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The Lancasters were seated, and Lucy looked back up at Jamie. He and the groomsmen seemed to be having some kind of pow-wow, and the wedding planner was in the corner, speaking on the phone and looking like she had just seen a ghost. Jamie’s father looked concerned and his mother seemed to be scanning the area for something…or someone. That was when it dawned on Lucy…. She’d seen Gabe, the best man, and Ryan, Cole, Luke, and Jamie who were the groomsmen, but where was the groom? Usually by now he’d be up front with his groomsmen, eagerly waiting for his bride to appear.
Uh-oh, this isn’t looking good, she thought.
Lucy looked around like the rest of them, and that was when she spotted Jamie’s sister standing in the back. She was incredibly beautiful. Her dress was white with wide lace straps over the shoulders. It was cut in an A-line with a fitted bodice and a wide skirt, decorated with pearls, hand sewn no doubt, that gave it just a tinge of sparkle in the sun.
The dress made her think of Gail and her eyes burned with tears, which she furiously blinked back. When they were little girls, one of their favorite pastimes had been playing dress-up. One year for Christmas they had both received a bridal dress and the whole ensemble to add to their already burgeoning closets full of dress up clothes. They’d spent the entire month of January playing wedding. Lucy remembered how pretty she’d felt all dressed up in the lacy satin dress, and how pretty Gail looked in hers….
“Hey!” Jamie was suddenly standing next to her, bringing her out of her reverie.
“Hi. What’s going on?”
He frowned. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. Weddings just make me weepy.”
Jamie hesitated, as if he knew she was lying, but then he looked at the couple next to her and smiled. “Come with me,” he said, taking Lucy’s hand to help her to her feet. He led her to a spot where there were no prying ears and then said, “Was Mason’s family rude to you? Because if they were, I swear—”
“No, they were fine, Jamie. I just—I just was thinking of Gail. It’s still hard to believe she’s gone. I mean, I didn’t see her for so long, but now, knowing I’ll never see her…”
Her voice broke and Jamie enfolded her in a hug.
That was all. He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to. His embrace said it all. He was there for her.
Finally she forced herself to pull away. “Now it’s your turn. I haven’t seen Eric….”
Jamie ran a hand through his hair. “Eric seems to have bailed.”
Lucy winced and placed her hand on Jamie’s arm. “Oh God. That’s awful. Your poor sister.”
“Yeah. I—I just don’t understand it. Eric’s been in love with Brianne since college. He’s a good guy, but apparently fifteen minutes ago he texted her—”
“He texted her? Oh my God, what a punk! What did he say?”
“I don’t know,” Jamie said. “Yet. I’ve only talked to my parents. I need to talk to Brianne but I didn’t want to leave you alone…especially with those people sitting behind you…without telling you what was happening.”
“Thank you. But you go to your sister. She needs you.” She tugged at her gown—it seemed to have ridden up when she’d stood.
He kissed her lightly. “Thank you, Lucy.” But he didn’t leave. He stared at her with an odd look on her face.
She managed to wrench the fabric back into place, then said, “What?”
“You know the clothes you wear don’t define who you are, right? You’ve heard the old saying that ‘Clothes don’t make the man?’ I know who you are, Lucy and that’s the person I care about. It has nothing to do with what you do or do not wear. I also think that you’re gorgeous. You look amazing in your own clothes and you look amazing in this gown. It’s hard for me to even remember that anyone else is here when I look at you. It’s even hard for me to remember that my sister needs me, but she does, so…”
Breathless more because of the expression on his face than his words, Lucy gave him a gentle push. “Go.”
“I’ll be back,” he said.
* * *
Jamie and Gabe flanked Brianne as they found a private corner in the hotel to talk, one that still gave them a good view of the wedding guests sitting outside. “What did the text say?” Jamie asked his sister. Gabe was standing next to her looking protective…and pissed.
“That’s between Eric and me,” Brianne said with a glance at Gabe, as if she’d already made the statement several times. “And really, I don’t want any of you to be mad at him….”
Gabe snorted. “Unbelievable. The guy left you at the altar—”
“I’m well aware of that, Gabe.”
“Yet you’re protecting that asshole.”
