Cassie's Wedding Dress

by Clare Revell

  Jack drew her to one side, shaking hands with a couple of other people. Once they were alone he turned his intent gaze on her. “I’m glad they sorted it out, Cassie. Would you like a lift?”

  “Are you sure? It’s your day off, and I don’t want to impose.”

  “You’re not. Now, as it’s my day off, and I have nothing else planned—can I give a friend a lift to her hospital appointment?”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  “Great. I’ll pick you up at eleven-fifteen. That will give us time to get there and park somewhere close.”

  Lara came running over and stood next to Jack. She looked up at Cassie. “You’re the wabbit lady. Look, I called him Peter.”

  “So, you’re the customer who wanted the rabbit from the window display.”

  “Guilty as charged. Thank you for selling him. As you can see, he goes everywhere with her.”

  “Not the bath, Daddy.”

  “Good job too,” Cassie said, “because rabbits don’t like water.”

  “Weally?” Lara looked at her.

  “They even hide when it rains.”

  “I like the bath. Daddy says I spend so long in there I’ll turn into a mwermaid.”

  Cassie raised an eyebrow at Jack. “Definitely a good job you’re not a rabbit, then,” she told Lara.

  “Yes, because wabbits eat salad stuff, and that’s disgustingly yucky.”

  “Have to agree with you there.”

  “Daddy likes salad.”

  “Then he’s welcome to it,” Cassie said in a stage whisper, making Lara giggle.

  “I heard that,” he said.

  A car horn beeped and Cassie glanced over, waving at her father. “I’d better go. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Chambers.”

  “Who’s Miss Chambers?” Lara asked.

  “You are,” Jack told her.

  “No…I’m Pwincess Lawa, Mewmaid-in-twaining.”

  “Then Princess Lara, it was a pleasure to meet you.” Cassie laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jack.”

  “See you tomorrow, Cassie.”

  ****

  Cassie stood by the window watching for Jack’s car. She twisted her hands together and wiped sweaty palms on her skirt. Anyone would think I was twelve again. It’s not a date it’s a hospital visit and he’s just doing a favor. Nothing more.

  “There he is.” Grabbing her bag, Cassie made her way outside and locked the door.

  Jack leaned over and opened the door. “Good morning. How are you?”

  Cassie did up her seatbelt. “I’m good. How are you? Did Lara go off to school all right?”

  “I’m fine. She did—although she tried to wriggle out of it again. She said she’d rather stay home with me.” He glanced at her as he signaled and pulled away from the curb. “You’re looking pleased.”

  “I got the dress finished.”

  “I bet it looks great.”

  “Yeah it does, even if I do say so myself.” She chuckled; her pleasure at having it finished spilling out. “The great reveal is tomorrow at ten. Dad’s going to bring it in for me so Danny doesn’t see it. I’m closing the shop for half an hour and kicking everyone out while I do the display. I’m even covering the window so he can’t peek in from the street. If you’re free then, you’re more than welcome to come and watch. Seeing as how you gave me the idea.” She looked at him. “Danny’s still blaming you for this if it doesn’t work. “

  “Is he now? I think I can live with that.” Jack smiled. “I will definitely be there. Are you having press coverage, too?”

  “Huh?”

  “The unveiling of the wedding dress of the year deserves at least the BBC to attend, not to mention all the national papers.”

  Cassie laughed for the first time since the accident. “I don’t think so,” she managed in between gasps for breath. “This is my wedding dress we’re talking about here. Not Lady Rebekah’s. Hers will be done by a top designer, cost around twenty thousand pounds, and be copied by millions across the world. Then it’ll go on display in Buckingham Palace, during the summer when it’s open to the public. Mine will be seen by a few people in the High Street and cost no more than two hundred quid. In today’s dress market that’s a bargain.”

  “Maybe you should go into production and sell them for twice what they cost to make.”

