Page 60 of Nothing to the Wedding

Toria rushed to put her box on a side table and immediately started to take the accessory out.“I am wearing this today.I might never take it off, help me.”

As her friend swept aside her hair, Roxie fixed the clasp of the choker at the back.

The mirror above captivated one friend while she helped the other friend fasten hers too.

“I told you we’d get you rubies, didn’t I?”

“Rubies and diamonds,” Toria said, seemingly unable to stop touching it.“I’m never taking it off.Rox!”She spun around to hug her and Jane quickly joined in too.“Thank you!”

No amount of gold and jewels could replace the two women who’d been with her through everything.This was a big day for all of them.Only not all of them knew just how big.

SEVENTEEN

NO CALLS.No texts.No contact.

Those were Jane’s rules.She didn’t like it.Before that day, she’d been ignorant to her reliance on Zairn’s voice, on his words.And, for probably the first time in her entire life, it bugged her that she didn’t have her phone.Rather that she didn’t have it nearby.It was crazy!Most days her phone was dead or off somewhere on its own, and she never thought anything of it.Any time Zairn needed her, he’d find her.On this particular day, they’d been told that wasn’t allowed.Without the prospect of contact, she got antsy.

Was it PTSD?From that call, the one that told her Zairn’s number was no longer active.In that closet… upstairs.Shit, was that really a year ago?

“Rox?”

Astrid appeared around the stylist currently working on her hair.A squad of them worked at temporary stations set up for each individual woman, like models at a photo shoot.Her girls, and some others, had their own teams for the essentials.

“Hey, Astrid, honey.You doing okay?You should be getting your hair done.”

“Yeah, I…” As was her way, Astrid seemed a little uneasy.“The dresses are here.”

“Oh!”She leaped out of the chair, startling the stylist.“Sorry!Oh!I have to…”

Striding off with Astrid at her side, she murmured, “Has she seen them?”

“No, I don’t—”

A wail from the adjoining room interrupted, putting the bustling space on momentary pause.

“I guess she has,” Roxie mumbled then tossed out an arm.“Carry on, all!Nothing to see here!”

The busy room carried on, dubiously, but she didn’t have time to loiter.Rushing back to the bridal suite, Astrid wasn’t far behind.

“Honey…” she said, the moment she saw Jane, back to her.“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!”Jane threw up her hands.“This is bad!It’s awful!I can’t—the whole day is ruined!”

She put a gentle arm around her friend.“No, it’s not.”

“I knew it would be something.I tried, I tried so hard and—this is a huge disaster!I’m sorry, Roxie.I’m so sorry!They’ve sent the wrong dresses!Look!”

The gowns were still in their garment bags, hanging on a towering rail, but it was obvious what they were looking at, and there were two bridal bags.

“It’s okay,” Roxie said, twisting around, seeking Toria who… yes, her friend appeared in the doorway to give her the nod.Eek, it was exciting.Too exciting!This was it!The moment!“Someone’s here to speak to you.”

“Good!Yes!From the dress place?They’ll get a piece of my mind.We’re not paying for this.Whoever’s responsible… How do we fix this?How do we fix this?If they dropped off the wrong thing, maybe… Could they come back?Fix it?We’re short a bridesmaid’s dress too.It’s just an oversight, right?An oversight.”Linking their fingers, Roxie guided her friend not to the busy staging room, but a door on the side wall, a door that opened just before they got there.“Why are they in—”

“Blossom…”

His voice on the other side of the half open door quieted Jane.

“Knox?”her friend asked and reached for the door.