the dress,” Anne added. “I think I’ll be done on time. At least I hope I will...”
Rose sighed, and then risked a glance at RJ.
“The setup is nearly done,” he assured her, “and I’ll help where I can with the rest of it.”
Rose nodded her thanks, because she didn’t know what to say to RJ right then. She certainly couldn’t tell him that she wasn’t going to be able to work with him in the future, not when he was already speaking to the others one-by-one, presumably about what he could help them with.
She was so stressed out that she could feel the tension rising up through every sinew until she thought her body just might fold in on itself through the sheer pressure she was putting on herself, and everyone else, to pull things off. They’d all put so much into trying to make her wedding perfect, and yet nothing seemed to be going right.
At this rate, she was going to succeed in nothing other than pushing away her closest friends.
“All right,” she said. “Drop everything. I don’t know about the rest of you, but right now, I could use a drink.”
Her staff of good friends looked at her like she’d just sprouted an extra head.
“I’m serious,” Rose said. “We’re all stressing out over this wedding, and I never wanted the chalet to be like that. So I think the best thing we can all do right now is go find a bar somewhere, relax a little, and then see if everything makes more sense after that.”
One by one, the others nodded. Tyce spoke for the group. “You know I’m always up for that kind of work day.”
“I know the perfect place,” Phoebe volunteered. “It isn’t very far from here.”
They walked as a group; one big family that swept Rose along as she tried to conduct a conversation with Anne about thread types...while also trying to ignore the way RJ was looking at her.
Like she meant absolutely everything to him…and he’d love her forever, just as he’d told her less than twenty-four hours ago.
“So does it make an actual difference which thread you use?” Rose asked her friend in what she hoped was an interested tone.
“Of course it makes a difference,” Anne insisted. “There’s how strong it is, and obviously the color and shine, not to mention allowing for certain kinds of stitches. But I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to have everything finished on your dress within the next two days.”
Rose didn’t notice where they were going until she looked up and saw the sign for the bar. It was the very same bar she’d once gone to with RJ when Donovan had been late to pick her up for their Valentine’s date.
The very bar where she’d kissed RJ.
Chapter Sixteen
Phoebe, Tyce, Anne and Julie were crammed into a booth while RJ was getting drinks and Rose was in the bathroom.
“Am I the only one who thinks that at this rate, those two are never going to get it together?” Phoebe asked the rest of the group.
“They should be together,” Anne said. “You can see how much they love one another. Well, I can, anyway.”
“We all can,” Julie agreed. “I’ve known them less time than the rest of you, but it’s obvious, isn’t it? What I don’t get is why they still aren’t doing anything about it. Especially when she’s about to marry the wrong man in two days!”
Tyce shook his head. “We all know how messed up things can get when you’re in love. It can be hard to see what’s right in front of you.”
Phoebe hadn’t even believed in the existence of love before Patrick came along. And now…well, it was more than just RJ being Patrick’s brother that made her want to see him happy. She wanted her friends to have what she had. A real, true, lasting love.
“Rose and RJ are our friends,” she said. “And if there’s anything we can do to help them, I think we should do it. Even if it’s a risk.”
“If I hadn’t been working for Rose at the chalet, I wouldn’t have found Whitney again.”
“And I never would have met Patrick
Rose sighed, and then risked a glance at RJ.
“The setup is nearly done,” he assured her, “and I’ll help where I can with the rest of it.”
Rose nodded her thanks, because she didn’t know what to say to RJ right then. She certainly couldn’t tell him that she wasn’t going to be able to work with him in the future, not when he was already speaking to the others one-by-one, presumably about what he could help them with.
She was so stressed out that she could feel the tension rising up through every sinew until she thought her body just might fold in on itself through the sheer pressure she was putting on herself, and everyone else, to pull things off. They’d all put so much into trying to make her wedding perfect, and yet nothing seemed to be going right.
At this rate, she was going to succeed in nothing other than pushing away her closest friends.
“All right,” she said. “Drop everything. I don’t know about the rest of you, but right now, I could use a drink.”
Her staff of good friends looked at her like she’d just sprouted an extra head.
“I’m serious,” Rose said. “We’re all stressing out over this wedding, and I never wanted the chalet to be like that. So I think the best thing we can all do right now is go find a bar somewhere, relax a little, and then see if everything makes more sense after that.”
One by one, the others nodded. Tyce spoke for the group. “You know I’m always up for that kind of work day.”
“I know the perfect place,” Phoebe volunteered. “It isn’t very far from here.”
They walked as a group; one big family that swept Rose along as she tried to conduct a conversation with Anne about thread types...while also trying to ignore the way RJ was looking at her.
Like she meant absolutely everything to him…and he’d love her forever, just as he’d told her less than twenty-four hours ago.
“So does it make an actual difference which thread you use?” Rose asked her friend in what she hoped was an interested tone.
“Of course it makes a difference,” Anne insisted. “There’s how strong it is, and obviously the color and shine, not to mention allowing for certain kinds of stitches. But I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to have everything finished on your dress within the next two days.”
Rose didn’t notice where they were going until she looked up and saw the sign for the bar. It was the very same bar she’d once gone to with RJ when Donovan had been late to pick her up for their Valentine’s date.
The very bar where she’d kissed RJ.
Chapter Sixteen
Phoebe, Tyce, Anne and Julie were crammed into a booth while RJ was getting drinks and Rose was in the bathroom.
“Am I the only one who thinks that at this rate, those two are never going to get it together?” Phoebe asked the rest of the group.
“They should be together,” Anne said. “You can see how much they love one another. Well, I can, anyway.”
“We all can,” Julie agreed. “I’ve known them less time than the rest of you, but it’s obvious, isn’t it? What I don’t get is why they still aren’t doing anything about it. Especially when she’s about to marry the wrong man in two days!”
Tyce shook his head. “We all know how messed up things can get when you’re in love. It can be hard to see what’s right in front of you.”
Phoebe hadn’t even believed in the existence of love before Patrick came along. And now…well, it was more than just RJ being Patrick’s brother that made her want to see him happy. She wanted her friends to have what she had. A real, true, lasting love.
“Rose and RJ are our friends,” she said. “And if there’s anything we can do to help them, I think we should do it. Even if it’s a risk.”
“If I hadn’t been working for Rose at the chalet, I wouldn’t have found Whitney again.”
“And I never would have met Patrick
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