Page 45 of Choosing Happily Ever After

Hope couldn’t argue with that. She sat back and listened.

“So, I was thinking that we could do something that we used to.”

“What’s that?”

“Guess.”

Hope shook her head with a laugh. “You’re being ridiculous. I literally have no idea what you’re talking about. What did we used to do? Like when we were kids?”

Faith nodded. “Little kids.” She fed her another clue. “It was your favorite thing and you always begged me to do it, even after I thought it was stupid. In fact, I think this is the first time I’ve been here when you haven’t asked—”

“Wedding sisters!” Hope jumped to her feet with excitement. She’d always loved playing wedding sisters with Faith, and she’d been so sad when Faith declared the whole idea of weddings and love stupid and refused to play with her anymore. It hadn’t stopped her from secretly playing without her sister, but it was never the same. After all, you could hardly pretend to get married to someone if you were the only one playing. “Seriously? Youwantto play?”

Faith laughed. “No. Not at all. Butyoudo, don’t you?”

Hope nodded without hesitation. The timing was terrible, to be sure, but if Faith was really offering to “play” with her, there was no way she was going to say no. “I do,” she said quickly. “I really do. Is that silly? I mean, we’re grownups.”

Faith laughed. “Itissilly. Beyond silly. I mean, I thought it was completely ridiculous when we were kids, but…” She shrugged. “You are my sister, and I love you and I know things haven’t been awesome lately and…well, I just want to see you smile. So if playing dress-up is going to make you smile, I’ll do it.”

Hope jumped over the pile of books and wrapped her sister up in a tight hug. “Thank you, Faith. Really. Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Faith wiggled out of her arms. “And I’m even going to let you be the bride.”

“No,” Hope objected. “You can be the bride. After all, I know you don’t want to—”

“Look it. The only way I’m doing this is if I get to be the groom and that’s final.”

Not about to argue with her, Hope agreed to the terms, and together they went to get ready.

“What am I going to wear?” Hope stood in front of her closet. When they were little, and played the game, they would dress up in their Easter dresses, and an old veil that had been left behind from one of the weddings their parents had held ages ago at the ranch, long before it was Ever After Ranch. But Hope didn’t have an Easter dress anymore. And nothing that even remotely looked bridal. “I guess I can wear the gray dress I bought for a Christmas party a few years ago.”

“You arenotwearing gray as a bride.” Faith rolled her eyes. “I may not be all traditional, but if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. Also, you wore agraydress to a Christmas party? Really?”

Hope playfully smacked her sister’s arm but Faith just laughed.

“Hold on.” Faith disappeared into the hall and returned a moment later with a garment bag. “Here, wear this.”

“What is that?”

“A dress.” Faith gave her a look of exasperation.

“Right.” Hope took it and laid it on the bed. “But where did you get it?”

Her sister looked away and shrugged. “I found it in the shed. It’s no biggie.”

“The shed?” Hope stared at her. There wasnoway she’d found a wedding dress in the shed.

“Someone must have left it there.” Faith shrugged and unzipped the garment bag before pulling out a lacy, ivory dress.

As soon as Hope saw the dress, she forgot all about how it might have appeared in her shed because it was absolutely gorgeous.

She must have gasped a little as Faith lifted it and held it out to her because the smile on her sister’s face matched Hope’s reaction. She walked over to it slowly and ran her fingers down the bodice. It was a simple cut. A sweetheart neckline, fitted through the body with a flare just below the hips to give the skirt a little fullness. But not too much. It was classy and elegant and exactly the kind of dress she would have picked for herself.

“I don’t know how you did this, Faith. But it’s absolutely perfect.”

Faith grinned and handed Hope the dress. “I know. Now get dressed.”

“I don’t know,” Hope called from the bathroom. “Maybe this was a dumb idea. I feel stupid.” Hope turned around and examined herself one more time in the mirror before cracking the door a little. “Faith? Did you hear me?”

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