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Mom laughed. “What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know. Lots of froufrou and fluff, I guess. Big puffy arms, a train the length of a basketball court, and lots of complicated beading, stitching, and buttons. But this is simple and understated.”

She held it up against me. “It’s an A-line satin skirt with a custom-made bodice. That’s handmade lace taken from your great-grandmother’s wedding dress, by the way. It had fallen into disrepair, so my grandmother salvaged what she could and had it put into my dress. Those aren’t beads, either, those are pearls, family heirlooms, which is why there aren’t so many of them. The neck in the front isn’t cut too deep, which I daresay will suit you, but the back is a plunging V to the waist. That was my one daring risk on this dress, and your dad loved it. Want to try it on?”

“Sure. Do I need a bra?”

“There’s a shelf bra built in. It should be enough.”

I slipped off my robe and carefully stepped into the dress. It fit surprisingly well.

Mom steered me to the mirror. “Oh, it looks gorgeous, and the length is perfect.” She walked around me, fussing with the dress. “The waist is a bit too big, but I should be able to tuck it in here and here.” She pinched some material between her fingers. “I may also need to adjust the shoulder straps, but that’s all totally manageable. What do you think, Lexi?”

I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress fit me well, and the satin material slid on like silk. I touched the lace with reverence. Knowing that it had once belonged to my great-grandmother made me feel sentimental in a way I hadn’t expected. I turned to the side so I could see the back. The V cut to the very lowest part of my waist—daring, indeed. But surprisingly, it didn’t scare me or turn me off. Maybe my fashion palette was expanding. Basia would be proud of me.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask about your dress first.”

“Because you thought it would be froufrou, remember?”

I gave her a hug. “Thanks, Mom, for thinking of this and for being patient with me. I hope you don’t mind if I say I’m glad the other dress got ruined, because I like this one better. A lot better.”

She hugged me back. “I don’t mind at all.”

I carefully stepped out of the dress, and Mom hung it up. “Now what?” I asked her.

“First, we need to review the menu and reception room one more time. Then I need to get Amanda and my sewing kit so we can get started on the adjustments. Sorry, but you’ll have to try it on again.”

“That’s okay.”

“Let’s go get Amanda and pick up Basia along the way. We’ll have a last look at the reception room, review the table layout, and see if Amanda has any new updates. Then we’ll get your dress fixed. Sound like a plan?”

It sounded like a plan that I wished I didn’t have to be a part of, but when you’re the bride, the escape avenues are significantly narrowed.

“What about Slash and the others? What are they doing?”

Mom looked at me surprised. “Didn’t you know? Tito, Hands, and the others are throwing him a bachelor party tonight.”

“Here at the hotel?”

“Since we’re pretty much sequestered here, yes.”

I tried not to be jealous Slash was getting out of all the wedding planning and dress fitting, but it was hard. “Oh, that’s great, I guess.”

Mom laughed and put her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t look so grumpy. At least we’re not being shot at.”

She had a point.

“Get dressed, Lexi, and let’s get going.”

I didn’t see the point in delaying the inevitable. I grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom.

“Okay, give me a few minutes and I’ll be right out.”

* * *

Every detailfor the reception was confirmed and approved, the menu was reviewed for the umpteenth time, and Amanda, Basia, and my mom had me try on the dress again and pinned and fussed until I was one second shy of completely losing it.

While we’d been talking with the hotel about the final arrangements for the reception, Slash had apparently dropped off his computer bag and disappeared to wherever the bachelor party was taking place, probably the bar. Basia and my mom tried to talk me into going to dinner with them, but I needed more alone time and decided to order room service instead.