Sweeping The Bride Away. Michele Dunaway

kept telling the city inspector she was married to a senator or something. So don’t get your hopes up. I’ll help her find a contractor, but that’s all.”

      Jake’s ears perked up, and he ignored the last part of Blade’s explanation. “Senator? Did you say senator?”

      Fire alarms pealed in Blade’s head. “Don’t look at me like that. We’ve been friends for too long. You should be warning me off. She’s set to be married.”

      “That’s irrelevant. I like married women. They don’t want to settle down, just play. Which senator?”

      Blade had long ago given up on Jake and his morals of an alley cat. “I don’t know. All I remember is that his wife’s name is Lillian.”

      Jake’s jaw dropped and he stared at Blade. “Lillian Morris?”

      Blade arched an eyebrow. “You know her?”

      “Everyone knows Lillian whether they want to or not. She’s a firebrand who gets her way because she’ll just run you over if you don’t move.”

      Blade shrugged. “Whatever. She didn’t make much of an impression on the building inspector.”

      Jake blinked in surprise. “That’s because he hasn’t learned better. I bet he’ll never make that mistake again.”

      “Anyway, I’ll look at the predications, and I’ll call her and find someone to fix them for her. I offered to do it last night in the bar. My mother raised me to be a gentleman.”

      “Yeah, when she was home. Anyway, while you’re being so ignoble, why don’t you just hit the lady up for an invitation to meet the infamous Lillian. Senator Morris has a lot of pull in this town. We could use the connection.”

      That didn’t sound good. “How about you meet the famous Lillian?”

      Jake’s smile turned wicked. “Maybe I will. You described the girl on the phone as a pretty thing, but I know you. She’s hot, isn’t she?”

      Blade shifted. Sure he’d describe Cassidy as hot, but that sounded so cheap. She was beautiful, an image of perfection, just as he’d thought last night.

      Jake’s gray eyes gleamed at Blade’s silence. “I think I want to meet her. After all, it is my job to make contacts.”

      The idea of Jake, whom he liked a lot but wouldn’t set up with his sister even if he had one, didn’t sit well at all. No, the idea of Jake meeting the lady from the night before, Cassidy, didn’t sit well at all.

      “I’ll do it,” Blade said simply, his decision instantaneous. “I’ll get you a meeting with Senator Morris, and you take it from there.” There, that solution sounded just fine.

      Sending Jake after Cassidy was like sending Christians to the lions.

      Jake grinned. “Blade, my man, we are now on our way into Houston old money society, and I have just the plan to get us there.”

      Blade frowned. Jake’s ideas involving women and Blade often backfired. “Yeah, well let’s hope it doesn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth.”

      “Money never leaves a bad taste, Blade,” Jake chided. “It’s time you learned that. Yep, high time you learned that, especially when the babe is hot. Now you listen to me, and I’ll tell you what we are going to do.”

      CASSIDY COULDN’T BELIEVE her luck. A man named Jake from J & B Construction had called and told her that his company would do her work. Even better, he’d told her that J & B was licensed by the city and oversaw a crew that would do the job.

      She pushed a loose strand of blond hair back off of her face. Jake had told her someone would come over at four-thirty. She’d be his last appointment of the day.

      The doorbell rang, and she threw it open.

      “I saw your car and since I knew you were home, I came over to discuss the flowers.”

      “Lillian!” Cassidy managed to step out of the way before Lillian barged right in. “I’m meeting with the contractor.”

      Lillian stopped and peered over her glasses. “Is he here?”

      “Not yet. Any minute.”

      Lillian didn’t look too concerned. “Well then, you have plenty of time.”

      “No, I don’t.” Cassidy tried anyway, but as always, protests with Lillian were useless.

      “I talked it over with Dan this morning and he agreed with me.”

      Of course he had, Cassidy thought. He’d just smiled and nodded, just like his father did when Lillian got her teeth into something.

      “Orchids. We’ll be doing orchids. I think that’s the perfect flower, and we’ll get them at Estelle’s. All I need to tell her is the color, although honestly I think we’ll be sticking with pure white. You do agree white is best, don’t you?”

      “Sure,” Cassidy said in resignation, giving Lillian a smile and a nod. Anything to get Lillian out of the house.

      The last thing Cassidy needed was Lillian scaring off the contractor. She’d done enough damage with the city inspector.

      “Excellent. I’ve also booked the church for 3:00 p.m., June 10. An afternoon wedding is best, and your rehearsal dinner is the night before. I’m still choosing the location. I can’t decide between The Ryan Room or Gillamaine’s.” Lillian stopped to draw a rare breath. “We also have a private appointment tomorrow evening at Monica’s Boutique to find you an appropriate wedding dress.”

      “I thought I’d wear my mother’s dress,” Cassidy said. “It’s in a box in the attic, and…”

      Lillian’s mouth dropped open in surprise and she looked as if Cassidy had grown another head. “That won’t do, dear, especially with your parents getting divorced. Heavens, no.” Lillian shook her head vehemently. “Tomorrow evening at six. We’ll be the only ones in the shop. I’ll pick you up at five. You know how traffic can be.”

      Cassidy gave Lillian another smile and nod before panic struck. Was that a truck pulling into the driveway? It was. Not good. Somehow Cassidy managed to usher Lillian to the door and got her through it. “See you tomorrow, Lillian.”

      Cassidy leaned back against the door and took a moment to sigh with relief. Home safe.

      “Oh, you must be the contractor,” she heard Lillian say.

      Nope, out at third. Cassidy threw open the front door and walked out. The Ford 350 truck now sitting in her driveway looked as if it had known better days. Red with faded black lettering on the passenger side door, it proudly proclaimed to be from J & B Construction.

      “You are the contractor, right?” Lillian asked.

      “That would be me, ma’am.”

      Great. Lillian was already engaging the contractor in conversation. Did the infernal woman ever stop talking? Cassidy bit her lip and sped up. Wearing heels didn’t help.

      Worse, once again she’d had a mean thought about Lillian. That was so unlike herself. She usually had such good manners and polite thoughts.

      And just when had the front walk gotten so long? Finally Cassidy reached the back of the truck. The contractor had his back to her, with Lillian facing him. He stood about six-six and had a nice posterior. Great, Cassidy thought. One night with Sara and now she was looking at everyone.

      Cassidy paused just a moment, turning around to take a second look at something she’d at first only caught in the periphery of her eye.

      Just what did that homemade back license plate say? Power Strokers do it better? Dear Lord. Don’t let Lillian see that.

      “What’s that license plate mean?”

      Too late.

      “It’s