Page 44 of Secret Baby
Clara didn't let go of her doll or whatever fantasy she was in at the moment. "Okay."
Vicki picked up a knife and began slicing the carrots, but then her phone rang. Alice retook the knife as Vicki checked her phone. She pursed her lips, as she didn't recognize the out-of-town number. She scratched her head, picked it up, and answered, "Hello?"
"Vicki, hi. It's Belle. Hope you're well."
Her face must have shown her surprise, because Alice stopped chopping and scooted closer. Vicki gripped the phone tighter. "Belle, I'm fine. Why are you calling me?"
Alice offered a smile, though she clearly intended to listen. Belle's voice had a sweet tinge in it. "I'm calling about the play date with Clara you're on today. I need you to come over to your bridal shop."
"Why?"
"I'm buying a dress and we should talk in person."
"Why are you there?" Colt had told her to take her time, as he intended to spend the day with Belle.
"I thought we'd clear the air."
Her stomach rolled. The wedding was on. She'd misread Colt, badly. Vicki had hoped he had dumped Belle. This time she had to be sure. "Okay. We're having lunch with her aunt and uncle. I'll be right over."
"Thanks. I look forward to our chat."
Her eyes felt wet as she ended the call. Today she let go of her crush on Colt. He must still intend to be with Belle. Perhaps they had worked out their problems. Her cheeks were slightly damp from her eyes, but Vicki turned away so no one saw her tears. "Belle is at my shop. Can Clara stay here for the hour so I can go help her?"
Alice pressed a hand on her shoulder. "You're joking."
Colt's sister shouldn't be surprised. Vicki froze. Now was not the time to listen to her heart. It could break, later, when she was alone. She stared at the ground, walked over, and kissed Clara's head. "I have to go. I'll be back here in an hour."
No one said a word to her. Vicki closed the door of the building, and started her car. With action, she didn't think. She had no right to let herself hope. She'd been wrong. She drove down John's street and toward her shop, as she fished in her pocketbook for her phone. At the stop sign, she dialed Colt.
The first ring took too long. The second was even worse. Then her heart almost stopped. He hadn't answered. His voicemail did. She sighed and then perked up her voice. "Colt. It's Vicki. Belle called me and asked for my help. I left Clara with John and Alice. I need you to call me."
As she continued on the street, he didn't call, and every second took too long. Guess she'd not talk to him first. Vicki parked out front of her shop, and all she heard was silence. She stared in the window. A dark-haired woman stood with a wedding dress. Vicki's heart thumped into her stomach as she turned the car off. This shouldn't happen. Colt should not marry Belle.
She willed herself forward. Her feet marched, but her ankles locked against the motion. With the blazing heat that beat against her head, she tried to breathe. He should have called her back already. The phone call might have been about Clara.
The doorbell chimed above her head as she slipped inside the shop. "Hello?"
"Victoria, you're the only woman I know in Miami that's female and not a child. I can't decide between this dress and one more." Belle twirled around in a Vera Wang. "What do you think of this one?"
Vicki blinked. At least Belle hadn't picked the Pandora dress from the latest line, as Vicki dreamed of herself in that dress, at the altar with Colt. Her stomach turned queasy. "You look beautiful."
"Hold on." Belle smiled, but the air in the room went cold, fast. "I want your opinion on the second."
Vicki tried hard not to feel. It would be better if she didn't care. Josie, the store manager, came to stand next to her. "I tried to help her, but she said you were personal friends."
"Don't worry." Vicki nodded. "I'll handle Belle."
Belle came from behind and turned around near the mirror, "Okay, Tori, will you get the buttons for me in the back?"
"My name is Vicki, or Victoria. I'm not Tori." Vicki's hands clenched.
"I'm sorry. I'm trying to be friends."
"Then call me Vicki." Vicki buttoned Belle in the dress.
Belle held still and stared at herself in the mirror. "If we're all getting along closer to the wedding, maybe you can be one of the bridesmaids."
When she'd worked for the Hudsons to keep her identity a secret, Vicki hadn't felt these sharp pains of a knife lodged in her spine. Her throat went dry, but somehow, she managed to hold her smile. "We'll see."
