Last-Minute Bridesmaid (5 page)

He tried to take that information in, but words refused to form.

‘You did all of that pearly embroidery?’

She nodded slowly up and down. Once.

‘For all four dresses? On your own?’

Kate replied with a small shoulder shrug. ‘This is a one-woman show. No assistants, no apprentices. And I had to get the pearls just right. Otherwise the design wouldn’t match the pearl embroidery on Alice’s wedding dress.’

Suddenly she winced in pain as though she had cut herself and launched herself at him and grabbed the sleeves of his suit jacket. ‘Oh, no! Look what you made me do. I should not have said that. Should. Not. The wedding dress has to stay top secret until the big day. You have to promise not to say a word to your father. Seriously. Not a word. Okay. Promise?’

‘What wedding dress is that? Never heard a thing. Was someone talking?’ he replied in a calm voice and pretended to look around the room for a few seconds before gazing into her green eyes, which were sparkling with passion and sunlight. ‘But why didn’t you explain that last night?’

‘Because you were far more interested in your phone call than listening to anything that I would have to say.’

Kate released her grip on his sleeve and smoothed down the fabric before looking up into his face with an expression which demanded his attention and held it there.

‘Why weren’t you listening? Was your pride hurt because I actually used my initiative and did not follow your specific instructions to the letter?’

Oh, Kate. If you only knew the kind of day I had yesterday you would understand why the dress was the last straw that burst the bubble of control I was clinging onto so badly.

Her gaze stayed locked on his, but as he stayed silent she slowly relaxed her grip and a frown creased her forehead. ‘So, it had nothing to do with me. Did something happen yesterday? Before we met? Something which rattled you?’ she asked in a low intense voice which seemed to echo around the space even though they were so close that he could feel her breath on his throat and see the way the sun brought out the highlights in her hair.

It was as though she had read his mind.
Intuitive.

‘Rattled? I don’t get rattled,’ he mocked.

‘Yes, you do,’ she whispered and shuffled back half a step so that she could look up into his face. ‘Talk to me, Heath. Tell me what rattled you so very badly.’

He looked into those green eyes and knew instantly that she was not judging him or condemning him—she simply wanted to know what had happened. But there was something else in that gaze. Not pity. Concern. She was concerned about him.

And it shocked him to the core that he could not recall a single time that a girl had looked at him with concern in her eyes and meant it. Not Olivia. Their relationship had been based on mutual convenience and shared interests and a healthy appreciation of the benefits of an active social and sex life. But not concern. Not intimacy. Not sharing their hopes and fears.

The silence lengthened and she did not try to fill the silence with chatter but waited patiently to hear his response. Her light floral perfume and the sheer physical presence of this tiny woman who was within touching distance combined with the intensity of that one single look to reach inside him and knock on the locked door of his heart.

And for the first time in years he knew that he could trust another person with the truth. The real truth.

‘A few minutes before you arrived, my girlfriend, Olivia, called from China to inform me that not only is she going to miss the wedding this weekend, but she had decided that our relationship is not working for her and it was time to go our separate ways.’

‘She broke up with you? Over the phone?’ Kate’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

‘Over the phone from China. So you see, as of yesterday I am officially single and without a wedding date.’

‘Oh.’ She sighed and blinked several times. ‘Well, to use my good friend Amber’s favourite expression—that sucks. Big time.’

Heath exhaled the breath he had not even realised he had been holding in and his shoulders seemed to drop several inches. ‘It certainly does. And that is not the only problem. Alice had insisted that Olivia should be one of the four bridesmaids. And now she isn’t coming.’

Kate’s eyebrows went north and her mouth formed a perfect oval. ‘Ouch. Does Alice know yet? It could be difficult to find another bridesmaid in less than a week.’

‘Tell me about it. You already know that Olivia is petite and has tiny feet—you made her dress. There aren’t many girls who would be able to fit into...’ His voice faded away as his gaze scanned Kate from head to toe and back again. ‘Miss Lovat, I have a question for you.’

Her chin lifted. ‘Hello. Yes? What is it?’

‘What shoe size do you wear?’

‘It depends on the shoe but usually a size three or four British sizing. But why do you want to know that? Because Amber has told me all about your deep-seated dislike of anything that comes under the category of female fripperies. So if you are thinking of buying me footwear for some reason, thank you, but no.’

