A Promise For The Twins. Melissa Senate

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СКАЧАТЬ that a woman who’d live in a cabin in the woods with a mountain man would even hire a wedding planner.”

      “I know, but the groom scoffed at everything she suggested, and only when his bride threatened to run back to civilization did he agree to let her handle the wedding her way, with him in mind. Her job was so demanding that she had no time or interest in figuring it all out, so she hired me. I planned a small, quiet ceremony on the bank of the Wedlock Creek river, with the mountain as a backdrop. The ‘caterer’ was a fisherman, who made an amazing clambake. The ‘band’ was a fiddler. But guess who put on a rented tuxedo to make his bride happy? Yup.”

      “Well, I’ll be,” he said on a laugh. “I guess you never know. That may be the only thing I do know for sure.”

      She laughed too, and for a moment he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She had silky, straight brown hair past her shoulders, a dimple in her left cheek and, though he was usually drawn to more casual women, he liked the fancy outfit and little scarf at her neck and the pointy, polished high heels. Maybe because she gave the appearance of having it all together. And whether or not she did was the reason he was here.

      “So, what can I do for you, Nick Garroway?”

      Brooke looked happy and peaceful at the moment, and he didn’t want to spoil it. But she was staring at him with those big brown eyes. Waiting for an explanation.

      “I’m newly medically retired from the army,” he said. “For the past month, I’ve been recuperating from a foot injury at a base in Texas, after eleven years as a combat soldier in Afghanistan.”

      “Thank you for your service,” she said, her voice turning hesitant and her entire body stiffening. “And you came to see me because...”

      He could tell she was bracing herself. “Will Parker was in my unit.”

      She glanced at the babies in their swings, her shoulders slumping. Then she lifted her chin and let out a breath.

      Her cell phone rang in the silence of the room.

      “I’ll let voice mail get it,” she said, then dropped down in her desk chair as if her legs had been about to give out on her.

      The phone stopped ringing, but before he could say a word, the annoying ringtone started up again. He could tell she needed a breather—but from him and what else he had to say. “Take the call, Brooke. I’ll keep an eye on the twins.”

      “Really?” she asked. “Even though you’re not here about the job?”

      He nodded. “Go ahead. Might as well while I’m here.”

      She snatched the phone as if it were a lifeline. “Brooke Timber of Dream Weddings speaking. How may I help you?”

      He kneeled down in front of the baby swings to make funny faces at the twins, but he was distracted by Brooke—how hard she was listening, how tired she looked, how rigid her shoulders were now, probably from his news about being here because he knew Will.

      The twins’ father.

      “Absolutely, Francesca,” she said into the phone. “The salmon is out, the sole almondine is in. I’ll make it happen.”

      Brooke put down the phone. “One of my clients wants to switch her menu. Someone told her that salmon was dated and that she should go with the hipper sole.”

      He smiled, but a call like that would push him off the edge. Salmon was dated? Sole was hip? What? “Bride’s wish is your command?”

      “Pretty much. Unless they’re dead wrong and I need to do reality checks. But if sole almondine will make Francesca Perry happy? Done.”

      “You’re like a wedding genie,” he said.

      She gave him a bittersweet smile. “Well, my grandmother named this business Dream Weddings when she opened up shop in this very room, twenty-seven years ago. I promised her in the hospice last year that I’d run the business just as she had, with everything she taught me. My job is to make brides’ dreams come true for their big day. And no dream is silly or wrong or too small or too big. That’s what Gram always said.”

      A wistful expression filled her eyes, and he could see how much she missed her grandmother. He knew from Will Parker that Brooke was all alone in the world—no parents, no other family. Couldn’t be easy raising twins under those circumstances. And running a business, to boot.

      Family businesses, family ties. He also full well knew the grip those could have. He’d let go. But not everyone could or would, was willing, or wanted to. Brooke spoke of her grandmother with love and reverence and seemed to truly like her job, so it was clear her family ties weren’t like the rope he’d had to cut with a sharp knife.

      “Well,” she said. “Why don’t we talk in the house. It’s close to lunchtime for Morgan and Mikey.”

      He looked at Brooke in her fancy outfit, with two babies to feed, no nanny and work to do, given the project she had in front of her to secure the Satlers’ weddings. And then he heard Will Parker’s voice in his head, usually so light and full of devilish mischief, asking something of Nick with regret and sorrow in his tone.

      He could certainly be of help while he was here, relaying Will’s message.

      “May I?” he asked, ready to scoop up Morgan. The little guy wore orange-and-white-striped footsie pajamas. He—and Mikey—both looked a lot like Brooke, but he could see hints of Will.

      “Sure, thanks,” she said, picking up Mikey.

      The beautiful baby boy in his arms reached up and poked his cheek. He smiled. “Hi. I’m Nick.”

      Morgan drooled in response.

      Brooke laughed and pulled a burp cloth off her shoulder. “Here. I made the rookie mistake of not having this close enough earlier.”

      He took the burp cloth and gave the little lips a dab, then put the cloth on his shoulder, but that felt remarkably stupid, so he just held on to it.

      He followed her through an arched doorway, into a living room with a baby play area off to the side. A big carton with one side open was against the wall, with a picture of a white bookcase on the front, a set of instructions and a toolbox next to it.

      “Haven’t gotten around to putting it together yet?” he asked.

      She sighed. “I keep meaning to. It’s for the twins’ nursery. But then it’s time to feed them or put them down for their nap, or the phone rings or a client comes over. This morning I got the twins out for the gorgeous summer morning air and a Java Jane’s run, fully intending to come home and at least start the bookcase, but then the Satler sisters got engaged and securing them as clients became everything.”

      He nodded. “Well, sounds like you did just that.”

      “Thanks to you. If you hadn’t walked through the door and reminded them of high school before changing Mikey while singing a lullaby, they would have run screaming out of my office, straight to my competition.”

      “Well, then I’ve already fulfilled some of my promise,” he said.

      She СКАЧАТЬ