“I know!” The lovely dark-haired, brown-eyed woman who was engaged to Jackson McBride moaned. “This is too hard. All the gowns are beautiful.”
“It helps when you have the body of a goddess.”
“You’re one to talk, Ms. Mile-Long Legs. No way could I wear a body-hugging wedding dress like the one you chose.”
Gillian wrinkled her nose. “Wait and see what else Mom has chosen for you to try on. You’ll be eating your words.”
Caroline looked at her reflection. “Maybe I’ll stop at this one. It makes me feel like a princess.”
Wearing an indulgent smile, Barbara asked, “Princess Caroline, are you ready to step out and show your ladies-in-waiting?”
“Sure.”
Gillian held back the dressing room’s curtain, and Caroline stepped into what they called the parlor. The area had a raised dais and mirrors placed to allow the bride to view herself from every angle, adequate seating for twelve—fifteen, if people sat close—and a sideboard for refreshments for the “bride tribe” to sample while they waited. Caroline’s tribe was small, but special, and included mutual friends Maisy Baldwin and Angelica Blessing, along with Caroline’s late husband’s sister, Elizabeth Garner. Pixyish, blond maid of honor Maisy owned the local florist. Angelica worked for the McBride family as innkeeper for their bed-and-breakfast resort in Enchanted Canyon. Despite being at least three decades older than Caroline, Maisy, and Gillian, Angelica had become a dear friend of theirs over the past year. She had a kind heart, caustic wit, and—with her long red hair and affinity for sparkles, bangles, and jangles—a sense of style unlike anyone else in Redemption, Texas.
“Oh, wow,” Maisy said, waving a carrot stick for emphasis. “That is spectacular. Love the boat neck.”
“It’s very flattering,” Angelica agreed. “Very princess-y.”
Caroline held out the skirt and twirled. “That’s what I thought.”
“We can’t do a ball gown style of bustle with many of our gowns, but it’s perfect for this dress,” Barbara explained, bracing her hands on her slim hips as she studied the bride with a keen, hazel-eyed gaze.
“You look lovely.” Elizabeth lifted her phone and snapped a few photos. “This promises to be a tough choice.”
“I know.” Caroline’s teeth tugged at her lower lip. “Maybe I should stick with something simpler. After all, it is a second wedding for both Jackson and me. I don’t want to choose something inappropriate.”
“Don’t be silly.” Elizabeth gave her head a single, definitive shake. “You’re the bride. You can wear whatever you want. Besides, you have impeccable taste. You would never choose anything inappropriate.”
“Nor have I chosen anything inappropriate for you to try on,” Barbara said. “Bliss Salon does have a reputation to uphold.” Following a moment’s pause, she added, “I have selected a silver gown for you to consider.”
“Silver?” Caroline repeated, interest lighting her eyes.
Barbara smiled as she tucked an errant strand of her chin-length, highlighted blond hair behind her ear. “Want to try it next?”
“Yes.” Caroline took one last look at the princess gown, made one more twirl, then headed for the dressing room. Gillian trailed after her, and while her mother went to get the next selection from the rack of gowns she’d set aside for this morning’s appointment, Gillian helped Caroline out of the princess gown. They chatted about her choices as the bride slipped into the white satin robe that Bliss provided, and the saleswoman returned the dress to its hanger. Gillian was buttoning the last covered button when her mother swept in carrying an armful of sparkling silver lace.
“Gillian, I’ve got this one. Why don’t you put on your bridesmaid hat and sit in the parlor with the others?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Gillian exited the dressing room and took a seat in time to hear Maisy saying to Angelica, “… surprised when I ran into Tucker McBride at the lumber yard. First time I’ve seen him since Thanksgiving.”
Gillian’s ears perked up. Since his return to Redemption, her erstwhile rescuer had been an invisible man.
“We don’t see much of him at the inn either,” Angelica replied. “He stops in occasionally for dinner, but mostly he keeps to himself. He’s been spending a lot of time exploring Enchanted Canyon.”
“Jackson has mentioned that Tucker loves the outdoors.” Maisy sipped her champagne, then addressed Gillian. “You’ve met Tucker, haven’t you? The beautiful brown-eyed McBride? Not to be confused with the gorgeous green-eyed McBride or the sexy silver-eyed one.”
Gillian hesitated. She’d never mentioned her farm-to-market misadventure last fall to either her parents or her friends. Doing so would have meant admitting to the fight with Jeremy. Since they’d reconciled before returning to Redemption, she hadn’t seen the need. As far as she could tell, Tucker hadn’t said anything to anyone either. He obviously hadn’t told Jackson because he would have mentioned it to Caroline, who certainly would have asked Gillian about it. “Caroline introduced us at the bookstore’s Christmas party.”
“He was there? I didn’t see him.”
Gillian shrugged. “I’m under the impression it was a brief visit. It was a packed house, and he didn’t seem very comfortable in the crowd.”
Angelica clucked her tongue. “That poor boy. It’s a good thing his shoulders are so broad. Otherwise, he might topple from the weight of his burden.”
Maisy, Gillian, and even Elizabeth, who lived in Austin and wasn’t part of the local community, all turned avid looks Angelica’s way. Maisy demanded, “What burden?”
Gillian took a celery stick from the crudités tray and nibbled one end, watching Angelica closely. She was curious about Tucker McBride, not only because of what had happened between them the day they’d met, but because he’d been such a recluse since his return to town. At the time, she’d been glad not to run into him on the streets of Redemption—she remained embarrassed to this day over her foolish flight from Bastrop, and she still felt guilty about the first kiss. Nevertheless, she found it curious how he had all but disappeared into Enchanted Canyon upon his arrival.
Angelica brushed a cookie crumb from her orange broomstick skirt. “It’s not my place to say.”
Maisy narrowed her eyes. “Is this something he’s told you, or one of your hunches?”
Angelica lifted her chin. Her large hoop earrings swung. “Darling, my hunches are golden. Besides, all one needs do to recognize that Tucker is burdened is to watch his interactions with dear, sweet Haley. It’s obvious they are simpatico.”
“Really?” Gillian asked. Jackson’s seven-year-old daughter, Haley, was dealing with the aftereffects of the recent private plane crash that had claimed the lives of several people close to her, including her beloved Poppins, who’d been more mother than nanny. “Has Tucker lost someone?”
“Not someone. Something.”
Anything else Angelica might have said on the subject was interrupted when Gillian’s mother swept back the dressing room curtain, and Caroline stepped out wearing the silver lace gown. Following a moment of stunned silence, Maisy said, “Just kill me now. I will never look that good in a wedding dress. On the off chance I ever have the opportunity to wear one, that is.”