I had just opened my mouth to continue the debate with Madge when I heard Brady’s voice from outside the dressing room. “You ladies okay in there?”
Madge opened the door a crack and waved her hand. “Yep. Now go away, Brady. We’re talking business in here. Besides, I thought you were going to your office.”
“Haven’t made it that far yet.” He leaned against the door frame, his towering presence a little intimidating. “Just wanted to let you know that I talked to Mom. She’s ready to see Katie now.”
“Perfect.” Madge nodded.
“If you ladies are talking business, don’t you think it involves me? I am managing the store now, remember?” His words sounded a little strained, as if he’d had this conversation with Madge before.
“Sure, sure, kid.” She waved him away. “Whatever you say. Just give me a minute with the ladies and then we’ll head back to your mom’s office.” Madge closed the door in his face. “Poor guy. I know this isn’t the life he would’ve chosen for himself.” She took a seat on the bench once more and sighed. “It took Nadia weeks to convince Brady that he should take over the shop while she’s in Paris. He agreed to do it, and he’s settling in well. But I daresay he would rather be back out on the court. When his leg is ready, I mean. Until then, he’s on our team.”
Lori-Lou glanced toward the closed door. “I’d say he’s a great team player. That’s what they do. They stick around and pick up the slack. They don’t care about the glory. If there’s a need, they meet it, injured or not.”
“That’s Brady, all right. The boy’s a real gem.” Madge lowered her voice. “And it’s not like he can play right now anyway. He’s only three months out from his knee surgery, and the doctor says he might need another one because it’s not healing properly.”
I felt for him. Taking over his mother’s wedding dress shop was probably the last thing he wanted to do. And here we were, excluding him from a conversation that involved the shop.
“He’s the one in charge once his mom leaves for Paris.” She chuckled. “Well, in theory, anyway.” She leaned against the door, her voice growing louder. “If you ask anyone who works here, I run this shop.”
“I heard that, Madge.” Brady’s voice sounded once more from outside the door.
“We have to tell him,” I whispered. “That I don’t need the dress, I mean.”
“No way.” Madge shook her head and lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper. “We’ll go out there and smile and meet with Nadia. And we will not—under any circumstances—say a word to Brady. Not yet. The boy’s nervous enough already. Let’s don’t rock the boat.”
I agreed to keep my mouth shut, at least for now. When we exited the dressing room, I found Brady standing in the hallway. His blue eyes pierced the distance between us. “I was getting worried about you ladies.”
“Nothing to worry about.” Madge patted him on the back. “Now, you take it from here, Brady. Introduce Katie to your mom. I’ve got to get back up to the counter.” She headed to the front of the store, mumbling under her breath something about how her work was never done.
Brady seemed to have resigned himself to the fact that he was now my tour guide. He looked at me. “So, you saw everything?”
“Yeah. All but your mom’s studio, of course.”
“She’s going to meet us there in a couple minutes.” He looked around as if trying to figure out what we should do next. The poor guy really looked lost. I could picture him shooting hoops, but not trimming out wedding dresses or talking brides into petticoats for their gowns.
He led the way to the back of the shop and turned to face me. “Do you know anything about my mom?”
“Do I?” I couldn’t help the smile that followed. “Are you kidding? I’ve been following her designs for years. She’s famous, you know.”
“So they tell me.”
“You goober.” Lori-Lou jabbed me with her elbow. “Brady is famous too.”
“Oh, I’ve heard all about you from Casey,” I said. “I think he was watching the game when you . . .” I pointed to his knee. “Anyway, he was watching that night. Everyone in town talked about it.”
“Which town?”
“Fairfield.”
“So I’m famous in Fairfield, eh?” He led us through the workroom at the back of the store to a door that read STUDIO. “Well, that’s good to know. But my mom’s reach is a little farther than that. She’s headed to Paris, which is why I’m here managing the shop.”
“Working for Madge.” Lori-Lou gave him a funny smile.
