7. Tessa
T essa navigated the traffic with ease as she and Lacey drove toward Miramar Beach, the midday sun glittering off the Gulf in flashes between the palm trees. The sky was a brilliant blue, the kind of perfect Florida day that made everything feel possible—even building a successful business from the ground up.
Which, as of yesterday, when she’d scheduled this first meeting with yet another potential client, seemed exceedingly possible.
For most of the twenty-minute drive from Destin, Tessa briefed Lacey on the owner of a new bridal salon who’d contacted Tessa Wylie Events to organize a grand opening event.
As they reached the area known locally as “Grand Boulevard,” where the salon was located, Tessa had no doubt this client had cash. The upscale shopping and dining area was packed with pedestrians and tourists wandering past cafes, expensive boutiques, and the landmark theater that dominated the center of town.
“This looks like a fun place,” Lacey said, looking around. “Too bad I don’t have a cute boyfriend to bring me on a dinner date here.”
“Why don’t you have a cute boyfriend?” Tessa asked. “I mean back in Atlanta?”
She shrugged. “I’ve had a few here and there, nothing I wanted to last forever. Why don’t you? I know, I know—no man measured up to your dad. Maybe you could let go and fall in love sometime?”
Tessa gave a soft hoot. “You know what I love about you, Lacey? Besides everything? You just ask questions and don’t tiptoe over topics.”
“Why tiptoe?” she asked. “You’re beautiful, funny, smart, and should also have a great guy in your life.”
“I’m almost fifty—the great ones are few and far between. You, however, have no such excuse.”
“Well, I have a boss who works me day and night,” she joked.
“Touché. Oh, here’s the parking lot.” They still had a few minutes before the meeting, so they decided to take the longer route and check out the local color on their way to the salon.
“Since I have your permission to ask blunt questions,” Lacey said as they walked on the wide cobblestone sidewalk, “how are you feeling about Crista coming back today? And staying?”
Tessa exhaled. “Fine, I guess.”
Lacey gave her a side-eye. “I ask the blunt questions, I expect honest answers.”
Tessa laughed. “Okay, okay. On one hand, I’m kind of psyched to help her daughter. I relate to what that kid is going through. If I can make things easier for her, then that’s cool, I think.”
“There’s a ‘but’ buried in there.”
“Big one.” She grinned but felt it fade fast. “Crista thinks my dad was some kind of backstabbing monster, which I refuse to believe. Eli told me she thinks my father turned Roger in to the police. Honestly, I have a hard time believing he’d do that to a friend. He was ethical, yes, but he was also a person who would turn his life upside down to help a friend. Or”—she smiled—“his daughter.”
“I get that,” Lacey said. “And you need to remember that Crista is harmless. Lots of bark, not too much bite. But my grandmother?” She lifted both hands and backed up a step like she’d hit a forcefield. “Plenty of bite. I mean, I’ve never really gotten on her bad side and she’s famously softer on her grandkids than her kids. Still, whoa, that woman has opinions and likes things done her way or the highway.”
Tessa looked skyward, having a few memories of that Maggie.
“I can’t imagine how she and my chill mother became such tight sorority sisters,” she muttered. “And as far as I can tell, Crista is Maggie’s lapdog, right? Does exactly what she wants?”
“Well, she’s bringing Nolie to get your help, so…” Lacey lifted a shoulder. “She can break a Maggie rule if something is important to her.”
“Points for rebellion,” Tessa said. “Always warms my heart.”
They turned the corner to another street, this one full of modern, neutral-toned buildings, shops on the bottom, offices and maybe some high-end apartments on top. The sidewalk was lined with regal palm trees tucked into sharply manicured beds.
“I think we’re here,” Lacey said, glancing at her phone.
They slowed their step as they reached a corner storefront with large windows that showcased elegant bridal gowns on glossy mannequins. An understated gold sign read Lumière next to the large glass door.
“Lumière,” Lacey said. “French for light, I think.”
“French for money,” Tessa muttered, then winked. “ Ooh là là .”
“Should we knock or call her?”
“She said she’d leave the door open and…” Tessa pulled the oversized handle. “She did.”
