AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I took a right at the end of the pier and passed the diner. I spotted Zoe climbing out of a SUV in front of Kinleigh’s.
“Hey, that was quick.”
She flipped her braid over her shoulder. “We were actually heading out this way when you texted.”
Maggie came around the front. “We were super bored.” She pulled a bag off her shoulder. “I have wine though.”
I couldn’t imagine being bored with two rockstars in my life, but it was probably old hat for them. “Kinleigh will be psyched.”
“I can’t wait to see the clothes she has. Nothing fits right since I had Wolf.”
“I can’t wait to look at clothes I might fit into by fall.” Zoe laughed.
I laughed. “I might be looking at a bigger size.” I patted my belly. “Too much ice cream testing.”
“Oh, man. I could go for some ice cream.” Zoe rubbed circles along the side of her belly. “This one really likes sweets. Much like his dad.”
“I have a few gallons of tester ice cream in Kinleigh’s freezer. I tend to have it all over town since mine is perpetually overfull.”
“I will help you fix that.”
“Deal.”
I opened the door for them. “I didn’t know you’d be back in town so fast.”
“After the gallery opening, I kind of just wanted the quiet of the farm. My family was thrilled. Now I have a bunch of people hovering.” She sighed. “I didn’t think that idea through.”
“I have an older brother too. I hear you.”
Maggie climbed the stairs ahead of Zoe. “This place is so cool.”
The bottom half of the building was my brother’s furniture store, but Kinleigh had a separate entrance with winding stairs. The walls were papered in silk with fun photos of people in Kin’s vintage clothes. Some were for Halloween, some were set up for a dress-up party where Kinleigh took pictures for marketing purposes. There were children, adults, even a Red Hat Society get-together. My best friend was a genius at playing up the fun of a vintage shop. People came from far and wide to do her trunk parties. She even did some live on Facebook.
As we got to the top of the stairs, music was blaring. Kinleigh had her camera out and lights set up. She had a trio of wedding dresses on her mannequins and had even brought out her extra fun girls, as she called them, which were mannequins in dirty poses. I didn’t know how she had found them, but I also wasn’t sure I wanted to either.
Kinleigh’s Google search history had to be seriously interesting.
“Hi.” She popped up from behind a mannequin that was bent at the waist. She was wearing a very Marilyn Monroe-esque outfit with high-waisted panties and a sturdy, yet sexy bra. “I was just teasing my boudoir trunk party for tomorrow.”
Maggie’s eyes were huge as she looked around the warehouse-sized space. Kinleigh had partitioned two of the corners with trifold dividers. Dresses and slips hung off them as if someone was mid-change. Mannequins were set behind them with a light showing to make the shadows seem evocative.
The rest of the place was set up with various trunks and racks full of clothes. A hat rack stood half empty, thanks to the recent Kentucky Derby. She made a killing in the spring due to all the people who hadn’t shopped in advance.
Zoe silently crossed the room to a vintage dress form on wheels. An ivory lace wedding dress was half pinned, with the shoulder drooping. Kinleigh often got damaged dresses that needed to be fixed. Her seamstress skills were unmatched by any of the tailors in the area. “What’s this?”
“Oh.” Kinleigh blew a curl out of her eyes as she finished snapping the bra on the mannequin. “That’s a new dress I got in last night. It’s in rough shape.”
“I want it.”
“Oh. It’s really damaged. I have to do a lot of work on it.”
Zoe touched the edges of a sleeve. “It’s gorgeous.”
“I can alter it to fit.”
Zoe laughed. “Sorry. I mean, he technically hasn’t even asked me to marry him yet—my baby daddy.” She patted her stomach. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to ask soon though. He keeps playing with something in his pocket.”
“Sure it’s a box?” Kinleigh quipped.