‘Me? Ah. No. Not my thing. Now, Alice...’ he sucked in a breath through his teeth like a whistle ‘...Alice insisted on buying all of the bridesmaids’ shoes from some exclusive London designer. I know this because I paid the invoice. And guess what size Olivia takes? A three. How about that for a coincidence?’

He sighed out loud and crossed his arms, lips pressed firmly together. ‘Shame that I shall have to return those gorgeous shoes now that Olivia cannot make it. And I know how much Alice wanted to have four bridesmaids. Not five or three. It had to be four. This is going to be such a blow. I’m worried that it might even ruin her big day.’

He cupped one elbow and started tapping on his lower lip.

‘Of course, there is one other alternative,’ he said in a lilting voice.
While staring directly into Kate’s eyes.

‘Any idea where I might be able to find a replacement bridesmaid at short notice who would fit a slim petite dress and size three shoes? Um...?’

FOUR

Kate stared at
him
, open-mouthed, for all of two seconds before she got the message.

‘Oh no, you don’t. Not a chance, Sheridan,’ Kate replied with a short sharp laugh and stepped back, both of her hands palm upwards.

‘You would make a perfect bridesmaid, Kate,’ he grinned, ‘and I’m sure Alice would be delighted.’

‘Are you mad?’ She glared at him in disbelief. ‘I might have spoken to Alice on the phone and by email but I have never even met your future stepmother in person and you may not be aware of this but usually the bride likes to have some say in who her bridesmaids are, not the best man. She is bound to have lovely friends and relatives who were furious to be missed the first time around. Or ring someone in your little black book.’

‘No point—the dress has been made for Olivia—and is about your size. In fact, didn’t Amber say that you modelled it because Olivia was overseas?’

Heath stepped back and then walked in a slow circle as he scanned her so slowly from shoes to head that she started to squirm. ‘Although it might be a bit tight around the bodice, the length would work.’

Kate’s head slowly came up and she crossed her arms over her chest.

‘Ah, so that is the only selection criteria. I have to be short and flat-chested.’

‘And pretty.’ He shrugged.

‘Short, flat-chested and with small feet,’ came her choked reply. ‘And not likely to crack the camera lens. My, you have a wonderful way of charming the ladies with your pick-up lines, Heath Sheridan. How could I possibly refuse when you hit me with that kind of flattery?’

Kate pressed her fingertip to her lips and laughed. ‘Oh, wait. I do refuse. Sorry, Heath. Not this time, not any time. Not a chance. But don’t panic. Alice is bound to know someone who would fit that dress.’

Heath crossed his arms and shook his head slowly from side to side. ‘I researched every lady on the guest list last evening and not one of them is a match.’

‘You have dossiers on the guests?’

‘Of course. How else would I know how to engage the house party in idle conversation?’

Kate closed her mouth, inhaled deeply, lifted her chin, slipped the pin cushion back onto her wrist and gave Heath a finger wave. ‘Well, I think that just about says it all. Best of luck with the bride. Have a lovely wedding.’

‘Kate. Wait. You know I wouldn’t ask you to do this unless I was desperate.’

‘Yes, I am beginning to understand that very well.’

‘Wait. This is important. I need this wedding to be a success,’ he blurted out as she turned away from him.

And he just stopped himself in time before the words came tumbling out of his heart—but he pulled back.

This might be the only chance—the last chance—that I have to build bridges and get my father back into my life.

His true feelings were too personal and private to share with anyone. When it came to his parents, he was a closed book to the rest of the world and that was exactly how he intended to stay.

Kate lifted her chin and stood rock-still, her lips pressed together. Then she squinted at him and asked in a stubborn voice, ‘Just give me one good reason why I should step in for your former girlfriend and be a bridesmaid when I haven’t even met the bride and groom.’

Yes! A window of opportunity. And if there was one thing that Heath had picked up in ten years in publishing, it was that he had to make the most of each and every opportunity that came his way.

But what? What could he come up with? A reason?

His gaze dropped to the paperwork under her splayed-out fingers. The very messy paperwork which she was having trouble getting to add up. Which was hardly surprising if she was using sticky notes as receipts.

Yes. A bribe might just work.

‘One?’ Heath replied. ‘I can give you several. But how about this for an idea?’

Heath took three steps towards Kate so that he was almost touching her and looked down into her startled face. ‘I am prepared to offer you a trade, Miss Lovat. As a lady entrepreneur, you must be so incredibly busy with your creative designs that I suspect you could use some professional help to sort out all those pesky accounts and the mountain of business paperwork that comes with working for yourself.’

