Loving You (The Bridesmaids Club Book 2) (2 page)

He opened the back door of his truck and passed Logan a box. “Take these inside. Tess said Pastor Steven called. They’re going to have a full house tonight.”

“What else did my fiancée say?”

“You’d better ask her that. She seemed a bit put out that you were working today.”

“It’s better than unpacking more bridesmaids’ dresses.” Logan used his elbow to close the passenger door. “It’s like a disease. They get rid of half a dozen dresses and another ten arrive.”

Dylan didn’t bother locking his truck. They’d be back soon enough. If anyone was desperate enough to help themselves to the rest of the meals, they must need the food.

Logan followed a red brick path around the side of the church. “What have you been doing today?”

“I picked up a rare collection of Faberge eggs and delivered them to an auction house in Denver.”

“Riveting stuff.”

Dylan choked back a laugh. “It is when they’re worth millions. They were pretty enough, but you’ve got to wonder about people’s sanity. You wouldn’t get me paying what the auction catalog said they’re worth.”

Logan used his hip to push open the back door. “That’s why you weren’t invited to the auction.”

Pastor Steven looked up from the kitchen counter, his wide smile welcoming them into the room. “I could smell Tess and Annie’s cooking a mile away. Roast beef?”

Dylan left his box beside Pastor Steven. “You guessed right. Annie packed some dessert in a separate box. She said to tell you that the cheesecakes should go straight in the fridge.”

Logan started emptying the foil wrapped plates out of his box. “How many are you expecting tonight?” he asked Pastor Steven.

“We’ve already got twenty people in the dining room. I wouldn’t be surprised if another twenty arrive in the next half hour.”

A young boy with bright red hair and neon freckles walked through the kitchen door.

He stopped and frowned when he saw Dylan. “You haven’t been here for ages. Dad thought you must have gone somewhere else to work.”

Dylan held his hand out and the boy raced across the room. They did the same secret handshake they’d done for the last six months. “I’m not going anywhere, squirt. Do you want to help me set the tables?”

“Dad’s already got me on knife and fork duty,” the little boy said.

“You’ll need spoons, too. Annie and Tess made cheesecake.” Dylan watched a smile shoot across Frankie’s face.

“You should come back for dinner more often.”

Before Dylan said another word, Frankie grabbed a handful of utensils and went back into the dining room.

“How’s Frankie’s dad doing?” Dylan asked.

“He got a job pumping gas at the station on Gallatin Road. It’s helping with a few of their bills, but they’ve got a way to go.”

“Did Frankie get the Little League uniform?”

Pastor Steven smiled. “I gave it to him last week. He didn’t know what to do with himself he was so excited. It was very thoughtful of you to do that for him.”

Dylan shrugged his shoulders. “It’s hard enough for him. He shouldn’t have to pull out of baseball season because his dad can’t afford a new uniform.”

Logan put another box on the counter and glanced at Dylan. “There’s a disturbing pattern emerging here. You’re talking and I’m doing all of the work.”

“It’s called working smarter not harder,” Dylan said. “Besides, following sweaty police officers around while you look for a story isn’t exactly body breaking work.”

Logan emptied the box and put some of the dinners in the large commercial oven. “Beats hauling eggs to Denver.”

Pastor Steven looked around the kitchen. “Why don’t you both go and get the rest of the boxes out of Dylan’s truck? We should be good to go in another ten minutes.”

Logan held the door open. “After you.”

“You trying to impress me with your manners?” Dylan asked.

“I’m making sure you go to your truck and don’t disappear into the dining room. Frankie won’t let you out of his sight when you get in there.” Logan shut the door and walked down the path with Dylan. “You want to tell me why you were staring into space when you arrived?”

“Not particularly.”

Logan grinned. “The strong silent type doesn’t impress me. You’ll have to leave that for the ladies.”

Dylan felt a blush work its way up his neck. He kept walking, hoping Logan didn’t notice.

“Wait a minute. Are you telling me a woman had you contemplating the meaning of life?”

Dylan opened the canopy on the back of his truck. “We probably should have taken the cheesecakes out first. If they’ve melted everywhere, I’ll tell Tess it was your fault.” Logan didn’t seem worried about the cheesecake issue. He seemed more worried about Dylan, and that was something Dylan didn’t need.

“Who is she?”

Dylan put the biggest box in Logan’s arms. “No one you know.”

“You wanna bet? I know most people in Bozeman, or someone who knows someone else. Tell me a name and I’ll let you know if their dossier has passed across my desk at the Chronicle.”

“You sound like James Bond,” Dylan grumbled.

“Not going to work. I won’t be distracted by frivolous complements. Who is she?”

Dylan was saved from answering by the toot of a car horn.

Logan gave him an evil glare. “You’ve bought yourself time.”

Dylan would take whatever was on offer.

“Have you taken the cheesecakes inside?” Tess looked at the box in Logan’s hands. “I hope that’s not what I think it is?”

Dylan watched Logan plaster a besotted smile on his face. It usually worked its magic on Tess, but it wasn’t working today.

Tess looked inside the canopy and tutted. “The only thing in here are the cheesecakes. What were you thinking?”

“About how good they’re going to taste,” Dylan said as he took another box out of his truck.

Tess lifted the last box into her arms and followed Logan along the path. “Lock your truck, Dylan. There are lots of people waiting for their dinner.”

Dylan did as he was told. It didn’t pay to mess with his best friend’s fiancée, especially when that same woman was Annie’s boss and friend.

***

“You want to tell me why you’re walking around like a wounded bear?” Logan asked.

Dylan turned from the dishwasher. “I’m not wounded.”

“Could have fooled me. What’s going on?”

