Walker Bride by Bernadette Marie Page B

her a visit.
    Her heart rattled in her chest and she closed
her eyes. Her mind drifted to yesterday morning when she was under
him, their bodies pressed together. That wouldn’t be a horrible way
to start today either, she thought as she swung her legs over the
edge of the bed and stood up.
    Of course, if he didn’t appear on her
doorstep maybe he’d drop by her store. That might be even better.
She was always on her game when she was at work.
    Pearl turned on the bathroom light and
started her shower. Today was going to be stellar.
    Monday mornings were good for business. Lucky
girls who were proposed to on Friday or Saturday night flooded
Pearl’s store on Monday mornings. There weren’t very many sales,
but there were connections made with these overly excited women.
They would all be back over the next few months, and they’d bring
their excited girlfriends, who would also get married some day.
They would rent their tuxedos for their grooms and their groomsmen.
Of course, the mothers of the bride and groom would also need
dresses. Meeting new brides was one of her favorite things in
business.
    During her early afternoon lull, Pearl sat in
her back room, at the small table, having a sandwich from the deli
down the street. On the table, she had her planning notebook, the
one she was recording all new store plans in.
    She’d have twice the room at her new
location. There would be room to do multiple fittings if she hired
another person. They could carry twice as many dresses and even
have the tuxes in store. There was so much to think about.
    But then her mind wandered to her new
business partner.
    Would he come around more? Would he bring
business to them—somehow?
    Pearl pressed her fingers to her lips. It was
hard not to think about it when her morning had been filled with
hopeful women who were in love. She’d never been one of
them—hopeful. Men came and went in her life. She shook her head.
Why would Tyson Morgan be any different? They’d only passed through
each other’s lives, really she had nothing to build these fantasies
on, but she couldn’t help herself.
    Tyson Morgan wasn’t the kind of man she
usually dated. Those men wore suits and drove fancy cars. They were
clean shaven and well spoken. So what was it with this man who
drove an old farm truck, wore worn out work boots, and a beat up
baseball cap that turned her head? He’d consumed her every thought
since he’d walked into her store on Friday. How much more could she
take of this?
    When the bell above the front door chimed,
Pearl’s heart rate shot up. She’d waited all day for him to
appear—was this it?
    She fixed her lipstick in the mirror and
walked out to the main room to find Lydia standing there with a
bottle of champagne in her hand and two glasses.
    “We close tomorrow!”
    Pearl smiled. “Tomorrow?”
    She nodded. “My brother gave us enough to
secure the mortgage on the building and do a lot of
renovations.”
    “He’ll be meeting us there then?”
    Lydia set the glasses on the counter and
began to unwrap the cork. “No, it’s just our names on the title.
The paperwork is being drawn up now by the lawyers for us all to
sign regarding his investment.”
    “Oh, well that’s fine then.”
    Lydia pulled the cork from the bottle with a
pop! They both laughed as she poured them each a glass.
    She picked up the glasses and handed one to
Pearl. “Here’s to partnership.”
    “To partnership.” Pearl tipped her glass to
Lydia’s.
    “We’re going to make so much damn money,”
Lydia giggled as she sipped her champagne. “Already I have three
women who have called me wondering when the reception hall will be
ready.”
    “Three?”
    Lydia nodded. “People already know what we’re
doing, and they can’t wait. This is going to be big,” she said
sipping again. “Big.”
    Pearl liked the sound of that. She liked
making money, and she loved her job. Hearing Lydia go on about the
plans ahead of them seemed to ease Pearls