CHAPTER 1
KENDRA
Kendra Moran stared at herself in the mirror, hardly able to believe what she was seeing. The woman who looked back at her was every bit the gorgeous bride. Her long white dress, complete with a fitted, scoop-necked top and capped sleeves, as well as a skirt that cascaded to the floor in layers of lace, was elegant with a fairy-tale charm. Her curly auburn hair was pulled back with a white veil, a few ringlets left loose to frame her heart-shaped face.
Her green eyes were enhanced with expert makeup until they sparkled like emeralds, and her smattering of freckles had been covered with foundation by the makeup artist. (“It’ll look better, dear,” the artist had said). The ensemble was completed with understated silver earrings and an emerald necklace.
The woman in the mirror was beautiful, but she looked like a stranger.
“You look lovely, honey.” Kendra’s mother, Ruth, placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. “I can’t believe it’s really your wedding day.”
“Neither can I,” Kendra admitted. It had been months of planning and worrying, but it was almost inconceivable that this day had actually arrived. She was getting married. Today.
“It’s almost time,” Ruth continued. “Are you ready?”
“I think so,” Kendra said softly. Ruth gave her an evaluating look, but before she could say anything, Kendra’s bridesmaids rushed over in a cloud of light purple silk to surround her. They’d been at the other end of the room, putting their final touches on their hair and makeup.
“Oh, Kendra,” her maid of honor and best friend since childhood, Annalise, said. “I think I’m going to cry.” She fanned her face with one palm, her big brown eyes shining.
“Don’t do that. ThenI’llcry!” her second bridesmaid and another childhood friend, Jenny, said.
“Not me. I’m very stoic,” Kendra’s third bridesmaid, and the last of their childhood circle, Eva, put in. Kendra smiled at all of them.
“Thank you all so much for being here.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Annalise exclaimed. “Now, come on. We poured glasses of champagne to toast your wedding day.”
They took her hands and led her over to a white sofa in the corner of the room. As well as the champagne flutes, a plate of strawberries and a few other small, not-too-messy snacks waited for them. Kendra’s mother sat on the chair across from them, her brow pinched with worry, even when Annalise pressed a champagne flute into her hands.
“To Kendra,” Jenny said, raising her glass. “The first of us to get married.”
At twenty-seven, Kendra wasn’t exactly marrying young. Still, she was definitely at a different place in life from her friends, who enjoyed the dating scene and had no intention of settling down. Kendra had tried dating but had never enjoyed it much. The guys she met always seemed smarmy or cold, not at all like the fairy-tale princes she’d dreamed about as a child. In fact, Kendra had never had a long-term relationship. Even Aaron Louis, her fiancé, had never really been her boyfriend.
“To Kendra,” Annalise said. “Who has attended at least three hundred weddings and is finally having her own!”
Kendra smiled at that. As a wedding photographer, her whole career revolved around taking pictures of people’s special days — although three hundred weddings was an overstatement.
“To Kendra,” Eva added. “About to be locked down for life.”
Everyone groaned at that. Eva was the least romantic of the bunch and had been vocal about her concerns regarding this wedding. Even Kendra, the most romantic of them all, still felt her heart twist at her friend’s words. She really was about to be locked down for life — with a man she’d barely spent any time with. Her breathing came a little too quickly, and she sipped her champagne in an attempt to calm down.
It’s going to be fine,she told herself sternly. Sure, this wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined getting married — as a child, she’d dreamed of a breathtaking love story culminating in a wedding like this — but love would come with time. Her parents had had an arranged marriage, just like this one, and they were thestrongest and most loving couple she knew. Love would come to her, too. In time.
“So, Kendra, how do you feel?” Annalise asked. “Excited? Nervous?”
“Any cold feet?” Eva asked. “Because I wouldn’t blame you.”
“Hush,” Annalise said, flicking her black hair over one shoulder. “I’m sure she’s excited.”
“I feel…” Kendra didn’t want to tell her friends how she really felt — panicky. “I’m a little worried that something’s going to go wrong,” she admitted instead.
“No way,” Jenny said, shaking her head so that her blond curls bounced. “You’ve been planning every detail of this wedding for the last three months. You know all the caterers by name. You know the placement of every single chair. You even made sure we all had bridesmaids’ dresses we like.” She gestured at her light purple gown, which was fitted on her, loose on Annalise, and sleeveless on Eva. Kendra had picked the fabric but left the styles up to them. “The wedding is going to be perfect.”
“And after a fairy-tale wedding comes a fairy-tale honeymoon,” Annalise added. Her dark brown eyes sparkled. “You must be excited about the resort in Cabo.”
“Definitely,” Kendra said as confidently as she could. She took another sip of champagne. “It’ll be good for me and Aaron to have some fun together.”
“I still think it’s weird that you’ve only met a few times,” Eva said. Annalise punched her lightly on the shoulder and shook her head, but Eva just shrugged. “I have to say it, Kendra. It seems strange.”