They stepped inside, the soft chime of a bell announcing their arrival. The boutique smelled like roses and Chanel No. 5, with a hushed atmosphere and a soft cream-on-cream palette with pops of pale pink.
Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over displays of delicate lace, shimmering beaded bodices, and flowing silk skirts. A raised platform with three oversized mirrors stood at the center of the space, framed by blush-toned curtains.
A woman emerged from the back room, a yellow sundress floating down to her ankles, her hair falling like a black veil over her shoulders. She glided toward them, exuding grace and warmth.
“Tessa?” She extended her hand. “I’m Akari Tanaka. Welcome to Lumière.”
Shaking her smooth hand, Tessa smiled. “Hello, Akari. What a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. It’s Japanese for light, and I’m named after my grandmother.”
“And Lumière is French for the same thing,” Lacey exclaimed. “How cool.”
Akari turned and smiled. “Exactly!”
“This is my assistant, Lacey Knight,” Tessa said, making the introduction official. “We’re both delighted to meet you.”
“Thank you so much for coming at such short notice,” Akari said. “Please have a seat. Can I get you water or anything to drink?”
“No, thank you.” Tessa looked around as they settled into sofas facing each other. “Maybe a tour of this gorgeous place.”
“It is stunning,” Lacey agreed as she pulled out her tablet, ready to take notes, while Tessa leaned in. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a bridal salon as elegant as this.”
Akari beamed. “Thank you so much. It’s my dream after working in other salons for way too many years. I am connected with private dress designers and carrying one-of-a-kind collections. And I’m so excited to be opening. A little nervous, but excited.”
“Nothing to worry about,” Tessa assured her. “Weddings are a huge business down here. I’ve done them for years as the event coordinator for the Ritz-Carlton, and I can imagine you’ll have no problem attracting the most discerning brides.”
“That’s what I’m hoping. If they know about it.” Akari exhaled. “That’s my biggest concern—getting the word out. The launch is so important to get the ball rolling.”
Tessa nodded. “That’s where we come in. Tell us your vision for the event.”
She made a face, wrinkling her delicate nose. “Well, I don’t want a party here, since I’d actually prefer not to have food or drink near the dresses, so that’s the complication. I want to show off the dresses, set up private appointments, but keep the masses out of this place.”
“Of course,” Tessa said, looking around and knowing it wouldn’t be the right venue at all for a large party.
“But I do want an event with style and drama and fun.”
Tessa grinned. “You are speaking my language, Akari. And, I’m sure, exactly what your brides want when they plan their big day.”
“I want them to feel the whole wedding just by looking at the dresses, but that’s a tall order.”
As they talked, Lacey’s fingers flew across the keyboard of her tablet. “A first impression is everything,” she said. “And it makes sense that you want the brides to associate Lumière with a great event—like their wedding will be.”
Akari’s eyes lit up. “Yes and yes. But…how?”
Tessa smiled as ideas started ticking in her head. “We can definitely come up with something spectacular to launch the new salon. Do you have any thoughts on a venue if it isn’t here? When you close your eyes and imagine walking in, what does it look like?”
“Available in less than a month,” she cracked. “I really want to hold this event no later than the end of April, preferably on a Saturday.”
Tessa glanced at her phone and touched the calendar. “That will take some fancy magic. But let us worry about that. What would be the perfect atmosphere?”
Akari looked away, narrowing her eyes as she considered the question. “Bright. Sunny. Warm. Very Florida. It doesn’t have to be super bougie, but upscale is important. A place that might be a venue for a wedding, if something like that is possible.”
In a few weeks? But Tessa didn’t want to throw cold water on anything yet. “What do you want guests to come away knowing about Lumière?” she asked.
“Oh, great question. I want to showcase everything—not just the wedding gowns, although they are the bread and butter of this business. But Lumière is more than a wedding dress shop. In the back, there’s a separate store for bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride attire, flower girl dresses, and my secret weapon? Tuxedos and men’s formal suits. We’re a one-stop shop, and I want to showcase that.”
“Beautiful,” Lacey said, madly taking notes. “That gives us a lot to work with.”
Akari leaned forward. “Do you have any initial ideas?"
