Stirring Up Trouble(51)

They both laughed and Portia snorted, causing Lola to laugh harder. “Yeah, right. Good one.”



Portia slipped the last wedding dress off a hanger and unbuttoned it to step inside. “The point is, I wouldn’t give up on Braden.”



She focused on her sister and felt a warm rush of happiness pass through her chest. Tears, this time from joy, blurred her vision. “That’s the dress. It’s perfect.”



The strapless asymmetrical organza dress fit tight across her bust then spiraled and cascaded at the crystal-adorned waist. She looked like a beautiful white rose in bloom.



“We’ve got to show Mom.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her out of the dressing room to show Reina. The chair she’d been sitting in was vacant. Lola scanned the store and located the sales lady. “Excuse me, have you seen our mother?”



She nodded and pointed to the opposite side of the store. “Yes, I believe she went to the other dressing room to try on a mother-of-the-bride dress.”



“We’ve got to show her how beautiful you look. Come on.” Lola led her through the store, happy to focus on her sister rather than her mess of a love life.



They found the room and she opened the door. “Mom, you’ve got to see—” Their mother was straddling a man’s lap, her shirt on the floor and her skirt bunched up at her waist.





Lola slammed the door. “Ah, my eyes! My eyes!” She rubbed them with her fists but she couldn’t get the image out of her head.



Portia gripped her by her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”



She couldn’t speak. “Mom. Naked. George.”



“Mom and George? In there?” Portia pointed at the dressing room door. “Having sex?” she whispered.



She shook her head. “No, thank goodness. But most of her clothes were on the floor.” She shuddered in revulsion.



Wearing her shirt inside out, their mom came out of the room. “What did you need?” She spotted Portia in the dress and covered her heart with her hand. “Oh, Portia. It’s beautiful. It looks like it was made for you.”



For once, Lola agreed with her mother.



George walked out of the dressing room, his dress shirt poking out of his fly.



Portia lowered her voice and asked, “What’s going on with you and George?”



The lovers exchanged a glance. “We didn’t want to ruin your wedding with—”



George took her mother’s hand. “I’ve asked your mother to marry me and she’s accepted. We were going to wait to announce it until after your wedding, but I’m glad you caught us. I don’t want to keep it a secret anymore. I love your mother and I plan on making her the happiest woman in the world.”



They couldn’t have surprised her more if they’d said her mother was having an alien’s baby. “But you’re both so different.” As different as she and Braden. “Will you quit your law practice and travel with her?” she asked George.



“No. Your mother has agreed to move into my house and stay in Michigan. She’ll do some volunteer work to keep her busy.” He gave her mother a look which could only be described as awestruck. Lola could see how much the man loved her.





“At least until you give me grandbabies to babysit,” her mother added to both her daughters.



“You’re going to settle down in Michigan? What about floating wherever the wind takes you? The earth’s whispers?” asked Lola.



Her mother looked at George lovingly and kissed his cheek. “It was a long journey, but the wind blew me where I was meant to go. With George. Even if the earth hadn’t told me, I would have known the moment I met him he was my soul mate. I’ve dreamed of him for years.”



“And I her. She was worth the wait.”



They’d dreamed of each other, and Ryan and Portia had dreamed of each other . . . and now both couples were getting married. Lola recognized the buzzing sensation running through her veins. She was envious.



Portia smiled. “We’re very happy for you. When’s the wedding?”



“We’ll do a small ceremony after your weddings,” their mother said, looking at Lola.



“Weddings, as in plural? Mom, you’re going to have to wait forever, because I’m not getting married.” No, she’d learned her lesson. She’d fallen in love for the first time and he’d handed back her bleeding heart on a silver platter. She was done with love.



“We’ll see,” said her mother in a singsong voice. “So now that I’m staying in Michigan, we’ll all be together again.”