Every Bride Needs a Groom (30 page)

“Precisely.” Pop nodded. “And I'm also saying that he's not a baby. He'll figure that out when he has to show up at work every day and pay rent on an apartment. In Dallas. Which, by the way, isn't far, far away from home.”

“Technically it's a house,” Beau said. “I'll be living in a house with a guy named Stan.”

“What?” I said. Now here was an interesting piece of the puzzle.

“Yep. He's great. And that's what I was trying to say earlier. I'm going to be working for Stan, not the bridal shop. He's a sports agent and he needs someone to assist him. You won't believe the big-name players he represents. I've met so many cool people.”

“Oh, thank the Lord.” My father slapped Beau on the back. “I couldn't quite picture how I'd go about telling my friends that my son designed wedding gowns for a living.”

Beau rolled his eyes. “Stan's been agenting for years, and he's going to teach me the ropes.”

Stan chose that very moment to enter the front door.

“Oh, great,” Madge said as she and Brady walked our way. “Look who's come for a visit.”

“C'mon, admit it, Madge,” Brady said. “He's growing on you.”

“Like a fungus.” She rolled her eyes.

The door opened again, and this time Lori-Lou entered with Josh and their girls. Alva followed behind them holding baby Joshie.

Madge flew into gear at once, reaching for her walkie-talkie. “Incoming Mama Mia!” she said. “Incoming Mama Mia!”

“Whatever does she mean?” my mother asked.

“It's code for . . . oh, never mind.” I laughed and walked over to greet Lori-Lou, who fussed at Mariela.

Less than a minute later Lori-Lou looked as if she might be sick. She managed to say, “I-I don't feel so well,” before bolting from the room.

Josh watched her leave and then turned back to me with a sigh. “It's always like this.”

“Always like what?” Alva asked as she shifted Joshie in her arms. “She gets sick a lot?”

“Yes. When she's . . .” He pointed at the girls, who'd taken to crawling under one of the clothing racks.

“Josh? Are you saying that Lori-Lou is . . . expecting?” Alva let out a little squeal as he nodded. “Seriously?”

“Oh, it's serious, all right. And trust me, it was quite a shock. She's been in tears for weeks. I can't believe no one's noticed.”

“So, that day at the stockyard,” I said. “Lori-Lou was having morning sickness?”

“Right. I think she was actually relieved that you thought it was the stomach flu.”

“This is a particular strain of the flu that lasts about nine months.” Mama laughed. “Caught it a few times myself.”

I wanted to run after Lori-Lou and apologize for not paying more attention, for being so distracted with my new life at the shop. But just as I turned to do so, the door opened again and the shop filled with reporters and photographers from all of the local news stations. I watched as Nadia greeted them, and then the real fun began.

Our copies of
Texas Bride
were hand-delivered by Jordan Singer, who arrived moments later. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the quote from the queen of country music herself—Loretta Lynn. Turned out she loved the dress and gave it her stamp of approval. I loved it too. And when I saw the photo that had been chosen for the cover, I couldn't help but laugh. There I sat, plopped down on a wooden crate, in that
gorgeous Loretta Lynn gown. Its ruffled skirt spilled out beautifully around me, as if I'd somehow planned it that way, and the details on the bodice shimmered underneath the afternoon sunlight. All in all, a perfectly wonderful photo.

Best of all? The handsome fellow in the tuxedo. He stood just a few feet away, gazing at me with a smile ten thousand times sweeter than all of the peaches in Fairfield.

L
ess than two weeks after the magazine cover went live, my parents left for their first-ever Caribbean cruise. Mama called me from the port in Galveston just as I arrived at the shop on a Saturday morning. We hadn't opened yet, so I had plenty of time to talk.

“Katie, can you hear me?” She spoke a little too loud for comfort.

“Sure, Mama.” I pulled the phone away from my ear. “What's up?”

“Listen, we're leaving on this ridiculous cruise right in the middle of hurricane season, so if you never see us again, just know that I love you and I wanted the chance to see you walk the aisle in that beautiful Loretta Lynn gown.”

“Mama, I'm not engaged.”

“Well, I know, but someday you will be. If we're swept away by a hurricane, please bury me in my blue dress. You know the one, with the pretty collar?”

“Mama, if you're swept out to sea, we won't need to bury you.”

“True.” She sighed. “Well, don't miss me too much. Oh, and check on Jasper while we're gone. You do know what's happening back home, don't you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You're not going to believe it,” Mama said. “You're just not.”

“Oh, I don't know. These days I'd say my mind is opened to believing all sorts of new and interesting things. What's up?”

“Call him when we hang up. He'll tell you. But in the meantime I have some news about Queenie.”

