The Fairy Tale Bride Read online

“So, where exactly did you stay in Washington? I know it quite well. I’ve a few friends from there and I visit a lot.”

  “Just in the city. I worked in Washington General and lived in the area.”

  She frowned. “Washington General covers a huge area. Whereabouts did you stay?”

  She recognised evasive answering. Time to find out more about Adam Brady.

  “Are your mom and dad from Marietta?” he asked.

  She took a sip of her soda. He’d just completely avoided her question. “I grew up in Marietta, but my mom and dad moved to Florida a few years ago. There’s just me left now.”

  “No brothers or sisters?”

  She hesitated. How to answer that question? Chances were, if he asked anyone else in Marietta about her they might mention her sisters. There was no sense in lying.

  “Two sisters. Both not around anymore.” Her heart squeezed inside her chest. She said it so casually – as if it didn’t really matter. Fundamentally, it was true. Even if it wasn’t exactly honest. There was a huge difference between Grace being buried in the local church yard and Melody running away with her fiancé.

  But Adam didn’t seem to pick up on anything. “Are your mom and dad happy where they are?”

  She nodded. “They loved Montana. But my dad’s really arthritic, they needed to move to a warmer climate. The winters around here are just too cold.”

  He gave a smile. “I kind of like the cold – and the snow. Makes it feel more like Christmas.” He gave a shrug. “I like seasons in general.” He looked out of the window at the warm summer evening. “I like the summer too.” His eyes skimmed over her bare shoulders. “A chance for wearing a little less clothing.”

  There it was again. The tingling. The warm feeling spreading over her skin. This was nice. This was so nice. It had been so long since she’d flirted like this. It had been so long since she’d actually contemplated dating again. It had so long since she’d felt a connection to anyone.

  Her stomach gave a little twist. She’d trusted Joe. She’d known him for years. She had felt completely betrayed by him and her sister. It’s probably why she hadn’t dated in so long. It was so easy to lose herself in the shop. To help everyone else with their happy ever afters. She’d spent the last few years pretending she was too busy to find her own.

  Was she finally ready to trust someone again? To share with someone?

  Adam reached over the table and touched her hand. “You okay, Lisa? You look kind of lost in your own little world.”

  She gave a start and straightened self-consciously in her chair. “Sorry.”

  He leaned back again. “So, do you really buy into all this celebrity wedding stuff?”

  She smiled and gave a shrug. “I have to. I buy into everyone’s wedding stuff.” She looked up, “Every bride wants to have the best wedding day and be the most beautiful bride. I get to play a part in all that.”

  His eyes narrowed for a second. Guys. They had a hard time with all this fairy tale stuff. “Don’t you think it’s all just a big fuss? People spend the kind of money that could be a deposit on a house in one day. Then, if it doesn’t work out,” he popped open his fingers, “then poof, it’s all gone.”

  It sounded a tiny bit cynical. She shifted on her chair. “You’re right. For some people it is a ridiculous amount of money. In my shop I have a whole range of dresses with different price tags. I always work around people’s budgets. That’s my job.” She licked her lips. “But this wedding – Nancylynn’s – it could make a huge difference to me. Once Married in Marietta is associated with a celebrity wedding it should be good for business. I’d be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. My friend’s already helping me with my website.” She gave a nod of her head. “This could make my business really soar.”

  There was silence for a second, as if Adam were contemplating her words. He spoke carefully, a furrow wrinkling his brow. “Is your business in trouble?”

  “What? No.” She shook her head and took a sip of her beer. “Not at all. Marietta might be a small town but my bridal shop has done well. I’m really happy. But if the online stuff takes off too…,” she raised her beer bottle to him, “I could be the next Donald Trump.”

  He gave a thoughtful nod. For a few seconds she wondered what was running through his mind. Had she sounded too cut-throat? Too business minded? She was proud of her business. It had been the one thing that had kept her on track when the rest of the world was falling apart around about her.

