here.” She rose and gave Melissa a hug. “Have some strawberries. I picked them yesterday at Boone Hall. I have one of those Keurig machines, I can make you coffee or tea in a few seconds. What’ll you have?”
Between Bo and Shane and Cassie, Melissa felt jittery enough. “Nothing, thanks. The garden’s beautiful.”
“Thanks, it was an expensive addition, but a good one. Several brides have had their portraits done here. A few engagement pictures, too.” Mitzi drained her coffee cup. “So, how’s your mama? Haven’t seen her around in a while.”
“She’s good. Says she’s not lonely, but I think she is.”
Mitzi and Mama had been friends since high school; it was one of the reasons Melissa suggested Mitzi’s bridal shop to her brides-to-be. “Pretty woman inside and out, but she never got over your daddy. I was sure she would, he’s been gone, what, fifteen years?”
“Eighteen. Mama says another man’s just not in the cards for her.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Every time you call to order a dress, I get my hopes up that it’s a bridal gown.”
“You just like to make a big sale,” Melissa teased.
“Goodness, no, honey, I already love you for sending so many brides my way. I just want to see you happily married.”
“What if I got married and my gift suffered or went away altogether? Then where would you be?”
“Probably with your mama, oohing and ahhing over your babies.”
Melissa followed Mitzi through the back door into the foyer. She set her breakfast tray at the bottom of the stairs to take up later and led Melissa into the salon. “I wish your dress was in for Amanda’s wedding, you could just go ahead and try both of them on.” Okay, so Melissa was responsible for Heather and Nick’s wedding in two weeks, and Amanda and Guy’s wedding the week after that.
She really needed to learn how to say no. She’d passed the twenty-seven dresses benchmark before she turned twenty-seven and could probably pay her house off if she had all the money she’d spent on bridesmaid dresses and matching shoes.
Of course the bride always claimed she hadn’t picked a one-and-done dress, or shoes, which was a very lovely lie. The good news? Melissa had donated all of the dresses to Gown Town, a promotion sponsored by a local radio station, WHAM, that collected gently used, formal dresses and shoes to give to underprivileged girls.
“Pretty,” Mitzi said as she pulled the gown off the rack. But the dress was definitely a one-and-done. It was teal, strappy, and simple, until it got to the bottom. There were three layers of ruffles. Ruffles. And the shoes of course were dyed to match.
“How much is this going to set me back?”
Mitzi helped Melissa into the gown and zipped it up, standing behind her like she always did, studying Melissa’s look in the mirror. “This one is on the house.”
“That’s what you said the last time, and I told you no more freebies.”
“It’s a new customer appreciation plan. Buy ten get one free.” She put some straight pins between her lips. Melissa never understood this about Mitzi, why she couldn’t just pull the pins out of the giant pink, satin pincushion, one-by-one. She pinned the dress in at the waist on both sides. “I’ll have to take the ruffle off to hem it.” She let out a sigh. “This will be somebody’s prom dress for sure.”
Fifteen minutes later, Mitzi was satisfied she’d nipped and tucked the dress to perfection. Melissa was slipping out of it when Mitzi looked at her with a wry grin. “Before you get dressed,” she went to a huge rack at the back of the shop and started flipping through dresses. “Humor me?” Mitzi’s look was pure trouble.
“What is it?”
“Weddings are so expensive these days, and not as many people preserve their dresses and save them like they used to when your mama and I were your age.” She pulled out a white satin, poofy-looking gown, put it back, and flipped
Between Bo and Shane and Cassie, Melissa felt jittery enough. “Nothing, thanks. The garden’s beautiful.”
“Thanks, it was an expensive addition, but a good one. Several brides have had their portraits done here. A few engagement pictures, too.” Mitzi drained her coffee cup. “So, how’s your mama? Haven’t seen her around in a while.”
“She’s good. Says she’s not lonely, but I think she is.”
Mitzi and Mama had been friends since high school; it was one of the reasons Melissa suggested Mitzi’s bridal shop to her brides-to-be. “Pretty woman inside and out, but she never got over your daddy. I was sure she would, he’s been gone, what, fifteen years?”
“Eighteen. Mama says another man’s just not in the cards for her.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Every time you call to order a dress, I get my hopes up that it’s a bridal gown.”
“You just like to make a big sale,” Melissa teased.
“Goodness, no, honey, I already love you for sending so many brides my way. I just want to see you happily married.”
“What if I got married and my gift suffered or went away altogether? Then where would you be?”
“Probably with your mama, oohing and ahhing over your babies.”
Melissa followed Mitzi through the back door into the foyer. She set her breakfast tray at the bottom of the stairs to take up later and led Melissa into the salon. “I wish your dress was in for Amanda’s wedding, you could just go ahead and try both of them on.” Okay, so Melissa was responsible for Heather and Nick’s wedding in two weeks, and Amanda and Guy’s wedding the week after that.
She really needed to learn how to say no. She’d passed the twenty-seven dresses benchmark before she turned twenty-seven and could probably pay her house off if she had all the money she’d spent on bridesmaid dresses and matching shoes.
Of course the bride always claimed she hadn’t picked a one-and-done dress, or shoes, which was a very lovely lie. The good news? Melissa had donated all of the dresses to Gown Town, a promotion sponsored by a local radio station, WHAM, that collected gently used, formal dresses and shoes to give to underprivileged girls.
“Pretty,” Mitzi said as she pulled the gown off the rack. But the dress was definitely a one-and-done. It was teal, strappy, and simple, until it got to the bottom. There were three layers of ruffles. Ruffles. And the shoes of course were dyed to match.
“How much is this going to set me back?”
Mitzi helped Melissa into the gown and zipped it up, standing behind her like she always did, studying Melissa’s look in the mirror. “This one is on the house.”
“That’s what you said the last time, and I told you no more freebies.”
“It’s a new customer appreciation plan. Buy ten get one free.” She put some straight pins between her lips. Melissa never understood this about Mitzi, why she couldn’t just pull the pins out of the giant pink, satin pincushion, one-by-one. She pinned the dress in at the waist on both sides. “I’ll have to take the ruffle off to hem it.” She let out a sigh. “This will be somebody’s prom dress for sure.”
Fifteen minutes later, Mitzi was satisfied she’d nipped and tucked the dress to perfection. Melissa was slipping out of it when Mitzi looked at her with a wry grin. “Before you get dressed,” she went to a huge rack at the back of the shop and started flipping through dresses. “Humor me?” Mitzi’s look was pure trouble.
“What is it?”
“Weddings are so expensive these days, and not as many people preserve their dresses and save them like they used to when your mama and I were your age.” She pulled out a white satin, poofy-looking gown, put it back, and flipped
Similar Books
