Abruptly, I woke up in my bed. “No.”
I scanned the area. I was in the villa. I looked down at my body. I no longer had on the white pajamas. Instead, I wore the Kate Coat, jeans, and sweater from the bachelorette party. I looked above me. A clear blue sky showed through my glass ceiling.
Someone knocked on my villa door.
I blinked, returning to reality. Meanwhile, my nipples were stiff under the sweater and my pussy was wet. “It was a dream. . .all a dream. . .”
“Ivy!” Holly yelled through the door. “Are you okay?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes!”
“You missed spa day. Everyone was worried.”
I rolled to my side and climbed out of bed. “Coming.”
Damn, that was a crazy dream. How was that even possible? And he referred to Mom. And all those damn memories.
My heart ached with the visions from earlier. I felt so sad from seeing my father, mother, grandpa, and grandmother. And then there were all the emotions that came from the moments between Saint and me.
I stumbled to the door and opened it.
Holly looked at me and then chuckled. “And I thought I was drunk. You’re still in the same clothes.”
Yawning, I shook the dreams out of my head. “I just overslept. How was spa day?”
“Much needed.” She entered the villa. “By the way, thanks so much for the bachelorette party. It was so sweet. I will always remember that night.”
“Good. You deserve it.” I raised my arms and sniffed at my pits. “Wow. I need to shower for several hours.”
“You only have several minutes. We need to be in the SnowChapel for rehearsal. Plus, during the rehearsal dinner, I need my maid of honor to be a buffer between my mother-in-law.”
“That’s right.” I saluted her. “The buffer is on duty in less than ten minutes. Just let me clean up.”
“Oh. I’m not going anywhere. I’m currently hiding from her now.”
“Are the fathers on the fishing trip?”
“They’ve just returned. Both are frozen popsicles and not happy with me at all.”
“Told you.”
“Yeah. Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.” I took off the coat and headed to the shower. My heart ached. My soul felt sore like something had cut it open.
Get the dream out of your head. Take a hot shower and forget it all.Chapter 10
Winter WonderlandAlthough the dream haunted me, I moved forward with being there for my best friend.
Wedding rehearsals weren’t necessary. However, Holly liked everything to be perfect. Therefore, I knew we would stand in that cold-ass chapel forever practicing the ceremony.
After getting into my clothes and heeled black boots, I put on a new winter ensemble—a black fur coat, complete with a thick fur hat.
“Ivy!” Holly widened her eyes when we headed outside. “Please tell me that this is faux fur.”
I winked. “It is.”
She frowned. “You’re so full of it.”
I shrugged. “You know I’m not a faux anything person.”
“Animals died for your coat.”
I headed down the steps, knowing this would not be her final statement. I gazed around at the amazing view of this breathtaking snowy landscape. The weather was chilly, yet the snow shimmered. A fresh dusting of powder layered the mountain top looking like a big cake with sugary icing. I looked at the frozen sea and its endless expanse of white—pure and untouched.
We walked onto the path leading to the SnowChapel. Flakes drifted down, twirling and twisting in the air. Trees swayed in the frosty winter wind, causing icicles to crack and crash to the ground like glass pieces shattering.
Holly continued her annoyance with my coat. “Fur is cruel, barbaric, and simply incredibly old-fashioned and unfashionable.”
“Wow.” I glanced her way. “You say that after eating reindeer last night and damn near licking your plate.”
“I didn’t eat it! I sang for his lost brethren.”
“Oh, that’s right. But you’re not vegan either. You do eat hamburgers and chicken.”
She opened her mouth. “Killing animals for fashion is very different from doing it for food.”
“How? Our ancestors killed animals for food and to keep themselves warm. If not for that, the human race would probably not be here.”
“Our ancestors also did the holocaust and slavery but—”
“Slavery and the holocaust? That wasn’t my ancestors.” I grinned and headed to the SnowChapel. “That was your ancestors.”
She huffed after me. “I’m just saying that our ancestors have made tons of mistakes and our generation is supposed to resolve them.”
The snow was damp, every step felt like walking in mud. I was glad I’d put on boots. “If it makes you feel any better, I only incorporate fake fur into my collections. However, this coat and hat was a gift from designer Alexander Jacobs for work I did with him last year. And it’s vintage. That means it is pre-owned by some baroness that kept the coat in a climate-controlled vault. So the animals died well before we were born.”