Page 12 of She Autumn Be Mine

When I got up to my place and peered out the window, I knew he’d still be there. I waved to him because he waited until I was safely locked inside, watching over me, as always.

FOUR

Scarred

Autumn

“Okay, hit me,” Nanette said on the video call. “Show me the contenders.”

I propped the phone against the toothbrush holder and held up the first option against my body, in front of the bathroom mirror. The royal blue wrap dress from the Forest Grove church thrift shop only cost two dollars, tags still on it, because church ladies in this town donated nice things, I discovered.

“Hm. What are the wedding colors again?” She appeared doubtful.

“Sage green and pops of red. It’s being held in an apple orchard,” I explained.

“Interesting. But that’s not the right dress. Next.”

Hanger two, with a floral thing and ruffles, I had my doubts about.

“That’s one hundred percent a no. Return it. Next.”

“This is the final option.” Hanger three held a deep green satin dress, with slim straps and an asymmetrical hem, showing a bit of leg. If I happened to dance, which the Wylde sisters told me I would be even if they had to drag me to the dance floor themselves, this one would let me move rather freely.

“I almost left this on the rack.” But it seemed to call to me, whispering something about string lights and moonlight and a handsome man—for no reason I cared to admit. “Well, Nanette?”

She’d gone quiet.

“I’m crying. That’s the one. With the red in your hair? Oh yes, the green one.” She sniffled. “Remind me again—who exactly are you dressing for, Autumn Michelle? Because a woman doesn’t panic and send me three outfit options at the last minute for a wedding where she knows only a dozen people unless there’s a particular cowboy going to be looking at her.”

“There’ll be plenty of cowboys there.”

“Including your cowboy.”

“I don’t have a cowboy.”

“You will, being in that dress, by the end of the night.”

She cracked me up. “You’re impossible. You know I’m not looking for a man right now.”

“You should be. How is Jake anyway?”

I sat down on the edge of the tub smoothing the green satin across my lap. “He’s fine.”

“And? Because I can tell there’s a bunch you’re not saying.”

I shook my head; she knew me too well. “I got jealous the other night, seeing another woman come on to him.”

“OMG! I need details immediately.”

So I told her everything about that night at the Sapphire, Tess’s hand on Jake, the beer glass I’d dropped, and the conversation in the parking lot. Of course, we laughed about the truck windows steaming up and the couple inside of it, too.

Somewhere behind her, glasses rattled in the racks of the Ropin’ Roadhouse. Her father hollered something about a ladder.

“Hold on. Dad’s changing out the video security system again. I told him he probably didn’t need the expense, but he swears keeping videos all these years will save his butt in a lawsuit someday.” She put the phone down and I waited.

I scooted across the hall to where Stetson fussed in his crib a little. He’d wake from a nap soon, but I needed him to sleep a little longer. We had a big wedding night ahead of us. I hung the green dress up and quietly let myself out of the room. In the kitchen, I reached for my can of coffee grounds. An afternoon pick me up was in order.

“Sorry. I’m back. Now, what else am I missing about Jake?” Nanette came back on the line. With her blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun, her green eyes shone brightly on the screen.