Chasing Charlie: A Romantic Comedy (The Texas Two-Step Series Book 1) by Kathy Carmichael
Authors: Kathy Carmichael
Ads: Link
side."
Charlie took the aspirin. "What bright side?"
"You don’t ever have to see him again."
"That’s what you think. His plan worked too well. We’re spending the weekend together."
"What?!" Joanne looked at Charlie as if she’d gone off the deep end. "When I said to loosen up a little, I didn’t mean—"
"It’s far worse than that. His mother is getting married next weekend."
"That’s great."
"Just great. Fantastic even." Bubbles of hysteria rose in her chest. "I’m going to be her maid of honor."
"You mean you’re going to be his fiancée for an entire weekend? I hope you know what you’re doing."
"I haven’t a clue." What was it about the Murphys that made her do things she had no intention of doing? "I think I’ll bake another pie."
----
T he entire week had been quiet, almost too quiet. Everything had been silent on the Murphy front. There was nothing this Thursday morning indicating it would be any different.
Sitting at her desk at the library, Charlie reached over and picked up the jingling phone receiver. "Research, Charlie Nelson speaking. How may I help you?"
She’d said the same spiel so often, she did it at home by accident and suspected she did it in her sleep, too. This time, however, it wasn’t a library customer calling.
"Charlie? This is Ellen Murphy, dear."
"Ellen?" Charlie hadn’t expected Davis’s mother to call. If anything, things had been so calm at home and work this week she was sort of hoping she’d been forgotten. No such luck.
"How are you doing, dear?"
Charlie jammed her pencil into the silver cup on her desk, accidently tumbling the contents. "Just fine. And you?"
"It’s been a marvelous week, frantic but lovely. I’m calling for a couple of reasons. First is to discuss the wedding. We never talked about what you should wear, and I thought you’d feel more comfortable if we discussed it."
"Oh, that totally slipped my mind," said Charlie as she grabbed at writing implements rolling from her desk. She bent to retrieve a couple of pens. "I’m so glad you called."
Her forgetfulness showed how in denial she’d been about this weekend. She hadn’t considered what to pack. If Ellen hadn’t called, Charlie would have spent the next afternoon in a panic, wondering what to wear. "Do I need to buy a dress?"
"I feel guilty for not calling you sooner. The wedding is going to be informal. I’m going to wear a suit, so hopefully you already own something that will work?"
"I’ve got a couple of dresses or a suit that might work." She tried to visualize wearing her navy suit. Too conservative for a wedding. She’d look like she was attending a funeral. Maybe one of her dresses. "Do you have a color preference?"
"I think you’d look lovely in blue, but any color will do. I saw a couple of dresses at Rose’s Dress shop at the mall which might do if you need to buy something. The prices were very reasonable. But, honestly, dear, any color will be fine. Have you given any thought to your colors?"
"My colors?" For a moment, she couldn’t think what Ellen meant. Charlie’s brain finally kicked in. "Oh, you mean for my wedding? Davis and I haven’t talked about details yet."
"Oh, well." Ellen sounded disappointed, but then her tone became cheerful. "I’m sure you have plenty of time to decide on all these pesky details. I’m so looking forward to getting to know you better, which brings me to the other reason I called. What time do you generally finish up at work?"
"I get off at five." Charlie spotted some loose change that had spilled from the cup, as well as several paperclips. She threw them in her desk drawer.
"Perfect!"
Charlie realized she should have asked why before answering. She stopped herself from screaming, "What now?"
"A few of my friends are putting together an impromptu bridal shower for me today at five thirty." She laughed. "They thought the perfect place for a send-off is Murphy Title’s conference room, so that’s where it’ll be held.
Charlie took the aspirin. "What bright side?"
"You don’t ever have to see him again."
"That’s what you think. His plan worked too well. We’re spending the weekend together."
"What?!" Joanne looked at Charlie as if she’d gone off the deep end. "When I said to loosen up a little, I didn’t mean—"
"It’s far worse than that. His mother is getting married next weekend."
"That’s great."
"Just great. Fantastic even." Bubbles of hysteria rose in her chest. "I’m going to be her maid of honor."
"You mean you’re going to be his fiancée for an entire weekend? I hope you know what you’re doing."
"I haven’t a clue." What was it about the Murphys that made her do things she had no intention of doing? "I think I’ll bake another pie."
----
T he entire week had been quiet, almost too quiet. Everything had been silent on the Murphy front. There was nothing this Thursday morning indicating it would be any different.
Sitting at her desk at the library, Charlie reached over and picked up the jingling phone receiver. "Research, Charlie Nelson speaking. How may I help you?"
She’d said the same spiel so often, she did it at home by accident and suspected she did it in her sleep, too. This time, however, it wasn’t a library customer calling.
"Charlie? This is Ellen Murphy, dear."
"Ellen?" Charlie hadn’t expected Davis’s mother to call. If anything, things had been so calm at home and work this week she was sort of hoping she’d been forgotten. No such luck.
"How are you doing, dear?"
Charlie jammed her pencil into the silver cup on her desk, accidently tumbling the contents. "Just fine. And you?"
"It’s been a marvelous week, frantic but lovely. I’m calling for a couple of reasons. First is to discuss the wedding. We never talked about what you should wear, and I thought you’d feel more comfortable if we discussed it."
"Oh, that totally slipped my mind," said Charlie as she grabbed at writing implements rolling from her desk. She bent to retrieve a couple of pens. "I’m so glad you called."
Her forgetfulness showed how in denial she’d been about this weekend. She hadn’t considered what to pack. If Ellen hadn’t called, Charlie would have spent the next afternoon in a panic, wondering what to wear. "Do I need to buy a dress?"
"I feel guilty for not calling you sooner. The wedding is going to be informal. I’m going to wear a suit, so hopefully you already own something that will work?"
"I’ve got a couple of dresses or a suit that might work." She tried to visualize wearing her navy suit. Too conservative for a wedding. She’d look like she was attending a funeral. Maybe one of her dresses. "Do you have a color preference?"
"I think you’d look lovely in blue, but any color will do. I saw a couple of dresses at Rose’s Dress shop at the mall which might do if you need to buy something. The prices were very reasonable. But, honestly, dear, any color will be fine. Have you given any thought to your colors?"
"My colors?" For a moment, she couldn’t think what Ellen meant. Charlie’s brain finally kicked in. "Oh, you mean for my wedding? Davis and I haven’t talked about details yet."
"Oh, well." Ellen sounded disappointed, but then her tone became cheerful. "I’m sure you have plenty of time to decide on all these pesky details. I’m so looking forward to getting to know you better, which brings me to the other reason I called. What time do you generally finish up at work?"
"I get off at five." Charlie spotted some loose change that had spilled from the cup, as well as several paperclips. She threw them in her desk drawer.
"Perfect!"
Charlie realized she should have asked why before answering. She stopped herself from screaming, "What now?"
"A few of my friends are putting together an impromptu bridal shower for me today at five thirty." She laughed. "They thought the perfect place for a send-off is Murphy Title’s conference room, so that’s where it’ll be held.
Similar Books
