Chapter Two

      Merry left the Ambling A just as the sun was dropping behind the mountains. She was in a panic and did what she always did at a time like this. She called her best friend, Zoey Kubiak, who was the other educational aide at the school. Zoey was a semester away from a degree in elementary education and lived with her divorced mother in a little house that had been restored after the Great Flood of 2013. In fact, they’d met when her dad did electrical work for Zoey’s mom, Dora. She and her friend had sort of hoped their parents might click romantically, but that had never happened.

      She pulled her dad’s beat-up old truck to a stop at the curb in front of the gray house. Envy, worry and pain twisted inside her and she missed her father so much. If only he was here so she could talk to him. But, as he’d always said, if wishes were horses beggars would ride.

      Merry slid out of the truck and walked up the sidewalk to the front door. It was opened before she could even knock.

      “I hate it when you declare an emergency over the phone then say I’ll tell you all about it when I get there.” Zoey had long straight blond hair and cornflower blue eyes. She was beautiful, loyal, supportive—like the sister Merry had always wanted.

      She hugged her friend. “I have a big problem.”

      “So you said. Together we will find a big solution. My mom is out for the evening so we have the house to ourselves. I put a casserole in the oven and a bottle of white wine is chilling. You’ll spend the night and whatever is wrong can be fixed. I promise.”

      “I didn’t bring my pajamas,” Merry said.

      Zoey shook her head. “Out of everything I said that was your takeaway?”

      “I’m overwhelmed.”

      “You came to the right place. We’re about the same size so you can wear a pair of my jammies.”

      “You don’t happen to have a cocktail dress lying around, do you?” It was a joke, a throwaway remark, a sign of desperation.

      “As a matter of fact, I do have a couple.” Zoey studied her face. “What’s wrong, Mer?”

      “I think we’re going to need that wine for this.”

      “Okay. Follow me.”

      They went into the small but cute kitchen with white cabinets and wood floors. Zoey opened the bottle, then poured the golden liquid into two stemless glasses before they sat down at the dinette.

      “Now, tell me everything.”

      Merry sucked in a breath, then let it out. “I just left a job interview with Hunter Crawford. He needs a nanny for the weekend. His brother is getting married at a fancy resort in Colorado—”

      “Rustler’s Notch?”

      “Yes.” Merry stared. “How did you know?”

      “It’s the new ‘in’ place for weddings. I read an article about it in a bridal magazine. Looks like a gorgeous spot. Romantic.” The excitement level in Zoey’s voice rose as she talked. “And Hunter Crawford is going to pay you to go there with him?”

      “His whole family is going and he’s paying me to take care of his daughter for the weekend.”

      “Isn’t she the little cutie who gives you a hug every morning at school?”

      “Yes. She’s a sweetheart, so smart and loving.” Merry smiled. “Watching her will be a pleasure. Besides, I really need the extra money. It’s an all-expenses-paid trip combined with a paycheck, which makes it kind of a dream job.”

      Zoey looked puzzled. “I’m still not seeing the problem.”

      “It’s a formal wedding, Zo. I don’t have anything to wear to something like that. And I don’t have the money to buy anything. So it’s a catch-22. What am I going to do? I have to go to the ceremony. Hunter really needs me there to keep an eye on Wren because he’ll be busy with groomsman stuff and family.”

      Zoey tapped her lip. “Well, as I said, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been in friends’ weddings—always a bridesmaid, never a bride, as the saying goes. You and I are pretty close to the same size. Come on. Let’s go play dress up.”

      Merry basically had nothing to lose. She followed her friend down the hall to the bedroom. It was a very girlie space with pink bedspread, flowered throw pillows and lace curtains crisscrossed over the window. From the walk-in closet Zoey pulled out four heavy-duty hangers holding long dresses.

      While Merry stripped out of her slacks and sweater the other woman removed the plastic protecting the first dress, a black number with long sleeves. It fit, but neither of them was crazy about it. The next was yellow, but an unflattering shade that washed out her skin. Number three was orange.

      Zoey took one look and grimaced. “It was a Halloween wedding. I don’t even know why I keep it. Take that off and we will never speak of it again.”

      “Thank God.” Merry did as ordered while her friend took the plastic off dress number four—also known as her last hope. “Well, the black one will work although neither of us thought it was a wow. Still it’s... Wow.” She got a look at the pale lavender dress Zoey was holding up. “That color is fabulous.”

      “It will bring out your hazel eyes. And, I confess, this one is my favorite. I’ve been saving it for last. And I have shoes to match. I’ll find them.” She disappeared back into the closet.

      Merry slid the chiffon over her head and loved the silky feel of the fabric flowing over her body. It was a one-shoulder dress with a floaty skirt, a satin sash and it fit like a dream.

      Zoey reappeared with a shoe box in hand and stopped dead in her tracks to stare. “Oh, Mer, that looks fantastic.”

      “Really?” She thought so but desperation could skew a girl’s fashion sense. But in her opinion it was definitely fairy-godmother worthy.

      “It looks better on you than me and it looked pretty awesome on me.”

      Merry moved around the room, then back to the freestanding full-length mirror. “Do you think the slit is too revealing? After all, Hunter hired me as the nanny. I’m not sure if there’s a dress code.”

      “It hits you mid-thigh,” Zoey said, studying her critically. “It’s not immodest and your legs are great. I think it’s fine. Is another brother getting married? The last I heard Finn and Avery had eloped.”

      “They did. But their father wants a big family celebration for them since the other three weddings were casual.”

      “He’s number four out of six to find true love here in Rust Creek Falls. It would seem that the Crawford bachelors are dropping like flies since coming to town. So, tell me about Hunter.” There was a gleam in her friend’s eyes.

      Merry should have expected this and had an answer