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My heart raced in panic as the woman opened the room and I felt my knees give way as I reached out for something to hold onto.
Chrissie and Everleigh—dressed in pink.
They are here. But how?
“You really think that you could’ve pulled this off without us two?” Chrissie asked, running towards me and nodding at the woman. I was in shock as my eyes watered and I flapped my hands, trying to stop the tears from falling and ruining the make-up I’d spent ages doing.
“I can hold the room for ten minutes but that’s it,” the woman replied to us all. “I’m glad she wasn’t late-late.” She chuckled.
The girls rushed at me and immediately hugged me, carefully avoiding my hair.
“We can talk about all of this afterwards but as the woman said… ten minutes and I tell you now, we need to get you changed,” Everleigh said as she looked at me and indicated the zipped-up garment bag hung on the hook on the wall. “I just hope you love it. I mean it’s…”
“Everleigh, I’ve got this…” I ran my fingers along the stitching of the summer dress before both girls shook their heads at me. “I’m ready.”
“Isobel, trust us.” Chrissie winked as Everleigh unzipped the dress of my dreams. A sweetheart neckline, figure-hugging, lace dress. It was like the bodice was hand stitched with a beautiful delicate swirl and as she freed it from the bag and flipped the back out for me to see, my heart plummeted deep in my chest walls. The back of the bodice and long train at the back was designed with filigree edging. I was stunned. “It’s what you always pointed out… Always.”
“How? I… What?” I stuttered away, unable to formulate a sentence. “I can’t…”
“You can,” Everleigh exclaimed as she opened the dress up for me to get into. “Time’s ticking, girl. Let’s get it on.”
I wasn’t shy and trust me, these girls had seen me in worse predicaments than this. I dropped the summer dress as Chrissie held my hair in place and Everleigh helped pull the wedding dress up and over my body. My hands automatically reached to my breasts, holding the fabric against them as the girls made quick work of the corset behind me. I spun around to face them and smiled.
“Oh, now I’m going to cry,” Everleigh said as Chrissie wrapped her arm around her.
“Me too, but I think we had better head in now,” Chrissie replied, heading towards the door. “I have tissues for you for when this one walks down that aisle but for now, I think Christopher may be losing his mind.”
“I agree.” I grinned as we all started marching towards the ceremony room door. “Thank you but you’re right, we’re having a talk later.”
The girls both said their goodbyes to me and slid through the gap in the door just as the notes of‘Over the Rainbow’began to play. At the same time, the voices I had heard coming from within silenced.
I didn’t have time to process the gut-wrenching churning in my stomach. I watched as the doors opened up to me and heads turned around to see me. I heard a cough to my left, making me gasp as I turned to Freddie’s outstretched arm waiting for me.
“You look beautiful, Isobel. Can I walk you down to your man?”
“I wouldn’t wish for anyone else to do so,” I replied. I reached up and kissed his cheek.
This moment couldn’t have been any more perfect.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
CHRISTOPHER
Ipaced in the dressing room, swinging my arms from side to side. Patience was never my strong suit, especially after I was discharged from active duty but today, I felt like I was a tightrope that was one circus act away from snapping.
I worried that she may be regretting it. I had hoped that the gang would have been here on time but as I flicked my eyes to the clock on the wall and saw that it was only ten minutes from ceremony time, I was disappointed that they wouldn’t make it in time.
I had received a message from Luke that they were on their way but they must have been stuck in traffic or something because they should have been here by now. I placed my hands down on the small table that was in the room and hung my head. I blew out a frustrated breath, feeling strung out and tense.
I knew my pretty girl better than anyone—at least, I liked to think that I did—and I knew that having her little family here—especially her girls—would be something she would regret. I didn’t want her to regretanythingabout today. Today was the first step of our forever and as much as I wanted her to be my wife, I wanted her happiness even more.
Knock, knock.
I turned around to face the door, expecting it to be the lady hostess that had shown me in here for me to wait so that I was out of the way of the bride. She was very persistent about the bride and groom not seeing each other until it was time.
“Here he is.” I grinned as Luke entered the room, beaming from ear to ear. “Next time you jet off, a bit of warning.” He walked toward me with his arms wide open and pulled me into a tight hug.
I squeezed him against me, needing this hug more than anything. We stayed like that for a long moment before he placed his hand on the back of my head. He stroked his fingers there for a moment until he stepped away.
