I laughed. Jen had come into my parents’ lives when they were getting married and had become a member of the family. Outrageous with his own style, he was elegant and perfect with details for events. It was he who suggested the color of the dresses for the girls, insisting the red and green would be so “cliché.” He had been right, and the color scheme of ivory and gold, with punches of red and green, was beautiful. Each girl had a dress designed especially for her, and Cami had done an exquisite job. The boys would all be in simple black tuxes, their ties and cummerbunds a striped combination of the ivory and gold. I loved all of it.
I opened the box with eager fingers, and Chloe settled the circlet around my head. It matched the bouquets and decorations everywhere. Holly, ivy, sprigs of balsam and cedar, entwined with red roses, tiny pinecones, and white freesias. My headpiece had a few crystals to match my dress woven into the greens. Chloe skillfully pinned the headpiece and stood back, nodding happily.
“There. You’re ready.”
My hair, the same golden wheat color as my mother’s, hung in loose curls over my shoulders. Chloe had woven some pearls and sparkles into the front, and the headpiece looked pretty. I smiled at my sister as she bent down, laying her head alongside mine. Our facial features were similar, but other than that, I had my mother’s coloring with my dad’s blue eyes. Chloe had my dad’s hair and my mom’s wide, dark eyes. We were both small like my mom. Our brother, Thomas, had my dad’s height, coloring, and his eyes.
“If you decide the vet helper thing isn’t your calling, you could always fall back on hairdressing,” I teased.
She winked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The door opened, and Gracie stumbled in, dragging a suitcase. Her dark hair was a mess, her usually calm blue eyes filled with panic. Her coat was half buttoned, and her cheeks were flushed.
“Oh my god! I made it.” She dropped her bag, shrugging off her coat, hugging and kissing everyone. “I’m so sorry!” She made a beeline for me, and I stood and hugged my best friend. Though she was older than me by a couple of years, Gracie and I had always been close.
“Thank god.” I held her fiercely. “The day wouldn’t have been right without you.”
“Not happening. A bad engine, a delayed takeoff, a snowstorm—nothing was keeping me from being here.”
I studied her closely. “Are you okay, Grace? You look frazzled.”
Grace never looked frazzled. She always had everything under control.
She waved me off. “I’ve been running since yesterday, trying to get here.” She accepted a glass of champagne from Heather, downing it in one long tip of her head. “I need another one of those.”
I met Heather’s shocked gaze. I had never seen Grace drink like that. Small, measured sips were all she ever took. I noticed a couple other things. A patch or two of pink on her neck as if she’d rubbed against something rough. A tiny bruise not quite hidden by the collar of her blouse. The brightness of her eyes. I held back a gasp when I noticed her finger. There was a thin pink line on her left ring finger. Her wedding ring finger. It looked as if a band had been there, then removed recently.
“Grace,” I whispered. “What’s going on?”
She ignored my words. “I’m here to see my best friend get married.”
“We’re going to talk about this,” I hissed.
“Not today,” she said, keeping her smile wide and her words low. “Today is about you.”
“Just tell me you’re okay.”
She pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I promise.”
I had to take her word for it since we had no time to delve deeper. But I had to ask.
“Who is the plus-one?”
She rolled her eyes. “A necessary pain in my ass. But I owe him for getting me here, and he wanted to come to the wedding. I hope it’s okay.” Her words were simple, but I noticed her cheeks flushed as she spoke.
“It’s fine. You know we’re casual.”
“Thanks.”
Our conversation was interrupted when Cami clapped her hands together again. “Girls, it’s time.”
“I need a fast shower,” Grace insisted, wrinkling her nose. “I smell like I’ve been travelling for days.”
Her mother stood. “Come, and I’ll show you where.”
I watched her walk away, trying to tamp down my curiosity. She hadn’t smelled like she’d been travelling to me. She smelled like a man had been all over her. The scent was deep—citrusy and musky. Gracie’s fragrance was very light and floral.
My curiosity grew, and I was suddenly anxious to meet her plus-one.Chapter 3BraydenMy dad showed up a short time later in the morning, along with Aiden and Bentley. Although in my mind they were still my uncles, I had begun using their first names once I started working at BAM. When Addi and I got engaged, we had talked to Bentley about the whole Mom and Dad thing, and we agreed to stick to names. Since our parents spent so much time together, it would have become confusing. Bentley knew what he meant to me. So did Aiden. They were as close to me as I was to my own dad, and I was grateful to have three such strong men as role models. We walked over to the Hub, the morning air crisp and cold. It was a massive building we all used for various things. It had a full gym, a basketball court, a games area, as well as three bowling lanes in the large, high-ceilinged basement. Upstairs was a wide-open space with an attached fully outfitted kitchen that we used for our gatherings. A glassed-in swimming pool for the winter that overlooked the lake and a huge movie room were on the main floor. It had been well-planned and thought-out. There was a little library at the back next to the pool, filled with books and comfortable chairs. My mom often sat there reading, with Emmy or Cami for company.