“Kelsey, this marriage aversion really runs deep for you, doesn’t it?”
Before she could answer, Will touched her shoulder. The small gesture of comfort meant more than it should have, and she ignored the impulse to lean into the touch. Safe and strong and perfect. All things Will was; all things he would never be for her.
A dull ache spread through her, and she shrugged away from his hand.
“It’s okay.” Kelsey forced a smile. “Lots of people grow up in dysfunctional families. Present company excluded.”
Will smiled. “I never knew functional was the minority.”
“You’d be surprised. But I must admit, I envy your childhood. Growing up with parents who loved and respected each other must have been nice.”
“Don’t forget, childhood is only a small part of our lives. It’s who we are now that counts.”
“So true.” She glanced around the room one last time. Time to be whoshewas. “Where’s the dress?”
“Hanging in the closet.” Will motioned to the double closet doors. “I’ll wait in the hall. Let me know when you’re done.”
“You don’t want to take a peek?”
“And suffer the wrath of Faith? No, thanks.” He walked to the doorway. “You might want to prepare yourself.”
“Prepare myself?”
“My mother said this gown was different.”
How different could it be? Each of Faith’s four wedding dresses was different. A beaded mermaid gown for the Under the Sea wedding extravaganza; an empire-waist period gown for the Jane Austen Regency wedding ball; a Vera Wang original for the New Year’s Eve black-and-white themed bash, and a silk sarong for the barefoot-on-the-beach soiree. Funny how all her weddings seemed to correspond with whatever movie Faith was making at the time. Speaking of which…
“What is Faith filming right now?”
“It’s a high-tech, high-budget alien-from-outer-space movie. She saves the universe from destruction and falls in love during the process.” Will stepped into the doorway and turned around so he faced the hallway. “Go ahead and look.”
Kelsey wasn’t sure she wanted to. Aliens and a Valentine’s Day wedding? Laser guns and hearts. Picturing a silver lamé wedding gown, she sighed. That wouldn’t quite go with the wedding she and Starr had discussed.Oh, well.
Kelsey took a deep breath and opened the closet door. The dress was covered with a piece of muslin.Hello, sci-fi bride.She pulled the muslin away and gasped.
“Is it that bad?” Will asked.
“Yes. I mean, no. Not bad. Not at all. Different, yes, but…” Kelsey struggled for the right words to say. “It’s breathtaking.”
Her pulse raced, and her heart felt as if it had lodged in her throat. Forget about high-tech aliens. Faith had stepped back in time with this gown. Edwardian. That was the era. And Kelsey couldn’t believe it. The vintage-style lace gown looked as if it had been made for the veil and wreath she’d been trying on when Will walked into her office.
Talk about a perfect match. What was the word for it—synchronicity. She should have been disappointed Faith would be wearing the ensemble, but Kelsey wasn’t. Not when all three pieces looked as if they were made for one another.
Destiny?
Even a realist such as her couldn’t ignore fate. Not when it was right under your nose and making you take notice.
Kelsey fought the urge to touch the lace. She didn’t want to snag the delicate fabric or smudge it with oil from her fingertips.
What she really wanted to do was try the dress on for herself. Talk about a first. Out of all the gowns she’d seen over the years, not one had ever appealed to her the way this one did. This gown was practically calling her name, begging her to put it on to see how it looked.
Oh, man. Her friends would lose it if they could read her mind right now. She would never live it down. Though, from a designer standpoint, she bet Serena would fall in love with the dress, too. The craftsmanship was incredible.
The scent of roses filled the air. Kelsey glanced around the room. More stuffed animals, a few pictures in pewter frames. But no flowers or potpourri she could see.Must be a sachet in the closet somewhere. Kelsey had sachets all over her room. No doubt with all the other similarities, Faith had the same.
Will cleared his throat. “Have you seen enough?”
No.Kelsey blinked. She would never get enough of this dress. Lace covered the entire gown except for a small amount of netting at the neckline. The long sleeves tapered to slight points over the backs of Faith’s hands. Intricate flowers had been woven into the lace. Flowers she thought would match those on the wreath. And the flowers for the bouquet…
