fine.
“Cinnamon, you just look like a princess,” Kara said. “That dress is absolut—”
Kara stopped midsentence, noticing the pained expression on my face and the blue shade my cheeks were turning.
“Maybe you should unzip that,” Kara said to Bethany.
I nodded.
“That’s a good idea,” I squeaked out.
Bethany started pulling down on the tab, struggling to get it over the parts where the zipper was stretched. When she finally succeeded, I sucked in a deep breath, like I’d just come up for air from a world-record setting deep sea dive.
“ Jesus ,” I said. “That was—”
“Completely normal,” Kara said, cutting me off. “Happened to me to on the final fitting before my wedding. I was nervous as could be that I was going to walk down the aisle looking like a sausage stuffed into lace. But come the big day, the dress fit just right.”
“I remember,” I said, trying to keep my voice from quivering. “You looked beautiful in that dress.”
“And you do in yours, Cin,” she said. “You really look amazing.”
I let out a very shaky sigh.
“I just can’t believe that we’re down to a few weeks, and I’m barely fitting into it,” I said. “I mean look at me…”
A few self-pity inspired tears rolled down my hot cheeks.
“I am that sausage,” I said. “Only I’m wrapped in satin.”
This wasn’t me. I wasn’t the kind of girl who cried over things like this. I liked hiking and playing poker and drinking whiskey and baking killer pies.
I didn’t cry over wedding dresses, or the fact that I wasn’t fitting into mine.
“Oh, honey,” Kara said, placing her glass of complimentary champagne down on the coffee table and coming over to the mirror. “You’ve just hit a rough patch and it’s all crashing down on you.”
She hugged me, and I let out a few embarrassing sobs into her shoulder.
“And besides, where in the hell is Marie?” I said. “She was supposed to be here.”
“Don’t think about her right now,” she said.
Bethany scurried away to somewhere in the back, avoiding my mini meltdown.
“We’re going to get you into this dress come hell or high water, okay? And your wedding is going to be the most beautiful thing to hit Christmas River since Deputy Owen McHale.”
She pulled away and then smiled, and I felt a tremor of laughter start at the base of my stomach and work its way up.
Kara’s humor always had a way of getting to me, even when I was feeling really low.
I wiped away the tears.
“Ugh, you know, I didn’t even want to get a dress like this,” I said, looking back in the mirror again. “I only did it because Warren wanted to buy something really nice for me. I would’ve been happy to wear something a lot cheaper and a lot plainer.”
“Yeah, but you deserve better than cheap and plain,” Kara said. “And believe me, when you see the look on Daniel’s face after he’s seen you in this, it’ll all be worth it. I promise.”
I sighed.
“I’m sorry for freaking out,” I said. “I’ve just… you know, been under a lot of strain lately.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me,” she said. “Not after what happened yesterday. How’s little Hucks doing anyway?”
I sniveled, trying to hold back another round of tears that were looking to set themselves loose.
“He’s going to be okay.”
“So are you,” Kara said. “Now, c’mon. Let’s get you out of this stuffy shop and somewhere more fun.”
“Naw, I’ve got too much to do,” I said. “I’m already behind with this ice storm. I’ve got to get back to the shop and—”
“Listen, hon, that’s the first thing that I learned in Yoga class. You can’t help anyone if you haven’t helped yourself first.”
I tried to argue, but it was sound logic.
I let out a sigh and wiped away the smudged mascara from beneath my eyes.
“My treat,” she said, as I lifted up the heavy bottom of the dress and walked into the changing room. “And I’ll make sure
“Cinnamon, you just look like a princess,” Kara said. “That dress is absolut—”
Kara stopped midsentence, noticing the pained expression on my face and the blue shade my cheeks were turning.
“Maybe you should unzip that,” Kara said to Bethany.
I nodded.
“That’s a good idea,” I squeaked out.
Bethany started pulling down on the tab, struggling to get it over the parts where the zipper was stretched. When she finally succeeded, I sucked in a deep breath, like I’d just come up for air from a world-record setting deep sea dive.
“ Jesus ,” I said. “That was—”
“Completely normal,” Kara said, cutting me off. “Happened to me to on the final fitting before my wedding. I was nervous as could be that I was going to walk down the aisle looking like a sausage stuffed into lace. But come the big day, the dress fit just right.”
“I remember,” I said, trying to keep my voice from quivering. “You looked beautiful in that dress.”
“And you do in yours, Cin,” she said. “You really look amazing.”
I let out a very shaky sigh.
“I just can’t believe that we’re down to a few weeks, and I’m barely fitting into it,” I said. “I mean look at me…”
A few self-pity inspired tears rolled down my hot cheeks.
“I am that sausage,” I said. “Only I’m wrapped in satin.”
This wasn’t me. I wasn’t the kind of girl who cried over things like this. I liked hiking and playing poker and drinking whiskey and baking killer pies.
I didn’t cry over wedding dresses, or the fact that I wasn’t fitting into mine.
“Oh, honey,” Kara said, placing her glass of complimentary champagne down on the coffee table and coming over to the mirror. “You’ve just hit a rough patch and it’s all crashing down on you.”
She hugged me, and I let out a few embarrassing sobs into her shoulder.
“And besides, where in the hell is Marie?” I said. “She was supposed to be here.”
“Don’t think about her right now,” she said.
Bethany scurried away to somewhere in the back, avoiding my mini meltdown.
“We’re going to get you into this dress come hell or high water, okay? And your wedding is going to be the most beautiful thing to hit Christmas River since Deputy Owen McHale.”
She pulled away and then smiled, and I felt a tremor of laughter start at the base of my stomach and work its way up.
Kara’s humor always had a way of getting to me, even when I was feeling really low.
I wiped away the tears.
“Ugh, you know, I didn’t even want to get a dress like this,” I said, looking back in the mirror again. “I only did it because Warren wanted to buy something really nice for me. I would’ve been happy to wear something a lot cheaper and a lot plainer.”
“Yeah, but you deserve better than cheap and plain,” Kara said. “And believe me, when you see the look on Daniel’s face after he’s seen you in this, it’ll all be worth it. I promise.”
I sighed.
“I’m sorry for freaking out,” I said. “I’ve just… you know, been under a lot of strain lately.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me,” she said. “Not after what happened yesterday. How’s little Hucks doing anyway?”
I sniveled, trying to hold back another round of tears that were looking to set themselves loose.
“He’s going to be okay.”
“So are you,” Kara said. “Now, c’mon. Let’s get you out of this stuffy shop and somewhere more fun.”
“Naw, I’ve got too much to do,” I said. “I’m already behind with this ice storm. I’ve got to get back to the shop and—”
“Listen, hon, that’s the first thing that I learned in Yoga class. You can’t help anyone if you haven’t helped yourself first.”
I tried to argue, but it was sound logic.
I let out a sigh and wiped away the smudged mascara from beneath my eyes.
“My treat,” she said, as I lifted up the heavy bottom of the dress and walked into the changing room. “And I’ll make sure
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