Page 87 of If We Never Met

Hannah had told her from the very beginning that she wanted to look sexy and be comfortable at the same time. She didn't want anything too laced up, or that made it look like she was trying too hard to be something she wasn't. She wanted the gown to feel like her.

As she stared at the lace and beads she had recently added to the three-quarter-length sleeve, she realized her enhancements didn't work. They were too fussy. It wasn't Hannah who was trying too hard; it was her.

Why?

The question ran around in her head. She knew the answer now, and it was exactly what Dante had suggested. It wasn't about the dress. It was about the future. Once she finished the gown, she would have to decide what to do next. She would have to decide who she was—a part-time Realtor, part-time shop owner, or a part-time designer. She was beginning to realize that she couldn't do them all well. She had to pick a lane. She had to stop pretending she could do everything, because the truth was, hereverythingwas turning into half-hearted mediocrity.

She took the dress off the form and laid it on the table, immediately stripping off the sleeve work. Within minutes, she lost herself in the gown. It suddenly became very clear where she had gone wrong, where she had tried to fix something that had nothing to do with the dress.

She didn't know how much time had passed until her phone started buzzing. She looked up from her work and grabbed her phone out of her bag. Her mother's name flashed across the screen.

"Hi, Mom." She glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing it was almost two. She'd been working on the dress since nine.

"How's it going?" her mother asked.

"Good. I figured out my problem with Hannah's dress."

"I'm so glad. I know it was bothering you."

"What are you doing? Are you back home?"

"Yes. Lois and I are playing cards with Susan and Donna. I just took a break to unpack the groceries Mark had delivered for the meal he's cooking us tonight. There's so much food I was thinking that Dante should join us."

"Dante's brother came into town last night. He's only staying until tomorrow, so they'll probably spend the day together."

"Oh, well, you could invite them both."

"Uh, I don't know. I think it's best if we leave them out of dinner."

"Why don't you just ask Dante? I'd really like to get to know him better. And wouldn't you be interested in learning more about him from his brother? It seems like a good opportunity."

Clearly, her mother was matchmaking. "It's probably better if I don't learn more."

"Because you like him too much already?"

"Maybe."

"Just ask Dante. If he says no, fine, but if he doesn't, then that's great."

"I'll think about it." She paused as another call came in. "Actually, he's calling me now."

"Let me know," her mom said.

As her mother hung up, she took Dante's call. "Hi."

"Hey," he said, his husky voice sending a thrill through her.

She really was in trouble if just the sound of his voice got her hot. She cleared her throat. "What are you up to?"

"My brother and I just completed a very long bike ride around the lake."

"That sounds fun and exhausting."

"It was great. It felt good to work out in the sun. What have you been doing?"

"Working on Hannah's dress. I figured out where I went wrong. I have to admit you made me look at it with a new perspective."

"I'm glad I could help. By the way, Micah told me that there are new photos of us online. I didn't look at them, but he said the stories were fairly positive and focusing more on my rehabilitation than on you."

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