I expected Brady to smirk, but he actually grinned. “Madge definitely calls the shots around here, but don’t ever tell her I told you that. We couldn’t manage without her. I don’t mind admitting she’s the boss of, well, everything.”
“She seems really . . . businesslike.”
“All business, but she’s really a marshmallow on the inside,” Brady said. “Anyway, Mom’s doing an internship in Paris for a year. That’s why I’m at the shop. I’m—”
“You’re filling in for your mom?” Lori-Lou asked. “Must be quite a gig after basketball, right?” She laughed. “From dribbling to walking the aisle. Quite a shift.”
“Yeah.” His gaze shifted to the carpet and then back to us. “Look, this isn’t my idea of a dream job. In fact, it’s not a job at all. It’s a family business and one that someone has to run while she’s away.”
“I’m sorry, Brady.” Lori-Lou’s voice softened. “I was just kidding with you. I guess I don’t really know you well enough to do that. Yet.”
“Nah, it’s okay.” He shrugged. “It’s just all new to me.” His face lit into a smile. “Everyone’s excited about the contest, which makes the transition easier. It’s been months in the making, and Mom couldn’t wait to meet the winner. Brace yourself, okay? I’m sure she’ll ask you a million questions about your wedding plans.”
“O-oh?”
“Yes. At some point she’ll want to know your theme and color choices. Also your fiancé’s tuxedo preferences.”
“My fiancé?” The words stuck on the roof of my mouth, kind of like peanut butter. Madge, I’m going to blow this! I have to tell him.
“Sure. She wants to provide the tuxedo too,” Brady said. “Didn’t you know that? I thought Madge would’ve told you.”
“She didn’t. We, um, didn’t really have a chance to talk about all of that.”
“It was all spelled out in the contest entry form,” Brady explained. “He’ll have to come for a fitting in a few weeks. And the bridesmaids too.”
“Bridesmaids?”
“Ooh, yes, yes!” Lori-Lou raised her hand. “I get to be in the wedding party, right? Matron of honor? Isn’t that what you said out there?”
I glared at her.
“I’ve always dreamed of being a matron of honor. This will be quite a privilege, let me tell you.” Her nose wrinkled. “But my figure’s not what it used to be. You can thank three ornery kids for that.”
Brady turned his attention to her. “Do you think you’ll be able to find something off the rack? We have more choices than most bridal stores, so I’m hoping the bridesmaids can find something that will work with the overall theme.” He turned back to me. “You did say you had a theme, right? Most brides do these days.”
“Well, I’ve always loved shabby chic,” I said. “But honestly, I think I should tell you that—”
“That we’ll definitely be able to pick something off the rack.” Lori-Lou smiled. “You’ve got oodles of options.”
“Oodles of options. That’s a new one.” He grinned, and for a moment that handsome face of his looked magazine-cover ready. Yummy. If I told him the truth about my wedding—or lack thereof—I’d wipe that gorgeous smile right off his face. Maybe I’d better wait awhile to do that. Besides, what would Madge say? I’d only known the woman a few minutes, but I had a feeling she could take me down in a hurry.
“This is your special day, Katie.” Brady gave me a warm smile.
“My mother wants to do everything she can to make it the best it can be.” He reached to take hold of the handle on the studio door. “It doesn’t hurt that the press will be there, you know. Great advertisement for the shop and for her designs.”
“Wait, press? At my wedding?”
“Sure. Didn’t you read the entry form at all?” His brow wrinkled in concern.
“Katie’s just distracted,” Lori-Lou said as she glanced down at her phone once again. “You know how hectic things can be during times like this.”
Times like this? I glared at her again.
“Well, the point is, my mom wants all of this to be perfect for everyone, and not just because of the press. She loves what she does and wants everyone to be happy.”
He opened the door and gestured for us to enter. I took a couple of steps inside Nadia’s studio and fell in love with the place all over again. Seeing the dresses done up in the store was nothing in comparison to this. The fabrics, lace, and embellishments still took my breath away.
“Wow.” I couldn’t seem to manage much else.
“Wow, wow!” Lori-Lou echoed as she stood frozen in place. Except for the incessant beeping from her phone, the whole room was silent.