Tessa hesitated. She did have a few ideas—a faux wedding, a champagne brunch, a bridal beauty bar, maybe a big giveaway. But this one would take some thought and a more professional presentation.
“I’d like to tour the entire salon, solidify budget parameters, and take a few days to brainstorm. Then we’ll come back to you with an idea that will knock your…veil off.”
Akari laughed. “I love that. Let’s look around, show you some of our collections, and let your ideas marinate. But be warned—my budget is tight. Probably not what you’re used to, so you’ll have to get creative.”
“I love a challenge,” Tessa replied without a moment’s hesitation.
The tour and ensuing discussion took almost an hour, but it was spent inspiring Tessa to think big and out of the box.
By the time they said goodbye and set up their next meeting to present their plans, Tessa was humming with excitement.
“So, any ideas?” Lacey asked as they walked down the street back to the parking lot.
“A million of them, but we’ll have to do some research and digging. It isn’t going to be easy to find the right venue for an event that soon. You?”
Lacey shook her head. “No, but that store made me want to get married.”
Tessa laughed and put her arm around the younger woman. “We should work on that, too, faux daughter. Let’s find you a husband.”
Lacey laughed. “One big idea at a time there, faux momma.”
The words squeezed her heart and gave Tessa a bittersweet jolt. “I don’t know how I ever thought I could do this business alone, Lacey,” she said, giving her a light hug. “You’re awesome.”
“Aww. You know I’m in heaven and it isn’t just the job.” Lacey slowed her step and looked hard at Tessa. “I love your style and spunk. I really do.”
The compliment warmed her for so many reasons. She clicked with this girl, and she trusted her. And trust didn’t always come easy to Tessa.
* * *
Tessa pulled into the driveway, easing the car to a stop as she caught sight of an unfamiliar SUV parked near the garage. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she shifted into Park, exhaling slowly through her nose.
“She’s back ,” Tessa sang, throwing a look at Lacey. “With offspring.”
Lacey smiled as she unlatched her seatbelt. “Nolie’s a doll,” she said. “A little shy until you get her going, then she never shuts up. Very smart and sweet. Much sweeter than?—”
“Her mother?” Tessa joked.
“I was going to say her namesake—Maggie and Nolie both share the real name of Magnolia.”
“Huh. Not sure I knew that.” Tessa sighed, leaning back against the headrest for a beat before reaching for the door handle. “I’m actually looking forward to seeing if I can help the kid. I only meet adults with dyslexia, but someone who’s just figuring out the wobbly life? We might connect.”
“I know you will,” Lacey said, reaching over the console. “You better, because I don’t want to have to talk you into not leaving again. You can’t be punished for something your father did.”
She shuttered her eyes. “Whatever he did, he had a reason. We may never know it, but I have faith that he didn’t act on impulse or intend to hurt anyone.”
Lacey nodded a few times. “I believe that, too, and even though I’m a Lawson, I’m on your side.”
“Thanks, sweetie, but let’s hope there are no ‘sides’ to be on.”
Lacey shrugged, twisting to grab her purse from the backseat. “It all happened long before me,” she said. “I never knew my grandfather. I only know that Eli hates him, Maggie worships him, and my mom feels like she was cheated out of having a father.”
“Why does Eli hate him?” Tessa asked. “I didn’t think that man was capable of hate.”
“True,” Lacey conceded. “Especially Uncle Eli, who is a man of faith, even if he’s quiet about it. Let’s just say the fact that his father went to prison for criminal behavior makes him uncomfortable.”
“I know that.” Tessa gazed at the SUV, the weight of the encounter a few nights ago pressing on her chest.
The things Crista had said weren’t small. Her accusations had cut deep.
Even though Crista had walked that back a bit during their early-morning coffee chat, the tension between them remained a wound barely scabbed over.
Lacey pressed her arm. “She can flare fast, but she’s always sorry.”
“She didn’t exactly apologize the next morning,” Tessa said, pushing the car door open. “But she tried to be civil. I will, too.”
Inside the house, the cool air washed over them as they walked through the open foyer and into the main living area.
