Page 52 of A Winter's Wedding

A bright red blush splashed Poppy’s cheeks. “He really is the sweetest. I think he was just too proud to show Leo. It couldn’t have been easy after their parents passed away. You know? And some guys just bottle all that up.”

“And you helped him release it all?”

“Oh, stop it,” Vivian said and stood between them. “We all get the picture.” She turned to Poppy. “You need to take a shower, and quickly. And you,” facing America. “it’s about time to get you in this dress.”

“Carol should be here any minute to get ready with us,” America said and ran her fingers along the dress’s neckline again. “Pa was going to pick us up in the carriage, but he can’t?—”

“I already took care of it. I told him it was too cold and that Thandie’s picking us up in Jenny’s van,” Vivian said and pointed at a half-asleep Poppy. “Shower. Go!”

Chapter28

Déjà vu,America thought as she studied the reflection in the floor length mirror. As the dress was slightly too small right in the middle, she held her waist and pushed the fabric towards her spine. Vivian, standing behind her wearing a pretty, peony-pink column dress, worked at clasping the elastic inner corset. America sucked in and raised her shoulders to give her mom a little more room to work with. She knew it would go on, as it had when she first tried it on in the store, but it was a necessary process. Her mom had missed the Vegas dress fitting, but this moment was all the sweeter for it.

“Can you believe that a week ago, I was trying on my pristine, white wedding gown in a salon in Las Vegas? And now, I’m getting ready to walk down the aisle wearing this stunning ruby-red gown, that honestly, I think I like better than the white one, and it’s not even my real wedding.”

Having fastened the inner layer, Vivian had no trouble raising the outer zipper. The buttons were a different story. With approximately thirty decorative silk-clad buttons to push through little loops, America knew she would be standing there a little longer. She wiggled her knees to move some blood through her tense body as her mom went to work.

“I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to see the look on your face when you found out you accidently got married,” Vivian said as she slowly moved up the buttons on America’s back. “When does the story come out anyway?”

“I wrote up my draft while we were crossing Kansas and I sent it off somewhere in Missouri when we stopped for gas. It should be in the next issue. March.”

“There’ll be no hiding the truth then.”

America shook her head. “All the couples who wed last week will be named in the article. Janowitz thought it would be a nice touch to list them all. So yeah, I guess Leo and I will be included too.”

“Does your boss know?”

“I guess if he’s read my copy. But Poppy doesn’t know.”

“What don’t I know?” Poppy said as she came into the office, which was now doubling as a dressing room.

America was tired of lying, but also wasn’t ready to tell the whole truth. Even though Poppy had stated earlier in the day that she disliked dishonesty, she had qualified that statement by including an exception. America thought she still had a good reason to not tell the whole story yet. So, she settled on a half-truth. “Pa has something amazing planned for Carol today. And Carol thinks she’s surprising Pa with something too.”

“Carol is doing what?” Carol’s voice carried up the stairwell and across the landing.

“Man, you really can hear anything in this place,” Vivian remarked.

America, being fully aware of how drafty her house was, should have known better, though it didn’t matter whether Carol overheard or not, it was sort of her show at this point anyway. “I said you have a surprise for Edwin today. I was just telling Poppy.”

Carol crowded into the office, a generously sized room, but four grown women and countless yards of fabric made for a tighter than comfortable space. “I heard you all banging around up here and thought I’d better join the party. And yes, I have something special planned for Edwin.”

“More special than you planting a surprise kiss on him last night during the game?” Poppy teased.

“No more surprising than you fooling around with the mayor afterward,” Carol teased right back.

America giggled at Carol’s quick wit. “I’m just glad I got out of there before things got too rowdy.”

“Did you enjoy your bachelorette party?” Carol asked.

America nodded and acknowledged Carol in the reflection of the mirror. That’s when she saw how beautiful the woman was. “Carol. You look stunning. Turn around and let me see you.”

As she turned a circle, she whined, “You saw me in this before.”

“I know, but you weren’t all dolled up like this. Wow!” America took Carol’s hands in hers. “Pa’s gonna lose himself when he sees you. Are you ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Carol shimmied her shoulders and batted her lashes. Her creamy colored dress and sleek hairstyle looked far more modern than America had ever seen her look, and younger too. But the way Carol held her head high with the posture of a ballerina gave a romantic quality to the whole ensemble.

“Why do I feel like I’m missing something here?” Poppy said.

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