Chapter 41
LACEY
I carefully traipsed down the stairs in my strappy heels.
I’d brought clothes to the house so I could get cleaned up here and not have to run home before the interview.
If all went according to plan, I’d be walking down these same steps in just a few weeks on my way to marry Bodie in the garden out back.
He waited for me at the bottom of the ornate staircase, holding out a hand to help me down the last few steps. I took it, not letting go as I joined him and Samantha in the front room.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Samantha said. “How are the plans coming? I can’t wait to hear all about them.”
“Should we sit down?” I gestured to the formal sitting room I’d finished with period furniture.
An antique sofa sat in front of the ornate fireplace.
Two sets of chairs had been placed on either side, creating the perfect place for conversation.
Everything had been donated by folks in town.
If this idea didn’t take off, I’d have a lot of items to return to their rightful owners.
Bodie waited for me to sit then nestled close to me on the love seat, his arm possessively resting over my shoulders.
I took in a breath, letting his closeness calm my nerves.
We could do this. Confident in our ability to reflect the picture-perfectness of a couple madly in love, I smiled at Samantha.
“Tea?” I leaned forward, grabbing the handle of the pitcher.
“Sure.” Samantha settled her notebook on her lap. “So how are the plans coming?”
“Great.” I handed her a glass of sweet tea before leaning back against the cushion, settling into Bodie’s side. “Did you want some tea, babe?”
“I’m good.” He smiled before brushing my temple with his lips.
So far, so good. I glanced to Samantha, whose smile proved we were pulling this off.
“What’s left to do?” Samantha asked.
“Oh, not much. I just got alterations done on my dress. Flowers have been selected, cake and reception menu were finalized a couple of weeks ago.” I held up a finger for each item as I went down the list. “Photographer’s been paid. We’re in good shape.”
“What are you serving at the reception?” Samantha’s pen poised over the paper, ready to capture all the details.
“Barbecue, of course.” I grinned. “Ido has the best smoked brisket in the state of Texas.”
“But can you eat that?” Samantha asked, worry lines creasing her forehead.
“Well, sure, why not?” I asked.
“She’s got pills,”—Bodie squeezed my hand—“for the IBS.”
“Right. Won’t be a problem.” How stupid could I be to forget Bodie had plagued me with lifelong bowel issues? I grinned up at him. “I wouldn’t want to deprive my hubby-to-be of his favorite.”
“She’s so selfless.” Bodie ran a finger along my cheek, sending a wave of chills down my spine.
I shifted my butt on the loveseat, ignoring the goose bumps popping up on my skin.
“And the cake?” Samantha looked up from her notebook. “What did you decide on there?”
I leaned forward. “White cake with raspberry filling. It’s absolutely decadent.”
Samantha cocked her head. What now? “I thought you were allergic to raspberries?” she asked Bodie.
I looked back at him. Allergic to raspberries? Since when?
“Just slightly.” Bodie turned his most charming smile on Samantha. “We’ll have one layer that’s plain vanilla. Lacey made sure.”
My heart thumped so loud I was sure Samantha could hear it from across the room.
“You two really are meant for each other,” Samantha said. “It’s nice to see two people who love each other so much they’re willing to sacrifice for the other. Not like . . .”
“Like what?” I asked. Maybe Adeline and Roman weren’t as accommodating as they intended.
“Oh, nothing.” Samantha waved the comment away. “Do you have the items we talked about? I’d love for Jay to be able to get some pictures of everything before the big day. I’m sure it’ll be so busy, we’d rather get it taken care of ahead of time.”
“Yes.” I stood, pulling Bodie to his feet next to me. “Our florist should be here any minute with the mockup of the bridal bouquet and the boutonniere. Do you want to sneak a peek at my dress before she gets here?”
“I’d love to.” Samantha got to her feet. “Lead the way.”
I almost headed right for the stairs, but Bodie didn’t let go of my hand. I whirled around. “You can’t come with us, sugar pie. No peeking at the dress ahead of time.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on the cheek. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise. I’ll wait down here for you, but I’ll be missing you the whole time we’re apart.”
I rolled my eyes, making sure he was the only one who could see me. “Think you’re laying it on a bit thick?” I whispered.
“Never.” He grinned against my ear. I could feel his lips lifting into a smile. Then he palmed my ass and gave it a squeeze. “Hurry back, honeybuns.”
I nipped at his earlobe in retaliation. He chuckled, the rumble in his chest vibrated against mine, making me wish we weren’t standing in the middle of the sitting room trying to convince a reporter that the feelings we had for each other were real when I’d been struggling so hard over the past few weeks to convince myself they weren’t.
“Right this way.” I pulled away from Bodie, letting my fingers linger in his for a long moment before leading Samantha and Jay up the stairs.
“You’ve done an amazing job with this place,” Samantha said as she trailed behind me.
“Thanks. It’s been a labor of love for the whole town.
They need something to believe in, something to put their hope in now that the import business is gone.
” I led Samantha into the larger bedroom, the one I would have chosen for myself if I’d been staying the night.
Dark wood complemented the pale ivory walls.
Stained glass windows lined the curve of the turret.
I had always wanted to be a princess when I was younger. What little girl didn’t?
“This room is gorgeous.” Samantha turned in a wide circle. “Is this where you and Bodie will be spending your wedding night?”
“What?” I reached for the handle of the closet door, glad to have something to grab on to.
“You’ve got to admit, it’s so romantic.” Samantha jotted notes as Jay snapped photos of the room.
“It is.” For a moment I let myself imagine what it would feel like to snuggle under the covers of the antique four-poster bed with Bodie next to me.
Would he take me fast or slow on our wedding night?
How would it feel to have his clean-shaven cheeks nestle between my thighs?
The full length of him filling me, like he had before? Like I dreamed about him doing again?
Samantha cleared her throat. “Lacey?”
“Hmm?” Pulled from thoughts that I had no business thinking, I focused my attention on the closet. The dress. “You wanted to see the dress?”
Samantha stepped closer. “Is there a story here? How did you know it was the one?”
I opened the door, my breath catching in my throat like it did every time I set eyes on my mama’s wedding dress. “It belonged to my mama. She died when I was little.”
“I’m so sorry.” Samantha’s hand rested on my shoulder, offering comfort. “It’s got to be hard for you to wear it.”
I lifted the hanger from the rod and turned around, holding the dress in front of me.
“It is. Or I should say, it will be.” I turned to face my reflection in the full-length mirror.
“But it’s also a way of having her with me on my wedding day.
” I would have rather worn a white dress from the clearance rack of any one of the bridal shops Adeline planned on visiting that weekend we’d spent in Dallas.
But time and budget constraints had forced me to reconsider my options.
Wearing my mother’s dress was the economical choice, even though it would wreak havoc on my already raw emotions.
“You’re going to be a stunning bride,” Samantha said as Jay lifted the camera to snap a few photos. “We won’t publish those until after the wedding. Want to make sure your groom doesn’t see the dress before the big day. You know it’s bad luck.”
I nodded as I put the dress back in the closet. I needed all the luck I could get to make sure the big day went off without a hitch.
The sound of someone coming through the front door interrupted my thoughts. Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Lacey? The florist is here,” Bodie called.
“Ready to see the bouquet?” I turned to Samantha with a smile, hoping with all of my heart that putting my faith in Suzy wasn’t about to bite me in the ass.