Chapter Seven
On Friday, Laura drove through the pass, navigating the roads without difficulty, although it was easy to see the scars of the slip on the hillside. This time, she’d checked her spare tire and made sure her jack and an emergency kit were present in her trunk. She charged her cell phone, but none of her precautions were necessary.
She pulled up outside her parents’ home on the outskirts of Clare a little after five. Knowing she wouldn’t have time or privacy to ring Dallas, she made a quick call from her car.
“Hey, I thought I’d ring to let you know I made it safely to Clare.”
“No, I can’t make it tonight. I have to work,” Dallas said.
“One of your brothers is there, huh?”
“Yes.”
“So now isn’t the time to tell you I’m naked and about to jump into the shower, or that I packed my waterproof rubber ducky?”
Growling rippled from her phone.
“Oh dear. A little testy? That’s what happens when a man is celibate for too long.”
“The rubber ducky stays in your bag.” He lowered his voice. “No manual stimulation either. If I go without, so do you. And you have a spanking in your future.”
“Oh.” A rush of heat speared right to her lower belly.
“Not so chirpy now.”
“Dallas!” A cranky male voice sounded in the background.
“I miss you.” Laughter threaded through her voice.
“I know. Look I can’t talk now. Can I ring you later tonight?”
“What time?” she asked.
“It will be late, after closing.”
“Send me a text, and I’ll ring you back if I can.” A sharp rap sounded on her car window. “Got to go. Talk to you later.” Laura shoved her phone in her pocket. Her heart thumped in a crazyboom-boom-boom, but she maintained her mother’s gaze without a falter and even added a small smile as she opened her door and stepped from the car. “I promised to ring my friend when I arrived. After last weekend they were worried.”
“Yes, well. I don’t know why you insist on working in Napier. If you hurry, you’ll have time to freshen up before James arrives for pre-dinner drinks.” Her mother was dressed in a smart navy dress that contrasted with her steel-gray hair. A pale blue shawl draped her shoulders to keep out the early evening chill.
“How nice. I’m looking forward to seeing him again.”Not. But it was an opportunity to tell James where she stood on the subject of marriage.
“Why are you wearing jeans? I hope you brought something suitable to change into for dinner.”
“I have clothes in my bedroom.” Laura retrieved her bag and linked arms with her mother for the walk to the front door. Colors—purple, yellow, white, and deep blue drew her eye and the riot of flowery scents brought memories of the carefree days of childhood. “The gardens look beautiful. I love the contrast of the bed of purple flowers and the white of the house.”
“They should look good,” her mother said, not sparing a glance at the showcase gardens. “That’s what we pay for. Your father is in his study, finishing a business call. Aaron is showering. Rochelle and Katherine aren’t coming tonight. Oh, you’d better try on your bridesmaid dress. You’ve put on weight.”
One. Two. Three.Laura counted under her breath, fisted her hands at her sides. “I’m sure the dress will fit fine. How are the wedding plans going? Did the rehearsal dinner go well last night?”
“Everything was fine, although if I were Elaine, I’d have put a bomb under the wedding planner. One hopes the woman holds things together better during the actual ceremony.”
“I’m sure everything will be wonderful. That’s what rehearsal dinners are for—to iron out potential problems.”
“Yes, well.” Her mother flapped her hands in ashoomotion. “Go and change before James arrives. You don’t want to give a bad impression. He’s such a lovely man.”
Laura didn’t waste breath arguing. “I won’t be long.”
She dressed to impress in one of her favorite little black dresses. It skimmed her curves and the deep neckline drew attention to her breasts. A diamond and sapphire pendant and matching earrings completed her outfit. She twisted her hair into a messy up-do, redid her makeup to emphasize her eyes and finished her look with a spritz of a new ginger and sandalwood perfume.
