“It’s going to be. This is a good place to start.”
Katie let out a soft gasp. “It’s perfect. How did you do that?”
The dress was pale ivory, an empire waist chiffon gown with a lace overlay. It was classic but the tiny flowers stitched into the lace gave a hint of whimsy. The princess neckline would look beautiful against Katie’s dark hair and creamy skin and the cut would be forgiving if she “popped” in the next few weeks. Emily smiled a little as she imagined Noah’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time.
“You’re beautiful, Katie, and we’re going to find the right dress.” She motioned to the saleswoman. “We’ll start with this one,” she said, gently handing over the gown.
The woman nodded. “When is the big day?”
“Two weeks,” Emily answered for Katie. “So we’ll need something that doesn’t have to be special ordered.”
“Anything along this wall is in stock.” The woman turned to Katie. “The fitting room is in the back. I’ll hang the dress.”
“Do I have to plan a cheesy bachelorette party, too?” Emily selected another dress and held it up for Katie’s approval.
Katie ignored the dress, focusing her gaze on Emily. “Is that your way of saying you’ll be my maid of honor?”
Emily swallowed and nodded. This was not a big deal, two weeks of support and planning. So why did she feel like Katie was doing her the favor by asking instead of the other way around? “If you’re sure?”
“Thank you,” Katie shouted and gave Emily a huge hug.
This was why, she realized, as tears pricked the backs of her eyes. Emily hadn’t had a real friend in years. The women who were part of her social circle in Boston had quickly turned on her when her marriage imploded, making her an outcast in their community. She’d burned most of her bridges with her Colorado friends when she’d dropped out of college to follow her ex-husband as he started his law career. Other than her mom and Noah, she had no one in her life she could count on. Until now.
She shrugged out of Katie’s grasp and drew in a calming breath. “Who else is in the bridal party?”
“We’re not having any other attendants,” Katie told her. “I’ll try on this one, too.” She scooped up the dress and took a step toward the back of the store. “Just you and Jase. He’s Noah’s best man.”
Emily stifled a groan and muttered, “Great.” Jase Crenshaw had been her brother’s best friend for years so she should have expected he’d be part of the wedding. Still, Crimson’s favorite son was the last person she wanted to spend time with. He was the exact opposite of Emily—warm, friendly, easy-to-like. Around him her skin itched, her stomach clenched and she was generally made more aware of her long list of shortcomings. A real prince among men.
Katie turned suddenly and hugged Emily again. “I feel so much better knowing you’re with me on this. For the first time I believe my wedding is going to be perfect.”
Emily took another breath and returned the hug. She could do this, even with Jase working alongside her. Katie and Noah deserved it. “Perfect is my specialty,” she told her friend with confidence. Behind her back, she kept her fingers crossed.
* * *
“What the hell was that?” Noah Crawford held out a hand to Jason Crenshaw, who was sprawled across the Crimson High School football field, head pounding and ears ringing.
Jase hadn’t seen the hit coming until he was flat on his back in the grass. He should have been paying more attention, but in the moment before the ball was snapped, Emily Whitaker appeared in the stands. Jase had done his best to ignore the tall, willowy blond with the sad eyes and acid tongue since she’d returned to town.
Easier said than done since she was his best friend’s sister and...well, since he’d had a crush on her for as long as he could remember. Since the first time she’d come after Jase and Noah for ripping the head from her favorite Barbie.
Emily’d packed quite a wallop back in the day.
Just not as much as Aaron Thompson, the opposing team’s player who’d sacked Jase before running the ball downfield. Jase brushed away Noah’s outstretched hand and stood, rubbing his aching ribs as he did. “I thought this was flag football,” he muttered as he turned to watch Aaron do an elaborate victory dance in the end zone.
“Looks like Thompson forgot,” Noah said, pulling off his own flag belt, then Jase’s as they walked toward the sidelines.
“We’ll get ’em next time.” Liam Donovan, another teammate and good friend, gave Jase’s shoulder a friendly shove. “If our quarterback can stay on his feet.”
“This is a preseason game anyway,” Logan Travers added. “Doesn’t count.”
“It counts that we whipped your butts,” Aaron yelled, sprinting back up the field. He launched the game ball at Jase’s head before Logan stepped forward and caught it.
“Back off, Thompson,” Logan said softly, but it was hard to miss the steel in his tone. Logan was as tall as Jase’s own six feet three inches but had the muscled build befitting the construction work he did. Jase was in shape, he ran and rock climbed in his free time. He also spent hours in front of his computer and in the courtroom for his law practice, so he couldn’t compete with Logan’s bulk.
He also wasn’t much for physical intimidation. Not that Aaron would be intimidated by Jase. The Thompson family held a long-standing grudge against the Crenshaws, and hotheaded Aaron hadn’t missed a chance to poke at him since they’d been in high school. Aaron’s father, Charles, had been the town’s sheriff back when Jase’s dad was doing most of his hell raising and had made it clear he was waiting for Jase to carry on his family’s reputation in Crimson.
Jase took a good measure of both pride and comfort in living in his hometown, but there were times he wished for some anonymity. They weren’t kids anymore, and Jase had long ago given up his identity as the studious band geek who’d let bullies push him around to keep the peace.
He stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down his nose at the brutish deputy. “Talk is cheap, Aaron,” he said. “And so are your potshots at me. We’ll see you back on the field next month.”
“Can’t wait,” Aaron said with a smirk Jase wanted to smack right off his face.
The feeling only intensified when Aaron jogged over to talk to Emily, who was standing with Katie and the other team wives and girlfriends on the sidelines.
“Let it go.” Noah hung back as their friends approached the group of women. “She wouldn’t give him the time of day in high school, and now is no different.”
“Nice,” Jase mumbled under his breath. “Aaron and I actually have something in common.”
Noah laughed. “Katie’s asked Emily to be the maid of honor. You’ll have plenty of excuses to moon over her in the next few weeks.”
Jase stiffened. “I don’t moon.”
“You keep telling yourself that,” Noah said as he gave him a shove.
