Rachel jumped as the big wooden door in front of her opened. Apart from dark hair, the man walking toward her didn’t look anything like Bella. The little girl she’d met had big brown eyes, olive skin and mahogany curls.
She wondered if she’d found the right person. The form she’d seen had definitely been signed by a John Fletcher. There was only one John Fletcher living in Bozeman, and he was standing in front of her.
“Hello, Mr. Fletcher. My name is Rachel McReedy. I have something I need to talk to you about.”
His cool blue eyes held her gaze as he shook her hand. “I’ve got a conference call in five minutes.”
Rachel nodded. Five minutes was better than nothing. For the last few days she’d been trying to make an appointment to see him. The staff at his home had told her he wasn’t available and she couldn’t get through to his secretary. Out of desperation, she’d driven to Fletcher Security’s head office, hoping he’d be able to see her. With only three days left before Annie’s wedding, she was on her own.
John Fletcher held his door open. “Come in.”
She tightened her hold on her bag and moved into his office. “Thank you for seeing me.”
He closed the door and pointed at a chair in front of his desk. “You’re welcome. What exactly did you want to discuss with me, Ms. McReedy?”
“Rachel…you can call me Rachel.”
He sat down and looked closely at her. She wished she’d worn something a little more business-like. Her ‘Welcome to Hawaii’ T-shirt didn’t exactly make her feel confident. She’d pulled it on after she’d been splattered with paint by an over-excited student. But she wasn’t here to make a good impression. She was here to help Bella’s dad understand his daughter a little better.
She cleared her throat and unzipped her bag. “I’m a teacher at Bozeman Elementary School. Your daughter, Bella, spent time with my class last week.”
“Was there a problem?”
Rachel shook her head. “Bella is a wonderful little girl. I enjoyed working with her.”
“Why are you here, then?”
Rachel wondered if the frown plastered across his face was permanent. He didn’t seem like the type of person who smiled a lot. He was completely different from the bubbly, happy, little girl who had visited her school.
“Ms. McReedy?”
She blinked and yanked her mind back to the man sitting in front of her. “Sorry.” She took Bella’s envelope out of her bag. “As well as teaching at Bozeman Elementary School, I help a group of friends who’ve started The Bridesmaids Club. Have you heard of us?”
John Fletcher was beginning to look irritated. “No. I can’t say that I have.”
“We’re sent pre-loved bridesmaids’ dresses from all over the country. Women who need dresses contact us and take them for their own weddings. Everything is free. It’s really rewarding making people’s dreams come true.”
Rachel smiled and John’s frown deepened. She wouldn’t let his grumpiness distract her from what she had to tell him. “About a year ago, The Bridesmaids Club received a letter from a little girl. My friends tried to find her, but they didn’t have much luck.”
“And you think this letter was written by my daughter?”
“It was signed by someone called Bella.”
“You’ve got the wrong person. I can assure you that Bella doesn’t need a bridesmaid’s dress.”
“It wasn’t a dress that she wanted.”
John’s gaze sharpened. “What did she want?”
Rachel had thought long and hard about how she’d break the news to Bella’s dad. She could be incredibly diplomatic when she needed to be, but she had a feeling that John Fletcher didn’t have a lot of time for diplomacy. So instead of repeating the words she’d decided to use, she passed him Bella’s envelope.
“It might be better if you read the card yourself.”
John took the envelope out of her hand. He looked at the picture on the outside, then glanced back at her.
She didn’t look down.
He pulled the card out and read the message. “My daughter wants me to get married?”
Rachel had a feeling that the chance of that happening was practically zilch. He might be handsome in a rugged, outdoorsy sort of way, but his personality needed work.
She glanced at the card. It was a whole lot easier than looking into his surprised eyes. “Or she could want a mom. She might be lonely.”
John’s face hardened. “I can assure you, Ms. McReedy, that my daughter isn’t lonely.”
Rachel hoped he was right. She zipped her bag closed and stood up. “In that case, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Although you might want to talk to her about finding a wife. We deal with dresses, Mr. Fletcher, not hearts. Thank you for seeing me. You can keep the card.”
She left John Fletcher’s office, took her coat off a hanger, and walked past his secretary. She’d done what she’d set out to do, but it hadn’t ended well. At least she could report back to her friends that Bella Fletcher was no longer their mystery girl.
It was just a pity that John Fletcher didn’t share his daughter’s personality. If Bella was unhappy, there was nothing she could do about it.