Page 50 of One Reckless Moment

“You must be Ms. Paige.”

I nodded as she wrapped me in a hug. She gestured for my mom and Lottie to take a seat on the couch where there was a small table set up with champagne. We poured drinks before she led me to a private dressing room, handed me a white satin robe, and instructed me to strip and let her know when I was ready.

I was sitting on the little bench in the room when she came bouncing back in. The satin was soft against my trembling legs as I nervously fidgeted with my fingers.

“Okay, Ms. Brooks, what is your vision?”

“Um…” I trailed off.

I’d had ideas about things I wanted for my wedding, sure, but I hadn’t given much thought to the dress, since a month ago I was brutally single. I figured that I would think about it more when a wedding was something I was expecting to happen.

“I’m not really sure.”

“That’s okay. A lot of ladies don’t know what they want when they come in. But rest assured, we will find you something. Since you need the dress today, we have to pull only floor samples, but I’m determined to find you the perfect dress for your big day.”

I thanked her, and she took off to go look for dresses.

Last fall, my mom and I had flown down to Los Angeles to go dress shopping with Lottie. We made a whole day of it. We got brunch and went to a few different boutiques. I still remember the look on Lottie’s face when she found her perfect dress. It was a beautiful moment, and I remember wanting that—but not like this.

The thought made pressure build behind my eyes. Lottie and I had yet to talk about the fact that I was getting married at the ranch only a few months before her and Owen would be doing the same thing. My intention was never to steal the attention away from my sister—hell, this wedding wasn’t even my idea—and it was eating me alive not knowing how upset she was.

Callie came back to the dressing room with at least six dresses in hand ranging from ball gowns to sequins to satin.

“Okay, I grabbed a bunch of different styles to try.”

The first dress she put me into made me feel like a cupcake. The top was strapless chiffon that stopped at my natural waist and flowed into a poufy floor-length skirt. For me, it was an immediate no, but I let her drag me out to my mother and sister.

Lottie nearly choked on her champagne to hide her laughter when I stepped onto the platform.

“Oh, Paige,” my mom gushed.

“How do you feel about this one?” Callie asked.

I did a little twirl in the mirror and scrunched my nose. “I think it’s too much. I’m more of a simple girl.”

“I can do simple.” Callie smiled and took my hand to guide me back to the dressing room. She immediately unzipped the dress and had me step out of it.

Something no one tells you about wedding dress shopping is the amount of time you will be practically naked in front of a complete stranger. I respected Callie for being bubbly and utterly unfazed the entire time. I couldn’t imagine the amount of boobs this woman had seen in her lifetime.

She picked out another dress and held it up for me. I froze as I took in the stunning dress. With a light nod, Callie had me turn around and step into it. I ran my fingers over the thick lace that molded perfectly to my body. We stepped out to the main room and Lottie audibly gasped.

When I glanced at myself in the mirror, I knew this was the one.

The dress was a completely sheer bohemian-style lace dress with a tight ivory slip that cut at my mid-thigh. The off-white lace was in a western style and was thick as opposed to the dainty, flowery lace you see on most dresses.

It was long sleeved and skintight, starting at my neck all the way to my knees where the fabric flared slightly. The back was completely open and came to a point right above my ass. It fit me perfectly like a glove and made me feel like a bohemian western princess.

I turned to face the couch and took in both my mother and Lottie blotting their eyes with tissues.

“Fuck, I need a drink if you’re going to cry,” I choked out. “I’m a sympathy crier.”

Lottie stood and handed me a champagne glass.

“It’s perfect,” my mom said through her tears.

It was perfect. It was so perfect that I almost wanted to say I hated it just so I could save it for my real wedding—but I couldn’t do that. They would know something was wrong simply because I couldn’t deny this dress was the most me thing I’d ever put on my body.

“Are you saying yes to the dress?” Callie asked, rocking on her heels with a bright, wide smile.