CHAPTER12
Her alarm went off and Megan groaned. Another night of restlessness followed by a day jammed with nonstop things to do. Of course.
Henry had said his goodbyes to Rose last night, after dessert, and left to spend his last night as a bachelor at his parents’ house.
The plan was for the groomsmen to meet there and get ready before heading to the church.
Meanwhile, the bridesmaids had made camp in the kitchen and dining room. Two makeup artists and two hair stylists had arrived at exactly eight a.m. and were steadily working their way through the bridesmaids.
Megan was first to get her hair done. She’d asked for it up in a simple but elegant bun with the hairclips that Rose had gifted the bridesmaids. She snacked on some of the fruit and crackers on the island counter and watched the hustle and bustle around her.
Ainsley’s hair was finished, and she came to stand next to Megan.
“Exciting day, isn’t it?” Ainsley side-eyed the crackers on Megan’s plate and grabbed some fruit for herself.
“Very exciting. I’m happy for Rose.”
“I wonder which of us bridesmaids is going to catch the bouquet.” There was a hint of something in Ainsley’s voice, as if she was fishing for information.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about the bouquet toss.”
Ainsley turned so her back was to the rest of the bridesmaids and stylists before she responded. “Really? Considering how hot and heavy you and Caleb have been all week, and goodness knows for how long before this week, I’d have thought you’d have plans to knock us all over and catch it – and Caleb.”
Megan’s blood boiled. She didn’t bother keeping the venom out of her voice as she said with a smile, “Good thing it’s none of your business. It would be such a shame for a busybody like you to be kept out of the loop, wouldn’t it?”
Megan left before Ainsley could say anything else. She sat in the empty chair in front of the makeup artist, who introduced herself as Christine and asked if Megan had any look in mind.
“I think something natural, but I’d love your input.”
“Hmm,” Christine said. “How do you feel about a sparkly eye shadow to match or complement your dress and a slightly bolder-than-natural lip color?”
Grateful for the distraction, Megan kept the conversation going and asked Christine a few questions about her business.
“I’m actually about to open my own small space in a mall. It’s not very big, but gotta start somewhere, right?”
“Launching a project like that is hard. That’s amazing.”
Christine blushed and finished the last touches of Megan’s makeup. Megan wished her luck with her new storefront, gave her a large tip, and took a business card.
Rose wasn’t anywhere to be found, and everyone else was either eating or getting glammed up. Megan slipped out of the room and climbed the steps to get dressed, wanting a few minutes to herself.
If Ainsley knew about Megan and Caleb, she must have been the reason Tucker had come looking the other night.
Megan locked the door behind her and got the dress ready and changed into the proper undergarments.
Even if Ainsley only suspected something between Megan and Caleb… Ainsley had always been the jealous type and she must have been pissed by Caleb’s casual rejection of her flirtatious behavior. Rejection wasn’t something Ainsley handled well.
Even with that aside, why hadn’t Caleb fought for her at any point over the years? Not that she’d done any better with her own fear of his rejection.
Megan knew there was only one way to get the answers she needed. But the thought of facing Caleb and having that discussion was too overwhelming and made it difficult to breathe. Of course, that could have been the slightly too tight shapeware. The only reason she wore it was to make sure the dress didn’t show any unusual lines – otherwise she believed shapeware to be the work of a masochist.
She slipped on the green tea-length dress and adjusted how everything fit and zipped it closed. Megan was so glad Rose had chosen a style with a side zipper. So much more convenient.
One last check in the mirror and Megan grabbed her heels. She refused to put them on until it was time for photos, opting for socks over her stockings until then.
She met Theresa at the stairs. “Have you seen Rose?” Theresa asked. “The photographer is here.”
“No, let me go check her room.”
“Thanks – I’m going to go snack. I’m starving.”
Megan turned and followed the hall to the second short staircase that led to a converted attic. Rose and Henry had been using it as their bridal suite for the week.
