Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker Page B
Authors: Sandra D. Bricker
Ads: Link
yours?"
"Audrey."
She considered it. "Yeah, that's okay, I guess."
"And this is J. R."
"That's not a name," she told him. "Those are letters. They can only stand for something; they can't be a whole name."
He leaned closer to her and whispered, "They do stand for something. Do you want to know what?" She nodded. When he looked at Audrey, she nodded too. "John Robert."
"Those are good names. Why do you hide them?"
"I don't know," he answered with a chuckle. "I've been called J. R. since I was your age, and I guess it just stuck with me, Roslyn."
The little blonde looked up at Audrey with a serious expression. "You better call him John from now on so he doesn't forget."
"Maybe I'll do that."
Roslyn's mother called her over. "Don't bother the people."
"I'm not botherin' them," she said, rushing to her mother's side. "That lady makes wedding dresses for Barbie, Mommy."
Audrey's attention snapped in half as Carly came around the corner and stepped into view.
"Caroline. Over here."
She dropped into the chair next to Audrey and groaned. Audrey expected her to say something about a ruined wedding or never making it to the first dance. Instead, Carly rubbed her temples with her index fingers and said, "He nearly died, Aud."
"I know," she said, touching Carly's arm. "But he's going to be okay now."
Carly nodded, and she sighed as the realization set in. "Look," she suggested, "you two don't have to stick around."
"Of course we're staying."
"No, really. Go back to the hotel. I'm staying here with Devon tonight."
"Not exactly the ideal wedding night, is it?" J. R. asked her.
"Any night with Devon is a good night," she answered, and her eyes misted over with tears.
Audrey could almost read her friend's thoughts of Afghanistan and Devon's frequent absences. In that light, she supposed spending the night in the hospital together was a pretty good alternative.
"Why don't you go on back with Russell and Kat," J. R. suggested to Audrey. "I want to stick around until he's out of surgery."
"I'll stay too," she said, taking Carly's hand and clasping it between both of hers. "We can take off once he's all settled in his room."
Carly crumpled suddenly, tearful and trembling, and she leaned into Audrey's embrace. "Thank you," she whimpered. "Thank you both so much."
The taxi dropped her in front of The Tanglewood just after 12:30 the next morning. Devon's surgery had successfully relieved him of his appendix, but infection had threatened further complication, which came to fruition through a high fever spike. Carly hadn't left his side except for a quick run to the ladies room at midnight and, although the nurse had arranged for a cot to be placed in the hospital room, Carly remained planted in the vinyl chair she'd dragged alongside Devon's bed. J. R. had decided to sack out in the waiting room for the night, but he'd summoned a taxi and tucked Audrey into it before he did.
The hotel lobby echoed with an unusual lack of traffic, and the guy behind the front desk greeted her in a somewhat hushed tone.
"I was in the bridal suite," she told him. "I think I was moved to another room during the wedding?"
"Ah, yes, Ms. Regan," he replied, and he handed her a card key. "You're on the second floor in two-ten."
"Thank you."
"I heard about the groom's appendix," he stated. "How's he doing?"
"Bad news travels," she remarked with the twitch of a smile. "He's recovering nicely."
"Very good." He nodded. "Russell Walker was in the lounge earlier, and—"
"No need," she said, turning away from the desk. "That says it all. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Ms. Regan."
The hum of the elevator seemed to accelerate Audrey's desire to close her eyes, and she tilted her head back against the glass. When the doors slipped open, she sighed, pushing herself forward.
Room 210 held all the charm of the bridal suite, on a much smaller scale of course. The tall queen-sized bed looked comfortable and inviting, and Audrey tossed the card key to
"Audrey."
She considered it. "Yeah, that's okay, I guess."
"And this is J. R."
"That's not a name," she told him. "Those are letters. They can only stand for something; they can't be a whole name."
He leaned closer to her and whispered, "They do stand for something. Do you want to know what?" She nodded. When he looked at Audrey, she nodded too. "John Robert."
"Those are good names. Why do you hide them?"
"I don't know," he answered with a chuckle. "I've been called J. R. since I was your age, and I guess it just stuck with me, Roslyn."
The little blonde looked up at Audrey with a serious expression. "You better call him John from now on so he doesn't forget."
"Maybe I'll do that."
Roslyn's mother called her over. "Don't bother the people."
"I'm not botherin' them," she said, rushing to her mother's side. "That lady makes wedding dresses for Barbie, Mommy."
Audrey's attention snapped in half as Carly came around the corner and stepped into view.
"Caroline. Over here."
She dropped into the chair next to Audrey and groaned. Audrey expected her to say something about a ruined wedding or never making it to the first dance. Instead, Carly rubbed her temples with her index fingers and said, "He nearly died, Aud."
"I know," she said, touching Carly's arm. "But he's going to be okay now."
Carly nodded, and she sighed as the realization set in. "Look," she suggested, "you two don't have to stick around."
"Of course we're staying."
"No, really. Go back to the hotel. I'm staying here with Devon tonight."
"Not exactly the ideal wedding night, is it?" J. R. asked her.
"Any night with Devon is a good night," she answered, and her eyes misted over with tears.
Audrey could almost read her friend's thoughts of Afghanistan and Devon's frequent absences. In that light, she supposed spending the night in the hospital together was a pretty good alternative.
"Why don't you go on back with Russell and Kat," J. R. suggested to Audrey. "I want to stick around until he's out of surgery."
"I'll stay too," she said, taking Carly's hand and clasping it between both of hers. "We can take off once he's all settled in his room."
Carly crumpled suddenly, tearful and trembling, and she leaned into Audrey's embrace. "Thank you," she whimpered. "Thank you both so much."
The taxi dropped her in front of The Tanglewood just after 12:30 the next morning. Devon's surgery had successfully relieved him of his appendix, but infection had threatened further complication, which came to fruition through a high fever spike. Carly hadn't left his side except for a quick run to the ladies room at midnight and, although the nurse had arranged for a cot to be placed in the hospital room, Carly remained planted in the vinyl chair she'd dragged alongside Devon's bed. J. R. had decided to sack out in the waiting room for the night, but he'd summoned a taxi and tucked Audrey into it before he did.
The hotel lobby echoed with an unusual lack of traffic, and the guy behind the front desk greeted her in a somewhat hushed tone.
"I was in the bridal suite," she told him. "I think I was moved to another room during the wedding?"
"Ah, yes, Ms. Regan," he replied, and he handed her a card key. "You're on the second floor in two-ten."
"Thank you."
"I heard about the groom's appendix," he stated. "How's he doing?"
"Bad news travels," she remarked with the twitch of a smile. "He's recovering nicely."
"Very good." He nodded. "Russell Walker was in the lounge earlier, and—"
"No need," she said, turning away from the desk. "That says it all. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Ms. Regan."
The hum of the elevator seemed to accelerate Audrey's desire to close her eyes, and she tilted her head back against the glass. When the doors slipped open, she sighed, pushing herself forward.
Room 210 held all the charm of the bridal suite, on a much smaller scale of course. The tall queen-sized bed looked comfortable and inviting, and Audrey tossed the card key to
Similar Books
