The Secret Wedding Dress by Roz Denny Fox Page A

out why he felt wet, cold and weighed down. Shock, pure and simple, ran through him as his hazy gaze lit on his new neighbor. Something was very wrong here. Her hair appeared lank. Weeds, or he thought they were weeds, dangled above her left ear. As well, she wore…something skimpy and diaphanous. Practically see-through. Except that Joel was squinting into the sun. That did it. His head might feel as big as a barn, but he was darned sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Bolting upright, he sent Sylvie sprawling.
    Atthat moment, Joel heard Rianne shout, “Daddy, Daddy, you’re okay!” His wind was cut off as her little arms wrapped around his neck and her weight draped over his back. Before his addled brain could assess anything else, Oscar flattened him. The dog loomed above him, licking his face, and Joel gagged again.
    “Yuck! Will somebody please remove this beast?”
    Sylvie grabbed Oscar’s leash. Rianne tugged on the dog, as well. Eventually, they were able to muscle Oscar to within shackling distance of the tree.
    Positive they’d resembled a slapstick comedy, Sylvie suddenly realized how few clothes she had on. using two half-hitches to tie the rope, she raced for the sweats she’d shed on the pier. Aware that Joel Mercer’s eyes tracked her every move, Sylvie shimmied into her sweatpants and shirt with as much haste and dignity as possible. She lacked finesse, since her skin remained too wet for the fabric to slide well.
    “I remember now,” Joel exclaimed. “Rianne caught a fish. I went to help reel the sucker in and…” His accusatory glare found Sylvie. “You didn’t tie that brute. He broke loose and knocked me off the dock.” Sounding indignant, Joel pulled at his dripping shirt and pants. His shoes were missing. Italian loafers. Rubbing his forehead, Joel discovered a lump the size of a large hen’s egg. “Ow! Damn,” he swore succinctly.
    Because he’d scrambled closer to Sylvie, she also saw the bump she’d missed, probably because of her worry. “Gosh, I guess that explains why you sank like a rock. You must’ve hit a railroad tie, or the metal cleats where Iva tied the boats. Man, you’re lucky. You actually had a close call, Joel.” Sylvie had to sit down, her knees too weak to support her.
    “None of this would’ve happened if you’d left that mutt home. At the very least, you need to learn how to tie a decent knot.”
    Rianne burst into tears. “It’s all my fault,” she wailed. “I untied Oscar so he could come sit by me while I fished. Ididn’t tell you ‘cause you sounded mad. Then we saw the big fish and…I forgot Oscar wasn’t tied. I’m sorry, Daddy.”
    The truth hit Joel almost as hard as whatever had knocked him in the head. “Sylvie, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I owe you an apology.” Joel actually felt himself pale at what might so easily have occurred. He recalled flying off the dock, but he didn’t know quite what happened after he struck the water. That was his last memory until he opened his eyes to a bizarre vision—well, he probably ought to forget some of it.
    “You don’t owe me anything,” Sylvie said through chattering teeth.
    “Are you okay?” Joel inquired, continuing to frown. He crawled to her side and sank down next to her, chafing her cold, trembling fingers. “To invoke a cliche, all’s well that ends well. Even at that, do you mind if we call a halt to this expedition?”
    “Are you k-kidding? We’ve all had plenty. You need to go change out of those wet things, Joel. And you should have a doctor look at your head. What if you’ve got a concussion? Oh, and you take the fish home, okay?”
    “Fish?” Joel’s gaze sought Rianne’s. “I’m sorry we lost your very first catch, snooks. That was a really big fish.”
    “We didn’t lose him. Sylvie put him in with yours.”
    Sylvie blanched. “I did, and I probably wasted time doing it. I swear I had no idea you hadn’t bobbed straight up again, Joel. Not until Rianne called