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Rachel gave Bella a hug. It had been a tough few days. John had called each morning, but it didn’t make up for her dad not being at home. The more time Rachel spent with Bella, the more she realized just how much John’s absence was affecting his daughter.
When her dad was gone, Bella became quiet, withdrawn, and easily distracted. At first, Rachel thought it was because Bella was waiting for the sound of her dad’s car in the driveway, or his voice in the entranceway. But his meeting this week had left Rachel even more worried.
“Do you want to help me open a box of dresses, Bella?”
A big smile filled Bella’s face. “Yes, please.”
Rachel used a pair of scissors to cut the tape and Bella opened the flaps.
The owner of the dresses had left a photo of her bridesmaids inside the box. Standing in front of the bridesmaids, looking as happy as a polar bear in winter, was a little white dog. “Look at this, Bella. The doggie in the photo looks like the little toy dog that you gave your friend.”
Bella stood on the edge of a stool and looked at the photo in Rachel’s hand. “It does. It looks just like Jasmine. Could I show my friend Poppy the photo?”
“Of course you can,” Rachel said. “I’ll put it in my bag so that we don’t forget to take it home.”
Tess opened another box and pulled out a dress with a bright floral pattern on the fabric. “Wow. This one’s different.” She peeked inside the box and pulled another matching dress out. “Do you think our spring bridesmaids will like these dresses?”
Bella sighed. “I think they’re really pretty.”
Rachel grinned at Bella. “I’m sure someone else will feel exactly the same. They’ll look stunning when Molly photographs them for our catalog.” She handed Bella one of the dresses. “Take this across to Tess. She’ll help you put it on a hanger and leave it on the rack with the other dresses that arrived this week.”
Bella carefully took the dress across to Tess. “I’ve seen your catalog. I like the Cinderella Collection the best.”
Tess smiled. “Why do you like that collection?”
“Because the dresses are beautiful and sparkly.”
Rachel found a hanger and put the second floral bridesmaid’s dress beside Tess. “Would you like to see the Cinderella dresses that we have at the moment?”
Bella nodded her head so hard that it was a wonder it didn’t pop off her shoulders.
Tess looked out of the living room’s large picture window. “While you’re doing that, I’m going to ask your friend if he wants to come inside. The snow is getting heavier.”
Rachel glanced at the flurry of snowflakes falling outside. “I didn’t realize how bad it was. I’ll call Tank on his cell phone.”
Tank had met Tess when they’d first arrived at her home. For some reason, he’d insisted on staying in his truck and not coming inside.
A loud banging on the door made them all jump. “I guess Tank got tired of waiting in the cold,” Tess said. “You’d better invite him in before he turns into Frosty the Snowman.”
Tank nodded at Tess when he walked into the loft. “It’s cold out there.” Bella handed him a towel as he stood in the kitchen, shaking the snow off his jacket. “Thanks, Bella.”
“You’re welcome,” Bella said seriously. “Rachel told me to dry my hair in case I got a cold. You’re a lot wetter than I was.”
Tank dried his hair and smiled at his little helper. “It’s snowing a lot harder than when you came inside. We’re going to have to leave in the next few minutes if we want to get home safely.”
“Will dad be all right?” Bella asked.
Tank folded the towel and left it on the edge of the counter. “He’ll be fine. If his flight is canceled, he won’t try and come back another way. He’ll stay in Washington DC for longer.”
“Are you sure?” Bella asked.
Rachel looked between Bella and Tank. Bella looked so worried about her dad that it nearly broke her heart. “Your dad will be extra careful because he knows you’re waiting for him. Let’s get our jackets so that we stay warm when we go outside.”
Bella walked across to the coat stand with Rachel. “Are you sure dad’s going to be okay?”
“Positive. Do you want to give him a call when we get back to your house?”
Bella pushed her arms into her jacket. “Can we call him now?”
Rachel looked at Tank. He shook his head. “We’ll call him from home.” Rachel kneeled in front of Bella and zipped her jacket closed. “While you’re talking to your dad, I’ll make us some hot chocolate. Does that sound like a good plan?”
