Page 40 of A Little Luck

“I like this one because it reminds me of a leotard.” Cass slides the sheer sleeves down her long arms, and I clear my throat, quickly re-engaging with the dress hunt before I’m busted.

“Oh! You want a dancer-inspired gown? I saw a used one with a tulle skirt—want me to grab it?”

“No!” Britt snaps, and I want to pat myself on the back for effectively distracting her.

Cass shakes her long, dark hair, rolling her blue eyes at our friend. She was a dancer for a while when we were in school, and she taught baby ballet lessons, which is where she first met Alex.

“I like this one.” I hold up a strapless dress with a sheer overlay scattered with lily of the valley embroidery. “It’ll show off your shoulders.”

“Alex will pay for your dress.” Britt takes the gown from me and hands it to our friend.

“I don’t want him to pay for my dress. He’s already got me living in his house rent-free.”

“That’s because you’re still Pinky’s nanny,” I argue.

“I’m her future stepmom.” Cass shakes her head. “And anyway, Patricia keeps her most of the time now because I’m taking classes at the college.”

“Pinky’s also in kindergarten now, so it’s not really like she needs a nanny.” Britt hands her a new dress to try.

Cass gestures to me. “Piper understands where I’m coming from.”

“I don’t know what your living situation has to do with anything,” Britt fusses, taking out a dress with sleeves. “You can’t move out because Piper has more urgent housing needs, and you’ll be married in a week.”

“I’m still not letting him buy my dress.” Cass takes the new gown from Britt, frowning at me. “Why do you have urgent housing needs? What did I miss?”

I quickly fill her in on my plumbing disaster. “Now I’m basically homeless. Or should I sayun-housed?”

“Adam said you can keep staying at his place.” Britt arches an eyebrow in a way that tells me she wasn’t completely oblivious to our vibes at the distillery. “You should take him up on it. It’s a golden opportunity to test those waters, and he was looking mighty fine this morning. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

My throat tightens, and I’m all ready to deflect when Cass steps between us.

“Help me with this.” Her back is to Britt, who finishes zipping her up, and when she turns to the mirrors, we all three gasp at the same time.

“It’s the one!” Cass whispers.

My eyes heat, and when I look at Britt, we both start to laugh as tears drop onto our cheeks.

Cass turns slowly side to side, and her face flushes as well. “I don’t believe it.”

“It’s like it was made for you!” Britt coos.

The bodice is smooth, white silk with long, matching sleeves ending in a row of ten tiny buttons on each arm. The skirt is a full flounce, and she’s elegant and dancer-esque and perfect.

Britt grabs the price tag and winces. “Put it on your personal credit card, and in two weeks, it’ll be community property.”

Cass’s expression is worried, but I hold up a hand. “Think of it as a wedding gift to Alex. You can’t rob him of seeing you walking down the aisle in that dress. He’s going to pop a boner in front of his entire family.”

Cass covers her face with both hands and nods her head. “Okay, I can live with that.”

* * *

“You are strong.”We’re standing on the sidewalk in front of the Star Parlor, and a new sign is nailed above the door.

“Adam’s back, and the signs are back.” Britt presses her lips together. “You can’t tell me the two aren’t connected. Plus they’re all motivational, which is his whole vibe now.”

Chewing my lip, I think back to the conversation he and I had about the sign outside El Rio after karaoke night. He didn’t deny it.

“But what about the one on the ball field?” Cass argues. “He couldn't have done that one and taught Pinky to hit a homer at the same time.”

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