The Fairy Tale Bride Read online

  He reached up and touched her shoulders. “Who is he, Lisa? Is it someone you know?”

  “It’s…Jared,” she stuttered. “Jared Lovell.”

  Nope. Nothing. He still hadn’t a clue.

  He gave a shake of his head and she threw up her hands in exasperation. “Jared Lovell? From Sultry Suburbs?”

  Now that sounded vaguely familiar, but he still wasn’t getting it. Guy. Girl. Drunken fumble in an alleyway. “Who?”

  Lisa shook her head. She looked mad. She pointed her finger. “That,” she hissed, “is the groom for the wedding I’m helping out with. You know – the wedding of the year.”

  Now, he got it. “Ahh…,” he glanced over his shoulders. “I take it that…isn’t the bride?” To be truthful he was wondering how on earth Lisa knew who it was. There wasn’t much to go on.

  “Not unless she’s dyed her hair and it’s grown by four inches in the last twenty-four hours.”

  Okay. The wedding of year wasn’t looking good right now. But why was Lisa so upset?

  He hesitated. “Is the bride a friend of yours? I thought you didn’t know her that well.”

  Lisa sucked in another breath. Her brow was furrowed. “I hate this. I hate things like this. Nancylynn loves him. She talked about him to me. She obviously trusts him.” She lifted her hand again. “And look at him. Look at what he’s doing. How dare he? This is her home town. How dare he come here and behave like that – as if Nancy means nothing to him?”

  She stepped forward, he could feel the fire sparking from her, see the momentum in her body and moved sideways – straight into her path.

  “Ooof!” She walked straight into him. “What are you doing? Get out of my way!”

  Adam shook his head and held her by the shoulders. “No way. You don’t know him, Lisa. You have no idea what he’s like. I’m not letting you put yourself in that position. He’s drunk. You’ve no idea how he’ll react.”

  Another peal of female laughter and mumbled voices sounded from the alleyway and he cringed. He shook his head. “The guy’s obviously not who he pretends to be.”

  He chose his words carefully. “Maybe Nancy knows? Maybe the marriage isn’t what you think it is? Aren’t some of these Hollywood marriages a sham, or a publicity stunt? Maybe this one is the same? Didn’t you say it was really short notice?”

  Lisa’s face paled. “Yes. Yes, it is.” She put her hand up to her throat. “Oh no. Maybe Nancylynn is pregnant. I never even thought about that.” Her eyes glassed over. “Maybe she’s pregnant and her husband-to-be is cheating on her. The jackass.” The determined glint appeared in her eye again and she tried to step around him.

  “No way.” He held her firmly. “You don’t know any of the circumstances. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions? What other conclusion is there? Jared Lovell is a no-good cheating lowlife. And it’s about time somebody told him.” Now she was shouting and her voice carried easily down the street.

  There was an exclamation from the alleyway. An acknowledgement that something had been heard.

  Adam quickly put his arm around Lisa and steered her away. The last thing he wanted was the so-called bridegroom exiting the alleyway and causing a scene. Lisa would probably end up nose to nose with him right now.

  She shrugged off his arm. “Don’t,” she muttered and started walking quickly down the street. It was obvious she was upset. And although he understood, in principle, why she was upset, he couldn’t really understand why she was taking it so personally.

  It wasn’t like Nancy and Jared were her best friends. She didn’t know the guy at all, and she’d only met Nancy again a few days ago.

  Right now, if he ever saw Jared Lovell again, he’d probably wring his neck with his bare hands.

  Adam took a deep breath and walked behind her, his brain spinning.

  They’d already turned and walked down Front Avenue and it didn’t take her long to pull her keys from her bag and slot them into her doorway.

  Her hair flicked over her shoulder. She turned to face him. Were those tears glistening in her eyes? “Thanks for a nice evening, Adam,” she said swiftly, her voice trembling.

  He nodded. It was obvious she couldn’t wait to get away from him. Whatever it was that had bothered her she wasn’t about to share. Women. He’d never understand them.

