Read Online Wind Chime Wedding (A Wind Chime Novel Book 2) by Sophie Moss - Free Book Online Page A

tray and took a long swallow as his gaze strayed back to where Becca was talking with a group of his stepmother’s friends.
    “Is that her?” Glenn followed his eyes across the room. “The teacher who wants to talk to Nick about her school tonight?”
    Colin nodded, noticing for the first time the way the stretchy material of Becca’s pale yellow dress crossed over her small breasts. A simple knot off to one side of her slender waist held the thin fabric together. All it would take was one gentle tug to release it and reveal what was hidden underneath.
    He took another long sip of the beer.
    Shit. This just went way past complicated.
    Beside him, Glenn scanned the faces of the few people still within earshot and lowered his voice. “I spoke with the principal at your friend’s school about an hour ago. I told her that the governor was aware of the situation and might be willing to make a few calls on their behalf if she could provide us with the names and numbers of the board members.”
    Colin nodded, his gaze dropping to Becca’s smooth, toned legs. How had he never noticed her legs before?
    Was this the first time he’d ever seen them bare?
    Pulling out his smartphone, Glenn thumbed through a few screens. “She just sent the list of names, including the consultant the board recently hired to help them with the analysis.” He clicked on the message and turned the phone around, showing the screen to Colin. “This is who they hired.”
    Colin read the name and all thoughts of Becca’s legs vanished. “Tell me this is a joke.”
    “I wish it was,” Glenn said grimly.
    There was only one person in this state who wouldn’t be swayed, even the slightest bit, by a phone call from him or the governor—Lydia Vanzant.
    His father’s ex-wife.
    His mother.
    “When was the last time you talked to her?” Glenn asked.
    “It’s been years.”
    “That’s what I thought.” Glenn shook his head, slipping his smartphone back into his pocket. “Look, Colin, I know you’re not going to like this, but we need to steer clear of the issue with the school. We can’t afford the bad press it’ll stir up. Not now, not with Lydia’s name attached to it.”
    “You can’t be serious.”
    “I’m dead serious,” Glenn said. “We wanted to help your friend, but our hands are tied now.”
    “What about Taylor?” Colin asked.
    “We’ll lose a few points in the polls when the news breaks, but if we get out in front of it, make a formal statement before the press gets hold of it, we can control the message. We need to stay detached from it. We can’t afford to get involved in another public fight with Lydia. The divorce scandal almost cost us the election last time. We can’t afford to dredge it back up again.”
    “This is bullshit,” Colin said.
    “Your father pays me a lot of money to deal with his bullshit,” Glenn said. “I know what I’m doing. Leave it alone.”
    No way, Colin thought, shaking his head. There was no way he was going to leave it alone. He searched the room for Becca again. She was still standing beside his stepmother, laughing now at something someone had said.
    He swore he could hear it, a soft, bell-like sound drifting over the rest of the noise in the crowded room. There was something so sweet, so innocent, in her smile. He felt that same sudden, overwhelming need to protect her again, just like he had when they’d first walked into the room. He lifted the pint, taking another long swallow.
    “Leave it alone, Colin,” Glenn warned.
    Colin lowered the glass, looking back at his father’s campaign manager. “No.”
     

 

     
    H ow was last night?” Shelley asked Becca the next day as they walked down Main Street to the Wind Chime Café where Annie and Della were hosting an Easter brunch for the islanders.
    “It was interesting,” Becca said, stepping off the sidewalk to let a group of children dash by in search of hidden eggs. Their peals of laughter rang out, filling the