“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” she said.
When Haley opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror, she let out a small gasp. As she fought back tears of happiness, she couldn’t believe this was really her life. She was getting married to a man who was better than any dream she’d ever had. “I feel like . . .”
“Cinderella?” Kathy asked.
“No,” Haley laughed, breaking the spell. “I could never do those glass slippers.” She thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “I feel like Meghan Markel in my own fairy tale.”
They all laughed.
When Haley struck the perfect princess pose, Kathy snapped a quick picture with her phone. “Well, no one deserves a fairy tale more than you and Meghan.” Kathy lifted her glass of champagne for a toast. “To the fairy tale . . .”
Haley held out her empty hands. “Wait, where’s my champagne?”
Kathy was already pouring her a glass. “After you get out of your dress.”
“I think that’s our cue,” the salesclerk said to Haley, as she led her back into the dressing room and carefully help her out of her dress. Haley, with a grateful smile, handed her the veil and tiara. “Thank you, this is all perfect.”
The salesclerk smiled back at her. “We’ll have it all ready for you up front. You’re going to look beautiful. This dress is perfect on you. We can’t wait to see the pictures.”
“Thank you, again, for everything.” Haley gave her a grateful smile.
A few minutes later, Haley came out of the dressing room wearing chic black pants, strappy high heels, and a sapphire-blue leather coat. She looked every inch the success she was.
When Kathy handed her a glass of champagne, they clinked glasses. “Now we can toast together. To my best friend getting married, chasing her dreams, and creating her own happily ever after. You’re my inspiration.”
Haley gave Kathy a heartfelt hug. “And thank you for being here and doing all this with me.”
Kathy sipped her champagne, smiled. “You’re my best friend. Where else would I be? Plus, I love the dress I get to wear.” Kathy walked over to a gorgeous burgundy velvet cocktail dress that was hanging up.
“Only the best for my best woman,” Haley said. “It really is going to look amazing on you.”
“I love that you’re not calling me your maid of honor,” Kathy said. “The word ‘maid’ is too close to the word ‘old maid,’ and I don’t need to be reminded . . .”
Haley laughed. “We’re only thirty-three. You’re not an old maid.”
“Yeah, well tell that to my dating app where all the guys only want to date hot twenty-year-olds.”
“Then you need to find a better place to meet guys,” Haley said.
“Well, one of those places is supposed to be a wedding, but then you decided to have this small, intimate wedding, so you’re not helping me out one bit.”
Haley laughed. “So, you’re saying I should have done a big wedding so you could meet someone?”
Kathy poured herself more champagne. “Exactly. You’re supposed to help me get my HEA.”
Haley put her arm around her. “I’m sorry I let you down on this one, but I know your happily ever after is just around the corner. Jeff’s dad always says at Christmas anything is possible. You just have to believe.”
Kathy laughed. “And to think a year ago I was calling you Grinchy.”
Haley grinned back at her. “I guess my heart has grown three sizes, just like the Grinch’s.”
“And then some,” Kathy agreed.
Haley put down her champagne glass. “Now that we’re done here, I need to head over to the Money Pit to make sure everything’s perfect for our shoot. We need some great pictures to launch the B&B’s website and social media pages.”
Kathy gave her a look. “You mean you need to go to your parents’ fabulous B&B?”
Haley laughed.
“You know, it really does look amazing now that the renovations are finally done. Jeff did a great job helping finish everything up.”
Haley agreed. “The perks of marrying an architect who specializes in restoration projects. I think he loves our old Victorian as much as my parents do. They all see the potential . . .”
“Where you’ve only seen the problems,” Kathy finished for her.
“Well, there have certainly been enough of them, but thankfully, that’s all in the past,” Haley said. “So, do you want to come with me? We’re shooting the wedding cake and flower pictures today. I could use your creative eye. You are one of my favorite graphic designers at work.”
Kathy arched an eyebrow. “One of your favorites?”
Haley laughed. “Sorry, I meant my favorite, first and foremost, and always and forever.”
“Okay, now you just sound like you’re practicing your wedding vows.”
Haley’s smile faded. “Thanks for reminding me. I still have to write them.”
Kathy looked surprised. “You haven’t written them yet? You’re getting married in forty-eight hours.”
Haley shook her head. “I know. I need to do it. I’ve just been so busy with everything, I haven’t had a chance.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something fabulous. You come up with slogans and advertising copy for a living. Piece of cake.”
Haley smiled, nodded. She didn’t want to admit to Kathy, or anyone else, that she had tried to write her vows several times, but she could never seem to find the right words. She wanted everything to be perfect, starting with this first photo shoot. “Okay, let’s get going.” Haley headed for the checkout counter where the salesclerk was waiting with both of their dresses. “Are you with me?”
Kathy caught up with her. “Always.”
“And wait until you see the incredible cake.” Haley got out her phone and showed Kathy a picture of it. The cake was amazing! It was snow white, with six different tiers all in the shape of different squares. It looked like a bundle of Christmas presents all wrapped up with an elaborate burgundy fondant bow.
“Whoa! That’s some cake.” Kathy looked impressed. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s supposed to be Christmas presents, right?”
“Right.” Haley brought up another picture to show her. “I actually saw this picture of it after it won a pastry competition in Paris.”
“Nice,” Kathy said.
“Right? And you know Jean Michael on Newbury Street? He was able to re-create it for me. It took forever to make, but it was worth it. Look how beautiful it is.”
Kathy gave Haley’s hand a little squeeze. “This is going to be the perfect wedding.”
Haley nodded. “And I’m getting really excited.”
“Just don’t turn into a Bridezilla on me,” Kathy said.
Haley laughed. “Never.” She was about to say something else when her phone rang. She was surprised to see it was Jeff calling on FaceTime. She picked up quickly. “Hey babe, what’s up? I thought you were going to be in meetings all day?”
Jeff’s handsome face looked troubled. “I was, but . . .”
Haley looked at the phone closer. “Wait, are you at my parents’ house?” Her eyes grew huge. “And what’s happening behind you? Is that water pouring out of the ceiling?”
Jeff took a deep breath. “Haley, you need to get over here right away. We have to cancel the wedding.”
Also by Karen Schaler
COMING SOON
Christmas Camp Wedding (novella)
NONFICTION
Travel Therapy: Where Do You Need to Go?
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
CHRISTMAS CAMP. Copyright © 2018 by Karen Schaler. Excerpt from CHRISTMAS CAMP WEDDI
NG © 2019 by Karen Schaler. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Danielle Christopher
Cover photographs: © dszc/Getty Images (front porch); © Hannamariah/Shutterstock (wreath); © Luc Brousseau/Shutterstock (dog); © Alhovik/Shutterstock (snow)
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-288368-1
Version 09102018
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-288369-8
ISBN 978-0-06-288474-9 (hardcover library edition)
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