Her Lone Cowboy by Donna Alward Page A

on her lip as she took the gown out of the bag. In those days she’d designed and sewed many of her own clothes, thinking of opening her own boutique while Curtis worked alongside his father. She’d dreamed of teaching her own daughter to cut and stitch. She unzipped the hidden zipper and stepped into the pristine white creation. She moved the hasp of the zipper upward, sucking in a bit to get it to the top. It fit. It was a little snug in the chest, but her figure was much the same as it had been when she was eighteen and full of dreams.
    She went to the mirror and stood, staring at the fine stitch work. Spaghetti straps held the simple bodice, which draped and gathered at the side. The satin underskirt felt luxurious against her bare legs, while the chiffon fell with a long, soft ruffle down to the hem. Not a pucker or misplaced fold in sight.
    Lily raised her arms, gathering the cloud of her hair into a twist, holding it with one hand while her eyes searched the reflection in the mirror.
    “Is that Jen’s dress?”
    Lily jumped at the sound of a deep voice, releasing her hair in a tumble about her shoulders and catching her toe in the folds of the skirt.
    “Noah!”
    “You must not have heard me knock.”
    She pressed a hand to her heart, supremely embarrassed that he had found her in such a state. “So you just came in?”
    “The door was unlocked. I saw your car and figured you were home. I take it your guests are gone?” He took a hesitant step inside her room, not waiting for her answer. “That’s beautiful.”
    The compliment both touched her and cut like a knife. “You could have knocked harder,” she snapped. The last thing she needed was Noah prying. If she’d heard the knock, she could have at least scrambled out of the gown and into her jeans again. She’d never meant for anyone to actually see her in the dress. Let alone the man she hadn’t been able to erase from her thoughts. The memory of their kiss was stuck in her brain with disturbing clarity.
    “I’m sorry. I wanted to show you something.” His eyes looked sincere enough. Lily let out a breath and told herself to relax.
    “Show me something?”
    He nodded, a slow smile lighting his face making him look years younger. “I came to take you for a ride.”
    Lily understood immediately where the little boy smile had come from. “You finally got your truck.”
    “Yup.”
    “And you came to show it off.”
    “Yup.”
    “And I suppose taking Andrew or Jen for a drive wouldn’t have sufficed.” She grabbed at the opportunity for distraction, taking the focus off her appearance. He looked so hopeful she couldn’t resist teasing him just a bit.
    “I got it yesterday and drove the boys to the golf course today. I’m just on my way home and thought I’d stop.”
    She had to turn away from the pride in his voice. She was happy for him. Not being able to get around on his own had limited his freedom, and she understood how difficult it must have been for a man like him, who was used to being self-reliant. And yet she was reminded that every step of his recovery was one step further to his getting on with his life, and here she was, pathetically dressed up in a wedding dress that should never have seen the light of day again. She wished she’d never taken the garment bag out of the closet.
    “Come for a drive with me, Lily.”
    There was something in his voice that called to her even though she couldn’t say exactly what it was. But it almost sounded like need, a little thread of tension through the celebratory facade. And as much as she’d never admit it out loud, she liked being needed. Even if this development put him one step closer to being out of her life.
    She twisted her fingers together, hating the mix of feelings that seemed to keep cropping up with planning Jen and Andrew’s big day. She’d been contented here, buying her house, settling into her job, making friends. She’d even managed to avoid talk of babies and marriage