All of Me: A Small Town Romance (The Bridesmaids Club Book 1)

Chapter 16

Tess sat on a wooden seat in Bogert Park. A group of children were kicking a ball, yelling and rolling around on the grass as if they didn't have a care in the world.

"They're enjoying themselves."

Tess looked up at Molly and smiled. "They are. Thanks for coming."

Molly sat beside her. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it sooner. I was in the middle of a photoshoot when you called."

"What were you taking photos of?"

"Cowboys."

The wistful note in Molly's voice made Tess frown. "Is everything all right?"

"I used to think it was. My sister told me Montana would be good for me. The big blue sky and wide open spaces would give me a place to heal. But some days I feel so alone that I want to cry."

"Have you told Becky how you feel?"

"Becky has her own life," Molly said. "Being a florist keeps her busy. When she's not buying flowers at auctions or putting together bouquets, she's working on her accounts."

"Can I do anything to help?"

"There's nothing anyone can do," Molly sighed. "What's happening is coming from inside me. I need to do something, but I don't know what." She looked across the park, then smiled at Tess. "But that's enough about my worries. What do you want to talk about?"

"Logan brought a friend into the café today."

"From the look on your face, I'd say the friend was female."

Tess nodded. "She's a reporter with The Seattle Times."

"Oh, dear." Molly squeezed her hand. "Do you think she knows?"

"I don't think so. But what if she finds out? I don't want anyone thinking I'm a drug dealer or a murderer."

"Anyone who knows you won't think that. It was a long time ago. People forget things."

Tess stared miserably across the park. "They don't when the man at the center of the story is a senator and it's an election year."

"Have you spoken to Logan about what happened?"

"He's a reporter. I told him some things, but not who was involved."

Molly sighed. "Do you trust him?"

Two months ago, that would have been an easy question to answer. But, after meeting Logan's friend, she wasn't so sure.

"Tess?"

She dropped her head to her chest. "I trust him."

"Talk to him. Tell him what happened. If his friend finds out about your past, he might be able to stop her from publishing a story."

"It won't help. Evie's death hit the headlines around the world. People who didn't have an opinion about anything suddenly wanted to know who killed the supermodel."

Molly handed Tess a tissue. "You don't have a choice. Logan's the only person who might be able to help."

"I don't think he even realizes I was a supermodel. He sees my baggy T-shirts and worn jeans and doesn't look any further."

"That's a good thing, isn't it? He likes you, not some photo-shopped woman with silicone breasts and no wrinkles."

Tess smiled. "I'm glad you didn't say boobs."

Molly laughed. "I'm trying to be more articulate. I've been hanging around cowboys for too long."

"How's the book going?" Molly was putting together an illustrated book about cowboys. Tess had been with her on a few of the photoshoots, except they weren't your normal studio portraits. They were real shots of real men and women who lived their life on the land.