She pushed the door open, her smile fading as she caught sight of Wes. "Chief Hollingsworth, is something wrong?"
"Not a thing," Wes assured her quickly. He shot Carly a brief look before holding the box of food out toward Shannon. "But I could sure use your help on something."
"NOW, IF YOU DON'T LIKE any of these, we can look at some other designs." Shannon Burgess handed Carly a manila folder. "I picked out things I think would look best on you."
Carly opened the folder and looked over the sketches she found inside. They lacked the sophistication of fashion sketches by a trained couture, but there was no mistaking the raw talent. "These are beautiful, Shannon."
Shannon had chosen five different outfits—a casual dress, two sleek pantsuits, and a couple of casual blouses that Carly could wear with jeans or dress pants. Each was well-designed, with enough classic lines to be practical and enough innovations to be fresh, in unexpected color combinations. A bubble of excitement rose in Carly's throat. "You can make these for me?"
"If you make a choice soon," Shannon confirmed with a wry smile, patting her belly. "Wait too long, and Junior may have something to say about it."
"No need to wait. How much for all five?"
Shannon named a price that was nowhere near what the outfits were worth. "That includes the price of the fabric. Fabric Finds has some really nice stuff at great prices. I work there when I'm not squeezin' out puppies." She grinned. "Leanne lets me keep a tab there until the items are finished, and then I pay her once I'm paid. If you want, I can meet you in town tomorrow and we can see what they have."
Carly grinned. "Shopping? I am so there."
Shannon giggled, her freckled nose wrinkling. "Great! And the price is okay?"
"The price is more than okay. In fact, I really can't let you charge such a low price. Do you have any idea what designer clothing goes for these days?"
Shannon blushed. "I'm not a real designer."
Carly patted the sketches in front of her. "You can do stuff like this, you're a designer. Trust me. I can't possibly let you make these for me unless you double the prices of each one. I couldn't live with myself." Of course, she might have to take Wes up on that offer to pay, at least as a loan, but it would be worth it. The designs really were beautiful.
"Are you sure? The extra money sure would help."
"I'm sure." Carly glanced across the room toward Wes and found him sitting cross-legged on the floor near the cold fireplace, playing trucks with Jackson, Shannon's carrot-topped two-year-old. The little boy gazed with sheer delight at Wes, who was making low "vroom-vroom!" noises as he moved one of the trucks around the woven rug.
Carly's stomach turned a couple of flips, then clenched into a hot knot when Wes looked up and met her gaze, his expression unreadable.
She looked away quickly and turned back to Shannon. "So, you've lived here all your life, I hear."
Shannon nodded. "Born and raised. I hear you're from New Jersey."
"Ya think?" Carly laughed. "You've heard about me already? I've been in town for just two days."
"Small town gossip. It could teach the FBI a thing or two about where all the skeletons are hidden." Shannon's chuckled and sat back, stretching her legs. "Good lord, I'm tied of being pregnant. The first seven months aren't so bad, but the last two will make you swear you're never gonna have sex again." Her smile faded.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Carly struggled for a new topic, then decided if she and Shannon were going to spend any time together, it might be best just to get the subject of her dead husband out in the open. "I understand you're a widow."
Shannon nodded. "My husband Jimmy Wayne died a few months ago in a car accident. He had a bit of a lead foot." She passed her hand over her rounded belly. "You never know what's gonna happen
"Not a thing," Wes assured her quickly. He shot Carly a brief look before holding the box of food out toward Shannon. "But I could sure use your help on something."
"NOW, IF YOU DON'T LIKE any of these, we can look at some other designs." Shannon Burgess handed Carly a manila folder. "I picked out things I think would look best on you."
Carly opened the folder and looked over the sketches she found inside. They lacked the sophistication of fashion sketches by a trained couture, but there was no mistaking the raw talent. "These are beautiful, Shannon."
Shannon had chosen five different outfits—a casual dress, two sleek pantsuits, and a couple of casual blouses that Carly could wear with jeans or dress pants. Each was well-designed, with enough classic lines to be practical and enough innovations to be fresh, in unexpected color combinations. A bubble of excitement rose in Carly's throat. "You can make these for me?"
"If you make a choice soon," Shannon confirmed with a wry smile, patting her belly. "Wait too long, and Junior may have something to say about it."
"No need to wait. How much for all five?"
Shannon named a price that was nowhere near what the outfits were worth. "That includes the price of the fabric. Fabric Finds has some really nice stuff at great prices. I work there when I'm not squeezin' out puppies." She grinned. "Leanne lets me keep a tab there until the items are finished, and then I pay her once I'm paid. If you want, I can meet you in town tomorrow and we can see what they have."
Carly grinned. "Shopping? I am so there."
Shannon giggled, her freckled nose wrinkling. "Great! And the price is okay?"
"The price is more than okay. In fact, I really can't let you charge such a low price. Do you have any idea what designer clothing goes for these days?"
Shannon blushed. "I'm not a real designer."
Carly patted the sketches in front of her. "You can do stuff like this, you're a designer. Trust me. I can't possibly let you make these for me unless you double the prices of each one. I couldn't live with myself." Of course, she might have to take Wes up on that offer to pay, at least as a loan, but it would be worth it. The designs really were beautiful.
"Are you sure? The extra money sure would help."
"I'm sure." Carly glanced across the room toward Wes and found him sitting cross-legged on the floor near the cold fireplace, playing trucks with Jackson, Shannon's carrot-topped two-year-old. The little boy gazed with sheer delight at Wes, who was making low "vroom-vroom!" noises as he moved one of the trucks around the woven rug.
Carly's stomach turned a couple of flips, then clenched into a hot knot when Wes looked up and met her gaze, his expression unreadable.
She looked away quickly and turned back to Shannon. "So, you've lived here all your life, I hear."
Shannon nodded. "Born and raised. I hear you're from New Jersey."
"Ya think?" Carly laughed. "You've heard about me already? I've been in town for just two days."
"Small town gossip. It could teach the FBI a thing or two about where all the skeletons are hidden." Shannon's chuckled and sat back, stretching her legs. "Good lord, I'm tied of being pregnant. The first seven months aren't so bad, but the last two will make you swear you're never gonna have sex again." Her smile faded.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Carly struggled for a new topic, then decided if she and Shannon were going to spend any time together, it might be best just to get the subject of her dead husband out in the open. "I understand you're a widow."
Shannon nodded. "My husband Jimmy Wayne died a few months ago in a car accident. He had a bit of a lead foot." She passed her hand over her rounded belly. "You never know what's gonna happen
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