“That’s like saying Matthew’s barbecue sauce is mild when it makes your taste buds stand on end. Trisha has a very clear idea about what she wants for my wedding. Unfortunately, her ideas and mine don’t match.”
“That must make your life incredibly stressful.”
“You’re right.” Ashley gave a dramatic sigh. “Take the wedding gown I want to wear. It’s the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen. Trisha wants me to buy a sleek, satin sheath. It’s so tight I can barely sit in it. I don’t want Dad to get upset because I’m not agreeing with Trisha, but she hasn’t been prepared to compromise on anything. Then, all of a sudden, she told me I should wear something that makes me feel comfortable.”
Becky glanced at the clock on the wall. Hopefully, Molly had spoken to Emily by now. “That must make you feel better?”
“It does. But I didn’t come here to talk about my dress or my family.”
“You didn’t?”
Ashley shook her head. “This is almost as important as both of those things. When I talked to you about the flowers for my wedding, did I leave my scrapbook here?”
Becky frowned. With everything else that had happened, she’d forgotten to return the wedding scrapbook to Matthew. It was sitting on her desk in the workroom, filled with Post-it notes and little scraps of colored paper.
“Umm…I don’t think so. What does it look like?” Her nose twitched. She was sure it had grown at least an inch with all the lies she’d been telling.
“It’s about this big.” Ashley made a rectangular shape with her hands. “It has a white cover with a picture of two wedding rings on the outside. There are lots of photos and magazine clippings on the inside.”
“Let me check.” Becky pretended to hunt behind the front counter for the book. After the wedding was over, no one would believe a word she said about anything. “It doesn’t look as though it’s here. When Laura has finished helping her customer, I’ll ask her.”
“That would be wonderful. If she knows where it is, just call me.”
“I will. Good luck at Emily’s.”
“Thanks. I can’t wait to see my favorite dress again.” And on a cloud of happy hormones, Ashley left the store.
Becky hoped Emily was able to close the boutique. If not, she’d need to have her wits about her. Standing between a bride and her perfect dress could be dangerous for your health.
On Friday night,Sean sat on Becky’s sofa and handed her a bowl of ice cream. “Mary loved her bedtime story.”
“I thought she might. She enjoys stories about animals, especially if they’re about kittens.”
He dipped his spoon into the latest flavor to hit the Cold Stone Creamery. After the hours they’d worked, they deserved a double helping of salted caramel truffle ice cream.
Becky sighed. “This is divine. Whoever created this ice cream deserves a medal.”
“I agree. How do you feel after our marathon effort in the barn?”
“We’ve transformed it into a venue worthy of a princess. Ashley will love it.”
He hoped so. Even with the volunteers from the church, it had still taken an extra day to get everything ready. “We’re lucky Pastor Steven is organizing the church. Do you need a hand with the flower arrangements tomorrow?”
“Molly and Laura are helping me, so we should be fine. Sally and Amy are on standby if something unexpected happens.”
“If you need me, I’m only a phone call away.” He picked up the spreadsheet Becky had printed before she left work.
“Don’t be concerned,” Becky said around a mouthful of ice cream. “It looks worse than it is.”
Sean didn’t mind what it looked like. He’d walk over hot coals to make sure his brother had a day he’d always remember. “I’m driving Matthew into town at six-thirty in the morning. By seven-fifteen, Ashley will know about the wedding. At eight o’clock, the bride and her bridesmaids will arrive at Emily’s Boutique and any adjustments on the dresses will happen there. After that, it’s hair and makeup for Ashley and her friends, and suits for us. By one o’clock in the afternoon—”
“Matthew will tell his lovely guests they’re in Bozeman for a wedding and not the engagement party they’ve come for.”
Becky’s sweet smile took away some of the sadness he was feeling. “And at one-thirty, Ashley will walk down the aisle toward Matthew.” He held the schedule in his hands, staring at all the things that weren’t on the list.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
Her softly spoken words tore at something deep inside him. “It’s nothing.”
