“You’re kidding?”
“I wish I was.”
“That’s just not right.”
She lifted one shoulder into a half-shrug, trying to convince herself it didn’t matter, even though it still hurt. “It is what it is.”
“Which one did you pick?”
Megan’s head jerked up in surprise. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“It matters to me. Which one did you pick? I want to see it.”
A warmth spread through her chest, and she resisted the urge to hug him. “I don’t even know if they have it anymore.”
“We do,” the sales woman said, standing upright.
“How do you know about it?” Megan asked, looking over her shoulder at her. “I don’t remember you being here when I tried on dresses last fall.”
“I wasn’t. But I took the call when your mother changed the order. It was too late to cancel the first dress, but your mother pitched such a fit the manager let her order the new one, taking the loss and hoping we’d sell the original. I’ve never heard of a bride’s mother canceling a bride’s dress behind her back like that. It was the talk of the store for weeks. We would have called you if any of us knew how to reach you.”
“You still have it?” Megan asked.
The woman nodded.
“Can she try it on?” Josh asked.
“Sure . . .” the woman said. “But you can’t trade it. This dress has already been altered to fit you. No refunds.”
“That’s okay,” Josh said. “I still want to see it on her.”
“This one looks beautiful,” the woman said, fluffing the skirt, then stepping off the stage. “But I’ll pull the other one if you want to see it.”
“Thanks,” Josh said, offering his hand to Megan.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked as she stepped down next to him.
“Don’t you want to try it on again?”
Did she? “I don’t see the point.”
She loved the dress, yes, but this whole charade had gotten out of hand. Her mother had spent the equivalent of a year’s salary on the wedding, and for what? Wasn’t a wedding supposed to be the commitment of two people who not only loved each other but genuinely liked each other enough to promise a lifetime commitment? This wedding would be no less of a farce if Jay were here with her now. She had thought she loved Jay, but now she wasn’t sure she’d even liked him. She was embarrassed to admit it to herself, but there it was. The truth. Finding Jay nailing his secretary on his desk was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
But if she were teasing the truth out of this screwed-up mess, she also knew that the dress she’d chosen meant something to her. It had been her symbol that she would get married someday and have a different marriage than her parents did. She’d almost screwed up with Jay, but she was realizing what was important. And the man in front of her ranked very high on that list, even after only knowing him a few days.
He gave her a coaxing smile. “Indulge me.”
She returned to the fitting room and waited for the woman to come back and help her change. The dress she’d chosen was lighter, and rather than the crinoline skirt of the Cinderella dress, its skirt was made of swathes of silk with scattered gatherings around the skirt and a small train. The bodice was like a wrap dress, with a V-neck that showed off her chest without revealing too much cleavage. The first dress had been strapless, but this one had short, silk, off-the-shoulder sleeves.
“This dress does suit you better,” the saleswoman said as she zipped up the back. “You need a different veil. I don’t think the tiara your mother picked would work. Wait a moment. I have one in mind.”
She was back within seconds, holding a comb with an attached veil, which she carefully arranged on top of Megan’s head. “That’s much better,” the woman said, but there was regret in her voice. “It’s such a shame your mother didn’t stick with this one. I really do wish we could exchange it.”
“It’s okay. I’m not getting married anyway.” The saleswoman started to say something, but Megan interrupted her. “It’s a long story. Josh is just filling in.”
The woman took it in stride, which made Megan wonder how many weird stories she heard in her line of work. “Well, let’s let your substitute groom see you.”
“Okay,” Megan said, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. The sales clerk was right. This dress was so much more her. While she hadn’t thought anything of showing the other dress to Josh, this one mattered. What if he didn’t like it?
His back was turned, his eyes gazing out the shop’s windows, but he must have heard the ruffle of silk because he turned slowly to look at her.
She took several steps toward him, then stopped, searching his face for a reaction.
He must have seen the worry in her eyes because he closed the distance between them, gently slipped his hand behind her head and pulled her mouth to his. It was a soft kiss, gentle and reassuring. When he lifted his head, his eyes were filled with warmth. “God, Megan. You’re beautiful.”
She flushed, slightly irritated with herself that his opinion meant so much.
“Your mother is an idiot,” he murmured, picking up her hand as he took a step back. “This dress is so much more you.”
The clerk stood behind Megan, smiling sadly. “It fits perfectly. This dress looks like it was made for you.”
Megan stepped up onto the stage and studied herself in the mirror.
A group of women entered the store, chatting excitedly, and an anxious look filled the saleswoman’s eyes. “My next appointment is here, and the other consultant called in sick.”
Megan forced a smile. “That’s okay. I’m done.” She stepped off the stage, ignoring Josh’s offer to help, confused by her feelings. She couldn’t name all of the emotions brewing in her chest, but she could name one, pushing its way to the front, demanding attention—sadness. She didn’t know if it was over the man she was possibly walking away from or the dress she’d never have, because after wearing it for Josh, she knew she could never wear it for another man.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When they got back into the car, Josh told her that he’d changed his mind. He wanted to get a phone after all.
She told herself it didn’t mean anything, but somehow she sensed it did.
Nevertheless, his earlier distance was gone. She stopped at a phone store next to the shopping mall and stayed with him while he picked out his replacement. He touched her nonstop—either holding her hand or putting an arm around her. And she teased him about how he’d told her earlier in the morning that he was going to be the attentive boyfriend she would either love or hate.
“And which is it so far?” he asked with a grin.
She lifted her eyebrows playfully. “I’ll let you know later, but I have no complaints so far.”
He snaked an arm around her back and pulled her close, searching her eyes.
“You two are so cute,” the sales girl gushed. “It’s so wonderful to see couples in love.”
She expected Josh to pull away or protest, but he only pulled her closer and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead.