“Barbara’s right,” Katie said as she handed everyone a cup of coffee.“It will be a special day regardless of the clothes we’re wearing.”
Penny didn’t seem any happier.“We’ll have to make our gowns.The dressmakers I called a couple of weeks ago are fully booked.”She closed her eyes and groaned.“What will I tell Mom?She’s looking forward to seeing our dresses.”
“She’ll be okay.”Katie studied her sister’s face.“If you’re worried about your wedding gown you could always wear Mom’s dress.”
Barbara didn’t know whether her sister was trying to be helpful or making things worse.
Penny shook her head.“It looked lovely on her, but it’s too small and not the type of dress I’d wear.”
When the back door opened, everyone turned to stare at Mabel.With her flushed cheeks and heavy breathing, she looked as though she’d run all the way from town.
Penny rushed across the room.“Are you all right?”
Mabel leaned against the kitchen counter, sucking in great lungfuls of air.“I went for a walk…with your dad.”
“Is he okay?”
Mabel nodded.“I had an idea…about the dresses.”
Barbara’s shoulders relaxed.For a moment, she’d thought her parents had been in an accident.But how did her mom know about the dresses?
With a guilty look at her sisters, Katie cleared her throat.“I might have said something when I went to the general store.”
“You should have told me sooner,” Mabel said in a more controlled voice.Taking another deep breath, she sighed.“That’s better.I ran from the edge of the lake to the house.You wouldn’t believe how many people are still taking photos of the inn.I’m sure—”
“Mom, where’s Dad?”
“He won’t be far away.He told me not to run, but I had to tell you my idea.I called Emily and she said she had some dresses that might work.And then she told me about The Bridesmaids Club and I could barely contain myself.”
Barbara had no idea what her mom was talking about.“Who’s Emily?”
“And what’s The Bridesmaids Club?”Katie asked.
Penny handed her mom a glass of water.
“Thank you.”With four sets of eyes on her, Mabel took a sip of water before continuing.“My friend Doris told me about Emily.She owns a fashion boutique in Bozeman and sends dresses to clients all around the world.I’d already called her to see if she sells mother-of-the-bride dresses.When Katie told me about the dresses for the wedding, I almost fainted.”
Barbara was trying to make sense of their mom’s explanation.“Does Emily make bridesmaids’ dresses, too?”
“Not usually.Most of her gowns are one-off creations, but you might find three dresses that look good together.”An excited smile broke across Mabel’s face.“The best part is that she has a small collection of bridal gowns.”
Instead of looking excited, Penny frowned.“How expensive are they?”
Mabel pulled out her cell phone.“After I spoke to Emily, I looked at her website.I thought they were very reasonable considering the quality of the materials.”She handed Penny her phone.“What do you think?”
Penny’s frown deepened.“They’re a lot more expensive than the other dresses I saw.”
Barbara looked over her sister’s shoulder.When she saw the price of the gown Penny was looking at, her eyes watered.
“Let Katie and Diana have a look.”
Barbara knew what her mom was doing.Of the four sisters, Katie and Diana were the least likely to worry about the price.They would fall in love with the Italian lace bodice, the pretty chiffon skirt, and the long, sparkly veil.
Penny handed the phone to Diana.“I don’t want to spend a lot of money on my dress.With everything that’s happening in the world, it seems too…frivolous.”
Katie’s eyes widened when she saw the first bridal gown.“Oh, my goodness.You have to try this one on.It would look gorgeous on you.”
“It’s everything you’re looking for,” Diana said with a sigh.“Even the sparkly clips in the model’s hair are perfect.”
