Read Online Bikini Season by Sheila Roberts - Free Book Online Page A

chance to save for the wedding.” There. Now he’s been reminded. Happy, Mom?
    â€œOh, yeah. The wedding. How’s that coming? Got all the champagne ordered?”
    â€œWe’re going with sparkling cider.”
    Dan gave a snort. “Since when don’t you like booze? Oh, wait, don’t tell me, let me guess. McDoodoo doesn’t drink.”
    â€œIt’s McDreamy, and he drinks,” Erin said, irritated. “But champagne is expensive. We may do champagne punch,” she added, suddenly inspired. That would be a nice compromise.
    Dan nodded slowly. “Good idea. When you’re doing a big wedding all those bottles of champagne can get pricey.”
    â€œWell, it’s not going to be all that big.”
    Dan nodded again. “Anyway, you don’t have to drink. People just take advantage of the free booze and get all sloppy. Sparkling cider goes with anything. Come to think of it, I went to a wedding just last year where they served sparkling cider. The food was so good nobody seemed to care. Well, not much anyway. They had those jumbo shrimp and little egg rolls and for dinner they served salmon and …” He slowed to a stop and studied her. “No jumbo shrimp and egg rolls and salmon?”
    â€œTortilla appetizer wraps and fruit platters?”
    â€œFruit’s good.”
    She sat up a little straighter. “It is. Anyway, we don’t want to start out with a lot of debt. What we save on the wedding we can put in savings toward a down payment on a house.”
    â€œTrue,” Dan said diplomatically, and suddenly became fascinated with the contents of his coffee cup.
    What was he doing, reading her future in there? “What are you thinking?” Erin prompted.
    â€œNothing.” He appeared to give himself a mental shake. “You don’t need a lot of food anyway. Everybody’s dieting these days. They won’t miss it. They’ll be busy dancing and stuff. Got a band
yet? I know these guys …” He stopped, eyebrows cautiously raised. “No band?”
    â€œWell.” She still hadn’t told Adam about getting the Heart Lake Lodge for the reception. Maybe she could tell him she’d gotten the band along with the lodge—a package deal.
    â€œOf course, you don’t need a band,” Dan said. “Most people have DJ’s these days anyway.”
    She nodded.
    â€œWhen are you getting married again?”
    â€œJune. We have lots of time.” She hoped she sounded convincing.
    â€œOh, yeah. Sure. Um, so, who’s going to give you away?”
    â€œBrett.” Her dad hadn’t been a part of their lives since she was four. And Brett was excited to have the honor.
    â€œAnd my uncle is marrying us,” she added. Uncle Jake had been better than three dads. If she asked him, Uncle Jake would pay for enough champagne to fill Heart Lake, but she wasn’t going to ask him. He and Aunt Mellie had done enough for her over the years.
    â€œHe’s a cool guy,” Dan said, nodding approvingly.
    â€œAnd I was able to get the Heart Lake Lodge,” Erin offered. “I’m going to surprise Adam with it.”
    â€œAh-huh.”
    â€œI’ve always wanted my wedding there,” she rushed on.
    â€œThen you should have it there.”
    She bit her lip, and Dan cocked his head. “And will Mc …” He caught himself and switched gears. “Will the groom be cool with that?”
    Erin suddenly found she was the one staring into her coffee cup. She looked up to see Dan studying her. “He will be when I explain to him how lucky we were to get it.”
    Dan didn’t say anything. Instead he nodded and took a long drink of his coffee.
    â€œOkay, this is a pretty crummy shrink session I’m getting,” Erin cracked. “What are you thinking, doc?”
    He gave her a lopsided grin. “You don’t want to know.”

    He was probably right, but