Sealed With a Kiss (11 page)

Tess and Rachel had decided to put a few
hours aside on Saturday morning to go through the boxes and letters
that had arrived that week. Bella had been at home, waiting for her
dad to come back from a meeting in Washington DC. Rachel had
invited her and Tank to The Bridesmaids Club, hoping to fill
Bella’s day with something interesting before John got back.

“Last one coming up now,” she yelled from the
top of the stairs. The door to the loft opened and she stumbled
inside. “Thanks, Bella.”

“That’s okay. Tess said to put the box on the
kitchen counter. If we wipe the snow off the box, the floor won’t
get wet.”

“Good idea.” Rachel slid the box onto the
counter and flicked the fresh snow into the sink.

Tess walked out of the spare bedroom carrying
a handful of clothes hangers. “These should be enough for this
week’s dresses. Hopefully, no one sends us any over Christmas.”

Rachel looked at the three boxes on the
counter. “If they do, we’re going to be seriously out of room.”

Tess grinned. “Do you remember how much space
we had in my last apartment above Angel Wings Café?”

“You were surrounded by dresses. I’m
surprised you could move.”

“It was worse when new boxes arrived. I used
to stack them in the kitchen until I could find room for them.”

“I’d like to live in a house filled with
these dresses,” Bella said wistfully. “It would be like living in a
Disney movie.”

Tess laughed. “Or an out of control train
filled with satin and lace. But we don’t have to worry about that
anymore. Logan’s home is perfect.”

“Your home is perfect,” Rachel reminded her.
“Have you forgotten that you married the man of your dreams?”

“Only when he’s snoring at two o’clock in the
morning and keeping me awake,” Tess moaned.

“It’s a small price to pay for
perfection.”

“Exactly.” Tess put the clothes hangers on
the counter. “If you hear of anyone who wants to rent my old
apartment, let me know. Or better yet, take them there to have a
look. With Christmas getting closer, I don’t have a lot of spare
time.”

“Tell me you’ve moved your spare back door
key? That little magnetic box above the doorframe was so
obvious.”

“It’s still there. Who’s going to break into
my apartment?”

Rachel sighed. “No one if they find the key.
You might as well leave the door wide open.”

Bella moved around the counter. “What’s a
magnetic box?”

Tess held her hands out to show Bella how
long the box was. “It’s a little box, about this big, that sticks
to the metal above my door. It’s for emergencies.”

Bella frowned. “Dad told me what to do in an
emergency. I call 9-1-1. He’s coming home tonight.”

Rachel gave Bella a hug. It had been a tough
few days. John had called each morning, but it didn’t make up for
her dad not being at home. The more time Rachel spent with Bella,
the more she realized just how much John’s absence was affecting
his daughter.

When her dad was gone, Bella became quiet,
withdrawn, and easily distracted. At first, Rachel thought it was
because Bella was waiting for the sound of her dad’s car in the
driveway, or his voice in the entranceway. But his meeting this
week had left Rachel even more worried.

“Do you want to help me open a box of
dresses, Bella?”

A big smile filled Bella’s face. “Yes,
please.”

Rachel used a pair of scissors to cut the
tape and Bella opened the flaps.

The owner of the dresses had left a photo of
her bridesmaids inside the box. Standing in front of the
bridesmaids, looking as happy as a polar bear in winter, was a
little white dog. “Look at this, Bella. The doggie in the photo
looks like the little toy dog that you gave your friend.”

Bella stood on the edge of a stool and looked
at the photo in Rachel’s hand. “It does. It looks just like
Jasmine. Could I show my friend Poppy the photo?”

“Of course you can,” Rachel said. “I’ll put
it in my bag so that we don’t forget to take it home.”

Tess opened another box and pulled out a
dress with a bright floral pattern on the fabric. “Wow. This one’s
different.” She peeked inside the box and pulled another matching
dress out. “Do you think our spring bridesmaids will like these
dresses?”

Bella sighed. “I think they’re really
pretty.”

Rachel grinned at Bella. “I’m sure someone
else will feel exactly the same. They’ll look stunning when Molly
photographs them for our catalog.” She handed Bella one of the
dresses. “Take this across to Tess. She’ll help you put it on a
hanger and leave it on the rack with the other dresses that arrived
this week.”

