Page 56 of Blue Jean Summer

I watched her ass swing from side to side in those little denim shorts as she strutted back to the house. Her long legs ate up the distance as I thought about all the “nots” I had been wrong about.

I was content with my routine in the city and was not going to move back to Honey Hollow.

I could figure out a way to protect the land that did not require getting married.

I was not going to fall for my fake wife.

And yet none of them bothered me in the least.

Chapter 15

Catherine

“This is hopeless.”

Hallie sipped champagne from her spot on the bridal salon’s tufted couch. “Stop being dramatic. You could wear a feed sack and people would call it couture.”

Across the bespoke dress shop, a giddy bride was trying on her own selection of dresses. Her eyes landed on the gown I was in, and she offered a sympathetic smile before turning to her friend. “That’s Miss Virginia,” she whispered. “She’s marrying into the Wilder family.”

The friend took one look at me and the poufy dress that looked like it had been made from a whole flock of geese and grimaced.

My stomach sank at the stark reminder of the reputation I had to live up to. Hallie had been fielding endless calls from entertainment magazines and news outlets wanting to cover the wedding or be the exclusive outlet to publish the wedding photos.

“I thought this would be like gown shopping for pageants,” I said with a groan. Desperation and frustration were a toxic combination. The feathers swished as I turned from side to side, trying to find some redeemable quality in the dress. I had already tried on all the gowns I usually would have gravitated toward. The glitter. The sequins. The beading. The dramatics. None of them were right.

This wasn’t just any old wedding. It needed something special to satisfy the expectations of all of Honey Hollow.

Not only did it have to look perfect, but I had to find a floor sample that fit. Hence why I was in feathers. It was a Hail Mary that had missed by miles.

“So,” the consultant said as she appeared with an armful of garment bags. “What do we think of this one?”

I forced a polite smile. “I don’t think it’s the one.”

Frankly, I didn’t know if “the one” even existed. Most brides dream of their wedding dress for years before getting engaged. Two weeks ago, getting engaged wasn’t even on my radar. Hell, being in romantic proximity to a man wasn’t on my radar.

“Alright,” she said with a phony customer service smile that did nothing to hide her frustration. “Let’s get you in another gown.”

Bells jingled overhead as the door to the shop opened and closed. Savannah blew in like a tornado, whirling between dress displays in a flurry of denim and leather. “I’m here,” she said as she plopped down beside Hallie. “Sorry. Traffic was awful. I hate the city.” She took one look at the feather dress and wrinkled her nose. “Dear God. Why are you in that? Who put you in that?” Her eyes cut to the bridal consultant. “Did you make her try that on?”

The consultant huffed. “Sometimes it helps to try something out of the box.”

Savannah was flabbergasted. “That dress never had a box. Did you pull it out of an active dumpster fire?” She was off the couch before the consultant could even answer. “Shoo. We’ll holler if we need you.”

I watched as the lady scurried off. “Did you just fire my bridal consultant?”

“If that’s what she put you in, it was only going to go downhill.” Savannah found a fresh bottle of champagne, popped the top, and took a swig straight from the bottle. “Let’s get to work.”

While I stripped out of the dress and slipped into a robe, Hallie caught Savannah up on the dresses I had already tried on.

“No wonder y’all haven’t found anything,” Savannah said as I walked out of the dressing room. “It’s not prom. It’s not a pageant. It’s the Wilder Estate we’re talking about.”

“Are you sure you can’t sew me something?” I begged.

“Not in a week,” Savannah snapped as she positioned me in front of the mirror and circled me like a hawk. “Why is your hair down?”

“I was planning on wearing it down.”

Savannah shook her head as she scooped my hair up, twisted it into an elegant chignon, and tied it in place. “Have you ever seen Hayes’s grandma’s wedding portrait?”