I couldn’t help the little groan that escaped as I realized I’d been had. Again. “Guess I failed the test.”
“It’s okay.” He planted a kiss in my hair, then another. And another. “I grade on a curve.”
Thank goodness someone did. The way things were going around here, I’d be the first bride in the history of the world to get a big fat F in wedding planning.
Not that I wanted to think about that right now. Nope. Right now I just wanted to eat some Mexican food.
Or Chinese.
Or . . . whatever.
3
This One’s for the Girls
I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.
Audrey Hepburn
The following Saturday Aunt Alva and I made the drive to Fairfield. Though Brady and I hadn’t come to any solid conclusions about our own wedding, I needed to help my future sister-in-law with hers. Unlike all of my friends and family members, I wouldn’t try to overwhelm her with ideas.
As we buzzed down 287 through the town of Waxahachie, Aunt Alva fussed with her makeup, her attempts at eye shadow a little iffy from the passenger seat. She ended up with a bright streak of blue running underneath her left eye.
“I must confess, I’m getting terribly confused.” Alva closed the mirror on the visor.
“About makeup?”
“No.” She shoved her makeup bag down to the floor. “About all of these weddings. Crystal and Jasper. You and Brady. It’s all running together in my mind. If I ever get engaged, I’m going to run away and get married on a beach. By myself.”
“Hopefully with your groom.” I giggled. “But if it makes you feel any better, I’m feeling a little confused too. I don’t know what I’ll do when you and Eduardo get engaged.”
“And Dahlia and Dewey.” My aunt gave me a knowing look. “It’s just a matter of time.”
“And Beau and Twiggy. You know he’s just biding his time until he becomes Stan’s business partner at the agency, and that’s going to happen soon. I feel sure of it.”
“So many weddings, so little time. And again I say, if I end up engaged—”
“You will.” I gave her a wink.
“If I get engaged, I’m running away from home. Or getting married on a random Tuesday when no one expects it. Either way, it’ll be something simple, not a big event that people have to spend months planning for.”
“As if Eduardo is capable of doing anything the simple way.” I couldn’t help but laugh at that.
“It’s true.” She sighed. “He is the most creative man I’ve ever met. No doubt he has some sort of plan up his sleeve. I just wish he’d pop the question so we can feel like we fit in with all of the other engaged folks.”
I bit my tongue to keep from saying more. Brady had shared the news just yesterday: Eduardo was definitely planning to pop the question, in his own time and way. How wonderful to think that Alva would finally, after all these years, have her happily ever after.
To avoid mentioning all of this, I changed the topic to the weather. We made small talk all the way to Fairfield, where I stopped by the hardware store to pick up Crystal. Something about being back in my hometown made me feel so comfortable, so at ease. And when I walked inside the store, my sense of family pride really kicked in. I let out a little whistle as I took in the work my brother had done on the store’s interior—new paint, new layout, new . . . everything.
From behind the register, my brother gave me a wave. “Welcome to Fisher’s Hardware, home of the two-dollar toilet snake.” He chuckled.
I gestured to the shop as I walked toward him. “Jasper, it’s fantastic. I’m overwhelmed. Great job.”
“Isn’t it just luv-lee?” Crystal appeared from the back room, several boxes of water filters in hand. “I’m tickled pink!”
“Yes, it’s lovely,” I responded. “You’ve both done such a great job. Jasper, Pop would be very proud if he could see all of this.”
“Thanks.” My brother squared his shoulders, and I could see the look of pride in his eyes as he led the way from shelf to shelf, showing off his work. If I hadn’t picked up on the enthusiasm from Jasper, I would’ve noticed it in Crystal’s eyes for sure.
My future sister-in-law pointed to the new “lighting” corner of the store, which boasted several gorgeous fixtures hanging from above. “Isn’t it just the bay-est?” she crooned. “This fella of mine is handy with a hay-a-mer, and he’s a great salesman to boot. Now, if we can just get him to agree to way-er a tuxedo at our wed-din’, I’ll be a happy gur-ul.”