Bella carefully took the dress across to
Tess. “I’ve seen your catalog. I like the Cinderella Collection the
best.”

Tess smiled. “Why do you like that
collection?”

“Because the dresses are beautiful and
sparkly.”

Rachel found a hanger and put the second
floral bridesmaid’s dress beside Tess. “Would you like to see the
Cinderella dresses that we have at the moment?”

Bella nodded her head so hard that it was a
wonder it didn’t pop off her shoulders.

Tess looked out of the living room’s large
picture window. “While you’re doing that, I’m going to ask your
friend if he wants to come inside. The snow is getting
heavier.”

Rachel glanced at the flurry of snowflakes
falling outside. “I didn’t realize how bad it was. I’ll call Tank
on his cell phone.”

Tank had met Tess when they’d first arrived
at her home. For some reason, he’d insisted on staying in his truck
and not coming inside.

A loud banging on the door made them all
jump. “I guess Tank got tired of waiting in the cold,” Tess said.
“You’d better invite him in before he turns into Frosty the
Snowman.”

Tank nodded at Tess when he walked into the
loft. “It’s cold out there.” Bella handed him a towel as he stood
in the kitchen, shaking the snow off his jacket. “Thanks,
Bella.”

“You’re welcome,” Bella said seriously.
“Rachel told me to dry my hair in case I got a cold. You’re a lot
wetter than I was.”

Tank dried his hair and smiled at his little
helper. “It’s snowing a lot harder than when you came inside. We’re
going to have to leave in the next few minutes if we want to get
home safely.”

“Will dad be all right?” Bella asked.

Tank folded the towel and left it on the edge
of the counter. “He’ll be fine. If his flight is canceled, he won’t
try and come back another way. He’ll stay in Washington DC for
longer.”

“Are you sure?” Bella asked.

Rachel looked between Bella and Tank. Bella
looked so worried about her dad that it nearly broke her heart.
“Your dad will be extra careful because he knows you’re waiting for
him. Let’s get our jackets so that we stay warm when we go
outside.”

Bella walked across to the coat stand with
Rachel. “Are you sure dad’s going to be okay?”

“Positive. Do you want to give him a call
when we get back to your house?”

Bella pushed her arms into her jacket. “Can
we call him now?”

Rachel looked at Tank. He shook his head.
“We’ll call him from home.” Rachel kneeled in front of Bella and
zipped her jacket closed. “While you’re talking to your dad, I’ll
make us some hot chocolate. Does that sound like a good plan?”

Bella nodded, then turned to Tess. “Thank you
for letting me see your dresses.”

“That’s okay, Bella. Rachel has a key to the
loft. If you want to come back and look at the Cinderella dresses,
you’re more than welcome.”

Bella’s eyes popped open. She looked up at
Rachel. “Can I come back tomorrow?”

Rachel smiled at the excitement on Bella’s
face. “We’ll see what your dad has got planned.” She might as well
have said yes. The grin on Bella’s face was worth every minute it
would take to drive through the snow.

Rachel zipped her jacket to her chin and held
Bella’s hand. “I’m sorry we had to leave early, Tess. I’ll try and
get back soon to tidy up the rest of the dresses.”

“Don’t worry about it. The dresses are all
here now. I’ll sort them into styles and get them ready for Molly
to photograph. We don’t need to put them on our website straight
away.”

Rachel picked up the folder of letters she
needed to reply to. “I’ll do these from home tonight.” She looked
around the room, checking to make sure they hadn’t left anything
behind. “It looks as though we’re ready to leave, Tank.”

He glanced out the window. “Let’s get going.
It was nice meeting you, Tess.”

“It was good seeing you, too. Drive
safely.”

As they walked carefully down the stairs to
their vehicles, the cold blast of air hitting Rachel’s face made
her shiver. Tank had been right. If they’d stayed at Tess and
Logan’s home for another hour, they might never have gotten
home.

“I don’t like this weather,” Tank said from
in front of them. “You’re both coming with me.”

Rachel grabbed Bella around the waist as she
slid on a slippery patch of ice. “I can drive myself home. You take
Bella.”

