All of Me (The Bridesmaids Club Book 1) (14 page)

He took a deep breath and put his mug on the table. “I started a school with some soldiers not long after I arrived. The children in the village knew a few English words, but not a lot. We didn’t think it would do any harm, so we set up a roster and started classes. Three-quarters of the children that came to the school were girls. It was a big deal for them.”

Logan glanced at Tess. “Abiba was twenty-one years old and knew more English than anyone in the village. She loved coming to school to help the students. One day she arrived late, which was unusual for her. I’d taken some of the older students outside to pick up the supplies that had arrived from the States. Friends and family would send chalk, pens, paper and anything else they could get in boxes.”

He stopped talking and crossed his arms in front of his chest. But not before Tess saw how badly his hands were trembling. What he was about to tell her had shocked him beyond anything he’d known.

“Abiba was a suicide bomber. That morning we lost two soldiers and at least ten children. After the bomb exploded, the Army evacuated the village. The Taliban had targeted the school and everything around it.”

Tess rested her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Is that why you’re not sleeping?”

“Some of it.”

Tess didn’t know what to say. “What happened to the people that lived in the village?”

“Most left on their own. Others were taken to a refugee camp. The injured soldiers and children were airlifted to the nearest hospital.”

“And you came home?”

Logan nodded. “I couldn’t go back.”

Tess rubbed his arm. It wasn’t much, but she wanted him to know that she cared. She walked across to the pantry and took out her four o’clock pick-me-up treats.

“Sounds like we could both do with a sugar rush before you go home.” She sat down beside Logan and offered him a cookie.

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That’s the subtlest way of giving me my marching orders that I’ve ever heard.”

“I aim to please. But not as much as I used to.”

“Good for you,” Logan said as he bit into a bar. “At least one of us is learning to deal with their issues.”

Chapter Six

Before Tess started her café, she would have told anyone that Wednesdays would have been the quietest day of the week. But that was before she found out about all of the midweek activities in Bozeman. Between the library, the bridge club and the genealogy club she had a steady stream of regular Wednesday customers.

By eleven o’clock that morning they’d sold most of their muffins. She was busy making another batch when Annie handed her the phone.

“I need to keep serving in the café. I think it’s Connie. She sounds upset.”

Tess took the phone out of Annie’s hand. “Connie? Is everything all right?”

“I’m sorry to call you at work, but I didn’t know how to get hold of you.”

“That’s okay. What’s happened?”

“Mom’s not well. Dave and I are getting married at five o’clock tonight in the hospital chapel. If you can still make it, we’d like you and your friends to be there.”

“Oh, Connie. I’m so sorry about your mom. Of course we’ll be there. What about your dresses?”

“I haven’t really thought that far ahead. I dropped the bridesmaids’ dresses off at a friend’s house. She was going to do the alterations for us. My best friend can’t get here until tomorrow and we don’t know…”

Connie didn’t need to finish what she was going to say. Tess felt a lump form in her throat. “I can help. Do you have a dress to wear?”

“A bridal store is making my gown. I don’t know if they’ve finished.”

Tess grabbed a pen and piece of paper out of a drawer. “Would you like me to sort out the dresses?”

“Could you? Dave and I are busy calling all of our friends and family. I’ll give you my sister’s phone number. Denise will be able to help. Thank you for doing this for us.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you a call as soon as I’ve got the dresses.” Tess wrote down Denise’s phone number and said goodbye. The next person she called was Kate, her part-time assistant. Tess knew she’d need Kate to come in early if she was going to help Connie.

Annie poked her head around the kitchen door. “Is everything okay?”

Tess shook her head. “Connie’s mom isn’t doing too well. They’ve brought the wedding forward to tonight. Are you able to come?”

“Sure. We’re not bowling tonight. What do you want me to do?”

“Could you look after the café with Kate until we close? The wedding’s at five o’clock in the chapel of Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.”

“What about the bridesmaids’ dresses? Connie wouldn’t have had a chance to make any alterations.”

Tess slid the uncooked muffins into the oven. “I’m going to give Connie’s sister a call. Between us, we should be able to work something out.” She had one other person to contact before she rang Denise. “I’ll give Logan a call, too.”

“No need,” Annie said. “He’s sitting in the café. I’ll call Molly and Sally.”

“Thanks.” Tess undid her apron and dialed Denise’s phone number. In less than six hours, Connie would be walking down the aisle.

With a little help from her friends, Tess was going to give Connie and Dave something special to remember.

***

An hour later, Tess and two of Connie’s sisters were standing in Emily Green’s boutique. “Where would you like us?”

Emily waved Tess, Denise, and her sister, Kristine up the main staircase. “Come upstairs with me. When is the other bridesmaid arriving?”

Denise looked at her watch. “Joanne will be here in half an hour.”

Tess had called Emily out of desperation. Connie hadn’t even managed to show her sisters the bridesmaids’ dresses before her mom took a turn for the worse. With only six hours left before the wedding, Emily was the only person Tess knew who could use a sewing machine.

But Emily could do so much more than sew clothes. She’d opened an amazing fashion boutique two doors down from Angel Wings Café. The old library building had been transformed into a chic, stylish boutique. Emily had customers who lived around the world. She tutored design classes and filled her life with everything that made her happy. She’d also made the bridesmaids’ dresses that Connie had chosen for her wedding. If anyone could pull a miracle out of the bag, it was Emily.

Emily lifted a measuring tape off her sewing table. “Who’s going first? You can change into your dresses in Nicky’s office. She won’t be back for the rest of the day.”

Kristine looked through the dresses Denise had hung on a rack. “These are beautiful.”

