d heard right. “Milly?” A black and white stripped chicken with a red head stepped out of a patch of wildflowers. She took a step forward, then turned around and flapped her wings at the determined Irish wolfhound standing behind her.
Todd called Max back to him, but he wasn’t listening. “Milly’s the queen of the coop. She bosses everyone around, including the two roosters.”
“She looks pretty.”
“She’s a bantam chicken. Out of all of my hens she lays the most eggs and keeps everyone on their toes.”
Sally watched Max hunch down into a crawling position, then wiggle closer to Milly. The chicken didn’t look as though she was impressed. She flapped her wings and shrieked at Max before high-tailing it toward the barn.
Max looked over his shoulders at Sally. His tail wagged backward and forward, flicking against the grass like a flyswatter whipping through the air.
Todd pulled his hat low. “He thinks he’s saved you from Milly’s sharp beak.”
Head Over Heels (The Bridesmaids Club Book 3) Page 2
