Page 34 of Love Letter Lost
“What do you want me to do about the bridesmaids’ dresses? Shop for them alone?”
“Would you?” Livvy’s relief at the offer was palpable.
“Livvy, these are your bridesmaids’ dresses! I don’t want to mess that up.”
“You won’t. I promise! Try on anything decent and send me pictures of your top picks. I’ll just be sitting at the apartment waiting for the delivery guys, so I should be able to respond immediately.”
“You seem to be forgetting one important detail.” I hoped that my trump card would win the day.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t have a car. Ridge was going to drop me off at the mall, and then you were supposed to be my ride for the rest of the day.”
She didn’t even pause before responding. “Is that all? Ridge can be your ride.”
“I can’t ask him to do that.” I’d already taken over one of his days this week. I would feel terrible taking another, not to mention the emotional whiplash of being around him was wearing me out. I pushed all thoughts of snuggling on the couch out of my mind.
“Maybe you can’t, but I definitely can. It’s my wedding, and I’m not going to let anything ruin it.” With that, she hung up before I could protest further.
A few moments later, my phone rang. Glancing down, an unfamiliar number filled the screen. I took a deep breath and answered. Maybe, if I was lucky, it would be the auto shop. After all, why on earth would Ridge agree to go dress shopping? I highly doubted he would be interested in carting me from one department store to another in a desperate attempt to find a decent peach dress.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Mal. Good news, I’m your new bridesmaids’ dress shopping buddy.” Ridge’s voice filled my ear, and it took everything I had to contain a groan. “Bring on the peach.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” The words slipped out as I clenched my free hand into a fist at my side. “Best case scenario, which I doubt will happen, you and I will spend an hour in one store while I try on dresses. You’ll be the official photographer and middleman who sends all of the options to Livvy. In reality, we’ll probably drive to several stores, spending an hour or more at each, trying to find something that works. I can’t ask you to do that.” I tried to paint a vivid picture, hoping to dissuade him. I could only take so much alone time with Ridge. Livvy would just have to find another time to go dress shopping on her own.
“Livvy warned me you might try to talk me out of it,” Ridge said. “But you’re not getting rid of me that easily. There’s still the matter of some unearthed high school pictures currently in Livvy’s possession that need to disappear when all this is over. I’ll pick you up at 10:00. Maybe we’ll find something with sparkles.”
“That would be hideous—”
Ridge hung up before I could finish, leaving me sputtering and trying to adjust to the change in plans. How had this happened? Somehow, I’d gone from a twenty-minute drive trapped in the car with Ridge to another full day trying to keep my traitorous heart from giving him a second chance.
I glanced down at my phone to check the time and grimaced. I had 15 minutes until he’d be here. Knowing that it wouldn’t do any good to try to talk him out of shopping with me, I rushed into my bedroom to change again, desperate to at least find the perfect power outfit for spending hours with the man who’d broken my heart. I would rather build and install my own cabinets than spend another day with Ridge.
A knock sounded on my front door right at 10:00. I answered, grateful that Audrey and Chloe had already left for the day. I didn’t need more disapproving looks from Audrey and encouraging comments from Chloe. I was already struggling enough with the situation as I attempted, unsuccessfully, to read Ridge’s reaction.
“You ready?” Ridge asked, a huge smile stretching across his face. He looked way too good for a guy who had probably gotten less sleep than I had.
Apparently, he was choosing to ignore the snuggling. Two could play that game.
“You really don’t have to do this.” I tried one more time to talk him out of it. “Livvy will figure something else out.”
“And miss the opportunity to watch you try on one awful peach dress after another? Not going to happen. How do you feel about fringe?”
I cringed, thinking of all the peach disasters waiting for me. I grabbed my purse and followed him out the door, locking it behind me. “Let’s get this over with.”
Ridge held my door, and I settled into the seat as I waited for him to walk around and clamber in on his side of the car. He’d left the car running when he’d come to my door, and it was nice and cool inside, making me shiver.
“Where to first?” he asked as he backed out of the parking space. I suggested the first store, a place in the mall that specialized in bridesmaids’ dresses, and he turned onto the main road, heading for the freeway.
As had become my habit on this street, I turned my head away from the left side of the road, refusing to take in the construction that was well under way.
“Looks like you’ll have some new neighbors soon,” Ridge said.
I refused to comment.
“Amber and her dad are both excited about that particular property. They think it’ll fill up quickly.”