“Of course he’s wearing a tux at your wedding.” I slapped my brother on the arm. “He’s just teasing you if he says anything otherwise. Right, Jasper?”
My brother squirmed. “Can’t I just get married in my Sunday suit? I wore it to Queenie’s wedding.”
“Yes, you wore it to Queenie’s weddin’ because you weren’t the groom.” Crystal spoke in a motherly voice. “This time you’re the groom . . . and you’re wearin’ a tuxedo. I can’t be-lieve you’re not playin’ along for my sake. We’ve only got a few weeks, you know. The weddin’s in May, honey. May.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll drive over to Teague and see about getting a tuxedo.” My brother rolled his eyes. “If that’s what it takes to make my bride happy.”
“Over my dead body.” I crossed my arms and stared him down. “You’ll come to Cosmopolitan Bridal and let us fit you in the best tuxedo we’ve got.”
“Oh, amen, honey. Preach it.” Crystal gave me an admiring look. “Now you’re talkin’.”
Jasper did not look convinced. He raked his fingers through his messy hair and then tugged at the collar of his plaid shirt. “But Katie, I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a—”
I waved my hand to dismiss his concerns. “Don’t you worry about the cost, Jasper. You just come in and let Eduardo fit you in a tuxedo that will make your bride’s head swim. It won’t cost you much at all, I promise.”
“All right, but I’m not sure I want her head to swim. It’s already going to be the hottest May we’ve ever had. Have you been watching the weather reports? That fella on the weather channel says we’re gonna have a heat wave like no other.”
“A little ol’ heat wave never bothered me none.” Crystal giggled. “I’m used to it, bein’ a Southern girl and all. Besides, I’ll be a glistening bride on our weddin’ day. A little perspiration never hurt anyone.”
“That’s what she tells me every time she wants me to rearrange another section of the store.” Jasper laughed and gestured to the aisle on our right. “But I’ve gotta give it to her, it’s worth the sweat.”
“And our weddin’ will be too.” She reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Speakin’ of which, we’d better get on the road to Queenie’s place. Thanks for swingin’ by to pick me up, Katie.” She glanced through the window at Aunt Alva still seated in the front passenger seat of my car. “My goodness, I do hope she’s asleep and nothin’ more.”
“Oh yes. She dozed off somewhere around Corsicana. I didn’t have the heart to wake her. She needs her rest.”
“I’m going to as well, if this weddin’ plannin’ gets too complicated.” She reached for my hand. “I’m glad you’re going to be with me.”
“Yes, we need someone to run interference.” Jasper turned to rearrange a couple of lightbulb packages on the shelf.
“Interference? What do you mean?”
My brother turned back to face me, and I could see the concern in his eyes. “At the brunch today—if Queenie or Bessie May or any of the others get too bossy, help Crystal reel ’em back in. Promise?”
I sighed. “I can only promise to try.”
“I’m just saying.” Jasper gave us both a knowing look. “You know how those WOP-pers are. They’re going to try to arrange everything for Crystal, and I want to make sure someone’s looking out for her best
interests.”
I did my best not to groan as he mentioned the WOP-pers, Fairfield’s Women of Prayer group. They might be prayer warriors, but they also tended to be on the nosy, buttinsky side. Hopefully they wouldn’t try to pull my future sister-in-law into their web.
Crystal’s brow furrowed. “Oh, honey, put your mind at ease! I might be a gentle, sweet Southern girl, but I know how to get my way. I’m the bride, after all. They can make all the suggestions they want, but our plans are set. No one’s changin’ a thing.”
I gave her an admiring look. “Where do I get that kind of moxie?”
Crystal put her hand on my arm. “I don’t know what moxie is, Katie Sue. But if you’re askin’ how I plan to work up the courage to tell those ladies they’re needing to back down, I’ll just say it, plain ’n’ simple. I’ve already had some practice with Ophelia. Would you believe she said my Gone with the Wind weddin’ theme was ri-dic-ulous? Clearly the woman was not born and raised in the South. She has infiltrated from northern ranks.”
