Read Commissioned In White (Art of Love Series) for Free Online Page B

it,” Shane said, grinning. “But I think I’ll head home now. My bride awaits.”
    “Speaking of brides. . .” Jessica began.
    “Jessica—let it go. . .Ellen’s dealing with it,” Will said firmly.
    Jessica let out a huffy breath. “Fine,” she said. “Let Ellen do it.”
    “Something I need to know?” Shane asked.
    “No,” Jessica said, retracting and regrouping her thoughts to keep from blurting it all out. “I’m having jitters. Your mother has got it all under control. I need to trust the system.”
    Shane laughed. “You know, the JP ceremony Reesa and I had is starting to look better all the time. I thought you guys were going to get it done without all the crazy,” he said.
    Jessica looked at Will and glared.
    Will glared back. “No,” he said. “I’m just as tempted as you are, but this is the time to be patient, not to act rashly. We talked about this at lunch. Ellen is going to take care of it.”
    “Oh, alright,” Jessica said grumpily. She turned to Shane. “Go home. You’re tempting me too much.”
    “Everything okay, Dad?” Shane asked, frowning.
    “Everything is fine,” Will answered calmly. “Just wedding crazies. I’ll be glad when it’s done. Jessica asked me a dozen times to go to Tennessee, but no I didn’t want a quickie.”
    “Hell, you never want a quickie for anything,” Jessica said, laughing.
    It was so much like something Reesa often said to Shane that the flush crept up his neck and face before he could stop it. Damn, he was just like his father.
    “Okay—that’s probably my cue to leave and get myself home,” Shane said, grinning over his embarrassment.
    Seeing that she had managed to genuinely embarrass Shane with her too-honest comments, Jessica immediately felt guilty. Some mother figure she was turning out to be. She was too used to teasing her daughter.
    “Shane—I’m sorry. I’m tired, edgy, and irritable, but that’s no reason to take it out on you,” Jessica said, walking over and hugging him. “I certainly didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
    Shane hugged back. “I’ll live. Just answers more of my questions about what I inherited from Dad.”
    “Okay,” Jessica said contritely, feeling a genuine flush climbing her own face then. “I’m blushing, so I think we’re even now.”
    Laughing, Shane snagged her hand and dragged her down the hall as he got ready to leave. “I’m going to be the happiest man at your wedding. Except for maybe Michael.”
    “What about your father?” Jessica asked on laugh.
    Shane grinned and let her go as he practically ran to the door. “Dad will be too shocked that day to be happy. He’s going to be the happiest man a year from now when he realizes that marrying you was the best thing he ever did in his life.”
    “Next to marrying Ellen and having you and your brother,” Jessica said with confidence, kissing his cheek. “And I love you all. I even like your mother, and yes you can put that in your damn book. You’re so smart, Dr. Larson. Someday you need to tell me what it’s like to be the man who gets everything he wants.”
    “Ask me again after you and Dad are official. I’ll tell you then,” Shane said lightly, even though her words bothered him as he was climbing into his car.
    Shane saw Jessica standing in the doorway and waving until he drove out of the cul-de-sac.
    Driving away, Shane pondered her comment, wondering if it was true. Did he always get what he wanted?
    He thought about his disappointments. He’d had his share. His parent’s divorce. His only long term girlfriend dumping him in college. Still, they were few and far outnumbered by the positive things. He would be the last person to deny that he walked around expecting life to go the way he wanted it to, and when it did, he was always grateful.
    So did that make him selfish? Shane didn’t think so, but he’d never really thought about it that way before. Joe sometimes made snarky comments about his good luck. So did