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Molly was freaking out in the bathroom of Eleanor Gage’s master bedroom, waving her hands in front of her face as her cheeks turned crimson. “It’s too tight, it’s too tight. Kate, it’s too tight.”
“Molly, you just had it altered.”
“Kate, I’m pregnant.”
Kate’s eyes widened with joy and disbelief. “You are? Molly!” Kate squealed and hugged her, and Molly crushed her in her arms. “Does Jules know?” Kate demanded.
“No! I’m saving it for tonight. I’m almost bursting with excitement and bursting out of this damn dress! I wish I’d just married him in my boho skirt. I know he’d love it because it’s more me.”
“Yes, but you’ve already bought this beautiful designer dress, and now we want you to wear it,” Kate said, shushing her and trying to see where she could loosen the material to give her some air while Molly hyperventilated.
The dress had a lovely bell skirt and a tight top—very much like the bridesmaids’ dresses that Kate and Beth wore, except the bridesmaids’ dresses were blue.
“Molly, relax, you look stunning,” Kate assured her. Molly nodded, and their gazes locked in the mirror. Kate’s eyes began to tear up. “I love you, you know that?” Kate said softly, patting Molly’s bun, which needed only the veil to be perfect.
Molly turned and squeezed Kate’s hand, then placed it over her stomach—where she carried Julian’s baby. “I want to beg you not to go, Kate. Especially now.”
Kate could almost feel the connection between both their babies as she touched her sister’s belly. Her throat constricted with the need to tell her sister she was pregnant, too. She imagined sharing all things pregnancy-related with Molly and her heart swelled. “I don’t want to go, Molly. The thought of not seeing my niece or nephew and not being here for you...” And of my child not being close to people who would offer so much love. “I’m just afraid.”
Sympathy flooded Molly’s blue eyes. “Kate, I know...I know you don’t want to see him, especially with him getting ready to marry someone else.”
The reminder that the man she loved would marry someone else while she would be alone with his beautiful baby, somewhere else, set a new world of pain crashing down on her. Her eyes stung.
It might be her pregnancy hormones. Or the fact that time was galloping closer, ready to slam into her. It would be time to leave soon. It was time for her sister to marry. This morning Beth had told her she’d heard that Garrett had proposed to Cassandra already, and she’d wanted to warn Kate to be strong during the wedding in case he appeared with her.
He’d told her he wouldn’t bring anyone. But if they were engaged, he’d bring her, of course.
Yes. Soon, it would be time for Garrett to let her know that it was done, that he was engaged to another woman. But then, she already knew from Beth.
She helped Molly with the veil, all the while blinking back the tears, and then she softly kissed her cheek. “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
“Kate, I want this for you,” Molly said, gesturing at her wedding dress.
Kate nodded. “That’s why I might just go after all, Moo. To find love and hopefully a family of my own.”
They shared a forlorn smile, until Eleanor’s shout from the bedroom snapped them out of it.
“It’s time, my little Molly dear!”
Molly’s eyes widened in excitement and she immediately puckered her lips into an O and drew in a series of little panting breaths that made Kate laugh. Poor Molly would probably be anxious for Julian to get her out of that dress tonight.
Molly smacked Kate’s derriere. “Come on, sis. Let’s go make that man mine,” she said cheekily, and Kate adjusted her train around her arm and told her she’d be right out.
It was definitely the hormones. Or maybe a broken heart. Or the sentiment of watching her baby sister in a wedding gown.
Whatever it was, Kate sobbed quietly in the bathroom stall for a quick minute, and then wiped her tears and patted her makeup dry. Once her eyes didn’t look so swollen, she went out into the gardens.
It was a perfect day for a wedding.
A breeze rustled through the oak trees. The sun blazed high in the sky, and it seemed the entire elite from Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio was congregated at the Gage estate, all sumptuously dressed, many of the ladies wearing high-fashion hats on their heads.
Flowers framed the beautiful arched trellis, and the orchestra began softly with their violins while Kate quickly lined up behind Molly. She hadn’t even thought she’d have the courage to see Garrett today, but he stood at the other end of the red-carpeted aisle next to Julian, whose smile was mesmerizing, his green eyes staring possessively at Molly.
Kate’s gaze was magnetically drawn to Garrett, so stunning in his black tuxedo that her heart almost cracked with emotion when the “Bridal Chorus” began and Molly took the first step forward. Because this would never be her, walking up to him, like this.
* * *
Garrett’s mouth was watering like crazy. He was supposed to watch Molly make her grand entrance but he could focus only on one redhead, and even from afar, he could see that Kate’s eyes were full of tears, which just worried him and made him feel an insane need to go to her and embrace her and offer her support.