Bella nodded, then turned to Tess. “Thank you for letting me see your dresses.”
“That’s okay, Bella. Rachel has a key to the loft. If you want to come back and look at the Cinderella dresses, you’re more than welcome.”
Bella’s eyes popped open. She looked up at Rachel. “Can I come back tomorrow?”
Rachel smiled at the excitement on Bella’s face. “We’ll see what your dad has got planned.” She might as well have said yes. The grin on Bella’s face was worth every minute it would take to drive through the snow.
Rachel zipped her jacket to her chin and held Bella’s hand. “I’m sorry we had to leave early, Tess. I’ll try and get back soon to tidy up the rest of the dresses.”
“Don’t worry about it. The dresses are all here now. I’ll sort them into styles and get them ready for Molly to photograph. We don’t need to put them on our website straight away.”
Rachel picked up the folder of letters she needed to reply to. “I’ll do these from home tonight.” She looked around the room, checking to make sure they hadn’t left anything behind. “It looks as though we’re ready to leave, Tank.”
He glanced out the window. “Let’s get going. It was nice meeting you, Tess.”
“It was good seeing you, too. Drive safely.”
As they walked carefully down the stairs to their vehicles, the cold blast of air hitting Rachel’s face made her shiver. Tank had been right. If they’d stayed at Tess and Logan’s home for another hour, they might never have gotten home.
“I don’t like this weather,” Tank said from in front of them. “You’re both coming with me.”
Rachel grabbed Bella around the waist as she slid on a slippery patch of ice. “I can drive myself home. You take Bella.”
“It wasn’t up for discussion. You’re both coming with me.” He unlocked his truck and lifted Bella into the back seat. “Make sure your seatbelt is tight.”
Rachel wiped the snow out of her face and glared at Tank. “I know how to drive when it’s snowing. I’ll be okay.”
Tank opened the front passenger door. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. His face was as hard and uncompromising as the patch of ice Bella had slipped on.
“You don’t need to get mean and grouchy,” she muttered. “I’ll go with you.”
Tank’s lips twitched. Rachel got into the truck and Tank closed the door.
He moved quickly around the vehicle. As soon as the engine was running he put the air-conditioning on, sending a stream of warm air into the cab.
Rachel patted her cheeks. “My face feels like little icicles are pricking my skin.”
“Me, too,” Bella said from behind her. “Dad doesn’t like driving in the snow.”
Rachel frowned. Tess had told her that John had served in the military. It didn’t make sense that he wouldn’t be used to driving in all kinds of weather. “Why doesn’t he like driving in the snow, Bella?”
“Mommy died in a car accident when it was snowing. It makes him feel sad.”
Rachel’s gaze shot to Tank. He looked at her before reversing out of the driveway. “How do you feel about being in a truck when it’s snowing?”
“I don’t mind,” Bella said matter-of-factly. “I was only little when mom died. I don’t remember what happened.”
Rachel had never been more pleased that Tank was driving. If they’d been having this conversation when she was driving them home, she would have needed to pull over. And with the amount of snow coming down outside, that would have only gotten them into trouble. “Tank’s a good driver, Bella. He’ll keep us safe.”
“I know. Dad says that Tank’s his guardian angel.”
Tank’s gaze shot to his rearview mirror, then across to Rachel. “Don’t ask.”
Rachel sighed. Bella and John’s life was more complicated than anyone’s she knew. She could feel herself getting pulled into their lives, becoming part of something that she didn’t understand. She cared about Bella and wanted her to be happy.
She still wasn’t sure what she felt about John. He was a mystery she wasn’t prepared to solve, not when it would jeopardize her relationship with his daughter. She didn’t doubt that he loved Bella, but there were things about his life that made his daughter unhappy. Some of them he couldn’t change, others he could.
Rachel didn’t know why Tank was John’s guardian angel, or why he needed to look after Bella. What she did know was that Bella missed her dad, and that was something she could help change.
