by Jamie Begley
Tate had gone to get Logan as they were leaving the hospital.
Going inside the dressing room, Britt handed her a silky robe. “You can slip into this while I pull the dresses. It won’t take long. I’m afraid I don’t have a lot to offer that you can take with you immediately.”
“Whatever you have is fine. I’m not particular.”
“Okay …,” Britt drawled as if she didn’t believe her. “I won’t be long.”
Jessie took off her clothes, self-consciously sliding on the robe. She had just tied it when there was a knock on the door.
“I have three in your price range,” Britt said, hanging them on the hooks on the wall.
Jessie stared at the three dresses dismally. She had been looking at bridal magazines since she was a little girl. Dresses like these, she would have quickly turned the page.
One was a humongous ballgown, one was pink and was just as big, and the third looked like she wouldn’t be able to get her foot in it, much less her whole body.
“I’ll try the ballgown on.”
“It’s beautiful on,” the saleswoman tried to reassure her, but Jessie wasn’t buying her sales pitch. The woman was trying to sell the sample for a reason—no one wanted to buy it.
Jessie looked in the mirror once it was on. “No.”
“You don’t want to show your friends?”
“No.”
“All right.”
The second one was a little better, but the shade of pink didn’t do her complexion any favors.
“No, I don’t like the color.”
“All right.”
Jessie took the pink dress off, looking doubtfully at the last dress.
“It’s more forgiving than it looks.”
“I can only pray,” Jessie muttered. Surprisingly, it did fit, but not by much. She felt like a big catfish squeezed into a tuna can.
Jessie didn’t have the heart to say no when Britt opened the dressing room door for her to go out and show the others.
Taking small steps, she joined the others. She was forced to accept Britt’s helping hand to get on the dais.
“Doesn’t she look beautiful?”
Aghast, Jessie stared at herself in the larger mirror. “No.”
“I like it.” Holly looked at Sutton and Rachel. “It’s not bad.”
“It’s not good either,” Rachel said, giving her sister-in-law a glance that suggested she was deranged.
“This is the last dress that would fit in her price range. She didn’t like the other two,” Britt told them, hoping to change the opinion on the one she was wearing.
“I have a cream dress that I can wear at home.” Jessie raised the dress up to her knees so she could hop down from the dais. The farther away she could get from her reflection, the better.
“I have four others she could try on if she’s willing to up her budget.”
Jessie was getting sick of Britt’s suggestions.
She defeatedly plopped down onto the dais to stare at the women. “I know you’re trying to help, but I really can wear the cream dress.”
“Have you worn the cream dress before?” Sutton scooted to the end of her chair.
“A couple of times. Once to church, and once to Logan’s kindergarten graduation,” Jessie told her, wondering what difference that made.
“Then it won’t do. Tate and I got married at the courthouse. I had the big wedding with my first husband, so I didn’t want a big one with Tate. I don’t regret marrying him at the courthouse, but I do what I wore. I wish I’d had a pretty dress and the pictures of me in it.” Sutton became tearful. “We all want you to have those pictures of being a bride when Dustin is gone.”
Seeing everyone was getting upset, the saleswoman picked up the Kleenex box and passed it around.
“What in the hell is taking so long?”
Britt jumped at Greer’s loud arrival.
“Jessie can’t find a dress,” Holly told him, using a tissue to wipe her eyes.
“What’s wrong with the one she’s got on?” Holding Rosie on his hip, he moved closer to the dais where she was sitting.
“I don’t like it.”
Greer stared at her critically. “Stand up.”
At his tone of voice, Jessie stood, letting the hem of her dress fall back to the floor.
“What style of dress is that?”
Britt bent down, fluffing the bottom. “It’s a mermaid.”
“She ain’t a damn fish. Find her something else,” he said, switching Rosie to his other hip.
“I don’t have anything else in her budget.” Britt eyed Greer like she was ready to get him out of her salon.
“What’s the budget?”
“Three thousand.”
Greer looked like she did when she had seen herself in the mirror.
“I only have a limited stock that I can release at that price. To sell something off the floor, I would have to reorder it, and I’d lose sales until it comes back in. I’m only a small shop. If brides can’t find it here, they’ll make the drive to Lexington, and I’ll lose the sale,” she explained.
“I see.” Greer gave her a cunning look. “What if price weren’t an object?”
Britt’s expression became just as cunning. “Unlimited?”
“That’s what I’m asking.”
“Then she can have the pick of the salon.”
“Oh no … she’s going to regret that,” Jessie heard Holly mutter to Sutton.
“Yes, she is,” Rachel muttered back.
“I’ve been saving money for a rainy day. I can take it to four thousand. Thanks, Greer, but—”
Britt’s face dropped in disappointment, seeing the huge sale slipping away.
“I got this. Don’t worry about it.” He waved his hand at the room. “Pick one. I ain’t got all day.”
Greer went to the small couch that Rachel was sitting on. “Move over, sis.”
Rachel scooted over, letting Greer sit down with Rosie on his lap.
Jessie had to walk slowly to keep up with Britt as she went to a wall.
“These are your size.”
