As I detailed my plans for the extravaganza, Brady gave me an admiring look. “I told my mom you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to Cosmopolitan Bridal, Katie, and it’s true.”
“Th-thank you, Brady.” I gazed up, up, up into his gorgeous blue eyes and smiled. Now, if only he would add, “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“And you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His smile broadened with each word.
Whoa! Had the boy read my mind or what? I gave him a little wink and he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek.
Madge cleared her throat and muttered, “No PDA,” but I barely heard her.
In that moment, wrapped in Brady’s arms, I truly felt invincible. Empowered by his kisses, I could slay dragons, battle frustrated designers, sell a thousand bridal gowns.
Okay, maybe not a thousand. But we would bring in a crowd for Black Friday like Cosmopolitan Bridal had never seen before. And we would do it all with yours truly at the helm. If I could just get my knees to stop shaking long enough to put a plan in motion, anyway.
7
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies
I had the best costars you could ever have, and I miss them so much. We had such a great time working together.
Doris Day
Pretty much everyone in my hometown of Fairfield revered Queenie, so it came as no surprise that they were pulling out all the stops for her big day. Her best friend, Bessie May, was planning a surprise lingerie shower. Like anything in Fairfield would stay a secret for long. Thankfully, I wasn’t invited. And Ophelia, a lifelong friend of my grandmother’s, had offered her services as cake baker and decorator. Every time I pictured the elderly Ophelia carrying a four-tiered cake, I got the shivers, though I couldn’t fault her for wanting to contribute. Prissy Moyer, one of Queenie’s friends from the Methodist church, offered to make the punch—she claimed it was an old family recipe. Even Brother Krank, fellow Baptist church elder and director at the local retirement home, was in a charitable mood, offering his services as a deejay. Yes, my grandmother certainly had a lot of friends, and they were all in a celebratory frame of mind.
Most everyone, at least. The members of the Baptist church seemed a bit perplexed that Queenie had transferred her membership to First Presbyterian. Other than that, the whole town of Fairfield celebrated her good news. And with the ceremony coming up so quickly—two weeks before Christmas—we had a lot of planning to do, starting with the obvious: a bridal shower.
I’d thrown a few of those in my day, but never for a woman in her eighties. What did one buy an octogenarian bride? My mind reeled with possibilities as I made the drive from Dallas to Fairfield the first Saturday in November. To my right, Alva dozed in the passenger seat—not unusual on a long drive like this. Well, she dozed until the car’s Bluetooth rang. I did my best not to wake her as I pushed the button on the steering wheel to answer, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Katie,” Alva said, half-asleep, then rolled her head toward the window.
“Is this Katie Fisher?” An unfamiliar female voice sounded from the other end of the line.
“It is. How may I help you?”
Alva stirred in her seat and her eyes popped open. “It would be a big help if you’d stop at the next gas station. My bladder’s about to burst.” She let out an exaggerated groan.
Ack.
“My name is Carrie Sanders,” the woman on the phone said. “I live in San Antonio.”
“Ooh, San Antonio, home of the Spurs!” Alva seemed to come fully awake at this point. She lit into a lengthy dissertation about the team, then glanced my way and put her hand over her mouth. “Now, don’t you go telling Brady I said all of that, all right? As far as he’s concerned, my loyalty is to the Mavericks. And it is, naturally. But the Spurs are a great team too, and they tend to make the playoffs. A lot. So it’s hard not to be a fan, if you know what I mean.”
I gave her a strained look in the hopes that she would remember the woman on the other end of the phone, then returned my gaze to the highway.
“Oh, I agree,” the woman said. “Though I have no particular loyalties either way. My family is really into basketball, though, so I can totally relate to the passion over a particular team.” She chuckled. “Have I caught you at a bad time?”
“Oh, I’m just driving home to Fairfield, but I’m free to talk. I’ve got you on speaker, so we’re good. Did you need to make an appointment?”