“It wasn’t up for discussion. You’re both
coming with me.” He unlocked his truck and lifted Bella into the
back seat. “Make sure your seatbelt is tight.”

Rachel wiped the snow out of her face and
glared at Tank. “I know how to drive when it’s snowing. I’ll be
okay.”

Tank opened the front passenger door. He
didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. His face was as hard and
uncompromising as the patch of ice Bella had slipped on.

“You don’t need to get mean and grouchy,” she
muttered. “I’ll go with you.”

Tank’s lips twitched. Rachel got into the
truck and Tank closed the door.

He moved quickly around the vehicle. As soon
as the engine was running he put the air-conditioning on, sending a
stream of warm air into the cab.

Rachel patted her cheeks. “My face feels like
little icicles are pricking my skin.”

“Me, too,” Bella said from behind her. “Dad
doesn’t like driving in the snow.”

Rachel frowned. Tess had told her that John
had served in the military. It didn’t make sense that he wouldn’t
be used to driving in all kinds of weather. “Why doesn’t he like
driving in the snow, Bella?”

“Mommy died in a car accident when it was
snowing. It makes him feel sad.”

Rachel’s gaze shot to Tank. He looked at her
before reversing out of the driveway. “How do you feel about being
in a truck when it’s snowing?”

“I don’t mind,” Bella said matter-of-factly.
“I was only little when mom died. I don’t remember what
happened.”

Rachel had never been more pleased that Tank
was driving. If they’d been having this conversation when she was
driving them home, she would have needed to pull over. And with the
amount of snow coming down outside, that would have only gotten
them into trouble. “Tank’s a good driver, Bella. He’ll keep us
safe.”

“I know. Dad says that Tank’s his guardian
angel.”

Tank’s gaze shot to his rearview mirror, then
across to Rachel. “Don’t ask.”

Rachel sighed. Bella and John’s life was more
complicated than anyone’s she knew. She could feel herself getting
pulled into their lives, becoming part of something that she didn’t
understand. She cared about Bella and wanted her to be happy.

She still wasn’t sure what she felt about
John. He was a mystery she wasn’t prepared to solve, not when it
would jeopardize her relationship with his daughter. She didn’t
doubt that he loved Bella, but there were things about his life
that made his daughter unhappy. Some of them he couldn’t change,
others he could.

Rachel didn’t know why Tank was John’s
guardian angel, or why he needed to look after Bella. What she did
know was that Bella missed her dad, and that was something she
could help change.

***

John woke up to the sound of bells ringing
through his home. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. It
was still dark outside. No one in their right mind would be
standing on the sidewalk singing Christmas Carols at this time of
the morning. He listened again, then lifted his arm to his face,
squinting at his watch. Seven o’clock was a strange time to be
hearing bells, but Christmas music was definitely coming from
somewhere close by.

After the time it had taken him to get home
from Washington DC, he should have still been sound asleep. His
flight had left five hours late. Landing in Bozeman at two o’clock
in the morning had been a nightmare. The plane had dipped and dived
so often that he’d given up thinking that they were going to land
safely.

At one point an overhead locker had sprung
open, dropping its contents on the passengers below. The coats and
scarves weren’t a problem, but the heavy bags were. After more than
one startled howl of pain, the cabin crew locked everything away
and found ice packs for the passengers’ heads.

In the ten minutes it had taken to land, he’d
heard more Hail Marys being recited than he ever had at church. The
spike of adrenaline reminded him of his time in the military, the
days when he never thought he’d wake up again. But here he was,
lying in bed and wondering if he’d fallen into the twilight
zone.

Apart from finally leaving the plane, the
second-best thing he’d done was driving home with Tank. He’d kept a
careful eye on the weather reports while he was in Washington DC.
As soon as he’d seen the cold front settling over Montana, he’d
called Tank and asked him to pick him up. He hated driving in
snowstorms almost as much as he hated being in planes that felt
like roller coasters.

Tank had met him in the baggage claim area.
The drive home had been slow and silent, and totally uneventful. As
soon as he’d arrived home, he’d kissed the top of Bella’s sleeping
head and collapsed in a heap under his duvet.

He lifted his head again, then sat up in bed.
Christmas music was definitely coming from somewhere inside his
home.