His Southern Sweetheart

Nodding, Lexi waved her hand to the couch and gracefully folded herself into a director’s chair. “Tell me about yourself, Amelia. Nate mentioned over the phone about you being from here but not wanting to come back.”

“Well,” Amelia started, not wanting to offend. Lexi hadn’t grown up in Southwood like she did. Lexi’s parents were well-off and sent her away to boarding school out of state; she came home to Southwood with her friends for the summer. She’d come back and made something of herself. “I’m not fond of being back here.”

“Bad memories?”

“Let’s say I don’t expect to be inducted in the town’s hall of fame any time soon.”

“Girl, you either?” Lexi slapped her long leg. “And my folks are on the committee.”

Amelia decided she liked Lexi and her spunk. “So are you in the pageant business or the wedding business?” She waved her hand toward the mannequin with the long white train.

“Both. Right now the pageant world is hot but it’s about to die down since school’s started. I’ve always loved to sew, and original pageant dresses are the way to go for a one-of-a-kind.”

“O-O-A-K.” Amelia grinned.

“You know your pageant terminology.”

Amelia shook her head and confessed, “I know my reality show competition. Why haven’t you been on one of the shows?”

“No way. Those shows take away the good and put an evil spin on something innocent.” Lexi’s hand covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled.

“No offense taken,” Amelia said with a laugh. “A lot of shows do prey on people. I can’t say I’ve never gotten my hands dirty when I started but I’d like to think I’ve grown.”

“With Natalia Ruiz’s show?”

Aware now of the history between Natalia and Nate’s brother, Amelia pressed her lips together. Of course Lexi saw the story on the Real-A-Tea blog—as well as Amelia’s oversight. The irresponsible anonymous blogger was a bane in everyone’s existence. The person behind the computer screen had a mole at every reality show.

Before growing angry again, Amelia swallowed her feelings. “Yes.”

“She’s a beautiful woman.”

“She is,” Amelia agreed. Amelia studied the beauty queen’s face for a moment and tried to gauge a read. Nate was still tight-lipped about the reason Natali

a had met with Stephen. Did Lexi know? “You’re not worried about her and Stephen?”

“Nah.” Lexi waved off the notion without a wrinkle in her face. “What I am worried about is the Keaton wedding.”

Ah, a girl concerned with business first. Amelia liked her even more. “Are you afraid something is going to happen?”

“Well, I’ve had a lot of rave reviews and new customers brought in because of the pageant business, but the last wedding dress I believe jinxed me.”

The ivory dress on the mannequin with its sweetheart neckline and full skirt was beautiful. Every intricate stitch was perfect. “I swear I won’t attend the wedding.” She held two fingers together in the air.

“Not you,” said Lexi, reaching out and playfully waving off the notion with a flick of her wrist. “You better come. We’re about to pick out the best dress, if Jolene will ever text back. I’m talking about the last dress I made. The bride disappeared.”

Amelia pressed her lips together and watched through half-closed eyes as Lexi fretted. “What do you mean disappeared?”

“I mean, slipped out the back door and no one has heard from her.”

“Where was this wedding?” Amelia sat up straight. “Was this in Orlando?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“When I’m not working, I live there in an apartment. Well, used to.” Amelia shook her head to get to the point. “Are you talking about the Ramos-Montenegro wedding?”

“You know Grace?” Lexi’s mouth gaped open.

“I know the groom, well, the-would-have-been-groom, Ricardo.” Amelia sank into the cushions of the red couch and briefly explained her job at MET and how they were going to document the life of the young congressman, and the footage filmed leading up to the wedding and the ceremony itself would be aired on their network. Amelia had offered to edit the footage, but with the bride disappearing, her project had ended. She’d pitched an idea to Rory about trying to find the bride, a local chef, but Rory thought it was too soon.