Tangled in Tulle: Tulle and Tulips, Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

only tell her she was crazy.
    The construction crew, currently on lunch break, had been working monster hours without complaints, screw-ups or mishaps to quickly transform what had been barren space. Individual doors led into private, glass-fronted suites for consultants to meet with clients for planning. Each suite’s door would have an etching suitable to the wedding element—dresses, flowers, invitations, tuxedos, cakes, catering, music, venue, registry, jewelry, hair and makeup.
    The back wall curved gently, with private dressing rooms and attached waiting rooms surrounding Lori’s office. A small break room opened onto the wedding dress sample room and flower cooler section—separated by a free standing, glass wall—complete with rows of tables for arrangement work.
    Each dressing room had a back entrance leading into the warehouse and alterations area for the sales associates. Lori was eager to get the dresses in and work with brides to find their perfect choice, or make it for them. Misty had claimed flowers, and other specialists were either already on board or were being trained to handle the other planning areas.
    Whether clients came in for one aspect or several, the specialists would work together, updating one central database for each wedding so everyone knew at a glance what plans had been made to ensure everything stayed on track and fit together beautifully.
    The groundwork was exhausting, but surprisingly enough she already had brides calling to book appointments. Being busy kept her mind from straying to her feelings for Trevor too often.
    “You have another delivery, Lori.”
    She looked up to see Mitchell, from building security, carry in a giant bouquet of balloons. Neon pink, sunshiny yellow, teasing teal and passionate purple, the helium filled orbs danced in delight with their strings held in the outstretched fingers of a giant, stuffed white rat, standing on its back legs and dressed in knight’s armor.
    A snort of laughter nearly erupted from Lori. Misty didn’t manage to hold hers back.
    Lori’s exhaustion lifted away as her spirit was buoyed by the cheerful gift. “Who sent that?”
    Mitchell shook his head and placed the ridiculous rat on the floor by her chair before leaving. Few of Trevor’s security experts—all former military—had a sense of humor.
    A note was pinned to the rat’s collar.
    From one rat in the race to another I can’t wait to see how you’ve transformed the place. Be back soon. Yours.
    “How is a woman not supposed to fall for a guy who does these things?”
    “She doesn’t fight it if she’s smart,” Misty said.
    “He’s engaged to someone else.”
    Misty snorted again. “He isn’t going to marry Randy.”
    “And yet she came by the other day to see sketches of the wedding.”
    That visit had come when Lori had just settled down to work on some dress sketches she intended to frame and hang throughout the store. Taking the chance to get the bride’s insights and opinions had been an exercise in frustration. Randy deflected every question with something like “I think Trevor’s got the right idea” or “I’m just not a flowery kind of girl, so I’d trust you with that.”
    When Lori had shown her the sketches of the dresses for the bride and wedding party she’d been working on Randy claimed to love them all and once again deflected with “which is your favorite?” Predictably, whichever one Lori suggested was the one Randy fell in love with.
    “Did she tell you straight out it was her wedding?”
    “She didn’t say it wasn’t.”
    She’d liked Randy, but spending time with her had Lori wondering why Trevor had chosen her. They seemed to have little in common and Randy would never see the humor in being sent a giant rat.
    Fingering the rhinestone bejeweled collar winking at her, Lori smiled. It was entirely like Trevor to deliver a note in some unexpected way. Or it had been when she’d been at Madame V’s. More than once she’d found