“Well, I just needed to change the time. I’m coming this Thursday to choose a gown. I talked to a lady named Madge just now and she referred me to you. She said you’re in charge of the schedule?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Except I didn’t have access to my schedule while driving. “I’m sure we’ll work it out.” I hope.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind getting something from a store here in San Antonio, but my dad wants me to have the dress of my dreams. He does well for himself, so he says money is no object.”
Wow. I couldn’t imagine my father, a hardworking hardware store owner, ever using the words, “Money is no object.” My gaze shifted to the rearview mirror. I caught a glimpse of my wedding gown—the dress I’d won in the contest—hanging in the backseat. Hauling it to Queenie’s cedar closet still seemed a bit sad.
“Anyway, the reason I’m calling is because I wanted to give you a heads-up about my family before I get there. I tried to explain to Madge, but she seemed a little distracted.”
“Oh? Your family will be with you?” I asked.
“Yes, several of them.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. “How many are we talking?”
“Oh, six or seven. Maybe eight, if Nonna comes. But I wouldn’t count on her. She doesn’t like road trips anymore because she has an overactive bladder.”
“That reminds me . . .” Alva tapped me on the arm. “If you please. Next exit.”
I did my best not to sigh. “So, you’re coming with the family. We’ll be happy to meet everyone.”
“There’s a little more to it than that. See, they’re really, well . . .”
Alva tapped me again and whispered, “Pull off here, Katie,” as she gestured to the upcoming exit.
“I’m marrying the best guy in the world,” Carrie said. “His name is Jimmy. But it’s safe to say his family and mine don’t always get along. And I don’t just mean about the big stuff. They can’t seem to agree on anything.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” I took the exit and pulled into a service station parking lot. I’d no sooner brought the car to a stop than Alva bounded out and headed to the ladies’ room. I had to give it to her—she sure moved fast when motivated.
“Sorrier than you know.” Carrie’s voice brought me back to the conversation. “Because they’re all coming with me to pick out a dress and it’s bound to be a fiasco. I wish I could’ve gotten out of this—trust me, I do—but both families want to be involved. One big happy family. That’s us. Only, we’re not. Happy, I mean. We are big.” She sighed. “And what I said isn’t 100 percent accurate. My parents are perfectly happy as long as his parents aren’t around, and vice versa. To be honest, they can’t stand one another. At all. And it can get a little explosive when we’re all together, especially during the playoffs.”
“Playoffs?”
“Yeah. Trust me.”
Oh boy. We’d had this scenario before. Things rarely ended well with both families involved. But what could I do? I promised Carrie that we would do our best to make the experience fun, and she ended the call with a cheerful, “See you soon!”
A few minutes later Alva approached the car holding two sodas and two candy bars. She opened her door and grinned as she passed some of the goodies my way. “Figure I owed ’em my business since they loaned me their toilet.”
If that didn’t make a girl feel like eating chocolate while drinking Diet Root Beer, nothing would. We sat in the parking lot a moment as we nibb
led on the goodies.
Alva wiped a glob of chocolate off her lip and tossed the candy bar wrapper into the trash bag. “Not trying to be nosy, but who was that gal on the radio?”
“Radio?” I gave my aunt a curious look.
“Well, sure. Her voice was coming straight through the radio. Strangest thing . . . it was almost like she was talking to you. Never heard of a radio that worked like that before. But I suppose there’s a lot of stuff I don’t understand about technology these days.”
I bit back laughter as I said, “It’s a Bluetooth.”
“Bluetooth?” She pulled down her visor and gazed into the little vanity mirror, her mouth wide open. She seemed to be examining the inside of her mouth, then she glanced my way and shrugged. “Don’t see anything on my teeth at all, Katie Sue. It was only on my lip. And it wasn’t blue. It was chocolate.”
“No, I meant . . . oh, never mind.” I put the car in gear and headed back to the highway, determined to get this show back on the road.
“So, that gal on the radio talk show . . . she’s part of a wedding story or something?”
