Bride & Seek (Enchanted Bridal #5) - Samantha Chase Page 0,16

week. I was actually looking for you. To talk to you. To uh…to make sure we were okay and all. And…”

“Cade?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay,” she said softly, smiling.

Her smile did it for him every time. “So, I was thinking…”

They were interrupted when someone called Cammie’s name and said there was a problem with the arbor. With a quick apology, she was gone.

And so was his chance to ask her out.

5

“Is this normal? I mean…seriously…is this something that normally happens?” Cammie was in a meeting with the girls and almost cringed at the pitch of her own voice. “Because…I have to tell you…I’m beginning to feel like there is some sort of black cloud over my head here!”

Anna May went to comment, but Cammie jumped to her feet and began to pace in the confined space.

“I know I am new to the company and the low man on the totem pole. I get it. I’m fine with it. But this situation is getting a little crazy for me, and I guess I’d rather you see me crazy now and fire me than drag this out any longer!”

She stopped and caught her breath and noticed how quiet and still it was in the room. Anna May and Dixie were all silently watching her. There wasn’t any horror or disdain on their faces–in fact, they were all smiling serenely.

With a steadying breath, Cammie positioned herself so she could face them both. “The last thing I want is to be a hindrance to the company and to the important jobs you have. I’ve been here for almost two months, and for the life of me, I have not seen this situation with any of our other clients. So clearly, it’s just me. Maybe I’m seeing something that’s not there or…”

“Or someone’s deliberately trying to poke at you?” Dixie asked. “Because that’s sort of the vibe I’m getting.

Relief swamped her as she slowly sank back into her seat. “Really? So…I’m not crazy?”

Dixie laughed softly. “Well…that still remains to be seen. But, honestly, this is the first time a client has been this…present. And persistent.”

“Especially when the wedding is still months away,” Anna May chimed in. “Either they’re that picky or…”

“Or they’re trying to poke at you,” Dixie said again. “Would anyone you know tell them you’re working here?”

Cammie shrugged. “It’s not really a big secret. I’m proud of my job and position here at Emerald Grove. We do have a lot of the same friends, so it’s possible someone may have mentioned it.” She paused. “In all the years Preston and I were together, the only time we ever came to the area was to visit my parents, and he was never overly impressed. But…”

“But maybe Whitney’s just sort of doing this to get your goat a bit more,” Anna May said. “I mean, some women just never outgrow their mean-girl status from high school.” She sighed. “There was a girl in my class–Betsy Declan–and you would not believe how awful she was! We all thought she’d outgrow it, but…sure enough…at our ten-year reunion, she was just as hateful! Why, she even made a point of going up to the girl her husband used to date just so she could brag about how they were still together!”

It did sound a lot like Whitney–even from the little Cammie knew about her. “So…what do I do? Do I keep ducking into closets and dodging out doors or hiding in Cade’s shed…?”

“Ooo…was that the day you came in with dirty handprints on your butt and had to borrow a dress?” Anna May asked.

“You had dirty handprints on your butt?” Dixie repeated, her grin spreading. “When was this?”

Knowing there was no way to avoid the story, she quickly recapped how she had initially ended up in Cade’s shed and how he bailed her out a couple of times since. Including the kiss.

“Wow…” Anna May murmured. “Talk about a knight in shining armor!”

“I know. He was sweet enough to point out some key hiding places, but…maybe that’s not the way to go. Maybe I should just let myself be seen and deal with the taunting. Who knows, maybe if they see I don’t care, they’ll move on.”

“And if they don’t?” Dixie asked. “I mean, what if they continue to come around and make nuisances of themselves?”

It was on the tip of Cammie’s tongue to say it would be nice if she–her boss–would refuse to have them as clients, but she didn’t think that was a smart move. “Then I’d say I’d have