Page 112 of Only Be Mine

The bells over the shop door jingled as we stepped inside. The woman behind the counter looked up, pushing her glasses higher on her nose.

“Good morning.”

“I need something in a size zero,” I said. “That I can take home today.”

She blinked. “What’s the occasion?”

Amy glanced at her watch. “She’s getting married in… Oh, little more than four hours.”

The woman stared at me like I’d just told her the sky was falling.

“Yes,” I said calmly. “Can you help me or should I look elsewhere?”

She recovered quickly. “Right this way.”

She returned with three dresses. None of them were what I’d imagined my wedding dress would be. One had sleeves too dramatic to ignore. Another was a strange shade of cream that made me look tired.

The third was simple. Knee-length. White satin. Strapless. Uncomplicated.

I stared at myself in the mirror, my bare feet on the fitting room floor.

This one didn’t belong to another life.

This one belonged to now.

“I’ll take it,” I said.

Chapter 40

Cate

Present

The church felt smaller than I remembered.

Not physically, nothing had moved, but the air was thicker, heavier, pressing in on me as I stood behind the closed double doors with my mother’s hand clasped in mine. The music had already begun. The low murmur of guests settled into a hush. Somewhere out there, Trevor was waiting.

There was no stopping this now.

Amy’s son, Tim, came through first, clutching the satin pillow with the rings like it weighed more than he’d expected. Her daughter Grace followed, scattering rose petals with solemn concentration, as if she understood the importance of every step.

Amy appeared beside me and pressed a bouquet into my hands.

Pink and white roses.

I stared at them, forcing a smile. I had never liked roses. They were stiff, traditional, something every other wedding had. I’d asked, once, about carnations instead. Peonies. Something softer.

Trevor had said no.

Amy must have seen something cross my face, because she didn’t rush away like she was supposed to. She stepped closer, lowering her voice.

“Hey,” she said gently. “You’re doing great.”

I huffed out a quiet breath. “That’s not exactly how I feel.”

Her smile softened. “You don’t have to feel any particular way today. You just have to take the next step.”

I looked at her then. Really looked. Was it my best friend talking, or Trevor’s sister in law?