“Morning, Adri.” Her voice sounded chipper, and there was a lightness to her step. I noticed a bit of eyeliner and dark green eye shadow accenting her deep brown eyes and barely kept myself from gaping. Lorea was a no-frills girl, so why did she have makeup on?
I glanced at the clock—fifteen minutes after eight. “You’re early today.”
“Couldn’t sleep.” Lorea tugged the measuring tape hanging from her dress mannequin. A few minutes later, I caught her looking at the clock. The eye shadow suddenly made sense.
“Ah, I see why you couldn’t sleep. It’s Wednesday. Guess I’d better open the front door in case we get a special delivery.”
“I’m excited about seeing the dresses, that’s all.” Lorea’s gaze flicked to the clock again.
“Me too.” I didn’t push the issue, even when I saw the hint of a smile lift the corners of her mouth. My own anticipation buzzed happily in the back of my mind as I turned the locks on the front door. I was ready to embrace this new venture, and I ignored the nagging thoughts of “What if?” that kept trying to creep in and overshadow my visions of success.
I tidied up the front of the shop, winding the satin ribbon in shades of forest green and burgundy on a spool. A customized ring pillow with coordinating ribbon to match the accent colors might be just the thing for one of my June weddings. I tucked an errant strand of blonde hair behind my ear, my fingers brushing my favorite pair of sapphire earrings. With my sketch pencil, I outlined ideas for the ring pillow.
Ten minutes later, wedding chimes rang, and I heard a familiar whistle. Lorea and I hurried to the front of the shop, pushing each other aside in hopes of getting there first. At the last second, I let her pass—she was going for the guy. I just wanted to see if the shipment had arrived. A man dressed in a brown uniform waited out front, holding a scanner.
“Hi, Colton,” we greeted the delivery man simultaneously.
“Hi, ladies. Your wait is over.” Colton motioned to the long box behind him. “I have a couple more boxes like this in the truck.”
Lorea pumped her fist in the air. “They’re finally here. I’ll sign for them.”
Colton flourished his scanner, and Lorea signed, her grin widening. He took back the scanner, studying it for a moment before pushing a couple of buttons. “Zubiondo. I’ve been meaning to ask you. Where does that name come from?”
“From Spain. I’m Basque.” Lorea’s face lit up as it always did when she spoke of her heritage. Bonus points for Colton—I rooted for anyone who might improve Lorea’s attitude toward dating.
Colton nodded. “That’s great. You ever been there?”
“No, but I will someday.”
I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like Lorea was on the verge of flirting with the delivery guy. If only Colton would get up the nerve to ask her out. He pushed the large box forward on a dolly, and I pointed to the back of the store. “Can you roll those to the back room so we don’t have to carry them?”
“Anything for you, Adri.” He followed me and set the box down. “What’s in here?”
“Wedding dresses,” I said.
Lorea ran her hand lovingly over the box and then pushed it farther into the back room. As she ripped the packing tape to open the box, my stomach flipped in anticipation.
“Dresses now, too? I thought you mostly planned the weddings.” Colton stopped and surveyed our showroom. “You like to stay busy, don’t you?”
“Actually, the dresses are for Lorea. She’s getting married this weekend.”
“What?” Colton fumbled with his scanner.
“Don’t believe a word she says.” Lorea hurried out from the back, carrying a vacuum-sealed package of beads and lace that I was sure made up a beautiful gown.
“But I think she’d look great in that dress, don’t you?” I ignored the death stare coming from my friend.
Colton’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll get the other boxes.” He hurried out the door.
“You txori buru!” Lorea reverted to Euskara once Colton had gone. “What are you trying to do to me?”
I laughed—she had called me a birdbrain in her native Basque language at least a hundred times. “Just proving my point.” I smirked. “You like each other.”
Lorea turned with a huff and went back to unpacking dresses.
Colton brought two more boxes inside, and I kept my mouth shut.
“Thank you, Colton,” Lorea said.
“Good luck with everything, ladies.” Colton winked at Lorea as he walked away.
I waited until I heard the door close to say, “See, I told you.”
Lorea shook her head and pulled out several more bags containing the dresses. “Four, five, and that one makes six.” She gestured to the third box. “The last four are in there.”
The bag rustled as I opened the tight packaging and pulled out a gown. The dress seemed to breathe as it broke free and I hung it on the clothes rack. My fingers fluttered, struggling with the zipper. For a moment, I wished that Briette could be with me to enjoy this moment. I blinked to clear the moisture in my eyes and continued unveiling the dress.
“Careful,” Lorea murmured, edging closer.
Folds of creamy satin hung like graceful dancers surrounded by tulle and sparkle. We both sighed as I unfastened the train. The satin rustled, trailing from the bodice to the floor. A dusting of pearl glitter covered the gown, and intricate beadwork and embroidery adorned the bodice and hem.
“Lorea, this is perfect.” I rubbed the satin between my fingers. “Sylvia is going to be so excited to try it on.”
I saw her flinch at the mention of our least favorite client, Sylvia Rockfort. At twenty-eight, Sylvia was close to my age, but that was about the only thing we had in common. She was a soap star diva. Sylvia had had
