Page 25 of Then Came Love
“Says the man who not only is going to get up onstage to be auctioned off, which takes supreme body confidence, but also probably only dates gorgeous women and works out seven days a week.”
“Being in the auction doesn’t take confidence. It takes my sister and her friends browbeating me until I agreed to do it, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’ve gone out with women of all shapes and sizes, and for your information, I only work out six days a week, and that’s for my sanity, not vanity.”
“You’re awfully defensive.”
He chuckled. “Okay, maybe vanity has a little to do with it.”
“Mm-hm. I thought so,” she said sassily.
“You should come running with me and Coco sometime.”
“I’m not a runner.”
“You said you couldn’t play basketball, either.”
“That was a fluke of a shot, and you know it.”
“I don’t know that. But I’m serious about going running with us. We go early, before work. We could do a short run. A mile or two? There’s nothing more invigorating than a jog through the park as the sun comes up.”
“Did you know sunrises and sunsets are signs of hope?”
“I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. That’s another reason you should come with us. You can start your day with a dose of hope.”
“I don’t even own running shoes, and I’d probably end up walking most of it.”
“Then we’ll walk.”
She seemed to mull that over. “That does sound fun. I’ll think about it.”
“Great. Let’s talk about your wedding. When I design a gown, I like to get an idea of the bigger picture. Do you have a theme? I’d imagine you’ve been dreaming about your big day since you were a little girl.”
“Then you are imagining wrong. I’ve never dreamed about my wedding.”
“Really? That’s surprising, given your love of fashion. You said you’ve been with Todd for several years. Surely you must have thought about what it would be like to walk down the aisle.”
“I have, in a general sense, but I’ve never dreamed of it the way other girls dream of their weddings, picturing every minute detail. Then again, I learned a long time ago that my dreams are nothing like other people’s.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I was a kid, I dreamed about designing fancy dresses to wear to school or playdates, but not wedding gowns. And after losing my family, my dreams were replaced with nightmares. When those finally subsided, my dreams became mostly about finding Casey.”
“It must be difficult trying to plan a wedding and think about moving forward with your life when pieces are missing.”
“That’s exactly how it feels. Like pieces of me are missing.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about Casey. I could help you hire an age-progression specialist and get her face all over the internet to see if somebody recognizes her.”
She looked like she might cry, but she pressed her lips into a fine line and shook her head, her expression turning determined. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you would even suggest that, but I promised Todd I’d stop chasing my sister’s ghost.” The last two words came out soft and a little spiteful.
“But if there’s—”
“I know. Please don’t say it. I’ve already put my aunt and uncle and Todd and his family through enough. I made a promise. And Todd is right. I can’t live in limbo forever. I need to move forward.”
She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Jax, and that bugged the hell out of him. But this was her life no matter how much he wanted to show her she was doing the wrong thing with it. “Okay, moving forward it is. Do you have an idea of the style of gown you’re interested in?”
“I have an idea of what I like, and I’ve made a few sketches.”
“Great.” Many brides showed him drawings or pictures of gowns and asked him to create something similar. “Can I see them?”
She pulled a sketch pad out of her tote and handed it to him. “The gowns are toward the back, but they’re not very good.”
Jax opened the sketch pad, admiring page after page of elegant gowns and dresses. Trumpets, sheaths, empire waists, and A-lines, all with notes calling out fabrics, threading, and embellishments. There were simple gowns with touches of lace or beading and more elaborate gowns with meticulously detailed embellishments and layered skirts. Every dress had its own unique flair, many reminiscent of older classic gowns worn by famous actresses throughout the years. Others were unlike anything he’d ever seen. But they weren’t wedding gowns. They looked more like gowns worn to awards ceremonies and other special occasions.
He lingered on a formfitting sleeveless and belted corded black lace gown with an above-the-knee underskirt and flowing lace panels hitched at one hip. He turned the page and was blown away by a V-neck tulle gown with embroidered shooting stars on the skirt, the tails of the stars made from clear sequins and gold threading. He continued turning pages, admiring a gown with glittery fabric, billowing silk sleeves, a plunging neckline, and an open back, and lingered again on a white silk sleeveless knee-length dress with a fitted bodice that was embellished at the back with distinctive cutouts and a low neckline, just like Audrey Hepburn’s famous Breakfast at Tiffany’s black dress. But the rest of the dress looked nothing like the famous frock. It was even more striking. The waist was cinched, and the full skirt had two rows of black lace cutouts, giving it a sexier edge. The crowning touch was white elbow-length gloves with black lace cutouts on the forearms. He imagined Jordan in the enchanting gown, her glossy hair trailing over her shoulders or pinned up, with tendrils skimming her cheeks. Man, he’d love to see that.
As he leafed through more of her designs, he found outlandishly loud and fabulous gowns and dresses. The type worn at haute couture shows.
