The Wedding Dress Yes (Crossroads Collection)

by Amanda Tru

  Mason still looked unsure. “London, I’m not sure what kind of ‘garbage’ you’re anticipating diving into with me, but I’m not asking you to go back to Hollywood. I’m asking if I can join you here. I’d like to buy some property here in Crossroads and build our dream house. I’ll still need to travel for various projects and make trips to Hollywood, but this will be my home. I like it here, and I like that you like it here. I want Crossroads to be my home, too.”

  London looked from Mason’s loving gaze, to the hand-swept little walls of dirt around her, then to the exquisite gown floating gently in the breeze. “Mason, I love you,” she breathed. “I always have. Even when everything turned into a nightmare and we broke up, I loved you still, and that’s not going to change.”

  With his eyes locked with hers, Mason captured both her hands in his and lowered himself, placing one knee on the smooth ground of their “house.”

  “London, I know I’m not everything you want. I have plenty of faults, and we’ll certainly need to figure a lot of things out. I know I messed up before, and I don’t really deserve another chance. Though I had a lousy way of showing it, I really did love you then. I love you now, and when forever is behind us, I will love you still. Will you do me the honor of sharing the rest of your life with me? Will you marry me?”

  London looked from the intensity of Mason’s gaze back up to her wedding dress silhouetted against the varying pinks of a gorgeous sunset. “I think I have this whole thing backward,” she confessed. “Most girls say yes to the guy before they choose a dress. But I say yes to the dress first.”

  Then, looking back down at the man kneeling on one knee before her, London Hutchins finally gave her second yes.

  The End

  A longing for home seems innately built into each of us. I wanted London to have a “going home” story, but I wanted it different than the norm. The storyline of heroine returning home to find her high school sweetheart and figure out that the life she’d always wanted was the one she’d left behind is a classic that has been done over and over. I always search for that unique twist in my writing, and I wanted the emotion behind the story to feel more true to life. Many times, the past isn’t where we belong, the long-lost love is not our perfect match, and home is not the paradise we remember.

  The simple, bittersweet reason has nothing to do with outside circumstances. It is that we are not the same people we were when home was home. If trying on your favorite shoe from five years ago, you’ll often find that it just doesn’t fit right and isn’t as wonderful as you remember. Likewise, yesterday’s home may not fit the you of today.

  And that’s okay.

  The wonderful and terrible experiences of life change us, and those changes are purposeful. London discovers that God doesn’t intend for her to return to the person she was a dozen years ago. He intends to use her experiences to mold her into someone He can use today—not a perfect person, but one in God’s process.

  I hope that the following questions help you apply London’s story in your own life. May your own experiences prepare you to lean forward in your journey, forgetting what lies behind in your eagerness to run the race God has before you. While there truly is no place like home, may your eyes stay fixed on the home ahead of you instead of any glass-darkened shadow behind.

  1. Why does London want to go home?

  What time or place in your life is “home”? If you could choose one time in your life to return to, where or when would it be? Would you go back if you could?

  2. How is London different than when she lived in Crossroads as an 18-year-old?

  Are you different than you were five, ten, or twenty years ago? What experiences has God brought you through? Do you like the changes?

  1 Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 6:11, Philippians 3:12-16

  3. At the beginning of the book, were you on “Team Adam” or “Team Mason”? What did you like or not like about each? Did you change your mind at any point in the book? Why?

  Both men claim to be Christians and also claim to love London. How does each man reflect or not reflect Christ in his actions and his love for London?

  1 John 2:6, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

  4. What did you think of London’s actions toward Rhonda? She goes behind Rhonda’s back to try to help others. She feels guilty about it, but she struggles and knows that, if she is honest, Rhonda would never let her remedy the situation. What do you think? Does London do the right thing in secretly trying to undo the damage caused by Rhonda? Why or why not?

  James 4:17, Proverbs 31:8-9, Ephesians 4:25

  5. What would you do differently? How could London handle things differently?

  2 Corinthians 8:21, Acts 24:16

  Please note, there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer, but it does present an interesting moral dilemma. What is the greater wrong—acting secretly behind someone’s back or allowing that someone to do something you believe is wrong?

  Matthew 5:10-12, Isaiah 1:17, Colossians 3:9

  6. In the end, London decides that Mason is the one God has planned for her, even though he isn’t who she thought she wanted. Is your significant other who you thought you wanted? Why or why not?

  Whether or not you’re married, what traits do you feel are non-negotiable, and which ones have some wiggle room. In short, what is your “garbage man” like?

  2 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:18-19

  7. What “yes” can you say to God? Part of the spiritual theme of this book is realizing that God has used your past experiences to mold you into who He wants and prepare you to do His work. Play the what-if game! Looking at your own life and experiences, brainstorm some unique ways God might use you to serve him.

