Count Me In (An Emerald City Romance Book 1) by Dawn Mikal

Author:Dawn, Mikal [Dawn, Mikal]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: 121 Publishing House
Published: 2017-05-16T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Three

“You ready, man?”

Tyler looked up from his phone to see Bo walking toward him. “As ready as I can be.” He looked around the Garden Room at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The floor-to-ceiling glass looking out over the garden with city buildings beyond it made a statement when one first walked in, with six tall, thin trees spaced evenly among the windows. The parquet dance floor—with more potted plants around it—stood ready at the back of the grand space, waiting for the foundation’s guests to use it for a night of enjoyment. At the far end, up on a raised floor, stood a beautiful grand piano, and beyond that, a wall of honey oak paneling. Tables were spread throughout the space, elegant ladder-back chairs framing the white tablecloths. The three stairs leading up to the wall of glass were girded on each side by a thick brass rail and boxes of green plants with yellow flowers. For a moment, he pictured Allegra walking up those stairs in a white wedding gown, coming to meet her groom.

His heart ached.

“Earth to Tyler.”

His attention swung from his thoughts—thank goodness—back to Bo. He eyed him for a moment. “I can’t believe you’re really leaving me. Tomorrow.”

Bo started to say something, stopped, and shrugged. A silent apology.

Tyler clapped his friend on his shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you, buddy.”

Bo smiled. “Ditto.”

And that was as mushy as they were gonna get.

Bo walked off to speak with the event coordinator. Tyler did his best to avoid checking on the silent auction set up in the hotel’s mezzanine, where Allegra was likely to be right now. He didn’t know if his heart could take seeing her decked out, working hard to raise money for his foundation. Her help over the past number of weeks in organizing and collecting the donations was invaluable. There was no way he could have done it without her.

As he moved throughout the space, he prayed. His foundation was in need of an influx of cash, but it wouldn’t happen without God. He was coming to recognize that nothing could happen without God.

Please bless this event, Lord. Tyler bit his lip. And help me to get back to normal with Allegra—pre-kiss normal—and learn to live without her.

***

Allegra smoothed the front of her black evening gown. She and Caprice had Skyped one another and surfed the internet, looking for the perfect dress that could fit in her budget. They finally found this one. She’d been apprehensive about it, but she had to admit, she felt pretty in the off-the-shoulder column dress. The elbow-length sleeves covered her upper arms—something she really appreciated—while the rest of the dress hugged her curves until it loosened just below her hips. Capri had convinced her to buy a chunky gold-and-turquoise necklace to lie just above the portrait neckline, and matching earrings, and gold bangle bracelets. She finished the look by sweeping all her hair back and into a low, loose bun. Wisps framed her face. She brushed them back and put on a bright smile as two guests entered the mezzanine.

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