And Something Blue (Main Street Merchants Book 1)

by Amelia C. Adams

  “Can I talk to you? In private?”

  “Sure.” Laurie glanced around the shop. The only truly private areas were the changing rooms, so she led him into one of those. They each sat on a pink ruffled chair, Laurie pretending to be perfectly fine, and Logan . . . well, Logan looking grumpy again. What a huge surprise.

  “I need to talk to you about my sister’s dress,” he said. “Her fiancé called off their wedding last night.”

  Laurie blinked. “I’m sorry—I’m a little confused.”

  “As are we all. They were engaged roughly a week and three days.”

  Whoa—poor girl. That would be so harsh. “Is there any chance that he’ll change his mind?”

  “Not likely. He’s left the country.”

  “What, is he a fugitive or something?” That slipped out of Laurie’s mouth before she’d thought it through, and her face went from a pleasant pink shade of embarrassment to the flaming red of total guilt. She could see it in the mirror on the wall behind Logan.

  “Something like that. Now, we need to discuss her dress.”

  Laurie blinked again at how he just threw that in there—“Yeah, dude’s running from the law” like it was no big deal. But then her brain focused again. “Yes? About her dress?”

  “We won’t be having a use for it anymore.”

  “That’s very sad. I’m so sorry.”

  Logan just sat there and looked at her like he was expecting her to say something else. “We would like a refund.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m really sorry, but as we discussed when the dress was purchased, there are no refunds.”

  Logan straightened in his chair. “Miss . . . what was your last name?”

  “Fletcher.”

  “Miss Fletcher, I’m a lawyer in downtown Denver. I deal with agreements all the time. I’m sure we can make some sort of arrangement here that would be in all our best interests.”

  Laurie sat up a little straighter as well. “Mr. Reese, as for some strange reason we’re now on last-name terms with each other, in your position as a lawyer, I’m sure you understand contractual obligations. Your mother signed a contract when she purchased the dress. The terms were explained to her verbally and they were also spelled out quite clearly on the purchase agreement. Would you like to see the store’s copy of that agreement?”

  “Yes, I would.” He settled back on the chair and crossed one ankle over the opposite knee, apparently prepared to wait.

  “I’ll be right back.” Laurie stood and escaped from the room, which had suddenly had all the air sucked out of it.

  The nerve. The outright nerve. Waltzing in here and flaunting his high mucky-muck lawyer status and sitting up taller, like that would intimidate her, and what was up with “Miss Fletcher?” “Laurie” had been just fine five minutes ago.

  She stepped into Millie’s office. “I have a situation.”

  “Oh, dear,” Millie said after Laurie had laid out all the facts. “Do you need my help?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I don’t think so. How about I give a holler if I do?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll keep my ears open.”

  Laurie grabbed the purchase agreement from the drawer where all that week’s transactions were kept. “Maybe you could call Richardo’s really quick and see if he’s started the dress. Don’t tell him the wedding’s been cancelled, though. He’d probably have a nervous breakdown or something.”

  “I won’t, and yes, I’d be more than happy to make the call.”

  “Thanks, Millie.” Then, clutching the paperwork, Laurie walked back across the shop. No point in making this a hostile situation, though—she stopped by the little complimentary refreshment table they kept set up for their guests and picked up an ice water with a slice of lemon floating on top and a cream puff set on a paper doily.

  “I found the agreement,” she said brightly as she reentered the dressing room. “And I brought you a snack.”

  Logan took the offered treats, but set them on the small table between the two chairs. “I appreciate your hospitality, but I’d just like to see the document, please.”

  Laurie handed him the sales agreement and sat back down across from him. She’d left the door to the changing room slightly ajar this time and knew that Millie would be patrolling to make sure everything was all right. Not for the first time, she wondered if they should install some kind of panic button system so the consultants could ring for Millie when they got in a pickle without having to trudge over to her office.

  Logan read over the paperwork from start to finish, glanced up at Laurie, and then read through it again. At length, just when she was about to eat his cream puff herself, he sat back. “This seems pretty tight.”

  “It’s just a standard purchase agreement, really,” Laurie said. “But we do have very strict parameters. We deal in merchandise that is made to fit each individual bride. We can’t afford not to have these types of contracts in place.”

  Logan nodded. “I can see that you have to be careful. However, surely there’s something that can be done. I see here that the credit card has already been charged, but that can be reversed.” He leaned forward a little, and his voice took on a smooth, persuasive tone. “I can tell that you’re a compassionate woman, Laurie. Surely you can imagine my sister’s hurt and embarrassment over the whole situation. Your continued compassion could help take a small measure of the sting out of a dreadful disappointment.”

  Laurie leaned forward as well. Their noses weren’t too far from touching now. “And surely you can see how your emotional manipulation is not going to work,” she said softly. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Mr. Reese, and I don’t bend to these types of tactics.” She sat back up. “I just need to check on one quick thing, all right? Don’t go anywhere.” She hoped she sounded breezy. Breezy was so hard to fake.

