LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER FOUR

      AT LEAST SHE didn’t snore. Cooper supposed that he should be grateful for small mercies, given the current situation. The car was running fine, the interstate was as clear as it ever was and Dawn didn’t snore. She did, however, sleep all the way to Sacramento, a full hour and a half’s drive. Not that he was complaining. He was a long-time fan of his own company and rather less keen on hers.

      As the road swung towards the north of Sacramento’s centre, Cooper kept an eye out for any decent looking place to grab a coffee and maybe something to eat. He’d promised Dawn, after all, and besides, his own stomach had started to remind him that it was a long time since lunch—and there hadn’t been much of that, anyway. He’d been saving himself for the wedding breakfast—not expecting to be on the road by the time everyone else sat down to eat it.

      Spotting some familiar lit-up signs, he signalled to leave the interstate and pulled into a parking lot shortly after. The retail park wasn’t huge, but it had both chain restaurants and stores. Since he hadn’t exactly packed for this trip either, he could do with picking up a few things—and getting the hell out of the tux his mother had insisted he wear. Suits were one thing—Cooper could appreciate the value of a good suit. But bow ties were simply never going to be his style.

      He glanced across at his companion and the wide lace skirts covering every inch of the passenger seat. At least he had to be more comfortable than she was. And that corset style top looked actually painful.

      Yeah, they should stop and change. If nothing else, pulling up at a motel with a bride in a few hours’ time was just going to look tacky.

      ‘Dawn?’ he said softly, then repeated it louder when she didn’t stir. ‘Dawn.’

      Her eyes flickered open. ‘Are we there?’

      ‘We’re in Sacramento,’ he said, unsure if she was awake enough even to know where she was asking if they were. ‘Come on. We can pick up some supplies and get something to eat before we carry on.’

      She nodded, but her eyes were fluttering closed again. Cooper rolled his eyes and climbed out of the car, slamming the door loudly behind him.

      That woke her up.

      He locked up then took off towards the nearest store that looked as though it would stock everything they needed for the next few days. When he reached the door, he glanced back and saw Dawn struggling to catch him up, her wedding dress tangling around her legs and hampering her movements.

      ‘Honeymoon over already, huh?’ an older guy asked, stacking carts by the door.

      Cooper ignored him. Yeah, they really needed to get some different clothes.

      Inside, the harsh overhead lighting turned Dawn’s lace dress almost a pale yellow, but they were still getting plenty of stares from the other shoppers.

      ‘Let’s split up,’ he suggested. The whole bridal thing was making him uncomfortable, and she wasn’t even his bride. ‘It’ll be quicker.’

      Dawn nodded her agreement. ‘Fine. I saw signs for the bathrooms at the front of the store, so I can get out of this dress too.’ She looked almost as happy as him at the prospect. ‘Where shall I meet you?’

      ‘The burger joint across the way?’ Cooper had a sudden, unusual hankering for a proper burger and the place looked big enough that they should be able to seat them, even if it was busy. ‘Whoever gets done first can get us a table.’

      ‘Works for me,’ Dawn said, shrugging as she headed off towards the women’s clothes.

      Cooper moved around the shop quickly and efficiently. Years of business travel—and the occasional lost suitcase—meant he knew exactly what he needed to survive a few nights on the road, and at least this time he didn’t need to replace any of his suits. A couple of pairs of jeans, some tee shirts, a slightly thicker zip-up top, underwear, socks, sneakers and essential toiletries, and he was done. They might not be of his usual quality or brand, but they’d do for a few days. He headed to the tills to pay, then straight to the restroom to change, hoping they’d at least be clean.

      He felt better just for being in casual clothes. With autumn still a few weeks off, it was definitely far too hot for a tuxedo in California. And if he had to take this stupid road trip, he at least wanted to be comfortable doing it.

      Pushing open the door, he headed back out to the front of the store, planning to stash his discarded clothes and the rest of his new purchases in the car before heading across to check out the burger bar menu. But when he stepped out into the small corridor outside the restrooms, he found Dawn waiting for him—still in her wedding dress.

      ‘Let me guess,’ he said, drily. ‘You neglected to pack your wallet and now you need money from me.’ How predictable. But Dawn wouldn’t be the first woman to use him as her personal ATM, and as long as it meant that she couldn’t worm her way into the family’s finances longer term he was willing to live with it. Especially as even he knew that wedding dresses didn’t have pockets.

      But Dawn blinked at him with confusion, then held up a bag of clearly already paid-for shopping. ‘I had my credit card in my clutch bag. I just can’t undo this dress on my own.’

      Oh. Oh. ‘You need my help.’

      ‘Please.’ She looked pained just to have to ask him, but she turned and presented her back to him all the same. ‘If you could just loosen the corset ties enough, I should be able to wriggle out of it myself.’

      As she spoke, the doors to the main store opened again and two large men walked through, their curious eyes fixing instantly

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