AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s a great time to get emotional,” Elise argues. “We’re in an empty atelier. It will be aesthetic.” She hesitates for a beat. “Is your mom…did she pass away?”
“I don’t know.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. At least I have lots of practice with composing myself when I need to. I owe Millicent for that. “She left when I was very young. Grandpapa—my grandfather raised me. So I didn’t think thatifI got married, she’d be—well, she wouldn’t be a part of it. But now that we’re here, I wish—” Neither of Jameson’s parents are going to be part of this. “I just wish.”
“I get it,” Charlotte says. “My dad wasn’t there for our wedding. Elise’s dad won’t be there when she and Gabriel decide on a date. It sucks, even if you think you’re prepared.”
I dab at my eyes with the tissue. “She’d be impressed, though. I just have the feeling she’d think this was really cool. Minus the kidnapping part.”
“She’d be right,” Elise says. “Not everybody gets a Charlotte Hill wedding dress.”
“Not everybody gets a dress like this, period.” Charlotte glances over her work with a proud light in her eyes. “You have cool ideas. Now…let’s get this lace pinned and we can see if you like it, or if we need to try something else.”
It’s quiet for a minute, except for a rap song at low volume. Elise has her phone connected to the atelier’s speakers, and she’s playing her bakery playlist. It’s mostly songs I’d never heard until we started on the dress.
“You know,” Charlotte says, tone thoughtful. “And…you can tell me if I’m going way too far with this. But we might be able to find your mom, if she’s out there.”
My throat closes. My vision gets blurry, but I will my eyes to dry.
“Um.” I sound great. “My grandpapa’s been looking for her for a long time, and he’s never found her, so I’m not sure it would be worth the effort.”
Charlotte glances at Elise. This time, the silent conversation is even shorter.
“Mason and Gabriel—” Charlotte starts.
“And Jameson,” Elise adds.
“And Jameson,” Charlotte agrees. “They might have other methods, or other connections. I’m just saying that if you wanted, I’m sure we’d all be willing to try. If nothing else, we might be able to find an address.”
Maybe they could do it.
I haven’t entertained any hope about finding her in…a long time. Butthisfamily—these people that came together to throw a wedding with zero advance notice—they might be able to find her.
My stomach does a swooping drop. What would happen if they did? What would happen if I got to talk to her? Would she want to talk to me? Or would she be mad that I’d sent someone to look for her in the first place? If she’s alive and hasn’t come to find me, she probably doesn’t want to talk to me, in which case I should leave her alone.
But…
Someone’s phone buzzes.
It’s Charlotte’s, down on the floor near the foot of her chair.
“Got it.” Elise bends down, picks it up, and hands it to her.
Charlotte frowns at the screen, then taps. “Mason? Yeah. Yeah? Oh—okay.”
She holds the phone away from her face and taps again.
“—me now?” her husband is saying.
“We can all hear you,” she says, worried blue eyes meeting mine.
“First, everything’s fine—security hasn’t let anyone enter the building.”
Elise gives Charlotte big eyes.
“Okay?” Charlotte says.
“Lily.” Mason sounds much calmer than he did at the county jail, but he doesn’t sound happy. “Your grandfather came to the building. He’s still outside. One of my guys is with him.”
The whole room freezes. Or maybe it’s me who’s freezing. I’m chilled to the bone despite the weight of the wedding dress.
