AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Easier said than done. His truck is pulling up here at my cabin, and a minute later, after he parks, the sexy man walks up the steps to the porch I’m peering down from.
My heart races as he comes close, and curiosity keeps my mind running a mile a minute as I try to figure out why he might be here. I have yet to call him for any more repairs even though so many of them are adding up on my mental list.
I hold my breath, realizing I’m in my robe as he looks me up and down slowly. Just when I think I might melt at his smoldering gaze, he hands me a bag.
“What’s this?” I ask as I take it.
He leans his elbow on the railing and tips his chin at the bag. “Look.”
Inside is a shoe box. I arch a brow as I open it. He bought me a pair of the most hideous shoes ever manufactured. They’re white and gray with utilitarian treads. They look sturdy, but so damn dumb.
I shake my head. “Why?”
“I didn’t want to watch you stumble around every time you find an excuse to talk to me.” He winks, and I feel my cheeks turn red.
“Every time? It was just the once,” I argue.
But inside, I want to squeal with what this means.
One, that Sawyer Cameron seems to be busy with thoughts about me all weekend, just like the way he’s a persistent thought on my mind.
More intriguing, though, is the second fact—that he’s looking forward to me finding another excuse to be near him again.
Chapter 9
Claire
My eyes are about to cross with all the hours I’ve been spending on these designs, but it’s a labor of love, and I get more excited to keep going. I live and breathe to see this dress meeting Lauren’s desires, and this afternoon feels like a true test.
I open the door to Lauren and Aubrey. We just saw each other a few days ago when we went to Breckinridge and strolled the streets to shop. Today, they’re both giddy and impatient to get inside. With them is Marian, and I laugh at how eager she is to visit. She’s delighted to be involved with the wedding planning, gushing over Lauren, and thrilled to be included.
“I’m just so dang excited!” she exclaims after she takes a seat. She chose the armchair, directly across from the sofa, facing me. She pats her hands on her thighs, almost like a drumroll. I try not to feel put on the spot.
“You’re bouncing like one of my third-graders before snack time!” Aubrey jokes. She’s no better, wide-eyed with anticipation and also facing me. I’m presenting Lauren with the sketches I’ve come up with so far. I have several pieces of hand-stitched embroidery to show her as well, so she can see the visuals I’m keeping in mind.
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with,” Marian tells me. “I’ve waited so long for this!”
“What, since the day you met me?” Lauren jokes.
Marian scoffs. “I know whatever Claire has designed will be far superior to that mess you wore that day!”
I smile at the trio as I gather my sketchbooks and tablet. Drawings are best when done on paper, in my honest opinion. Nothing beats the sound of a pencil scraping over the sheet and leaving behind art. On my tablet, though, where I’ve conveyed what I drew by hand, I can easily manipulate more options in the designing program I’m most familiar with.
“Do I want to know?” I tease.
Aubrey shakes her head and shudders. “No. You don’t.”
“I’m just glad you arrived that day at all,” Marian tells Lauren.
It’s clear how much she dotes on her. Even if Dalton hadn’t told me the basics of their background, it’s easy to see that Marian has all but adopted Lauren and Aubrey. They are the daughters she never had. And Marian is the mother they’ve always needed.
I draw in a deep breath, applying that parallel to myself. The mother I need is someone other than the one I was born to. A woman who would be excited for my wedding and future happiness, not selfishly worried about the financial repercussions of losing control of a trust fund.
“So.” I clear my throat and shove aside the emotions. “This is the first option.”
For hours, I share the three main designs I’ve made from what Lauren has told me. I measured her quickly the first time we chatted, but that was just eyeballing her height and size. Depending on which of the three designs she goes with today, I can fine-tune it, tailoring it to her size.
“I’m not sure…” Lauren grimaces, stuck with a volleying focus among all three. “I love them all!”