I bit back a laugh. “Well, I know that everyone has their own ideas of how things should be done. Trust me, Brady and I are hearing from everyone about our own wedding.”
“Promise me something, Katie Sue.” Crystal took my hands. “Your day is yours. Don’t let anyone steal it from you. If you want to walk down the aisle on pogo sticks, you do it. If you want to set up chairs on the moon, go for it. If you want to hold a picnic on the courthouse lawn, do it, girl!”
A picnic on the courthouse lawn.
Those words jumped out at me and rooted themselves in my imagination. Now, that might be a fun place to hold a reception. We could put in a large dance floor on the lawn, couldn’t we? And lovely summery centerpieces for the tables. Hmm.
I thought about our conversation all the way to the car. As we got settled inside, I adjusted the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of my future sister-in-law touching up her cotton-candy-pink lipstick. She looked so at ease, not at all worried about fending off the ladies at today’s brunch.
My heart suddenly felt overwhelmed with pride. “Thank you for giving me courage, Crystal. I’m so proud of you for sticking to your guns and doing things your way. I hope to learn some things from you today.”
“There’s nuthin’ to learn, honey.” She gave me a wink and slipped her lipstick tube back in her purse. “I’ll just tell you what the good witch told Dorothy before she left Oz: ‘You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas.’”
Alva stirred in her seat, and one eye opened a slit. “We’re going to Kansas? I thought we were headed to Queenie’s house.”
“No, we’re not—” I didn’t bother finishing because she fell fast asleep again. I slipped the car into reverse and looked around to make sure the road was clear. Seconds later we were on our way. I drove past the courthouse, my thoughts still wrapped tightly around Crystal’s comment about the courthouse lawn. Maybe . . . just maybe.
In the backseat, Crystal carried on about how much she’d grown to love living in Fairfield, how it felt like home. I knew those feelings well, having been raised here. But something else hit me too—this precious young woman wasn’t just my future sister-in-law. She was much more. When she paused for breath, I shared my thoughts on that matter.
“You’ve turned out to be one of my best friends, Crystal.”
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed her response. Crystal’s eyes flooded with tears. “I’m so glad, and I feel just the same, Katie! Isn’t it funny how life works out? You visited the bridal shop in Dallas, where we met. I moved to your hometown, you moved to Dallas . . . and we’ve still remained the best of friends.”
“Just goes to show you, friendship has nothing to do with miles.”
“True. But I do love it when you come back to Fairfield, even for a few days. It’s always fun to have you home again.”
Have you home again.
Those words stuck with me as I drove to Queenie’s house. No matter how long I lived in the Dallas area, Fairfield would still be home to me. Not that I wanted to give up my job and move back. It wasn’t that. But I still loved the quaint feel of being in this wonderful, loving place.
Maybe that’s why I loved Aunt Alva’s house in Dallas so much. The layout, the colors, the style—it all reminded me of home.
Speaking of places that made me feel at home, we arrived at Queenie’s house at 10:30 on the dot. I knew she’d scold me for being late—she always felt that one should arrive at any engagement at least ten minutes ahead of time—but I didn’t have time to worry about that right now.
Just as we arrived, Alva awoke. She startled to attention, and all the more as she realized Crystal had joined us. “I was having the loveliest dream ever.” She yawned and stretched. “Mmm. Just wonderful. Eduardo and I were on our honeymoon in sunny Southern California. We were treated like movie stars everywhere we went. I think it might’ve had something to do with the fact that I was dressed like Glinda the Good Witch. You know that lovely pink dress she wore? I looked amazing in it . . . so young.”
“Sounds dreamy, all right.” Crystal laughed.
“It just felt so wonderful to be treated like a princess.” My aunt giggled. “Maybe that’s a secret desire, one I never realized until now.”
“Every girl wants to be treated like a princess.” I turned off the car and pressed the keys into my purse.
We got out of the car and I followed on Alva’s heels with Crystal at my side. Alva headed inside, saying something about needing to use the bathroom. Just before we got to the door, I felt led to share something with Crystal privately.
