by Mia Carson
“Or what?” Devin replied, her lips stretching into a sneer. “I was merely getting to know your friends.”
“Bethany is not my friend.”
“That’s not what she said. She’s a very charming woman. I think Mom and Dad would love to meet her—even have her on Mom’s staff when the time comes.”
“You’re mental,” he muttered. “I’m with Blair. You should be happy.”
“Happy? That woman is nothing but bad news for you—for this family.”
“Says who? You? Please. You carry yourself like you’re so great, but all you did was follow in Daddy’s footsteps.” He huffed in disbelief. “What happened to loving your siblings and being there for us?”
“I’m thinking of Mom.”
“No, you’re thinking of yourself like you always do.” He leaned in closer as he whispered, “You stay away from my so-called friends, and if you give Blair shit one time, I will find ways to make your life a living hell before I disappear from it for good. How does that fit into your plans, sis?”
She bristled. “You have no right.”
“No, you have no right to dictate my life. You always sided with our parents without thinking for yourself. When you were little, you didn’t want to go into medicine. You wanted to be a jockey, but Dad told you that wasn’t a suitable job for a Gordie. You caved. I haven’t.”
“Haven’t you?”
Hugh smiled, watching Blair and Kella dance in the middle of the floor, their heads thrown back with their giggling as they spun around and around. “Close, but no. Not anymore. Remember what I said, Devin. You’re not about to ruin my future because Mom didn’t want you to be her political partner in crime.”
Her mouth thinned. “That is not true.”
“Yeah, it is. She was worried about you being over ambitious and ruining everything. I Guess she was right.” He tipped his head to her as he waltzed back to his fiancée and little sister.
“Is everything all right?” Blair asked in his ear.
“Nothing to worry about. Justin and Bethany are apparently a thing now.”
“That’s interesting—and annoying,” she muttered.
“Hey, don’t let it ruin your night.”
“Our night,” she corrected. “And I won’t. We have the DJ for another hour, and I plan on being right here, dancing my feet off the entire time.”
He joined her, putting on a smile and ignoring Devin for the rest of the night. Whatever she planned wouldn’t stop Hugh from being with Blair. Not by a long shot.
Chapter 9
The camera clicked and Hugh smiled lazily, propping his head up on his hand.
“How many pictures of me do you possibly need?” he asked Blair.
She lay in his bed, wrapped in a sheet, and pulled the polaroid out to set with the others on his nightstand. “I will never have enough.” She lifted the camera to her eye as he kissed her calf, moved up to her knee, and higher as she tried to focus on his face. “That is not fair.”
“Oh no?” He took the camera from her gently and turned it around on her. “Now who gets to take the pictures?”
An alarm went off and he slouched on the bed. The past few weeks had been spent in the same fashion, spending any free time they had with each other, locked away from prying eyes in his apartment. Sometimes they talked and at other times, they could barely get their clothes off fast enough in their rush to have bare skin pressed to bare skin. Today had been one of those days, but sadly, Hugh had to get back to campus for his afternoon class.
“Are you going to swing by later?” he asked, setting the camera aside as he climbed out of bed.
Blair rested her chin on her hands, watching the sheet fall away and giving her a perfect view of his muscled ass. “Hmm? What was the question?”
“You, dinner, tonight?”
“Actually, Mom and I are doing some shopping. Looking for a wedding dress.”
“Are you now?”
“Yes, and no, you don’t get to see it.”
He pouted, but she shook her head even when he tickled her sides and they wound up in a heap on the bed, laughing between their kisses and him sitting her in his lap so he could show her how much he did not wish to go to class. She sighed as they moved as one being, holding each other close as their tongues kept time with their hips. They had three years to make up to each other, and the last few weeks were a good start. When they were sated and she fell back to the bed, he kissed her one last time then grudgingly ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower. Blair spread her arms wide across the bed and figured she should get up and find her clothes at some point. Her mom would be by soon to pick her up, and she giggled with excitement. Shopping for her wedding dress. She thought this day wouldn’t come.
“Text me later?” he asked as he stood in the doorway, kissing her goodbye.
“Always. You’re going to be late, now scoot.”
He grunted and hurried down the hall, throwing one more heated look with a wink over his shoulder. Blair closed the door and took a quick shower, too. She was slipping into her boots when her mom texted saying she was outside, waiting for her. Blair picked up her pack, locked the apartment door behind her, and sprinted down the two flights of stairs to see Jean leaning against her fire-red Mustang.
“Did I interrupt something?” Jean mused.
“Nope, but close though.” The women laughed as they got into the car and Jean drove them into the city. “It doesn’t bug you, does it? That we’re, you know, together like this?”
“No, you’re in love. There’s nothing wrong with being in love and doing what people in love do. Are you worried about his parents finding out?”
Blair fiddled with her sweater. “A bit. They know we spend time together, obviously, but I think Bridget would have a coronary if she realized we were, well, you know.”
“Having ample amounts of sex before you’re officially married?” her mother supplied.
“Yes, that.”
