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My mom locked eyes with me, and I could see the hate in them. “I’m sorry,” she gritted out.
I nodded and went back into the changing room. Tears leaked from my eyes as I tried to hold it all together. My mother was a monster. I hated her.
There was a small knock on the door, but it opened before I could respond. Rebecca came in and pulled me into her arms. I slumped against her and sobbed.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m so sorry I never believed you when you told me she acts like that.”
I sniffed.
“Please pick a dress that you love, and I’ll keep her quiet. This day is about you. Not her.”
I stepped back. Rebecca handed me a tissue, and I blotted my eyes and then wiped my nose. “Thanks.”
She held my face in her hands and smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I put the dress I had picked out on next. As I looked at myself in the small mirror, my heart swelled. It wasthedress. The one I wanted to get married in. Even if that wasn’t with Sid. But a wave of sadness rolled over me at the thought of not marrying him.
More tears fell, but for good reasons this time. I felt beautiful and special, like this dress had been made especially for me. I dried my eyes on the Kleenex in the dressing room and walked out.
“This dress is perfect on you. If you want more coverage up top, you can add a lace overlay or straps,” Ann Marie said. She pointed to my bare shoulders.
The sweetheart neckline on this dress came up higher than the one on the mermaid dress, so my cleavage didn’t spill out. My favorite part was the button detail on the back, and I loved the pleated bodice. Unlike the other gowns, this dress had a gathered flounce skirt and a sweep train, so it wasn’t hard to walk in, and I didn’t have to worry about getting a train caught somewhere. The soft tulle of the skirt reminded me of my grandmother’s dress.
“When you get up on the podium, twirl,” Ann Marie whispered.
She winked and then followed me out. My smile grew when I saw everyone’s reactions. They gushed over the dress and me, and my mom even looked pleased. Beth had tears in her eyes again.
When I got on the podium, I did as Ann Marie said and twirled. The dress flowed in what looked like waves when I moved from side to side, and it was gorgeous. I cried, of course, and so did Rebecca. Then Ann Marie brought out a hand bell and handed it to me.
“Ring that bell,” she started chanting, and the girls joined in.
I bit my lip and then rang the bell as hard as I could. Everyone cheered, and Laney snapped a picture. It was so much fun, but it also hurt like hell because I knew I couldn’t keep the dress. At least I got to feel this way for one day.
Chapter 27
KAT
I WOKE UP WITH A START. The room was dark, so it was either the middle of the night or early morning. Something warm was pressed against my back, but it wasn’t Shiloh because she was curled up in front of me. I looked down, saw a hairy arm, and realized it was Sid. I hadn’t heard him come home or climb into bed with me.
I’d cried a lot two days ago at the wedding dress shop. The stress overwhelmed me, and when I returned home, I spent the night crying. The next day, I called in sick and spent the day on the couch bingeing romance movies, which opened the floodgates again. I was so exhausted that I passed out hard.
I’d been sleeping in Sid’s bed before he went away, so I stayed there while he was gone, and I was glad I had.
Slowly, I turned to look at him. My chest pinched. He was so handsome. His long, thick hair was covering part of his face. His beard was longer than he normally wore it. He had told me he was working hard, and clearly the case was taking a toll on him.
I carefully climbed out of bed and stood beside it. The sheet draped over his hips, exposing his chest and abs. I loved his tattoos because they fit his personality so well. I noticed the new one on his chest looked a little red and made a mental note to rub some ointment on it when he woke up.
Shiloh jumped off the bed, and the tags on her collar jingled. I winced, but Sid didn’t move. I threw on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeve shirt and tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs. I fed Shiloh, then started the coffeepot.
It was seven in the morning, and the sun was rising. I took my coffee to the front porch with Shiloh and read on my Kindle, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. It was cold out, but the blanket I’d brought with me helped. An hour later, I went back inside to start breakfast.
I rummaged through the fridge and took out what I’d need to make french toast. I wasn’t as good a cook as Rebecca, but I could hold my own in the kitchen. Especially with breakfast foods. The batter was ready, and I’d put the first piece in the skillet when Sid walked in shirtless, his abs on display.
His hair was a wild mess around his head, and the damn gray sweats that did crazy things to my libido rode low on his hips. A small trail of hair disappeared into the waistband of those sweats, and I wanted to rip them off. I knew what was underneath. My skin heated, and my mouth watered.
Sid cleared his throat, and I peeled my eyes away from his crotch. He smirked, and my face burned.
