Her memories of past failures and past relationships faded though as she continued to stare at her image in the mirror. The woman in the mirror looked self-assured. She looked confident, beautiful and at peace. That couldn’t be her could it? During the past few months, she and her sisters had come together to take over their grandmother’s bakery. They’d had so many chances to sell, but they’d agreed they all wanted to stick together and make it work. And now, Layla was an accomplished dessert maker, Jane’s unique and flavorful cupcakes were becoming everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure, and she was famous for her sourdough bread. She’d always dreamed of becoming famous for her paintings, so being famous because of bread was a little surreal.
Kit frowned and turned side to side, trying to picture what the exquisite dress would look like on. She bit her lip and closed her eyes and allowed herself a little wish. She’d given them up so long ago, she’d almost forgotten how, but holding the dress in her arms and seeing her saddest sister happy again was making her a little irrational. She was too old for silly wishes. She’d been through too much and her heart was too cold, but today, right now this very minute, she was going to do it. She was going to wish for something she’d sworn off and relegated to Disney movies and the naive. She was going to wish for a happy ending.
She was going to wish for love.
How incredible and amazing would it be if she were the bride standing here picking out the perfect dress? What would it feel like to be cherished and loved by a man who was willing to swear in front of friends and family and God to forsake all others and love her and only her? And then actually do it?
She glanced at Layla and felt her heart warm, knowing that her sister had found that. Michael Bender was so in love with Layla that when she walked in the room, it was impossible for him to notice anyone else. She’d never seen a man so in love before. Lust? Yes. She’d seen plenty of that. But love? Real, true love that deepened and was kind and giving? Maybe never. This might actually be the first time she’d witnessed it.
Oh how she wanted that too.
She’d never actually been all the way in love before. She’d been charmed, she’d been attracted, she’d even been a little obsessed that one time in college. But love? That was different. That was in a category all by itself. And she’d never even come close. But then neither had Layla and look at her now.
Layla laughed at something the clerk said and then disappeared into the changing room with a new dress to try on. Layla Kendall was a woman surrounded, submerged and drowning in love. And if a miracle like that could happen to Layla, then couldn’t it happen for her too?
Kit looked back at her reflection and noticed her face was softer now, her eyes were wide and the hope that she liked to shove to the back and hide in a corner was moving its way to the front, making her eyes bright and shining and her lips turn up in a real smile. Maybe life would surprise her? Please God, let there be a man out there somewhere who would love her the way Michael loved Layla. Kit closed her eyes and sighed. She’d gone from a wish to a prayer. Maybe that was the first step in turning a wish into reality?
“Wow. That would look amazing on you.”
Kit jerked out of her daydream and looked over her shoulder at Jane who was swishing toward her in her over the top Cinderella wedding dress.
“It’s like someone designed it with you specifically in mind,” Jane said reaching out to touch the fabric with a finger.
Kit shrugged and tried to laugh. “I was just thinking how cute it would look in an icy blue or pale pink for a bride’s maid’s dress,” she said lightly as she blushed bright red at being caught.
Jane stared at her doubtfully. “Yeah right. Go try it on.”
Kit bit her lip and shook her head. “No way. This is Layla’s day. It’s one thing to daydream and another to be trying on dresses,” she said dryly as Jane’s lips turned down in a pout.
Jane raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. “We’re here to have fun. Layla doesn’t mind if I play dress-up. Come on Kit. Don’t be an idiot. Go try it on,” she urged, pushing her firmly toward a changing room.
Kit frowned and felt like kicking her little sister, but there was so much lace in her way, she’d never feel a thing. “Jane, you little brat. Stop it!”
Jane grinned and put both hands on her sister’s back, propelling her toward an open door. Kit was pushed inside and winced as the door was slammed into place.
“I’m not letting you out until you try it on,” Jane called through the door.
Kit glared at the door and sighed. Jane, the youngest of the Kendall sister’s was definitely the baby of the family. She loved getting her way. Kit turned and glanced at the small room she was in and noticed a bowl of wedding mints sitting on a beautiful, ornate table. The lighting was soft and the romantic music playing in the background was all meant for one purpose. Setting the stage for a fairy tale.
Fine, she could play dress up. But not because she really wanted to try the dress on. It was really only to get Jane off her back. She hung the dress on the peg and slipped her clothes off quickly. Within five minutes she was zipping up the dress and stepping toward the mirror. Her head tilted as her mouth fell open slightly in surprise. Her throat tightened and she swallowed back a sigh of pure feminine yearning.
This was her dress.
Kit let a shaky breath out and turned and opened the door. She walked out and came face to face with Layla. Layla looked at Kit in surprise at first, but then her face split into a wide happy grin.
“Kit, you are buying that dress. Today,” she said with a shake of her head.
Jane nodded her head and sighed happily. “Kitty, it was made for you.”
Kit winced at the use of her childhood nickname and smiled sheepishly at her sisters. “Don’t be ridiculous you guys. I was just playing around. Of course I’m not going to buy a wedding dress. That would be crazy,” she said softly, catching a look at herself in the mirror.
The clerk walked up and smiled calculatingly. “Many women buy their wedding dresses years before they even get engaged. If you find the perfect dress now and let it go, it might not be there later when you need it.”
Jane’s eyes went big and she stared down at her own dress. She caressed the lace and bit her lip. “I have to have this dress,” she whispered to herself.