“She’s worried about her image, as always,” Jean said, but her usual light tone when it came to her friend was replaced by a sharper one. “I swear, sometimes that woman is blinded by her ambitions. Devin’s certainly turned into a piece of work. At least you managed to bring Hugh around to being himself again.”
“Again? You noticed, too?” Blair asked, surprised.
“Sweetie, I might be your mother, but I’m not blind. Bridget told me all about his fight with them right around the time you two grew apart. I put the pieces together.” She leaned over the center console at a red light. “Why do you think I brought the marriage idea back up to her?”
“That was you?”
Jean smirked. “You two needed a reason to be thrown back together. You can thank me later.”
“Have I told you lately that I love you?” Blair said sincerely. “And thank you—not just for that, but for not turning into a crazy mother with all this wedding planning.”
“Bridget is covering that enough for the both of us. Don’t worry. Today is just you and me, kid.”
They pulled up outside a local boutique store, laughing and having a great start to a mother-daughter afternoon, when someone called out Blair’s name and her heart dropped. “Shit, seriously?”
Standing to the side of the shop were Bridget, Devin—looking pissed off as always—and Kella. Out of the three, Blair was only happy to see the last, who ran over and hugged her. She’d told Blair weeks ago when they started planning the wedding she couldn’t wait to have a sister who acted like a sister and not some stuck-up bitch.
“Bridget,” Jean said, stepping conveniently in front of her daughter. “Fancy seeing you here. Out for some shopping?”
“Don’t be silly. We’re here for Blair, of course,” Bridget said with a high-pitched laugh. “A bride can’t shop for her dress alone.”
“She’s not. I’m with her, or do I not count in the scheme of things?”
Blair’s brow shot up. Her mother rarely lost her temper, and she’d certainly
never heard her lose it with Bridget. Kella stifled a laugh and Blair smiled in approval as Bridget’s face reddened.
“I simply mean it’s nice to have more than one opinion. Besides, we need to decide on what look is most appropriate for the future daughter-in-law of the mayor.”
“As long as we all remember this is Blair and Hugh’s day. The bride will wear what she wants to wear.” Jean reached back and took Blair by the hand. “Let’s get started on finding you a fitting dress for my only child’s wedding.”
Blair mouthed an apology to Bridget, but she grinned as she did it. They stepped inside and were immediately surrounded by mannequins in gorgeous wedding gowns. Blair wasn’t sure where to start, but the associate handed her a magazine to flip through and mark the styles she wanted to try on. Jean and Kella helped. Devin sulked behind her mother who walked through the shop, her head held high, and stared at the dresses with a horrible look of contempt. For the mayor of this city, she certainly didn’t look happy frequenting a local business.
“I don’t see anything,” Bridget sighed when she made the rounds back to the others. “I know of a lovely shop in Lexington. They make the most beautiful gowns.”
The associate’s face paled with anger. She stood barely a foot away from Bridget. Blair stood, the catalog in hand and with a big smile on her face, handed it to the woman. “I hate to be a bother, but there are about ten dresses I marked. I think I’m a size four.”
The associate took the catalog and relaxed visibly. “Size four. Perfect. I’ll show you to a dressing room and start bringing the dresses over.” She squeezed Blair’s hand when they reached the dressing room and handed her a silk robe she could change into in between dresses. Kella was the only one who followed, and they peered across the shop as Jean and Bridget stared each other down.
“What do you think they’re saying?” Kella asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry for her acting like this. She’s a pain about everything. All the details you and Hugh have laid out already? You might want to double check them.”
“Seriously? How much has she changed?” Blair snapped.
Kella cringed, and she felt bad for snapping, but she didn’t appear to take it personally. “Almost all of it. It’s mostly Devin’s ideas, to be honest. My advice? If you want the wedding of your dreams, make all the plans behind her back and don’t let anyone else know except for Hugh.”
“Great, so on top of getting through the rest of this semester and dealing with another gallery opening, I have to plan two weddings. Perfect.”
“Gallery opening?” Kella repeated, and Blair cursed herself for her slip up. “I knew those photos had to be yours.”
She turned to her future little sister and frowned. “You know?”
“I’ve been to his place since he moved out. The treehouse? The stables? Who else would take pictures of all the places you two used to hang out at.” Kella leaned closer to a whisper as the mothers and Devin made their way across the shop. “The treehouse ones are my favorite.”
“Mine too.”
“Well,” Bridget said loudly, “are there no chairs for us to sit on as we watch?”
Jean rolled her eyes and pointed to the couch by the mirrors. “Why don’t you go sit over there if you can’t be bothered to stand while your future daughter-in-law tries on dresses?”
Bridget huffed and stomped to the couch, Devin in her shadow. She spared a few seconds to glare at Blair first as her hands balled into fists. She wondered what Bridget would think of her if she decked Devin? The thought was so tempting, she took a step forward, but the associate, whose name was Lily, returned with her first three dresses.
“Ready to get started?”
“So ready,” Blair answered and stepped aside so Lily could help her into the first dress.
