Page 64 of Wedlocked

I’d become close to Gram over the years, her being almost a surrogate grandmother to me. Not only had she taken in and accepted Matty but me and Ben too. It meant so much that she was flying in for the wedding even though we told her she didn’t have to. It would just make the day that much more special.

“I know,” I said, feeling my eyes tear up. “I can’t wait to show her my dress.”

“I still can’t believe that find,” Landry said, sliding into the conversation. “Just wait until you guys see it,” she told the room. “It’s perfect.”

“Well, almost,” I said, thinking of the gorgeous white gown I’d somehow scored.

Considering my time crunch and budget, I didn’t expect to find something so elegant. Madison knew of a few vintage shops in Westbrook, and all the girls went one afternoon. I found a few potential gowns but nothing I really loved until we went into the very last shop for the day. The woman who owned it saw us looking at the gowns, and she brought out one she had in the back… and I fell in love.

It was perfect. The bodice was long-sleeved and made of lace. The neckline was plunging, which flattered my full bust line, and the long skirt was made of layers of tulle that fluttered and swished when I walked.

Against my better judgment, I tried it on, and I cried in the dressing room. I stood right there in the tiny cube with the skinny mirror and bad lighting and knew it was the one. The little girl in me who had hidden under her covers at night while her parents screamed and the teenager who’d looked around one day and realized the odds in life were stacked against her and she might never make it out stared through my eyes at the dreamy dress. And both of them whispered,We made it.

I guess I stood there so long with the past versions of myself that Rory, Madison, and Landry came looking. Then we all cried together.

They pulled me out into the room with the large full-length mirror and good lighting, and it was even better. Knowing a dress like this would be out of my budget, I asked the woman how much it was. She told me a price, and my heart sank.

But then she said it was in the back because two buttons were missing on the back and the hem had a snag. She planned to have it fixed before putting it out for sale, but she’d sell it to me for a discount in its current condition.

It took my entire savings, but I couldn’t leave that gown behind.

“What do you mean almost?” Ben asked, pulling me out of the memory.

“Hm? Oh,” I said, “it’s missing a couple buttons, and I need to sew them on. I thought maybe I’d ask Gram to help.”

Matty grimaced. “I hope she sews better than she cooks.”

“Don’t all old people know how to sew?” Rush asked. “Hey, maybe Emmett could do it.”

“Wasn’t so old when I beat your raggedy ass on the slopes last night, now was I?” Emmett countered.

“I like when you beat my ass,” Bodhi whispered, his arms snaking around Emmett from behind.

“And just like that, I have no appetite for breakfast,” Landry complained.

“Me either,” Ben muttered. I elbowed him.

“She’s rich, not old,” Arsen said, trying to steer the conversation back to less gag-worthy topics.

“I can help,” Bodhi said, his blond head peaking around Emmett to look at me.

“With the buttons?” I asked.

Emmett made a sound, shifting to wrap his arm around Bodhi and draw him to his side. “Goldilocks is pretty good with a needle and thread.”

“Since when?” Rush asked.

“Since I realized my life would be more peaceful if I sewed your lips shut,” Bodhi quipped.

Emmett grinned, and Rush rolled his eyes.

Bodhi turned back to me. “Since I’ve been taking all the design classes, I decided it would be good to learn the basics of sewing. You know, to have a better understanding of how clothes get made.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” I said.

“Well, I’m not great, but I can definitely sew some buttons.”

Emmett made a sound. “Don’t downplay it. You’ve been working hard.”

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