The dress transformed Lynda into someone they didn’t often see. The fabric moved with her, the neckline framed her face perfectly, and the sleeves provided coverage without heaviness.
Most importantly, Lynda stood differently. Her shoulders relaxed. Her arms hung naturally at her sides. She looked at herself in the three-way mirror with an expression that started as surprise and softened into something like wonder.
“Oh, Lynda,” Kathleen whispered.
“That’s it,” Isabel said definitively from the phone. “That’s your dress.”
Lynda turned slowly, examining herself from various angles. “It doesn’t feel like a costume.”
“Because it’s not,” Emily whispered. “It’s simply you, on your best day.”
Susan watched tears gather in Lynda’s eyes, and her own vision blurred. This was why the shopping trip mattered. Not because they needed to convince Lynda she was beautiful—she’d always been beautiful. But because finding the right dress meant Lynda could enjoy her wedding day feeling like herself.
“I’ll take it,” Lynda said, her voice thick with emotion. “How much?”
Emily quoted a price that was reasonable rather than astronomical, then measured Lynda carefully for minor adjustments. “I can have the alterations completed in two weeks. Will that work for your December timeline?”
“That’s perfect,” Susan confirmed, squeezing Lynda’s shoulder.
As Emily disappeared to process the paperwork, Lynda stepped down from the platform and pulled Susan and Kathleen into an impulsive hug.
“Thank you,” she said simply. “I’m glad I listened to you. The right dress matters.”
“Everything about your wedding matters,” Kathleen said. “That’s why we’re here.”
Isabel’s voice came from the phone Susan still held. “I wish I could hug you all. But I’m so happy we found the perfect dress. Emily’s right—it’s absolutely you.”
They settled the details, arranged the pickup date, and finally emerged onto Bozeman’s main street as the afternoon light began to fade.
“Does anyone want to stop for coffee before we drive home?” Kathleen asked, gesturing toward a café down the block.
Lynda nodded. “That sounds wonderful.”
They sat at a corner table in Angel Wings Café and ordered coffee and pastries. Before long, their conversation turned to other wedding details—flowers, music, and the menu Susan would prepare.
“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Lynda admitted, wrapping her hands around her steaming mug. “A year ago, I was convinced I’d spend the rest of my life alone. Now I’m marrying Matt, and you’re making sure every detail is perfect.”
“That’s what we do,” Susan said simply. “We show up for each other.”
The drive home was quieter than the journey to Bozeman. Susan watched the landscape pass outside her window, the mountains darkening against the sky, and thought about community, friendship, and the unexpected ways life could surprise you.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being part of her friends’ lives. If it weren’t for Kathleen organizing their reunion, Susan might not have taken the plunge and moved to the place where she’d first met all her childhood friends.
As they pulled into Sapphire Bay, Susan’s phone buzzed with a text from Paul: How did the shopping go? Hope Lynda found something perfect.
She smiled and typed back: Mission accomplished. Talk tomorrow?
His response came immediately: Looking forward to it.
Susan pocketed her phone as Kathleen stopped outside her house. As Lynda leaped out of the truck to help her gather the small gifts she’d found in Bozeman, Susan smiled. The last few hours had been about more than a wedding dress. It was about showing up, caring enough to insist they keep searching, and enjoying being part of an important moment in someone else’s life.
That, Susan thought as she said goodnight to her friends, was what made life worth living.
Chapter 10
Paul drove through the gates of BioTech Industries’ offices at Finley Point. Construction equipment was clustered around what would soon become a large extension to their research facility. Peter Bennett, the Chief Executive of BioTech Industries, had chosen this location wisely. It was close enough to Sapphire Bay for convenience, but far enough from the lake to avoid disturbing anyone’s view of the shoreline.
Parking beside a gleaming Tesla, he gathered his portfolio of sample menus. This should be straightforward. All he had to do was confirm numbers, discuss dietary restrictions, and nail down the final details for their Christmas celebration. Then he’d drive back to meet Susan at his restaurant.