“I just want you to know that as my bestie, you’ve earned the right to be my right-hand gal when it comes to wedding planning—if you want that job, I mean. I know Joni will officially coordinate.”
“I just love Joni. She’s the bay-est! I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate, and she’s been such a wonderful helper with our weddin’ plans!”
“Yes, she’s great. And Lori-Lou will want to chime in, though we all know she’s far too busy with the kids to do much. But I’ll need a confidante, a true friend to bounce ideas off of, and I think you’d be perfect, especially since you’re going through the same thing right now. What do you think?”
“What do I think? What do I think?” Crystal threw her arms around my neck. “I think I always wanted a sister but never had one. I think I’ll love every minute of helpin’ you, and vice versa. Promise me you’ll slap me silly if I ever come across as too forceful, though.”
“I can’t imagine you being forceful, Crystal. You’re sweet as sugar.”
Queenie waved from the front door. “What’s all this hugging? Did someone die?”
“No, Queenie. I’m just telling Crystal that she’s sweet as sugar. She is, you know.”
“Ooh, speaking of sugar . . .” My grandmother’s eyes narrowed. “Better tell you this before you go inside, just to give you a heads-up. You know the shop next door to the hardware store, the one that used to be a boutique?”
“Sure. I bought my favorite black dress in that shop. Still haven’t had a chance to wear it.”
Queenie gestured for us to come into the house. “They closed down a few weeks back. I don’t know if you noticed or not, but the place has been vacant for a while now.”
“Wow. That’s sad.” I followed my grandmother into the house. “I hope it’s not a sign of things to come in Fairfield.”
“Oh, no. It’s not. In fact, that space has just been rented, and you’ll never guess by whom.”
“Wait, let me guess.” I paused to think and then snapped my fingers. “I’ve got it. Joni? She’s starting a wedding planning service?”
“That’s a clever idea. I’ll have to suggest it next time a building comes available. But no.”
“Who then?”
“Ophelia. She’s opening up a bakery, specializing in cakes, of course. But she’s asked a couple of the other ladies to help her. Bessie May, for instance
. They’ll be working together, side by side, in a commercial kitchen! Your wedding cake will be made in an official bakery.”
“Wow. Aren’t they, well, a little old to be starting a new business?”
“Don’t let them hear you say that. They’ll throttle you. According to Prissy, when you’re passionate about something, age is irrelevant.”
“Which may explain why Mr. Peabody, the local mortician, is still going strong in his eighties,” I said. “I guess he’s passionate about embalming.”
“Everyone has to be passionate about sum-thin’,” Crystal added. “For me, it’s arrangin’ the store to look nice. And helping with the window displays.”
I offered her a warm smile. “Just one more thing we have in common. That’s my favorite part of working at the bridal salon.”
“Do you suppose we’re really sisters, separated at birth?” Crystal asked. “We have so much in common.” She headed toward the kitchen to join the other ladies.
Queenie rattled on about the changes coming to Fairfield, but she’d lost me back at her comments about the new bakery. I had a feeling the ladies weren’t here today just to help Crystal plan her reception. I knew in my gut they were going to try to overwhelm her with their plans, their ideas.
And I for one would stand in the gap to make sure that wouldn’t happen. I’d just gathered the courage to say something in advance to Queenie—just to give her a heads-up—when she took me by the arm and whispered, “I have something to tell you. Top. Secret.”
A thousand what-ifs ran through my mind. I held my breath, waiting for whatever news was about to come my way. But with my heart pounding so hard in my ears, I doubted I’d be able to hear anything Queenie had to say.
Seconds later, however, her words came through loud and clear. “Joni Milford and Casey Lawson are married.”
4
My Baby Loves Me
When you have nobody you can make a cup of tea for, when nobody needs you, that’s when I think life is over.
Audrey Hepburn
What?” I stared at my grandmother, wondering if I’d heard correctly.
Every Bride Has Her Day Page 4