Page 82 of California Dreaming

Tessa had a flashback of her own wedding, which had been too big, more about showing off than declaring her love to Lewis. The memory made her so uncomfortable that she shivered.

“Arch wouldn’t take you anywhere you’d hate,” Erin said softly. “He wouldn’t put you in that position.”

Tessa let their soothing words sink in and told herself that they were right—she had nothing to worry about. Just act like it’s a big wedding. A big wedding with some famous faces…

Before long, Erin said she could open her eyes. “Perfect,” she said, appraising Tessa’s face. “Even if I say so myself. And you’ve done wonders, Mila. Tessa’s hair looks so full and bouncy.”

Tessa let herself be guided over to the mirror. When she saw herself, she almost didn’t recognize the reflection staring back. It was her face, but her features had been so carefully enhanced and emphasized that she almost resembled a Hollywood star.

“What do you think?” Mila looked proud of herself, as though she already knew the answer.

“You’ve done an amazing job!” Tessa said, delighted. “Both of you have. I never knew I could look like this.”

“Your features are so beautiful it was easy to make you look like a movie star,” Mila said.

Erin added, “Now put on your dress and shoes and come downstairs to show Arch. I can’t wait to see his face.”

She sounded so excited about it that Tessa felt her own excitement rise. Arch had seen her in casual clothes and the barest minimum of makeup. And also completely in the nude, she thought with a thrill deep down inside. But there was still a part of her that wanted Arch to see her at her prettiest.

She slipped into the new underwear she’d bought for the evening, a secret splurge no one else knew about. Then she carefully stepped into the dress and slipped on the shoes.

Her reflection told her that she looked her very best. The dress fit her curves to perfection and shimmered when she moved. Her hair and makeup were better than she could have imagined.

Maybe she wasn’t Valentina Sullivan or Sonia Montefiore, but she felt, for the first time, that she wouldn’t look out of place on a red carpet next to Arch.

When she descended the stairs, she found Arch standing at the bottom looking up, clearly waiting to see her makeover.

She glanced at him nervously, hoping he’d approve. The expression on his face told her everything she needed to know.

His mouth opened and closed again, as though he couldn’t find the right words. Finally, he went with a low whistle.

When she reached him, he said, “You will be the most beautiful woman there tonight. I’m a lucky man.” Then in a lower voice, he said, “I want to kiss you so badly right now, but I’d smudge you.” Instead, he took her hand, raised it slowly to his lips, and kissed it, which had to be the most romantic thing any man had ever done.

Then she walked into the living room, where she could hear the women talking. To her surprise, Betsy Davenport was sitting with her daughters.

“Tessa,” Betsy said, “you look sensational. That dress is fabulous, and you’re as pretty as a picture.”

Tessa blushed deeply as she thanked her. “Everyone has been so kind.”

“We all rally around one another in this family,” Betsy said, smiling. “Which is why I’ve brought you these.” She opened her leather handbag and took out a small box. “I have to admit, we all knew about the dress. I thought these would be the perfect finishing touch. These earrings belonged to my grandmother. They’re something of a family heirloom.”

She opened the box and turned it toward Tessa. Inside were a pair of large pearl drop earrings, each pearl hanging from a chain of small diamonds. They were simple and elegant and absolutely gorgeous.

“I don’t know what to say,” Tessa murmured. “I love them.”

She couldn’t get over how kind everyone was. The warmth of the Davenports was like nothing she’d ever experienced.

She hadn’t bothered with jewelry, as nothing she owned was fancy enough for the dress. She crossed to the mirror and slipped on the earrings, loving the way they looked, then turned to show the family.

“I wore those at my wedding,” Betsy said, sounding dreamy, “and my mother wore them at hers. There’s a lot of happiness and history in those earrings.”

She turned to Arch, who still looked like he was in awe of her makeover. Realizing she hadn’t told him yet how great he looked, she said softly, “You look really handsome, Arch.”

He was dressed in a full black tuxedo, his hair recently cut and neater than usual. He looked like a heartthrob, and her heart beat wildly.

Even though they’d had sex time and time again, she couldn’t believe he was her date. He was also carrying the very suave-looking silver-topped cane, which looked amazing after Howie had fixed it up. She hoped he’d use her arm, too, if he needed it.

“Yes, he certainly is my handsome boy,” Betsy agreed.

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