“I did.” Mary-Beth bit her bottom lip. “It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t run screaming from the room. Why are you so worried about him?”
Brett wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’re my little sister. I don’t want to lose you.”
Mary-Beth kissed his cheek. “You’ll never lose me. Even if we live in different cities, I’ll still call you every day and make sure you’re behaving yourself.”
“That’s one of the good things about living on the ranch. There’s not much chance of getting into mischief.”
Someone knocked on the kitchen door.
Mary-Beth looked up and smiled. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she whispered.
Hannah looked at Brett. “Is it safe to come in?”
“As safe as you’ll ever get,” he said. He glanced at his sister, hoping she didn’t say anything to Hannah. He didn’t want her to know about his childhood, about the choices he’d had to make to survive.
***
Later that afternoon, Hannah stood in the middle of Emily Green’s fashion boutique, staring at Holly. “Oh, wow. You look amazing.” She tried not to cry, she really did, but tears filled her eyes anyway.
Holly turned in a slow circle in front of the mirror. The bodice of the dress was covered in tiny diamante beads, glittering like diamonds above the full tulle skirt.
“I feel like a princess,” Holly murmured. “I love the sweetheart neckline and the sparkles. But I’m not sure about the strapless bodice. I don’t want to feel as though the dress needs to be pulled up all night.”
Emily appeared from behind a rack of dresses. “Once we make a couple of adjustments, the dress won’t move.” She smiled at Holly. “You look lovely.”
Hannah sighed. “It almost makes me wish I was getting married.”
“You need a boyfriend first,” Holly said with a grin.
“Well, there goes that dream.” Hannah lifted a veil off a hanger. “This looked wonderful with the last dress, but I think it will look even better with this one.”
“You need a tiara, too.” Emily opened a glass cabinet. “And I know exactly the right one.”
Holly twisted sideways, studying the dress from all angles. “Before everyone gets too excited, I need to know how much the dress costs.”
Hannah spotted the price tag. “Hold still. It’s on the back of the dress.” She glanced at the price and winced. “Does it really matter how much it costs? You’re marrying a billionaire.”
“But I’m not a billionaire,” Holly whispered. “Daniel isn’t paying for my dress. I am.”
Emily walked toward them holding a beautiful tiara. “Don’t worry about the price. We’ll come to an arrangement that suits both of us.”
Holly’s eyes widened. “Is it that bad?”
“Six thousand dollars worth of bad.” Hannah hoped Holly’s sigh didn’t mean she would say no. “But it’s totally worth it.”
Holly didn’t look so sure.
Emily stood in front of them. “Before you make a final decision, you need to see the dress with a veil and tiara. If you think it looks amazing now, you’re in for a big surprise.”
Emily turned Holly away from the mirror and gathered Holly’s curly red hair into a soft chignon. Very carefully, she attached the veil with a wide, sparkly comb. Next came the tiara.
Hannah’s sharp intake of breath made Emily smile. Holly would be a beautiful bride. This dress was easily the best one they’d seen all afternoon.
“Close your eyes,” Emily said softly to Holly. “I’m going to turn you around.”
Hannah held her hand over her heart, waiting to hear what her friend would say.
With Holly standing in front of the mirror, Emily said, “You can open your eyes now.”
