Four Weddings and a Werewolf

Veronica froze, mortified. “What are you talking about? This is the dress they had under your name at Bridal Beat.”

“Nope. Not mine. I think I’d remember.” Her normally sweet voice went shrill. “Someone call Bridal Beat and get the right dress here now.”

All six bridesmaids swept out of the suite. They could probably feel the storm brewing.

“Calm down, Leah, I can fix this.”

“Fix this, how? I tried on mermaid styles and they made my hips look enormous. I’m going to be a cow at my wedding!” She plopped on the edge of the bed and threw herself back. “I knew something was going to happen, I knew it. Nothing could be this perfect for this long.” She took three deep breaths, then laughed nervously. Like a serial killer about to snap. “You’re always so good at taking care of everything! How could this happen?”

Veronica eyed the dream dress she’d tried on in the store. “Maybe there are two Leah Vales. Maybe the lady working the front was new. I have no idea. But if they can’t get your dress in before the wedding, you can get married in this one. I’m sure it’s just as pretty.”

“Can’t you fix this?” She sat up, her face paler than normal. “I’m going to close my eyes for a few minutes, you’re going to figure this whole dress situation out, and when it’s time, I’ll open my eyes and everything will be fine.”

Magically get her dress here? Sure, she’d snap two fingers and poof! She’d absorb the stress, once again, and Leah would sit back and worry about nothing.

She couldn’t bear to rescue her sister. Not when her own life was shaking apart.

“I love you, Leah, but I’m tired of making everything magically better for you. Maybe you would’ve known your dress was the right one if you would’ve come home from your book tour and taken care of some of the wedding details yourself. I’ve been beating myself senseless trying to make you happy and make things easier for you and it’s driving me nuts.”

Leah covered her eyes with her hands and moaned. “God, I’m so sorry. I feel like I’m having a meltdown. You’re right.” She peeked from behind her fingers. “I’ve been taking advantage of you, haven’t I?”

Veronica sighed into a laugh. “You think?”

“I guess I’ve depended on you for so long, and you’re so good at taking care of these things that I didn’t realize how much stress I was putting on you. It’s just that everything comes easy for you. You’re always put together and are organized and I could never be like that.” Leah dropped her hands to the bed and smiled. “I’m sorry, V.”

“You think these things come easy for me?”

“I don’t know how you do it.” Leah shook her head. “You always look great, with every hair in place, you never make impulsive decisions that you wind up regretting later, and you never make a mess of things. I’m always so terrified that I’m going to do or say the wrong thing that I don’t know where to start or which way to turn.”

“Oh, Leah.” Veronica plopped on the bed beside her sister and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “We should’ve had this talk a long time ago. We have more in common than you realize. There are times when I believe the same things about you. You have this air of confidence, like you’re so sure of your path in life, and everything magically works out.”

Leah snorted. “I’m far from confident and things don’t fall in my lap like you’d think they do. It took me two hundred rejections before I got an agent and book deal! And Jake didn’t want to date me at first. I had to stick to his side like glue before he gave me a chance.”

Veronica had no idea. She’d assumed everything came effortlessly for her.

“But as far as you and me, I think we’ll be okay,” Leah said. “I can take care of myself from here on out.”

Veronica hugged her sister against her, feeling closer to her than she’d ever been. “I love you more than anyone on this earth. If you need something, anything, I want to be there for you. I just don’t want to be expected to be there.”

“I know what you mean.” Leah dropped her head on Veronica’s shoulder. “I hear the message loud and clear. And, for the record, the feeling is mutual.”

Tears stung Veronica’s eyes, and she pulled away. “Now how about this dress of yours. What does it look like?”

“It’s a halter top ball gown with lots of jewels sparkling in the tulle bottom. It has a huge train that matches the length of the veil. This one is pretty, but it’s not me.”

That was the dress Veronica would’ve picked for Leah. A Cinderella ball gown that she could make an entrance in. Something had struck Veronica about the mermaid-style dress when she’d put it on—it wasn’t Leah’s style. Now she knew why. Leah hadn’t picked it.

“We got it!” One of Leah’s friends said as she burst through the door. “The dress shop mixed Vale with Valen. Your dress was sent to another wedding at city hall.”

“That’s not far from here,” Veronica said. “We can get it here in minutes.”

“Already on the way,” Heather said, striding into the room behind the bridesmaids. “I overhead and made the call. The wedding planner for that wedding is going to meet me downstairs in five.”

“You’re a lifesaver. Here.” Veronica handed Heather the dress. “You’ll need this.”

Disaster number one, Veronica thought. There was always something that went wrong at each wedding she planned. Sometimes it was a cake that melted or a boutonniere that fell off during the ceremony. Other times it was a fight between in-laws or food that went cold as the guests waited hours for the bride and groom to finish pictures.

Maybe the dress mistake would be it and they could make it through relatively unscathed.

Then again, she’d been formally invited to this wedding by her stalker.

Chapter Twenty-One

The instant the processional music cued up, Veronica’s rattling nerves quieted. Logan pulled her against him and gave her arm a squeeze.

He shouldn’t touch her this way…

It only made things worse.

“What took you ladies so long?” he asked.

He looked so striking in his tux, she could barely speak. “We had a little mix-up, but I think it’s going to work out right in the end.”

His lips curved into a mysterious smile. “I think so, too.”

Focus on Leah and making her day special.

Veronica looked back at her sister, who was dressed to kill in a fluffy white ball gown that cinched her waist, making her figure resemble Barbie’s. She’d never seen Leah more beautiful, with her hair drawn up and the veil flowing behind her. Her lips were colored deep red and her eyes were lined with dark shadow. She was gorgeous. Flawless.

“You ready?” Veronica asked.

Leah nodded, and didn’t have to smile. Happiness radiated from her, making her glow. She glanced up at Seattle Wolf Pack’s Alpha, Drake Wilder, who was holding on to her arm like a proud father. He stood well over six feet tall with square-set shoulders and short, razor-cut hair. Since their father couldn’t do the honor, Leah had asked Drake to stand in. He beamed with pride, the sharp angles of his face softening when he looked down at her.

“We need to talk,” Logan whispered, his cheek brushing her shoulder.

“Not now,” she bit out. “We’re about to walk.”

“This can’t wait.”

“Seriously?” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “No. Later.”