Page 111 of Sinful Skulls
I give his arm a hug. “I’m so happy you’re both here with me.”
“Me too, honey. Me too.”
Jesse walks by, curling a finger for me to follow her. When we get around the corner, she puts her hands on her hips. “Jackson lost him.”
My eyes widen.Oh no. He’s going to ruin our surprise.
She tips her head back and laughs. “Scared ya, didn’t I?”
“Jesse! Don’t do that.”
Her laugh trails off, and she looks at her watch. “Don’t worry. He’s with Dan.”
“Okay. So, we’re still on plan.”
“Yes, ma’am. The dress is dry, so I had Rachel take it upstairs. It turned out perfectly. Maybe we should go into business together.”
We both laugh, because while painting my dress was fun, it’s not something we’d want to do full time.
“This is the most energetic I’ve seen her in months,” she says softly.
“Yeah.”
“Go on up. I’ll send everyone else that way in a few minutes.”
I pull her to me, hugging her tight. “Thank you for everything. Really, you’ve made me feel at home here.”
“You’re just buttering me up so I’ll pose for you.”
“Maybe.” I give her another squeeze before letting go. “Pleeeease.”
She laughs. “Okay, fine.”
“Dirk too?”
“I suppose.” She rolls her eyes, but I can tell she’s as excited as I am.
“It will keep his mind off …”
Jesse nods, blinking back her own tears. “You’re right. It might be exactly what he needs right now." She pushes me toward the stairs. “Only happy tears today. Go.”
I rush up the stairs to find Rachel staring at my dress.
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
She looks over her shoulder, smiling at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. “It’s beautiful, Daisy. Truly. He’s going to love it.”
When she turns back to the dress, I take the necklace from my neck and then gently place it around hers. “I think the mother of the groom should wear the dragonfly today.”
Her hand instantly covers it, holding it close. “I’ve never worn it before.”
“I’m pretty sure if this Jenny lady trusted you with her son, she wouldn’t mind you wearing it to his best friend’s wedding.”
She laughs, wiping her eyes. “I feel like I’m rushing you into all of this.”
“Rachel, this is going to be the perfect wedding. I’m so incredibly happy.”
Her eyes land on the dress. “Put it on. I’m dying to see it on you.”
