seasoned traveler. The smiling flight attendant handed him a garment bag as he strode off the plane.
Jill followed him, watching for directions to the baggage pickup. Her seatmate’s steps were crisp and purposeful. It didn’t surprise her; this was a man on the go, always in a rush to get somewhere. Meet someone. Make a deal. No time to stop and smell the orchids for her friend the grouch.
Jill lost sight of him when she purchased a lei at a concession stand. She draped the lovely garland of orchids around her neck and fingered the delicate flowers, marveling at their beauty.
Once again the reminder that adventures awaited her on this tropical island moved full sail across her heart. She wasn’t the fanciful sort, nor did she possess an extravagant imagination. Not like Shelly. Yet Jill felt something deep inside her stir to life….
Shelly had become a real believer in magic, Jill mused, smiling as she bought herself a slice of fresh pineapple. For that matter, even she—ever the practical one—found herself a tiny bit susceptible to the claims of a charmed wedding dress. Just a tiny bit, though.
Jill’s pulse quickened the way it did whenever she thought about what had happened between Shelly and Mark. It was simply the most romantic thing she’d ever known.
Romance had scurried past Jill several times. Currently she was dating Ralph, a computer programmer, but it was more for companionship than romance, although he’d been hinting for several months that they should start “getting serious.” Jill assumed he meant marriage. Ralph was nice, and so far Jill had been able to dissuade him from discussing the future of their relationship. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she just wasn’t interested in marrying him.
However, Jill fully intended to marry someday. There’d never been any question of that. The only question was who . She’d dated frequently in college, but there hadn’t been anyone special. Then, when she’d been hired as a pharmacist for PayRite, a drugstore chain with several outlets in the Pacific Northwest, the opportunities to meet eligible men had dwindled dramatically.
Prospects weren’t exactly crowding the horizon, but Jill had given up worrying about it. She’d done a fair job of pushing the thought of a husband and family to the far reaches of her mind—until she’d made one small mistake.
She’d tried on Aunt Milly’s wedding dress.
Shelly had hung the infamous dress in the very back of her closet. Out of sight, out of mind—only it hadn’t worked that way. Not a minute passed that Shelly wasn’t keenly aware of the dress and its alleged powers.
On impulse, Jill had tried it on herself. To this day she didn’t know what had prompted her to slip into the beautiful hand-sewn wedding dress. It was so elegant,so beautiful, with row upon row of pearls and delicate lace layered over satin.
That it fit as though it had been specifically designed for her had been as much of a surprise to Shelly as it had to Jill. Shelly had seemed almost giddy with relief, insisting her aunt had made a mistake and the dress was actually meant for Jill. But by that time, Shelly had already met Mark….
No, Aunt Milly hadn’t made a mistake—the wedding dress had been meant for Shelly all along. Her marriage to Mark proved it. And really, she’d have to attribute Shelly’s meeting and marrying Mark to the power of suggestion, the power of expectation—not to magic . She shook her head and hurried off to retrieve her luggage.
Then she headed outside, intent on grabbing a taxi. As the driver loaded her bags, she stood for a moment, savoring the warm breeze, enjoying the first sounds and sights of Hawaii. She couldn’t wait to get to her hotel. Through a friend who was a travel agent, Jill had been able to book a room in one of the most exclusive places on Oahu at a ridiculously low rate.
The hotel was everything the brochure had promised and more. Jill had to pinch herself
Jill followed him, watching for directions to the baggage pickup. Her seatmate’s steps were crisp and purposeful. It didn’t surprise her; this was a man on the go, always in a rush to get somewhere. Meet someone. Make a deal. No time to stop and smell the orchids for her friend the grouch.
Jill lost sight of him when she purchased a lei at a concession stand. She draped the lovely garland of orchids around her neck and fingered the delicate flowers, marveling at their beauty.
Once again the reminder that adventures awaited her on this tropical island moved full sail across her heart. She wasn’t the fanciful sort, nor did she possess an extravagant imagination. Not like Shelly. Yet Jill felt something deep inside her stir to life….
Shelly had become a real believer in magic, Jill mused, smiling as she bought herself a slice of fresh pineapple. For that matter, even she—ever the practical one—found herself a tiny bit susceptible to the claims of a charmed wedding dress. Just a tiny bit, though.
Jill’s pulse quickened the way it did whenever she thought about what had happened between Shelly and Mark. It was simply the most romantic thing she’d ever known.
Romance had scurried past Jill several times. Currently she was dating Ralph, a computer programmer, but it was more for companionship than romance, although he’d been hinting for several months that they should start “getting serious.” Jill assumed he meant marriage. Ralph was nice, and so far Jill had been able to dissuade him from discussing the future of their relationship. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she just wasn’t interested in marrying him.
However, Jill fully intended to marry someday. There’d never been any question of that. The only question was who . She’d dated frequently in college, but there hadn’t been anyone special. Then, when she’d been hired as a pharmacist for PayRite, a drugstore chain with several outlets in the Pacific Northwest, the opportunities to meet eligible men had dwindled dramatically.
Prospects weren’t exactly crowding the horizon, but Jill had given up worrying about it. She’d done a fair job of pushing the thought of a husband and family to the far reaches of her mind—until she’d made one small mistake.
She’d tried on Aunt Milly’s wedding dress.
Shelly had hung the infamous dress in the very back of her closet. Out of sight, out of mind—only it hadn’t worked that way. Not a minute passed that Shelly wasn’t keenly aware of the dress and its alleged powers.
On impulse, Jill had tried it on herself. To this day she didn’t know what had prompted her to slip into the beautiful hand-sewn wedding dress. It was so elegant,so beautiful, with row upon row of pearls and delicate lace layered over satin.
That it fit as though it had been specifically designed for her had been as much of a surprise to Shelly as it had to Jill. Shelly had seemed almost giddy with relief, insisting her aunt had made a mistake and the dress was actually meant for Jill. But by that time, Shelly had already met Mark….
No, Aunt Milly hadn’t made a mistake—the wedding dress had been meant for Shelly all along. Her marriage to Mark proved it. And really, she’d have to attribute Shelly’s meeting and marrying Mark to the power of suggestion, the power of expectation—not to magic . She shook her head and hurried off to retrieve her luggage.
Then she headed outside, intent on grabbing a taxi. As the driver loaded her bags, she stood for a moment, savoring the warm breeze, enjoying the first sounds and sights of Hawaii. She couldn’t wait to get to her hotel. Through a friend who was a travel agent, Jill had been able to book a room in one of the most exclusive places on Oahu at a ridiculously low rate.
The hotel was everything the brochure had promised and more. Jill had to pinch herself
Similar Books
