steps to offer a cold embrace. The awkward gesture was the most she could offer; knowing that made me appreciate it more than others might have. She quickly let go, and offered a polite smile. “You look wonderful, dear.”
“Thank you. I was just about to step into my dress….”
“Oh. Well, then, I’ll just step out,” Cynthia said.
I fidgeted. “Would you mind helping?”
Cynthia hesitated. “Er…Isn’t that why Beth is here?”
“No,” Beth smiled. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Cynthia’s eyes scanned my dress and its yards of white silk, and clouded with tears. “Oh, my,” she whispered, pulling a tissue from her purse.
I was taken aback. Cynthia rarely cried. In fact, she’d only found two occasions in my lifetime for it, and both had more to do with my father.
“It’s okay, Mother,” I said, hesitating to find an appropriate place to comfort her. I settled on her shoulder, patting awkwardly a few times.
She sniffed once, lifting her chin to ward off the uninvited emotion. “It’s just that Silk Charmeuse wrinkles so easily.”
I nodded. “I know.”
After one last dab at her eyes with the tissue, she turned. “Beth best assist you, darling. Call for me when you’re dressed.” She closed the door behind her, and I turned to Beth.
“I’m so sorry,” Beth whispered. “I thought…I waited for her because I thought she’d like to be involved. I should have known better. Now you both just feel awkward.”
“It was worth a try. One never knows with Cynthia. She might have been insulted if I hadn’t asked, so you did the right thing.”
“Did I?”
I smiled. “You did. Now help me get this thing on, and let’s not let it wrinkle. I don’t want to upset my mother.”
Beth nodded, and carefully pulled the dress from its hanger. “Neither do I.”
Chapter Two
Promises
“She was right,” Beth said, tears in her eyes. “It does wrinkle easy.”
I nodded, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror Beth had brought for the occasion. The woman staring back at me was soft and mature, draped in the muted sheen of silk and chiffon. Beth wasn’t human after all; only magic could have transformed me into the elegant, graceful creature in the mirror.
Soft, blonde curls caressed my shoulders, and just a hint of blush and pink lip gloss reminded me that I had makeup on at all. Beth had spent hours making sure that I appeared timeless and natural.
Beth clapped her hands together and held them tight to her chest, as impressed at her work as I. “Jared is going to crap!”
I laughed. “I knew eventually Oklahoma would break free from the professional East Coast stylist role you’ve played today!”
Beth gathered the tools she used to transform me, rolling wires and putting the various bags of makeup into the different tubs the villagers had carried to the casita. I stood in place, afraid to move. The realization hit that the church was miles away, across a muddy jungle, and I was wearing white.
I blanched. “Oh, God. Cynthia will stroke out if this dress is soiled before the wedding.”
“If she can get here without a speck, I’m sure she can get you to the church mud-free.”
“You’re probably right,” I nodded, trying to relax.
“I wish Kim could be here,” Beth said, shaking her head. “I called her, but she’s out of town.”
“I understand. This was very sudden.” I hated lying to Beth, especially while she was being the poster child for a best friend, but I already knew Kim wouldn’t be at my wedding. She was two hospital rooms down from Ryan, nursing wounds she’d sustained when Isaac had sent her flying across the cathedral of St. Anne’s. It wasn’t right that she had saved my life, and instead of being at her side, I was primping in a tropical paradise.
“She did say to tell you to not worry about her. She said she’s fine and she wants you to enjoy your day…why would you worry?” Beth said. Her question was a second thought, as if it hadn’t crossed her mind until that moment.
“When do I not worry about her?” I said, fidgeting with my dress.
Beth thought for a moment. “True,” she agreed, carrying on with tidying up the room. “Okay, I’m going to grab your mom, and then I’m going to get ready. If you need anything, I’m just a casita away.”
“Beth?” I called.
“Yes?” she said, spinning around.
“Thank you,” I smiled. “For everything.”
Beth returned my smile. “Of course.”
“And Beth?”
“Yes?” she said. She was clearly impatient about getting to her casita.
“Think I could sit for a while?”
“Oh!” Beth said, rushing to fetch me a chair. “Here. This one has a back on it so you can relax. Thirsty?”
“Not at the moment. You are the best maid of honor, ever.”
“I know,” she beamed. She backed out of my room, shutting the door on her wide and excessively proud smile.
With Beth’s absence the room became uncomfortably quiet, but I didn’t feel alone. I looked down to my stomach. Bean was invisible, nestled under the fabric of the dress I would wear to marry her father. I placed both of my hands above my bump, and smiled. Would Bean know he or she was a guest at our wedding? The thought of a tiny body inside of me with a fancy dress or tux on made me giggle.
“What’s funny?” Cynthia said as she entered the room. “Certainly not the sight of you. You’re a vision.” I smiled and stood so that she might get a better look. “I’ve arranged for a car. Well, not so much a car as a beat-up truck, but it will get us to the chapel.”
“I wondered how I would get there and keep my dress white.”
Cynthia frowned. “I didn’t say it wouldn’t be difficult. I’ve considered wrapping you in plastic. It will take all of us along with a concentrated effort, but it can be done.”
“Thank you,” I smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Again, a deluge of emotion caught Cynthia off-guard, and she furiously searched through her purse for a tissue. Before the first tear could pour over her lashes, she dabbed it away. “I’ve never,” she said, annoyed. “I hope this doesn’t continue throughout the day.”
I rested in the chair and Cynthia sat on the bed, seeming uncomfortable and out of place, yet she remained cordial and poised. She brought up appropriate subjects such as the weather, and stayed far away from anything that might induce another onslaught of tears. We shared a few polite laughs, and I silently prayed that Beth would return sooner rather than later.
“Ding dong!” Bex said, opening the door. “The truck is less than a mile away. You ready?”
“Something like that,” I sighed.
Beth popped in behind Bex. Her smile lit up the room. She was stunning in her French blue cocktail dress, and for the first time since I’d met her, she actually looked like the former beauty queen that she was. Her lips were stained a wine color, and her short auburn hair was wavy and soft instead of sticking out in every direction. “Oh, good!” Beth squealed as the engine grew louder upon the truck’s approach. “It’s like a Bronco! It has a back seat!”
“That’s nice,” I said, minding my mother’s expression as I gathered my skirt.
The trip from my chair to the door was uneventful, but the preparations for me to step outside into the murky jungle were firmly coordinated by my mother. Cynthia barked orders at Bex, Beth, and the driver. Bex lifted me and