  Whatever it was – it passed in an instant.

  He glanced over towards the waiter. “It’s a gorgeous night. How about we skip dessert and just go for a walk and a few drinks back in town?”

  There it was. The slight suggestion of who knew what? She liked it. The buzz between them had been momentarily hushed, but now it was back.

  She nodded. “That sounds good.”

  He paid the bill and walked her out to the car, his arm gently resting at her back. His touch was gentle, but the warmth of his palm was sending little shock waves of heat along the small of her back. He opened her car door for her and she turned to face him. “Well, Dr. Brady, you’re quite the gentleman, aren’t you?”

  He was standing right in front of her. His pale green shirt open at the neck, giving a tiny glimpse of a few curling hairs. She sucked in a breath and inhaled his woody aftershave. It was so easy. So easy just to tilt her head up towards his.

  He gave a lazy kind of smile and their gazes connected. He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers along her shoulder. “Not really.” His hand closed in around the back of her head. He pulled her head towards his and bent to kiss her.

  It was a definite surprise. A bolt from the blue. But if all bolts came with this amount of electricity she would happily sizzle from here all the way back to Marietta.

  Adam’s lips were soft. But the way he held her wasn’t. He held her like a man in control. A man who knew exactly what he wanted.

  One hand was at the back of her head. The other? It seemed to sidle its way around to her ass. She pressed forward a little, her hands on his chest as she kissed him back. It only took a few seconds for them to wind their way up around his neck and for her to push herself even closer.

  Their kiss deepened. Her mouth opened and she relaxed into his warmth. He tasted both sexy and sweet and she felt a little surge of something – something she hadn’t felt in years.

  It wasn’t that she hadn’t kissed anyone after Joe had left. Truth was she’d kissed quite a few. But none of them had felt right. Most of them she’d just wished to be over. None of them had made the blood rush through her veins the way it was doing now. None had lit a fire in her belly like the one that was burning right now.

  He moved his hands, releasing her head and sliding both hands on to her hips, anchoring her even closer to him. She felt herself smile underneath his kisses and after a few seconds he was smiling too, stopping for a second so they could both come up for air.

  He bumped his forehead against hers and let out a sexy laugh. “Well, I guess that got things out of the way.” His eyelashes flickered against her face, tickling her cheek. His gaze was downwards, directly into her cleavage.

  She let out a laugh herself. “It certainly did. Adam Brady, did you have an ulterior motive for getting me to wear this dress?”

  They were still locked together. It was the first time, in a long time, she hadn’t felt self-conscious. It was the first time, in a long time, she’d felt comfortable in someone’s arms.

  He lifted his dark eyes to meet hers. “Busted.” His cheeky grin stretched from one ear to the other. His voice was husky. “I would have spent all night wondering just when to do that. I’d already spent most of dinner thinking about it.” He gave a little shrug. “It seemed easier just to do it now.”

  “What – get it out of the way? See if you really wanted to take that walk in Marietta with me?” She was teasing him because he still hadn’t let her go. She didn’t have any doubt that Adam Brady
was exactly where he wanted to be.

  It was weird. Usually after a first kiss there was that moment of hesitation – wondering if the person had the same reaction that you had. This time she didn’t doubt it for a second. She could see the little pulse racing at the bottom of his neck.

  Adam was trying to appear casual. Trying to be laid back. But they could probably light up the whole parking lot with the amount of hormones flooding through them both.

  He leaned back a little against the car. “Oh, I definitely want to take that walk.” He pulled open the handle behind them and stepped away from her, opening the door to let her climb in.

  She was surprised by how much she missed the feel of his body against hers. It was ridiculous. But his eyes hadn’t left her, so she moved slowly. She was more than capable of getting in a car, but the dress restricted her movements and she had to slide in bottom first, then swing her legs around.

  Adam closed the door with a shake of his head. “You’ve no idea how much I like that dress.” He laughed as he walked around to the other side.