Jessie started sliding the dresses along the rack, not seeing anything that appealed to her. “I don’t—”
“Jesus, let me do it.” Greer thrust Rosie into Rachel’s arms, then got off the couch to begin going through the dresses. He took one of them down, folding it over his arm. Then he took another three and arrogantly handed them to Britt. “One of those should do.”
At Greer’s hard look, Jessie meekly followed behind Britt.
“Is he your fiancé?”
Jessie nearly tripped in the dress she was wearing. “No, Dustin is Greer’s brother.”
Britt hung the dresses on the wall, then turned Jessie around to get her out of the mermaid dress.
“Is your fiancé like him?” she asked, giving her a sympathetic glance in the mirror.
“Oh no, Dustin isn’t a thing like Greer … Well … maybe a little.”
“I see.”
Jessie didn’t miss the pity in Britt’s eyes as she took one of the dresses off the hanger. Once it was on Jessie, she looked at herself in the mirror.
“I like this one.” Jessie ran a careful hand down the intricate beading. “Let’s show them.”
Britt opened the door.
Jessie’s footsteps were much lighter as she returned to the dais. Turning around, she faced everyone.
“Hell no. Next,” Greer said from the small couch with Rosie back on his lap.
Jessie looked down at herself. “What’s wrong with it?”
“That dress ain’t going to make my brother sit up and take notice. Next.”
Jessie’s shoulders dropped.
Sutton, Rachel, and Holly gave her encouraging looks as she left.
“Wow, that was a bummer,” Britt said, helping her out of the dress.
“I didn’t see anything wrong with it, did you?” Jessie was beginning to bond with the woman during the dress changes.
<
br /> “Let’s see if he likes this one.”
“Wow, I like this one.” Jessie liked the way she looked in it. It had a sweetheart neckline and floated out from her hips. “He has to like this one, right?”
“Oh yes, it’s very attractive on you.”
Buoyed, Jessie practically floated on her way to the dais.
“No,” Greer grunted out.
“But—” Jessie started to argue.
“No. Next. Time’s a-ticking. At the rate you’re going, my brother will be dead and buried before we get back to Treepoint.”
Jessie turned on her heels, returning to the dressing room.
“I liked it,” Britt sympathized with her as she helped her take it off.
“I did, too.” Jessie raised her arms, so the next dress could be slipped over her.
Jessie really liked this dress, but she didn’t have high hopes when Britt opened the door. Even her positivity was waning.
“Let’s hope he likes this one.”
Jessie didn’t know if Britt liked the way she looked in the dress or the price tag attached to it.
She only got two steps into the room before Greer’s dreaded no sprung from his mouth. This time, Jessie turned around immediately, not debating the issue with him.
“That one was a no-go, wasn’t it?” Britt’s disappointment was tangible in the room until she took the last dress off the hanger.
When she slid the price tag over on the inside so Jessie couldn’t see it, she knew it was the most expensive one she had tried on so far.
It slid silkily over her body to fall straight down to her feet.
Jessie gaped at herself in the mirror. She had never imagined wearing a dress like this in a million years, and that she would look so good in it was just as unbelievable to her.
“Oh, my God,” Jessie breathed in awe.
“This is the one.” Britt’s smile became avaricious. For some reason, she reminded her of Greer.
“How much is it?” Jessie sighed over the feel of the silk beneath her fingers.
“Let’s let him worry about it.” She breezily opened the door.
Jessie smiled as she walked onto the dais, automatically turning in the direction Greer was sitting.
“Turn around.” Greer stared at her critically as Rosie hopped on Greer’s lap as she held his fingers.
Jessie turned full circle, stopping when she was facing him again.
“We’ll take it. Bag it up.”
Dustin’s brother had lost his mind.
“Wait. How much is it?” Jessie turned to ask Britt.
“It’s nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine dollars if I order it. It’s a new dress that I just got in the salon, so the least I can sell it for is twelve thousand.”
Jessie’s heart sunk like lead. “I’ll take the mermaid one.”
Jessie stepped off the dais to sit back down on it, letting her fingers run down the fabric before having to go back to the dressing room. Unexpectedly, she started crying.
“Jesus. Take her, Rach,” Jessie heard Greer say before she felt him sit down next to her, giving her a tissue.
“We live in Kentucky, not Florida. You’re no flamingo. You’ve grown up pretty as a picture. Let Dustin see that. This dress was made for you, and you’re getting it. Don’t worry about the money; I’m paying for it. Dustin will love it, and if this dress doesn’t make him want to live, nothing will.”
Jessie cried into her rapidly dampening tissue. “It’s too expensive. I can’t let you pay for it. I’d have to sell one of my kidneys to pay for it, and even then, I wouldn’t pay that much for it to only wear it for ten minutes.” She sobbed, not understanding why she couldn’t stop.
She forlornly laid her head on Greer’s shoulder. “I don’t even want Holt to see me in it. Dustin told me that he knew Pa threatened him over me. I didn’t even know Dustin liked me until after I was kidnapped. I’m mad at both my brothers. Dustin hates them, and I can’t blame him. I’m so mad at them that I want to shoot them myself.” Jessie cried harder, pouring her soul out onto his shoulder. “I don’t want him to die, Greer.”
