LEAD ME ON Julie Ortolon (mind reading books .TXT) 📖

Reaching the steps, she saw Rory sitting in one of the veranda’s wicker chairs with a glass of iced tea and a magazine. She hesitated with her foot on the first step, her hand on the stone rail. On any other occasion, she would have called out a greeting on her way to the front door, or even joined her sister to enjoy the spring day for a few minutes before going in to clean rooms.

But things had been strained between her and her siblings since the night she’d spent with Scott. No one had said a word since her last flare-up with Adrian, but the subject hung in the air. With a sigh, she accepted that the burden of defusing the awkwardness lay on her shoulders.

She mounted the wide sweep of steps and headed for her sister. As she drew nearer, she saw Rory had a pen and was circling items in the magazine. Rory didn’t read well, but she enjoyed flipping through magazines to look at the pictures.

“Hi,” Alli offered tentatively. “Mind if I join you?”

Rory glanced up, and paused for the barest fraction of a second. “Of course not.”

She took a seat in the wicker chair beside her sister, not sure how to proceed. “What are you doing?”

“Planning a wedding, if you can believe it.” Rory laughed as she held up the magazine so Alli could see the cover of Modern Bride.

“Oh? Who’s getting married?”

“Chance and me.”

“But you’re already married.”

“That’s what I keep telling him.” Rory reached into the bag beside her for a handful of salted pecans. “He says after the baby comes, he wants us to have a real ceremony. Apparently he doesn’t think the quickie service before the judge when he found out I was pregnant is sufficient. Oh!” Rory jumped, then patted her tummy. “Yes, we’re talking about you.”

Alli felt the familiar ripple of fear as she watched her sister talk to the baby nestled inside her, but she pushed it back down. “When did all this come about? The wedding, I mean.”

“Oh, he’s been badgering me about it for some time. Last night, I asked Adrian what he thought, and he said we should go for it.”

“I see.” Her sister had discussed it with their brother, but not with her.

Rory eyed her, apparently hearing the tinge of hurt in her voice. “What do you think?”

“You know I’m for whatever makes you happy. Do you want to get remarried?”

“I don’t know.” Her sister let out a sigh of frustration. “A part of me thinks it’s silly. But then I think it might be fun to have a real service. As long as it’s a very small service.”

Alli nodded, knowing Rory had a phobia about being the center of attention in large groups, not that Rory let her fears hold her back. She plowed ahead with a courage Alli had always admired. “Well, if you decide to do it, what do you have in mind?”

“A garden wedding.” Rory flipped to a dog-eared page and turned the magazine so Alli could see the two-page photo spread of a fairy-tale arbor covered in climbing roses and surrounded by pots of flowers. “We could build one of these over there beneath that stand of oaks. Maybe have the service on our first anniversary, which will give me time to get my figure back. Only ...” Worry lined Rory’s face. “Will you help me with what to wear? You know I’m clueless about such things.”

“I’d love to help however I can.”

“Thank you.” Rory’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Adrian said he’d give me away. So, as long as we’re getting all traditional, will you be my maid of honor?”

“Of course.” Allison’s heart squeezed.

“Great.” Rory smiled. “Now, as for guests, I’d like to keep it to Chance’s parents, Aunt Viv, if she can come, and Bobby and Paige—if you don’t think it’s weird for me to invite Chance’s former girlfriend to our wedding.”

“She invited all of us to her wedding,” Alli pointed out.

“Yeah, but that was a huge society affair with half of Galveston invited. Wasn’t it hilarious, though, seeing all the country club set sitting all proper and stiff on the bride’s side, then all of Bobby’s drinking buddies and dockhands sitting on the groom’s side?”

“It was.” Allison nodded. “But what an awkward moment when the ushers asked us where we wanted to sit, since we’re friends with both of them.”

“At least we had Mr. Manners, Chance, there to smooth things over.” Rory settled back with a sigh and popped another nut into her mouth. “Funny how all that worked out, don’t you think? When I first met Paige, I hated her guts.”

“When you first met Paige, she and Chance were practically engaged, so of course you hated her.”

“True. But I never—not in a million years—would have imagined her falling for a total bad boy like Captain Bob.”

“I don’t know.” Alli smiled slowly. “Bad boys have their charm.”

“Apparently.” Rory cocked her head, studying her. “Speaking of bad boys, can I ask you something?”

“What?” Alli went still, feeling the shift in mood.

“This thing between you and Scott. One minute you claim it’s purely physical, then I see the two of you together, and there seems to be something more, something that goes beyond simple lust. So what’s really going on?”

“We’re friends. Sort of.”

“Friends who sleep together.”

“Not ongoing, it was just that one night.”

“One night? Yeah, right.” Rory let out a snort of laughter.

“I’m serious.” Alli frowned at her sister. “We agreed that while he’s staying here, we’d be nothing more than innkeeper and guest.”

“And he’s staying here how long?” Rory’s eyebrows lifted.

“Three more weeks.”

“Uh-huh.” Rory nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

Alli straightened. “I’m not going to sleep with a guest right here at the inn. It wouldn’t be proper.”

“And Chance didn’t mean to sleep with me at all. You can’t get much more proper than Oliver Chancellor, and we all can see how long those good intentions lasted.” She patted her tummy.

“What’s going on between Scott and me