Page 1 of Dreaming of You

Chapter One

Watching two of her best friends, Jessica and Maggie, try on their wedding dresses didn't just bring a tear to Kate Marlow's eye, it also brought home a fairly harsh realization. Once Jessica and Maggie tied the knots at their double wedding in five weeks, she would officially be the last single girl standing—or at least the last single woman in her tight group of college friends, who had made falling in love look remarkably easy the last few years.

"What do you think?" Jessica asked, as she spun around on the dressing room pedestal, looking very much like a princess in the silk and lace dress that was a perfect backdrop for her dark hair and brown eyes. "Is it too much?"

"I was wondering if mine was too much, too," Maggie added, giving her a similarly anxious look, even though the slim-fitting, off-the-shoulders gown, was perfect for her strawberry blonde hair and bright-blue eyes. "I feel like the dress has more lace than I remember."

"And I keep thinking that I already had a first wedding, and maybe I should have gone with something simple," Jessica added.

She smiled at their sudden insecurities. "You are both crazy. Jessica, you look amazing, and your first wedding was at a courthouse in a dress you borrowed from Maggie. You deserve this. And you, Maggie, look like a princess, and what's wrong with that? I like that both dresses are different, unique, perfect for each of you. So, aside from making a few tailoring tweaks, I think we're set, which is good, because the wedding is coming up fast."

She'd never planned a double wedding before, and it was definitely a challenge, especially since the two women were her very close friends. She didn't want to let either of them down or make one feel like she was less important than the other. Their wedding was also taking place on Valentine's Day, which added to the pressure. The most romantic day of the year was busy, and she had to make sure no balls got dropped with the venue, the caterers, the flowers, the band, and all the rest.

"Okay, then," Maggie said, giving her an apologetic smile. "I guess I just need to take the hem up a bit and I'm good to go."

Kate motioned for the seamstress to take that measurement, while Jessica stepped down from her pedestal and walked over to her.

"Sorry for the momentary freak-out," Jessica said, apology in her eyes. "I'm not really the princess bride type."

"Reid is going to lose his mind when he sees you. And you deserve this."

"Thanks for being my cheerleader, as always. Maggie and I really appreciate everything you're doing, Kate. I know we all thought it would be simple and fun to have a double wedding, but I'm beginning to realize we gave you double the work, and it's a busy time of the year. What were we thinking to pick Valentine's Day?"

"You were thinking that it's the most romantic day of the year. You don't need to worry about me. I am loving every minute of this."

"Are you sure?" Jessica gave her a thoughtful look. "You look tired, Kate."

"It's Friday, and it has been a long few weeks. I had two weddings over the New Year's weekend that I'm still recovering from."

"Are you sure that's all it is? I thought I saw some tears in your eyes a minute ago."

"Happy tears. Seeing you both in your bridal gowns made me think about how far we've come from meeting each other our freshman year in the dorms. It's difficult to believe we're all hitting thirty next year. Andrea and Liz both have babies now. Julie is pregnant. And I suspect there will be more children to come. I'm glad we're all still close to each other."

"We made a promise to stand up at each other's weddings a very long time ago. It's your turn to fall in love, Kate."

"I'm too busy to fall in love."

Jessica gave her a knowing smile. "I used to think that, too. I was a single mom with a little boy, a demanding job, difficult parents and an unhelpful ex-husband, and then Reid appeared. He not only rescued me from a doghouse, but from the life I thought I was meant to live. Things can change in an instant—when you meet the right man."

"I know. I'm not worried. My business is booming, and I love what I'm doing. It's all good."

"I'm glad."

Maybe she did get a bit wistful now and then when she saw brides and grooms exchange intimate, tender smiles, but she wasn't going to tell Jessica that. Glancing at her watch, she realized the afternoon had flown by. "Speaking of business, I should get back to the office. Your dress looks perfect, so I don't think you need any alterations."

"I don't. Go, Kate. Maggie and I can finish up on our own. We'll talk next week."

"Perfect." She waved goodbye to Maggie and then headed out the door.

As she left the building, a chilling gust of wind hit her in the face, and she paused on the sidewalk to zip up her coat. This part of San Francisco could suffer some brutal wind coming off the bay, especially in the late afternoon. Thankfully, she didn't have far to go. The bridal boutique was located in the Marina, as was her office, just at the other end of Union Street, about eight blocks away.

As she walked down the popular and busy street filled with boutiques, cafes, bars, and art galleries, she felt incredibly lucky to be living in her favorite city and doing her dream job. Yes, it was crazy, and some of the brides could be very challenging, but it was also fun and exciting and rewarding. She was part of someone's special day and, hopefully, she made their day even more memorable.

Her office was located on the second floor of an old Victorian house that had been converted into two office suites several decades earlier. Charming and romantic, it was the perfect setting for Romantic Affairs, her specialized wedding planning service.

Throwing open the door to her building, she jogged up the steep flight of stairs. There were four rooms on the second floor of the converted Victorian: a reception area in the front, her office, a conference room and a small kitchenette off the back hallway. As she entered the suite, she said, "I know I'm late, but it wasn't my fault."

Shari Jamison calmly raised one eyebrow as Kate hung her coat over a hook on the antique coatrack. Shari was a pretty redhead with green eyes and a very fair complexion. She'd actually been the second bride Kate had ever worked with, and six months after that wedding, Shari had quit her job as a concierge at a downtown hotel and had become Kate's right-hand woman.

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