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“The closet off the kitchen on this floor.”
“You promised me a look at Maggie’s dress options. Why don’t you get those together while I take care of the glass?”
Rafe retrieved the vacuum cleaner, droppped the large pieces of glass in a nearby trashcan, then vacuumed the remaining slivers and shards. He put away the appliance and returned to Kristi. “Show me what you have.”
“You don’t have to look at the designs. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
He was curious about Kristi’s work. Callie had mentioned Kristi’s amazing designs, hinting more than once that she planned to ask her friend to design a wedding dress when she married Rafe.
For the first time since Callie’s death, pain didn’t lance Rafe’s heart as he thought about the wedding that never happened. Perhaps he was healing. He studied Kristi’s face. Maybe solving Callie’s murder and connecting with this beautiful, courageous woman helped. Rafe had been in encased in ice for three years, but the ice melted when he rescued Kristi.
She led Rafe to the table in the center of the room and nudged a three-ring binder toward him. “Based on what she described as her dream dress, I created four designs. Then I designed one that I think is perfect for her.”
Inside the binder, each dress was shown from several angles with a computer generated model who looked remarkably real. Rafe wasn’t an expert on dresses, but Kristi’s designs were beautiful. Some designs were classic, others contemporary. The last dress, though, was stunning. The top part was fitted, decorated with lace and pearls in an intricate design. The bottom part hugged the hips, then flared out in a waterfall of fabric. The whole thing reminded him of a vintage dress. The design was a work of art.
He tapped the last dress. “If Maggie doesn’t fall in love with this dress, I’ll be surprised. They’re all beautiful, but this one is breathtaking.”
Kristi beamed. “Thanks. I think her groom will be speechless no matter which dress she chooses. I feel good about that particular dress, though.”
“The design looks complicated and time-consuming. You said Maggie and the Marine are on a short time clock. Will you have time to finish the work?”
“I’ll have to work late several nights if Jill, my assistant, can’t give me extra time, but I’ll get the work done no matter what. This is important to me. He’ll deploy to a hotspot while she waits for him to come home to her. Creating a dress Maggie will remember for the rest of her life is the least I can do to support them both.”
“I can’t imagine another dress designer going to this much trouble for a rushed wedding.”
“They’re both sacrificing for our country. What’s losing a little sleep compared to that?”
A little sleep and a lot of money since she intended to sell the dress to Maggie at cost. He trailed his hand down her back. “Need anything else before I call Brent? Perhaps another ice pack?”
She shook her head. “Do what you need to do. I’m going to the kitchen to put together trays and start coffee. My first client loves iced coffee with chocolate chip cookies.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to chocolate chip cookies with regular coffee. I’m not a fan of the iced variety.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. I make terrific iced coffee. However, I’ll save a few cookies for you.” She waited a beat. “For a price.”
His lips curved. “What are you charging me?”
“Five kisses.”
“Deal. How soon should I pay up?”
Kristi laughed. “Not right now. I’ll never get anything done if you do.”
“I’ll be good.” He winked at her. “For now.”
More laughter as Kristi walked to the kitchen. Rafe stayed in the workroom and called Brent.
“Yeah, Maddox.”
“It’s Rafe. Someone fired a bullet into the window of Kristi’s workroom.”
“Anybody hurt?”
“More bruises on Kristi. Someone’s going to pay for that.”
A slight pause, then, “Something you need to tell me?”
“She’s mine.” End of discussion.
