Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I want to thank you for all your hard work on this,” Colin said as they finished their virtual meeting late Monday evening. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“We make a good team.” Carissa leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples, grateful that Colin didn’t force her to turn her camera on when it was just the two of them. Her love life might have blown up in her face, but she was kicking butt at planning the retreat. It helped that Jacob had been caught up with another project in his office and hadn’t joined the last few meetings. Working with Colin was easier when the CEO wasn’t breathing down his neck.
“If you can make the latest changes to the schedule, I’ll forward our slides to Jacob for approval.” Colin sighed. “And then maybe you and I can take a well-deserved break for the holidays.”
Her heart panged. The last thing she needed right then was a break. Staying busy kept her mind off the problems with Max. They hadn’t spoken since he’d shown up at her house on Friday, but Lanie had a dress fitting the next day. She was torn between hoping Max would show up and praying he’d stay away. She wasn’t sure she was ready to see him again.
“I’ll get those over to you by close of business tomorrow,” Carissa promised. As she disconnected from the call, she put her head on the table, promising herself she’d rest for only a moment.
The buzzing of her phone woke her, and she blinked bleary eyes into the bright morning sun. Her neck and back ached from being hunched over the table all night, and her throat was bone dry. With a groan, she stretched and glanced at her phone.
“Oh no.” She was late for Lanie’s fitting.
Be there in twenty , she texted. Then she ran upstairs to take a quick shower. When she left the house ten minutes later, her hair was damp. The cold wind blew the wet strands against her bare neck, making her shiver. As soon as she started the car, she cranked up the heat and prayed her hair wouldn’t form icicles on the way to the dress shop.
Minutes later, she raced into the bridal shop, where Lanie stood on the pedestal in front of the mirror. Only Rose and three of Lanie’s other friends sat on the benches by the pedestal. Max was nowhere to be seen.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Carissa said. “I overslept.”
“That’s all right. You have a lot going on.” Lanie smoothed the satin skirt of her white dress. It had a sweetheart neckline with off-the-shoulder lace sleeves. “What do you think?”
Carissa put her hand to her heart and smiled. “It’s perfect.” Tears sprang to her eyes, and she dashed them away. What on earth is wrong with you? She never cried when seeing a bride in her dress.
“Should we shorten the hem?” Lanie asked, oblivious to Carissa’s sudden onset of emotions. “I don’t want to trip.”
“Maybe just an inch?” Rose suggested as she lifted Lanie’s skirt. “If you go too much shorter, it might look awkward.”
The seamstress pulled Carissa aside. “We’ve got the bridesmaids’ dresses ready for final fittings as well. Did you want us to bring those out?”
“Since the bridesmaids are here, we might as well. It’ll save us a trip later.” Carissa clapped. “Ladies, your dresses are ready. If you’re game, we can have you try them on now to determine if there are any additional alterations needed.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Lanie cried, hugging herself. “I can’t wait to see them.”
The seamstress beamed at her. “While they’re changing, let’s pin up your hem.”
Once the room had emptied of all of Lanie’s friends, Carissa sat heavily on one of the benches. Her neck and back still ached from sleeping at the table, and she wished she’d had time to grab a cup of coffee.
“I’m glad to have a moment alone with you,” Lanie said. She glanced at the seamstress. “Well, semi-alone, I suppose.”
“Oh?” Carissa asked, immediately on high alert. “Something on your mind?”
“I wanted to talk about my dad.”
Keeping her eyes on her own reflection, Carissa nodded. “What about him?”
Lanie sighed. “We haven’t spoken since he said he didn’t want to go to my wedding, and now, I’m worried I won’t have anyone to walk me down the aisle.”
“I’m sure he just needs to cool off.” Carissa tried to sound more confident than she felt. A memory of the anger and pain in Max’s face flashed through her mind, and she winced. “He wouldn’t miss your wedding.”
“Turn, please,” the seamstress said.
“You don’t know how stubborn my dad is.” Lanie shifted to her right.
Carissa snorted. “I have a pretty good idea.”
“Would it be weird if I asked Steven?”
With a sigh, Carissa shook her head. “It wouldn’t be weird, but you should give your dad some time. The wedding is still a few weeks away.”
“But we’re not even speaking,” Lanie said mournfully. “I have no idea what to say to him anymore. He hasn’t apologized for what he said, which makes me think he’s stubborn enough not to attend my wedding.” She sniffled. “And that really hurts.”
“Maybe start with how you feel.” Carissa moved beside Lanie, taking her hand. “He needs to know how this is impacting you.”
“What if he doesn’t care?”
A laugh bubbled up in Carissa’s throat. “The man built you a seven-foot arch. Actions speak louder than words, and that action tells me he cares.”
Lanie rolled her eyes. “Is it really that tall?”
“I’ve got the measurements right here.” Carissa patted her purse.
That brought a grin to Lanie’s face, but it quickly faded. “I’m struggling to get past him not telling me about the arch or the fact that you two are dating.”
Carissa squeezed her hand and worked to keep her emotions in check. “For my part in that, I’m sorry. I should have kept things more professional until after your wedding was over. As for your father, give him a chance to apologize. If he won’t come around, we’ll figure out a contingency plan for the wedding.” Her eyes filled with tears for the second time that morning. “Just know there’s no replacement for your father.”
The truth of her words hit her harder than she’d expected. There was no replacement for Max for her either. He’d touched her heart in a way she’d never expected, and she wished they could find a way to mend what they had broken. But at that moment, it seemed hopeless.
“All done,” the seamstress said as she stood.
Lanie turned in the mirror, checking her reflection at all angles. “What do you think?”
“You look beautiful.”