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“Good.” He pulled back enough so he could look down at me. “We had this talk before, Lu. You ran off without Marcus with you.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I wasn’t thinking very clearly.”
His ever-changing brown eyes were the darkest I’d ever seen them, giving him the look of a Hollywood-style demon. “I’m just glad you went to Drake’s.” He shot his friend and bandbrother a thankful look. “Thanks for taking care of my baby girl, man.”
“She’s my baby too,” Drake shot back.
“I’m sorry for running off like that, Daddy. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. Please don’t be mad at anyone but me.”
Dad’s jaw clenched. “You are never any trouble. Ever.” He kissed my forehead. “Now, I want you to go over there and tell those three to cool their shit. This is about you, not them.”
I bit the inside of my bottom lip but nodded. “Okay, Daddy.”
Hesitantly, I started toward Mom and the others, but it wasn’t until I felt Dad and Drake on either side of me that I finally felt confident enough to do what I had to do. Aunt Emmie and Natalie both wore contrite expressions, but it was the look on Mom’s face that had me faltering. There were tears in her eyes and shame.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Mom burst out in a voice that trembled. “I didn’t mean to take over your dress like that. I just…” She broke off, and that only made me mad.
“What? Wanted me in your dress? And I don’t mean just the dress you picked out. I mean your dress, Mom. That dress was something you would have worn, not me. Have you forgotten everything you ever knew about me? Because you sure as hell act like it.” Her chin trembled.
“It isn’t like that, baby. I swear—” she began, but I didn’t give her a chance to explain.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter,” I lied then turned my gaze to the other two. “The dresses you picked out were beautiful, but nothing like what I would ever want for myself. Not once did any of you so much as ask what I wanted. Now, if you want to stay and see what I do pick, I would like that. I love you all and want to share this with you. But if you can’t suck it up and let me at least make this decision for myself, then the door is that way.”
Natalie moved so fast it nearly gave me whiplash when she hugged me. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to hijack this experience from you. Somewhere between making this appointment and actually showing up for it, I lost sight of whose day it was.” She leaned back and offered me a trembling smile. “I want to stay, if that’s okay.”
“I would love that.”
“I’m sorry too, Lucy,” Aunt Emmie said as she hugged me from the side. “I didn’t mean to make it seem like you only had those dresses to choose from. The three of us just kind of had a bet on whose dress you would like more or maybe even pick one of them.”
My brows shot up, and I met Natalie’s eyes. “I thought you were against making bets of any kind?”
Pink filled her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze to the floor when her husband bit off a curse from several feet away. “Trust me, I remembered quickly all the bad things that happen when people do that, and it won’t ever happen again.”
“Hey, you’re back!” Kin cried happily as she, Lana, and Paul appeared from the other side of the shop. Each of them had at least four dress bags in their hands. “You okay?”
I shrugged. “I overreacted. I’m cool now, though.”
“Great. You ready to try on some dresses? Between your sister and me, we grabbed every dress that fit what we talked about. And I mean every dress. There’s at least a dozen more already in the dressing room.” She pushed between me and the other two women and wrapped an arm around my neck to give me a hug. “Come on, babe. Let’s go try these on.”
“Here, Lucy,” Lana handed over her dress bags. “Kin is going to help you and Paul. Take your time. Try on as many as you want and have fun with it.”
Excitement started to bubble up inside me for what felt like the first time all day. Between my sister and Kin, I knew they would have gotten all the possible dresses I would ever want to even attempt trying on. If the other three had done this, then the day would have been perfect. Practically dancing, I turned to kiss Dad on the cheek. “You’re not leaving, right?”
Uncertainty flashed in his eyes. “Only if you want me to stay, honey. I thought this was a girls only thing. But I want to see you in your pretty dress.”
?
?No. I want you here. Please? I want to know what you think of the dress I pick out.” I glanced around at the other three men who looked doubtful about their place in the shop. “I want you all to say. Especially you, Mr. Cutter.” The older version of my fiancé blinked at me in surprise. “If you like the dress I pick, then I know Harris will too.”
His face relaxed into a smile, making his dimples pop. “Lucy, that boy of mine will like whatever you pick, even if it’s a sack. I’d like to stay though. But only if you start calling me Devlin. Hell, girl, you’re going to be my daughter-in-law.”
I scrunched up my nose at him but realized it was finally time to let go of the one thing I had always used to tease him with. “Fine. Devlin, will you please stay?”
“Yeah, honey. I’ll stay.” He shot his wife a look. “Someone’s gotta keep this one in line.”
“Thank you.” I turned my gaze on Nik and Drake. “Please?”
Nik shrugged like it didn’t matter to him, but his ice-blue eyes couldn’t hide his pleasure at being asked to stay. “I don’t mind staying, Lu. Whatever you want, kid.”
