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Mabel handed Palmer her dress and told her the charge had been added to their hotel bill. She wished them well as they left her store. Palmer held the garment while Kent maneuvered them through the hordes of people coming from and going to the casino, or any other part of the hotel. He directed them toward the front and turned in to a salon. Palmer looked over her shoulder and expected Kent to answer her silent question. Instead, he wheeled her up to the counter, gave the woman her name, and then looked down at her.
“Robbie is going to do your hair and makeup.” Kent winked, kissed her nose, and proclaimed he’d be in the casino trying to win some money and to enjoy her pampering. Palmer’s mouth dropped open, but she couldn’t form a sentence. Leave it to Kent to think of everything, because she would’ve put on some eye shadow, curled the ends of her hair, and called it good.
Robbie washed Palmer’s hair. The head massage was almost enough to put Palmer to sleep. In fact, she rejoiced when Robbie reclined her chair and told her to keep her eyes closed. While someone did Palmer’s makeup, someone else did her fingers and toes. Palmer missed her weekly massages and her chiropractor. Those were the appointments she enjoyed going to.
While she lay there, she questioned her life and the choices she’d made. Would she be where she was now if she had chosen differently? Her heart said no, but her mind didn’t agree. She was about to get married because she was dying, because of her bucket list. Without the tumor, there would be no Kent. Without Maeve being pregnant and married to another man, there would be no Kent. Everything Palmer had now was simply because two worlds had collided at the same time. If she had chosen the surgery or chemotherapy, she’d be in hospice right now, depending on others to take care of her. She wouldn’t be in Las Vegas about to get married or have traveled parts of the country she’d only seen on television. No, Palmer had made the right choice for her—she’d chosen to live.
“Hey now, no crying on your wedding day,” Robbie said softly in her ear. She dabbed at Palmer’s tears and told her everything would be perfect.
Life wasn’t perfect. Palmer knew this. She had lived it, and now she wanted more than anything to go back in time and put her foot forward when she’d first met Kent. He was nothing more than a client, a loan number who made his monthly payments on time. It never would’ve crossed her mind, all those years ago, to introduce herself socially instead of professionally. She never would’ve been so bold and brazen as to give him her number or ask him out for coffee. To her that would’ve been unprofessional, and Palmer never would’ve done anything to embarrass herself in such a way. Yet maybe if she had, she’d still be here, but not dying. Surely, having someone in your life, fighting for you, meant you sought help when your first headache wouldn’t go away.
“Okay, let’s stop for a moment,” Robbie said. She sat Palmer up, and she opened her eyes. She expected to see herself in the mirror, with a red blotchy face, but someone had covered the mirror with a black drape. Someone else brought Palmer some water. She thanked them and took small sips.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Robbie said. “Weddings are emotional. Hell, I started crying three days before mine and didn’t stop.”
“Happy tears?”
“Oh no, sweetie. I made the biggest mistake of my life. I knew it, too, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop the wedding. Another mistake. But it’s all good now. I’m with a great man who worships me, just like your man. He was so cute when he came in here to book your appointment.”
“He was?”
Robbie nodded. “That man of yours is beaming with love for you. Said for us to make you feel as beautiful as you are. Do you want to know why that stands out over what other men will say?”
“Yeah.”
“Most men say ‘You look beautiful’ after all the makeup is on. Your hubby-to-be wants you to feel beautiful. That’s a huge difference.”
“He’s pretty special.”
“We think you’re both remarkable.” Robbie met Palmer’s gaze. “One of my coworkers follows you on Instagram. She showed us your page.”
“Oh.” Palmer’s gaze fell. “So, you know?”
“I think the entire hotel knows. Word spreads pretty fast when there are celebrities around.”
Palmer scoffed. “We’re far from celebrities.”
“That’s what you think. Are we ready to try again?”
Palmer took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll try to keep my tears under lock and key.”
“If you need a break, just let me know.” Robbie signaled to her coworkers. She leaned Palmer back in the chair, told her to close her eyes, and went to work on her makeup.