  She pushed open her door and stepped inside. “Good night, Adam,” she said quietly as she closed the door. The flash of red disappeared. And with it – all the unspoken promises.

  Adam stood there for a few seconds. How could a night that had started with such promise end in such a disaster?

  Chapter Six

  ‡

  Lisa wasn’t just at the end of her tether, she was practically dangling from the cliff edge.

  She winced as yet another delicate dress was yanked over the head of Ruby. Polly had one lying discarded at her feet – a puddle of very expensive silk covered in crystals. They were taking dresses off and tossing them to the side before Lisa could rescue them.

  Nancy in the meantime was no help at all. She’d been biting her nails and staring out the window in a virtual trance ever since she got here. The only time she blinked into life was when her phone beeped.

  Lisa gathered up the discarded dresses. Polly and Ruby had abandoned the concept of closing the curtains in the dressing rooms. And Lisa was doing her best not to stare but it was clear that even in the last week Polly had gained a little weight. Her hand was never away from the basket of chocolates from Sage’s shop. Maybe she should stop restocking? Ruby, on the other hand, had brought her own bottle of pink champagne which she’d drunk half of already – even though it was barely midday.

  She was standing in the middle of the shop floor, dressed only in her low-cut bra, thong and stilettos, with her hands on her hips. She swung around towards Lisa – almost taking Lisa’s eye out with her boob. “I think I’ve tried every dress you have. I don’t like anything.”

  Bang go my sales. Lisa could barely see over the rainbow of silk, tulle and crystals under her nose. She supressed a sigh and nodded towards the stockroom. “I have other dresses that aren’t on display. Feel free to take a look.”

  She was at her wits’ end. Every single second of her patience had been stretched. Ruby topped up her glass and strutted over to the stockroom. Polly – who didn’t like to be left behind – grabbed a handful of chocolate and followed her.

  Lisa bit her lip and put the dresses down on the chaise lounge next to Nancy and started rehanging the dresses. She took a deep breath. “How are you, Nancy? Is everything okay?”

  Nancy’s head shot around towards her. It was almost as if she’d forgotten she was in the bridal salon.

  “Yes,” she said defensively. “Everything’s fine.”

  A hundred thoughts were shooting through Lisa’s brain. A thousand words were dancing on her lips. Well, four really. Your fiancé’s a cheater.

  But did she really want to be the person to ruin the celebrity wedding of the year? More importantly, did she want to be the person who looked Nancy in the eye and told her news that would devastate her?

  Why was any of this her business? She and Adam couldn’t possibly be the only people who’d seen Jared.

  And everything wasn’t fine. Nancy’s nerves looked just as shattered as hers. She was practically jiggling as she sat on the chaise lounge, wringing her hands together.

  Maybe Jared’s actions the other night were just a one-off drunken, stupid mistake. And it was none of her business anyway. She barely knew Nancy and news about her fiancé’s actions would hardly be welcomed.

  The yapping from the stockroom was becoming unbearable. Lisa took another breath. “Nancy, I’m sorry but we’re running out of time. I know you’re having another fitting for your dress tomorrow, but if Polly and Ruby don’t pick something soon, there’ll won’t be time to make sure their dresses fit properly.”

  If Nancy’s brow wasn’t so botoxed she was
sure there would be deep lines across it. She pushed herself up and walked decisively over to the two women in the stockroom. “Pick something.” The yabbering stopped instantly. “Pick something in the next five minutes or I’ll pick it for you.” She turned on her heel and walked away.

  Lisa finished hanging the last dress. She’d tried to help as much as she could. “Nancy, what about different colors or different styles?” She’d suggested it before, but Nancy had always been non-committal.

  “No. They wear the same dress and the same color.”

  It was pretty clear there was no argument here.

  Lisa walked back to the stockroom. Polly and Ruby were whispering to each other, both with shocked expressions on their faces.

  Lisa ignored them and started pulling dresses from the rails in the back. “What about this one? Or this one? Or this?”

