“Get out the ironing board and iron,” she instructed. “We want heat but no steam, so make sure it’s empty.”
She found navy thread and threaded a needle, then had Courtney stand in front of the wall-size mirror while she folded up both sleeves and pinned them in place. Now instead of a baggy elbow-length sleeve, the dress had little cap sleeves.
She walked around her sister and studied the dress. “You get this at the thrift store?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” Rachel pinned both sides of it back, from mid–shoulder blade to the fullest part of Courtney’s butt. “Go put on a robe. I need the dress.”
Her sister pulled it off and handed it over. Rachel used the fabric tape to secure the sleeves, then the pleats she’d created on the back. Once the fabric cooled, she would tack the material down to make sure the tape stayed.
Courtney came out of the bathroom in a white terry-cloth robe.
“Sit,” Rachel said, pointing to the chair. “And take out your ponytail.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to. My baby sister is a stunner. It’s time the world knew.”
She combed out Courtney’s long, thick hair. Quickly, before her sister could protest, she combed the front part forward and grabbed her scissors.
“You are so not giving me... What did you do?” The second part of the sentence came out as a shriek. “I don’t want bangs.”
“I know and I don’t care. I’ve started now. There’s no putting them back.”
“I thought Sienna was the bitch in the family,” Courtney grumbled. “You tricked me.”
“Yes, I did. Now be still.”
Rachel combed more hair forward and began to cut across Courtney’s forehead. She moved carefully, keeping the line straight. She combed everything again and trimmed a few stray hairs, then pinned the hair back and went to work on her sister’s makeup.
Courtney’s clear skin and big blue eyes didn’t need much enhancement. Rachel brushed on shadow, then mascara, used a brow pencil, then added a light touch of blush. A pretty, dark pink lip stain finished the look.
She unclipped the bangs and moved behind her sister. After spraying her hair with a shine spray, she brushed the long strands into a ponytail before pulling out one piece to wrap around the band holding it in place. She secured it with a couple of pins and sprayed her hair again, then smoothed her bangs.
“That,” she said firmly, “is how you do a ponytail.”
“What if I don’t like it?”
“Suffer.”
Rachel went back to the dress. She used the needle and thread to secure a few key points, then had Courtney pull it on over her head. The once shapeless dress now followed the curves of Courtney’s body. Rachel twisted the hot-pink scarf into a long belt and tied it around her sister’s waist. She tucked in the ends.
The faux belt helped define Courtney’s figure even more and raised the hem a couple of inches. Just enough to go from awkward to sexy. Rachel turned her to face the mirror.
“See?”
Gone was the gawky, plain woman, and in her place was a stylish, well-groomed beauty. The bangs softened the strong lines of her face and made her eyes seem huge.
“All it took was fifteen minutes. You could do this if you tried. I’m happy to show you how.”
Courtney smoothed her dress, then touched the belt. “It was twenty-five minutes, but I get your point. I look nice.”
“Better than nice. You look stunning. I should hate you. The fact that I don’t is a testament to my excellent character.”
“I guess.” Courtney hugged her. “Thank you. This is really amazing.”
“I’m glad you think so. Now walk proud. You’ve earned it.”
Quinn couldn’t remember the last party he’d been to as just one of the guests. He was always feted or, at the very least, that music guy. He found he liked being able to circulate and indulge in small talk without having to wonder what the other person wanted from him.
He grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray and took a sip. Joyce was chatting with a group of friends. The engaged couple held court by the dance floor, and the three Watson sisters were talking together.
Quinn watched as they interacted. The body language was clear. Rachel and Courtney were comfortable with each other, but Courtney didn’t do well with Sienna. Every time the platinum-blonde spoke, Courtney’s shoulders tightened.
Quinn figured there was a lot of history in that tension. A lifetime of experiences. He’d read an article a year or so ago about how in a group, someone was always the goat. The one who was less valued than the others. He would guess that Courtney had been her family’s goat for most of her life.