The first three were busts. White was extremely white and she nixed that color for future reference. Mermaid was not her style and neither were dresses with long trains. She tried a few strapless styles, but the only way to keep them up all night long would probably involve cutting off her air supply, so those were crossed off the list. Jean and Kella offered suggestions while Bridget and Devin remained quiet, no matter what Blair stepped out in. The only time she saw the latter’s eyes light up was when she walked out in a very conservative, plain, white silk gown with a straight-across neckline and three-quarter sleeves.
“No daughter of mine is wearing what passes for a sack,” Jean supplied, laughing, and Kella joined her as Blair nodded in agreement. Bridget’s scowl returned, and Devin had the nerve to shoot Jean a glare, who glared right back.
“We’re down to the last one,” Lily said as they walked back into the dressing room again.
“None of these feel right,” she grumbled. “I always wanted a gown with a little color, a little character, you know? Something that screamed carefree and fun.”
“Do you have a particular color you would like in your dress?” Lily asked slowly, her eyes calculating.
“My fiancé says I look good in blue.”
“Wait right here. I might have just the thing.”
Blair paced anxiously in her dressing room, peeking out the curtain every now and then to see Jean and Kella talking and joking around about something or other. Devin whispered in Bridget’s ear and she nodded firmly. All the plans were changed. Blair might be seeing Hugh tonight after all. She would have to redo all the flowers, the food, and the cake. She rubbed her face, annoyed that she would have to make up a whole new guest list that was less than a hundred people like she and Hugh had asked. Bridget probably invited five hundred, at least.
“Here we are,” Lily said as she came back into the dressing room carrying a large dress in a black bag. She pulled the zipper down and the dress that came into view was breathtaking. Blair reached out tentatively to the fabric but pulled her hand back, worried it would suddenly vanish. “It’s from last season, but I have a feeling you don’t really care about what’s in season.”
“No, I don’t. Can I try it on?”
“No, I simply brought it back here so you could stare at it slack-jawed,” Lily teased. “Let’s get you suited up, Blair. I have a good feeling about this one.”
Lily pulled it from the hanger and helped Blair step into the ballgown dress with layers of tulle and lace drifting down it in a slanted pattern. The top was corseted but had two sleeves that wrapped around her shoulders, leaving the tops bare. The back was cut low, but the real kicker was how the dress brought out the blue in her eyes. Lily held back the curtain and holding her breath, Blair stepped out.
“Blair,” Jean breathed. “Oh, my baby girl. Look at you.”
Tears burned in her eyes as she stepped on the dais and ran her hands down the front of the dress. “Holy shit. This is it,” she gasped. “Mom. I think this is it.”
“You look amazing!” Kella agreed, wiping tears from her eyes, too.
The dress boasted intricate detailing on the bodice that trailed away down the skirt. The best part was the dark, sapphire blue woven throughout the dress. It started darker at the top and faded all the way to a creamy ivory by the time it reached the bottom. The beading was in pearls, black and white, and gave the dress that extra pop.
“You can’t be serious,” Bridget snapped, shattering Blair’s bliss. “It’s blue.”
“So what?” Blair replied sharply. “I like blue and your son likes blue. What’s wrong with blue?”
“It’s a wedding dress, my dear, it’s not supposed to be blue,” Bridget said as if speaking to a five-year-old. “If that’s all this place has to offer, we’ll leave and drive to Lexington.” She stood and slung her purse on her shoulder, headed for the door.
“No,” Blair said, and Bridget and Devin stopped abruptly.
“Excuse me?” Bridget whipped around, shooting daggers with her eyes.
“I said no. This is my wedding day and I only plan on doing it once. This is the dress I want.”
“Did yo
u forget who is paying for this wedding?”
“If this is an issue with money, I’ll be happy to buy it,” Jean informed her. “If you were hurting for money, all you had to do was ask.”
Bridget’s jaw clenched as tightly as her hand gripped around her purse. “I never said such a thing.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I could always call Hugh and ask him what he thinks,” Blair said. “I mean, I would like it to be surprise, but you did say it was up to us, and if we both like something, I see no reason why we can’t have it.”
Kella helpfully brought over Blair’s cell and her thumb hovered over Hugh’s name.
Bridget stared around the room and squared her shoulders. “Fine, if this is what you truly want, then fine. We’ll place the order for this…dress today and be done with it.”
Blair handed Kella back her phone. “Thank you. You won’t regret this decision.”
“No, I will not.”
Blair’s blood ran cold at the tone of her words, but she won this battle, right? She should be happy, but her gut flip-flopped as she stood still so Lily could pin and tuck the dress where needed for alterations. Blair changed out of it carefully to avoid being stuck by the pins and worried the second the dress was out of her sight.
“Shall we do dinner, ladies?” Bridget suggested as they left the boutique.
“Actually, I have a paper due in the morning,” Blair lied, tapping her mom’s foot with her own.
“So much work our kids have to do while planning a wedding. It’s a wonder they’re still sane.”
“Yes, well, your class work is important. We’ll see you this weekend then, both of you?”
“Of course, Bridget. See you then,” Jean assured her.
Jean didn’t ask Blair why she lied until they were parked outside of Hugh’s apartment. “What’s going on?”
“Kella told me a few things that Bridget’s done behind our backs.”