Page 43 of Brenna, Brat

“Then you got thrown out?”

“No!” I answered, annoyed at his question. “No, I told her that my sister’s fiancé was very sick and I also said the magic words, which were that money was no object, and we would pay whatever it took. And we did pay a whole heck of a lot. Beckett did,” I corrected myself.

“So you bought one.” He held out his hands and helped me to my feet. I stood and wobbled even though I was on a rubber floor instead of the ice.

“Yes, we found a beautiful dress,” I agreed. “It’s amazing on Juliet and I’ll do the alterations myself so we won’t have to wait for the hot dog-fingered seamstresses that the bridal salon recommended.”

“Hot dogs?” he asked.

“Well, they’re actually really good at their jobs,” I admitted. “I saw some of their work, but they won’t have the time to get it done before the wedding. There’s a lot to do on that dress and there’s hardly any time at all. Juliet also wants a veil to match, so I’ll make that. I have to order the lace. Will she want a French bustle? There’s so much.”

“Woah,” Campbell said, and squeezed my fingers. “Take a breath. You just turned very pale.”

Maybe he would have to flirt with me to make me blush? I looked up expectantly.

“Let’s head out there and get your blood pumping,” he suggested.

Sure, we could do that instead. I let him lead me to the half-door that opened onto the ice and then waited for him to hold out his hands and skate backwards, but he shook his head. “You go next to me this time,” he said.

“I like the other way.”

“But now you can do it without me pulling you around. Come on and try.” He did offer one hand.

Gingerly, I took it. “If I fall and yank your shoulder out of its socket, you’ll have only yourself to blame.” I stepped onto the slick surface and wobbled again.

“You’re good,” he assured me. “Let’s go.”

I took a tentative step and stopped.

“Push with your back leg. All right, we’re skating—whoops! Here we are,” he said, and picked me up from off my butt.

“I don’t like this,” I informed him.

“You’re doing great. Whoops!” Only his grip on my hand kept me from hitting the ice again. “What about your dress? The bridesmaid stuff?”

Nicola must have forced Juliet to accept me, or maybe she’d felt obligated to throw me into the wedding party due to the fact that I was planning the event. In any case, I did need a dress, too—we all did. “I found something that will work,” I said, concentrating too hard on staying upright to share a lot more information. If I’d had time, I would have designed and sewn all these dresses, but even if I pulled all-nighters up until the event, I probably couldn’t have gotten it done. Not in my little apartment, forsure, since I still couldn’t use my atelier. The leak there was only worse. “We ordered them and I hope Sophie and Addie don’t get too fat,” I mentioned.

“You mean because they’re pregnant?”

“Whatever—oh!”

“Here we are,” he said soothingly. “You’re doing great.”

That was an out and out lie, but at least I was moving mostly under my own power. I was keeping my eyes forward, gliding, and—

“Whoops!” Campbell picked me up. He usually held me for an extra moment to make sure that I was steady on my feet and I clung to him as he did. Maybe I felt a little shaky and I needed that extra moment, or maybe I just liked the closeness. “That was a hard one,” he said.

I was thinking the same thing as I gripped his arms. They were both so hard, such beautiful muscles. “I’m ok,” I finally said, and forced my fingers to release.

“Here we go.” We started again. “So you checked off everything that you wanted to accomplish. Nice,” he complimented.

“My checklist is out of control,” I had to admit. “I have a lot of work ahead of me and I don’t…oh, I just thought of something. I bet she’ll want a garter to match the veil and it has to have something blue. And Beckett never got back to me about his tie. What about his tie?”

“I could get that information for you,” he mentioned. “I’m having lunch with Beckett tomorrow.”

“What? About your…” I glanced around.

“No, not about the criminal investigation. Not directly,” he answered. “I’m putting out feelers for a new job and he knows people. He has a good reputation.”

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