My heart skipped a beat as fear settled over me. “What happened to her? Is she sick?”

“No.”

“She fell and hurt herself?”

“No. Not even close. Brace yourself, Katie.”

“O-okay.” I drew in a deep breath, unsure of what to expect.

“She's. Become. A. Presbyterian.”

I couldn't say why those words struck me like they did, but I laughed so hard I almost dropped the phone. Then Mama started laughing. After a while we simply had to end the call because we couldn't get it under control. Brady heard me all the way from the workroom and came out to the front of the store, filled with questions. When I told him, he started laughing too.

I spent the next few minutes trying to picture my grandmother in the Presbyterian church. Watching the man she adored preach . . . in a bathrobe. Okay, not a bathrobe, but a robe. Feeling closer to heaven.

Funny how life turned out.

A quick glance at the clock let me know we still had fifteen minutes before opening, just enough time to call Jasper. He answered his cell phone on the second ring with a brusque “Hello?”

“Mama said I should call you. What's up?”

“She told you about Queenie?”

“Yep. I hear she's a Presbyterian now.”

“Yes, but wait . . . there's more. There's been a sighting.”

“A sighting?”

“Queenie. And Reverend Bradford. Sitting in your spot at Dairy Queen, eating Oreo Blizzards.”

“Whoa. I thought Queenie was borderline diabetic.”

“Katie, be serious. I'm trying to tell you they're a couple.”

“Queenie and Reverend Bradford. Out in public. Eating ice cream.” I thought about that and smiled. “Which explains why she's become a Presbyterian. But she really is borderline diabetic, Jasper. She's kept it under control with diet and medication. You didn't know that?”

“I guess I'd forgotten.” He sighed. “It's true what they say . . . people will sacrifice just about anything for love.”

“Even their health.” I laughed, then grew more serious. “Or the desire to move to the big city.”

“Yeah, and that's probably the real reason Mama told you to call me. Crystal has moved to Fairfield.”

“What?”

“Yep. I, um . . . I'm going to ask her to marry me, Katie.”

“Oh, Jasper.” I felt the sting of happy tears in my eyes. “I'm so happy for you.”

“I'm pretty happy for me too. And you know what? Now that Crystal's here helping out at the hardware store, I don't feel that same pressure to get out of town. In fact, Fairfield is looking better by the day.”

“I'm so glad. I'll bet Pop was surprised, though.”

“He was. Did you know he was actually talking about selling the store? Can you believe that?”

“Yeah, he mentioned it awhile ago.”

“Well, I think I've talked him into letting me take over as
manager instead. That way he and Mama are free to gallivant around the country.”

“Now that they've lost their marbles,” I said.

“Yep. And speaking of which . . .”

Off in the distance I heard the sound of a customer's voice. Sounded familiar.

“Is that Bessie May?” I asked.

“Yes.” He chuckled. “Arguing with Crystal about the price of a garden hose. You know how she is. Always wanting to barter.”

“Let me guess. She's offering her two jars of peach preserves in exchange for the hose.”

“One jar. Her prices have gone up. But Crystal's taking the bait,” Jasper said. “Sorry, but I'm going to have to intervene before things get out of control. Gotta go, sis. Take care of yourself in the big city.”

“And you take care of yourself in the small town.”

We ended the call and I couldn't help but smile. I pictured it all—my brother in a small town with the woman of his dreams at his side, me in the big city. I sighed, thinking about how good God had been to us.

“You seem kind of dreamy over there.” Madge's voice startled me back to reality. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love.”

“Oh, I'm in love, all right.” A giggle followed. “With this place. With my new life. With . . . all of it.”

“All of it?” She jabbed me with her elbow and gestured to Brady, who fastened a veil loaded with Austrian crystals onto a mannequin.

“Well, it might be a little soon to say.” I'd never admit my feelings aloud to Madge, but right now they had me smiling from the inside out. I continued to gaze at Brady, emotions
overtaking me. I felt my cheeks grow warm as he looked my way and gave me a wink. In the process of flirting with me, he nearly tumbled from the ladder. Poor guy.

“See the effect you have on him, girl?” Madge groaned. “It's the only downfall to you working here. Now he'll never get any work done.” She mumbled something about how he'd never worked very hard in the first place, but she lost me after a line or two. Brady James was the hardest-working man I'd ever met, and the most dedicated team player. No doubt about that.

He climbed down from the ladder, extended his arms, and gave me a “come hither” look.

I glanced up at the clock and took note of the time. Only two minutes until the store opened. Just enough time for one final play from my end of the court. With a spring in my step, I raced across the bridal shop and flew straight into the arms of the man I adored.

