Page 92 of Wedlocked

“Oh, don’t cry!” Landry fussed, rushing out of the bathroom to console her. “I’m sure we can find some.”

“But where?” Jess asked, voice wobbling.

“I’ll just rip some off Rush’s dress shirt. He doesn’t need them anyway.”

“But how will he wear his shirt?” Jess asked.

Landry waved her hand. “He can just button his jacket.”

All of us laughed. The idea of Rush walking around with a half-unbuttoned shirt under his tux jacket was almost too good to pass up.

“I might have some that will work,” I offered, placing my stuff on a nearby table and pulling the top off the kit.

“Really?” Jess asked, eyes hopeful.

“Well, let me at least look before we go popping buttons off Rush’s shirt,” I mused. I wondered what Em would say if I went to our room to pull buttons off my shirt.

He’d probably spank me.

Tempting. But my ass was still sore from earlier.

“Oh,” I said, fingers slipping over a small packet. “How many do we need?”

The tulle on Jess’s skirt fluttered as she came over and spun, showing me the back. The lace fluttered open, revealing her shoulder blades and midback.

“Okay to touch it?” I asked, hesitating as I reached out.

“Of course,” she said, leaning forward a bit to scoop her long brown hair over her shoulder and give me more room.

After gathering the lace and pulling it together, I decided. “Three will work.”

Releasing the lace, I moved back to the kit, plucking out the small baggie. “Do you have anything blue?”

Jess turned. “Blue?”

I nodded. “I have these three blue buttons. I could make them work.”

Landry gasped. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue! I can’t believe we forgot that!”

“I didn’t forget,” Jess said, glancing at me. “I just figured we were busy enough trying to plan a wedding in a week. Why add more?”

“It’s your wedding!” Landry protested.

Jess shrugged a little. There was a different air shimmering around her all of a sudden. Something I recognized.

“Well,” I started. “The dress is new. These buttons are blue.”

“The shoes I’m wearing are old,” she said, rushing across the room to pull a pair of short, white fur-lined boots out of a bag. “They’re Uggs. I, ah, got them secondhand.” A little bit of insecurity shone in the depths of her brown eyes. “You won’t be able to see them with this big skirt,” she said, gesturing to the full tulle and lace. “Plus, I know Rory wants to get photos of us in the snow with the mountain as a backdrop.” She pointed to the window. “I figured these would be better than heels.”

“I’m totally getting a shot of you standing in the snow with the trees behind you and the skirt in your hands so we can seethose boots sticking out,” Rory said, coming back into the room with her camera in hand.

“That’s such a cute idea!” Landry exclaimed.

Jess didn’t seem sure. “Really?”

“Yes!” Both girls agreed.

“It adds personality and character,” Rory said. “And those things photograph beautifully.”

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