LOST AND FOUND HUSBAND by Sheri Whitefeather Page A

can feel it.”
    Two stores later, she zeroed in on a long white cocktail dress from the same era as the bridesmaids’ dresses that could easily double as a wedding gown. She tried it on and sighed in delight. What she loved most were the tiny multicolored jewels sprinkled throughout the fabric to form daisy shapes. The gown had an ethereal quality, but at the same time, made a bold and free-spirited statement.
    Candy and Kaley fussed over her, telling her how stunning she looked. She was definitely going to buy it. Not only did it fit her style, it was marvelously affordable.
    “Are you going to wear a veil, a fancy comb, or a crown of flowers in your hair?” Eric’s daughter asked. “Any of it would work.”
    “I don’t know.” The possibilities seemed endless.
    “Let’s get some lunch,” Candy said. “Then we can go to bridal shops and check out the accessories.”
    While they ate, they chatted excitedly about the wedding. Dana was determined to maintain her sunny disposition and be her usual exuberant self, to make the most of marrying Eric, even if he was cautious about marrying her. She understood how scary this was for him. But for her it was becoming an adventure.
    Of course this was the party-planning stage. Why wouldn’t it be fun, especially with the bridesmaids sharing her enthusiasm?
    After lunch, they continued shopping, hitting bridal shops, as Candy had suggested.
    There were tons of lovely accessories. Dana tried on veils and headbands and an assortment of combs.
    Then Kaley said, “Look over here,” drawing her attention to another display case.
    Immediately Dana knew why. On the second shelf were jeweled hairpins, in the shape of daisies, in every color imaginable. They were small and delicate and oh so perfect.
    Candy peered into the case, too. “Oh, Dana. Those look as if they were designed just for your dress.”
    “I know. Can you believe it?”
    “You could fix your hair so it’s half up and half down,” Kaley said. “And you could put those little pins all throughout, making them an intricate part of the design.”
    “What a fabulous idea. I’ll get most of them in turquoise and yellow, so they’ll tie in with the wedding colors. But I’ll get some in other colors, too, like the daisies on my dress.” She felt like Cinderella in the making. But that was how a bride should feel.
    After she’d made the purchase, they agreed to go the craft store to look for things to use to make the centerpieces for the tables.
    “I already conned Dad into helping us make the decorations,” Kaley said.
    “You did?” Dana hadn’t expected him to get involved.
    “He tried to refuse, but I made a stink about how he’s an artist and how he should put his talent to use for us.”
    “Good thinking,” Dana said. “We’ll just get a bunch of interesting stuff and let him figure out how to make it work.” She adored the thought of Eric’s participation.
    She wanted her groom to start enjoying the wedding in any way he could.
    * * *
    On the day Eric, Dana and Kaley were going to make the centerpieces, Kaley called and said she was running late and to get started without her.
    Eric sat at one of the work tables in his studio, with Dana by his side. She’d arrived on time, so for now it was just the two of them, sorting through the craft items she’d brought with her.
    He took inventory: silk daisies, turquoise and yellow ribbon in various widths and textures, plastic jewels in an array of colors, long white ostrich plums, acrylic champagne glasses, shiny gold candles and an assortment of glittery baskets.
    “What do you think?” Dana asked.
    What he thought was that they’d bought way more stuff than was necessary, but he’d agreed to work on this project so he was going to use his imagination and make it fly.
    He asked, “How many centerpieces do we need?”
    “Four. But we figured that we could use anything that’s leftover to decorate the cake table.”
    “Then how about this? We