  She was being systematic. The dresses through here were either last season’s styles or hadn’t sold well. For some, it was because of the style, for others the shade wasn’t quite right.

  Polly stepped forward. “What about that?”

  She pointed to a tiny sliver of pinky peach sticking out from behind another dress. Lisa’s stomach flipped over. The breakdown dresses. The dresses she’d bought the day she’d found out her sister had married her ex. Ugh. Why hadn’t she got rid of them yet?

  “You like those?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief from her voice.

  Ruby stepped around her and pulled both from the back of the jammed rail. She ran her eye up and down them. “What is this color?” she asked.

  “It’s difficult to classify,” Lisa said quickly. “Depending on the light it can look pink or peach…or maybe even a bit mandarin.” She gulped.

  Polly moved closer. The one-shouldered dresses were unusual. The color was definitely unusual. The sequins and sparkles made the dresses seem like a glitter experiment gone wrong.

  But something was happening. For the first time ever the bridesmaids from hell weren’t complaining.

  They unzipped the dresses and stepped into them. Before she could stop herself Lisa was pulling up the zippers. They stepped outside onto the shop floor.

  The silence was deafening.

  Lisa peered around the stockroom door. She was almost scared to step outside.

  But instead of the shrieks of horror she expected from Nancy, she was nodding slowly.

  Polly was tugging at the waist of her dress, cinching it in to make it a snugger fit. Lisa’s reactions were automatic. She walked up behind Polly and pinched the dress from behind. “It would need some adjustments. But we can do that. I have a seamstress who works for me and can do personalized fittings to make sure it looks perfect.”

  Where had those words come from? She couldn’t even raise her eyes to see Polly’s reflection in the mirror. She was too afraid the horror of the mandarin dresses would be displayed on her face.

  But Ruby was nodding too. Her dress was a little snug around her bust line. There was room for adjustment there too.

  A cloud must have moved, because within a few seconds the sun was streaming through the windows, bouncing off the sparkling jewels and sequins and sending an array of colored lights around the shop. The whole thing resembled a 1980’s discotheque.

  Nancy smiled. Really smiled. It was as if the big black cloud hanging above her head had lifted for a few seconds. She stood up and walked over to a shelf, which housed lots of sample shoes. She picked off some stiletto jewelled-sandals. “Try these on,” she said, handing one pair to Polly and another to Ruby. Then she worked her way along the shelf picking up a variety of sparkling headpieces.

  She was actually paying attention. She was actually engaged. And for the first time since Lisa had met her, she was acting like a normal bride. One who actually cared about her wedding.

  She stood in front of Polly, holding up one headpiece, then another. “This one, no, this one. It suits you much better.” She slid the tiara into place. Ruby glanced at the remaining two in her hand. She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not wearing that,” she sneered, then picked up the other one and turned it over a few times before positioning herself in front of the mirror and sliding it onto her head.

  “There!” clapped Nancy. “That’s perfect.” She looked from one to the other, then back to Lisa. “We’ll take these ones. How soon can you do the fittings?”

  Lisa swallowed. This was actually happening. They were actually taking the breakdown dresses.

  Something was stuck in her throat – a lump the size of a tennis ball. Once this wedding took place Married in Marietta would be forever associated with these dresses. Did she really want that?

  Three sets of eyes were staring at her so she walked quickly behind her desk and started flicking open her diary, pretending to look for a date.

  She sucked in a deep breath and lifted her head, just as Adam Brady walked past the store front. For a second she could swear he hesitated. His footsteps almost faltering and his head turning towards the store. But it was almost as if as soon as he almost looked in, he changed his mind and continued on down the street.

  Her stomach clenched in a way no amount of sit-ups could emulate. She’d spent most of last night going over and over her reaction. Yes, it was over the top. Yes, it was out of the blue. Did she really have any right to be upset about a groom she didn’t know doing something she wasn’t entirely sure about? That brunette could well have been on her knees for a whole host of other reasons…

  Nancy. Her big blue Hollywood eyes were right in front of her, filled with expectation. Those lashes must have cost a fortune.