“Mom’s pretty fixated with fashions from days gone by,” Brady explained as he led us to the sewing area.
“I read all about it in Texas Bride,” Lori-Lou said. “The article said her work has prompted a revival in the industry.”
“That’s true.” Brady nodded, and I could see the look of pride in his eyes as we talked about his mother.
“I just know that brides can’t get enough of her gowns,” I added.
“They’re coming from out of the woodwork.” He laughed. “Not just from Texas, but all over the US and beyond.”
“Vintage is in.” Lori-Lou stopped at the cutting table to run her hand over a swatch of satin. “Wow. Wow.”
“You ladies give me a minute to let Mom know you’re here. She’s anxious to meet you, Katie.” Brady smiled and headed off to a room marked OFFICE.
Moments later Nadia James entered the sewing room. I couldn’t help but gasp as the lovely woman moved in our direction. She had to be about Mama’s age, but talk about polar opposites. Where Mama was short and slightly round, Nadia was tall and thin. Mama’s short gray hair was naturally curly. Nadia had obviously taken hours to perfect her platinum locks.
Lori-Lou nudged me with her elbow and mouthed “Wow” once more. I felt like echoing the word myself. Nadia was the sort of woman who looked as if she belonged on the cover of a magazine. Gorgeous. Other than on television, I’d never seen anyone so well put together. And well preserved to boot. Her perfectly bobbed platinum hair held my attention, but the perfection didn’t end there. High cheekbones. Excellent skin. And the makeup! Man, talk about flawless.
We didn’t get a lot of women like this in Fairfield. Well, unless you counted Frenchie at Do or Dye. She’d gone away to beauty school a duckling and come back a swan. Rumor had it she’d gone under the knife, but the supposed plastic surgery had only changed her appearance—in particular, her nose. Her sparkling personality remained the same.
Speaking of sparkling, the older woman now standing in front of me sparkled with glitz and glam. No wonder folks gravitated to Nadia for her vintage gowns. She shimmered to the core. Well, maybe it had a little something to do with the crystals on her blouse. And that necklace! Were those real diamonds? Surely not.
Brady gestured to her with a broad smile on his face. “Ladies, let me introduce you to my mother, Nadia James. Mama, this is Katie Fisher, our contest winner.”
I gave her a closer look and saw the family resemblance. Both were tall. Both had sparkling blue eyes. Both had that “just been in the sun” bronzed look about them. Most of all, they both seemed confident and kind. Approachable. All it took was one look at the sincerity in this amazing woman’s eyes for me to know I had to come clean about my non-wedding, no matter what Madge had insisted.
“I . . . I . . .” I swallowed hard, knowing I was about to wipe that sparkle right out of her eyes with my terrible news.
Courage, Katie. Courage.
11
For Heaven’s Sake
You aren’t wealthy until you have something money can’t buy.
Garth Brooks
Nadia extended her hand with a warm smile. “Katie, I’m so glad to meet you,” she said. “I’ve looked forward to this day for ages.”
I took hold of her hand—wow, soft—and shook it. “Nice to meet you.” The intoxicating aroma of expensive perfume wafted in the air between us. I didn’t know much about such things, but I could tell money when I smelled it.
“For some reason, I thought you were coming Monday, not today.” Nadia tucked her hair behind her right ear.
“Her plans have been a little . . . loose.” Lori-Lou typed something into her phone, then glanced up at our hostess with a whimsical smile.
Nadia glanced at my cousin, her thinly plucked brows elevating slightly. “And who have we here?”
“Oh, this is Lori-Lou,” I said.
“Katie’s matron of honor,” Brady explained.
“Yes, matron of honor. Because I’m married with children.” Lori-Lou giggled. “Otherwise I’d be a maid of honor. I mean, you know . . .” Her words drifted off as I glared at her once again.
“Wonderful to meet you!” Nadia fussed with her hair. “Well, as I said, I wish I’d known you were coming this morning, ladies. I would’ve called the news stations. They could’ve sent a camera crew to greet you. Hope you don’t mind that it’s just me.”