  “Yeah, right. I can just imagine Danny’s face when I ask if I can turn the back room into a bridal shop. I’m doing this because I promised Danny a royal wedding display—and I wanted to finally make my dress.”

  “You don’t think this could be the start of a new career?”

  “It’s not something I could see myself doing forever, no. This one is mine—I wouldn’t want anyone else wearing it. It just wouldn’t feel right.”

  ****

  By the time Cassie came back into the waiting area, Jack knew he didn’t have time to take her home before doing the school run. He smiled as he saw her beaming face and realized she was walking without limping.

  “It’s a perfect fit,” she said, happiness pouring from her like an infectious tide. “I can walk and it doesn’t hurt.”

  The urge to hug her was strong, but Jack was all too aware of the pastor/parishioner relationship and the ‘no hugging rule’ as Lara termed it. Praying hard, he managed to resist. Instead he beamed at her. “That’s brilliant, Cass. Now there’ll be no stopping you. You’ll be back doing everything you used to do in no time.”

  “Maybe.” A tiny bit of the light went out of her eyes for a moment. Then she perked up again. “Can’t wait to show Mum, Dad, and Danny.”

  “It’ll have to wait. I’m afraid I don’t have time to drop you off before picking up Lara from school. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. We can pick her up together.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. You gave up your one free afternoon for this. You must have been bored stiff while I was in there.”

  He pocketed his e-book reader. “Not at all. I caught up on some reading.” He’d also had a very productive conversation with the old lady sitting next to him, but that was between him and her. He stood. “Let’s go. I assume you don’t want me to bring the car around.”

  “No, I want to walk.”

  “Good. You have a definite hop and skip in your step, now.”

  “Feels like I’m walking on air. It doesn’t hurt to walk anymore.”

  Jack smiled. “And you’re not limping, either.”

  “That’s because the old leg was apparently two inches longer than my real leg. Not quite sure how they managed that one, but anyway, this one is perfect.”

  “Does it mean you’ll be wearing a skirt that doesn’t touch the floor on Sunday?”

  “Pfft. In your dreams…”Cassie broke off. “I mean—”

  “It’s all right, I know what you mean. And I can assure you I don’t dream about you.” Think about you yes, but not dream about you. No woman has captivated my thoughts so much since Elisa. What do I do, Lord? She’s one of my congregation. She wants to be a church member. Are there rules governing this? Perhaps I should speak to Bruce. Although she’s made it quite clear I’m Pastor Jack and not just Jack anymore.

  ****

  Jack parked and they walked the short distance to the school, Cassie enjoying every step. It wasn’t simply the joy of walking normally for the first time in months, as much as the presence of the man next to her. She knew it could never be, but for the time being she allowed herself to dream. She caught her breath as they went into the playground. “Would you look at that?”

  “It hasn’t changed at all, has it?”

  “No it hasn’t. Remember standing under that verandah during wet play? And that thunderstorm we had. Everyone ran screaming for the main building.”

  “And the teachers wouldn’t let us leave until our parents personally came into the building to collect us.”

  “And over there is where I fell and got that nosebleed. You sat with me until
the teacher came.”

  A small figure ran from the building and attached herself to Jack. “Daddy.”

  “Hey, princess,” he said hugging her back. “Lara, you remember Cassie.”

  Lara held out a hand. “Hello, Auntie Cassie.”

  Cassie did a double take. Auntie Cassie? She shook Lara’s hand. “Hello, Lara.”

  Jack looked at Lara. “Why Auntie Cassie?”

  “Lisa says she has to call all her Daddy’s lady fwiends auntie, and she’s your lady fwiend so…”

  “Lara, Cassie is someone from church. I was merely giving her a lift to an appointment and back.” He took Lara’s hand. “Come on. Have you got everything?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  “Well, strictly speaking, we are friends.” Cassie’s cheeks warmed uncomfortably. “I’ve known your dad since I was younger than you. And Auntie Cassie is fine—it’s better than Miss Hinton.” She winked at Lara. “Or the rabbit lady.”