“She’s a bride-to-be and is getting her dress from our shop.”
“That’s what it sounded like to me, but I couldn’t be sure. Pretty good PR for Cosmopolitan, having a big radio star like that on board. And she’s coming all the way from San Antonio?”
“Yes.” No point in explaining the rest.
“And bringing the family?”
“Yes, the whole family, and from what she said right before you left the car, they don’t get along. At all.” I shook my head. “Might make good fodder for a TV show, but it’s rarely fun in person, trust me. I’ve seen more brides lose it over family members, and vice versa. It’s hard all the way around.”
“Then let’s you and me make a pact.” Alva reached over and patted my hand. “We’ll agree to demonstrate the opposite spirit.”
“What do you mean?”
“We won’t be one of those families. When it comes to planning my sister’s wedding, we’re all in, 100 percent. And there won’t be any squabbling.”
“That’s sweet, Alva.”
My aunt’s eyes flooded and her voice quivered. “I plan to keep my trap shut, no matter what she chooses. Even if she picks a hot pink minidress for the ceremony. She’s the bride. It’s all about her.”
Um, you were there when she went with the light blue . . . “She’ll look lovely on her big day. No doubt about it.”
“Right. Beautiful golden-years bride.” Alva leaned back against the seat, her eyes fluttering closed. “I’m an old spinster. No wedding in sight for me. So don’t worry, sweet girl. You’ll never have to keep your trap shut on my account. If there’s really such a thing as Prince Charming, he somehow missed his exit and met up with some other prettier, younger chick.”
The strangest feelings swept over me at her words. I wanted to respond with a lecture about how life was filled with possibilities no matter your age. I would use Queenie as an example. But before I could open my mouth, Alva was snoring loudly.
I thought about her words as I drove. She considered herself an old maid. Likely people around her did too. She was eighty-plus years old and had never married. But not everyone was meant to, right?
I pushed that thought out of my head and gave the wedding dress another glance in my rearview mirror. It seemed to mock me. I released a slow breath and tried to deal with the strange emotions stirring in me. I’d already worn that beautiful gown on the cover of a famous magazine. I would wear it for real one day as I walked down the aisle toward Brady. I would. In the meantime, I’d keep my spirits up by focusing on Queenie’s big day.
The rest of the drive, Alva talked in her sleep about some of the strangest things I’d ever heard. My thoughts shifted back to the bride-to-be, Carrie Sanders. What would it be like to have two families dueling instead of cooperating? Awkward.
Then again, I understood awkward, didn’t I? Hadn’t my ex-boyfriend just called a few days back to tell me how much he missed me?
I refused to let my thoughts linger on Casey. Instead, I focused my attention on the road. And on my schedule. With Brady’s surgery coming up, I needed to put everything down on my calendar.
Suddenly the idea of Brady heading into surgery made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t see past the image of the man I loved undergoing something so painful.
The man I loved.
I did love him. I did. And in spite of the fact that he’d never come out and said the words, I prayed he loved me too.
8
On Moonlight Bay
I would crawl over the mountains of Beverly Hills on my hands and knees if I could do a movie with Doris Day!
John Wayne
I headed south on I-45, breathing a sigh of relief as I came to the Fairfield exit. I couldn’t help myself. I had to stop at Cooper Farms to buy some peach preserves and talk to the owner, who was providing vegetables for Queenie’s wedding reception. Gratis, naturally. Was the whole town of Fairfield offering their services at no cost?
After this I pointed the car in the direction of Dairy Queen, where my cousin and the other ladies would be waiting. The strangest emotions took hold of me as I pulled into the parking spot. I felt glued to my seat. How many times had I come here with Casey over the years? Dozens? No, hundreds was more like it.
“Ooh, a Blizzard. I can’t wait. It’s been ages since I had a Blizzard.” Alva giggled. “I don’t care how cold it is outside, I love ice cream.”
“Me too.” First, though, I had to shake the chill that gripped me as I got out of the car.