A
huge thank-you to my agent, Chip MacGregor, who not only represented this story but also gave me the idea. I'll confess, I wasn't sure I could pull off a story about a guy running a bridal shop, but Brady ended up being the perfect hero!

As always, I'm grateful to my editor, Jennifer Leep, and to my awesome marketing team at Revell—Michele Misiak, Erin Bartels, Lanette Haskins, and many others.

I have come to depend on my line/copy editor, Jessica English, on every Revell story. I can't fathom publishing a novel without her. What a blessing she is in my life.

More than anything, I must give thanks to Eleanor Clark, one of the finest ladies I've ever known. I loosely patterned the character of Queenie after her, but only the good parts. She's truly one of the godliest women on the planet—an author, grandmother, mother, friend, and true patriot. What a blessing she's been in lives of so many. She showed me her
town—Fairfield—in all of its glory. Through her, I learned that quaint, small-town living is a lovely way to spend your life.

To the people of Fairfield, thanks for letting me poke fun at you. I haven't been to any of your churches and took quite a few liberties with the denominational jabs, but they were all in fun. I know that you are all working hard for the cause of Christ and celebrate your efforts. Even the Presbyterians.

To my wonderful proofreaders who read the book from cover to cover before I turned it in, bless you. I rarely see my own errors, so having your eyes on the story helped . . . a lot.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thank you for one more opportunity to share a fun story with a faith message. I count it a privilege.

1
Hoop-Dee-Doo

I
f anyone had told this small-town, freckle-faced girl that she'd end up gracing the cover of a big-city bridal magazine wearing the world's most beautiful wedding gown, she would've said they were crazy. But that was just what happened.

Through a series of unfortunate—er, fortunate—events, I found myself plucked up from my predictable life in Fairfield, Texas, a quaint little town where Pop ran the local hardware store and Mama led the choir at the Baptist church. In less time than it took to say, “Hey, let's all go to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard,” I found myself transported to a whole new world in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, that of Cosmopolitan Bridal.

From there, I somehow landed on the cover of
Texas Bride
magazine wearing an exquisite gown that had been specifically designed for me by none other than Nadia James, Texas's most
renowned dress designer. All of this because of a contest for brides-to-be, a contest I had no right entering in the first place since I wasn't exactly engaged. I'd come close to having a ring on my finger, but my now ex-boyfriend, Casey Lawson, had left me high and dry in the eleventh hour. My ringless finger still ached, and I shuddered whenever I thought about the pain and embarrassment our very public breakup had caused back in Fairfield.

Not that anyone at Cosmopolitan Bridal seemed to care about my lack of a groom. They were far too busy celebrating the upswing in sales after the October issue of
Texas Bride
hit the stands. I found myself firmly planted in the happiest place on earth. Or at least the happiest place in the state of Texas. Groom or no groom, I was destined to be surrounded by gowns, veils, and bridesmaid dresses every day. Goodbye, Dairy Queen. Hello, big-city life.

Settling into my new job turned out to be easier than I'd imagined once Brady James, the shop's interim manager, welcomed me with open arms. After a brief getting-to-know-you season, he also welcomed me with a few sweet kisses. But my budding relationship with the pro ball player turned bridal shop manager didn't necessarily mean I'd be wearing that gorgeous wedding gown for real, at least not anytime soon. But a girl could still daydream, right?

That was exactly what I found myself doing near the close of day on the first Monday in November. A firm voice brought me back to reality.

“Katie, did you place that ad in the
Tribune
?”

I startled to attention as our head sales clerk's voice sounded from outside my office door. Before I could respond, Madge entered the room, her arms loaded with bolts of fabric—tulle, lace, and the prettiest eggshell-hued satin I'd ever laid eyes on. The bolt on top started to slide, so I bounded from my seat to
grab the slippery satin before the whole pile went tumbling to the ground. I caught it just in time and secured its spot atop the others.

“Thanks.” Madge shifted her position, nearly losing her grip on the bolts once more. This time she managed to hang on to them. “So, did you place the ad?”

“I did.” I gave her a confident smile. No one could accuse Katie Fisher of falling down on the job. No sir. I aimed to please.

“Ah. I see.” Madge's nose wrinkled. “Well, Nadia wants to talk to you about that. She's on the phone.”

“O-oh?” I still flinched whenever my boss's name was spoken. Working for one of the country's top designers still made me a tad nervous. Okay, a
lot
nervous. “It's almost midnight in Paris. Why is she calling so late?”

“It's important.”

I gave Madge a nod and reached for the phone. Seconds later, I was engaged in a lively conversation with Nadia. I assured her that the ad had been placed in the
Tribune
, as per her earlier instructions.

Instead of celebrating that fact, she groaned. “Oh no. I was hoping you hadn't placed it yet.”

“Why?”

