Marrying Chrissy (Brides of Clearwater Book 3) Read online

  Marrying

  Chrissy

  Brides of Clearwater Book 3

  Melanie D. Snitker

  Marrying Chrissy

  Brides of Clearwater Book 3

  © 2018 Melanie D. Snitker

  Dallionz Media, LLC

  P.O. Box 643

  Boerne, TX 78006

  Cover Image: Jennifer Pitts Photography

  https://www.jenniferpittsphotography.com/

  Cover: Blue Valley Author Services

  http://www.bluevalleyauthorservices.com/

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Please only purchase authorized editions.

  For permission requests, please contact the author at the email below or through her website.

  Melanie D. Snitker

  [email protected]

  www.melaniedsnitker.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Marrying Chrissy

  Brides of Clearwater Book 3

  By Melanie D. Snitker

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © 2018 Melanie D. Snitker

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Connect with Melanie

  About the Author

  Books by Melanie D. Snitker

  Chapter One

  Chrissy Laughlin ran a brush through her shoulder-length hair another time or two and then studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was weird to see the dark brown strands in place of the gothic black she’d been sporting for a while. She couldn’t give up the colorful purple hair segments, though. At least not until she was ready to transform them into blue or pink. A light-colored strand of hair caught her attention. Convinced that thirty-two was way too young to be getting gray hair, Chrissy grabbed hold and yanked it out with a measure of satisfaction.

  She set the brush on the counter, dried her hands off on the towel—her nails painted purple to match her hair—and vacated the bathroom she shared with her mom and sister.

  “It’s about time,” Emma, Chrissy’s younger sister, said with a frown. “I’m leaving in fifteen minutes, and I still need to brush my teeth.” Emma worked for a local veterinarian clinic where she managed the front desk. Instead of wearing her normal set of brightly-colored scrubs, Emma was dressed in a black, shin-length skirt and a pretty blouse.

  Chrissy blinked at her. “You’re sure dressed up today. Where are you going?”

  “I have a job interview this morning.” Emma shot her a look that said she didn’t want to talk about it.

  Chrissy ignored it completely. “I thought we discussed this. You can’t afford to take on a second job. It’s going to stress you out, and the doctor said you needed to avoid that as much as possible.” It seemed like all Chrissy and their mom did was continuously try to get Emma to ease up on her schedule. Emma’s heart transplant had only been a year ago, but it had drastically changed all their lives, and Emma’s most of all.

  Emma glanced down the hall and lowered her voice. “You know as well as I do that I’ve got to get more money coming in. You and Mom are great, but Mom doesn’t need to take on a second job in her sixties. And neither do you. This job has potential. It pays more than what I’m making now. If I can convince them to make it full-time, I can quit working at the clinic.” Her eyes misted as she blinked away the tears. Working at the vet clinic had been a dream come true for her, and it’d been heart-wrenching enough to have to go from working with animals to manning the front desk. “You two have gone above and beyond. You shouldn’t have to be saddled with my medical bills forever.”

  Just the cost of Emma’s anti-rejection medications alone had been staggering, much less the bills from the surgery itself or the treatments before she’d gotten the transplant.

  They’d all decided to buy a three-bedroom house together a few years ago when Emma started to get really sick. It’d proven to be one way to save as much money as they could. Unfortunately, all their money went to paying normal house bills along with the medical stuff. They’d struggled to make ends meet the last couple of months.

  Living together meant they were experts at supporting each other and irritating the snot out of each other as well.

  Chrissy shook her head. “We’ll figure it out, Emma. We always do.”

  “And part of that is my taking this job interview.” She glanced at her watch. “Now I have eleven minutes.” She raised an eyebrow and ducked inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  Chrissy sighed and headed for the kitchen. Mom looked up from her cup of coffee and slice of cinnamon raisin bread. “You are beautiful, Chrissy. I’d forgotten what you looked like without black hair.” Years ago, she’d protested Chrissy’s decision to dye her hair black but had since gotten used to it.

  “Me, too. Thanks, Mom.” Chrissy poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat down at the table. “Have you tried talking to Emma?”

  “Yes, and she won’t hear me out.” Mom frowned. There were lines around the corners of her eyes that hadn’t existed two years ago. Truthfully, Emma’s illness had had a profound impact on all of them. “You know your sister. Stubborn as the day is long.”

  “Gee, I wonder where she got that from?” Chrissy fought back a smile.

  Mom gave her an amused look. “I’m surprised I have any stubbornness left after giving so much of it to the two of you.” She reached over and gave Chrissy’s hand a squeeze.

  Chrissy couldn’t argue with her there. The three of them all tended to be incredibly pig-headed, which made for some interesting family discussions that sometimes bordered on arguments. The three of them worked well together, for the most part, which is why they’d been able to weather so many challenges lately. “Seriously, though, what are we going to do about Emma?”

