Swinging on a Star Read Online Free Page B

smell better.” She turned to Rob with a wink.
    “Yeah, that’s one tradition I don’t mind breaking,” Rob said with a grin. “We can be authentic and clean at the same time.” He nodded with a slight look of panic in his eyes, which tickled Marian.
    “Nah, I think authentic is best. I’ll stop bathing between now and then, just to add more realism to our special day.” He wrinkled his nose, and she giggled. “Kidding!”
    Rob turned to Brock and mumbled, “That was a close one!” and they laughed.
    Marian jumped right back into the planning. “What about the musicians?” she asked. “Were you able to lock in that group I told you about? The ones I found at the Renaissance festival last year?”
    “The madrigal group? Yes. They even sent me a sample CD of their work. Their harmonies are great. And they make the rounds to several festivals around the country each year, so they know their stuff.” Thank goodness this part of the evening was locked up tight. We’d been lucky to get this group, though Marian’s dad had to pay a pretty penny to do so.
    “I guess we’d better get letters of commitment from them regarding my privacy,” Brock said with a sigh. “We need to make sure no one involves the media.”
    “Ah.” Letters of commitment? As in, legally binding? Would all of the guests have to sign one too?
    A shudder ran down my spine as I thought about that. What a mess this was turning out to be. Why couldn’t Brock Benson just be a normal best man? Why did this have to be so complicated?
    We talked through the rest of the wedding plans, but I could tell the guys were distracted. I saw Rob mouth the word hungry to Brock, and I reached for the phone. “You guys must be starved. Let me call Landry’s to see about getting their private room for you.” I punched in the number and quickly asked for the most secluded place in the restaurant. They could accommodate the group in half an hour, so we needed to get this show on the road.
    After ending the call, I turned to Rob and Brock. “Shouldn’t be a big crowd tonight anyway. It’s a Thursday night.” Shifting my focus, I reached for a pen and paper. “While I’m thinking of it, let me give you the reservation information for the hotel. I think you’ll like the Tremont. It’s very private.”
    I started to write down the information, but the pen slipped out of my hand and clattered to the floor. Brock and I leaned down at the same time to pick it up, our hands touching for a microsecond. I pulled away, feeling my face warm with embarrassment. In that second, a very junior-highish thought flitted through my brain.
    I am never washing this hand again .

5
Call Me Irresponsible
    As my eyes met with Brock’s, my heart flip-flopped. Man, did he ever smell yummy. What was he wearing? And those amazing cheekbones! Somehow being this close made me want to reach out and touch them just to see if they were real. Has he had work done?
    Fortunately—or unfortunately—I didn’t have time to think about it. My sister’s voice rang out, startling me back to an upright position. “Bella,” she called. “Are you in the office?”
    “Oh no! Sophia!” I clamped a hand over my mouth and stared at Rob and Marian.
    Brock immediately rose to his feet and slipped behind the door. When Sophia stepped inside, she saw only the bride and groom, who by now were playing it cool. I could tell from the heat in my cheeks that I was flushed, but I hoped she would write it off to the weather.
    Though Sophia had sounded plenty impatient seconds earlier, she smiled as she took in my guests. “Hi, everyone. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” She turned to me, giving me super-secret coded messages with her eyes, messages I could not mistake. “Bella, I just wanted to let you know that Rosa’s getting anxious. Mama wants the whole family at the dinner table at six, and that includes you and D.J.” She swept a loose dark hair behind her ear and nodded, as if that settled