A Bride for Tom Read Online Free PDF Page A

care what your veil looks like?”
    “He doesn’t but his mother does.”
    “Why? It’s not her wedding.”
    “Someone ought to tell her that.” Jessica
inspected the white rose on the edge of the veil. “There. I think
that will do. All done.”
    “You’re much too nice to people,
Jessica.”
    “I don’t want to cause problems.”
    “People take advantage of you.”
    She stood up and collected her sewing
kit.
    “Did you hear me?”
    “Yes,” she snapped. She took a deep breath
and faced her friend. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get short with
you. Weddings are stressful.”
    “I wouldn’t know. First Monica. Then Wendy.
And now you.”
    “Your time will come.”
    “That’s easy for you to say. You already have
your man.”
    “Is it really that bad?”
    She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t go to those
barn dances because I like to dance or because I like to be around
a lot of people.”
    Jessica grinned. “Maybe you should get a
mail-order husband.”
    She gasped.
    “Well, why not? Men get mail-order brides all
the time. Why not reverse it?”
    “Because there are men available in this
town.”
    “Maybe they’re all the wrong ones.”
    “Nice try, Jessica, but it won’t work.”
    Jessica carried the sewing kit and veil and
walked to her bedroom. “What won’t work?”
    Margaret followed her. “You’re trying to
avoid the issue. What did Peter say when you told him you’re going
to have Tom over for dancing lessons?”
    She set the items on her dresser and frowned.
“He laughed.”
    “And?”
    “And that’s it.” She picked up the hat Tom
had given her and placed it on her head. “Isn’t this a lovely
hat?”
    “Jessica.”
    She couldn’t ignore the warning in her
friend’s voice. She groaned. “Fine. He laughed and said that Tom
was a hopeless cause.”
    “So he doesn’t care that you’re with another
man?”
    “It doesn’t seem that way, does it?” And that
bothered Jessica, though she decided not to say it aloud. “His
exact words were that I was wasting my time but he couldn’t blame
me for wanting to rush in and try to help someone. He thinks it’s
‘adorable’.”
    Margaret followed her out of her room and
down the hallway. “Hmm...”
    “Hmm what?”
    “I notice you’re not wearing the hat Peter
gave you. You’re wearing Tom’s.”
    “I like Tom’s better. Peter got that horrible
green color his mother likes. I swear, it’s like wearing
vomit.”
    “It is atrocious.” Her eyes lit up, and she
stopped her at the front door. Leaning forward, she whispered,
“Wear Peter’s hat when Tom is here and maybe he’ll destroy it.”
    Despite herself, Jessica chuckled. “Oh
Margaret, give Tom more credit than that. I think he’s just
nervous.”
    “You’re probably right,” she relented. “I
guess I shouldn’t be so critical of him.”
    “You shouldn’t. He’s actually a very sweet
person.” She pushed the screen door open and walked down the porch
steps.
    Her friend joined her, and they strolled down
the sidewalk. “Are you sure though? I mean, you are engaged.”
    “I’m not hiding anything. I’ve told Peter. My
mother will be in the house when Tom comes over. I don’t see why
everyone is concerned.”
    “Everyone but Peter?” she commented in a
sympathetic tone.
    Jessica hated that Margaret could read her
mind. “You can’t tell anyone else what I’m about to say.” Jessica
paused and turned to her friend. “You promise?”
    If there was one thing Margaret was, it was
loyal to her word, which was why Jessica even ventured to reveal
what she’d been carefully concealing for the past month.
    “Of course, I promise.”
    Jessica nodded. “Sometimes I wonder if
Peter’s marrying me because his mother approves of me.”
    “No. That can’t be right.”
    “Can’t it? You know how picky Connie James
is. I think she has a tight leash on him.” Jessica stepped forward
to resume their walk.
    “Well...” She walked forward. “I grant