  Genesis 50:20, Romans 5:1-5, Colossians 3:17, Romans 8:28-30, Hebrews 13:20

  As a child, I attended a quaint country school bordered by four huge trees that frequently boasted dirt houses around them. When the bell rang, I ran back inside the classroom with hands permanently stained from sweeping the dust around the roots aside and forming dirt walls in intricate paths I imagined as castles. Sound familiar?

  After school, I rode the bus home to our dead-end country road and played outside until sunset when I’d come inside to eat a dinner I didn’t have to prepare. At the end of the day, I’d slip into sheets I didn’t have to wash, ready to be the one tucked into bed.

  Of course, those memories are all rosy and don’t include any of the arguments with my siblings, the financial trouble, the medical issues, or social struggles I also experienced as a child. Instead, I remember the good parts and think how nice it would be to go home where life’s cares aren’t adult-sized.

  While London’s story is in some ways a mirror of my own, like London I’ve come to realize that God doesn’t want me to go back home. Everything I’ve experienced forms a backdrop and provides the tools to shape me into who He wants me to be. Those dust houses in the schoolyard equipped me to create “the real houses” with words that you just read. Isn’t it exciting to think that God planned for every little experience you’ve ever had—that He intends to use them all for your greatest good in serving Him? After all, He’s preparing us to finish our race strong and truly go home to a place not created with dust.

  Thank you for reading. In a way, every time you read one of my books, you enter into a little dust house I’ve planned and swept clean. I pray that this book made you laugh, think, and touched you in some way. As you close this book, my prayer is that you may appreciate the journey God has brought you through thus far, with all the rosy hues and shadows of your past. May He shape you into a beautiful servant who He uses in mighty ways to do His work. And, when you cross the finish line, may He take your own dusty hands and say, “Welcome home.”

  Author of The Wedding Dress Yes

  www.amandatru.com

  Amanda Tru loves to write exciting books with plenty of unexpected twists. She figures she loses so much sleep writing
the things, it’s only fair she makes readers lose sleep with books they can’t put down!

  Amanda has always loved reading, and writing books has been a lifelong dream. A vivid imagination helps her write captivating stories in a wide variety of genres. Her current book list includes everything from historical, to action-packed suspense, to inspirational romance, to a Christian time travel/romance series. Amanda is also the author and organizer behind the unique, multiauthor Crossroads collection series.

  Amanda is a former elementary school teacher who now spends her days being a mommy to her four young children and her nights furiously writing. Amanda and her family live in a small Idaho town where the number of cows outnumbers the number of people.

  Newsletter: www.amandatru.com/newsletter

  Website:www.amandatru.com

  Email: truamanda@gmail.com

  Facebook: facebook.com/amandatru.author

  Twitter: @TruAmanda

  Yesterday Series:

  Yesterday

  The Locket

  Today

  The Choice

  Tomorrow

  The Promise

  Forever (coming soon)

  Tru Exceptions Series:

  Baggage Claim

  Mirage

  Point of Origin

  Rogue

  Brides by Mail Series:

  (Written with Cami Wesley)

  Bride of Pretense

  Bride by Request

  Bride of Regret

  The Secret Bride Society Series:

  The Secret Bride Society

  Crossroads Suspense Series:

  The Night of the White Elephant

  Christian Romance:

  Secret Santa

  The Random Acts of Cupid

  The Assumption of Guilt

  The Christmas Card Series:

  The Christmas Card

  A Cinderella Christmas

  Clean Romance:

  The Romance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

  Children’s:

  (Under the pen name J. Lasterday)

  Dog the Dragon Series:

  The Dragon’s Escape

  The Cabin Boy’s Treasure

  The Great Expedition (coming soon)

  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for saying “yes” in choosing to read our collection! We hope you enjoyed each individual book, as well as seeing how they all worked into the final story. Isn’t it amazing to think of how our own real-life stories interconnect in significant ways that we may never know? In God’s hands, even our worst difficulty can be used to bless someone else!

  One of the fun benefits of reading a book is that you get to cheat in ways that we can’t in real life! In The Wedding Dress Yes you got to see how God used London’s actions in the lives of other characters. Though a real London wouldn’t ever realize the impact a wedding dress could have, you get to appreciate the examples of miracles and life changes that came in the form of white silk, chiffon, and lace.

  May you close this book with the assurance that your work and actions matter as well. Whether you are searching for home, struggling with family relationships, or trying to wade through life’s difficulties hoping for God’s direction, we hope God uses even the most insignificant details in unexpectedly significant ways, leading you exactly where He wants and molding you into who He wants you to be.

  This is a unique set of books, with each story fitting together like a puzzle piece with the final book. Since all of the stories have a point of intersection, we call it a Crossroads Collection. If you love the premise of this set and are eager for more, please check out the other Crossroads Collections. In each of them, you will find brand new books tied together once again with a crossroads to one story in the set.

