Worth the Wait (McKinney_Walker #1)(68)

“Yeah.” He returned her hug and smile. “Now look where you are.”

“Okay. No more sappy.” She released him and stepped back to Hazel. “Go finish catching your bad guys so you can come back and bug me more often. And be good tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am.”





Chapter 22





THE DRESS SHOP WAS white on white. Who knew there were so many varying shades of that colorless color? Carpet, walls, furniture, dresses. Even the cookies artfully arranged on a white dish that sat on the whitewashed coffee table in front of the white leather couch were white. But it was beautiful. Serene.

“Sorry,” Mia said, rushing over to hug Hannah where she sat. “Traffic.”

“You’re not late. We’ve just been having a cookie, or four.”

Lizzie, Sarah, and Abby sat on the couch, looking like pretty flowers rising up from the snowy room. They’d scheduled a special after-hours fitting so Beth could come. Dr. Beth McKinney was Stephen’s oldest brother’s wife. But in the end, she’d had an emergency at the hospital and hadn’t been able to make it.

The only other color in the room came in the form of the two women who worked there. One in bright pink, the other in sunny yellow. So they could find each other in the white cloud of a store, she imagined.

They wasted no time and whisked Hannah into the dressing room, returning five minutes later.

“Okay, ladies, behold your beautiful bride.”

Mia lifted her eyes and nearly gasped at the image in front of her. It was breathtaking. Hannah was breathtaking. She’d seen her in so many ways over the past twenty-four years, but this was just… beyond. “Hannah.” She could only shake her head. Lizzie, Abby, and Sarah were doing the same.

Hannah wiped her eyes. “Stop, you guys, you’re going to make me drip.” The sides of her hair were lightly pulled back and secured with a small pearl headpiece. The rest tumbled over her shoulders and down her arms in shiny golden waves.

She swiped a finger under each eye, beaming at herself in front of the mirror like she couldn’t believe it. After all she’d been through and overcome. Mia felt swamped with love and pride and awe. “Turn around. Slowly. Let us gawk.”

Hannah turned, and they oohed and ahhed. Mia could honestly say there’d never been a more beautiful bride.

“I hope Matt’s ready to catch Stephen, because he may not survive this,” Abby said, turning the tears to laughter.

“The flower girl dresses are here, too,” the woman in bright yellow said.

There would be five flower girls. Hannah refused to leave anyone out.

“And your dresses,” Hannah said to them, sniffing again.

“We’ll try them on after you,” Abby said.

“Wait. There’s a different veil I wanted to try.”

“I’ll get it.” And the woman in pink was off.

The one in yellow brought out the little-girl dresses, and they fussed over those.

“How are your brothers holding up?” Sarah asked when Hannah returned.

Hannah stood still while the shop owner attached the new veil. “Luke is quiet and cool, as usual. I’m not sure if he’s glaring when I mention Stephen or if it’s just his permanent expression. Zach’s biggest dilemma is choosing who to ask, and I’ve threatened him with great bodily harm if he brings more than one. The last thing I need is a cat fight on the dance floor. And Dallas… we’re not sure Dallas will be able to come.”

“I’m sorry,” Abby said.

“It’s okay. I worry he’s doing something dangerous, more dangerous than normal, but it’s okay. I know he’d be here if there was any way.”

“And Nick?” Lizzie raised her brows, waiting. “Should we even ask?”

“Well, Stephen is still alive, so that’s a good sign.”

Mia thought she did an exceptional job of faking a soft laugh, not letting anyone see that her heart still thumped painfully against her chest when she thought of him. If things had been different, she might have had her day in white. She would have gladly given herself to Nick. Why had she wanted to wait? What had seemed so important at the time—her work and his, finding the perfect time for a honeymoon. It seemed so unimportant now. But if they’d been married, the outcome might have been the same.

No. If they’d been married, she never would have left. But they were practically married. Did that mean she shouldn’t have left? Would they have been married and continued to live as they’d been living? With her on the outside, trying desperately to make Nick love her again? She wouldn’t have survived that. Not looking into Nick’s eyes every day and seeing him looking back at her like she was a stranger.