Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) Read Online Free PDF

mischievous smile. "I don't like to brag, but I'm quite a fine actress. I played the second bystander on the left in the senior class play in high school. My family said I was very convincing."
    He laughed. Maybe this charade could actually turn out to be fun. He held out his arm to her. "Are you ready to call up your inner Meryl Streep?"
    She slipped her arm through his, her dark eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ready as I'll ever be."
    "Let's get this show on the road."
    Adele shook her head as she opened the bedroom door. "I really hope you two know what you're doing."
    Zach laid his hand on Dani's and sucked in a deep breath. So did he.
    * * * *
    Dani sipped champagne from a delicate crystal flute as she stood beside Zach in front of the fire. Their location struck her as totally appropriate, since she felt like she was in the proverbial hot seat. Seven pairs of eyes watched their every move, judging them and gauging their reactions to each other. Chantal in particular kept a close watch on them, waiting to pounce. Dani knew she wasn't buying their status as girlfriend/boyfriend.
    "So, Daniella, what is it you do?" Camp asked her.
    "I'm a lawyer specializing in wills and estate planning."
    "Dani was always the smartest one in our group of friends," Fiona said. "Grandfather, maybe you should talk to her about your estate."
    Camp winked at Dani. "Maybe I should. Do you enjoy your work?"
    "I do, very much. I like to think that I help people plan for a worry-free future for their families."
    Chantal made little attempt to hide her smirk behind her champagne glass. "Our sweet little Dani. Always striving to be helpful."
    "I try." She turned back to Camp. "I've seen the hard feelings that can tear families apart when someone dies without a will. It's not pretty."
    "What a little do-gooder you are!" Chantal said.
    Dani heard the mocking tone in her voice, but chose to ignore it. She pasted a smile on her face. "What are you doing these days, Chantal?"
    "Oh, this and that. I volunteer at the Royal Ontario Museum when I have time, and I've had a few contracts with the National Gallery in Ottawa, helping out with acquisitions."
    She knew that Chantal had studied art history at Carleton University and then at the University of Toronto before pursuing a degree in art restoration at the Sorbonne in Paris. But she'd heard from Fiona that she'd never finished her Masters degree at U of T, and had been kicked out of the program at the Sorbonne for non-attendance. She knew art students who would have walked over shards of glass for the opportunities Chantal had squandered.
    She waved a dismissive hand. "Enough shop talk. I can't get over how much weight you've lost since last year, Dani. And when I think back to university, it's like you're a different person." She turned to Fiona. "Remember those thick glasses she used to wear? And isn't it remarkable how her skin cleared up? What a difference!"
    Dani shifted uncomfortably, knowing Chantal meant to shine a light on her less than beautiful past and embarrass her in front of Zach. She tried for a light tone. "I owe it all to the wonders of acne medicine and laser surgery."
    "Well, I'm very proud of you. When I think back to how heavy you were in university, even how heavy you were last year, I can't believe the change in you. How did you ever manage to lose so much weight?"
    Chantal had no idea how hard she'd worked, both physically and mentally, to take off the weight. But she wasn't about to get into it in front Zach and the others.
    "I had a very supportive diet counselor."
    "Chantal, quit grilling Dani." Fiona put a warning note into her voice.
    "I'm not grilling her, Fee. I'm just expressing my admiration. Don't you find her transformation remarkable? I mean, considering where she started, she's improved significantly."
    Dani almost laughed. She knew she wasn't beautiful and never would be. Chantal's back-handed compliment underscored that truth for everyone else in the room.
    Zach took