Dylan put another four plates in the dishwasher, then looked around for any stray glasses. “I’m not sure I want to have this conversation with you.”

“Try me.” Logan folded his arms across his chest.

He looked as though he was settling in for the night and that was the last thing Dylan wanted. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“I might understand more than you think.”

Dylan couldn’t see that happening. Logan was in love. He hadn’t been far from Tess all night. Even when they weren’t sitting beside each other, or holding each other’s hands, they’d had a connection that was there for everyone to see.

“Has this got anything to do with your quest to find the perfect woman?”

Dylan reached for the dishwasher powder and poured half a cap into the dispenser. “How did you know?”

“You haven’t said anything for the last few weeks about dating anyone, so I figured it hasn’t happened. Each time you looked at Tess tonight you frowned, and I don’t think it had anything to do with what you were eating.”

Dylan leaned against the kitchen counter. “I can talk to women. I can even flirt a little, but if I go anywhere near to thinking about dating them, I freeze.”

“Has this got anything to do with what happened in Afghanistan?”

Dylan tensed. He was sick and tired of reliving his last few months in the Military. But it wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard he tried to forget. “It’s got everything to do with it. I can’t touch anyone without freaking out. It doesn’t matter what I do, it’s always there.”

“Have you talked to Pastor Steven?”

“Yeah. He said to start small. Ask someone I trust to work with me.”

Logan held his arms out. “I’ll do it.”

Dylan shook his head. “Do you know how weird that would be? And it still wouldn’t solve my problem of touching a woman.”

Logan didn’t bother saying anything to that piece of wisdom.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“What do you want?”

Dylan stared at his best friend. “I want to be normal,” he said softly. “I want to be able to have a real relationship with a woman. One day I want a wife and kids, the whole white picket fence thing. No one will want to go near me with the issues I’ve got.” He picked up the dishcloth and walked across to the oven. “I wouldn’t date someone like me. How the hell can I expect someone else to do the same thing?”

“Have you thought about getting professional counseling?”

“I saw someone in Texas. They got me to where I am today.” Logan smiled and Dylan appreciated his humor. “Yeah, I know. I’m a work in progress.”

“So what are you going to do?” Logan asked.

“Damned if I know.” Dylan finished wiping down the oven and threw the dishcloth in the sink. “If I could find someone to practice on it might help.”

Logan took Dylan’s suggestion at face value. A lot of people wouldn’t have.

“I don’t like your chances,” Logan said seriously.

“Tell me about it,” Dylan muttered. “I can’t even work up the courage to ask someone.”

“You’ve got someone in mind?”

Dylan took a last look around the kitchen before heading toward the dining room. “I thought I did, but I don’t think she’d be interested.”

“So you haven’t asked her?”

Dylan snorted. “I’d need to talk to her first.”

“That could help.”

Dylan stopped beside the door and glanced at Logan. This time his friend had a grin on his face. Right at the moment, Dylan couldn’t see anything funny in what he’d said.

Frankie looked up from the table when they walked into the dining room. He was the only person left. Everyone else had gone into the living room. They were talking and laughing so loudly that Dylan would have been able to hear them from the street.

He looked at the half-finished dessert in front of Frankie. “You like the cheesecake?”

Frankie smiled. “It’s better than anything I’ve ever tasted.”

Logan folded one of the tablecloths in half. “Make sure you tell Tess. She’ll love you for life.”

Tess walked into the room. “Tell Tess what?” She walked across to Frankie and ruffled his hair.

“You make great cheesecake,” Frankie said.

“Well, thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

Logan kissed the side of Tess’ face and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Did I tell you how much I like your cheesecake, too?”

Tess rolled her eyes and smiled at Dylan and Frankie. “Ignore my fiancé. He thinks he’s going to get preferential treatment because I love him.”

Dylan couldn’t ignore the tenderness on Logan’s face. He wanted to feel the same rush of pride when he looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. But he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to get close enough to anyone to love them.

Or if anyone would want to get close to him.

Chapter Two

Annie looked at the chaos in front of her. Holly, their next bride-to-be, was standing in the middle of The Bridesmaids Club headquarters with her six sisters, her mom, and two aunties. They’d introduced themselves as they’d walked through the door, but after the fourth sister walked past her, Annie lost track of who was who.

Tess stood on a chair. “Okay everyone. Welcome to The Bridesmaids Club. I’m Tess. Sally’s standing by the window and Annie’s by the door.”

Sally and Annie waved to the crowd of women.

It was just as well they’d moved their bridesmaid’s dresses to the loft above Logan’s huge garage, or they wouldn’t have been able to fit all of Holly’s family in one room. Up until a few weeks ago they’d been using Tess’ apartment to store the dresses. When the number of dresses outweighed her available floor space, Logan had offered his home as an alternative office area. And when he’d asked Tess to marry him, it turned out to be the most romantic thing Annie had seen in a long time.

Tess pointed at one of the small clothing racks they’d set up in each corner of the room. Emily, a friend who owned a fashion boutique, had loaned them the racks until the ones they’d ordered arrived. “We’ve put two bridesmaids’ selections on each rack. Sabrina and Hannah are with Sally. Beth and Lily are with Annie, and Desiree and Tina are with me.”

Annie and Sally moved to their racks. Even with all of the forward planning that had gone into this appointment, it still looked like a disaster zone.

Sally held a bright pink shawl in the air. They’d organized all of the dresses, but there were a few accessories that they didn’t know where to put. “Who liked this shawl from the catalog?”

A woman in her early twenties stepped forward. “Me,” she said with a cheeky grin. “And I want to tell everyone now that I love the color. So no complaints about how bright it is.”