He stepped to one side, looked hard at the desk, then back into her face, and then back at the desk again.

He sniffed and waved one hand in the air. ‘It just so happens that I am rather an expert in that particular area. I designed the office management system and helped to roll it out across the whole division. From what I have seen, I doubt that a company executive such as yourself would need more than a day or two to clear your backlog, bring your accounts up to date and put an easy but efficient system in place which could cope with any and all expansion plans. All I would need is some desk space right here in the studio. One business person to another. What do you say to that?’

He pressed the fingertips of both hands onto the surface of the table, trapping her within the arch of his body. And, to her credit, Kate did not shuffle away but locked her lovely green eyes onto his and refused to move. Only the longer he looked the more he wanted to look and it was an effort to blink, step back and focus on something other than her flawless skin and the amber and gold highlights mixed into the green of those eyes, which seemed to pop against the longest dark brown eyelashes that he had ever seen—and hers were real.

‘Well, there you have it, Kate.’ He laughed. ‘One good reason why you should run away with me this weekend and be treated to full-on pampering—and all in exchange for wearing one of your lovely frocks. Say yes,’ he murmured with his best molten-chocolate seductive voice. ‘You know you want to.’

Kate inhaled deeply then blew out and wafted her hand in front of her face.

‘Wow!’ She laughed and waggled her fingers at him. ‘Back off. Give a girl a minute here. I need some air if I’m going to think about it.’

* * *

Kate sat down heavily in her chair and dropped her head into her hands.

Decision time.

She could go back to her house and work on with some inventive ways to pay the rent and pretend that she did not care that Heath was one bridesmaid short of a wedding. A wedding which might direct a lot of high-spending customers to Katherine Lovat Designs. She had even printed off some extra business cards.

Or. And she closed her eyes for a second and inhaled a breath of hot dusty air.

Or she could agree to go with Heath to his father’s wedding, put on Olivia’s bridesmaid dress, which she already knew was a perfect fit, and new shoes and walk down the aisle behind a bride she had never even met.

In front of Heath’s fancy Boston family and friends.

She glanced up at Heath, who had taken out his smartphone and was already scanning his messages as he paced up and down her workspace.

Oh, Heath Sheridan. He is your dad and you love him and want him to love you!

If you only knew how similar we are, Heath. And how very different.

Taking a deep breath, Kate sat back in her pedestal chair and scrubbed at her temples with the fingertips of both hands. But when she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was the overflowing box of invoices and receipts which had built up over the past few weeks—okay, months—which she had promised Saskia that she would sort out the minute the bridesmaids’ dresses were finished.

No excuses. She had to face them. This was supposed to be her business and there was no way that she could afford an accountant, so it was her or relying on Saskia again. If only she knew...a business professional who might be willing to do her accounts for her.

Heath’s voice echoed across from the other side of the work table. She caught the words ‘margins’ and ‘discounts’ before he turned away.

Kate got to her feet and started pacing up and down in front of her desk, glancing at the paperwork piled inches high around the boxes and then looking up at Heath.

Her steps slowed then speeded up again. Heath was a brilliant businessman—who was desperate for a replacement bridesmaid.

She was a hopeless businesswoman who was fairly desperate with her accounts.

Just looking at the boxes made her want to shove the whole lot back into the cupboard to join the others and get on with the exciting work on Leo’s ballet costumes.

This could be the chance that she had been looking for to finally prove to her parents that she was able to make a living doing what she loved and she was not wasting her life on foolish nonsense. Taking her income to the next level would certainly come in useful too.

But a weekend wedding with the Sheridans? Ouchy ouch ouch.

It took five circuits before she stopped and braced her legs.

It might just work.

‘Hey, handsome. Over here. I’ve had a thought.’

‘Shall I alert the media?’ he snorted and immediately coughed into his hand as she glared at him. ‘Sorry. Carry on. You’ve had a thought. Does that mean yes?’

‘Not so fast. I need to get a few things straight.’ Kate’s breath caught in her throat and she carried on pacing slowly up and down so that when she replied her words came out in one long stream.

‘I would just be there as a stand-in bridesmaid, right? Not a wedding date. You’ll fess up that Olivia is not simply delayed somewhere.’

