Page 26 of Long Past Dawn
“What about you, Beau?” She asked the question in a tone of voice that told me it took a lot of courage for her to utter those words.
“You’re my best friend, Dawn, but lately, the way I feel is changing. I can share things with you that I never share with anyone else. I can’t really explain it much more than that right now. Just relax and remember that we’re all here for you, even though the landscape at Heavenly Lane is changing. Sometimes, you get to pick your family. We aren’t that different in that arena. We both had to make a new family from love, not blood, and I think we’ve both hit the lottery. Don’t you?”
Dawn nodded against my chest, but her breath was heavy when she spoke. “Now you understand why I’m always so careful not to raise any conflict. Without this place, I’m nothing.”
I rocked her gently against me while I rested my cheek on the top of her head. “No, darlin’. Without you, we’re nothing. I’m going to make it my mission to show you the difference.”
Dawn lifted her head to search my eyes for whatever she needed in this dark, uncertain world. “I hope you can, Beau.”
I lowered my lips toward hers and paused, staring down at her kissable sweetness. “Darlin’, I can do anything I put my mind to,” I promised, and then I captured her lips again to help her take the first step.
Seven
The trip into Duluth wasn’t more than an hour, but my entire body ached from sitting immobile for so long. My body constantly ached, but if I was moving around, at least my joints didn’t stiffen up. I wanted to stay at the ranch, but Heaven didn’t give me a choice in the matter. Her wedding was next weekend, which meant Ihadto find a dress today.
I stretched my neck and back inside the fitting room while I eyed the dress hanging on the hook. We’d been searching for a maid of honor dress since January, but we couldn’t find anything that looked remotely good on me. Then again, maybe it was me. I didn’t like anything I tried on and avoided looking in the mirror as much as possible. While I should have taken pride in my new figure, I was embarrassed and ashamed of it instead. I leaned against the dressing room door and closed my eyes, willing the tears to stay away. I was not going to cry over the situations in my life that I couldn’t control when my best friend was waiting outside to see this dress.
Knuckles rapped on the closed door. “Do you have it on yet?”
I cleared my throat before I spoke. “No, I’m getting there,” I promised, pushing off the door and stripping my shirt off, then my boots and pants. “I don’t think this is going to be what you’re looking for, Heaven. The dress is the exact opposite of a traditional maid of honor gown.”
There was silence while I pulled the dress on over my head and smoothed it down across my hips. I slid my feet back into my boots since I’d be wearing boots with the dress anyway. Heaven and Blaze were getting married on a ranch, so there was no way I was wearing heels. Not that I could right now if I tried.
I unlocked the door and pulled it open. Her gaze took me in, and Heaven’s mouth dropped open. “Dawn, this is—”
“Bad,” I said, looking down at the lace dress. “I warned you.”
Heaven shook her head back and forth for at least ten seconds before she spoke. “No, it’s stunning. It’s so … you. Those other dresses were pretty, but this just screams Dawn Lee. Look at this,” she said, holding the lace sleeve out. “Delicate, beautiful, simple, and badass, all in one dress.”
I tried to hold in my laughter, but it came out in a choked snort. “It’s red,” I pointed out. “You want your maid of honor wearing a red dress?”
She lifted one brow. “It’s rose red, and I’m carrying red roses in my bouquet. I think it’s perfect. Oh, but wait!” she said, holding up her finger and dashing away. I stood in the doorway, unsure of what she was doing.
While I waited for Heaven, I turned and stared at myself in the mirror, working to see the dress from her eyes. My mind’s eye wandered to what look would be on Beau’s face when he saw me in it for the first time. Would he smile? Would he kiss me on the cheek and tell me I was gorgeous? Would he frown because he hated it? I didn’t think it mattered what I wore anymore. He always told me I was gorgeous. According to him, he was also going to prove to me that I make his world better. Okay, so technically, he said I made everyone’s world better, but I think he was really talking about his world. At least that’s what his lips told me when they were on mine.
“I’m back,” she said, running into the dressing room with hangers hooked on her fingers.
I held them up and glanced between my hands. “A denim jacket and a leather fringe vest?”
Heaven nodded, jumping up and down once. “Put them on. I want to see which looks better!”
“What did Blaze put in your coffee this morning?” I teased, hanging the two hangers on the hook before slipping my arms into the denim jacket.
“It was what came before the coffee,” she said, wiggling her brows.
I groaned and dumped my head into my hand. “I should know better. I walked right into that one.”
Heaven was bent over laughing, her shoulder shaking. “You should, after all this time. I’m about to get married, after all.” She clapped her hand on her thigh. “Okay, back to the dress. Turn,” she said, motioning with her hand until I did. When I faced the mirror again, I frowned.
“It covers up the sleeves,” I said. “That’s the best part of the dress.”
“Agreed. Try the vest.”
I took the coat off and threw the vest on, straightening it so it hung evenly across my breasts. I turned left then right and tugged on the front a bit. When I turned back to face Heaven, she had tears in her eyes.
“It’s perfect, Dawn. Now I know why the other dresses didn’t work. This one was waiting for you.”
I hugged her then, slightly embarrassed by her show of emotion. “I like it too. You know that’s a miracle. Plus, I can wear it again for something since it’s not so formal.”
