Page 47 of Unraveling the Truth About Love
“We knew you’d end up together,” Max said.
Riley thought back to the luncheon at his father’s ranch in Weston and how easy they’d been together. She’d tried to ignore thebutterflies she’d felt when she saw him, and she’d thought she’d done a good job of hiding her feelings from everyone else. From the look in Max’s eyes, she realized that her acting skills were far worse than her design skills.
“How could you have known?” Riley asked.
A knowing smile flashed between Max and Treat. She touched his thigh. “For me, it was just the vibe between you two. You wereso…compatible.” Max shrugged.
“Vibe shmibe,” Treat teased. “Josh used to watch her like Rex watched Jade. Once you guys reconnected, it was just a matter of time before all that lust took over.”
She looked at Josh and touched his chest. “You used to watch me,” she said. “I love that.”
“I told you I did,” Josh said. “Treat just makes it sound dirtier than it was.”
“Okay, truth?” Treat asked.He didn’t wait for an answer. “I knew the minute he brought you to Dad’s for lunch. Josh isn’t a wishy-washy man. When he makes up his mind, there’s no changing it. He may take a wider path than some and navigate around a bit, but he always ends up where he said he would. When he moved to New York, he said he was going to be a top designer, and he did it. Two years later, he said he was going totry to compete with Vera Wang. The man made his mark. And when he hired Riley, he said, ‘She’s perfect for JBD.’” Treat splayed his hands. “Was there ever any question after that remark?”
Riley blushed. She’d heard Josh say that at his father’s house. She’d thought he meant the company, not himself personally. Treat really did know his brother well.
Josh pulled her close. “She is perfect forJB, without a doubt.” He kissed her cheek. “And she also happens to be perfect for JBD.”
“Okay, now that y’all have embarrassed me, can we talk about Max’s dress?” Riley heard her hometown drawl, the one she’d worked diligently to omit while in New York, and it felt so good to use it again without worry of being given an amused look.
“Yes, please,” Max said. She leaned across the table. “First,Josh, thank you so much for offering to make my gown. It’s really beyond kind of you.”
Kind.There it was again, one of her favorite traits about Josh.
“I’m thinking of something very simple, without all that fluff and drama of most wedding gowns. You know me—simple and clean works best,” Max said.
“Simple, clean lines. We can do that,” he said, giving Riley’s arm a squeeze.
“Max, I hope youdon’t mind, but I pulled a few drawings together, based on the conversations we’d had back home. I know I’m not designing your gown, but I thought of a few ideas that you might want to consider implementing.” She held her breath, hoping Max didn’t mind.
“You did?” Josh asked.
“Just a few,” Riley said. “I was really nervous about showing them to you. Somehow it felt easier to show them to Maxthan my top fashion designer boyfriend. If she hates them, then you won’t ever see them.” She winked as she left the room to retrieve her sketches. When she returned, Josh had already started clearing the table.
“Why don’t you and Max take them into the living room?” Treat said as he stood. “Josh and I can handle this.”
“Men who tidy up? I like that,” Riley said. She touched Josh’s back andwhispered, “I didn’t mean to take over. I don’t have to show these to her. I’m so sorry.”
He kissed her forehead. “You can take over any part of my life that you want.”
Riley’s breath hitched. She squeezed his hand, then followed Max into the living room.
“I was thinking,” Riley began, as she spread out her drawings, “you’re all about comfort and a clean, pretty presentation. Everything youwear is focused around ease of wear and functionality, but well made. With your gown, I thought of the same qualities: a little tailored and decadent without being ostentatious. So, this was my first thought, something of a long, comfortable spaghetti-strap dress with a few modifications.”
Max crinkled her nose. “To a wedding?”
Riley smiled. “Hear me out.” She experienced the same increasedheart rate that she had when she’d worked at Macy’s and helped customers find just the right colors for their skin tone, choose accessories for their big night out, and find the perfect fit to complement their various body types. She pulled her favorite drawing out from the stack and spread it out in front of Max. “Yes, a wedding gown.” She pointed to the spaghetti straps.
Max gasped, her eyesopened wide. “Oh my gosh.”
“You hate it?” Riley had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“No, I adore it. What’s it made of? Are those hand-stitched designs or is the fabric printed? Treat, honey, come here, please,” she called.
Treat and Josh came out of the kitchen, wiping their hands on dish towels.
“Look at that. How perfect is that?” Max’s cheeks were flushed as she pointed tothe drawing while she looked up at Treat and laced her fingers into his. “We’re getting married in Wellfleet, where we fell in love. The resort overlooks the water. This is just perfect. Not too fancy, very beachy. It’s perfect, isn’t it, Treat?”
