CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Jasper’s not going to know what hit him when he sees you.”
I smile at Marisol’s reflection in the full-length mirror. “Itisa pretty amazing dress.”
‘Amazing’ is an understatement. I’m in love with this dress. Mom came by Cravings unexpectedly near the end of my workday yesterday and talked me into taking an impromptu shopping trip with her. I was pleased to spend time with her, and figured I’d be her shadow as she perused clothes and tried things on. New clothes aren’t exactly in my budget, plus I had already picked out the dress I planned to wear to Gwen’s wedding. It was a few years old, but I hadn’t worn it often, and the deep red color seemed fitting for an autumn wedding.
But then I saw this dress in the window of Liv’s Boutique downtown. The sparkly material caught my eye as we passed, and I froze. I hadn’t realized my sigh of longing had been audible until Mom was dragging me into the store, despite my protests. I tend to avoid the cute little shops in downtown Bellevue because the clothes aren’t typically made with plus-size women in mind, which means venturing inside usually ends up with me being disappointed or downright irritated.
This dress, though—this gorgeous dark-teal cocktail dress with the sparkly overlay, sweetheart neckline, and long sheer sleeves—came in my size. Mom took advantage of my starry-eyed wonder and coaxed me into a dressing room to try it on. It had fit as if it were made for me, and when I took a fortifying breath and reached for the price tag, Mom snapped it free and told the sales associate to ring up the purchase.
“I won’t take no for an answer,” she’d said to me before I could object. “You’ve been working so hard and you rarely do anything nice for yourself, so I’m stepping up and doing it for you.”
“I wasn’t just talking about the dress,” Marisol says now, spraying my hair with another blast of hairspray. She came over an hour ago to do my hair and makeup for the wedding. She’ll be staying behind at my apartment to get ready for the reception while I go ahead; the ceremony is for family only, and Gwen insisted I attend because Iamfamily.
I blow out a shaky breath as I turn away from the mirror to face Marisol. “I’m nervous.”
“About seeing Jasper?”
I nod. Marisol knows what happened in Honeywell, and she also knows I’ve barely spoken to Jasper since then. It’s only been two days, but it feels like an eternity. Despite keeping his promise to call me when he returned to Toronto, he sounded exhausted, so I didn’t keep him. Since then, our communication has been limited to texts. I’ve tried not to read too much into it; his little brother is getting married today after all, and it’s a busy and exciting time.
“Once the wedding is over, you and Jasper will have plenty of free time to talk and figure things out,” Marisol says. She sets the fancy flats she’s loaning me on the floor and holds my arm while I step into them. “In the meantime, you’re going to have fun tonight and you’re going to look like a freaking goddess while doing it.”
I laugh, kissing her cheek. “Thank you for that boost of confidenceandfor helping me get ready.”
Even with the boost to my ego, butterflies continue to cause a stir in my stomach as I drive to Bellevue Family Village. The wedding and reception are being held in the farthest section of the Village, which is closed to the public all year except for November through December when it’s Santa’s Village. I went by yesterday to get a sneak peek and was blown away at the transformation from North Pole to autumnal wonderland.
I pull into the parking lot at the same time as Ivy. She waves at me through her window and holds up a finger while she taps away on her cell phone. I get out of the car to wait for her, turning my face toward the warm sun. Gwen and Evan planned things so there would be time to take outdoor pictures between the short ceremony and the reception, and they couldn’t have asked for a more perfect autumn day.
“That dress!”
I didn’t even hear Ivy get out of her car. She’s standing in front of me now, looking at my dress in the same way I imagine I did when I first saw it in the store window.
“You look stunning,” she says. “Are those pockets?” She reaches out and runs her fingers over the folds of the skirt, letting out a sound of triumph as she sticks her fingers in the pockets. “I would never take it off.”
“Oh, I’m living in this dress from now on,” I tell her.
We laugh and hug, careful not to muss each other’s dresses or hairdos. Ivy looks elegant in a knee-length crimson lace dress with three-quarter sleeves. I make a mental note to thank Mom again for this dress, otherwise Ivy and I would look like we dressed to match since the dress I planned to wear was almost the exact same color. I tell her she looks gorgeous, and then help her with the bags she pulls out of the backseat of her car, offering to carry the dry cleaning bag with Hugh’s kilt.
We head for the staff building where Gwen is getting ready. There’s a flurry of activity as we enter. Lina and Hadley are fussing around a seated Gwen; Sherée is looking serene as she nurses baby Elizabeth from a comfy-looking armchair; and a woman I don’t recognize is darting around snapping photos.
Lina and Hadley step aside at the same time, giving me my first glimpse of the bride. Gwen had described her dress to me—blush pink, long and gauzy, with a glittering overlay and a cinched waist—but seeing her in it takes my breath away. Our eyes meet in the mirror and mine fill with tears.
“No!” Gwen whips around to face me, fanning at her eyes with her hands. “Stop that right now. I’ve already had to reapply my makeup twice.”
“I can’t help it,” I say with a shaky laugh as she comes forward to hug me. “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
Hadley steps forward, laying a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “While Gwen is all teary-eyed and before she fixes her makeup again, why don’t we do the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?”
We usher Gwen into a chair and gather around her. The photographer continues to snap pictures and, when I give Gwen a questioning look, she leans in and whispers, “Jasper said he knew I’d regret only getting the bare minimum photography package, so he paid for an upgrade. I’m already glad he did; I want to remember this time with you girls forever.”
Oh god, I really hope Marisol’s waterproof mascara holds up. There are waterworks happening today whether I want them to or not.
“I was in charge of something old,” Hadley says, handing Gwen a square jewelry box.
Gwen pries the lid off and lets out a little gasp when she sees the antique silver heart necklace lying on a bed of blue velvet. “Is this—?”
“Our mom’s necklace? Yeah. Dad got it for her on their honeymoon,” Hadley says.
