She rose to her tiptoes and touched her lips to his. What started off, Dominic was sure, as a simple gesture of approval, turned into something hot and sweet very quickly. Their mouths melded together, their tongues began to twine, their bodies to mold together.
But the very fact that the kiss was so sweet, so genuine, so wonderful, brought Dominic to his senses. This woman was too nice for him, and he needed to leave her alone.
He pulled back and turned away. He walked out of the nursery before she had a chance to compose herself enough to stop him.
Walking into Wedding Belles on Monday morning, Audra thought about that conversation with Dominic—the things that had led to a kiss that she should regret giving him, but didn’t.
She couldn’t change his overwhelming sense that he was taking Peter’s place, but she did understand. Joshua was too young to have memories of Peter. In time, with Dominic taking over the role as daddy, it would be as if Peter had never existed.
She entered the foyer, poised to say good-morning to Julie, but Julie wasn’t at her desk. The unexpected quiet of the usually bustling foyer allowed her to hear the low hum of activity in the other rooms.
Walking back down the hall to the steps, she heard the delighted gasp of a bride as she saw her gown for the first time. She could picture Serena stepping back, enjoying the moment. Gowns were Serena’s art.
Closer to the kitchen, she smelled the raspberry drizzle before she heard the groan of appreciation as a bride or a mother of the bride took her first taste of one of Natalie’s decadent wedding cake samples. That made her smile.
But at the bottom of the steps, Audra paused. She smelled Callie’s flowers. Was surrounded by wedding photos that hung on the walls to give brides examples of what Regina could do with a camera.
She was immersed in the beauty of artists dedicated to creating the perfect wedding. Was it any wonder she’d expected a proposal from David?
She climbed the steps and walked to her office deep in thought. When she pushed open the door, Julie glanced up from the second desk. “Hey, good morning, Audra!”
“Julie?”
“I’m taking tomorrow off, so I’m getting a jump on invoices today.”
“Oh. Great.” Audra shrugged out of her coat. “Got special plans?”
Julie jerked her gaze away from the computer screen as if she were surprised by Audra’s question. “Hmm?”
“Plans? Are you doing something special on your day off?”
“Oh. Plans.” She shook her head. “No. Not really.” She returned her attention to the invoices on the desk. “I just want a few days to myself.”
“Tell me about it.” As Audra lowered herself to her wonderful beige suede chair, she felt the familiar sense of control return. Work was what she knew. What she was good at. But as much as she loved being busy, she could see that adding her nanny job into the mix had drained her. “After the taxes are filed, I’m going somewhere.”
Julie looked up. “Oh, yeah? Where?”
Audra leaned her elbow on her desk and her chin on her closed fist. “I’m thinking somewhere tropical.”
Julie mimicked her pose, elbow on her desk, chin on her fist, a faraway look in her eyes. “Somewhere so hot a bathing suit seems like too much clothing and where the ocean is so clear you can see to the bottom.”
“Yes.”
Even Audra heard the desperation in her own voice and wasn’t surprised when Julie laughed. “Girlfriend, I think you should be online making travel arrangements.”
“Can’t.”
“Why not! You sound like you’re going to snap.”
Thanking God she had a legitimate excuse that kept her from having to explain her exhaustion, Audra said, “I’m still working on Wedding Belles’ income taxes.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you can’t take a weekend off.”
“I can’t.”
“Surely one tax return can’t take that long—” Julie’s eyes widened, and then she gasped. “You’re moonlighting!”
The red of embarrassment seeped into Audra’s cheeks. “Moonlighting?”
“You’re doing taxes on the side! That’s why you’re so stressed.”
Liking that excuse, Audra didn’t really confirm or deny it. “You know I have other clients.”
“Audra, you’re just so on the ball.” Julie turned to the computer again, put her fingers on the keyboard and began inputting invoice information, though she didn’t stop talking. “I wish I were like you.”
“I wish I were like you.” The words popped out of Audra’s mouth before she even knew they were forming. But once they were out, Audra didn’t want to take them back. “You’re so trusting. You’re so open. Anything to do with people is so easy for you.”