Kit blushed and ran her hands through her hair. “I couldn’t possibly buy a wedding dress! I mean, I love it. It’s the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen in my life. And if I ever did fall in love and decide to get married, this is the only dress I’d want to get married in, but it’s too silly. Right Layla?” she said, turning to her sister desperately, wanting to hear cold, hard logic.
“Kitten, if you don’t buy that dress today, I’m going to buy it for you. You can’t leave this shop without that dress,” Layla said, her eyes lighting up as she walked over to Kit. “Look in the mirror Kit. You’re so beautiful. You look like a woman ready to fall in love,” she said softly.
Kit blushed brighter and looked down at her hands. “What if I don’t Layla? What if it never happens for me? I mean, I still can’t believe it happened to you.”
Layla hugged her tightly and pushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes. “Sweetie, I promise love will find you. I don’t know how and I don’t know when and I don’t even know who. But Kit, you were born to fall in love and fall hard.”
Kit stared hard at the mirror as Jane came to stand on her other side. “It’s true Kit. You just need the right man. A good man. You’ve never had one of those before.”
Kit laughed sadly and rubbed the goose bumps on her arms. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should buy this dress,” she said softly. “It’ll be my symbol of hope. Hope that there’s someone out there for me.”
Layla and Jane squealed and jumped up and down while Kit grinned and joined them. A few minutes later after the sisters had settled down Kit frowned and stared at Layla.
“Wait a second, enough about me and Jane. We’re
here for you Layla. Do you um,. . . like that dress?” she said smiling with a wince at Layla’s dress. It was an off white long slim column dress. Very sophisticated, very demure and very boring.
Layla glanced down at her dress. “Not really. I can’t find anything I like. They’re all so not me,” she said lamely, looking sad all of a sudden. “We walk in and you two find your perfect dresses and I can’t find even one dress I could see myself getting married in,” she said forlornly.
Jane and Kit forgot about themselves and went to work doing what they should have been doing before. Helping Layla find the perfect dress. Because unlike them, she was getting married and soon. The wedding date was only a month away and this was the third bridal boutique they’d been to.
Another hour later Layla looked pleased because she’d found two of the cutest bridesmaid’s dresses for Kit and Jane. They were summery full pale pink skirts with large bright pink sashes. The tops were buttery cream satin. They only needed slight alterations to fit.
After Kit and Jane purchased their dresses they walked out to Layla’s car frowning guiltily. Layla had tried on at least twenty dresses and had turned her nose up at each one. Kit was starting to wonder if it wasn’t the dresses and maybe it was Layla. Maybe Layla wasn’t ready to get married and this was her subconscious way of letting the world know it.
“You know Layla, you don’t have to get married right now. No one would blame you if you decided to put the wedding off for a few months. I mean, this is a huge decision. I’d be nervous too,” she said softly, touching Layla’s arm as she pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic.
Layla glanced at her in surprise and laughed. “Oh I’m not nervous about marrying Michael. I’d marry him in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I just want it to be perfect for him. He’s been through so much heartache with Ashley especially with the last few months of the divorce and having to sell his house and giving her half of his business, it’s just been really rough. I want him to look at me on our wedding day and see a woman who will love him forever. I want him to see his dreams come true,” she said, her voice going soft the way it did when she talked about Michael.
Kit smiled at Layla and sighed, “Wow.”
Layla blinked a couple times and looked at her curiously. “What do you mean, wow?” she asked with a smile.
Jane laughed and leaned forward. “It just means wow Layla. Like, you’re so in love it’d be pathetic if it weren’t the sweetest thing I’d ever seen.”
Layla frowned at Jane in the mirror. “Pathetic? You think I’m pathetic?” she said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
Kit rolled her eyes at Jane who was sitting back slowly, biting her lip. “No, not pathetic Layla. What Jane meant to say was, that it’s wow, because you and Michael have fallen so completely and totally in love with each other that it makes everything else in this dim and disappointing world seem sad and pathetic. You’re living life in Technicolor and we’re all staring at this gorgeous rainbow of emotion and we’re a little jealous,” Kit said glancing away from her sister and out the window at the gray clouds moving across the moody sky. “I made a wish today. No. I prayed today. I prayed that I’d be able to fall in love like you Layla,” Kit admitted with a blush.
Layla smiled sweetly at her sister and reached over and put her hand over hers. “Then you’re halfway there. And you’ve put your faith behind the prayer, because you bought the dress. I bet you you’re married within the year Kit.”
Jane laughed. “Layla, you cannot be serious. A year? She’s not even dating anyone and every guy who has asked her out in the last few months she’s turned down flat.”
Layla shrugged, “One year.”
Kit sighed and turned back to Jane to say something rude, but stopped when she caught sight of the dress bag lying over the back seat. Her wedding dress. One year. Hmmm. Maybe . . .
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank all of the people who helped me to write this book. I’m especially grateful for the editing skills of Zachary Hill and Jessica G. I couldn’t do it without them.
Biography
I live in Utah with my six children and I'm the author of eleven books - so far. I enjoy the outdoors, reading and being with my children. I'm a HUGE believer in happy endings. Scarlett really should have been happy with Rhett, and it’s a darn shame Leo and Kate didn't float safely into New York on the Titanic. Alas, since I can only control my own imagination, happy endings are found in: Never Letting Go of Hope, A Trusting Heart, Justifiable Means, Forever Friends, Soul Searching, Makeover, Taking Chances, The Broken Road and Do Over.
You Belong With Me (Book 1 in The Love and Dessert Trilogy) Page 23