  “Have you weally known Daddy that long?”

  “Yeah, we used to go to this very school. So your dad and I are old friends. But I’m not his girlfriend.”

  “Why not?”

  “That’s enough, kiddo.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Cassie doesn’t need the third degree over this. Let’s take her home then we’ll go to the park for a few. I have bread for the ducks in the car.”

  “Yay. Can she come to the park, too?”

  “That’s entirely up to Cassie.”

  “Sure, sounds fun.” She lowered her voice. “Feeding ducks is my all-time favorite thing to do. Just don’t tell my brother that. He’ll only tease me about it and insist on the next window display being ducks and a pond. That’s why we had the rabbits there—because I like them.”

  ****

  Jack sat down on a bench and watched Lara run over to the death-slide. He looked up, patting the spot beside him for Cassie to sit. “I’m sorry for what she said. She’s a great kid, just has some strange ideas when it comes to relationships and how they should work. She asked if I could buy her a mummy so she wasn’t the only child in her class without one.”

  “Buy one?” Cassie looked at him.

  “Like we bought a new computer when the old one died. We’re not the only single parent family in her school or in the church for that matter, but as far as Lara’s concerned, we may as well be.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” Cassie watched Lara wait for her turn on the death-slide. “She’s a lovely child and a real credit to you.”

  “I do my best, but at times, I really don’t know what I’m doing.”

  “No parent does when they first start out. Babies don’t come with a book called Baby Raising for Dummies. And you’re trying to be both mum and dad to her.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “You’re trying to be both mum and dad to her. It can’t be easy.” Cassie grinned at him as she repeated it.

  She is beautiful when she smiles.

  “It isn’t—especially on sports day when you have the mum’s race. Having Grandma run it isn’t quite the same.”

  “I can’t imagine your mum running anywhere, let alone in a race.”

  “It really is a sight for sore eyes,” Jack agreed. “Lara thought it was brilliant. The other kids didn’t.”

  “Kids can be mean—girls in particular. They have their own particular brand of spite.”

  “I remember you getting picked on a fair bit.”

  “Oh yeah…but I had my very own protection force in you and Danny. No one dared mess with me after that…at least, not when either of you were around.”

  “Oh?”

  “I was two years behind you. Once you and Danny went up, they made my life a misery.”

  “You never said anything.”

  “I daren’t. It would just have made things worse.” Cassie took a deep breath. “Anyway, those days are long gone.” She pushed up as Lara came running over. She smiled as Lara took her hand. “Long gone and best forgotten.”

  “Did you bwing the bwead, Daddy?”

  Jack showed her the bag and took her other hand. “Sure did.”

  “Cool.” Lara swung both their hands as they walked. “Are you sure you can’t buy me a mummy, because then we could do this all the time.”

  “Quite sure. Mummies are special people—they have to love the children very, very much and you can’t do that to order. It comes from in here.” He touched his chest.

  “Oh…all wight.” She kicked her feet on the path for a while, knocking the gravel stones out of her way.

  “Lara?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Sounds like “something” to me.” Cassie said coaxingly.

  Lara shook her head.

  “Hmmm. Do you know how to do one, two, three, jump?” Cassie asked.

  Lara looked up and shook her head. “No.”

  “Well, your dad and I swing your arms as far back and forward as we can and when we say three we lift you up and you jump as far forward as possible.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Can we?”

  “Sure,” Jack replied.

  Lara screamed with laughter as they swung her along the rest of the path to the duck pond.

  He stood and watched Cassie and Lara feeding the ducks, not sure who was having the most fun. Cassie was so good with her and Lara had taken to her. He raised a hand and waved to Miss Kingsley as she walked past on the path.

  Lara dragged Cassie back with her. “Daddy—I asked Auntie Cassie to dinner because I want to wead her my new book. Is that all wight?”