  “Nothing may come of this job interview. There’s no sense in poking the bear for no reason. We pray, and we wait.” She ate the last two bites of her bread. “You’d better head out of here. Try not to worry about your sister today.”

  That was much easier said than done. Mornings were always chaotic as the three of them got ready—Emma for her job at the vet clinic, Mom for work at the bank where she’d been a teller for twenty years, and Chrissy for her managerial position at Clearwater Coffee. With two cars to share between them, Chrissy usually took one, thanks to her schedule, and then Mom and Emma took turns dropping each other off.

  Chrissy arrived at Clearwater Coffee just before six in the morning. She tried to push worried thoughts of Emma aside. Emma had received excellent health reports from her docto
r the last two visits. Chrissy knew she had to let go and let God look after her sister, but that was so much easier said than done. Especially when the image of her sister in the hospital, pale and nearly lifeless, still haunted Chrissy’s dreams.

  The sound of the bell over the coffee shop’s entrance jolted Chrissy from her thoughts. She caught the door as a customer left the building before walking inside herself.

  The place bustled with activity like it did every morning. People were set up at the tables, laptops open and cups of steaming coffee at their elbows. The sound of the blender and cappuccino machines filled the air.

  Chrissy rounded the counter, grabbed an apron from the back, and jumped right in. Nina, one of the employees, glanced at her and then did a double take.

  “Girl! What did you do to your hair? It looks fantastic.”

  Chrissy resisted the urge to reach up and touch it. “Thanks. I guess I was ready for a change.” She shrugged. It really wasn’t that big of a deal. She changed the color of portions of her hair every three to four months or so. But with money getting even tighter, going back to a more natural look was necessary.

  “Well, it suits you.”

  Chrissy and Nina worked side by side for an hour before customer traffic slowed down enough for a breather.

  Nina slumped against a counter. “You’d think we were the only coffee shop in Clearwater.”

  The small town of Clearwater, Texas, had a large number of coffee shops, but the prime location right on the town square made Clearwater Coffee one of the local favorites. Besides, now that the July temperatures were only rising, everyone looked for an excuse to step indoors and enjoy the air conditioning. Iced coffees were a frequently requested beverage.

  The bell above the door rang as another customer came inside. Chrissy shooed Nina away. “Go take your break. I’ve got this one.”

  Nina smiled appreciatively and went to sit down with a muffin and her cell phone.

  Chrissy watched as Wyatt approached the counter. A frequent customer, Wyatt was all business. He typically came inside, ordered the same thing, and was on his way again. They often exchanged pleasantries and the occasional joke, but Chrissy didn’t think she’d ever seen him take a seat and relax.

  He was speaking on a phone as he approached her, which happened to be one of Chrissy’s pet peeves. In fact, she made a point of never placing an order until she was off the phone. It seemed like the polite thing to do.

  Wyatt used his shoulder to keep the phone against his ear. With one hand, he took his wallet out. With the other, he grabbed a chocolate bar off a display on the counter. “Yes, I realize that. I’m going to be there. I’m bringing a gift, and I’ve already talked to Violet about pitching in for the flowers.” When he really looked at Chrissy for the first time since he entered, his eyes widened a little. He pointed to her hair and gave her a thumbs-up. Someone on the other end of the line must have said something because he sighed a little. “I don’t know what you want me to do about it.”

  He noticed her change in hair? That surprised Chrissy, since he usually just breezed in and out of the coffee shop without lingering. You’d have to be dead not to notice him with those bright green eyes, sandy brown hair, and biceps that looked like they might split a t-shirt if he flexed his arms.

  Chrissy mentally shook the image from her head and focused on her job. Wyatt lowered the phone and whispered his usual order. Chrissy nodded, added up his total, and accepted the cash he offered.

  He was still talking on the phone when he moved away to wait.

  Chrissy started on his coffee, thankful for the distraction. Not only from thinking about his muscular arms, but also about the financial mess waiting for her at home. Emma was probably in the middle of her interview right now. She wanted to wish her sister good luck, but only if the job would replace the one she had now. I don’t even know what to pray for, God. All I want is for Emma to stay healthy.

  She finished Wyatt’s coffee, put the lid on it, and moved to the counter to hand it to him. Good grief, the guy was still on the phone. Now he looked frustrated, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  “Mom, this really seems overboard.” He reached for the coffee, and as his hand closed around the cup, his fingers rested on top of Chrissy’s. Wyatt looked at her face, and his eyes lit up. “You know what? I’ll bring a date if it means you and Dad stay off my case and let Gran enjoy her night. Yeah.” His gaze went to Chrissy’s name tag. “Her name’s Chrissy. Of course I’m not bringing a total stranger. We’ve known each other for months.” Wyatt winked at her.