  As she left the room again, Laurie took a long, deep breath. This was the type of thing managers dealt with every day, and if she wanted to go into management, she’d have to learn how to handle customers like this. But wait—there weren’t customers like this. Most of them weren’t so gorgeous. And most of them didn’t have the temerity to try to manipulate her like that. If she were a cartoon character, she knew smoke would be pouring out of her ears right now.

  She checked in with Millie and got the news she was expecting. Now it was time to spring it on Mr. Annoying and Scheming.

  “Sorry about the wait,” she said cordially, stepping back into the room and leaving the door open even further. “When your sister asked for a rush on the dress, the designer took her at her word and began work immediately. We have no way to stop the order now. That dress belongs to your sister, and we’ll call her when it comes in.”

  Logan pressed his lips together just for a fraction of a second. Then he flashed her a bright smile, his white teeth taking center stage. “Maybe I could treat you to dinner and we could talk this over a bit more.”

  Laurie stood up. “Mr. Reese, these tactics will get you absolutely nowhere. I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, but I will not be charmed or flattered into giving you your own pampered way. Our other clients deal with us on a professional level when disputes arise, and I expect nothing less from you. I’ll bid you a good day, and perhaps next week some time when you’ve had a chance to think about it, you can come back and we’ll have a pleasant chat in which I will remind you of that very binding legal document you’re holding and that your mother signed. May I add that she signed it after reading it. In the meantime, I have other work to do, some of which is a great deal more enjoyable than this exchange and involves my turn to clean the bathrooms.”

  Laurie turned on her heel and strode off until she was out of sight. Then she ducked into a changing room on the other side of the store and locked herself in.

  How dare he? Seriously, how dare he? Did she look like some backwoods bumpkin who would blow right over if he showed her a little attention? He had just treated her like a . . . like a brainless bimbo. She spun
toward the mirror. She wore her work uniform of a dove-gray smock and black slacks with low black heels. Millie believed that if the consultants dressed in subdued clothing, it enabled the brides to focus on their own reflections in the mirror and not be distracted by bright colors and flashy jewelry on someone else. Laurie certainly didn’t look like a bimbo—she looked more like a nun’s big sister.

  Grr. She started to pace back and forth in the small area. He just . . . He was so infuriating. He was rude and impertinent and callous and heartless and . . . She was running out of adjectives, but she was sure she could come up with more. Boorish! Yes, that was a good one. In fact, it was so good, she’d have a hard time topping it.

  A few minutes later, she heard a tentative knock at the door, and she opened it to find Emma standing on the other side, holding a small plate of treats. “Are you all right?” she asked. “I thought I’d bring you in some carbs.”

  Laurie took the plate and smiled. “I’m all right. I’m just furious.”

  “I didn’t know you could be all right and furious at the same time.”

  “Well, it’s possible, and I’m doing it right now.” She opened the door wider and let Emma in. “I didn’t notice—did we have any other clients in the store when I had my little . . . altercation with Mr. Reese?”

  “We didn’t. And Millie says that’s the only reason why she’s not mad at you.”

  Millie. Laurie had almost forgotten about her boss. Probably a pretty dumb oversight. “Um, what else did she say?”

  “That she’d like to see you in her office after your snack. I suggest you eat the chocolate ones first.”

  Laurie took Emma’s suggestion.

  * * *

  “I’m really very surprised,” Millie said. “Shocked is more like it.”

  Laurie grasped the armrests of her chair a little tighter. “I know, Millie. I wasn’t professional at all. It was like an alien life force came down and took over my body and made me say things I never would have said under any other circumstances. But he asked me to go out to dinner with him so we could talk about it some more. He tried to bribe me, Millie. I was furious. And when I’m furious, I say all kinds of stuff—or the alien does. I don’t know which.”

  Millie smiled. “I’m not shocked at you, Laurie. I’m shocked at him. As a lawyer, he should have been able to see that this sales agreement is ironclad and he should have given up. You did exactly the right thing. Except for one part.”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “You should have shoved that cream puff up his nose.”

  Laurie let out a surprised giggle. Millie was usually so professional and reserved—this side of her rarely made an appearance. “You’re right—I should have.”

  “Hopefully he’ll come back in and give you another chance,” Millie said, a twinkle in her eye.

  “Oh, I sure hope not. I don’t ever want to see him again.” Laurie meant it, too. She had just been totally cured of her infatuation. In fact, she was so cured that she was going to do something completely wild and crazy. “May I go to lunch?”

  “I think you’d better. A little break will do you good. And then you have an appointment at one.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll be right back.”

  Laurie walked out of the bridal shop and turned right. She needed to pay a visit to the jewelry shop.

  “Marchbanks and Sons” glistened on the door in gold lettering. She knew Mr. Marchbanks, but she’d never met any of his sons. For a moment, she wondered if he’d made them up because it sounded cool as a business name. Imaginary children could be useful.

  As Laurie pushed the door open, Cara looked up from the display case she was polishing. “Hey! What brings you by?”

  “I was hoping to talk to Brennan,” Laurie said, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Why? It was just Brennan, after all.

