Page 2 of The Last Love Song
The Finley family had precedents for keeping their private lives on the down low since their mother tended to feed off strong emotions and unhappiness, making them her own until her kids ended up comfortingherover their misfortunes.
“Exactly. Why wait to start your future when you know what you want?” Erin wriggled her way into the slim-fitting lace.“That’s why I’m so excited for you to have an adventure of your own. I never knew you were so passionate about singing.”
“Still waters run deep.” Heather winked at her sister and fixed a few strands of hair that had slid free. “Are you going to keep the brooch in your hair or do you want me to take it out?”
“I’ll leave it.” Erin patted one side absently. She’d never been the kind to spend a lot of time on her looks, even though she wore the most interesting clothes of anyone in town. She had an artsy flare that worked for her, whether that meant she had pink streaks in her hair one day or Goth-girl black strands the next. “You ready to come down and dance? You can pack tomorrow, right?”
Heather had told everyone she was leaving after the wedding. But she’d thought she could slip out as soon as Erin and Remy took off for their honeymoon. Leave it to Erin to party half the night.
She swallowed.
“Right. I just wish I was more organized for my trip. You know how I am…always trying to plan ten steps ahead.”
That had been true right up until she had an acute onset of rheumatoid arthritis. When she’d been on a buying trip for the store, she’d had a flare-up so bad she literally couldn’t move. The pain and stiffness had sent her to the hospital for a battery of tests until a doctor had come up with the diagnosis. The disease wasn’t life threatening, but it was a serious immune system disorder with lifelong consequences. Different from regular arthritis that most people experienced as they aged or as a result of old sports injuries, the rheumatoid variety meant a body’s immune system attacked its own connective tissue, pretty much just for the hell of it.
Getting ahead of the problem would mean draining bouts of strong medication until the doctors discovered what worked best with her body chemistry. There was no one drug thatworked for everyone, and Heather desperately wanted to investigate some homeopathic remedies, too.
Receiving the diagnosis while she’d been on the road—in Austin, Texas, and all alone—had made her realize how much she preferred the quiet of her own thoughts as she sorted through what the diagnosis meant for her. She didn’t want the Finley family hubbub around her right now. She wanted to focus on herself. And more important, she wanted to start living her dreams. It didn’t matter if she was tired. If she flared up. Or if her new medicines didn’t agree with her. The health scare had made her reassess. She’d realized she’d been living a safe, boring life and never taking hold of the reins for herself.
She was so done planning ten steps ahead.
“Well, you can organize once I’m in the Cajun bayous with Remy for my honeymoon.” Erin dug in the other side of the closet. “Plus, I think the mayor has his eye on you. You should wear the satin siren-girl dress and see what happens.”
Heather did not want to think about the long looks Zach Chance had been giving her lately. She’d hoped it was her imagination, even if he was one of the most sought-after single men in Heartache. Now was definitely not the time to get involved with anyone.
Besides, Zach was…the mayor. She was putting small-town life behind her, not campaigning for it. He seemed to see her as her father’s daughter—himself a former mayor of Heartache. But Heather was about to change all that good-girl stuff before her body started wearing out prematurely. Who knew how long her window of good mobility would be?
She smiled. “First of all, my boobs wouldn’t hold up that dress in a million years. Second,you’regoing to be the star of the show tonight.” She reached for a yellow sundress instead. “How about this for me?”
“Too sweet and not nearly sexy enough. There are hot guys down there, Heather. Come on. Did you see Remy’s brothers?” Erin dug deeper into the closet and emerged with a bright pink jersey dress with cutouts at the waist. “Here.”
“Redheads don’t do fuchsia. And yes, your brothers-in-law are definitely turning heads.” Armand and Landry Weldon were as handsome as their brother, Remy, and their Cajun accents had all the women in town swooning.
Erin tugged the dress off the hanger anyway. “It’s berry, not fuchsia, and don’t argue with the bride.”
“Okay, but keep in mind you’ll have to see this eye abomination in your wedding album for the rest of time.” Heather slid off the simple lavender maid-of-honor dress, which Erin had let her choose for her big day. Laying it on the bed, Heather slipped the bright jersey over her head and pulled the fabric to cover her hips.
It was surprisingly comfortable, even if the diamond-shaped cutouts bared skin on either side of her waist.
“Hoochie mama.” Erin whistled. “Now,that’sa dress.” Picking up the discarded daisy floral crown from the bed, she pulled three flowers out of it and tucked the stems behind Heather’s ear. “You ready to have some fun?” Her cornflower-blue eyes roamed Heather’s face.
“I’m ready.” She would have to delay her great escape for a few hours to make her sister happy. She hoped her joints stayed quiet for a little longer. Her right wrist throbbed a little, but she could ice it later. “I’m simply not going to look in any mirrors.”
“Would I send you out into the world unless you looked gorgeous? Give me some credit. I’m kind of a professional at dressing people.”
True enough. Besides her work at Last Chance Vintage, Erin had single-handedly started a hugely successful Dress for Success initiative to help women in tough economic situationsfind great outfits for job interviews. So many clothes had been donated to the cause that Erin had enough to sponsor a mobile unit that traveled to remote parts of the state where poverty was the worst.
“I know. I don’t always have the same bold aesthetic as you” But she was going to try harder, right? She’d promised herself that when she left town, she would start breaking a few rules. She had a lot of lost time to make up.
“Once you’re competing onAmerican Voicein front of the whole country, you’re going to have to find your boldness.” Erin swept Heather’s long red curls behind one shoulder. “Why don’t you practice tonight by letting your hair down and shaking your moneymaker?”
Erin swatted her on the butt before darting in front of her and rushing down the stairs, cackling the whole way.
“My moneymaker?” Heather called down, following more slowly. “I’m definitely going to tell your groom to cut off your champagne supply,” she teased as she spotted Remy in the kitchen at the foot of the staircase.
Surrounded by his brothers, along with Zach Chance, the very man Heather had been avoiding, Remy seemed to be involved in a drinking game. All four guys held shot glasses in hand, a dark bottle resting on the open bar cabinet between them.
“Looks like we’ve moved beyond champagne,” Erin noted dryly, pulling her new husband’s attention from his empty glass.