“Because we're backlogged. Madge says we've taken over sixty orders for the Loretta Lynn gown just since I left the Dallas area. They've come in like a flood, and I'm not there to build a dam.”

“I see.” Although her dam analogy left images of beavers running through my mind.

“I didn't think about what this would do to our business, to be honest. I mean, I expected sales, of course, but we'll have to mass-produce to keep up with the demand. We've been busy in the past, but never like this.”

“What can I do, Nadia?” I reached for my pen and paper.

She hesitated and then released a little sigh. “That's the problem. I don't know.”

My pen hovered above the paper, awaiting its cue.

“I've talked to Dahlia. She's hired three new seamstresses, but they just can't keep up.” The exhaustion in Nadia's voice rang through. “It's a happy problem, I guess. Growing pains. But I truly don't know what I'm going to do. There's no way we can continue taking orders for dresses if we can't fulfill those orders.”

I set my pen down, ready to offer all the assurance I could. “Don't worry, Nadia. We'll figure it out, I promise. I'm sure Brady has a plan in mind.”

“I hope so. That boy of mine is a whiz—on and off the court.”

“Yes, he is.” Only, he wouldn't be on the court anytime soon. With his knee injury requiring a second surgery, Brady would miss out on the first half of the season. The very idea broke my heart.

“When you see him, please give him my love.” Nadia released a yawn. “I'd better hit the hay. Long day tomorrow.”

“Of course.”

I'd just started to say goodbye when she jumped back in. “Katie, in case I haven't said it often enough, we're tickled to have you on board at Cosmopolitan Bridal. I credit our recent successes to you.”

“To me?” I was just the one who'd pretended to be engaged so I could enter a contest.

“Yes. I truly believe God brought you to us. And you're doing a fantastic job with the marketing end of things.”

“Maybe a little
too
good?” I countered.

She chuckled. “Never thought I'd say so, but yes. Do you think you can pull the ad from the
Tribune
before it goes live?”

I glanced at the clock. Five minutes till five. I'd have to get right on it. “I'll give it my best shot, Nadia. I'll shoot you an email after I find out.”

“Thanks, hon. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

I put in a call to the advertising rep at the paper and asked him to pull the ad. No telling what he would put in its place, but that wasn't my concern. I needed to keep my focus where it belonged—on the shop.

And on the handsome fella now standing in the door of my office. I felt the edges of my lips turn up when I saw Brady standing there. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome took a couple of steps in my direction and I rose to meet him. He extended his arms as if to offer me an embrace, but I shook my head and whispered, “We're on the clock.”

“It's six minutes after five.” He gave me a knowing look and then pulled me into a warm hug. “And you . . .” He kissed me on the cheek. “Need . . .” He gave me two more kisses on the other cheek. “A break.” Those words were followed by the sweetest kiss on the lips. I found myself transported to a happy place.

Well, until Madge cleared her throat from out in the hall.

Brady brushed the tip of his finger across my cheek and then took a step back just as she entered the room, clucking her tongue in motherly fashion.

“Are you two at it again?” Madge rolled her eyes. “I thought we agreed to no PDA.”

“PDA?” Crinkles formed between Brady's dark brows.

“Public displays of affection,” Madge and I said in unison.

“Makes the customers nervous,” she added.

Brady crossed his arms at his chest. “Let me understand this. You're telling me that the sight of a man kissing a woman makes happy-go-lucky brides-to-be nervous?”

“Well, in the workplace, I mean.” Madge shook her head. “Anyway, I suppose it's really none of my business.”

“Yep.” Brady pulled me back into his arms. “And we're off the clock. So you just tell any nervous bride to worry about her own love life, not mine.”

Love life?

Did he really just say
love
life?

I gazed up, up, up into Brady's gorgeous blue eyes, my heart soaring to the skies above—okay, the ceiling above—as he gave me a kiss that erased any doubts.

Madge left the room, muttering all the way, but I couldn't seem to rid myself of the giddy sensation that threatened to weaken my knees. Just about the time I'd leveraged the distance between heaven and earth, my cell phone rang. I hated to interrupt such a tender moment, but it might be Nadia calling again.

Strange, though, that she would call me on my cell and not the office phone.

Brady stopped kissing me and gave me a little shrug as I reached for my purse. Seconds later, as the phone rang for the third time, I finally held it in my grip.

Only, it didn't stay in my grip for long. When I read the name
Casey Lawson
on the screen, it took everything inside of me not to toss the foul thing into the trash can on the far side of the room—a perfect three-point shot.

Instead, with my heart in my throat, I pushed the button to answer the phone and tried to offer the most normal-sounding hello that a once-jilted girlfriend who'd just been caught kissing a new fella could give.