Page 26 of Needing Happily Ever After

Before Katie could answer, her mother jumped in. “You definitely have that look.”

“What look?”

“The look of love.” Debbie grinned. “I mean, I didn’t see it at first. Probably because I was just so shocked by the whole thing. But now…well, it’s all I can see.”

Katie looked to Faith for help, but her friend assessed her with a knowing nod. “Yup,” she said. “I see it.”

“You do not!”

“I do,” Faith continued. “A little flushed, a little dazed…I mean, not that I’m very familiar with it. But…it’s there all right.”

Katie dismissed her with a shake of her head. “This wedding business of yours is definitely going to your head. You don’t see anything.”

Faith laughed. “Just like no one saw the two of you actually ending up together? Ha. You weren’t fooling anyone, Katie Langdon.”

Katie did a double take. “What are you talking about?” She looked between her mother and Faith. Her mother had already told her as much, but no one else had ever said anything about Damon and her ending up together.

“Oh, for sure, Katie. The two of you were always so close, we all kind of knew something else was going on there.”

“You did?”

They did?

She hadn’t. Had she? Not that there was any point in denying it too much. Instead, Katie shrugged. “Well, I guess we weren’t very good at hiding anything.”

“Right?” Her mom linked her arm through Katie’s and all but dragged her into the store. “I am so excited to help you with this today. I just know we’re going to find the most perfect dress.”

“And with your cute little body…” Faith jumped in. “I actually might need to take a few pictures of you for some promotional pictures Hope was talking about. Especially because I know we’re going to find the perfect dress.”

Katie felt a little like she’d just been thrown into the middle of a tornado. But, on the other hand, she was relieved to have someone else take charge of the whole process. For the next two hours, she let her mother, and Faith—who seemed to be enjoying herself a whole lot more than Katie would have guessed—and a sales attendant named Betty take charge as they pulled dress after dress off the racks, and helped her into them. Each one was more beautiful than the last, and even Katie had to admit that she was enjoying herself.

“Oh wow,” Betty exclaimed, the way she did with every dress as she zipped her up. “This is…oh, wow…wait until you see this one.”

Katie turned to see the tall, blonde woman with a huge grin on her face. She always looked excited, but in all the dresses that Katie had tried, the saleslady hadn’t worn this particular expression.

“Are you ready to see it?”

For the first time since the whole experience had started, Katie wished there was a mirror in the change room.

“Let’s go.” She shrugged and let Betty lead her to the small podium with the three-way mirror in the waiting area where Faith and her mom sat.

The moment she walked in, her mom gasped and Faith jumped up from her chair. “Oh, Katie.” Her mother dabbed a tissue to her face.

“Mom? Is it that bad?”

Faith shook her head slowly. “Just wait…”

Betty fluffed her skirts and gently turned her so she faced the mirror.

“Holy shit.” It was probably not the most delicate thing to say, and definitely not the most appropriate. But it was the only thought that Katie could put together as she took in her own appearance.

Her eyes moved slowly down her body, taking in the entirety of what was in front of her. They’d put her in a simple, form-fitted, satin ivory dress that fell off her shoulders. It was unbearably elegant and absolutely perfect.

“Well?” Betty asked gently. “Can you picture walking down the aisle in this one?”

Katie turned a little so she could examine herself in the mirror from all angles. She’d never imagined herself in a dress quite like it, but somehow it was absolutely perfect.

“Can you see it?” Faith came to stand next to her. “Can you see yourself saying I do in this dress?”

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