‘Absolutely,’ Heath replied, the ice in his voice replaced by a warm edge and there was just the touch of a smile on his lips. ‘And I promise that the speeches will be short and the champagne chilled.’

Kate relaxed her shoulders. She had done it now. Might as well go the full distance. ‘How about dancing and frolics?’ she asked.

Heath stopped frowning and his eyebrows lifted. ‘As far as I know, there are no plans for dancing. Or frolics. This is my dad, remember. But Alice has friends in a symphony orchestra who are sending up some of the string section. It should be a very cultural event. And why are you groaning again?’

‘Promise me that you will never move into sales because you are doing a terrible job at selling this to me, Heath Sheridan.’ Kate jutted her chin out. ‘A cultural event? This is a wedding. You know, romance, fun, happiness.’

Then she sniffed and gave a small shoulder shrug. ‘Is it a church or civil service or both?’

‘The local village church.’

Kate nodded slowly. ‘Let me guess. The Jardines have lived in the village for generations and have their own pew in the ancient church and plaques on the wall. Am I right?’

‘How did you know that?’ he asked in a low voice. ‘Do you know the village?’

‘No. But I have been to a few like it. English tradition.’ Her gaze locked onto his totally confused and bemused face and she burst out laughing. ‘You really do not have a clue, do you? Oh dear.’

Heath replied by stepping closer so that their bodies were almost touching. She could practically hear his heart beating under the fine weave luxury cotton shirt. But for once she held her ground and looked up into his face rather than give way.

‘Let me check that I understand the deal,’ she whispered. ‘One all expenses paid wedding, complete with bridesmaid duties, in exchange for two full days of your time as a business consultant. And you would be doing the actual number-crunching—not some minion. Okay?’

Heath took her hand and pressed his long slender fingers around hers and held them tight just long enough for her to inhale his intoxicating scent. Combined with the texture of his smooth skin against hers as he slowly raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles, sensible thought became a tad difficult for a few seconds.

Because the moment his lips touched her skin she was seventeen again and right back on her doorstep.

‘Better than okay. It’s a deal. Delighted to have you on my team—because I don’t have minions,’ he replied with a full-on, headlight-bright grin.

‘Team,’ she whimpered. ‘Right. Now that is settled. What time do you need me to be there on Saturday?’

‘Oh, didn’t I tell you? I’m going to need you there on Friday morning so you’re ready for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. I hope that isn’t a problem.’

* * *

‘Think musketeers. Think swagger and swords. Think Johnny Depp.’ Saskia Elwood picked up a cake fork and pretended to have a mock sword fight with the china teapot on Kate’s kitchen table.

‘Okay, okay, I am thinking and drawing at the same time. Designing pirate gauntlets is not easy, you know.’

‘Never said it was—that was why I came to the best. You are the only girl I know who spends most of her life in a fantasy world inside her head. You are a saviour, Kate Lovat.’

‘
Flatterer.
You know my hidden weakness for pantomime,’ Kate replied with a short salute. Then she looked at Saskia over the top of her spectacles. ‘Why are you the person who always ends up running these projects when you have a business to run?’

Saskia shrugged then chuckled. ‘I seem to have one of those faces that scream out—come and ask me to help and I will drop everything and do it for you. You would have thought that I would know by now, wouldn’t you?’

‘No—’ Kate laughed and patted Saskia on the arm ‘—you have always been generous with your time and your heart. That’s who you are. And I wouldn’t want you to change a bit.’ Then she gasped. ‘Wait. I have had a brilliant idea. Why don’t you go to this wedding in my place? The dress might be a tad short but you’ve got the legs to get away with it. Heath wouldn’t mind a bit.’

‘What? And deny you the vision of Heath Sheridan standing in a sunlit old church in his grey morning dress? All tall, dark and handsome. Oh, I couldn’t do that...not after your little teenage
interlude.
’

Kate rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. ‘I should know better than to call you and Amber. Two hopeless romantics who are determined to overlook a few rather important facts about the brown-eyed heir to the Sheridan empire.’

She coughed and counted them out on her fingers. ‘Let’s start with the fact that he lives in New York and works in Boston. Not London. Boston. Then move swiftly on to the fact that he thinks I am a loon. And thirdly—and most importantly—the one and only reason that he asked me to this wedding is because I fit the dress I made for the girl who dumped him over the telephone. Do you remember the last boy you dated who was on the rebound?’