  Chrissy’s jaw dropped. What? Surely he was joking. Only then did she realize they were both still holding onto his coffee cup. Suddenly, the feel of his fingers on hers had her heart rate shooting through the roof. She jerked her hand away as though some of the hot beverage had spilled over the side.

  She busied herself cleaning the counters and expected Wyatt to fly out of the shop like he normally did. Instead, he finished his phone conversation, hung up, and then turned to look at her.

  With a serious expression on his handsome face, he opened his mouth and asked the last question Chrissy ever expected.

  “How would you like to go with me to my grandmother’s 90th birthday party?”

  ~*~

  As soon as the words left Wyatt Tabor’s lips, he wanted to take them back. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the whole truth. More like he wished he wanted to take them back. As it was, he had four days before Gran’s birthday, which wasn’t a whole lot of time to drum up a date he didn’t know he needed until five minutes ago. Of course, it’d be easier if his family would simply quit treating his lack of a love life like public property.

  The way Chrissy was staring at him with her pretty light brown eyes, it was clear she had no idea what to think of his question. Finally, she looked around the room. “Are we on camera? You’re trying to prank me or something, right?”

  Wyatt smiled. “No cameras.” He observed Chrissy for a moment and admired the combination of her short stature, colorful streaks of hair, and a smile that seemed to always brighten his day. She was adorable—he’d always thought so. He avoided the dating scene like the plague, but if it were his thing, he’d be interested in asking Chrissy out. Still, he wasn’t sure what Gran would think if he walked into her birthday party with a date who had purple streaks in her hair. Not to mention the brightly-painted nails, rings on every finger, and the tattoo on her wrist.

  He’d noticed the tattoo months ago. It was a vine that encircled her wrist with two tiny heart-shaped flower buds and one bloomed rose along it. He wondered more than once about the significance of the ink.

  No, this wasn’t Gran’s ideal date for Wyatt. It wasn’t Mom or Dad’s, either, which did make the idea even more alluring. On the other hand, it was either bring Chrissy, or show up with no date at all. He wasn’t going to win either way, but at least going with Chrissy would change things up a little.

  Chrissy must have found her voice because she cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “You’ve known me for months?” She gave him a firm look that dared him to clarify his words.

  “Technically, it’s true. I’ve been coming in for coffee ever since someone recommended this place to me before Christmas.”

  “Ordering coffee from me several times a week doesn’t mean you know me.” Her hands moved to her hips. “Don’t you have a girlfriend you could ask? Or a coworker?”

  She seemed to realize the ridiculousness of her question. He wouldn’t be asking his coffee barista if he had an alternative.

  He could never understand why Mom had to be so obsessed with his love life. He’d been open to the possibilities of falling in love and living happily ever after. He’d even tried it once. He’d met someone he was crazy about, thought he’d fallen in love, done all the right things, and gotten engaged. And for what? To have his heart stomped into the ground. One would think that, after seeing their son dumped over money, his parents would have a little sympathy
and give him some space. Instead, Mom insisted that all Gran wanted for her birthday was to see Wyatt find a girl to spend the rest of his life with. While that might be partially true, he wasn’t stupid. She and Dad had other motives, and it had nothing to do with Gran’s happiness.

  The last thing he wanted, though, was for there to be drama on his grandmother’s 90th birthday. If bringing a date to the party made Gran happy and kept his parents from broaching the subject in front of the rest of the family, it’d be worth it.

  Chrissy had always come across as a nice, caring person, and he had a short timeline. He couldn’t think of anyone better to ask. “It’s a long story. Give me a chance to explain it to you.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got to run. What time are you off work?”

  “Four.” The moment the word was out, she pressed her lips together.

  “I’ll be back then so we can talk.” Wyatt took a sip of his coffee. Perfect as always. She opened her mouth to object, but he held up a finger, smiled, and said, “I’ll see you then. Have a great day.”

  With a wave over his shoulder, he left the cool air of the coffee shop and stepped into the sweltering July heat. These were the times when he wished he could stomach iced coffee. He’d tried it once or twice, but coffee was meant to be hot. Even if it seemed silly to drink a cup of it when temps were nearing one hundred, Wyatt could admit he was addicted to the caffeine fix.

  Once in his vehicle, he drove to the other side of town to the Clearwater Country Club that was less than a mile from the Guadalupe River. His parents, Ben and Elise Tabor, had owned the club for years, and his grandparents before that. It’d grown from a little eighteen-hole golf course to the kind of establishment where large businesses brought their potential clients out to woo them. Between the day spa, stables, and renowned five-star restaurant on the grounds, the club had landed itself in more than one travel magazine as a worthwhile destination.