Page 14 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
I’m in trouble.
Kasey reaches for his hand. “So you’ll stick around while Amber and Nat work out any last-minute alterations with their dress switch?”
“Sure, Kase. Then I can bring you home in my truck.” He tilts his head to indicate the cousins across the room. “Natalie can hitch a ride in one of their cars.”
“Actually”—Kasey cringes—“I kind of need to peel myself out of this dress and get going.” She turns to me, regret in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Nat, but the rest of us are already done with our fittings. We waited as long as we could.”
Brady shifts his jaw. “What’s the hurry, Kase?”
“I’ve got to get back to prep for tomorrow.”
I blink. “Tomorrow?” I must’ve missed that particular bridesmaid memo.
“It’s going to be so great!” Kasey grins. “First the whole wedding party is meeting at the docks to cruise the lake and take pictures. Then we’re all heading to The Beachfront Inn after.” She claps her hands. “We’re going to have a beach day!”
“Oh, wow. That sounds …”
“Great, right?”
I gulp, and my stomach plunges. A lake cruise and pictures, followed by a day at the beach, meansa lotmore time with Brady. And here I thought, after today, I could avoid him until the rehearsal.
Kasey wrinkles her nose. “But I’m supposed to be at the docks with Beau by five to confirm plans for the party barge.”
Brady’s mouth tics at one corner. “You’re renting a wholebarge?”
“Apartybarge. Yes.”
“It’s all right.” I lay my palm on Kasey’s shoulder. “You go ahead and change, then take care of the party barge. I’ll stay here and work out the dress switch. Brady will drive me home after. Everything will be just fine.”
“Justfine?” Kasey quirks an eyebrow.
“Did I sayfine? I meant absolutely perfect.And Brady’s right.” I break into a smile. “You do looksobeautiful. My brother is totally going to lose his mind when he sees you walking down the aisle.”
Kasey sighs. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” A bridal consultant with purple braids converges on us. “But is this the maid of honor?”
“Yes!” Kasey beams at me. “This is Natalie, my hero. She offered to trade dresses with Amber, the bridesmaid who’s pregnant.”
“Mine has an empire waist,” I tell the consultant. “So I’m hoping the shape can accommodate the baby bump.”
“Fantastic!” Purple-braid woman takes my hand and pumps it. “I’m Violet. And we have a tailor onsite who can make a few last-minute alterationsifthe fit is close enough.”
While Brady stays behind in the front of the salon, Violet leads me to a changing room in the back. The space is enormous and brightly lit. Benches and mirrors line the walls. Kasey’s clothes are folded on a chair. Green dresses and garment bags jockey for space on hooks. “I’ll help the bride out of her gown first,” Violet tells me. “Then we’ll have you try on Amber’s dress, and I’ll get the tailor in here if we need her.”
“Sounds good.” I wheel my carry-on into a corner. As much as I would love to put on something fresh, I should probably wait until after we’ve dealt with the dress switch. No need to change more than once. Violet gets to work undoing the buttons on Kasey’s gown, while the rest of the bridesmaids—who already had their fits approved—collect their dresses and garment bags.
Each cousin in Kasey’s family—male and female—has hair somewhere on the red spectrum, and everyone’s eyes are some shade of green, hazel, or blue. If you ask me, Brady got the best combination of them all.
I imagine him in the salon now, wearing out the floor, hands stuffed in his pockets. His jaw is probably clenched, and he’s definitely handsome. Meanwhile, I’m standing here in old leggings with sweat trickling down the back of my hoodie.
“Hey, Nat!” Lettie, the oldest of the girls, calls my name. “What do you think of my dress?” Her question interrupts my daydream, which is a good thing. I need to stop dreaming about Brady Graham. Especially when I’m sweaty.
“Do you like it?” She holds the deep green silk up against her body. There’s a halter neckline and a slit up one side.
I widen my eyes and pretend to fan myself. “It’s … wow. So stunning!”
Lettie grins. “I know, right?”