  Jack looked at Cassie, reading the tired expression in her eyes. “Maybe not tonight, Lara. Cassie probably has things to do at home. She can come another night if she likes.”

  “That would be good.” Cassie smiled her thanks.

  Jack did his best to ignore the look Miss Kingsley gave him and the low comment she made as she passed.

  Cassie's Wedding Dress

  5

  Cassie laughed as Danny banged on the window behind the shutters. “Hurry up in there. How much longer are you going to be?”

  “Patience,” she told him. He never was any good at waiting and used to pound on the bathroom door all the time. He still did just to wind her up occasionally. She did up the last button and moved to the front. She pulled the dress slightly and smiled as she fastened the gold clasp on the cord around the waist. “Perfect.”

  The fitted white crushed velvet bodice tapered to the waist where the full skirt then fell to the floor. A plain gold cord belt circled the waist, the excess cascading down the length of the dress. The scooped neckline stayed on the shoulders while the sleeves plummeted down the arms ending just over the wrists in a v point, dangling a good six inches below the wrists.

  Picking up the circular silk chiffon veil, she wondered if Jack would come. Jack? Since when did you drop the pastor? It’s better not to think of him that way, especially after Miss Kingsley’s comment yesterday. I don’t think he heard her, since he didn’t say anything. Or maybe he’s as embarrassed as I am. And I thought Danny was joking about the narrow minded little old ladies who sit at the back of the church.

  She sighed and set the veil on the mannequin’s head. She fixed it into position with the simple gold circular headband.

  Danny tapped on the window. “Come on, sis. How long does it take? A fellow could die of boredom out here.”

  “As long as it takes to finish and not a minute longer.” She grinned as she tossed her grandmother’s staple reply back at him. She pulled the dress slightly to the left, so the hem hung straight and then straightened the uniform jacket on the groom. As a final touch, she scattered rose petal confetti around the base of the two mannequins. The only thing she could think of to make it perfect was the bridesmaid’s dress she hadn’t even begun. Taking a deep breath she opened the shutters. “Tada.”

  “Whoa…” Danny’s face was a picture, a mix of shock, amazement and wonder. “Wow sis, I didn’t know you had it in you
.”

  Oh, if only I had a camera.

  She glanced from Danny to the man standing beside him.

  Jack just grinned, his smile lighting his whole face.

  Cassie headed outside to join them. “You like it then?”

  “It’s wonderful.” Danny hugged her. “Thank you.”

  She hugged him back. “You’re welcome.”

  Danny shook his head, still wide eyed. “You really made it? In less than a week? You didn’t just hide the fabric I bought and go and hire that dress from some fancy dress designer place like you did the groom’s RAF uniform?”

  “No I didn’t,” Cassie huffed. “I’m hurt you could even suggest such a thing.”

  “It’s wonderful and far outweighs anything any other shop has done. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “It does look really good, but I already told you that.” Jack’s warm voice made her cheeks burn.

  “You showed him, but not me?” Danny slapped a hand over his heart and staggered backwards. “I’m hurt.”

  Cassie and Jack laughed. “I just happened to be there,” Jack told him. “She mentioned what she was doing, and that it was the one she designed years ago.”

  Danny’s eyebrows shot up into his hair. “You designed it? It’s not a premade pattern?”

  “Yeah, I designed it. It’s actually my wedding dress. Not that I’m getting married, but it’s the one I always wanted to walk down the aisle in. Figured this was the perfect opportunity to make it. So I just did it.”

  “That is incredible. You wasted your talent riding horses. You should have been a dressmaker.”

  “I really don’t think so. Like I told Jack, this isn’t a career. It’s a wedding dress for a display. That’s all.”

  “Well I think it’s amazing. Don’t you, Jack?”

  “I do.” He glanced at his watch. “Is that the time? I should make a move. I have to go visit Miss Kingsley. Set her straight about yesterday.”