  We also have more “Crossroads Collections” in the works! If you would like to be notified of new and upcoming collections in this series, please sign up with Amanda Tru’s email newsletter. She is excitedly organizing more of these multiauthor sets of this type, and she notifies subscribers when new collections are released.

  Finally, if you enjoyed this collection, please help spread the word, write a review, ask your library to stock that hardback, and/or recommend it to your friends! This collection, like the others, will only be available for a limited time, so be sure to help spread the word and also snag the paperback version that will last long after the ebook collection disappears. Eventually, each set will be disbanded and the books published individually. So read them as complete sets while you can!

  Thank you again for reading. We hope you enjoyed our stories and that they sparked your imagination, touched your heart and even made you think. We wish you the best and hope that you know the blessing of encountering the author of your real-life book. May He intersect every event of your life in chapters that draw you to Him, equip you to say “yes” to serve Him, and eventually lead you home. me.

  Sincerely,

  Alexa Verde, Chautona Havig, Hallee Bridgeman, Alana Terry, & Amanda Tru

  The Wedding Dress Yes Authors

  Newsletter Sign Up:

  www.amandatru.com/newsletter

  The Crossroads Collections

  Out of the Blue Bouquet, a Crossroads Collection

  Floral folly fables from Hallee Bridgeman, Alana Terry, Carol Moncado, Chautona Havig, & Amanda Tru

  (www.amazon.com/dp/B077MWTWGC)

  Yesterday’s Mail, a Crossroads Collection

  Misdelivered mail tales from Alana Terry, Cynthia Hickey, Hallee Bridgeman, Chautona Havig, & Amanda Tru

  (www.amazon.com/dp/B07G81ZGQZ)

  Under the Christmas Star, a Crossroads Collection

  Ornamental yarns from Lesley Ann McDaniel, April Hayman, Chautona Havig, Alana Terry, & Amanda Tru

  (www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9ZF7VY)

  Betwixt Two Hearts, a Crossroads Collection

  Dating site stories from Amanda Tru, Cathe Swanson, Kari Trumbo, Alana Terry, Carol Moncado, & Chautona Havig

  (www.amazon.com/dp/B07MCBFY8N)

  The Wedding Dress Yes, a Crossroads Collection

  Wedding dress dramas Alexa Verde, Chautona Havig, Hallee Bridgeman, Alana Terry, & Amanda Tru

  (www.amazon.com/dp/B07QPL85L9)

  When Snowflakes Never Cease, a Crossroads Collection

  Heartwarming wintery accounts from Hallee Bridgeman, Alana Terry, Chautona Havig, Jaycee Weaver, & Amanda Tru

  (www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZX3PR5T)

  Did you miss Out of the Blue Bouquet, a Crossroads Collection?

  Out of the Blue Bouquet

  a Crossroads Collection

  Some of today's Best-selling Christian Authors weave five unique yet connected stories together in this collection where misdirected floral deliveries lead to lives changed.

  Courting Calla, by Hallee Bridgeman.

  Ian knows Calla is the woman God has chosen for him, but Calla is hiding something big. Can Calla trust Ian with her secret, or will she let it destroy any possible hope they may have for a future?

  Seoul in Love, by Alana Terry.

  Love was lost a long time ago. A chance meeting in Seoul might change all that forever.

  A Kærasti for Clari, by Carol Moncado.

  Her job as social media manager for Eyjania's Queen Mother keeps Clari Sørenson busy. An unexpected treasure hunt with Joel Christiansen might just be the vacation she needs.

  Premeditated Serendipity, by Chautona Havig.

  A floral fiasco sparks a plan to play matchmaker. Reid has his reasons for not pursuing Kelsey… yet, and outside interference only makes an already difficult situation even more awkward.

  Out of the Blue Bouquet, by Amanda Tru.

  When Brooke is left in charge of Crossroads Floral, she accidentally sends the flower deliveries to the wrong people. Unfortunately, some of those wrong people include all of the ex-girlfriends of the most eligible bachelor in town. Are Brooke's mistakes a complete disaster, or can there be something beautiful in an out-of-the-blue bouquet?

  Did you mi
ss Yesterday’s Mail, a Crossroads Collection?

  Yesterday’s Mail

  a Crossroads Collection

  Some of today's Best-selling Christian Authors weave five unique, connected stories where lost mail finds unexpected purpose.

  Sleepless in Seoul, by Alana Terry

  When Derek leads his church on a short-term mission trip to South Korea, he's definitely not expecting to find out the woman working with him is the same woman who broke his heart over twenty years ago.

  Like Ships Passing, by Cynthia Hickey

  One transposed number threatens to sink love before it gets started.

  Chasing Pearl, by Hallee Bridgeman

  A package lost in the mail since 1940 brings a modern couple together in a miraculous way.

  Operation Posthaste, by Chautona Havig