Our Love Unhinged (Reluctant Hearts Book 4) by Brighton Walsh Read Free Book Online

before they settle on my face, and then her lips turn down in the corners. She squats in front of me, blowing the newly blue streak of hair out of her eyes. “What’s up?”
    “Just, you know”—I gesture to the dresses—“participating in the second best day in a bride’s life.”
    Her eyebrows climb up her forehead. “God, if this is the second best, I’d hate to see the third. You look like you just kicked a kitten.”
    I drop my head into my hands and groan. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
    “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s a few things snowballing.”
    Sighing, I drop my hands and look at her. “Yeah?”
    With a nod, she starts ticking off on her fingers. “First, I’ve never once seen you in a dress, so I imagine you’re feeling a bit out of your element. Second, these dresses cost money—a lot of money—and you hate spending it on yourself. And third—and I’m guessing this is the biggie—you’ve got no one here with you.” She drops her hand and rests it on her knee. “But more than that, you didn’t even thinkyou could call me to come and be here with you.”
    “No, that’s not it at all. I knew if I asked you, you’d come. I just . . .” My shoulders sag as I lean against the hard wall of the fitting room. With a shrug, I say, “I’m a mess, and I knew this would be hard. I didn’t want you to have to deal with me and my mommy issues on top of everything you’re already doing to help with the wedding.”
    “Newsflash,” she says, jazz hands flying. “I’ve got mommy issues, too. True, yours was a piece of work and I’m thankful I never had to deal with that, but the bottom line is I don’t have a mom to do this with, either. So that means I’m going to count on you to go with me when the time comes and tell me point blank if I can pull off the dress I want or if it makes me look like a walrus. And whether you like it or not, I’m here to do that for you. So it’s time to suit up.” She moves to stand and plucks the first dress off the hanger, then looks at me with a raised eyebrow, just daring me to challenge her.
    Even if I hadn’t been around Tessa enough to know when she’s not messing around, the truth is her little speech is exactly what I need. She doesn’t sugarcoat things or bullshit her way through any issues, and I appreciate it, even if I am out of my element. Being here by myself just showcased so many things I’m already self-conscious about and brought to life memories I’d rather keep buried. Even if it would’ve been harder to have her here to witness it from the beginning, I should’ve asked her to come, if for nothing else than to support me when I need it most.
    Tessa starts tapping her foot in a silent gesture to hurry the hell up, so I stand and strip down to my bra and underwear, then let her help me into the first of too-many-to-count dresses. And while they’re all pretty, and a handful of them fit me perfectly, none of them give me anything resembling butterflies. But maybe I won’t get them? With the exception of my feelings for Cade, I’m not exactly a butterflies kind of girl.
    “Maybe I should just get this one,” I say, tugging out the third dress I tried on. It’s all lace with a long train, which is a little over the top for my tastes—not to mention our small, backyard wedding—but it fit me probably the best of all of them, and I liked it okay.
    “Not happening.” Tessa shakes her head and grabs an armful of dresses to take back out to Janet before inching the door open to sneak out without showing everyone my goodies. “Just sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
    Like I’m going to strut around the store in my underwear.
    Tessa’s voice carries into the dressing room, along with Janet’s. All kinds of terms I’ve never once heard of in reference to clothing are mentioned—mermaids and trumpets and chapel trains—and I shift from foot to foot, thumbnail in my mouth as I demolish my