Page 49 of Always a Bridesmaid
Pride sang through her entire body, and she squished his face between her hands. “You found me!”
The puppy licked her chin, and when he rolled over, legs up, she rewarded him with a belly scratch.
“I’ll be damned,” Ford said.
“I think he’s more motivated by affection than by food.”
“Afraid I can’t relate.”
“I can. That’s why Trouble and I understand each other so well.” Violet extended her hand. “He still deserves a treat, though, andsomeonewouldn’t give me any.”
Ford relinquished the contraband, which she gave to Trouble while piling on the praise.
A yawn surprised her, her adrenaline quickly fading, and she yawned again.
“We finally did it,” Ford said, beaming at her and her puppy and sending her elation to the next level.
“We finally did.”
“I meant Trouble and me—we finally managed to wear you out.” Ford flashed her a devastatingly sexy grin. Then he reached down, grabbed her hand, and hauled her to her feet.
And as they walked back to his truck with his brood of dogs, he didn’t let go.
Chapter Ten
“I think this might be a trap,” Ford said as he cautiously walked into the bridal shop.
Lexi had texted the address, along with instructions to turn off his radio, leave his beeper at home, and take the afternoon ALL THE WAY OFF!
Violet stepped onto the thick, creamy carpet he was probably already staining with his worn steel-toe boots. His maternal grandmother used to have a room like this. Look, don’t touch.
It’d been a long time since he’d thought of Grandma Cunningham or his mother. Ma was Dad’s second wife, and she’d left when Ford was nine. The original story was that she just went to visit Grandma for a while. And Ford had been glad she hadn’t taken him along. While his city-slicker cousins managed to remain as mute and immobile as statues, Ford failed with a capital F.
“What?” Violet bumped her shoulder into his. “Afraid some woman is going to leap out and demand you walk down the aisle with her?”
“I am now,” he said, having to summon the humor he’d come hardwired with.
A smile curved her peachy-pink lips. They had some kind of glossy stuff on them that glittered in the light beaming from the jeweled chandeliers.
Ford tucked his hands in his pockets, afraid to touch or move or even breathe. One thing was for sure—he didn’t belong here.
Violet moved farther into the space, in the direction of the plum-colored couch that faced a three-way mirror. A white pedestal with sparkly high heels sat atop it, and, in addition to curtained dressing rooms, a variety of wedding dresses hung from hangers along the walls. “A bridal shop, huh? I thought putting a jar of jerky in the center of a snare would be the best way to trap you.”
He took a reluctant step so she wouldn’t leave him in the dust. “Sounds like you nailed me pretty good.”
A giggle burst out of her. “There are so many things I could do with that statement, but this is a classy joint.”
Shock jolted him, the comment enough to taper his uneasiness. Now he wanted to hear the options, because it sounded like she might have a dirty mind in that pretty little head of hers.
Violet looped her elbow through his and patted his biceps. “Don’t worry. If there are any rabid brides who are clueless enough to search for a groom inside a bridal shop, I’ll protect you.”
“Ha-ha,” he said, while a voice in his head whisperedyes, please.
Sunlight streamed across the carpet as the door swung open and Lexi and Addie walked inside. Lexi shifted her sunglasses to hold her blond curls like a headband. Addie shrunk in on herself a bit. Then she also jammed her hands in her pockets.
“You hearin’ Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ in your head?” he asked, and Murph nodded.
“The lyrics ‘I don’t belong here’ are blastin’ for sure. Same way they did when I came for the bridesmaids’ dress fitting with all of Lexi’s fancy-pants friends.”
