Page 26 of Moonlight & Matrimony
I momentarily panic at her sudden declaration, placing my hands on her round belly. “What? Is the baby ok?”
“My bad. She’s fine. I just realized you’re going to be my sister!”
“Jesus, Paige. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Oops. Ok, let’s get in there and find you a dress.”
The bell chimes above the door when we enter the quaint boutique with all of its pastel pink bohemian charm. I beeline for the clearance section, resolved to choose something simple within my paltry budget.
“You. Sit.” I point to the settee near the checkout counter. “I promised your husband you’d stay off your feet.”
“You’re the worst,” she teases.
“Love you too, hun.”
I make my way over to one of the sales racks and start scanning through the garments as one of the bridal consultants approaches. “Hi there. Welcome to Wisteria Bridal. Can I help you with anything?”
“Oh, that’s ok. I’m just looking for something simple.”
Before I can dismiss the woman, Paige chimes in from the peanut gallery. “She’s eloping with my brother today!”
“Congratulations! Just let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
I tilt my lips into a faint smile. “Thanks.”
As reality sets in, anxiety tightens my stomach into knots. This is insane, right? How can I possibly consider going through with this after everything I went through with Austin? But Luca is not Austin, and I have to remind myself of that. Luca has shown me over and over in every possible way, he’s nothing like my ex husband.
I inhale a steadying breath in an attempt to calm my racing heart, sliding the hangers across the rack. There are several simple A-line styles, a couple of chiffon bridesmaid dresses in muted tones, and one absolutely stunning floral gown that speaks to my soul — but it’s far too special for this sham wedding.
“Ivy?” Cara’s voice snaps me out of my anxiety spiral, and I manage to tamp down the rising sense of unease. Cara is casually gorgeous with her long red hair cascading down her back, her ample curves on full display in a pair of figure hugging jeans and a cropped tee. I want to be her when I grow up; Dean is a lucky man.
“When did you get here?”
“Just a second ago. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just nerves.” I grab several dresses off the rack, not even bothering to give them a thorough glance. “Let’s head over to the dressing room.”
I don’t get far before Cara grabs me by the shoulders and stops me in my tracks. “Slow down. Let’s get a better look at your options, okay? We don’t have to rush into picking a dress. We have hours before you have to be at the salon.”
“Salon?”
“Surprise. We made an appointment for a little pampering.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I can do my own hair and makeup.”
“Honestly, this was more for me than you,” Paige snorts. “I can’t even see my toes anymore.”
Resigned to the will of my best friends, I help Cara sort through more of my dress options, while mentally preparing myself for them to blow this day way out of proportion because they have no idea none of this is real. Once we have a handful of dresses picked out, Cara leads Paige over to the seating area near the mirrors while I slip behind one of the pink curtains.
Hanging my selection of dresses on the hook, I strip out of my clothing. Call me a cynic, but I don’t much care what I’m wearing today — I wasted my dream wedding on a nightmare husband. Filled with equal amounts of regret and anxiety, I grab the first dress off the hanger. For all intents and purposes, it’s fine. It’s a pale pink chiffon bridesmaid dress, and while it’s pretty, there’s nothing jaw dropping about it.
“Cara, can you come in here for a second? I need help with the zipper.”
She joins me in the room, closing the curtain behind her before giving me a quick once over.
“Absolutely not. I can’t in good conscience let you wear a color that completely washes you out. Let's try something else.”
She sorts through the other dresses, stopping on the floral gown that I’ve already written off. The ivory strapless floor-length sweetheart gown is adorned with multicolored florals and greenery covering the entire bodice and skirt. It’s unconventional in the best way.
