Read Online Two Weddings and a Fugitive (The Chanel Series Book 4) by Donna Joy Usher - Free Book Online Page A

face lit up with her smile as she held out both her hands to take one of mine.
    ‘You must be Chanel,’ she said. ‘I’m Tara.’
    ‘Oh. The bride. Ummm, thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding.’
    She laughed. ‘I think the thanks go to you.’ She looked over her shoulder as if to assess whether the others could hear us and then said, ‘Oh, I’m no good at this subterfuge. They already know why you’re here.’
    A beautiful blonde lady raised a glass of champagne in my direction. ‘I’m Nat,’ she said. ‘And that’s Elaine.’ She pointed at the lady having her dress altered.
    ‘And I’d wave hello,’ Elaine said, ‘but if I raise my arm at the moment Celeste here will box my ears.’
    ‘I’m Dinah.’ A short, pretty lady stood up, moving towards me with the grace of a dancer. ‘And that’s my girlfriend, Gloria.’ Another petite woman, with wild, tumbling, curly hair, waved at me from the seat next to Nat.
    Two small hands shoved me in the back and I stumbled further into the room. Nick strode in through the space I had made. ‘I’m Nick,’ he said, bowing low over Tara’s hand. ‘It’s a rare pleasure to meet so many lovely ladies at once.’
    Tara giggled and he let go of her hand and made a beeline for Nat. He vaulted onto the seat next to her that Tara had just vacated.
    ‘I hope you don’t mind,’ I said gesturing at him.
    ‘Your bodyguard?’ Tara asked.
    I burst out laughing. ‘No. He’s one of the local cops on the protection detail.’
    ‘Oh. I thought Matt said…Oh, never mind.’ She pulled a face. ‘What with everything going on at the moment I’m surprised I remember my own name.’
    ‘So,’ Nick said, ‘what’s a beautiful woman like you doing all alone.’
    Nat let out a low throaty laugh and lifted up her left hand, showing off a giant diamond ring with a simple gold band next to it. ‘Not alone, Romeo.’
    ‘And I also am not alone,’ I said to Tara. I gestured through the door at Martine. ‘I hope you don’t mind but my friend has come as well.’
    ‘You must be Martine,’ Tara said. ‘Matt told me all about both of you.’
    ‘He did?’ Martine said.
    ‘About how brave you both were, and how they couldn’t have cracked the case without you.’
    I could feel a blush start up on my cheeks. ‘You wouldn’t have thought we were so brave if you had seen us in action,’ I said.
    ‘There.’ Celeste stood back up. ‘Turn around so I can unzip you.’
    Nick sat up like a dog waiting for a treat.
    ‘Nick Junior,’ I said. ‘You can wait outside for a minute.’
    He dragged his feet all the way to the door, giving Elaine one last wistful look over his shoulder before he exited.
    Elaine stepped out of the dress, revealing a body of a twenty year old.
    ‘Wow.’ The word was out of my mouth before I even realised it.
    ‘I know,’ Tara sighed. ‘And she’s got 18 month old twins. I’m far too fond of cake.’
    ‘You look great.’ I eyed her up and down. ‘But I’m with you on the cake thing.’
    Martine sashayed over to Nat and sat down next to her. Nat plucked a bottle out of an ice bucket and Gloria held up two glasses for her to fill.
    ‘Not for me.’ I pulled a face. ‘I’m on duty.’
    ‘I’m not,’ Martine said taking a glass.
    ‘We got you non-alcoholic,’ Gloria said, gesturing to another bottle.
    It was so stupid, but I felt tears prick the back of my eyes.
    Yeah, yeah, I know I’d been crying at the drop of a hat lately, but this was different. I didn’t have many female friends. Becky had been my only real friend growing up, and since she and her long-term boyfriend, Bobby, had eloped, they’d been travelling Australia in an attempt to avoid their families. And now I had Suzie and Bianca, but the rest of my friends were men, except Martine, and well, she was in a category of her own.
    So to be so readily accepted by a whole group of women when I was crashing a wedding was a sweet surprise.
    ‘Thank you.’ I