  The drive only took five minutes and he parked in the main street. “Where to?”

  She looked around. There were a few people around and it was still warm out. Grey’s was more a jeans kind of place. Her red dress might raise a few eyebrows. She wasn’t quite sure she was ready for that.

  But something told her it was now or never. As soon as they were spotted together, Marietta would talk. Before, she’d always been uncomfortable about the topic of gossip. But with Adam? It didn’t feel quite so scary. She might even want people to talk. Want other women to know that she was the person he was seeing.

  He came around to help her out the car as she slid her legs out, keeping them tightly together. It was easy to take his hand as he helped her out. It was even easier to end up back in the position she had before, bumping right up close to him.

  The walk into Grey’s was the most self-conscious of her life. But Adam didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he handled it well. He slipped his hand into hers just outside the door and didn’t give her a chance to hesitate.

  A few heads turned as they walked in. Lisa with her bright red dress. And hand in hand with the new doc. She could practically hear phones ringing all round town.

  Cameron behind the bar gave her a little nod. “Looking good, Lisa,” he said casually. “What’ll it be?”

  “How about one of those cocktails you were drinking the other night?” Adam gave her a cheeky wink. “It might match your dress?”

  The beer from earlier was beginning to kick in. Another cocktail and she might finally stop thinking that everyone was staring at her. She’d much prefer it if they just stared at Adam.

  She gave a nervous smile to Cameron. “I’ll have the strawberry daiquiri.” She glanced around. “What’s with this place tonight? It’s practically buzzing.”

  He gave a wave of his hand. “Oh, that guy was in earlier.”

  “What guy?”

  “Jared somebody. The guy that Nancylynn Pruitt’s going to marry. I think half the locals just came in to celeb spot. Not that I’m complaining.”

  Lisa looked around. “Well, I don’t see him. He must have left already. I heard that he and Nancy are practically attached at the hip.”

  Cameron opened his mouth as if to say something, then gave a little shake of his head. He put the drinks down on the bar. “Enjoy.”

  Adam carried their drinks over to one of the booths. Adam had opted for a beer and decided just to leave his car parked in the high street.

  As a few heads turned in their direction Lisa started to pick at the hem of her dress. “Leave it,” said Adam huskily. “The dress is beautiful. The color suits you. Let people stare. You’re just living up to your nickname.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What one is that?”

  “Luscious Lisa.”

  She choked on her drink. “What? Where on earth did you hear that one?”

  “From some of the guys. They have nicknames for everyone. You were lucky. They were mostly complimentary.”

  “Luscious Lisa is complimentary?”

  “I think so.” He leaned towards her. “Whereabouts in Marietta do you stay? Now I’ve decided to have a beer I’ll need to walk you home.”

  “I think I can find my own way home. Marietta’s not that big a place to get lost in.”

  There was a glint in his eye. “You’ve already tagged me as a gentleman. There’s no way I’m letting you walk home alone. Not with that dress on anyway.”

  She shook her head. “Where do you live?”

  “Bramble Lane. I just bought the house. I like it. The kitchen and bathrooms need a little work but the bedrooms and sitting room are perfect. All I had to do was move my furniture in.”

  “Bramble Lane is nice. But it’s a big house for a single guy. What made you buy a house there?” She tilted her head. “Do you have a secret family to move in?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t even have a dog. But that’s in my plans too. To tell you the truth I don’t actually have enough furniture to fill the house. Two of the bedrooms are empty and I still need to buy a dining set. I think the word you would use to describe my décor right now would be sparse.”

  She laughed. “Well, I stay on Front Avenue above the bridal salon. My apartment has hardly any space. Certainly no room for a dog. Although I’d love one. I think the word you would use to describe it is compact.”

  “Ever think of moving?”

  Lisa shifted uncomfortably. “Not really.”

  “So, how do you like your new job? It must be a big change from Washington.”

