"Wedding favors, check. Guest list for the bridal shower, check. Lingerie for the wedding day - Amy, are you listening?”
Amy Hart turned her gaze from her diamond solitaire engagement ring back to her sister. “What was that last item, Tracey?”
“Lingerie.” She scrutinized her younger sister’s figure. “Have you thought about a corset? It could really pull you in.”
Amy’s cheeks flamed. “No,” she mumbled. Maybe asking her sister to help organize the wedding had been a bad idea. She’d met her fiance, Nick, a year ago, on the same day she’d discovered Tracey had put an embarrassing ad in the personals column of the local newspaper, advertising to everyone that Amy was in desperate need of hot sex. Thankfully, Amy had been able to cancel it without suffering too much embarrassment. That day had brightened considerably when Nick walked into the bookstore she managed and asked her to dinner. They’d been dating ever since, and four months ago he’d proposed.
Since Tracey was her only sibling, she’d jumped at the chance to help with all the wedding details. Although sometimes Amy wondered if the real reason Tracey helped was so that she could boss her around, just like when they were kids.
“Let’s go and get you fitted for one. You want to look good for Nick, don’t you?”
Curvy with ample breasts, Amy hadn’t exactly been inundated with boyfriends before she’d met Nick. But as well as being a total hunk, Nick seemed to appreciate her curves. He made her feel good about herself, something her sister hadn’t quite mastered.
“Coffee?” Amy crossed to her small kitchen, hoping to change the subject. Getting fitted for lingerie with her sister supervising meant she would be poked, prodded and pulled into an undergarment that would barely allow her to breathe. She wanted to have enough breath left in her body to say her wedding vows on the big day.
Tracey looked at her watch. “If we leave now, we’ll get back before you meet Nick for dinner.”
Amy shook her head. “Not tonight.”
“Oh, all right.” Her sister pursed her mouth. “Now, what about jewelery for moi, your matron of honor? Crystal saw a darling hair clip at the mall she said would look perfect on me.”
Amy’s lips tightened. Crystal was another problem she hadn’t seen coming. Her sister’s best friend from grade school, the tall, slender brunette existed on nothing but salad and used to tease Amy for being chubby in her younger days. Although she wasn’t a bridesmaid, she seemed to be extremely interested in all the wedding details, especially when those details involved Nick.
“If that’s what you want.” Amy tried to smile. When Nick had proposed, she’d imagined a small, intimate wedding. But with Tracey as unofficial wedding planner and her parents delighted with their prospective son-in-law, the wedding had blown out of proportion.
“Good.” Tracey’s pen made a satisfying scratch on the notepad. “Are you sure you don’t want any bridesmaids? Crystal would be more than happy to help out.”
So she can spend time with my fiance. Amy was sure she hadn’t been mistaken in the way Tracey’s friend eyed Nick and seemed to be around a lot more often once she’d seen the ring on Amy’s finger. Divorced, she kept kidding she was on the lookout for husband number two. But somehow, Amy didn’t think it was just talk. Luckily, she knew she could trust Nick.
“I said from the beginning I didn’t want a large wedding. That’s why I chose not to have bridesmaids.” She couldn’t help adding, “Besides, Crystal is more your friend than mine.”
“Fine.” Tracey put down the notepad. “But you and Nick are going to have to decide on a honeymoon destination. It’s ridiculous you haven’t booked anything yet.”
“Nick said he wants to surprise me.” A soft smile graced Amy’s lips. Although Nick had been busy restoring the gorgeous old Craftsman house they’d bought recently, he was also occupied with his main business of buying, restoring and reselling houses. Nick had moved in with her a couple of months ago, but these days she hardly saw him - except at night. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered exactly what they’d done in the bedroom last night. She had no doubts at all about marrying the man.
“Well, he better hurry up about it.” Tracey fished in her purse. “Here. I went to the travel agent’s today and got you some brochures. If he doesn’t get a move on soon, you won’t be going anywhere on your honeymoon.”
Amy reluctantly took the brochures, placing them on the coffee table. “I’ll show him when he gets home.”