“Our sister’s got good taste. I’ve put my name on the dress for me.” Denise moved across to her sister and pointed to another dress. “I thought this one was the closest to your measurements.”

Kristine lifted the dress off the rail. “Better make me first. Denise said her dress doesn’t need any alterations.” She smiled at her sister and walked into Nicky’s office.

Tess looked at the list Denise had made before she’d left the hospital. “Has anyone called the reception venue to cancel?”

“We don’t need to,” Denise said. “After the burglary Connie and Dave decided to have the reception at mom and dad’s place. I think mom was secretly pleased they’d changed the venue. She’s got such a pretty garden.” Denise’s bottom lip trembled. She blew her nose and took a deep breath. “Did Logan mind going to the florist?”

Tess shook her head. “If anyone can convince them to make four bouquets in the next couple of hours, it’s Logan. Molly’s on her way over here, too.”

Kristine came out of Nicky’s office. The red dress fitted perfectly across the top, but the skirt needed to be shortened and taken in at the hips.

Emily moved a circular platform on wheels across the room. “Stand on here, Kristine, and we’ll get started.”

The bell above the front door tinkled as someone walked into the boutique. “Would you like me to go downstairs?” Tess asked.

“That’d be great,” Emily said. “It’s probably Caitlin. I asked her to come in and look after the boutique while I’m helping you.”

Tess walked down the stairs. Molly was heading toward her with a camera hanging over her shoulder. “Am I too late for the fittings?”

“Just in time. Emily’s doing Kristina’s dress now.”

Molly stood at the top of the stairs. “I don’t need to ask whether Kristina’s one of Connie’s sisters. They all look alike.”

“Strong gene pool.” Tess smiled as Kristina turned on the platform. “Emily is amazing. She didn’t hesitate to help us.”

Molly snapped a photo. “That’s what friends do for each other.”

“I’m beginning to understand that,” Tess said softly.

Molly moved further into the room. Tess followed her, trying to see what Molly saw when she took a photo.

Molly looked over her shoulder and smiled. “It’s a fine mood Emily creates in this room. See how the light falls on the different workspaces. It dances through the panes of glass, softening the edges, highlighting what needs to be seen.” Molly knelt down, changed the angle of her camera and took another photo.

“How do you know that the image you see through your lens will look good in the finished photo?”

“That’s a tricky question.” Molly moved silently across the room and took a photo of Denise. “Sometimes I don’t know if it will work. Sometimes I do. And sometimes the best images come from the feeling you get just before the shutter clicks into place. I use what I know, then let the rest take care of itself. How do you know how to move in front of a camera?”

“I don’t know. It just happens.” Molly was the only person in Bozeman that knew about Tess’ past. They’d worked together in Europe and talked at a few social events.

When she’d first seen Molly in Bozeman, Tess had felt betrayed. She’d thought Molly had come to find her after the drug scandal had rocked the modeling world. But Molly wasn’t interested in Tess’ past. She’d come to Bozeman to stay with her sister after a grueling European schedule.

Tess was sure there was more to her arrival, but so far, Molly hadn’t told anyone why she was here or when she’d be going back to Europe.

Molly lowered her camera. “A little bit of magic happens in everyone’s life when they’re doing something they love.”

Tess didn’t say anything.

“You don’t agree?”

“I enjoyed modeling, but I never felt the magic.”

“Maybe you didn’t enjoy it enough. How do you feel when you stand in your café at the beginning of each day?”

Tess laughed. “Tired.”

Molly shook her head. “The magic hasn’t gone. It’s hiding until you’re ready to see it.”

Tess watched Emily move around Kristine. “Do you ever wonder if there’s more to life than what we’re living?”

Molly sighed. “I know there is, but for now, this is what we have. We’re feeling restless and that’s a dangerous thing to be.”

Tess remembered the last time they’d both felt restless and smiled. “At least we’re not in Rome.” They’d been at a sponsored gala evening. At the end of the night, they’d gone for a walk. It had been hot and sticky, and the Trevi Fountain had looked so inviting. What had started as a way to cool off had almost ended with a night in a police cell.

Molly moved closer to Emily. “What an evening. I’ve still got the photo of the man who helped us run away from the police.”

“He didn’t help us run. He shoved us into his car and drove off into the sunset with us. It could have ended in disaster.”

“We were young and foolish,” Molly said with a smile on her face. “And he was too handsome for his own good.”

Tess couldn’t remember anything about the man, except for his eyes. They were the most amazing shade of blue she’d ever seen. He’d dropped them back at their hotel and they’d never seen him again.

The doorbell jingled and Tess looked over her shoulder. “I’ll get it.” She ran downstairs and a young girl with jet black hair and a dimple in her chin smiled shyly at her. Connie’s last sister had arrived. “You must be Joanne?”

“That’s me.” Joanne’s smile became less guarded. “I came as soon as I could.”

“Come upstairs. Kristine and Denise are already here.”

As soon as she walked onto the mezzanine floor, Denise ran across and wrapped her sister in a big hug. “Did you see mom?”

Joanne nodded. “She’s comfortable. Connie arrived as I was leaving.”

Kristina stepped off the platform and gave her sister another hug. “Watch the pins. How are you?”

Tears filled Joanne’s eyes. “I’m okay. What can I do to help?”

Denise introduced Emily, Molly, and Tess then showed Joanne where to change into her dress.

Tess felt marginally better now that Connie’s sisters were well on the way to having bridesmaids’ dresses. She had two things left to do; check on Logan and see how Annie was going.

She just hoped the surprise wedding cake Annie was decorating would be appreciated as much as the dresses.