“Oh, that would look stunning on you.” Willow jumped when Tess gushed her approval a foot away. “The color almost matches your eyes. You must try it on.”
“Oh, no. I don’t think so.” Why try something on, gorgeous as it was, if she could never afford it? Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.
“I insist.” Tess ignored Willow’s protests and with a firm hand, after finding Willow’s size, marched her to the dressing room. “I want to see it on.”
In the small cubicle Willow donned the dress, and instantly wished she hadn’t. It was, indeed, beautiful. The bodice was snug, hugging her curves, the cowl-neck showing off the graceful lines of her collarbone. The floor-length skirt barely skimmed over her hips and twirled in artful waves as she spun sideways to admire herself.
With a soft sound of regret, she left the room to show Tess, who grinned madly when Willow appeared. “It’s perfect. Simply perfect,” she said, fawning over Willow. “And I have a pair of darling silver earrings that will look stunning with it.”
Willow simply looked at Tess as if the other woman suddenly grew a third eye. “Uh. For what?”
“For my wedding, of course, silly.” Tess mirrored Willow’s look. “Now go take it off so I can buy it. The boys have been hinting at food for the past half-hour and I’m about to strangle them.”
“No. Wait. What?” Willow didn’t know what to think, much less say, and her words came out in a stuttering fumble. “You can’t.” Not to mention that she may not even be in Woodcliff next Saturday.
Tess arched a haughty brow. “Says who?”
Looking into Tess’s face, Willow swallowed. “Me?” It might have been a bit more meek than she’d intended, but damn it, she wasn’t a charity case.
But damn it twice, she really wanted the dress!
Tess walked over and put her hands on Willow’s shoulders. Willow had to tilt her head back to look up at the taller woman, and was nearly floored by the warm glow in her eyes. “Think of it as a welcome gift, a thank you gift, and most importantly, a you’re-special-and-you-deserve-it gift, all in one.”
Well. How could a person say no to that kind of generosity? Her throat too thick to speak, Willow nodded, her watery grin of thanks causing Tess to wrap her in a fierce hug.
“Is this a private party or can anyone join in?” Scott said from behind Tess. “‘Cause I’m liking the idea of a Scott sandwich.”
Tess released Willow and scowled at Scott. “What you’re going to get is a knuckle sandwich if you take one step closer.”
“I don’t care what kind of sandwich he gets as long as I get one with two thick slices of bread a chunk of meat and tons of cheese in the middle of it,” Joe said from his position by the dressing room entrance. He lifted his chin to Willow. “You look very nice in that dress. You should let Tess buy it.”
“Willow will buy it,” Tess snapped, the abrupt tone dimming Willow’s glow of pleasure at Joe’s approval. Confused, Willow slid her gaze from Tess’s stink eye to the twin blank faces of her bodyguards.
“Well, of course she will. But hurry it up, darling,” Scott said after a moment, rubbing his flat belly. “I’m about to perish from hunger.”
As if the death ray glare of five seconds ago never occurred, Tess flashed the men a blinding grin. “We’ll be ready in a few minutes. Do you know where you want to eat before we head back?”
Willow’s tummy rumbled at the mention of food and, leaving the others to discuss what restaurant they wanted to eat at, she dashed back to the dressing room to change. While she might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, it was obvious Joe and Scott overhead Tess’s offer, and it was just as obvious that Tess didn’t want either man to speak of her generosity to anyone. Why, Willow had no clue.
While Willow could appreciate how candid and open Tess was, it was the self-confidence that Tess exuded from the top of her streaked blond hair to the tips of her designer boots that Willow secretly admired. She imagined Tess would never demurely bend to another’s directive out of fear of losing their love or attention. No, Tess—and Kaylie and Ruth, for that matter—would all speak their mind. Loudly. It was that take-me-as-I-am-or-get-lost attitude they all possessed, and what Willow wanted. It wasn’t mean; it just was.
In becoming what her mother wanted, Willow had lost herself. But no longer. Recalling the words Tess spoke, Willow straightened her shoulders and marched from the small cubicle. She was special, dammit, and she deserved to be appreciated, even loved, for who she was.