Wedding at Wildwood Read Online Free PDF

of it, but—” His shrug was indifferent.
    The image of him in a tuxedo made Isabel want to drool just like a teenager. But she quickly reprimanded herself, and putting on a blank expression, said, “But your mother persuaded you to come in anyway.”
    He nodded, a wry grin slicing his angular face. “You know the woman well.”
    Isabel wanted to remind him that she knew all the Murdocks very well. Well enough to be wary of any association with them. Instead she asked, “How is your mother?”
    Dillon hesitated, then decided to keep his family problems to himself, not that it mattered. The whole town would probably soon be talking about his renewed feud with his brother, and the fact that he’d moved into the run-down plantation house.
    He shrugged. “You know Mama. She’s tough. And she’s okay, I reckon. Stressed about this wedding.”
    And probably about having him back home, no doubt, Isabel decided.
    Just then a nervous female clerk came forward. “Mr. Murdock, I’m Stacey Whitfield. If you’ll just follow me, we can have you fitted in no time.”
    “Thanks, Stacey,” Dillon said with a winning smile. “Give me a minute, all right?”
    The fascinated woman bobbed her head, then hurried to stand behind the counter, her eyes glued to Dillon and Isabel.
    Dillon fingered a bit of lace on a nearby sleeve while the teenaged shopper Isabel had noticed earlier now had her wide eyes centered on him rather than a new frock. Isabel watched in detached amusement as the young girl’s mother shooed her out the door, the woman’s look of disapproval apparent for all to see.
    “My reputation precedes me,” Dillon observed on a flat note. “Mothers, lock up your daughters. He’s back in town.”
    “Should they be worried?” Isabel asked, all amusement gone now.
    “No,” he replied as he came closer, his hand moving from the trailing lace to a strand of curling hair at her temple. “But maybe you should be.”
    Her breath caught in her throat, but she stared him down anyway, challenging him with a lift of her chin. “Why me?”
    He leaned closer. “Because if I chase after anybody while I’m here, it’ll be you, Isabel. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
    Snatching his hand away, Isabel busied herself with checking her camera. “I don’t have time for catching up, Dillon. I’m only here as a favor to Susan and my grandmother.”
    “Right.”
    “I’m serious.”
    “So am I.”
    Angry at herself more than him, she snapped, “You can stop playing games with me, Dillon. I’m not the naive young girl I used to be. And I won’t be taunted and teased by a Murdock, ever again.”
    Clearly shocked at the venom in her words, Dillon backed away. “I guess I didn’t realize you could hold such a grudge. But you’re right. And wise to stay away from the likes of me.” Turning to stalk toward the door, he called to the confused clerk waiting to take his measurements, “I’ll be back later, Stacey. It’s a little too confining in here right now.”
    With that, he slammed the front door, leaving a stunned silence to follow him, and all eyes clearly on Isabel.

Chapter Three

    S he refused to feel guilty about what she’d said to Dillon. The man needed to know right off the bat that she wasn’t interested.
    But, she reluctantly told herself, Dillon had looked so dejected, so hurt when she’d accused him of taunting her. She’d seen it in his stormy eyes just before he’d shut down on her. Then, he’d warned her away, as surely as he’d tried to draw her near. Now the whole town would probably be talking about the little scene in the bridal shop.
    When Isabel went into the back with Stacey to tell Susan that Dillon had left, the bride-to-be was clearly flustered.
    “What do you mean, he left?” a frazzled Susan asked poor embarrassed Stacey. “We have to fit him for that tuxedo!”
    Stacey shuffled her loafered feet and looked over to Isabel for support. “He…he was talking to Isabel and