  “When can you do it?” Nancy repeated. There was an air of desperation about her voice. As if now she’d finally got Polly and Ruby to agree on a dress she didn’t want to give them a single second to change their mind.

  Lisa swallowed and looked up again. The clouds had shifted. The shop wasn’t a glittering array of colors anymore. Was it possible – even for a tiny second – that the dresses weren’t quite as bad as she’d imagined?

  Maybe the tinge of orange Hollywood tan was just the right tone for this peculiar mixed shade? Anyone else who’d ever set eyes on these dresses had made the tiniest flinch. Even if they hadn’t been conscious of it.

  But somehow, these two blonde, enhanced ladies seemed to be able to carry them off.

  “Lisa?” Nancy sounded impatient now. As a Hollywood star she was probably used to immediate attention.

  “Day after tomorrow,” said Lisa quickly. The truth was her seamstress was always available. She would call her later.

  She hesitated for a second, her eyes flitting from person to person, “You’re sure? About the dresses?”

  Nancy didn’t even give the other two a chance to answer. “Oh, believe me, they’re sure,” she said decisively. “Add in the shoes and the headpieces.” She glanced at her watch. “Now I know the color I can order their bouquets. Kaitlin at the florists will be relieved.”

  She headed straight to the door, her eyes fixed on the screen of her phone barely even looking in Lisa’s direction again before swinging open the door and striding out on to the street.

  The instant derisive dismissal rankled. She almost felt like shouting down the street after her And how will you be paying? But even she wasn’t that stupid.

  Polly and Ruby were already discarding their dresses with the same care and attention as earlier. It didn’t even seem to occur to them that these would be the actual dresses they would be wearing in a week or so. Polly pulled hers upwards, wriggling and tugging with the sound of a few seams stressing. Ruby let hers fall to her feet, then stood on it, still wearing her pointy stilettos, as she took a call.

  “Move,” said Lisa harshly, as she nudged her with her shoulder to retrieve the dress.

  Within a few minutes both women were dressed and Polly was helping herself to more chocolate as they left. Neither of them asked what time or day to return. It seemed that appointments didn’t mean that much to Hollywood stars. />
  Neither of them closed the door causing a gust of wind to sweep into the shop, rustling the dresses on the rails and tinkling the glass on the chandelier above her.

  In a way it was a complete relief. It was only a week until the wedding. They’d spend the rest of the time dealing with the seamstress. She’d hardly need to see them again.

  The warm breeze unexpectedly chilled her. The wrinkled mandarin dresses swung on the rail in front of her. Even without thinking about it, her feet took her back to the stockroom. Back to the corner where the dresses had been wedged.

  They weren’t the only dresses to be hidden in here. At the very back, covered in a clear wrapper was another dress. A dress that had been hidden for the last few years.

  She gulped. The sample dress she’d ordered for her wedding.

  She’d tried to forget it was even there. It wasn’t like she’d ever wear it. This had been the dress for her wedding to Joe – the one with a preliminary date set but no other details worked out. But of course, the owner of Married in Marietta would have had ideas for her dream dress. She might have even gone ahead and ordered a sample of the same dress – just to make sure it was really what she wanted.

  Her hand trembled as she pulled the dress out and unzipped the cover.

  Lisa had planned on being a traditional bride – not one wearing black. Her dress was palest cream duchesse satin, but the fabric was embroidered with tiny pink bows all over. There were no actual bows in sight, but anyone up close would notice the detail. She’d fallen in love with this dress with a sweeping train as soon as she’d seen it in a magazine.

  It had meant something to her. And it had meant something to Melody. Their sister Grace had loved pink bows. She’d had them on everything. Her hair, her bed linen, her pajamas, her blanket, and her teddy bears.

  A dress like this was special. A dress like this had meant she would still have both her sisters with her on her wedding day.

  The sentiment of that now made her stomach do flip-flops. Melody had seen the dress. Melody had known how she felt about everything. It still hadn’t stopped her from sleeping with Joe.