28. Summer
Summer
There was no way the dress would fit.
Sighing, I ran my hands over my hips as I gazed at my reflection in the fitting room mirror.
The black fabric bunched at my hips and rode up my legs, all while gapping at the waist. And don’t even get me started on the bust. It was not a dress designed for a woman with curves—at least not curves like mine.
I was spilling out of it, and I hadn’t even tried to raise the zipper yet.
“Sorry, Penelope,” I said through the door. “I can’t even fit my imagination in this dress.”
“Do you need help zipping it up?” she asked.
“It won’t zip.” I turned and glanced at the back of the dress in the mirror. “Not even close.”
“I knew there was no way that dress could contain those incredible boobs of yours,” Melanie said.
I laughed a little. “It can’t contain any of me.”
With Theo and Penelope’s wedding so close, I needed to get my dress situated as soon as possible. Fortunately, I had the day off. Being a teacher, Penelope was off for the summer, and Melanie set her own schedule, so they were able to meet me at the boutique.
“That’s okay,” Penelope said. “We’ll go to the backup plan.”
“At least you were smart and chose black,” Melanie said. “We don’t have to worry too much about matching the color.”
I wriggled out of the dress and put it on the hanger, then donned my bright pink tank top and denim capris.
“How are you ladies doing?” the clerk asked as I opened the fitting room door and stepped out. She had a cute brown pixie cut and wore a stylish blouse and skirt.
“We’re going to look for another option,” Penelope said. “Something you have in stock, obviously.”
“Would you like me to bring some selections for you?”
“Sure, that would be great,” Penelope said.
“And we need something that works with that banging pin-up body she has.” Melanie gestured to her chest. “I have a nice rack, but Summer has a set of girls that dreams are made of.”
I rolled my eyes. “They’re high maintenance, is what they are. No cute little bralettes for me.”
“Don’t worry, we have plenty of options,” the clerk said. “Give me a few minutes.”
She left the three of us to get comfortable in the armchairs outside the fitting rooms while she went searching for dresses.
“Speaking of weddings,” Melanie said. “Do you have a wedding story?”
“What do you mean?”
“In case anyone asks about when you and Reese got married. It would be good to have something to tell them. Although maybe no one will ask.”
“Aunt Louise might,” Penelope said.
“Good point. She’s nosy enough to insist on pictures.”
“No, we didn’t come up with a wedding story,” I said. “I guess I could say it was small and simple. At a courthouse or something.”
“Well that’s no fun,” Melanie said.
“But that’s probably what we would have done.”
“And if she says they had an elaborate wedding, where are the pictures?” Penelope asked.
“That’s fair,” Melanie said. “But what would you do if you were really getting married?”
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it all that much. I don’t think I’ll ever get married, so why worry about a wedding I’ll never have?”
“I don’t know.” Melanie glanced down at her nails, like she was searching for imperfections in her polish. “You might need to make that fake marriage of yours a real one.”
“If you did, you could say it’s a formality so family can attend,” Penelope said. “But it’s actually the real wedding.”
“Except, I’m not marrying Reese.”
“Not yet.” Melanie’s tone was suggestive.
“Not ever,” I said. “We’re not a couple now. What makes you think that’s going to change?”
“I mean, I know you claim you’re not a couple,” Melanie said. “But have you noticed the way that man looks at you?”
“He’s just doing that in public so people won’t suspect it’s fake.”
Shaking her head, Melanie clicked her tongue. “Oh, Summer. Sweet, sweet Summer. There was nothing fake about the way he had his arm around you last night.”
“Or the way he kept glaring at those guys at the other table,” Penelope said.
“That’s just because one of them offered to buy me a drink before you got there,” I said. “He was sitting at our table when Reese showed up.”
“I can’t believe I missed that,” Melanie said with a pout. “What did he do? He stared the guy down until he peed his pants, didn’t he?”
I laughed. “Pretty much, actually.”
“I always thought Josiah was the scary one, but Reese takes the cake,” Melanie said. “He’s terrifying.”
“He does look intimidating,” Penelope added.
She wasn’t wrong. “I used to call him the scary tattooed guy before I knew his name.”
“How did you meet him?” Melanie asked.
“He was a regular at the diner where I worked.”
“That’s cute,” Penelope said.
Melanie leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. “So were you guys, you know, before the whole fake marriage thing?”
“Were we what? Dating? No.”
“So you weren’t even like…” Melanie made a circle with her thumb and forefinger and moved her other forefinger in and out. “On the side or something?”
Laughing, Penelope smacked her hands. “What are you? A twelve-year-old boy? I mean, Theo does that, but…”
“No,” I said vehemently. “We were not.”
“But you are now, obviously,” Melanie said.
My eyes widened. “What makes you think that?”
“Wait, you’re not?” Melanie sounded shocked. “How?”
“How are we not…?”
Melanie gestured with her fingers again, and Penelope shook her head.
“We’re… I… It’s not… We’re just…” I couldn’t seem to decide what to say. “Okay, fine. We are. He was sleeping on the couch, and I invited him into the bedroom with me. You know, to be more comfortable. But he’s so big and we barely fit on the bed together. It just happened. And…keeps happening.”
“I knew it,” Melanie said.
“You guys do seem so much like a real couple,” Penelope said. “It’s hard to imagine it’s all pretend.”
“No, it is,” I said. “It’s still fake.”
“You sure about that?” Melanie asked.
No. Not sure at all. “Yes, I’m sure. He’s not staying.”
