Love Letters Read Free

overwhelmed by the morning rush without Faye and Maureen. Normally, they would display the gowns and arrange the new stock. For Chloe, selling gowns was more than providing the right dress and accessories to her customers. Most of them needed reassurance that their wedding was going to be perfect, and that’s what she gave them. She sighed, wishing she had been given the same reassurance.
    Chloe looked at the other shops on Main Street through the window. She loved living in Half Moon Bay, just minutes away from the beach. She didn’t mind that it was cold and foggy most of the time. Half Moon Bay was where she had grown up and she had a lot of fond memories there.
    Time to close up.
    She balanced the bills, put the money in the safe, and then got her jacket and purse. After closing the shop, Chloe went to get gas before going home. On the way she passed Surfing Buddies to be sure she hadn’t imagined it. Josh was back in Half Moon Bay, but why? That was the question.
     
    ***
    Richard came over that evening and they snuggled on the couch while she watched her favorite Lifetime Channel, and he made several phone calls, never once removing his blue tooth earpiece.
    “ Are you ever going to get off the phone?” This was supposed to be their time together. Yet it gave her time to think about Josh and why he had come back. She had been crazy about Josh. Everyone had teased her that they would end up married one day. And now?
    “ I need to close some deals, baby,” Richard said. “How do you expect me to provide for our future?”
    Chloe frowned. “Aren’t you going to ask me how my day went?”
    “ All right, how was your day?” He yawned.
    “ Well, aside from finding my ideal wedding gown, there was this strange lady who came to the shop today,” Chloe said, purposefully avoiding any mention of Josh. “She bought a wedding gown for her daughter. Can you imagine that? I would freak out if my mom did that.”
    Richard’s phone rang.
    “ Did you hear what I just said?” Chloe said, but Richard held up a hand to silence her.
    “ Hang on just a sec.” He turned away from her. “Hello, Dan. Uh-huh, escrow on the fifteenth. We have all the documents. Gotcha thanks.”
    Chloe rolled her eyes. “I swear, your phone rings one more time and I’m going to bed.”
    “ All right, I’m turning it off.” He twisted a knob. “You see, it’s off.” Richard held up the phone for her to see. Chloe forced a smile. “So you were saying?”
    “ I said that this strange lady bought a gown for her daughter who was marrying husband number five. Can you imagine a mother buying her daughter’s gown? That’s supposed to be her special day. She ought to choose her own gown.” Chloe didn’t know why it bothered her so much. Maybe it was because the woman reminded her so much of her own mother. Both were control freaks. Seeing the woman in action gave Chloe more reason not to call her mom.
    Richard shrugged. “Who knows, maybe her daughter’s blind and she can’t see her gown.”
    Chloe hit him with a pillow. “You’re crazy.”
    “ And that’s why you love me.” He winked then leaned toward her. Greta barked and jumped on the couch in attack mode.
    “ Down, Greta!” he said. “Chloe, do something about your dog.” Greta didn’t budge and growled some more. Greta had hated him from the first time she laid eyes on him. Chloe had thought she would outgrow it, but she hadn’t.
    “ Hon, you don’t need to talk to her that way. She’s not going to attack you,” Chloe said, cooing at the French bulldog.
    Richard stood up. “I’m beat. I need to get going. I have an early day tomorrow.”
    “ Okay, but will I see you again after work tomorrow?” she asked, hugging her big teddy bear – the one Josh had given her all those years ago. She felt her face flush and hoped Richard hadn’t seen it.
    “ We’ll see.” He paused. “By the way, are you forgetting something?”
    “ What?”
    “ You’ll need to make