CHAPTER FIFTEEN
That night, Brett sat in front of the fire, enjoying the peace and quiet of his own home. Well, he would have been, if he didn’t miss Hannah so much.
For more than two weeks, she’d been an almost constant presence at the ranch. And now she was living in Bozeman, getting on with her own life instead of being caught up in his.
Someone knocked on his front door.
“You home, boss?”
“I’m in here, Dave.” He dropped his feet off the couch. After everything that had happened, he half-expected Dave to be bringing bad news. “Is everything all right?”
“I just wanted to say thanks. I spoke to mom. She’s driving back to Bozeman on Saturday with my brothers.”
“That’s good. Do you feel better knowing the people who hurt you are behind bars?”
Dave shrugged. “I suppose so, but it doesn’t change the fact that dad owes people money. I guess it’s like the detective said. We’ll still need to be careful.”
Brett admired Dave’s attitude. It was hard knowing you were better off having nothing to do with a parent. Maybe one day, his dad might turn his life around, but no one was counting on it happening anytime soon. “You made the right decision today. Agreeing to testify against the men who attacked you is the only way to stop them.”
“I hope so. At least they won’t be able to hurt anyone else when they’re in prison.”
Brett hoped he was right. “Do you want to watch some TV?”
“Not tonight. I’d better get back to our house. Mrs. Bennett made an apple pie for our supper. If I leave Thomas alone for too long, he’ll eat it all.”
Brett stood and walked Dave to the front door. “Thanks for staying with everyone last night.”
Dave pulled on his hat. “It wasn’t a big deal. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
His sincerity made Brett feel humble. “That’s good, because I wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else. Watch the ice on your way home. It’s freezing outside.”
Dave smiled and opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, boss.”
“Sounds good.” Brett closed the door and glanced at the fireplace. Going back to the sofa wouldn’t help him out of the mess he was in. He might as well spend a couple of hours in his office, working on the ranch accounts. At least he’d have something productive to show for the night and less time to think about Hannah and Ida.
***
Hannah looked around the grand ballroom of The Baxter Hotel. The maple hardwood floor gleamed like a polished jewel. The large, arched windows spilled light onto four crystal chandeliers, and yards of white chiffon fell in soft folds across the ceiling and down the walls.
Tomorrow, Beverly Jenkins would marry her fiancé in the Holy Rosary Church. By four o’clock, they would be here, enjoying the wedding reception of their dreams.
For the last three days, Hannah had worked alongside her sister to make sure the bride and groom’s wish list came true. At the moment, the ballroom looked like a construction site. Florists were hanging baskets of cascading white roses from specially designed frames in the ceiling. A lighting contractor was making sure the fairy lights were working, and the hotel staff were checking the sound system.
“Do you think we’ll have everything finished in…” —Claire looked at her watch— “Three hours?”
Hannah smiled at her sister. “Of course we will. Once the flowers have been hung, the hotel staff will set the tables and we’ll add the final decorations.”
Beverly had chosen a winter wonderland theme for her wedding. Over the years, that theme had been done so many times that nothing about it was new. But not for this wedding.
Hannah and Claire had hired a fairytale carriage for the ground floor entrance. As soon as the guests arrived, a small snow machine would send sparkly snowflakes into the air while the guests had their photo taken.
Hot chocolate, eggnog, and muffins decorated with snowmen were just some of the treats waiting for the wedding guests when they arrived at The Baxter.
Claire placed the box she was holding on one of the tables. “The teardrop crystals have been delivered.” She unwrapped a pale blue shard of cut glass. Six crystals would hang from a delicate silver candelabra on each table. With the candles lit and snowflakes sprinkled across the linen, the tables would look beautiful.
Hannah held one of the crystals. “They’re even better than I remember. Do you want me to help you hang them on the candelabras?”
Claire pulled another set of crystals out of the box. “I’ll be okay. Did you speak to the people in Vancouver?”
