One to Save (One to Hold 6)

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Heat fills my eyes.

“Hang on!” Lainey cries, dashing for the tissues. “If you start crying, I will, and we don’t want to look like raccoons on your wedding day.”

That makes me laugh, and I look up at the ceiling, quickly doing some mental math problems to distract my overactive tear ducts. “Hand me a mimosa,” I order, taking the tissue from her and blotting under my eyes.

“You’re beautiful!” She says, eyes brimming.

“Now you’re doing it!” I laugh, touching the tissue under my lashes again.

“One postponement, one cancellation, and we finally made it.”

“Two months ago, I was pretty sure this was never going to happen.” Standing, I press a hand against my sternum to calm the pain that memory provokes.

“Not me.” My best friend’s arm goes around my back. She leans her light-blonde head against my dark one. “I never gave up on you two. Derek is the perfect prince for your fairytale.”

“He’s more than a prince.”

“You’re right.” Elaine smooths her hands down the front of her thigh-length sequined dress. “Patrick’s my prince. Derek’s more like... the king in this story.”

I almost snort mimosa through my nose. “Oh my god,” I laugh harder. “Don’t tell him that!”

She breaks into laughter, and I look up to see Mariska and Kenny joining us looking fresh and pretty. We all spent the day having our hair and nails done. We got pedicures for my beach wedding, and I sprang for everyone to have massages. For the last few hours, we’ve been lounging and taking our time getting dressed. The wedding starts at six, and a quick glance to the clock says we’re in the final countdown.

As matron of honor, Elaine wears a thigh-high, strapless sequined dress the color of sand. Kenny’s dress is a one-shoulder sea-foam green chiffon. Mariska’s is a strapless chiffon in ocean blue. We all have our hair down in loose, rolling waves, and the effect is stunning. Perfectly blended with our location.

“You guys are laughing way too much,” Kenny says, prancing forward in her champagne stilettos. “Give me a mimosa.”

“Oh!” I wave my hand at them and pull my skirt up so I can run across the room. Digging in my bag, I pull out a handful of tissue-wrapped parcels. “I have these for your feet. You can’t wear heels in the sand.”

Tossing them each a bundle, we rip into the packages to find lace-covered elastic foot-thongs.

Kenny’s small nose wrinkles. “What is this?”

“It’s ‘shoes’ for a beach wedding,” I explain. “Look. Slipping off the Marine-blue heel I’m wearing, I fit the contraption over my foot. The thong portion goes between my toes and the lace overlay covers the top of my foot. I hook the back over my heel. “Isn’t that pretty?”

Her face changes. “Yes...” she starts to laugh, “It actually is.”

With the stiletto queen onboard, the rest of the girls ditch their shoes and start pulling on lace “thongs.”

“Have you seen Derek’s hair?” Mariska gushes to her friend. “I love it.”

Standing up fast, “What did he do to his hair?”

“He cut it.” Elaine is next to me and makes an excited face. “He looks amazing.”

I’m not sure I’m happy about this. I love threading my fingers through his collar-length dark waves. “Why would he do that?”

“Probably because of the dress whites,” Mariska continues, unaffected. “Stuart went with him and got even more taken off his.”

“Stuart’s hair was already short,” I say, looking in the mirror and feeling concerned. I can’t imagine Derek high and tight.

Elaine’s right with me, placing her hands on my waist. “Trust me. You’re going to love it.”

“Love what?” My mother enters the room in her rose-colored, tea-length chiffon dress.

“Mom,” I step over and hug her then pull back, nose wrinkled. “Where’s Dex?”

“Star’s watching him. He’s having a ball, playing in the sand with Lane and Cammie.” She leans toward the mirror and straightens her dark hair behind one ear. “If they weren’t so cute, I’d make them stop.”