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Somehow she had to get Ava to stay. Trying on dresses alone was no fun. “You don’t want to see me in white before you leave?”
It was quiet again for a few seconds. “It’s better to be surprised. How about if I go to your final fitting?”
Blood pounded in her ears when she heard keys jangling and Ava’s dressing room door opening. “You’re leaving?” Despite how she felt, her voice sounded desperate.
“I’m sure you’ll be beautiful. I’ll see you tonight at the whale watch. Don’t forget. Five o’clock at South Pier.”
“Right. Okay, I’ll see you there.” Emilie worked to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Modeling dresses by herself was an even worse idea than trying them on in the first place.
“All right.” Carly knocked and then opened Emilie’s door with an armful of dresses. Her cheeks were red and her expression alive with excitement. “Let’s start.”
16
Dean
After work Dean took a shower, fixed a quick snack, and checked on a few things around the house. Even if his parents were visiting his sister and her kids in South Carolina, Dean would make sure they returned to an orderly house. Whenever that was. His parents had been in South Carolina for three months with no signs of returning.
His parents went wild for kids, and Dean couldn’t blame them. They were older when they married and had struggled to even have two kids. He looked forward to the day when he could start his own family.
In case the tour boat didn’t provide a sufficient dinner, Dean packed drinks, cold chicken, and chips in a cooler. Then, as an afterthought, he added some candy bars for dessert. Lastly, he grabbed two light jackets and packed everything in the bed of the truck. Ocean breezes could be cooler during summer nights.
He’d never admit it to Emilie, but he was more excited for the night than he should be. Thoughts of her had run wildly through his mind all week. He restrained himself whenever they were together, but he couldn’t do it anymore. If he didn’t tell her soon, he’d explode.
When he drove by her house to pick her up, her jeep wasn’t in the driveway. He looked at the time. She couldn’t still be at her wedding appointment with Ava, could she? Poor girl.
Sure enough, when he pulled up to Belle Bridal around three thirty, he saw her jeep parked in front. They had an hour to get to the right dock on time, though if they were left behind, Dean wouldn’t mind. A later tour with just the two of them sounded perfect.
He couldn’t help smiling as he walked into the dress shop. No one was up front, so he explored the shop on the way to the back where the dressing rooms must be. He prayed Ava was done with her dress fitting. Seeing her in white would make him gag.
Instead of finding Ava in front of the mirrors, he saw Emilie, head to toe in a white dress. She hadn’t seen him yet, so he covered his mouth, backed up, and hid around the corner. Emilie. His knees weakened as he thought about how the veil covered her silken hair and fell along her blushing cheekbones. Mysterious, innocent, attractive, beautiful… The most incredible creature in all her stunning glory. He didn’t want to startle her, but he couldn’t hide forever.
Dean took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before creeping from his hiding spot. She was… He swallowed before he stepped forward. “Amazing.” The words left barely enough air in his lungs.
Her dress swished when she turned around. “You’re here?” He loved the way the red in her cheeks deepened.
It took a moment to calm himself, and when his heart wasn’t racing, Dean walked to her and captured her small hand. It was warm and clammy despite how cool the room was. “It’s time to head to the whale watch tour. Your car wasn’t at your house, so I came here.”
She glanced at the dresses scattered around the room. They were beautiful, even on the floor, but his favorite was her current dress.
“This is Carly,” Emilie said, introducing the sales clerk.
Carly’s cheeks were flushed with color, but she beamed up at him. “You must be the fiancé.”
Emilie met his gaze again and winked.
“I am. Have you ladies had fun today?” he asked.
“I think we found the right dress, sir.”
He silently agreed, but raised his eyebrows. “The one?”
Emilie shrugged. “We haven’t set a date, honey, but when we’re ready...” She gave him a pointed look.
“Right, honey. It looks great.” He focused his attention on Carly to keep from smiling too widely. “Is there a way to remember which one she wants?”
“I’ll keep it on file,” Carly said. “I don’t like to rush people, so please take your time.” She grabbed an armful of dresses and swept out of the room.
“She’s really nice.” Emilie turned back to the mirror and ran a hand down the satin skirt. “It’s pretty, huh?”
