Page 38 of Cloud Nine Love

“Everything’s just fine. She’s what ya call prone to crisis,” Mrs. Scoggs replied flatly. “Okay, who’s going first?”

Harper stuck up her hand. “Can I go first?”

“Yes.” I smiled widely.

It was great because, at this age, everything she asked for were things I’d probably say yes to anyway, but every time I did, it felt special to her.

“This way.” Mrs. Scoggs waved for us to follow her to the backroom where there were dressing rooms. Well, rooms might be overselling it. There were two dressing booths that were separated by heavy maroon cloth curtains.

Mrs. Scoggs showed us into the one on the right, where both Harper’s and my dresses were hanging. I helped Harp into her flower girl’s dress, which she’d picked out with Ruby. It was a white dress with a satin top and a tulle skirt, and she’d be wearing a satin black belt. Ruby and Kane decided to keep the colors simple, just black and white. I was going to be wearing a simple, black dress with spaghetti straps and a slit up one thigh.

Without running it past any filter, my mind started playing out a scenario where I was at the reception, seated at a table, and Remi was beside me. His hand was on my thigh, and he slid his fingers up the slit…

No, I reprimanded myself again. Ever since Remi opened my Pandora’s box of pleasure, I couldn’t stop thinking about sex. With him, specifically. I wished I could scrub my head with soap to get all the dirty thoughts out of it.

The moment I zipped Harper up, she started to twirl.

“You look so beautiful!” I exclaimed.

I pulled the curtain back and we headed to the front of the store, where Mrs. Scoggs worked on pinning the hem. Ruby was on her phone, talking with her wedding coordinator, Willow. As I sat watching my baby girl getting ready to be in her dad’s wedding, I wondered if she would ever be in my wedding.

I’d never had a strong feeling about marriage, one way or another, which I’d always attributed to never seeing an example of a happy one. But since having Harper, and spending more time in Wishing Well, I felt like you couldn’t throw a stone without it hitting a happily married couple.

As I sat there, I started envisioning myself in a white gown. I was holding a bouquet and walking down the aisle. Waiting at the end was Remi, standing in a tux, looking like he’d just stepped off the pages of GQ.

No, I admonished myself. That fantasy might even be worse than the sex ones. Those fantasies implied real feelings. They implied commitment. They implied forever. Those were three things that Remi Rhodes and I would never, could never, share.

“Okay, you’re all set, little lady.” Mrs. Scoggs announced. “Now it’s your turn, Momma.”

I stood and went back to the changing room with Harper. I helped her out of her dress, then hung it up while she put her overalls and turtleneck back on. Once she was dressed, she went back out front, and I slipped my dress on. The fit was nice, but the hem was dragging, and I wished Harper was still there, because I couldn’t reach the zipper to get it all the way to the top.

When I walked out, Harper and Ruby were picking out the ribbon for her dress. I stepped onto the pedestal and faced the mirror as Edith zipped me up and went to work. She was about halfway around the skirt when the door opened, and the man I’d envisioned as my groom walked in. I didn’t turn around, but I could see him in the mirror's reflection.

Today, he wore a gray hoodie, blue jeans, and dark aviator sunglasses. I’d never thought hoodies on men were particularly sexy, but damn, on Remi, the casual look had my lady parts throwing a rave.

“Remi!” Harper ran and threw herself into his arms. Lucky girl. He spun her around several times as she giggled.

When he set her down, Ruby hugged him. “Hey, Bubbas!”

Mrs. Scoggs’ greeting wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. “You’re early.”

“Am I?” His voice dripped with mock innocence as he slowly removed his sunglasses. When he lowered his shades, his gaze was locked with mine in the mirror. I quickly looked down at the floor.

“You are,” Mrs. Scoggs confirmed. “I’m still gonna be a few minutes with this one. Y’all are gonna have to wait.”

“I don’t mind waiting.” He lowered down into a chair, and I could feel his stare on me. “I’m a very patient man.”

“Mommy, can we go get donuts now?” Harper hopped beside the pedestal.

Unlike Remi, who was apparently a very patient man, Harper was not.

“Um, we can when I’m done.”

“But it’s yes day,” Harper pointed out.

“What’s yes day?” Remi asked as Edith removed a pin from her mouth and attached it to the hem of my dress.

“Mommy has to say yes to everything I ask today.”

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