Two Hearts’ Subterfuge (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance # 32)

Prologue

“Where is she?” Sixteen-year-old Aylin Broussard asked impatiently, her nose pressed against the window of the designer boutique at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. “Even though I told everyone not to show up until eleven, I wouldn’t be surprised if they arrived early, before Camille has a chance to see what we’ve come up with to update her mother’s wedding gown.”

“What you’ve come up with, my dear,” Rene Vasquez said, wrapping an arm around Aylin’s shoulders. “All the credit definitely goes to you. I’ve simply made a few suggestions.”

A former model and friend of Danielle Loughlin, one of the Inn’s owners, Rene had managed the boutique for several years before buying out the previous owner.

Aylin had been full of questions since she was considering going to design school if she could think of a way to bring up the subject to her parents. She knew full well that Dad was expecting her to attend college once she graduated from high school.

“Let’s take a look at the bridesmaid gowns again,” Rene suggested. “You’ve made a great choice from what I had in stock since your family came down to the wire on making these last-minute wedding plans for your brother and sister-in-law. Sometimes previous cancellations really do come in handy. I will admit that I was wondering if I would be able to repurpose them since they’re so holiday specific. Although I guess they would have worked for a Valentine’s wedding, I suppose, and not just for Christmas.”

“This deep red velvety fabric is really beautiful though, isn’t it? Although I feel like the gowns need something more around the waist and wrists for accent. Why did they cancel?” Aylin asked, pursing her lips as she fingered the fabric, considering some of the embellishments she’d chosen for the gowns.

“Not for any terrible reason. They simply decided they were rushing into marriage much too quickly.”

Aylin shook her head in amazement once again. She couldn’t believe her brother Rafe had been married to Camille after they’d both turned eighteen, before Rafe had entered the Army. On Saturday, which was Christmas Day, Dad was giving them a second ceremony with all the bells and whistles at a chapel nearby.

“Aylin? Rene?” Camille smiled at them as they stood in the open workroom when she walked through the boutique entrance. “I’m sorry if I’m a little late. Rafe and I lost track of time.” She glanced around. “Am I the first one here?”

“Not exactly,” Aylin admitted, feeling sheepish. “I kind of wanted them to see the full effect of the gown after we’ve pinned in the alterations. They won’t be here for another couple hours.”

Rene smiled. “I gather that most of your family isn’t aware of Aylin’s hidden talents?”

Camille’s look was quizzical as Aylin cleared her throat while holding up a sketchpad.

“Here’s what I had in mind,” she said.

When Camille reached for the sketchpad, her jaw dropped after studying the rendering of the wedding gown Aylin had drawn.

“ Aylin,” she gasped. “I had no idea you could even draw like this let alone redesign a relatively simple gown and transform it into something that’s absolutely stunning. I felt proud wearing it at the botanical garden when Mom was still alive to see our small secret wedding. But my mom would have definitely approved of the changes, since this is our first step moving forward after dealing with so much tragedy since we were first married.” She held up the sketchpad. “So, do you really think that we’ll be able to make my mom’s wedding gown look like this?”

“We can begin right away if you’d like to put on the gown,” Aylin said, smiling.

“How about I take off my coat first?” Camille said, grinning.

“I guess I’m kind of anxious to get started,” Aylin admitted, feeling sheepish.

“I’m glad,” Camille said, reaching out and squeezing her hand. “I can’t wait to see how it looks once you’re finished.”

“Why don’t you help yourself to coffee if you’d like and we’ll show you the fabrics that Aylin chose before you put on the gown?” Rene suggested, heading behind the counter where everything was laid out on a table.

Another hour and a half later, Aylin stood back with satisfaction as she stared at the cutouts she’d placed and pinned onto the original wedding gown. With the delicate beaded fabric covering the bodice, the gown looked completely different. Aylin had also incorporated a long length of the fabric into the train, transforming the simple wedding dress into one that was designer formal.

Rene stood back, smiling her approval, giving her advice whenever she was asked.

“When are you going to let me see how it looks?” Camille asked, sounding impatient.

Aylin held up a staying hand.

Camille blinked, before she began laughing. “Since when did you become so commanding, Aylin?”

“I suspect it was when she began having confidence in herself,” Rene said, giving Camille a grin. “It’s hard to believe that Aylin and I only met last night after your family arrived at the Inn. She came in here practically demanding to take charge of everything related to your wedding.”

Aylin was too busy concentrating to pay much attention to what was being said.

She pursed her lips. “What do you think, Ms. Vasquez?”

“Please just call me Rene, Aylin,” Rene replied, approaching to study the gown closely. “You’re doing meticulous work. I think she looks beautiful.”

“Maybe I’d still better add a narrow-beaded belt between the bodice and skirt to hide the stitchwork.”

