Page 28 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

Fisher glared at her, but as her hands went from her elbows to her head, he stepped closer, trying to keep the entire assemblage from catching the glimpse of her right nipple he was getting. He could feel the sweat bead up on his forehead. Was it hot in here or was it just him? How had he gotten himself into this mess? If his mother could see him now she’d be so pleased.

“What the hell?” A roar sounded from the back door of the church and the organist stumbled to a halt, as did the entire roomful of dancers.

“Tony?” Annie dropped the mike and dashed up the aisle with Fisher hot on her heels. “What happened to you?”

“Stupid car broke down and my phone was dead and he forgot his phone.” Tony pointed to his best man with his thumb. Tony’s cheek was streaked with grease and his tux looked as if it had walked to the church under its own power. His best man stood beside him, looking equally grubby. “Where’s Eve? What’s going on?”

“Fisher and I were just keeping everyone entertained until you got here,” Annie said. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll tell Eve that you’re here. She’ll be so relieved.”

“Come on.” Fisher led the bewildered groom and best man away. “You’ve got a wedding to get ready for.”

“What were you and Annie doing?” Tony asked.

“I believe she called it the macarena,” Fisher answered.

“No kidding?” Tony laughed. “That Annie. She’s a card.”

“Yes, she is,” Fisher answered. His gaze met Annie’s and when she shrugged at him, he was unable to hold back his grin. “Yes, she certainly is.”

“Nice ceremony. Don’t you think?” Fisher asked.

“Lovely,” Annie sighed, scraping the remnants of her mascara off of her chin with her handkerchief.

“Are you going to be all right?” Fisher asked.

“Oh, yeah.” She waved her hankie at him. “I’ll be fine. I always cry at weddings.”

“I thought you didn’t like weddings,” he said.

“Oh no, I love weddings. It’s marriage I don’t trust,” she said. “But weddings are wonderful. They’re so...optimistic.”

“Annie.” Fisher shook his head at her. “So Stew was a jerk. That doesn’t mean you won’t find someone worth marrying.”

“Oh, no,” she said. “I’ve been in nine weddings half of which have already ended in divorce. You’re not going to see me walking the aisle any day soon.”

“Nine?” He gaped.

“Three for Mom. Two for Dad. One sister. Three friends.” Annie ticked off the list on her fingers. “Nine. I have the hideous gown collection to prove it. I keep thinking I should put a rack in The Coffee Break and sell some of these gems.”

Lifting her skirt, she twirled in front of him. “What do you think?”

“Unless Little Bo Peep stops by for a caffeine fix, you’ll never unload it,” he said. “Come on, let’s see if we can stuff you into the Jeep.”

“Too bad you don’t have a pickup truck,” she joked as she took his arm and let him lead her to the car. “I could sit in the bed.”

“Tie you to the gun rack?” he joked.

“Oh, wouldn’t that be a pretty picture?” She laughed. “Me at your mercy?”

Fisher studied at her with a considered gaze. His eyes grew dark and his voice low. “Actually, yeah, that’d be a hell of a pretty picture.”

Annie felt as if he’d drawn the breath out of her lungs with that look. How did he do that? She’d never known a man who could bowl her over with just the tilt of an eyebrow. As Fisher opened the door, she studied his hands. They were large and square and utterly masculine. Oh dear.

He turned and placed his hands on her hips. Lifting her with a groan – okay, she did weigh a ton in this concrete getup – he placed her on the passenger seat. Rattled by the feel of his hands upon her waist, Annie didn’t think to adjust her hoops before she sat. As her bottom touched the seat, her skirt shot up in the air, catching Fisher on the chin and knocking him sideways.

“Oh! Fisher? Are you all right?” she cried, batting at the skirt that blocked her view. “Fisher?”

When she succeeded in mashing down the purple monstrosity, she saw him holding his chin and laughing.

---