“Wow, that was quick.” Emily said.
“Emily, you...”
She cut him off with a laugh. “I’m kidding.”
“Here you are, sir. Just be at gate forty-five at ten o’clock and they should know at that time if there is a seat available.” The agent handed him the standby ticket.
“Thank you,” Ethan said, moving away from the desk.
Slowly, he and Emily walked toward the security checkpoint. “So I’ve got an hour to kill. Did you want to grab a coffee or some breakfast?”
Emily shook her head, stopping in front of the revolving doors leading out to the above-ground lot where her car was parked. “I think I’m just going to go...before I freak out again and ask you to stay.”
“Em...”
“Don’t worry. I won’t,” she reassured him, moving in to hug him quickly. “Thank you Ethan...for doing what you thought was the right thing.”
“If you need anything—”
“I’ll call Greg or my parents or Kim...but not you. Never again you.”
* * *
BAILEY SHUT THE shop lights off just as the tow line rang. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” She paused near the door as she contemplated ignoring it. Technically, she wasn’t even supposed to be there. If she hadn’t forgotten her bridesmaid’s shoes at the shop, she wouldn’t be. Everyone in town was either on their way to the church on Maple Street or already there. It had to be someone stuck on the highway.
The phone continued to ring and Bailey bit her lip, willing it to stop. Darn conscience. She couldn’t just leave someone stranded. Struggling in the pale pink velvet high heels, she rushed to answer the phone on the fourth ring. “Bailey’s Place.”
“Oh, thank God. I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere,” a panicked female voice said on the other end.
She’d just described everywhere within miles of Brookhollow. “Okay, just relax. Are you on the main highway?”
“Yeah, somewhere between exit forty-six and forty-seven...or forty-seven and forty-eight. I’m not sure. I’m in a real hurry. Can I talk to the tow guy, please?” the woman asked, her New York accent thick.
Bailey sighed. “I am the tow-truck guy.”
“Oh,” the woman said after a long pause. “Well, can you help me?”
Bailey glanced at her bridesmaid dress and stiletto shoes. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath then reached for the tow instructions pad. “Of course. Where were you heading?”
“Brookhollow for a wedding...that starts in less than an hour.”
Realization dawned. “The Mason-Dawson wedding?”
“How’d you know?”
The town was too small to host more than one wedding on any given day. Obviously Victoria’s friend had never visited Brookhollow. “You’re Heather from New York, right?”
“Yes, but seriously, how do you know all of that?”
“I’m Bailey. I’m a friend of Victoria’s and Luke’s.”
“So you’re...”
“Going to be late for the wedding, too.”
* * *
“I CAN’T THANK you enough,” Heather said, watching Bailey hook the rental car to the back of the tow truck.
Bailey stood and wiped her hands on the coveralls she wore over her dress. She’d changed into her work boots and tossed her shoes into the back of the truck. “I’m just glad I forgot my shoes at the shop, otherwise you might have been stranded for a while. The nearest tow truck is at least fifty miles away.”
“You and me both.” Heather checked the time on her phone. “Do you think we’ll make it in time for the ceremony?” A frown crossed her perfectly smooth complexion as she paced next to the truck.
Bailey marveled at her ability to walk in the figure-hugging black dress and six-inch heels. And on gravel, no less. By now she’d have broken her ankle.
“I hope so. I’m in the wedding party and in my rush to get here, I left my cell phone at the shop and of course I never memorize phone numbers anymore.” No doubt everyone in the wedding party had filled her voice mail wondering where she was by now.
“I could call Victoria’s cell,” Heather said.
“Not a good idea.” She suspected the bride was nervous enough. “Hurry, hop in. We’re all set.” Bailey climbed into the truck.
Heather climbed into the passenger seat looking distraught.
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it. And I’m wearing the dress under these coveralls.”
Heather simply nodded, staring out the window.
