Page 100 of Love and Other Trials
Seeing her, Tiffany hurled herself up out of the chair. “Did you find it?”
Ariel shook her head. Tiffany’s face crumpled, and she sank down to the floor, hands in her lap, crying her heart out.
Dax felt Jeffrey’s hand on his arm. They halted just inside the door, which was probably a good decision because the bridal party rushed over and settled around Tiffany, their loud cries joining hers.
He’d never seen anything like it.
The wailing made him want to turn tail and walk out, but he stayed for Ariel. He heard her muttering to Tiffany.
“I can’t get married if I don’t have a wedding dress!” she howled back, glaring at her sister.
More murmuring from Ariel.
“But I can’t!” came another protestation from the bride.
“It’s too bad I can’t pop back to my house in Savannah and let you choose from my old wedding dresses, Tiffany.” Stormy took a long pull of her drink. “You’re a little chubby, but my empire dress would probably fit you.”
“That’s it!” Ariel practically shouted.
Dax felt the energy in the room change as she pushed off the floor and stood up, pulling Tiffany to her feet.
“What?” Tiffany muttered, wiping tears and smearing more makeup.
“Grandma has three wedding dresses in the attic to choose from, and you’re her size.” She grabbed Tiffany’s shoulders. “Don’t you remember how gorgeous they are? I’ll bet one will fit you.”
“But they’re not mine,” Tiffany wailed. “And they’re old and not clean.”
“Grandma was a neat freak, and you know it.” Ariel checked her watch. “They’ll be in perfect condition. Okay… If we delay the wedding a little, I can run out to Folly Beach, grab the dresses, and then be back in a jiffy for you to try them on, to see which one you like best. Then we’ll steam it real quick and get you married.”
“But Ariel—” she moaned, crying jaggedly now.
“Tiff, I love you,” she interrupted, hugging her. “But you’re going to have to open your mind to a new plan. Think about how romantic it will be to tell your and Rob’s children about wearing your grandma’s wedding dress.”
They shared a look. There was a long pause. Tension thickened in the air.
“Maybe your girls might even wear one, should you and Rob have them,” she followed up, wiping the tears from Tiffany’s cheeks. “It could become a beautiful family tradition.”
Tiffany sniffed and finally nodded. “All right…but it’s not how I wanted it.”
“I know, but maybe it’s even better this way.” Ariel kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Be ready to try some dresses on. Jeffrey! Will you find a couple of steamers? We’ll work like an assembly line if need be once she chooses the dress she wants to wear.”
“You’ve got it,” Jeffrey called brightly as she passed them in a blur to the door. “And I’ll make sure everyone knows it’s delayed and keep the rest going like clockwork until you get back.”
“You’re the best!” Ariel called. “Dax!”
“Coming,” he answered, rushing after her as they headed down the path in the direction of the parking lot. “You want me to drive?”
She shot him a killer smile. “I’d love for you to drive. It’s been one hell of a day so far, and we’re not done.”
He did his best not to speed, feeling every minute of the twenty-five-minute journey ahead of them. But he couldn’t help that his foot wanted to put the pedal to the metal. When they reached Folly Beach, he wanted to curse. The police were everywhere, and the twenty-five miles per hour speed limit on the island was enough to drive anyone bananas.
Ariel was clearly losing her mind over the snail’s pace. She tapped her foot on the floor as well as her fingers on the dashboard, leaning forward in her seat like the mere act would propel them to their destination faster. When they pulled into the driveway, she was opening the door before he’d stopped.
“Hey! Be careful.”
Hitting the brakes, he watched her run to the house and take the steps two at a time. He kept the car running but went around to the side to make sure the rear seats were lying flat so the dresses could be laid out. That’s what he’d done with his dress whites. Made sense to him.
When he hit the button for the first seat, he spotted the plastic. His mind reeled as his gaze took in the rest.
