Page 2 of Royally Bad

Like many, he’d lost his job when the local soap factory closed last month.

Call me weak, or frail, or just ... stupid, but there was no way I was going to let this poor woman walk away without her dream dress.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she sniffled, laughing nervously at her own reaction.

I shoved the package her way with my biggest grin. “Like I said, you’re the winner this month! You don’t need to thank me at all. It’s out of my hands.”

Scrubbing at her nose, she hugged the box tight to her chest. She was red from throat to eyelid, a total mess from how happy she was. “I’ll send you some photos from the wedding,” she promised.

“You better!” I laughed.

Hazel didn’t take her eyes off of me until she got to the door. I was afraid she might start bowing. “Seriously,” she said, pushing at the exit and making the bell jingle. “If you hadn’t given me this, I don’t know what I would have done. Canceled the wedding, lost the deposit, I just—”

“Shh shh shh!” I flapped my hands. “Send me those photos. I’ll hang them on our monthly winners’ board.” I didn’t have one of those, either.

Her smile went so wide it almost touched her ears. “Thank you. You’ve got a good heart.”

I swelled at her compliment. It was hard not to.

But good hearts don’t pay the bills.

The instant she was out of sight, I slumped behind my front desk and put my face in my hands.I am such an idiot.Giving away what I needed to keep my bridal shop afloat was pure insanity.That’s what’s going on,I thought to myself.Somewhere along the way, my brain has cracked.

I’d opened my business just three months ago. It had been a quick, messy process. Moving back to my hometown had been even messier. It wasn’t like I had a choice in the matter; what daughter wouldn’t rush back to take care of her sick mother?

Regardless, I was here. I meant to make the best of it.

Too bad I was also my worst enemy.

Sighing, I slapped my cheeks to shake myself from my funk.Focus. Put on some music and make yourself useful.Cranking up my small radio, I shuffled through the songs until I found “Hide Away” by Daya. The piano began, pumping me up, guiding me out from behind my desk.

This was what I needed. Music had a way of sinking into your bones and erasing your worries. It was magical, forcing me to swing to the fast-paced beat, demanding I forget all about my problems.

My mistakes.

Bouncing on my heels, I grabbed a wedding gown from the rack. It was glittery, miles of tulle. I meant to just move it to a mannequin so I could tweak the ribbons on the corset that I hadn’t finished yet. When the chorus of the song began, I swung the dress in a circle.

My hips rocked, my hair flipped, and I jammed it out on my shop floor with that white gown in my arms. Laughing, I twirled around with the dress like it was my private lover ...

And found myself staring into the crisp, blue eyes of the most gorgeous man alive.

Gasping, I curled the dress up like it was a wet washcloth I was wringing out. The stranger’s dark eyebrows crinkled, his smile hooking into my heart. I was torn between being charmed and humiliated.

“I—um—hi!” Coughing, I hurried over to turn my radio down. “Can I help you?”

He didn’t speak, the woman behind him did. “Oh. My. Stars.” Wheeling my way, she grabbed at my wrists with unwieldy gold nails. Her sapphire eyes were stuck on the dress I was holding. “That is thecutestfucking dress I haveeverseen!”

The guy glanced her way—had he been watching me this whole time? “Good,” he said. “If you can find a dress you like that fast, we can get this over with.”

A flicker of disappointment made my mood settle.Of course he’s engaged to her.How could a guy as hot as him be single? In my head, I stopped living my brief, imaginary wedding to Mister Stranger, and instead I focused on the young woman. “So you’re looking for a wedding dress?”

“More like looking for my fifth,” she laughed. Winking, she offered her hand. “Francesca Badd—with a doubled.” She wiggled her chest to drive home the joke. “It’s a pleasure, doll.”

Had I heard her right? Her last name wasBadd?Smiling, I shook her hand and watched the giant gold hoops in her ears shake. I could smell a difficult bride from a mile away.Five dresses? Jeez.“I’m Sammy. I’d be happy to show you a few things, do you know what you like?”

Francesca pointed at the gown in my arms. “That. I like that. Iwantthat.”

Over her head, the guy cleared his throat. “The brat is used to getting what she wants.”

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