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“I heard that it looked amazing on you. You should have just bit the bullet and bought it.” Case instantly recognized the light and airy quality of his sister’s voice through the slight crack in the door.

“It was too much.” His heart skittered as he heard Fancy’s reply. The slight lilt of her southern accent had always brought a smile to his face. He would know the sound of her voice anywhere.

Some instinct stopped him from entering the room and intruding on their conversation. He had no idea what they were talking about, but he was curious to find out.

“Couldn’t you put it on credit.” He shook his head at Charlotte’s suggestion. It sounded like she was trying to convince Fancy to purchase whatever item she’d resisted buying. An item of clothing? Jewelry?

“No, I’m already up to my neck in debt,” Fancy replied. “I’m trying to be more responsible about money. Pretty soon I’ll have enough to move out of Mama and Daddy’s place. Frankly, it can’t come soon enough.”

He’d heard through the grapevine that Fancy had been living back at home since her return to Savannah. He could only imagine the friction between Fancy and her mother. June Tolliver’s personality was unpredictable to say the least. Although Case knew she loved her daughter, June tended to shoot from the hip. She never held back on her opinions. She was critical and demanding, which didn’t always make for a great relationship between mother and daughter.

“That’s way more important than a gown,” Callie chimed in. “Having your own place will be amazing.”

“But Lily said the gown was one in a million.” Charlotte’s voice was filled with determination.

“There’ll be other dresses,” Fancy said. “But Lily is right. I’ve never seen a dress like that in my life. And it fit me like a dream.” Her voice sounded wistful. The sound of it tugged at him.

Case listened for a few more minutes, then joined the ladies in the library. Although he said all the right things during the meeting, his head was somewhere else. Way up in the clouds.

Two hours later he was sitting outside Lily’s dress shop contemplating whether or not to go inside. Case didn’t consider himself a man prone to sentimental gestures. He was usually pragmatic and calm regarding his decisions. Somehow, whenever he acted impulsively or due to emotion, it seemed to be a situation where Fancy was involved. This time was no different.

What was it about Fancy that always caused him to lead with his emotions? When he’d broken things off with her two years ago he had been filled with a cold anger. His father had taught him never to act out of spite, anger or bitterness. He knew that it colored a person’s judgment.

“It’s not the Duvall way,” Lincoln Duvall had told him on more than one occasion.

The truth was, he’d been motivated by such strong jealousy that he hadn’t been able to see straight. In his defense, he had tried to work past it and forgive Fancy, but he hadn’t been able to view the situation without feeling an overwhelming sense of betrayal. The green-eyed monster had gotten the best of him. He wasn’t proud of it, but it was the truth.

Oftentimes, Case wondered if things might have ended up differently if he had thought things through and allowed his jealousy and fury to fade. Hadn’t he tried to make things work though? Hadn’t he forgiven Fancy for her indiscretion and tried to pick up the pieces of their relationship?

No, he realized. He’d never truly forgiven her. Not in the ways that counted. Not with his whole heart. Not in the way that God loved. Unfailing love. Those words had been engrained in his heart and mind and soul since he was a small child. Why hadn’t he been able to show Fancy a love like that? A love that endured all things and never failed.

He stood outside Lily’s shop and cast his gaze over the beautiful dresses in the window. One was a beautiful ivory wedding gown encrusted with jewels and lace on the bodice. He felt a tightness in his chest as he looked at it. All he could see was Fancy walking down the aisle looking like a vision of pure beauty. He shook his head to rid himself of the image. That ship had sailed. Why couldn’t he move past this? Why was he still so stuck?

Suddenly, the door of the shop flew open. Lily was standing there, an easy grin plastered on her pretty face. “Case! Come on in instead of standing out there,” Lily greeted him. She ushered him inside her shop with a wave of her hand.

Case walked toward her, pressing a kiss against her cheek as he walked past her and inside her shop. “Hey, Lily. How are you?”

“I’m great. And the shop is busier than ever, which is fantastic. I’m finally at a place where I’m not afraid anymore that I’m going to go out of business.” She shut the door behind her as she stepped back inside.

He placed his arm around her. “I’m proud of you. Being a successful shop owner is no easy feat. Most businesses close within the first year.”

“Thanks, Case. That means a lot to hear, especially from a successful businessman and attorney like yourself. So, what brings you here today? You’re not my usual demographic.” She winked at him. “I don’t get a lot of male customers.”

“I came to see about a dress. A one-of-a-kind dress. I’d like to purchase it for someone as a gift,” Case explained.

“Oh how wonderful. I’m sure the lady in question will be very grateful for the gesture,” Lily gushed, her cheeks reddening with excitement.

“The thing is, I’d like the gift to be completely confidential. I don’t want the recipient to have any idea that I purchased it for her.”

Lily narrowed her gaze as she looked at Case. “That’s unusual. I can honestly say that I’ve never had a male customer purchase a dress for someone, all done under the cover of anonymity.”

There was a glint in Lily’s eyes. Something told him that she had a very good idea that Fancy was the recipient. “So, who’s the lucky girl?”

“Fancy came in here the other day and looked at a spectacular gown. I’d like to purchase it.” Case saw Lily’s eyes bulge. She began to blink, to the point where she resembled a startled owl.

“I know just the dress. And thankfully, no one else has purchased it yet. A few ladies have tried it on, but none of them could do it justice.” Lily shook her head. “And if any of them had seen Fancy in it, they wouldn’t have even tried it on.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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