Free A Wedding Worth Waiting For by Katie Meyer Page A

I’m going to end up riding a desk somewhere with more paperwork than people.” Just like her father. The difference was that he hadn’t been forced into it, he’d just given up—on the job and on life in general. She knew it was his way of dealing with grief, but she still couldn’t understand it. Not when she was one of the people he’d given up on.
    â€œAnd that doesn’t leave room for dating Dylan, huh?”
    â€œAfraid not.” No matter how hot he was.
    â€œWhat about just a fling then?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Maybe just to ease the tension, if you know what I mean?”
    She felt her cheeks heat. “I’m not really the fling type.”
    â€œSerious relationship kind of girl, huh? Is there a guy nursing a broken heart up north somewhere?”
    As if. “No, no old boyfriend. Like I said, my career is my focus.”
    Dani’s gazed locked on her, the lawyer mode clearly in play. “Wait, no recent old boyfriend, or no old boyfriends at all?”
    Damn. Ducking her head, she put more effort into washing their bowls than was strictly necessary. “I had a few dates here and there.” Bad ones. “But no real relationships, no. I was too busy studying, and then I was at the academy. And anyway, Cheesy is more than enough responsibility right now, aren’t you, boy?”
    The big orange cat, stretched out in a beam of sunshine on the kitchen floor, twitched an ear and went back to grooming himself.
    â€œHey, I get it. Law school wasn’t exactly relationship friendly. But at some point you have to take a risk and put yourself out there, you know?”
    â€œRisk” was so not her favorite word. “Maybe. But now isn’t the time.” Not when she had so much else on the line. She couldn’t chance losing her job and her heart.
    Dani didn’t look convinced, but at least she was perceptive enough to know when to back off. “All right, then let’s figure out how to save your job, and then we’ll worry about your love life.” Reaching into her oversize handbag, she whipped out a yellow legal pad and a pen. “Let’s start by making a list of people you used to know, people that would remember you, and go from there.”
    One hour and several cups of coffee later, Sam was ready to declare defeat. She’d remembered more people than she’d expected, but most of them had moved off the island. She planned to contact the few that remained, but most of them were from her father’s generation and may have less than favorable memories, considering his abrupt withdrawal from Paradise society after her mother’s death. Sally at the restaurant had been understanding, but there were sure to be at least some hard feelings about the way he’d left things.
    On the bright side, she was starting with a mostly clean slate, other than those few. But that also meant she’d need even more time to make inroads, time she didn’t have.
    Getting up, she stretched and headed to the kitchen. “Want more coffee? Or a sandwich or something?”
    â€œNo, I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a case to prep for tomorrow.” Looking at the paper in front of her, Dani sighed. “I know you were hoping for better news, but you’ll make it work. I’ll introduce you to some of my friends, and we’ll go from there. Or you could change your mind, and go out with Dylan.”
    â€œHow on earth would that help?”
    â€œHello, you saw how the cashiers acted when they thought you were his girlfriend. You were practically a celebrity. You’d be on everyone’s radar, and people would be clamoring to get to know you.” When Sam turned back to her, she quickly added, “But of course you shouldn’t go out with him under false pretenses. I was just thinking out loud. Forget I said anything.”
    Sam nodded, but her stomach was churning, and not just from