He’s the bravest man I know. Why would he be nervous telling some schoolteacher that he likes her?
“Listen, I know it’s weird for me to talk a lot about your brother,” Charlotte said softly. “But he had a lot of walls up at first.”
“I know,” Allie said, remembering the quiet, angry man Tag had been before Charlotte came along and softened all his sharp edges. “And I don’t really mind it. You were exactly what he needed, Charlotte. You brought him back to us.”
Charlotte gave her a grateful smile and Allie felt lucky all over again to have such an amazing best friend.
“My point is, it took a while for him to open his heart to me,” Charlotte said. “When someone is hurting it can take time. And I get the sense that Ash Tailor has had some betrayal in his past. And his need to protect Maya only makes that more complicated.”
Allie nodded, if Libby and Hayden’s behavior were anything to go by, then Ash had been hurt badly. It made sense for him to be cautious.
“Real love is worth waiting for, Allie,” Charlotte said. “Believe me.”
She grabbed Allie’s hand and squeezed hard and Allie started to feel hope leak into the cracks of her resolve.
“I’ll give him a real chance,” she whispered, squeezing Charlotte’s hand back.
“Okay, ladies, here we go,” Barbara chirped as she came back in, pushing a wardrobe cart hung with gowns in every color of the rainbow. “Let’s get started.”
They passed the rest of the late afternoon enjoying treats and trying on dresses for each other. And though she was tired from a long day of teaching, and her heart was aching over Ash and Maya, Allie found that shedidenjoy her time at the dress shop.
Charlotte wound up with a jade green gown that complemented her dark hair. The satin fabric shimmered and as Charlotte spun around in front of the mirror Allie was struck with her best friend’s beauty, inside and out.
Allie took a little longer, but she found her perfect dress just when she had nearly given up hope.
Barbara came out of the back with a cream-colored confection that looked like a simple sheath-style dress, but felt like a dream, lifted when she twirled, and somehow made Allie look curvy and slim all at once.
“You look like a painting,” Charlotte said, observing her in awe.
“I feel like one,” Allie decided.
She didn’t mean to look at the tag, but it popped into view as she took it off again in the changing room and she felt a pang of guilt. That figure was enough to maintain the greenhouse for a year, maybe more.
He’s also going to take care of the greenhouse,she reminded herself.And he wanted this for me and for Charlotte.
Up until now, thinking about Ash’s money had made her uncomfortable and she tried to avoid the thought. Hemade it easy to forget with his modest way of dressing and living.
Income was never, ever taken for granted in Allie’s house. And while things at the farm were looking up now, in no small part because of Charlotte’s help, spending money on things you didn’t need was definitely seen as an unaffordable weakness when she was growing up.
But this ball was a fundraiser, after all. And if Ash could afford some frivolity, maybe it wasn’t so bad to take advantage once in a while.
She and Charlotte walked back to the car as a light snow drifted down. The twinkling light displays and lavishly decorated shops of Burlington were much more impressive than the ones back in Sugarville Grove. But she found she was anxious to get home again, back to the place where all the people she loved were near.
After a long but pleasant drive, she dropped Charlotte off at the big green house, then headed back to the farmhouse and parked the car.
She smiled as she pulled the box with her beautiful dress from the back. Barbara had put a pink gauzy ribbon around the box and it made Allie feel like the heroine of a historical romance to carry it with her to the house.
She opened the front door, happy to feel the warmth of the fireplace going in the living room.
“Shoes,”her mom called out lovingly from the kitchen.
Allie set down the dress box and her bag with its shoes and accessories on the hall table, then removed her boots and coat before pickingthem up again.
As she passed the living room she spotted Tripp standing by the fire.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey, Allie,” he replied.
