Page 56 of Igniting Sparks

It’s game time.

Turns out, dress shopping isn’t nearly as painful as it sounds. Probably because Mina in a wedding gown is a religious experience.

Bitsy, true to form, tried to pick her apart—especially with the first couple of dresses. The first looked like Little Bo Peep, and the second, per Mina’s own words, made her look like an earthworm stuck in its casing.

Truly terrible choices.

But Mina just laughed and grabbed the next gown off the rack. The one I picked. Sleek, streamlined, and designed to keep the focus exactly where it belonged—on her gorgeous face.

Damn, she looked good in it.

Not fake-fiancée good. Real good. The kind of good that makes you forget this whole thing is a charade.

We even got roped into a photo shoot by the boutique owner, tux and all. Mina clutched my arm and smiled for the camera like she actually belonged there.

And for a second, I let myself believe she did.

But the best part? Mina had fun. Even if a few of the dresses missed the mark by a mile.

By the end of the appointment, even Bitsy was laughing. She made a comment about how refreshing it was I bucked tradition, unlike Vanessa’s fiancé, who was off playing eighteen holes at Aurum Ridge.

And that’s where I screwed up.

I let my guard down. Thought we’d turned a corner. Thought Mina was a lock for the studio.

Too bad it couldn’t last.

Chapter 13

Hand-to-Hand Combat in Designer Heels

Braden

“Come along. I have a surprise for Mina.” Bitsy walks a few steps ahead of us into the luncheon area, her heels clicking confidently as she sashays around the expo attendees like she owns the place.

I arch a brow at Mina. “A surprise, huh?”

“Isn’t that terrifying?” Mina mutters under her breath.

Tightening my grip on her waist, I drop a soft kiss on her hair, determined to maintain optimism. “Stop. She’s been great all morning. Give her a chance.”

Famous last words.

Bitsy waves us forward as she rests her hand on a man’s shoulder. “You got us a table. Wonderful.”

An innocuous statement—until the man turns around.

Mina grinds to a halt, the color draining from her cheeks as she stares at the well-dressed man before her. “Leo. What… what are you doing here?”

“Surprising you. Isn’t it fabulous?” Bitsy beams, curling her rose-painted lips into a practiced smile. “Don’t just stand there, Mina. Give him a proper hello.”

Mina steps forward and Leo swoops her into a tight embrace—one that lasts entirely too long for my liking.

But I hold my tongue, because if age has taught me anything, it’s that jumping to conclusions almost always lands you in hot water.

The last thing I need is a jealous standoff with a man who turns out to be her long-lost cousin.

Still, I clock the rigidity in Mina’s frame. That tension wasn’t there five minutes ago.