Vivien looked up from where she stood near the kitchen island, her face lighting up in a welcoming smile. “Hey, you two! How’d the meeting go?”
Eli was seated at the counter, nursing what looked like an iced tea, and in the dining area, Crista stood near the table, watching over a little girl who was fully engrossed in a coloring book.
Tessa felt an unexpected pang in her chest as she took in the small, dark-haired child, her tiny fingers gripping a purple crayon as she worked furiously. There was a quiet intensity to her. And for the first time, Tessa saw Crista not as a storm of emotions but as a mother, standing protectively near her daughter.
Crista glanced up, her expression unreadable. “Lacey. Tessa.”
Nolie looked up, her whole face bright. “Spacey!” She ran to Lacey, who held her arms out, obviously used to the nickname that Jonah had apparently hung on her.
They were all the Lawson cousins, Tessa remembered. Jonah, who wasn’t here at the moment, Lacey, Nolie, and the great and awesome Meredith, who she’d yet to meet.
Lacey crouched down and got face to face with Nolie. “So, skipping school for a beach vacay, huh, kiddo?”
“Yes! With Aunt Pittypat!”
“There’s another aunt?” Tessa asked, making them all laugh.
“Four-legged, furry, and about the size of a rat,” Eli explained.
“A very cute rat,” Nolie said, gazing up at Tessa. “She’s out on the deck, sleeping. Are you afraid of dogs?”
“Not rat-sized ones named Aunt Pittypat. Are you afraid of strangers?”
“Not pretty ones like you.”
“Oh!” Tessa threw her head back and laughed as the others reacted. “You’ve got my vote for Princess of the Year. I’m Tessa. You must be…let me guess. Named after a flower? Magnolia?”
A slow smile pulled, revealing one missing front tooth with the glint in the gum of one ready to make an appearance. Her eyes were chocolate brown with hair a few shades darker, a little clone of her mother. She stood about four feet, couldn’t weigh fifty pounds soaking wet, and still had some baby softness around a sweet, sweet face.
Yeah. She’d love this kid whether she wanted to or not.
“I’m named after my grandmother,” Nolie told her.
“What do you know—so am I,” she said, aware of Crista’s sharp eyes watching the interaction. “She was Theresa Katherine, and my sister and I got her names.” She glanced at the child’s work. “Whatchya coloring, Nolie?” “Flowers,” she said softly. “Messy flowers.”
Her heart folded in pity. “There is no such thing as a messy flower,” she proclaimed. “Especially from someone named after them. Can I see?”
Nolie glanced at Crista, who gave an imperceptible nod of approval for this stranger, then walked to the table and Tessa followed. She scanned the surface of the dining table that normally functioned as her desk, taking in the scattered crayons, a few torn-out coloring book pages.
There was an open notebook with some scribbles and a lone yellow pencil that had been chewed on at the end. Oh, heavens, she knew that pencil. Could taste the eraser in her mouth to this day.
“You ever get hand cramps when you write?”
“Yes.” Nolie nodded hesitantly as she slipped into a chair.
“Same, sister.” Tessa leaned over and looked at the letters. Yep, she knew those, too. “Used to happen all the time when I was a kid. And my letters always went a little wiggle-woggly, no matter how hard I tried.”
Curiosity and interest flickered in her dark eyes, but she didn’t say anything.
“It made school a pain in the butt,” Tessa added.
“My grandma says ladies don’t say butt,” she said, straight-faced. “We say bottom.”
“Whoops.” Tessa chuckled, as did the others, who all sort of quietly watched the exchange, making her feel very much like the whole Lawson clan was testing her.
Well, she didn’t care if she passed their test, but Dad was surely watching. He’d want to see if she’d learned more than how to read and write at that table when she was this girl’s age.
“Can I write and color with you?” Tessa asked, sliding into the chair next to Nolie.
The little girl looked surprised and glanced around. She was obviously smart enough to know that some strange adult swooping in and coloring with a kid was not standard operating procedure.
“Sure,” Nolie finally said. “But my letters aren’t very good.”
Tessa grabbed the chewed-up pencil and turned over one of Nolie’s coloring pages to the blank side.
“Okay, let’s try something fun. Want to know a fun way to make sure your letters don’t go ziggy and zaggy?”
