Page 18

PROLOGUE

SARA

“This is beautiful, Sara,” my sister, Carrie states with the widest smile.

Her enthusiasm makes this whole charade worth it. She is into all thing’s beauty and elegance. Like today with the frills, soft textures, and a special touch at every turn, this is one hundred percent her style. As for me, this is absolutely everything I am not. Carrie is the polar opposite of me. I’m all denim and dirt, while she’s pearls and proper. We balance each other in the best way possible.

I don’t remember a time where we weren’t so absolutely different, yet, still so connected. The saying that ‘ no one can know you the way a sister does’ fits us perfectly. She’s my best friend, even if we aren’t going to be at the same concerts or shopping in the same stores at the mall, we are always in touch. I know her every secret and there isn’t anything I don’t share with her.

Carrington Paige Sweeting is my little sister who is set to marry her Prince Charming in a fairytale wedding two months from now. The last year has been an epic level of tulle, flowers, fittings, and photos all in the name of love. From the moment she got engaged, this is all she’s dreamed of. I’m beyond elated for her. Although, I must admit, I never knew there were this many shades of blush.

Seriously, when did pink turn into dusty rose, blush, and dare there be a hint of mauve. Don’t forget the other side of the spectrum, flamingo, taffy, or magenta pink. We don’t want to leave out middle of the road coral either. It’s insanity if anyone cares to have my opinion on the matter. Why can’t pink be pink?

But I have to be honest, the shades matter. I do know that much. Always get samples, this is what hosting her bridal shower taught me. Before this, pink was pink to me. Now, I’ll never see colors the same again.

Every Disney princess ever created has been adored by Carrie. Maybe it’s birth order, me being the oldest and all, but I’m more of a make my own path even if I fall on my ass person. Carrie is one tough cookie, don’t get me wrong, but she’s always daydreamed about being swept off her feet. Her soon to be mister, Caleb, does that for her. Every freaking day practically. Whatever Carrie wants he’s willing to put in the work to make sure she has it. She has kissed her fair share of frogs to find this prince. He is good to my sister, and she’s never been this happy. I’m excited to celebrate their love. This is going to be the most beautiful day in her life and I’m here to celebrate it all, including today’s bridal shower.

Not going to lie, I asked to host the bachelorette party, but Carrie didn’t think plastic penises hanging from the ceiling fan of a hotel room would be much fun. She wants to get dressed up and have pictures with her favorite people instead of drinking and dancing the night away. Her loss, I throw an epic party when it’s just booze, babes, and no work the next day. She asked me to give her the bridal shower of her dreams over any bachelorette shenanigans. Well, this is definitely her dream and not mine. As her older sister, though, I aim to please.

My mother approaches with her cheeks flushed, no doubt from some kind of worry, “Sara, thank you, this is just gorgeous.” I smile all the while I want to laugh and call her out for not trusting me to pull it off.

I love our mother to the ends of the Earth, but she is a bit of a control freak about hosting things. She likes things her way. Don’t get me wrong, she’s very good at putting together anything from a casual dinner, a birthday party, a soiree of any sort, and yes, she is amazing at planning weddings. Which is why my sister is being able to enjoy being the bride without all the stress because our mom has it all under control.

Except this bridal shower. I did my best to not hand it over to her. Sure, she would have gladly taken charge, but this celebration is something special for my sister from me.

Mom didn’t hold back in giving her input all along the way, but I am proud of sticking to my plans this time around. Most parties, events, those things, my mom takes care of everything from beginning to end. This time, I did it having my sister in mind with every detail, maybe that’s why it came pretty easy overall. I’ll never admit it to my mom, but it was actually sometimes fun, the planning, I mean. Can’t have her thinking this can be our thing together because no one can do it like she can.

My mom, this is her absolutely favorite thing. Maybe it’s growing up in the south or maybe because we live a laid-back beach life here on the coast, so when it’s time for fancy it’s a big deal. I don’t know. Mom, though, she loves to host everything for everyone.

And I mean everyone.

Even cousins get parties done up by mom. This though, I was honestly surprised that Carrie asked me to host it and not our mother. They are close too and mom loves any reason to pick out new glassware or dinner plates. I don’t think she has a China cabinet big enough for all of her stuff. It didn’t surprise me to find out she has had to get a storage unit for it all. She has the best of the best stuff though and I absolutely used some for the table settings here.

Sure, this isn’t my thing normally, but I know my sister and for her I’ll move mountains… or in this case, wear a damn dress and host her bridal shower. From the sheer fabric chair tiebacks in soft blushes to the champagne silverware, I have made sure every last detail is as precious as my sister. Custom backdrop for photos with fluffy pale pink roses in the softest paper give the perfect space for her to have pictures with every person near and dear. The guest list has everyone near, dear, and even neighbors from when we were in diapers got invited.

Aunts, childhood friends, work friends, friends of friends, my sister and mother have seriously invited everyone they know. Carrie keeps telling me, ‘I’m only doing this once, Sara, I can’t leave anyone out.’ Well baby sister, thank fuck to all of us this is a one-time thing because I don’t know how we could make it better if we did it again.

I’m proud to pull this all off. The internet has been my closest friend the last few months planning this. At times, I wasn’t so sure I didn’t need to pass on the job to someone more qualified, but somehow, I’ve managed. Thankfully, I’m not afraid to ask questions, search the web, and enlist my friends like Josie from work to help me.

“Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” my Aunt Nelda says coming up and giving me a hug, “but you’ll forever be the prettiest cat lady I know.”

Yes, this is the on-going joke because at thirty-three-years-old I have an amazing career, own my home, and have a retirement account. Bonus, I have started my own side hustle business with gourmet pecans. Truly, I am living my best life. The only thing missing is a significant other. Except, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

Single and sassy, I love my life. Don’t let me deny it either, I do indeed have cats, two of them, along with two dogs, twelve chickens, and a goat. Judge me, joke about me, I don’t care. I have this one life and I’m living it my way, animals and all!

Carrie being exactly how she always is, taking my back in her own way, pipes up, “Sara will have her happily ever after. Some man is going to come in and grow on her. Like a carrot growing it might take a little longer, but it’s going to happen. When it does, we are all going to love him as much as she does. She’ll be ready to give up the chickens and live in a suburb. She just hasn’t found him quite yet.”

Inside, I laugh. They all think I need some man to take care of me . I’m seriously good… me and my chickens. No man needed here.

“I know what she needs to do,” Aunt Nelda chimes in looking to my mother, “remember when we were teens sharing a room Elizabeth,” her enthusiasm is almost too much to take. “We wrote out our list of wants for our eventual husband.”

Momma smiles, “tall, dark, and handsome. I remember we both wrote that, and he couldn’t be bald!”

Same story, different day. They love reliving this. Both women laugh at themselves because they happen to have bald husbands. I don’t remember if my dad ever had hair as I was growing up. I’m sure if I looked through old pictures, I could find one. He’s shaved his head for so long now, if he had hair, I might think he lost his mind and was ready for a retirement home. My dad, though, he’s far from hot. How he snagged my mom I don’t know because even in her fifties now she’s still absolutely beautiful. My Uncle, Aunt Nelda’s husband doesn’t make bald hot either, but they have been married like forever, so they have love even if they don’t have looks.

Personally, a bald man with a beard is hot as it gets, but I’m not going to tell them that. I like my men a little rough around the edges. A beard, some ink, and a man who isn’t afraid to work up a sweat, sign me up for that dating app.

My uncle and father are not my version of hot. They are just regular old men whose hair is no more. I’m sure in their day they were attractive, at least to my aunt and my mother. And for women who love a clean-cut man, they were probably total knockouts in their day.

For me, I’ve never been into the preppy type.

Give me a man with a solid beard and a smooth head, well, yes sir, what are we getting into today? I need tall, dangerous, and commanding. Normal is boring and I can be boring all on my own.

“Tall, dark, and handsome, pppfffff,” I scoff to them, “give me gruff, rough, and tattooed up.” And the more ink the better, if you ask me. I probably shouldn’t have said any of that out loud. I’m only giving them more fodder for their conversations about me being the weird one. I don’t care though. I am who I am, and I refuse to apologize for it.

Momma shakes her head, “you have been my wild child since your very first breath.”

Yes, I have and I’m damn proud of it!

“There goes Connie,” Aunt Nelda points out, “already messin’ up the table settings. Which, Sara, you got it right this time. See your Aunt Nelda has taught you some things. Good southern etiquette is a must.”

Aunt Nelda rushes over to correct the minor movement of the salad fork by a guest leaving me thankful for the escape. Between my mom and my two aunts, southern charm and etiquette is engrained in all of us girls. Funny, my Aunt Nelda only has boys, my Aunt Willa never had kids, and my mom, well she has three girls. This means that all their childhood practice on dolls became real life dress up on me and my two sisters. Both of my aunts have been involved in everything each of us has done from childhood to now. They are supportive and I truly have the best family a girl could ask for.

“Sara, when does the mimosa bar open?” Cara-Ann rushes over asking, “there is already a line.”

I let out a laugh, “Meredith will start serving soon, but you aren’t getting any of that, missy.”

“I know!” She states with her hand on her hip. “I want the juice and hello, we have a crowd, so go to that microphone and get this shower going. We have games and gifts.”

Cara-Ann is my teenage baby sister. We are close, but the bond is different from Carrie. My parents gave birth to Cara-Ann when I was in college. She’s fun, but I didn’t share a room with her and live through all the teen girl drama like Carrie. Cara-Ann is the perfect blend of Carrie and me. She looks like me but acts like Carrie. They both love makeup and dressing up, but Cara-Ann will get dirty too, don’t let the heels fool you. She spends every second of free time she has either competitive swimming or at the barn. Yes, my baby sister loves animals, especially the equine variety. She is outdoors in barn boots, cleaning up horse shit as much as she’s dolled up like today. Like her name, Cara-Ann is a blend of me and Carrie. Mom thought having such an age difference the best way to give us a bond from the beginning was joining Sara and Carrie into Cara for her name. It has never mattered her name; we love her for the sassy and sweet person she is.

Carrie leans into me, “I’m ready whenever you are, Sara.” She grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I can’t wait to do this for you one day.”

Oh, lord have mercy, we don’t need to even think about my one day. This time I let the laugh out. “Honey don’t hold your breath. I’m waiting on mister dangerous, not mister dreamy.”