HER CALLAHAN FAMILY MAN Read Online Free PDF Page B

his chosen bride to give the gown a second chance.
    Jace had heard other tales, too, and they all made his blood pressure skyrocket with an attack of premonition.
    “What about River? The gown saved her in Montana.”
    “It’s a trick, a dice roll. A man doesn’t know if the dress is on his side. I don’t need that kind of help.” Jace looked at the door again, debating knocking on it and demanding that Sawyer come out. She’d been in there far too long. “Are you sure there were no windows in there she could open?”
    “There may have been one,” Ash said, “but Sawyer isn’t the kind of woman who would ditch you in Vegas.”
    “She ditched me, as you say, for the past several months.” His chest felt very heavy with sadness. “You have no idea what I’ve been through with that woman. And now you put her in a room with a diabolical magic wedding dress, and I’m supposed to—”
    He glared when the door opened. Sawyer came out, wearing the same clothes she had been before. He looked at her, his breath tight.
    “Is it time?” she asked.
    He hesitated. “Time?”
    “To do this thing.”
    Jace swallowed. “Sure. If you’re ready.”
    “Are you?”
    He’d been ready far longer than he’d realized, but he didn’t want to seem overeager and scare her off. “Better now than never.”
    She didn’t look certain, and he shrugged, wanting to give her as much space as possible. With the way she clearly felt about getting married, it could do no good to keep pushing her. They said you could lead a horse to water but not make it drink, and Sawyer was as untamed as the black Diablo mustangs in the canyons around Rancho Diablo.
    “I am ready,” she said. “As long as we agree that we’ll revisit this marriage after the babies are born.”
    “Revisit it? I’m fine with what we’re doing.” He didn’t like the sound of that at all. He’d heard those cold-footed-bride tales from his brothers, too—and a very merry chase some of their women had led them on.
    “I’m well aware that your interest in marriage is purely because of the children, and I understand that.” She looked at his sister. “Thank you for bringing the dress, Ash. I appreciate the effort you made to get it here, I really do. More than anything, I’m honored that your aunt Fiona was willing to share a favorite Callahan tradition with me.” She looked back at Jace. “But I don’t feel like a real Callahan bride, and I don’t think I ever will.”
    No sooner had the words left her mouth than the small waiting area suddenly filled with Callahans and Cashs, all loud and happy, and perplexed to see Sawyer wearing a hot pink dress and not a magic wedding gown. Storm carted in a bridal bouquet for his niece, kissing her before glaring at Jace.
    “It’s a happy day!” Fiona exclaimed. “The last Callahan bachelor getting hitched!” She beamed with delight. “Come on, dear. Ash and I will help you change.”
    Jace raised a brow, watching Sawyer sputter her way out of Fiona’s clutches. He smiled, seeing his family envelop his bride-to-be with their overwhelming presence. No one irritated him more than his relatives at times, but it was great to have them at his back.
    The cake was delivered by two uniformed men who looked a bit seedy to Jace.
    “You’re putting that there?” Fiona demanded, as they set the cake down in the foyer. “Do we look like we eat wedding cake in doorways?”
    They shrugged, and Jace had an uncomfortable feeling he’d seen them before. “Aren’t you going to take it out of the box?” he asked.
    The men left without saying a word.
    “That was odd,” Sawyer said.
    “Very odd.” Ash went to undo the white box. “That bakery came highly recommended, and I’m going to give them a piece of my mind about their delivery service.” She peeled the sides of the box down and gasped.
    Instead of a plastic bride and groom there was a butcher knife, splendidly tied with satin ribbon, sticking up out of the top