  “It is. But it’s exactly why I came here. I didn’t want to just specialize in one area. And I didn’t really want to be a family doctor. So, working in a hospital like Marietta General is perfect for me.”

  “What’s your favorite ward?”

  “It depends. Sometimes I love general medicine, other times it’s peds.” He paused for a second. “It must be the same for you. I’ve seen you in different wards.”

  She gave a careful smile. “I move about the place. The staff know me. I’ve been around for a while. They know they can rely on me.”

  “And the fairy tales?”

  It seemed as if she was thinking about how to respond. “Everyone remembers fairy tales from their childhood. Most kids love them – even older ones who like to pretend they don’t. With the elderly patients? Sometimes it’s just someone sitting telling them a story, or they feel a familiarity about it. Whatever it is, it seems to help. So that’s why I do it.”

  It was noisy in the pub and they were leaning close together to hear each other talk. Adam reached over and brushed her hair back from her face, resting his hand behind her ear. “And that’s why I like you,” he whispered in her ear. “Now,” his eyes glanced dangerously downwards again, “How about I get us another drink?”

  It was dark by the time they’d emerged from Grey’s. Lisa was feeling much more relaxed now. She was enjoying Adam’s company. He was easy to be around. And the sexy smile was making her stomach flip in more ways than one.

  Another few drinks and a few compliments on her dress were making her feel a lot more confident. After Joe and Melody had left it had seemed so easy just to default into wearing black all the time. It was professional. On fat days it was slimming.

  It also helped her fade into the background. And that’s pretty much what she’d been doing. She didn’t want to be noticed. She didn’t want people to ask difficult questions. She was happy to try and help other people achieve their dreams without even thinking that she should find some of her own.

  And the children’s ward was the best place of all to hide. At least there she felt as if she were really achieving something. Strange as it might seem, there was comfort on being on the children’s ward – even when there was sadness. Someone always needed a cuddle, someone always wanted a story read. She didn’t really care what she did, as long as she felt as though she was help
ing. It was the little things that made the difference. Having a sister who’d died of cancer had taught her that. If she could be the person to make things easier for another family, then that was what she’d do.

  As they walked along the street she gave a little shiver. The temperature had dropped now and she hadn’t thought to bring a coat. Adam noticed and slung his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. He made it seem like the most natural thing in the world. And it almost felt as if she fitted.

  The street lights cast up orange shadows that reflected off the shop windows.

  Although the street seemed empty there was the echo of low voices. Adam looked around and shrugged. A few seconds later someone let out a laugh.

  As they walked it became obvious there was someone in one of the alleyways off Main Street. More than someone.

  A woman’s laughter rang out too. The outline of two interlocked bodies came into view. Adam pulled back a little. “Oops,” he whispered as he turned his head.

  Lisa didn’t want to stare. She really didn’t. It was obvious the couple were drunk and were fumbling around. The guy laughed and threw his head back as a security light on one of the doorways flickered on. Lisa sucked in a breath. Jared? He was easily recognizable.

  But the woman he was with wasn’t. She was a brunette – not blonde like Nancy.

  Adam noticed the change in Lisa instantly. She sucked in a deep breath and tensed under his arm. He followed her gaze. “What’s wrong?” It was pretty obvious what was happening amongst the fumbling down the lane. He cringed. Hardly the thing you wanted to see when walking a date home. It was obvious that both of them were drunk. Being loud and indiscreet wasn’t really helping. “Do you know him?”

  Lisa stared at him. “You don’t?”

  He shook his head. Although he could see the guy’s face he didn’t recognize him at all. As for the woman, her head was down in places where there was no light.

  Lisa’s eyes were wide. She looked in shock. He tried to remember what he’d heard about her. There was no recent ex. No skeletons he was aware of.

  He turned his back towards the couple. It just seemed too voyeuristic to keep staring. And anyway, he was far more concerned about Lisa.