Hope wore pearl stud earrings and her gold-heart necklace. She briefly considered taking it off but opted to keep it on as some kind of weird good-luck charm. And today, she needed all the good luck she could get.
“Everyone looks so pretty,” she said, glancing around at the group.
“None of us outshines the bride,” Elsa said, admiring Hope’s refection in the mirror. Color dusted Hope’s cheeks, and her eyes appeared extra dramatic, probably due to the heavy eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow that Meredith had applied.
Meredith had insisted on giving Hope a makeover in the carriage house after breakfast, and Ava had urged her to go along with it to get her more “in character.”
As if Hope wasn’t deeply imbedded as Jackie already.
Though Hope didn’t typically wear this much makeup, she conceded the effect was stunning—in the right sort of way for a bride on her wedding day. She actually looked radiant and not overly clownish, which she’d at first feared she might.
“It’s true,” Ava said. “I’ve never seen you looking so beautiful.” Then she pulled her daughter in for a hug and whispered, “Everything’s going to be fine.”
But Hope knew that it wouldn’t.
This was supposed to be the best day of her life—or really, Jackie’s.
She was so mixed up, she didn’t know what to feel.
Elation? Confusion? Fear? The tiniest glimmer of hope?
Meredith gently rubbed her back. “Hey, you,” she said softly as Hope struggled to hold in her building tears. Hope peered at her, and she mouthed firmly, “You’ve got this.”
Hope gathered her nerve, then blinked back the moisture in her eyes and forced a big smile, turning back toward the others. “So?” she asked, doing a mini pirouette in her gorgeous wedding dress. “Do I look okay?”
Sofia beamed. “You look incredible.”
“Like a dream,” Meredith said.
Ava pulled a tissue from her purse on the bed and dabbed her eye. “My first baby getting married,” she said with a sniff.
“I couldn’t have wished for a nicer granddaughter-in-law,” Margaret said.
Elsa smiled. “Nor I a sweeter new daughter.”
“Aww, thank you.” Hope blushed hotly. “I couldn’t have asked to join a nicer family, that’s for sure.” And she really meant that part. If only it could be her marrying Brent for real—that would be like the most amazing dream come true.
But dreams didn’t come true for people like Hope. Especially when they committed horrible, unforgiveable sins like this one.
She told herself not to let her mind go down that road and to focus on the positive. Her sister and Brent were going to have a wonderful marriage because Brent was going to work hard at it.
Jackie would, too, if she knew what was good for her. Hope was going to do her best to make sure of that.
Sally strode to the window, which looked over the back lawn. “Yep, getting crowded already. The chairs are nearly full.”
At least this was finally happening, so it would all be over soon.
Then Hope could get on with her ordinary life and try to pretend this never happened.
…
Hope clutched her bouquet tightly in both hands and approached the path leading to the altar. While the floral arrangement was gorgeous, she liked the handpicked flowers that Brent had given her for the rehearsal even more.
She saw him standing between the minister and Derrick under the large oak tree, and his image took her breath away. Brent was even more devastatingly handsome in a tuxedo than she could have imagined, and she’d been imagining him a lot.
The sun was behind her as she inched forward with Eleanor at her elbow. “Wait just one sec,” Eleanor whispered as the violinist played the prelude and Sally, Sofia, and Meredith took their turns walking down the aisle, holding yellow rose bouquets.
Once they’d assumed their places on the minister’s left side, the violinist changed tunes. Unexpectedly, though, she didn’t begin a string edition of “Wedding March.”
She started in on a heartfelt rendering of “Don’t Worry Baby” by the Beach Boys. Tears sprang to Hope’s eyes when she realized what Brent had done. He’d requested this just for her. Eleanor held her back while the musician finished the sweet refrain, ending on a high note.
Hope gathered her reserves with a sniff, telling herself not to be foolish. None of this is real, she repeated in her head. It’s all make believe.
After a short pause, “Wedding March” began, and wedding guests turned their heads in Hope’s direction. Eleanor lightly tapped her arm, and she began her unsteady promenade toward the altar, people standing from their chairs while the strains of the music played on.
As Hope passed folks by, they sent her admiring glances before turning to smile at the groom. These were mostly extended family from Brent’s side, and Hope didn’t recognize most of the faces.
Her gaze swept past Grandpa Chad and Grandmother Margaret in the front row next to Ava. Elsa and Parker were seated there as well, and there was a nice-looking middle-aged man with a solid jaw next to Parker. Hope took him to be the family friend Margaret had said was like a brother to Brent’s dad and an uncle to Parker and Elsa’s children.
Two women vaguely resembling Elsa were located nearby, each with her husband, and every single face Hope encountered was lit up like morning sunshine.
Then she turned her eyes on Brent, and he blew them all away with his stunning smile and sexy dark eyes that beheld her with adoration and wonder.
This isn’t real, she told herself again, repeating the mantra over and over.
Not real. Not real. Not real.
Hope sucked in a breath as the minister motioned for the guests to be seated.
Make believe.
The musician completed her song, leaving the sonorous sound rising in the wind.
Hope’s stomach did flip-flops, and her legs felt like jelly as she scooted beside Brent, basking in his warm glow of love and affection, and she felt instantly bolstered by his presence.
Not real. Not real.
Hope’s heart pounded as every ounce of her being wished this wasn’t make believe.
She stole a glance at Meredith, who shot her a panicked look, like she was having last minute doubts.
But this was all too real, and it was too late to stop it.
The bridesmaids looked so beautiful.
Derrick and William looked awesome in their tuxedos, too.
But no man on the scene compared with Brent.
“Beloved guests,” the minister began. “Family and friends of the bride and groom, we’ve gathered here today on this gorgeous Saturday in June to unite Jackie Webb and Brent Albright in holy matrimony…”