Free Love Me Tender by Susan Fox Page B

tidy-up.” With a sigh of relief, he peeled off his unaccustomed jacket and tie, and stretched. “The guests have all gone and the bride and groom are tucked up in the luxury suite. They’ve got a gourmet room service breakfast on order, then they’ll head to the airport to fly to Maui.” He undid buttons at the neck of his dress shirt, then also undid the cuffs and rolled them up. Now he felt more like his normal self.
    â€œHoneymooning in Hawaii,” Sam mused. “Romantic.”
    â€œYeah.” From the way the newlyweds looked at each other, Dave figured they’d be just as happy spending their entire honeymoon up in their suite at the Wild Rose.
    He and Jess had never had a honeymoon. Never even had sex until after Robin was born. But then, their marriage hadn’t exactly been the usual sort from the get-go. And that was a secret known only to him, Jess, and Evan—and Anita, but she was gone now.
    â€œI’m glad Karen’s going to keep working in Caribou Crossing,” Sam said. “She’s a damned fine cop. She sure made a beautiful bride too.” He had stopped into the bar for a glass of punch before he’d gone on shift, and taken a whirl around the dance floor with Karen.
    â€œShe did.” Dave couldn’t help imagining how Anita would have looked as a bride. She’d been traditional, so the ceremony would have been in a church. That would have suited Dave just fine, seeing her dressed in white lace walking down the aisle toward him. But then he’d have married her anywhere, anytime, and been the happiest man in the world.
    After she’d been diagnosed, he’d kept trying to get his fiancée to marry him, even when she was so sick she couldn’t leave her hospital bed. She’d turned him down, though. For some reason, she seemed to think it would be harder on him to lose a wife than a fiancée.
    Crazy woman didn’t seem to realize that, whatever the type of ring on her finger, she was the love of his life. Losing her wasn’t hard ; it was soul destroying.
    â€œDave?”
    He forced his “I’m fine” face back in place. “Sorry. I was drifting. It’s been a long day.” Sad, of course, in making him think of what he’d lost. But happy, too, to see his good friend Karen so confident and excited about her future with Jamal. He’d try to hang on to the happy.
    â€œGo on up to bed. The inn’s in good hands.”
    Dave nodded and headed across the lobby to the corridor that led to his office, the back stairs, and the door out to the parking lot. Though he was tired and, yeah, a little melancholy, he was also still energized from the reception. Even though he’d let Cassidy persuade him to put Madisun in charge so he could play the role of guest, he’d kept an eye on how things were going. His assistant manager and the rest of his staff had come through beautifully. He’d be sure to thank them, and give Madisun a bonus. Mitch too, and Roy, and perhaps Cassidy.
    She’d been a good hire. He only hoped her wanderlust didn’t kick in before the busy tourist season ended. In the fall, Madisun would return to university in Vancouver. Likely Cassidy would head off somewhere too. He remembered what she’d said during their first conversation: India, Albuquerque, or Cuba.
    He’d miss the two women. Madisun had become his right hand. Cassidy had become . . . what, exactly? A friend, for sure. Her bright smile warmed his workday, her rides with him and Robin were highlights of his week, and on the couple of occasions she’d mingled with his family and friends she’d fit in like she belonged there. Fit in, even though she was so different from anyone else he knew, with her crazy philosophy of life.
    She was capable, but in an effortless way that made it look like she wasn’t trying. She was fun; she’d say outrageous things; she was generous and