Chapter 9
S hona held her hand over her mouth and stifled a yawn. She'd left Sapphire Bay with Paris and Andrea at dawn. Usually, she would have been wide awake for the four-hour drive, but working at the cottage each night was more tiring than she’d thought.
She’d been looking forward to this trip all week. As well as finding Paris a dress, she couldn’t wait to see Nate. Talking to him on the phone was okay, but seeing him in person was so much better.
Paris climbed the stairs to the entrance of The Bridesmaids’ Club headquarters and knocked on the door. “I can’t believe we’re finally here.”
Andrea waited beside Paris. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing the dresses, and I’m not even the bride.”
Shona smiled. They were all super excited and a little desperate. With two weeks until Paris and Richard’s wedding, they needed to find Paris a wedding dress. “I thought we were going to a small office. Tess’ home is huge.”
The two-story house sat in a leafy suburb of Bozeman. Surrounded by other beautiful homes and landscaped gardens, it would be a lovely place to live.
The door opened, and a tall, blond-haired woman greeted them with a smile. “You must be Paris, Andrea, and Shona. I’m Tess. Welcome to The Bridesmaids’ Club.”
Paris held out her hand. “It's great to meet you. I'm Paris.”
Andrea smiled. “And I’m Andrea, and this is Shona.”
“It’s nice to meet you all. Come in, and we’ll get started.”
When she stepped inside, Shona’s eyes widened. The large room was filled with racks of colorful dresses, shelves of jewelry, and a wall of veils. For most women, this would be like stepping into bridal heaven.
“This is amazing,” Andrea murmured.
Tess smiled.
Shona figured she must be used to people being surprised when they came to see her.
“We have about two hundred gowns on display,” Tess said. “As well as bridesmaids’ dresses, we have thirty bridal gowns, and a few mother-of-the-bride outfits. That changes depending on how many donations we receive.” She walked across to a rack of dresses. “These are the bridal gowns you selected from the website. If they aren't what you're looking for, I have some others you might like.”
Paris bit her bottom lip. “I really appreciate your help. I don't know what I would have done if we hadn’t found you.”
Tess gave her a quick hug. “That’s why my friends and I started The Bridesmaids’ Club. Try not to focus on what’s happened to your dress. You wouldn’t believe the number of gowns that go missing in the mail. Hopefully, you'll find something you like.”
Shona’s breath caught when she saw the first gown Tess pulled off the rack. It was the 1920s Gatsby dress with a sparkly fringe and decorative beads. And, incredibly, it looked even better than it did in the pictures they’d seen.
If they were looking for a sign that Paris would find a wonderful wedding dress today, this was it.
Joseph stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the sign John had attached to the front of Shona’s business. “Are you sure that’s where she wanted it?”
John stepped off the ladder and took a piece of paper out of his pocket. “She drew me a picture.”
Just to be sure, he looked at the sketch. Shona had drawn a rectangular box directly above the front door with a big X in the center. “Why didn’t you show me this when we arrived?”
“I wanted you to trust my judgment.”
“You could have chosen something else for a learning moment,” he muttered. “Shona wouldn’t be impressed if we put the sign in the wrong place.”
If Joseph had trust issues, Shona was almost as bad. John had to convince her they could add the finishing touches to her store while she was in Bozeman. Even though it would save her time and make the last week before her opening day easier, she was reluctant to let anyone help. In the end, Paris and Andrea convinced her to let them work on the cottage.
Picking up a basket of flowers, he handed it to John. “This needs to be hung on a hook under the porch.”
John frowned at the other half-finished baskets sitting on the ground. “How long will it take to make the others?”
“Not long.” Joseph checked his watch. “Adele should be here soon. She’ll help me finish them before the electrician arrives to install the extra lighting.”
John looked at his list. “The only other person we’re waiting for is Penny. She said she’d drop off a welcome mat for the front door and a table and chair set they don’t need at the inn.”
“Shona won’t recognize her cottage when she?—”
“Goodness me,” Mabel said as she bustled across to them. “I was just buying two muffins when I saw the store. It looks lovely.”
Joseph was glad Mabel appreciated what they were doing. “It’s a great addition to the flower shop and the café.” He looked at the cottage on the left-hand side of Shona’s. With its freshly painted walls and new front door, it looked one hundred percent better than it used to. “Do you know if anyone’s renting the next cottage?”
Mabel shook her head. “Penny hasn’t mentioned anything. I’m sure it won’t take long for someone to see its potential. Especially with all the improvements the construction team is making.” She held her hand above her eyes, shading them from the mid-morning sun. “The flowers on Shona’s cottage are a nice touch.”
“She wanted her store to complement what Paris has done with The Flower Cottage.”
“That’s what my daughter would call consistent branding.” Mabel’s gaze settled on the cottage next to Shona’s. “It would be lovely to have another craft store on the street, but I don't know anyone who wants to start a new business.”
John stepped off the ladder. “It doesn't have to be a new business. Someone might want to relocate to this area of town.”
“That’s true, but not many businesses could afford to move. Shona was lucky she managed to find funding. Do you know if the trust is locally owned and operated?”
Joseph was relieved Mabel directed her question to John. Before she realized how close she was to discovering who managed the trust, he kneeled on the sidewalk and added more flowers to another basket.
John moved the ladder farther along the front of the cottage. “Sorry, Mabel. I can’t tell you anything about the trust. The trustees asked me to keep the details confidential.”
He sounded as cautious as Joseph was when Mabel asked pointed questions. As the town’s official Facebook administrator, she took pride in broadcasting any community news to her followers. She was getting better at choosing which stories to publish but, occasionally, her judgment left a lot to be desired.