“Maybe he wasn’t going to stay, but he’ll change his mind,” Penelope suggested.
“I very seriously doubt it,” I said. “Sleeping with him doesn’t mean I can keep him. I’m aware of that.”
Melanie groaned. “Why are the Haven men so stubborn?”
“They really are, aren’t they?” Penelope agreed.
“And why does it take them so long to figure it out?” Melanie continued. “He has everything he needs right here. You’re literally sleeping next to him every night. And he loves your son, too, which is so cute I can hardly stand it.”
I let out a long sigh, trying to ignore the way my ovaries twinged. “He’s so amazing with Nate. And Nate looks at him like he’s Superman. I almost wish they weren’t bonding the way they are. Nate’s going to be devastated when he leaves.”
“I have a feeling he’s not the only one,” Melanie said.
I shook my head. “When he suggested we pretend to be a couple, I thought it was such a good idea. What a great way to stay hidden. I did not expect my feelings to get involved.”
“Or your lady garden.” Melanie pointed downward.
Penelope giggled.
“That, too. But here we are. I’m living with him, sleeping with him, sharing parenting responsibilities with him… And now I’m in his brother’s wedding. This is all weird, right? Normal people don’t do things like this.”
“Weird is relative.” Penelope shrugged.
“That’s so true,” Mel added. “Besides, you’re living in a town with an organization called the Squirrel Protection Squad. Weird is what we do.”
The clerk came back with an armful of dresses for us to try. She brushed past me to hang mine on the hook and put the rest in the adjacent fitting room for Melanie.
I went into the fitting room and closed the door.
Before trying on any of the dresses, I checked the price tags.
Wince. Another wince. Slightly smaller wince.
Much bigger wince. I took a deep breath.
I could afford it. Barely. It would mean being extra careful with my tips for the next month. But I’d make it work.
Melanie and I talked through the fitting room wall and put the dresses in order so we could try them on at the same time. The first was the most expensive, and I slipped it on, hoping it wouldn’t fit. It wasn’t bad, but when Melanie and I stepped out to show Pen, we all agreed we could do better.
After trying on all four, we decided the third dress looked best on both of us. It had spaghetti straps and a cowl neck that helped contain my bust, and the fabric had enough give that it hugged my curves without pulling too tight. I could walk, sit, and cross my legs comfortably.
I had to admit, it flattered my body. And it looked gorgeous on Melanie, too.
“We definitely have a winner,” Melanie said, turning to look at her reflection over her shoulder. “This makes my butt look incredible. I like it even better than the original dress.”
“It does look beautiful on you,” Penelope said. “You too, Summer. I love that on you.”
I glanced down at myself. “Thank you. It fits nicely.”
Melanie looked me up and down. “If that dress doesn’t make Reese think twice, I don’t know what will.”
“Stop.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s fine. Reese can do what he needs to do. He’s literally saving us from my ex. I can’t ask more of him.”
“I can’t wait for your real wedding,” Melanie said wistfully. “Just don’t choose dusty rose for the bridesmaid dresses. Or dusty anything. I look best in bolder colors, and so does Pen.”
“Did you hear the part where I said our relationship isn’t real and Reese isn’t going to stay?” I asked.
“I heard you. I’m just choosing not to believe it.” She winked. “I believe in love.”
“We’re not in love,” I said.
“Mm hmm. We’ll see.”
“At least we found the right dress,” Penelope said, clearly trying to change the subject. “And I don’t think either of you need alterations, so that’s even better.”
“No, these fit great,” Melanie said. “And they’ll look fantastic with the other dresses.”
I ducked back into the fitting room and changed into my regular clothes.
Biting my lip, I logged in to my banking app to make sure my account had enough funds to cover it.
The last thing I needed was the embarrassment of a declined debit card in front of my new friends.
There was enough, although I wished it wasn’t quite so tight.
But at least I wasn’t flat broke.
I took the dress to the counter and paid. After exchanging hugs and goodbyes with Mel and Pen, I left the boutique and walked a block up the street to where I’d parked.
A large squirrel sat at a tiny picnic table feeder on the corner eating seeds. Smiling—it was so cute—I paused to watch it nibble. It looked up at me and chattered a warning.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to take your food.”
It chattered again, and I laughed.
“You’re very assertive, aren’t you? And you don’t look like you’re missing any meals, either.”
My car was parked on the next block, but instead of continuing, I hesitated. The hair on my arms stood up and my back tightened. It felt like someone was watching me.
I glanced up and down the street. People walked along the sidewalks on both sides. A family went around me, and the squirrel chirped at them, too. But I didn’t see anyone looking in my direction.
With my heart pounding, I walked to my car and went around to the driver’s side.
Anxiety made my stomach clench as I unlocked the doors and put my dress in the back seat.
I looked around again and shut the door, my ears straining to hear.
A car drove by, but no roar of bike engines. Not even in the distance.
Maybe I was imagining things.
I let out a long breath and opened the driver’s-side door. Just in case, I cast another glance over my shoulder.
There he was.
Axel.
He stood a couple blocks behind me, on the opposite side of the street. He was dressed in a plain T-shirt and jeans, and he’d cut his hair and shaved. But it was him.
A small knot of people walked past him, hiding him from my line of sight. They kept on going, but he was gone—disappeared from view.
I didn’t know if he’d ducked into the alley between buildings or gone into one of the shops on that side of the street. But there was no doubt in my mind. It was him.
Axel had found us.