“Which one? Holt or Asher?”
Jessie gave him a wondering look. “Dustin, of course.”
“Oh, I thought you were still talking about Holt or Asher.” It took Greer a couple of seconds to hide his disappointment over her answer before he patted her awkwardly then put his arm around her. “Look at me, Jessie.”
She raised her head from his shoulder.
“I am not going to let my brother die.”
Jessie could tell from the look on his face why Knox had hired Greer to be a deputy.
“But—”
“I am not letting my brother die. That’s the end of this discussion. Now, go get dressed before you get the damn thing dirty sitting here.”
“Okay.” Standing, she went back to the dressing with Britt.
She went back and forth about buying it, but Britt ignored her. Jessie knew that, in her mind, the sale had already been made.
Dressed in her regular clothes, she went back to the others.
Rachel gave her a big hug. “It’s a lovely dress. You looked beautiful in it.”
“Yes, you did.” Holly hugged her, too.
Sutton went next when Holly released her. “If Tate and I renew our vows, I’m borrowing that dress.”
“If you’re all done jabbering,” Greer interrupted the sweet moment. “Here, Holly, take Rosie, and you all go outside and wait in the car. I’ll be out in a minute with the dress.”
Holly took Rosie from him, giving her husband a passionate kiss. “I love you, you know that?”
“What’s not to love?” he wisecracked, pulling his wife back for another kiss when they turned to leave. “Go on now. You’re distracting me. Britt and I have some figuring to work out.”
Jessie hesitated to leave, watching Greer and Britt sizing each other up like two adversaries on a football field.
Holly took her arm. “Let’s go. Greer’s got this.”
“I don’t want to watch the news to see Greer on TV, stealing the dress, and the newscaster asking for tips to identify him.”
“You don’t have a thing to worry about. All the business owners in Treepoint and Jamestown can identify Greer.”
“Why …?” she started to ask, then started laughing.
When Rosie’s daycare payment was due at the first of every week, Greer always stopped by to pay, even though Holly was the one who dropped her off. She always took bottles of Rolaids and Tylenol to get her through the rest of the day.
Jessie almost felt sorry for Britt and almost turned around to say she would take the mermaid dress again. Only one thing stopped her.
Grinning widely, she went through the door that Rachel had opened. In that amazing dress, she was going to look as pretty as a picture.
37
“Dustin, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Dustin stared at the beautiful woman sitting beside him on the bed. “I do.”
He looked down at his hand as Jessie slid a gold ring on it.
He was unmanfully tearing up when he felt the hospital bed begin to shake as Ema tried to climb onto the bed next to him.
Cash started to pick his daughter up to keep her from climbing next to Dustin. “Ema, get down.”
“Want Dusty!” the little girl howled, clutching the rail as Cash tried to pry her loose. Rachel, who was on the other side of the bed, started to go around Holly to help Cash.
“Let her sit next to him. Cash, bring her to this side. I can sit on the side where his machines are.”
Dustin knew why he loved Jessie so much when she gave him a quick kiss before getting off the bed to let Cash set Ema down next to him.
The little girl cuddled next to him, putting her chubby hands on his face. “My Dusty.”
The whole room laughed at the little girl as Jessie maneuvered the machine that was administering his pain medication. Jessie
carefully raised the IV tube so it was in front of them.
“Can I share him with you?” Jessie asked when Ema was situated.
“Okay.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You welcome.” Ema snuggled against Dustin tighter, slipping her thumb into her mouth. Then she took it out when Rachel gave her a warning glance.
Pastor Dean cleared his throat. “As I was asking, Jessie, do you take this man to be—”
“I do.” Jessie didn’t give him time to finish the sentence.
Jessie wasn’t expecting a ring for herself. Rachel had told Dustin that they stopped at the jewelry store when they returned to town, and that Jessie had picked one up for him before returning to the hospital. She had brought a string the night before to make sure she picked the right size, telling him that she didn’t need a ring saying they would pick one out together when he was better. They had decided to get married the next afternoon, both of them knowing what Jessie was refusing to acknowledge was inevitable.
The room was filled to capacity. Several of their friends were allowed to watch from the other side of the glass wall.
She had asked if Holt and Asher could come. It hurt him to see the pain in her hazel eyes.
“Peanut, any hard feelings were gone the minute I found you on that mountain. We’re starting a new life, and while it’s not going to be a long one for me, we’re going to start it with a clean slate.” He could be magnanimous to her relatives. It wasn’t like he was going to have to put up with them for long.
His dire humor had him focusing back on the wedding.
“Greer, give Drake the ring.”
Dustin gave his brother a steely-eyed glare when Greer folded his arms against his chest. He was sitting on a chair across the room, with Knox sitting on one side of him and Shade on the other.
“Why don’t you ask the best man to come and get it?”
Tate’s lips tightened as he moved from the side of the bed to Greer, holding his hand out.
Greer reached into his pocket, taking the ring out. He ignored Tate’s waiting hand.
“You know I was supposed to be the best man. He only chose you because he’s too chickenshit to let me near him.”
If he were able, he would get off the hospital bed and kick Greer in the ass.