Page 120 of Fall for You
Her loyalty to the King family was way too strong to do that.
“Almost done,” the woman pinning up her hair said.
Ronnie just smiled into the mirror. She’d always hated being primped and prodded for magazines, but today…
Well, today she felt like she was basking in the glow right alongside her sister. And maybe that was her right, considering all the work she’d put into this event.
Not as much as Bailey, Willow, and April, of course, but as Ronnie reached for a cookie on the dressing room table, she was certain she’d earned it.
Margot seemed just as relaxed in the chair beside her. The bride’s makeup and hair had started ages ago, and Ronnie was a little confused as to what else needed to be done.
Surely her sister was getting antsy just sitting there.
But Margot seemed unusually content as one woman massaged her hands and another painstakingly attached fake eyelashes.
“There.” Ronnie’s stylist stepped back with a satisfied smile. “You’re good to go, maid of honor.”
Ronnie’s eyes widened at her reflection. The stylist had somehow made her thick, long hair look soft and delicate in big waves and artfully pinned curls. And her makeup was visible but not glaring. It was as subtle as the hair, and for the first time in maybe forever…
She didn’t hate being dressed up.
Sure, the dress still wasn’t her fave, but when she pictured Dallas’s response, and dancing with him…
Yeah. She could do the dress for one night. Maybe even the heels too.
“Thank you,” she told the stylist as she stood, making way for one of the other bridesmaids to take her place. She turned to her sister, who was sitting up straight, almost done herself.
“Do you need anything, Margot?” She braced herself for a long list. All morning she’d been running around like a crazy person trying to satisfy every last whim and desire.
She might have been dealing with some feelings lately, but she really did want her sister’s wedding to go off without a hitch.
Margot smiled. “I think I’m good.”
They shared a grin. All day their mother had been there between them. No one had mentioned her, and yet Ronnie knew she, Margot, and their dad hadn’t stopped thinking about her all day. What she’d say, what she’d wear, what song she’d request.
One of Margot’s friends interrupted the sisterly moment. “Hey, Mar, where are you and Lewis headed for your honeymoon again?”
“Oh…just Aspire.” Margot shot Ronnie a sidelong look. It held a hint of puppy dog eyes, and…
Ronnie stiffened. She knew precisely where this was going. And she had a sneaking suspicion that Margot had prompted her friend to ask this question at this precise moment.
“I wish we could do something more exciting, but…” Another pleading look in Ronnie’s direction. “We can’t afford it.”
Ronnie met her sister’s gaze, and for the life of her—she wasn’t sure how to respond. A little part of her wanted to hand Margot the world on a platter. But she couldn’t offer to pay for a freakin’ honeymoon. Not after all she’d already paid for. It wouldn’t just be a strain on her bank account and add even more pressure to her performance this season—it would taint their relationship.
And that was what she couldn’t afford. She couldn’t bear to lose Margot, and she’d come to resent her if this kept up.
“It’s okay to have boundaries.”Dallas had said that multiple times when they’d discussed her family, and it was his voice in her head now.
And so, when the silence stretched so long it was awkward, Ronnie said, “You and Lewis are in love with each other. It doesn’t matter where you go. You’ll have an amazing time.”
Her sister huffed. “Yeah, but we’d have a better time if we went to Hawaii.”
Ronnie narrowed her eyes. It was almost funny. With Dallas’s voice in her head, and a fresh perspective, she saw her sister’s blatant attempts for what they were. She was trying to see what she could get away with. Just like when they were little and she’d beg and plead for candy at the supermarket, and when that didn’t work, she’d turn on the waterworks.
Ronnie just barely held back a sigh. Like it or not, her sister was still a little spoiled.
And maybe that was partially her fault. Maybe she’d always felt so guilty that she wasn’t the real mother Margot needed, she caved too easily and gave her more than she should have.