“That's a shame. I was hoping to write a short article about the trust and their involvement with The Cozy Quilt Shop.”
John cleared his throat. “I’d suggest talking to Theo. He interviewed Shona last week about the store.”
Mabel smiled. “I'll do that. If I'm lucky, he'll still be at the radio station. Good luck with the rest of the work.” With a determined stride, she turned and headed into town.
“That was close,” John said.
Joseph handed him another basket. “Once the store opens, the trust’s details won’t matter. Another story will keep her occupied.”
“I wouldn't be so sure about that. When Mabel has unanswered questions, she usually finds someone who can fill in the blanks.”
“It's just as well you and Shelley are the only people who know the truth.”
John sighed. “That's never stopped Mabel before.”
Joseph hoped this time would be different. The only person who would care about the answer was Shona. And she wouldn't be happy about accepting his money, even if it was for the second most important thing in her life.
Paris came out of the changing room wearing the last wedding gown she’d chosen. “What do you think?”
Andrea tilted her head to the side. “It looks lovely. The sweetheart neckline is beautiful.”
“But is it better than the other dresses?”
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that Paris wasn't in love with this gown. There was no reason why it shouldn't have looked amazing. With its full, satin skirt and lightly-beaded bodice, it was stunning. But if Paris was unsure, it wasn't the dress for her.
Tess stood beside Paris. “You don't seem sure about this one.”
“It's a gorgeous dress. I like the silver thread in the bodice and the beads. But something about it makes me think of an evening dress instead of a wedding gown.”
“It's not the dress for you, then. Do you want to try any of the other dresses again?”
Paris looked uncertainly at the three dresses she'd already tried. “I liked the first dress the most, but It didn't make me feel like a bride.”
“What would do that?”
“Something simple without being boring. I like sparkly beads and spaghetti straps. Chiffon instead of satin, and a long veil.”
Shona took her phone out of her bag and showed Tess the dress that had gone missing in the mail. “This is the gown Paris originally chose.”
Tess enlarged the picture. “I can see why you liked it so much.” She looked across the room and frowned. “I might have something that looks similar to this dress. It arrived two days ago, but we haven’t had a chance to photograph it for the catalog. I'm fairly sure it's in our storage room.”
While Tess was looking for the dress, Paris returned to the changing room.
“Do you think Paris will find a dress?” Andrea whispered.
“I hope so. All the dresses she's tried are gorgeous, but I think the one that’s gone missing is stuck in her mind. She's probably worried she won’t find anything as wonderful.”
Andrea glanced at the changing room. “She only has two weeks to find a new wedding dress. It’s not the time to be picky.”
Shona smiled. “I'll remind you of those words when you’re looking for a wedding dress.”
“Don't even go there,” Andrea groaned. “David and I still don't even have a date for our wedding. Each time we talk about it, there's always something else happening in the church or for our families.”
“Have you thought about eloping?”
“Don't mention that word around David. He's almost ready to book a holiday in Fiji and get married there.”
Tess came into the room holding a large white bag. “I found it. Hopefully, Paris sees past the crinkles and likes it as much as I do.”
Paris’ head appeared around the edge of the changing room door frame. “I don't mind if it's a little crushed, especially if it’s like my other dress.”
A few minutes later, Tess and Paris still hadn't come out of the changing room.
“They're taking a long time,” Andrea said. “Do you think we should see if they're all right?”
“They shouldn't be too much longer. Maybe it's better than Paris thought.”
“Or she's upset because it doesn't look as good as she imagined.”
Shona pulled herself off the sofa. “We should check on her.”
“Good idea.” Andrea was on her feet in two seconds flat. “I’m crossing my fingers that this dress is the one.”
“I hope so, too.” When Shona saw Paris, her heart plummeted. She was sitting on a chair, crying. Tess was handing her tissues and trying to console her. “Is everything okay?”
Paris wiped her eyes. “We found it.”
Andrea frowned. “What did you find?”
“The dress I’m getting married in. It’s perfect.”
Shona glanced at Andrea. She wasn’t the only one who was surprised. “That’s wonderful.”
“Show your friends the dress,” Tess murmured.
After taking a shaky breath, Paris stood and turned around to face them. “Isn’t it the most amazing one we’ve seen?”
That was an understatement. Even with the crinkles, the chiffon gown floated around Paris’ legs as if it had been made for her. It had everything she wanted; a pretty beaded bodice that glittered under the pendant lights, thin, shoestring straps, and a skirt that sat like a cloud around her body.
“Wait here while I get a veil and tiara.” When Tess passed Andrea, she smiled at the stunned expression on her face. “Paris said you’re getting married next. If you want to look for a wedding dress, you’re more than welcome.”
Andrea touched the large satin bow on the back of Paris’ dress. “Thanks, but I’ll leave it for another day. This appointment is for Paris, not me.”
“I don’t mind,” Paris said. “There are so many amazing dresses on the racks. It would be a shame not to at least have a quick look.”
“Paris is right,” Shona said. “It will be easier having a look now than coming back in a few weeks.”
Andrea looked at her watch. “When are you meeting Nate?”
“In two hours, but if we’re finished sooner than that, I told him I’d call him. You have plenty of time to look at the other gowns.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but, okay, I’ll look through the racks.”
Shona smiled at the delight on Andrea’s face. “If you find a beautiful dress, it might encourage David to be more flexible with your wedding date.”
“Or make an elopement plan even more attractive,” Paris added. “But if you go to Fiji, I want to be there, too.”
There was no way Shona could afford a trip to Fiji, but dreams were free. And the South Pacific nation, full of coconut trees, crystal clear water, and endless miles of white sand, was the perfect dream to get her through the next few weeks.