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They didn’t know who hurt Harper and who was trying to ruin the wedding. But he knew he wasn’t going to let them. So, he made sure there was more than one dress made.
He knew the first one might be ruined, and whoever was against them would think they had won.
He reached for her hand, pulling her back. He cupped her face giving her a gentle smile. “No, I didn’t know, but I wanted to ensure nothing ruined our day.”
She wiped at her eyes, sniffling as she did. “I’m tired of this. I know it’s Maureen, and it’s clear that she has other people helping her.”
He wiped at her eyes. She sniffled.
“I was cornered downstairs. I was distracted enough for someone to come up here and ruin my dress.”
He could piece that together. He didn’t know what they could do. They didn’t have enough actual evidence to prove anything.
He kissed her forehead. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“She’s trying to ruin the engagement and wedding. She’s going to succeed if she keeps doing things.”
“She isn’t going to,” he whispered to her. “I won’t let anyone ruin it, Lexi.”
She wrapped her arms around him, crawling back onto his lap. He rocked her, holding her close to him.
He couldn’t take her pain away, but he could try. The other dress would arrive soon … undercover. He would make sure no one even knew it was coming.
He kissed her forehead again, feeling her relax in his arms. He would make sure everything was perfect.
“We’re going to get through this. I promise.”
She looked up at him. “You promise?”
He nodded. “I do. And nothing is going to ruin our day.” He would make sure of that.
TWENTY-THREE
LEXI
Lexi stared into the mirror, wearing only her bra, panties, and shapewear slip. The extra dress was hanging on the credenza next to the window. The sky had gone chrome gray, and the tall evergreens next to the mansion slowly began to dance in the breeze.
Harper walked back into the bedroom, promptly closing the door. They had been friends since they were children; there really was no state of being they hadn’t seen each other in. Harper paid no mind to Lexi’s semi-state of undress and moved toward the bed.
“Is the dress okay?” Harper asked.
Lexi had to reapply her makeup after getting frantic and upset about the destruction of her original gown. It wasn’t the material aspect that had bothered her the most. It was the constant sense of unease, an undercurrent of tension she couldn’t put her finger on.
It was like being told a monster was going to pop out at any second. You stand around waiting, muscles tensed, and your heart racing. It’s not a natural state to be in, and it was starting to get to her.
Lexi nodded, gazing up at the glitter and lace, the gemstones shimmering as it swayed on the hanger. It was just as stunning as it was an hour ago, but a lot of the thrill of feeling like a goddess had been drained out of her.
Someone had torn her dress to shreds, knowing when she wouldn’t be in the room. It was someone who moved around the mansion, veiled in silence like a shadow. It made Lexi tired and anxious.
“It’s beautiful. I’ve just … lost the excitement about the party, is all.”
Harper listened, then plopped herself onto the bed behind Lexi. She folded one leg over the other and sat up straight, staring off into oblivion. It was a look Lexi had seen a thousand times, like an archer readying to zero in on the target.
“I understand, Lexi. I’m starting to think that our initial suspect shouldn’t be our primary focus.”
Lexi turned to her friend, popping out a hip dramatically and placing her hand on it. Harper’s eyes glided toward her, thin lips quivering with amusement.
“Is that so? Tell me your theories then, my dear enforcer.”