  “He’s in the back putting some new gems in the safe, but I’ll go get him for you.” Cara winked and disappeared around a partition. Laurie glanced over and noticed another employee in the corner watering a plant. Apparently she hadn’t just been left alone in a room with a kazillion dollars in jewelry all spread out in front of her like she thought. Disappointing.

  Brennan came to the front, the blue in his tie making the blue of his eyes really stand out. “Laurie,” he greeted warmly. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. Actually, I’m sheepish. Listen, I was thinking about it, and I wondered if that offer of dinner still stands.”

  “You know, I think I’ll probably be hungry again sometime soon.” His voice was light and friendly. “When would you like to go?”

  “Is tonight too soon?” Might as well get it over with. Like ripping off a Band-Aid. She hated first dates—they were always so awkward.

  “No, it’s perfect. Can I pick you up at Millicent’s after work? And let’s hit a movie while we’re out.”

  “That would be great.” Laurie turned, threw a quick wave at Cara—who probably thought she was being inconspicuous as she polished a case on the other side of the room—and left. She hated having to eat humble pie, but she’d turned Brennan down because she had this totally silly fantasy about a knight in shining armor who would come riding through town to sweep her off her feet, and that was obviously not going to happen any time soon. It was time for her to start appreciating what was right under her nose.

  Chapter Four

  That afternoon’s appointment went really well. The bride was a nice girl of twenty who was marrying her high school sweetheart. They’d been together for four years and were just sure they were destined to be together forever. Watching the bride’s face as she talked about her soon-to-be husband, Laurie felt all those old feelings of loneliness and insecurity come crashing down on her again. When would it be her turn? At twenty-six, she was hardly old, but compared to this twenty-year-old, she felt like a grandma.

  When it was time to close up, Laurie took off her smock and smoothed out the top she wore underneath. She hoped it was nice enough for whatever Brennan had planned. For all the charms of their town, they didn’t have a movie theater yet, although rumor had it one was soon to be built. For tonight, they’d either have to go east or west, and there were all kinds of possibilities. Would they be going to a really nice restaurant—would she wish she’d dressed differently? But no, Brennan said he’d pick her up from work. That meant that what she was already wearing would be fine. She was just overanalyzing this.

  Brennan showed up right on time, and Laurie made the decision to enjoy this date no matter what. True, it was like dating her brother, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have a nice meal and watch a good movie together. Brothers and sisters did that all the time, when the brothers weren’t putting gum in their sisters’ hair and the sisters weren’t tattling on them.

  “I hope it’s all right with you if we go into Denver,” Brennan said. “I didn’t think you’d want to see any of the movies playing closer to town.”

  “Denver’s fine,” Laurie said out loud. Inwardly, though, she was thinking, No! Don’t take me to Denver. Bad, bad people live in Denver—manipulative lawyers with slimy morals. She would just keep her fingers crossed that fate would not deal her the most rotten blow of all and make her run into Logan Reese while she was on this date.

  The restaurant Brennan chose was a family-owned Italian place with a very comfortable atmosphere. The owner, Mauro, greeted them at the door and sat them personally. He invited them to sample their new dessert, on the house, and Laurie wasn’t about to refuse even though she did remember the cream puff and éclair she’d eaten earlier. She’d have to let Cara take her in hand over the weekend and burn some calories off her.

  “Everything looks delicious,” she said after studying the menu. “What are you going to have?”

  “I think I’ll go with the fettuccini Alfredo,” Brennan said. “I know it’s not very adventurous, but my grandmother was Italian and she made the best Alfredo ever. I always feel like I’m back in her kitchen when I eat it.�
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  “So you were close to your grandmother?” Laurie asked. That was a really neat trait in a guy. Unless he was too close to his grandmother and she lived in his basement or he lived in her attic or something. Then it was not a neat trait.

  “Very. When she died a few years back, it was really hard on all of us, but she left us a great legacy—good food, warm hugs, and staying in touch.”

  Okay, that probably fell into the “neat trait” category.

  Laurie ordered the spaghetti bolognaise, and then they settled in to have a nice, long chat while they waited for their food.

  Brennan liked the outdoors. This wasn’t unusual, considering that he lived in Colorado at the base of a mountain, but he didn’t just ski and hike. He went out on month-long mountaineering adventures every summer and lived just on the land and what he could take with him. She hadn’t realized it, but Jesse, the guy who ran the outdoors shop in town, was Brennan’s cousin. They did a lot of camping and hiking together, sometimes sleeping in snow caves during the winter.

  “I’m not really much of a skier,” she confessed. “I think I went down the bunny slope once before I gave it up.”

  “It’s not for everyone, but if you like it, you love it,” Brennan replied. “It’s like an addiction, but a healthy one because you’re out in the fresh air and getting exercise, and going that fast is a rush like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.”

  Laurie cocked her head to the side and considered him. She’d never pictured this quiet guy to be the adventurous type, and yet here he was, talking about it like it was nothing. She’d misjudged him in a lot of ways. She just hoped that he wouldn’t try to talk her into one of those month-long camping trips. She wouldn’t survive the first night out, let alone thirty of them.