Nolie smiled at the words. “That’s what they do.”
“Did you ever go bowling?” Tessa asked, getting another look at the unexpected question.
“I went to a bowling birthday party for my friend Adeline.”
“Perfect. I bet they put those awesome guardrails up so you didn’t get gutter balls.”
She nodded. “Jason Figsworth got a strike.”
“Well, since he’s stuck with that name, he deserved it.”
Nolie giggled.
“All right, Figsworth,” she joked. “What you need for wobbly letters is the same thing you need for a wobbly bowling ball. Guard rails.”
Invested, Nolie leaned in and watched Tessa’s pen.
“I still do this when I have to write something important,” Tessa said, making her dots just the very way Artie had taught her. “Let’s spell out something. Give me a word.”
“Figsworth,” she said with another chuckle.
Tessa smiled, already liking her sense of humor. “Start with an F. Make one, two, three, four, five dots.”
“Then you follow them?” Nolie asked, instantly getting it.
Tessa tapped her nose with the pencil. “Ding-ding-ding. We have a smarty-pants in the building.” She flipped the pencil and offered it to Nolie. “Now you do it for me.”
As she guided Nolie through a simple trick—using dots to create a letter guideline—the little girl relaxed, the tension in her fingers easing.
From a few feet away, Crista watched quietly, her expression unreadable, but certainly not hostile.
Eli’s phone rang and he walked back to his office, so Lacey and Vivien came over to sit at the table with them, which Tessa appreciated so it was less like a show.
“You wouldn’t believe this bridal salon we went to today,” Lacey said to Vivien. “And we had a great meeting.”
As Lacey told them the highlights of meeting with Akari Tanaka at Lumière, Tessa quietly showed Nolie the dot system for writing her name.
Eventually, Crista sat, too, listening to Lacey tell them all about the grand opening they had to plan, but keeping one sharp eye on her daughter.
“So what are you going to do for this event?” Vivien asked.
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Tessa admitted. “Well, probably not a million, since she already warned us about the budget. We’ll do something that makes a splash. And it has to be on April twenty-sixth.”
“That’s the day of my recital,” Nolie chimed in. “But I’m not going. I’ll be here.”
“Oh. Are you sad?” Tessa asked.
“I brought my dress,” she said. “It’s pink. We are doing Dance of the Flowers from The Nutcracker . But my teacher made it Dance of the Flower Girls . And we were all going to wear flower girl dresses!”
Tessa gasped, an idea sparking like a flame in her brain.
“ Dance of the Flower Girls ?” she repeated slowly, as if testing the words out loud.
Nolie nodded enthusiastically. “We all carry flowers and come down an aisle like we’re at a wedding, but we twirl.” She hopped up from her chair and turned in a little circle, her arms delicately lifted like a ballerina. “Like this.”
Tessa’s eyes widened as a vision clicked into place.
A fashion show. A dancing, moving, twirling fashion show made up completely of the wedding party, flower girls, and, of course, brides.
Tessa’s pulse quickened as the idea took shape. “You…” She pointed playfully at Nolie with the chewed-up pencil. “Are a genius!”
Her eyes flashed. “I am?”
“Yes!” Tessa turned toward Lacey, grabbing her arm. “Let’s hold a live, elegant fashion show, wedding themed, of course, and the runway is the aisle. And they can dance, just like Figsworth the Flower Girl!”
Nolie buckled with a guffaw that brightened her whole face. But Lacey didn’t laugh. She caught the spark instantly.
“Perfect! A wedding-inspired fashion event. Showcasing every piece in Akari’s collection—brides, bridesmaids, men in tuxedos and…” She turned to Nolie. “Flower girls.”
Nolie’s eyes flashed as she looked up at Tessa. “Really? Can I be one of them?”
“Can you… Are you kidding ? You’re the star!” She impulsively hugged the child, who squeezed right back. Over her narrow shoulder, she caught Crista’s gaze, warm and relieved and hopeful.
She closed her eyes and held the hug, seeing only her dear departed father, who was not a traitor. Somehow, she’d get Crista to believe that, and maybe this child was the answer.