As soon as we walked inside, my gaze traveled to the booth where Casey and I had sat so many times, enjoying Blizzards. There in that spot sat my cousin Lori-Lou with her three children, the oldest two girls seated on the bench next to her and baby Joshie in a high chair at the end of the table.
“You made it!” She gestured for me to join them.
“Of course I made it, girl. We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”
I took a seat across from them, and the oldest two children immediately slithered under the table and popped up on my side. They jumped in my lap at the same time.
“I miss you, Aunt Katie!” Mariela’s pigtails slapped me in the face as she snuggled up close.
“Me miss you too,” Gilly added as she flung her arms around my neck, nearly suffocating her older sister underneath.
“Get off me, Gilly,” Mariela scolded.
“No, you move!” Gilly shouted.
“No, you!”
The squabble escalated until Lori-Lou threatened to take away their electronics. That settled it. They calmed down, Gilly on my right, Mariela on my left.
Alva took a seat next to Lori-Lou and clucked her tongue at the children. “Are my babies being naughty?”
“Them? Naughty?” Lori-Lou snorted.
“I’m so happy this week is behind me.” I eased my way out of my jacket, nearly hitting Gilly in the head with my elbow. “It’s been crazy.”
“Girl, you haven’t experienced crazy until you’ve tried to potty train one kid while pulling another one off the bottle. It’s a nightmare, I tell you.”
“It’d be a toss-up. Things are nuts at the shop right now. Glad to be here instead of there.”
“Oh? Planning an ooh-la-la bridal shower for your grandmother is more appealing than dealing with angry customers?” Alva asked.
“Actually, the ooh-la-la shower is the one Bessie May’s planning.” My cousin’s eyes grew large. “You don’t even want to know the particulars on that one, trust me. Just thank your lucky stars it’s only for Queenie’s bridesmaids.”
Alva raised her hand and smiled. “I’m the maid of honor, and I can’t wait!”
“What’s ooh-la-la, Mommy?” Mariela asked.
“It’s something grown-ups say.” Aunt Alva gave her a knowing look. “Now, I’m going to get myself some chicken strips and French fries. You hungry, Katie?”
&nbs
p; I nodded and she trotted off to the register to order.
“I hope you don’t mind that the kids are here,” Lori-Lou said. “I tried to get Josh to watch them, but he couldn’t take any more days off. We’ve got a house payment to cover now.”
“I understand. I’ve got a new car payment myself.”
“So happy for you.” She glanced through the window at my new SUV. “It’s beautiful, Katie. And no one deserves it more than you. That old clunker of yours was something else.”
“It wasn’t worth much as a trade-in, but I’m glad to be rid of it.”
“We’re still driving the minivan. Guess we’ll run it into the ground. No fancy bells and whistles, but it’ll do until we can afford something newer.”
“I understand. I drove my old car until it nearly gave up the ghost. Brady helped me pick out the SUV.”
“How is Brady?” Her smile morphed into a look of concern. “Scheduled for surgery?”
“Yeah. November 19th.”
“Ack. That’s close.”
“Yes, and you’ll never believe what I did. I scheduled a big event at the bridal shop on Black Friday. He won’t be back up and running by then. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I can’t go back on my word now.” I filled her in on the details while we waited for the other ladies to show up.
“You’ll manage, Katie,” she said when I finished. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
“Obviously you can too.” I motioned to the children, who were coloring their paper menus. I gave Lori-Lou an admiring look. “How are you feeling, anyway?”
She rubbed her pregnant belly and groaned. “I think maybe I’m too old for this.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re only thirty-two.”
“Just feels a lot harder this time. Maybe because I have my hands so full with the others. No idea how I’m going to hold this one once she gets here.”
“She? It’s a girl?”
“Oops!” She put her hand over her mouth. “I was supposed to be keeping that a secret until we do the big reveal on Facebook. We just had the ultrasound yesterday. Want to see the picture?”