Page 68 of Poppy Kisses
A little gasp left me. “I love it.”
She held it up and cocked her head. “Yeah, I guess it has a simple beauty.”
“It’s a simple ceremony.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” She bunched it up so I could duck into it.
Soft fabric whispered over my skin. The skirt twirled when it fell to its full length and brushed the tips of my toes. The beading along the A-line bodice framed my cleavage and stopped at a line that rimmed around the torso. From there, the chiffon skirt draped in light layers that didn’t puff out.
I squealed. “This is it.”
She smiled and opened the door. “I wasn’t sure at first, but I really like it.”
I rushed out to the mirrors. Cali’s gasp was the loudest, but the sounds came from more than one sister.
“Is that it, Aunt Poppy?” Cali jumped up and down, clapping.
Clover grinned like she knew exactly what I’d pick.
“Stunning,” Violet said. She dabbed at the corner of an eye. “Oh my god, why do I cry so easily now?”
“Well, it’s not—” I caught myself before I saidreal. I liked Hadley—not her taste in wedding dresses—but I couldn’t let just anyone know.
“Doesn’t matter,” Violet declared as if she guessed what I’d been about to say. “You’re my sister and you’re in a wedding dress and now I want to cry.”
“You’re going to make me cry,” Lily said, “and I know my hormones can’t take it.”
I stepped on the platform and analyzed my reflection in the three-way mirror. I could see the elegant taper in the back, but my eyes captivated me. Happiness shone in them. The wispy sleeves made my biceps look cut, and the lift the layers gave the skirt made my hourglass figure pop. I could wear my hair however I wanted and it’d work.
My excitement grew until I was nearly vibrating. I had the dress. My family all planned to be there. The wedding I hadn’t dared to dream of was happening. And the groom was phenomenal at sex. I was getting it all. For one year.
ChapterSeventeen
Jensen
Auggie helped me finish folding the towels. “She really wants me to go on your date night?”
“Why wouldn’t she want you, bud?” I played it cool and started on the shirts, but I willed Poppy to wake up soon. She had said we’d head out by eleven and it was after ten. She’d stayed out late with Clover last night.
He shrugged and put a haphazardly folded towel on the pile. “Dunno. Mom said dates are for two people.”
I paused midfold of a washcloth. “When did you talk to your mom about dating?”
I hadn’t told Hassie about the marriage yet. I honestly didn’t know if I could trust her, but I didn’t want Auggie to feel like he had to lie to her—in the event she actually called. It’d been months since we’d heard from her. Part of me hoped that she’d stay away for a little over a year and then I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Her parents had moved after we married, and she only had some casual friends left.
“She was going on a date the last time she called,” he said. “I asked to go along.”
That Hassie was dating wasn’t a surprise. I had barely moved my things out of our house when she posted a photo of her and some bronc rider she’d been partying with for years.
The old tug of hurt and flare of anger were weaker than normal.
Auggie grabbed another towel. “You said you weren’t really dating Poppy. It’s part of a deal.”
“We’re not and it is.” We’re not really doing a lot of stuff we’re doing, and I didn’t want to quit. “I haven’t talked to your mom yet about Poppy.”
His expression perked up. “You talked to Mom?”
“No, bud. She hasn’t called for a while.”
