Hollywood Princess (Hollywood Royalty 2)

“Honey,” she says, coming in and taking me in her arms, “if you don’t get dressed, I won’t be able to stop him from coming in and putting you over his shoulder and carrying you to the altar,” she says, laughing. “I’m not even making that up. He just said that to me.” I laugh and shake my head. I have no doubt he would do exactly that.

“Is Brian here?” I ask, looking at the door, but my soon-to-be mother-in-law stops me.

“You will not give in to him right now. You will get into that ball gown and then meet him at the altar, which is what I told him.” She smiles at me. “But he did send me in with this.” She hands me a square black box. “I will say that I have no idea what is in that box.”

I sit down now, taking the note out and reading it.

To my beautiful wife on our wedding day,

Thank you for allowing me to love you and for spending the rest of your life with me.

Always yours,

Brian

I try not to tear up, and I blink them away as fast as I can. I open the top, and my breath stops when I see that it’s the matching earrings to my engagement ring. Pink square diamond earrings. “Those are beautiful.”

“Now,” she says and holds out another black box, this one long, “I don’t know if you got your whole something new and something blue,” she says, handing me the box. “I’ve never had a daughter,” she says, and I look at her, “and well, as much as I love my boys, it’s great having one.”

“Oh, Shirley,” I say, tears trying to sting my eyes. “You have welcomed me with open arms. I couldn’t have asked for more.”

“Now, this is your something new with a little bit of a something blue.” I open it and gasp. It’s a diamond flowered bracelet, each piece of the bracelet has pink in the middle, and then the petals are all diamonds, except one of the diamonds has a blue stone in the middle.

The door opens again, and this time, it’s my mother. “I hate to interrupt,” she says, smiling, and I look at her in her own mother of the bride dress. Another thing Shirley did was include my mother in everything she did, which made it even more special. “But it’s taking all of his hunky friends, his father, his brother, your father, and the hunky actor to stop him from coming in here.”

“That boy never did have patience,” Shirley says. “He came out three weeks early.” She shakes her head. “Let’s get you in the dress,” she tells me, and I nod my head, walking over to it and stepping out of the white satin robe that says bride on it. I step into the blush pink wedding dress, slipping my hands into the Swarovski crystal spaghetti straps. My mother zips the back, and the top of the dress is lace with soft crystals throughout and fits like a glove. A crystal Swarovski belt sits on my waist right before the dress kicks off in layers and layers of organza. The layers are trimmed with satin.

“Oh my gosh,” Cori says, “you look like a princess.” She dabs the corner of her eyes. “Definitely no veil,” she says, and I nod my head, looking into the mirror. My hair is loose because I know he would want it that way, the loose curls in the front and hair pinned back at the side with a diamond brooch. I slip my feet into champagne-colored satin shoes.

There is a knock on the door, and my mother goes to answer it. “It’s time,” she says, and then everyone gets into place. I walk out, and the wedding planner hands me my pink and champagne roses with stems wrapped in a white stain. Shirley walks down the aisle with Harold, followed by my mother and Hunter, who is the only groomsman. His brother, Harry, is the best man. Jessica walks down the aisle, Tyler smiles at her while she walks, and then it’s Cori’s turn. The door now closes, and I get into place as the wedding planner fixes the long train in the back.

“Are you ready, baby girl?” my father asks while I put my hand through his arm, and my other hand holds the bouquet in front of me.

“I’ve never been more ready in my life,” I tell him, smiling. “Wedding March” starts playing, and the door opens, and I don’t see anyone but Brian, who stands at the top of the altar in his black tux. His smile radiates, and I slowly walk down the aisle, my eyes never leaving his.

My father walks me to the front and then kisses my cheeks. “Who gives this woman to be married?” the preacher asks, and I now look down and then look up.