She laughed. “Have you never been to a community meeting?”
I shook my head. “Brody always goes to represent the shop.”
“Well then, I’d say it’s long past time you attended,” Delaney said. “It just happens to be tonight. The new development is already on the agenda.”
“It is?”
“Of course.” Delaney nodded. “If you feel passionately about it, this is your best opportunity to have your voice heard.”
“Tonight, huh?” I grabbed up the rest of my posters, already thinking about what I’d say at the meeting. She was right. I needed to have my voice heard. “Thanks, Delaney. I’ll be there.”
Jess
“Breathe, Jess.” Lauren’s voice filtered through my growing panic. “Just breathe. It’ll be okay.”
I let my eyes flutter open. I was still sitting in the chair at the salon. Noa, Kat, and Lauren all hovered around me, matching looks of concern on their faces.
“Are you okay?”
“I think so.” I accepted a glass of water from Kat. “Did I…”
“You didn’t pass out or anything,” she assured me. “But you looked like you kind of disappeared a little bit.”
“Like a panic attack,” Noa said. “Do you normally have panic attacks?”
I shook my head. But then again, I wasn’t usually getting married to a man whom I hardly knew and… “No. I think it just all felt like a little much all at once.”
Noa nodded knowingly. “I get that feeling very well.”
“That’s right.” I looked at her. “You got married at the lodge, too.”
“Correction.” She held up a hand. “I ran out on my wedding at the lodge.”
“I wish I’d been there to see it.” Next to her, Kat laughed. “From what I understand, it was all very dramatic. You running down the stairs in your gown, and my brother almost running over you.” She shook her head. “A true runaway bride.”
“That’s right.” I stared at Noa. “I can’t believe I forgot about that until right now.” In my head, Noa and Asher had been together forever. They were such a perfect couple, it was hard to remember that they’d met when Asher more or less kidnapped her moments before Noa was supposed to say her vows to someone else.
“Never forget.” Noa laughed. “But seriously, I get it. Weddings can be stressful, especially if you’re having secondthoughts.” Her voice softened. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you, Jess?”
“It’s okay if you are,” Lauren chimed in. “From what I understand, it’s totally normal, and you and Trevor are moving so quickly, I wouldn’t be surprised if…well, I’m just saying…if you need to talk about anything, Jess…we’re here.”
I looked around at all three faces of my friends, who had nothing but concern for me. But I wasn’t having second thoughts, was I? This was just normal. These questions, and the stress…it was all normal.
I turned my chair around so I was once again facing the mirror and assessed my beautiful hair, trying to picture how the veil would be clipped into the top.
“There’s just a lot going on right now,” I said after a moment. “It feels like a bit much with the new development and everything all at the same time. But no, I’m not having second thoughts.”
I looked myself in the eyes as I spoke, as if it were really myself I was trying to convince. And maybe it was.
All three of them stared at me for another moment before Lauren finally nodded and said, “Weddings aresostressful. That’s why I’ve decided not to worry about the husband thing at all.”
“Excuse me?” I spun around in the chair to stare at her.
“What do you mean, you’re not going to worry about thehusband thing?” Kat asked pointedly.
“I thought you were enjoying the dating scene,” Noa said. “Didn’t you just go on another date last Friday?”
“What about Brody?” Lauren shot Kat a look.