“If you’re worried about the car, I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll have it up and running in no time,” Bailey reassured, turning on the safety tow lights and merging back out onto the highway.
“No, I’m not worried about that. It’s just been a crappy day...week actually,” Heather said, leaning back against the seat.
For you and me both, Bailey thought.
“I mean, I should have known this would happen,” Heather continued. “After all, they say bad luck comes in threes, right?”
Bailey didn’t believe in luck. She believed in making your own fate, good or bad, but she doubted Heather would be interested in hearing her theory. Besides, who could argue that bad luck had seemed to play a part in her current predicament? But, ever the optimist, she said, “Well, you could look on the bright side. If this was the third bad thing to happen, now you’re done, right?”
“I certainly can’t think of anything else that could go wrong.” Heather turned in her seat. “My boyfriend and I broke up on Tuesday. He was supposed to be here with me. I was supposed to be driving with him in his BMW, not alone in that piece of junk I rented at the last minute from this shady car-rental shop in Brooklyn, where I’m staying with my sister.” She cringed. “I can’t afford my apartment in the city after getting fired by my ex-boyfriend—who was also my boss— on Wednesday.”
That did sound like an awful week. “Sorry,” Bailey said.
“That’s what he said, too, after he fired me. Sorry. That’s it. After six years with that company, giving one-hundred-and-ten percent—okay, maybe not always—but I worked hard most days.” She tossed her hands up. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter. If he hadn’t dumped me, my mediocre job performance wouldn’t have mattered.” She slumped against the seat and reached for her purse. Shaking out several painkillers, she popped them into her mouth.
“There’s water in the back....”
Heather shook her head and held up a finger. She chewed the chalky tablets, swallowed hard and shivered. “I can’t swallow pills. I’m terrified of choking on them.” She shuddered. “Anyway, that’s why I’m here alone...and jobless...and late.”
* * *
ETHAN PACED THE back of St. Michael’s, the Catholic church on Maple Street, checking his watch every ten seconds. Bailey had yet to arrive and worry had begun to creep into his mind. The wedding was scheduled to start in ten minutes. His worry mixing with his anticipation of seeing her made it hard to keep still.
“Any sign of her yet?” Jim asked, coming up behind him. Dressed in a black tuxedo, white shirt and pink bow tie and cummerbund, he was hardly recognizable.
Ethan couldn’t help but smile as he shook his head. “Not yet, but, wow—you clean up good. Better be careful—when Jill sees you dressed like that, she may start to get ideas of her own.”
Jim took in Ethan’s wrinkled jeans and T-shirt, the messy, ungelled hair and five-o’clock shadow. “You, on the other hand, look terrible. Did you sleep in the airport overnight?”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at his clothes. It wasn’t that bad, was it?
“Yeah, that didn’t help. Man, you cannot see Bailey looking like that,” Jim said.
“I look that rough?”
“Worse. Trust me, I k
now you are desperate to see her, but if you want her to forgive you and take you back, you at least need to shower and change.”
“I don’t even have a place to take a shower.” He had nowhere to live anymore in Brookhollow and the B and B rooms had been reserved for the out-of-town wedding guests months before.
Jim reached into his pocket for his car keys. “Here, take my car. Go to my place and clean yourself up.”
Ethan hesitated. He really couldn’t wait to see Bailey. She loved him; she wouldn’t care what he looked like. He didn’t want to wait.
“Ethan Bishop, I’m so glad you’re home, but you are not coming to my wedding dressed like that,” Victoria said, exiting the bridal preparation room.
Oh, for the love of... “All right, I’m going,” he said throwing his hands up in defeat. Tough crowd. He would have thought they would just be happy to see him. As he jogged down the church steps, he called over his shoulder. “Not a word to Bailey. I want to surprise her.”