My heart quickened. “Oh, I’m relieved, actually. Can’t imagine being greeted by the press. You see, I don’t want my parents to know about this.”
“Don’t want your parents to know?” Nadia’s face contorted, then she snapped her fingers. “Oh, I get it! You want to surprise your parents with the gown? This is even better! We’ll let them know at the last minute, when your photo appears on the cover of Texas Bride magazine. How’s that? I’ll be flying back in from Paris for a charity event that week prior, so it’s the perfect time for the big reveal. I don’t mind holding off with the media. Makes perfect sense, actually. We’ll stir up excitement in the week leading up to the reveal. Create a sense of anticipation.”
Anticipation. Now there was a word I knew well.
“My parents live in Fairfield,” I explained. “They rarely pay attention to Dallas news, especially wedding stuff. It’s the furthest thing from their minds.”
“Don’t folks get married in Fairfield?” Nadia asked. “Weddings aren’t a big deal?”
“Well, sure, they’re a big deal. But in Fairfield we all get married in our local church or at the civic center. There’s a gazebo at the park that we sometimes use for photos. Most of the girls I know got married in gowns that they bought at Fanny’s or online.”
“Fanny’s?” Nadia looked confused.
“Online?” Brady echoed.
“You’re in the big city now, Katie.” Lori-Lou laughed and shoved her phone in her purse once again.
Nadia took me by the arm and patted it as she led me to her work area. “Yes, here in Dallas we do it a bit differently, especially at Cosmopolitan. Weddings are all about the gown. And the veil. But mostly about the gown.” Nadia released a girlish giggle. “We are dedicated—and I do mean completely dedicated—to giving the bride the experience of a lifetime. A girl only gets married once, you know.” A sad look came over her. “Well, in theory, anyway.”
“Oh, I know Cosmopolitan is the best.”
“It’s wonderful to make brides feel . . . wonderful.” Nadia glanced at her watch. “I wish I had time to visit with you awhile, Katie—to hear your story—but I have an appointment with another bride in less than an hour. Would you mind if we went ahead and took your measurements right away, instead of waiting until Monday? That way I can spend the weekend thinking through a plan. It’ll give me a head start, which is always nice.
”
I shook my head. “No. I mean, no, please don’t.” I felt my face grow warm as I looked at Brady.
“Oh, right, right.” She glanced at her son. “Do you mind, honey? We need some privacy. And would you mind fetching Madge for me? And Dahlia too. I’ll need her help with my sketches.”
Brady shot out of the room quicker than a player making a three-point shot in the fourth quarter of the game. I turned to face my benefactor, determined to tell her the truth before Madge arrived. “Nadia, I’m so grateful for this. You have no idea.”
“Oh, sweetie, I do.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I was a young bride once too.” In that moment, the strong features in her face softened. “I married young and had nothing. Absolutely nothing. It would’ve meant the world to me to win a dress like this, so I understand.”
“Well, thank you, but what I meant to say was—”
“Ooh, your ring!” She reached for my left hand and lifted it. “It’s gorgeous! Antique?”
“Yes. It was my grandmother’s.”
“I love it. Keeping things in the family is so nice. I’m sure your fiancé was thrilled for the opportunity to slip it on your finger.”
“Well, actually, he—”
“Nadia!” Madge’s voice sounded from the open doorway. “You need me?”
“I do.” Nadia released her grip on my hand. “And Dahlia too.”
“She’s with a customer right now.” Madge walked our way. “Princess Bride.”
“Ah.” Nadia nodded as she looped the measuring tape around my hips. “Got it.”
“Princess Bride?” I glanced up as Nadia reached around me to measure my bust. Awkward! “An actual princess?”
“No.” Madge rolled her eyes. “In this case she happens to be the daughter of some oil sheik in the Middle East. Spoiled rich kid. Princess attitude, but none of the grace. We get a lot of ’em in the store, trust me.”
Every Bride Needs a Groom Page 9