Rene nodded, studying the area where the seam would be stitched to meet the skirt, winking at an extremely patient Camille. “I suspect it will be needed for a smooth transition across the waistline. Have you decided what you’d like to do with the veil?”

“I have.” Aylin nodded distractedly, continuing to better adjust the waistline.

Although Camille was smiling, she was definitely getting impatient again. “Am I going to get any say so in this at all?

Backing off, Aylin scrunched her nose as she studied Camille from head to toe, nodding her approval. “Soon. Let me get your veil in place first, and you can let us know what you think.” She glanced at the wall clock. “We still have a few more minutes before Mama, Dez and Emilie arrive.”

“What about Celine?”

“She’ll be here a little later. They’re doing some finish work at the house today, so she said to get started without her.”

Turning away, Aylin reached for the veil that Rene was holding high in the air.

“I’d do something more dramatic if Camille wasn’t so petite,” Aylin murmured. “So, I thought I’d go with a headband that was covered with the same fabric that we used for the bodice.”

“Perfect,” Rene agreed.

Aylin headed to the corner of the fitting room where endless supplies were visible, organized in floor to ceiling storage drawers.

Aylin pursed her lips, considering her options.

“Here we are,” she finally said, reaching into one of the drawers. Pulling out a Velcro covered headband, she rested it on the worktable before reaching for a small pair of scissors and carefully cutting the comb away from the gauzy veil.

Snipping some of the spare fabric that she’d cut away from the bodice while fitting Camille, Aylin expertly covered the headband before attaching the veil to the Velcroed underband.

“I’ll stitch it together when I begin working on the gown,” she said, handing the veil over for Rene’s approval.

Rene smiled, handing it back to Aylin. “Let’s see how it looks.”

After carefully placing the headband and veil on Camille’s head, Aylin stood back, smiling her approval. “You’ll need one more thing before you can turn around and look.”

Aylin had noticed several high-quality silk bouquets inside the store, so rushing from the workroom, she returned shortly carrying a bridal bouquet made from artificial red and white roses mixed with rubrum lilies.

“We’ll have fresh flowers, of course. You haven’t seen the bridesmaid dresses yet, but these were the colors I was thinking would work well along with some touches of pine tips and juniper. It’s Christmas after all.”

Camille smiled as Aylin handed over the bouquet. “It’s a beautiful color scheme, Aylin. I love it.”

“Now close your eyes and turn in place,” Aylin insisted. “I need to adjust your gown so you can see the full effect of the train when you look in the mirror.”

Camille laughed but did as she was told while Aylin fussed with the gown and veil.

“Okay,” Aylin said softly. “Open your eyes.”

Eyes springing open to stare into the mirror, Camille gasped as tears came to her eyes. “Oh, Aylin. You’ve made Mom’s gown stunning.”

At that moment, Aylin glanced around the corner of the workroom, noticing that the family had arrived and were standing inside the boutique.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” Rene left the workroom, motioning for everyone to have a seat in the row of chairs set up across from the register near the changing rooms. “We can’t wait for you to see Camille. We’ll send her out momentarily.”

Aylin put a few final touches on the veil. “I’ll start sewing the seams this afternoon.”

“I hate for you to take on all this work on your own, Aylin,” Rene said, hands on her hips.

“It’s not going to take that long. I knew that the gown would require hand stitching once we added all the details, and I’d really like to see it through,” Aylin admitted. “Besides, you’re paying me awfully well to do it.”

Rene smiled. “I am, aren’t I? I have a feeling that you’re definitely going to deserve it. You’re not only creative, but diligent too. I only wish that you lived here in Crystal Rock so you could work with me every day. It’s not often that I run across a talented self-taught designer.”

“If I lived here in Crystal Rock, I’d definitely take you up on that, Rene,” Aylin said.

“How old are you, Aylin?” Camille asked.

“I’ll be seventeen in a few months.”

Camille shook her head, staring at Aylin intently. “You’ve grown up in front of our very eyes and we didn’t even see it. We’ve missed out on a lot because of all the family drama during these past ten years. Haven’t we? Somehow, you’ve transformed into a beautiful woman.”

Sheepish, Aylin rolled her eyes. “There’ve been way too many terrible things happening.”

“I agree. Hopefully, the worst is over now,” Camille reached for her hand, squeezing it.

Aylin glanced at herself in the mirror as she pinned a few of the wedding gown’s seams a little more tightly. If anything, she’d tried to downplay her looks because of her family connections, after her half-brother Ash had nearly succeeded in destroying their family. Despite the recessive gene allowing her to be lucky enough to inherit the deep blue eyes she shared with her father, Joseph Broussard, she looked a lot like her brother Ashton with her straight black hair and slanted eyes.

Her looks and Turkish heritage were a definite reminder of the evil existing in their family bloodline despite the fact that it was Ash’s deceased father—her mother’s first husband—who had connections to ISIS.