* * *
BAILEY TOOK A sip of her champagne and shifted in her white-satin-covered chair to look toward the gazebo in the center of the yard at the Brookhollow Inn two hours later, where Victoria and Luke were about to share their first dance. The ceremony at the church had gone perfectly and she’d even managed to hold back her tears as she’d watched the couple say their vows in front of family and friends.
Her thoughts had continually returned to Ethan, but she decided that for one evening, it was okay. Okay to miss him and fantasize about what might have been.
The rest of the wedding party moved closer to the gazebo as the couple met in the center of the covered structure and the music they’d chosen as their wedding song, “Songbird,” filled the air. The couple couldn’t tear their eyes from one another as Luke took Victoria into his arms, and Bailey couldn’t suppress the sigh that escaped her lips.
“Didn’t anyone tell you that you aren’t supposed to look better than the bride?” a familiar voice whispered in her ear as she sat lost in the enchantment of the scene in front of her.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding, Victoria looks— Ethan?” Bailey swung around to find Ethan sitting in the empty seat beside her that had been occupied by Bryce just moments before.
“Hi, baby girl,” he said with a smile, touching her cheek.
She rested her face against his hand, not believing her eyes. Then she straightened and scanned the backyard.
“She’s not with me,” he said.
“You just came for the wedding?” She knew he was off-limits and that saying goodbye to him a second time would probably kill her, but at that moment she was just so happy to see him. Dressed in a dark blue suit and white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, he looked too handsome not to touch. She rested her hands on his on his lap.
“No, I’m home, jobless with nowhere to live and wearing a borrowed suit.” He chuckled.
“What about Emily? The baby?”
“The baby was never mine.” He brushed a stray curl from her forehead and placed a gentle kiss there.
“I don’t understand.” Dare she hope what he said was true? He was home to stay...without Emily. They could be together?
“It’s a long story, and all I want to do right now is stare at you for a minute, if that’s okay.” He took both her hands in his.
Bailey nodded, clasping her fingers tightly around his. This time she wouldn’t be letting go.
“You are so beautiful,” he said after a long silence. “Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and I wouldn’t blame you if you walked away...after all the hurt.”
“Ethan, stop.” She placed a finger to his lips. “I’m never walking away.”
“Good,” he started, but she silenced him.
“Shh, I’m not done.”
He clasped his mouth firmly shut.
“I mean it. I don’t care if ten ex-girlfriends come out of the blue claiming they are having your child, I’m not letting you go again.”
“Well, that’s not something we have to worry about, I can assure you.” He lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers. “But I am homeless...and broke and everything I own is still in Miami.”
“I don’t care. I love you, Ethan.”
“I love you more.”
“I loved you first,” she teased.
“About that... Don’t worry. I plan to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, starting right now.”
Realization hit her and she groaned.
“That wasn’t exactly the response I was hoping for....”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” she said. Of all the bad timing. She tightened her grasp around his fingers. For years she’d been dying to take this trip, and now all she wanted to do was cancel it. She wondered if it was too late.
“Leaving for where?”
“Venice. I finally decided I needed to do it.” She let out a deep sigh. He was home and she was leaving for two weeks. How was she supposed to enjoy Venice when the whole time she’d be wishing she was back in Brookhollow, back in his arms?
“You were planning to go alone?”
“With only thoughts of you occupying my mind and heart,” she whispered.
Ethan touched her chin, tilting her face toward him. “Well, what if I came with you?”
“You want to come with me?”
“Bailey, I had to say goodbye to you once. I don’t plan on ever doing it again.”
“So I’m finally getting what I’ve always wanted?” It seemed too good to be true.
“Yes, baby girl, you are...and so am I,” Ethan said, before softly kissing her lips.
* * * * *
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Heartwarming title.
You’ve got to have heart…. Harlequin Heartwarming celebrates wholesome, heartfelt relationships imbued with the traditional values so important to you: home, family, community and love.
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ISBN-13: 9781460324875
WHAT A GIRL WANTS
Copyright © 2014 by Jennifer Snow
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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