All of Me - Leeanna Morgan (the snowy day read aloud .TXT) 📗

say. “Why would you do that?”

“Because she needs our help. But we don’t know who she is or where she lives. I was hoping you’d be able to…”

“I can’t.” Logan sat back in his chair. “They asked me not to tell anyone their real names.”

Tess’ mouth dropped open. “So they aren’t Estelle and Darren?”

He shook his head. “Not even close. I wish I could help you, but they didn’t want anyone knowing who they were. I guess they were embarrassed.”

“If we don’t find them soon it will be too late to give them the dresses.”

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”

“Can you tell us where they live or where they work?”

“I can’t, I’m sorry. They didn’t want me to disclose their personal information.”

Tess crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Do you know how annoying you are?”

Logan held back his laughter. “I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me. But I still can’t tell you anything about them.”

“There must be something you could tell me. We’ve only got two weeks before their wedding. It was two weeks, right?”

Logan ran his hand across his mouth. “I supposed I could say yes. But I can’t answer any more questions.”

Tess stood up and grabbed her bag. “What if you don’t say anything? I could ask you some questions and you could say yes or no.” She flipped open her notebook and waited for his answer.

With her blue eyes staring at him, he was having trouble saying anything. “Fine. But I’m not answering any questions that are marginal.”

Tess took a deep breath. “Okay, that’s good. I can work with that.” She looked in her notebook. “Question one. Do the bride and groom-to-be live in Bozeman?”

“Yes.”

“Are they between twenty and twenty-five years old?”

“Yes.”

Tess scribbled down something, then kept going. “Are they getting married in a church?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you know?”

“I was there to interview them about the burglary, not their wedding.”

Tess looked disappointed. “So you’ve got no idea where they’re getting married?”

“No idea.”

“Do you know what time they’re getting married?”

“No.”

“What kind of reporter are you?”

“A good one.” He laughed at the growl coming from her throat.

“Can you tell me the mother of the bride’s name?”

“Good try, but I’m not telling.”

Tess closed her notebook. “This is ridiculous. Is there anything you can say to help us find the couple?”

“Not unless you’ve got more questions for me.” He watched Tess skim through the other notes she’d made.

“There’s nothing here that you’ll be able to answer. I need a milkshake.”

She went to the kitchen and pulled a tub of ice cream out of the freezer. “Do you want one?”

“No, thanks.” Logan couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a milkshake. He walked to the kitchen and watched Tess. She poured milk into a metal cup, dropped in a couple of scoops of ice cream, then squirted some kind of flavoring on the top.

She looked up and grinned. “I’m a vanilla girl. Grandpa’s favorite was lime and grandma liked peppermint. What’s your favorite flavor?”

“Caramel.”

“A sweet tooth.” She clipped the metal cylinder under the milkshake machine. “This is an original 1950’s Hamilton Beach triple-head blender.”

She grinned as she increased the speed. It was like watching a little girl open her Christmas presents from Santa. She was totally smitten with the machine.

“Okay. I’ll have a milkshake,” he yelled over the noise of the blender.

Tess nodded and put another cup under the beaters. Within minutes she had both cups sitting on the counter. She dropped a straw into each one and smiled. “When I came home from school I used to work in the ice cream parlor with grandpa. He always had a thick vanilla milkshake waiting for me.”

“Sounds like a great grandpa.” Logan watched Tess’ face soften.

“He was. He always said he could judge a person by the flavor of the milkshake they ordered.”

“What did he say about people who like caramel?”

Tess smiled. “That would be giving away his secrets. Let’s just say I take grandpa’s personality test very seriously.” She sucked a mouthful of milkshake through the straw. “Tell me if you like it.”

Logan drunk some of his milkshake. It was cold, thick and sweet. Everything a good milkshake should be. “It’s great. You should sell them in your café.”

“I’ve got another machine in the kitchen downstairs, but not many people drink milkshakes.”

“You could advertise them, start a revival. An old fashioned milkshake in a heritage building.”

Tess shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll think about it. So how am I going to find Ms. Bride and Mr. Groom?”

Logan pulled a red vinyl stool out from the counter and sat down. “I could go for a drive.”

“How’s that going to help me?”

He kept drinking his milkshake. “I’ve always enjoyed going for a Sunday morning drive.”

“You’re not making much sense. Unless…”

A smile worked its way across her face. He had a feeling the sugar in her milkshake might have contributed to her state of bliss more than his words, but he’d take it anyway.

“If someone followed you, on your Sunday morning drive, it wouldn’t break any confidentiality issues.”

Logan shrugged. “I’m going for a drive. Anyone can follow me.”

“And how many times would you stop?”

“Just once.”

Tess sat beside him and rested her chin on her hand. “What time do you like leaving on your Sunday morning drives?”

“I could drive past the café at about ten o’clock.”

“Ten would work. But don’t get any ideas about where this might be going. I’m using you for information.”

“Nice to know you’re honest,” Logan muttered. “You’ve got to promise me that the drive will be low key. You can’t do anything that will make the bride go running to my editor.”

“Of course I won’t,” Tess said. “I’ll be so discreet that no one will ever know I’ve been near her home.”

Logan had a feeling she might be over-exaggerating her super sleuth abilities, but he couldn’t do much about it now. He pushed his empty milkshake cup away and stood up. “Tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock.”

“Yes, sir.” Tess followed him to her back door and held it open. “Thanks, Logan. I appreciate your help.”

“Once you know where they live you can do the rest on your own.”

“That’s all I need.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow in my rearview mirror.” He left Tess’ apartment feeling happy. It was so different to how he normally felt that he almost didn’t recognize it. But it was there all the same.

Tess Williams, the woman most likely to annoy him, had made him happy. And he was damned if he knew why.