with their drawn swords, and J. R. figured they were home free when the minister pronounced them "Husband and Wife, Take Two."
But as they moved in for the kiss, Devon wobbled slightly.
"Dev?" Carly said.
Devon muttered, "Sorry, swee—" And he collapsed to the floor.
Activity swirled around them as J. R. knelt next to his unconscious brother. He gave his face a gentle tap, but Devon didn't flinch. He felt the heat at the same moment that Carly sensed it, and both of them pressed their hands to Devon's cheeks.
"He's burning up!" she cried. "Devon?"
J. R. craned to search the room for Sherilyn. When he found her, he asked, "Where's Andy?"
"He just arrived," she said as she moved into the swarm. "Could we just have everyone stand back and give Devon some air, please?"
As they complied, Devon opened his eyes slightly and the corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at J. R. "Am I married?"
"Yeah, bro. You're married."
"Oh. Good."
And with that, he rolled to his side and proceeded to vomit all over the skirt of his new wife's elaborate gown.
J. R. thought the blood-curdling scream that followed came from Carly . . . until Audrey threw herself to the floor beside her.
"Not on the dress! . . . Noooooo!!"
Safe Cleaning and Preservation
of
Wedding Gowns
• Whether you're going to save your gown for posterity
or sell it so that someone else can benefit from its use,
your first action will be to have the dress
professionally cleaned.
• Dry cleaning, although it does address soil and stains,
does little to prevent discoloration over time.
Professional cleaning and preservation involves
more; preserving and protecting the fabric includes special
treatment under special lights where soil and stains are
cleaned by hand.
• It is recommended that a gown be preserved within
three months of the wedding. Until that time, the dress can
safely be stored in a clean, dry place
protected by a cotton sheet or bolt of fabric.
• Never store a preserved wedding dress
in a basement or attic.
Preferred locations for storage include a guest room or hall
closet so that the temperature is consistent and levels of
humidity are controlled.
• Inspect the gown every year or two in order
to assure its safety
6
J . R. went with Devon to the hospital while Audrey helped
Carly out of her soiled wedding dress. Carly tossed on some jeans and an oversized chambray shirt, and Audrey quickly changed into a short cotton dress with triple spaghetti straps.
"Come on, come on," Carly whimpered as she waited at the door of the hotel room. "I have to get to him, Aud."
"I'm ready," she said, grabbing her denim jacket as she flew past the coat rack. "Let's go."
Kat and Emma waited in an SUV outside the front door, and Emma drove them to North Fulton Hospital. Squealing to a stop in front of the emergency room doors, she told them, "Go! I'll park and be right in."
Audrey didn't stand a chance of keeping up with Carly, so she let her fly ahead of her.
"Thank you so much," she said to Emma, leaning through the open back door.
"No problem," she said. "Go ahead."
Kat stayed in the front seat, and Emma pulled away from the curb the moment Audrey shut the door. Carly was nowhere in sight, but Russell nodded to her as he rose from a chair in the corner of the crowded waiting room.
"J. R. is with him, and now Carly."
"Should I go in?"
"Prolly not," he replied in his thick Australian accent. "Too crowded back there. J. R. will pop out and tell us when he knows something."
"You're probably right," she said, and Audrey dropped into a chair beside him.
"Kit-Kat with you?"
"Yes. She and Emma are parking."
"You be all right if I go find her?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
A little girl around four years old tottered up to her and smiled, batting long golden eyelashes. "I got pink boots," she said boldly. "You ever wear pink boots?"
Audrey glanced down at her own almost-to-the-knee taupe boots with a
But as they moved in for the kiss, Devon wobbled slightly.
"Dev?" Carly said.
Devon muttered, "Sorry, swee—" And he collapsed to the floor.
Activity swirled around them as J. R. knelt next to his unconscious brother. He gave his face a gentle tap, but Devon didn't flinch. He felt the heat at the same moment that Carly sensed it, and both of them pressed their hands to Devon's cheeks.
"He's burning up!" she cried. "Devon?"
J. R. craned to search the room for Sherilyn. When he found her, he asked, "Where's Andy?"
"He just arrived," she said as she moved into the swarm. "Could we just have everyone stand back and give Devon some air, please?"
As they complied, Devon opened his eyes slightly and the corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at J. R. "Am I married?"
"Yeah, bro. You're married."
"Oh. Good."
And with that, he rolled to his side and proceeded to vomit all over the skirt of his new wife's elaborate gown.
J. R. thought the blood-curdling scream that followed came from Carly . . . until Audrey threw herself to the floor beside her.
"Not on the dress! . . . Noooooo!!"
Safe Cleaning and Preservation
of
Wedding Gowns
• Whether you're going to save your gown for posterity
or sell it so that someone else can benefit from its use,
your first action will be to have the dress
professionally cleaned.
• Dry cleaning, although it does address soil and stains,
does little to prevent discoloration over time.
Professional cleaning and preservation involves
more; preserving and protecting the fabric includes special
treatment under special lights where soil and stains are
cleaned by hand.
• It is recommended that a gown be preserved within
three months of the wedding. Until that time, the dress can
safely be stored in a clean, dry place
protected by a cotton sheet or bolt of fabric.
• Never store a preserved wedding dress
in a basement or attic.
Preferred locations for storage include a guest room or hall
closet so that the temperature is consistent and levels of
humidity are controlled.
• Inspect the gown every year or two in order
to assure its safety
6
J . R. went with Devon to the hospital while Audrey helped
Carly out of her soiled wedding dress. Carly tossed on some jeans and an oversized chambray shirt, and Audrey quickly changed into a short cotton dress with triple spaghetti straps.
"Come on, come on," Carly whimpered as she waited at the door of the hotel room. "I have to get to him, Aud."
"I'm ready," she said, grabbing her denim jacket as she flew past the coat rack. "Let's go."
Kat and Emma waited in an SUV outside the front door, and Emma drove them to North Fulton Hospital. Squealing to a stop in front of the emergency room doors, she told them, "Go! I'll park and be right in."
Audrey didn't stand a chance of keeping up with Carly, so she let her fly ahead of her.
"Thank you so much," she said to Emma, leaning through the open back door.
"No problem," she said. "Go ahead."
Kat stayed in the front seat, and Emma pulled away from the curb the moment Audrey shut the door. Carly was nowhere in sight, but Russell nodded to her as he rose from a chair in the corner of the crowded waiting room.
"J. R. is with him, and now Carly."
"Should I go in?"
"Prolly not," he replied in his thick Australian accent. "Too crowded back there. J. R. will pop out and tell us when he knows something."
"You're probably right," she said, and Audrey dropped into a chair beside him.
"Kit-Kat with you?"
"Yes. She and Emma are parking."
"You be all right if I go find her?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
A little girl around four years old tottered up to her and smiled, batting long golden eyelashes. "I got pink boots," she said boldly. "You ever wear pink boots?"
Audrey glanced down at her own almost-to-the-knee taupe boots with a
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