Authors: Shannon Guymon

Tags: #Christian Books & Bibles, #Literature & Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Women's Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Contemporary Fiction, #Religious & Inspirational Fiction, #Christian, #Religion & Spirituality, #Christian Fiction, #Teen & Young Adult

You Belong With Me (32 page)

“Wait a second, enough about me and Jane. We’re here for you Layla. Do you um,. . . like that dress?” she said smiling with a wince at Layla’s dress. It was an off white long slim column dress. Very sophisticated, very demure and very boring.

Layla glanced down at her dress. “Not really. I can’t find anything I like. They’re all so not me,” she said lamely, looking sad all of a sudden. “We walk in and you two find your perfect dresses and I can’t find even one dress I could see myself getting married in,” she said forlornly.

Jane and Kit forgot about themselves and went to work doing what they should have been doing before. Helping Layla find the perfect dress. Because unlike them, she was getting married and soon. The wedding date was only a month away and this was the third bridal boutique they’d been to.

Another hour later Layla looked pleased because she’d found two of the cutest bridesmaid’s dresses for Kit and Jane. They were summery full pale pink skirts with large bright pink sashes. The tops were buttery cream satin. They only needed slight alterations to fit.

After Kit and Jane purchased their dresses they walked out to Layla’s car frowning guiltily. Layla had tried on at least twenty dresses and had turned her nose up at each one. Kit was starting to wonder if it wasn’t the dresses and maybe it was Layla. Maybe Layla wasn’t ready to get married and this was her subconscious way of letting the world know it.

“You know Layla, you don’t have to get married right now. No one would blame you if you decided to put the wedding off for a few months. I mean, this is a huge decision. I’d be nervous too,” she said softly, touching Layla’s arm as she pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic.

Layla glanced at her in surprise and laughed. “Oh I’m not nervous about marrying Michael. I’d marry him in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I just want it to be perfect for him. He’s been through so much heartache with Ashley especially with the last few months of the divorce and having to sell his house and giving her half of his business, it’s just been really rough. I want him to look at me on our wedding day and see a woman who will love him forever. I want him to see his dreams come true,” she said, her voice going soft the way it did when she talked about Michael.

Kit smiled at Layla and sighed, “Wow.”

Layla blinked a couple times and looked at her curiously. “What do you mean, wow?” she asked with a smile.

Jane laughed and leaned forward. “It just means wow Layla. Like, you’re so in love it’d be pathetic if it weren’t the sweetest thing I’d ever seen.”

Layla frowned at Jane in the mirror. “Pathetic? You think I’m pathetic?” she said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Kit rolled her eyes at Jane who was sitting back slowly, biting her lip. “No, not pathetic Layla. What Jane meant to say was, that it’s wow, because you and Michael have fallen so completely and totally in love with each other that it makes everything else in this dim and disappointing world seem sad and pathetic. You’re living life in Technicolor and we’re all staring at this gorgeous rainbow of emotion and we’re a little jealous,” Kit said glancing away from her sister and out the window at the gray clouds moving across the moody sky. “I made a wish today. No. I prayed today. I prayed that I’d be able to fall in love like you Layla,” Kit admitted with a blush.

Layla smiled sweetly at her sister and reached over and put her hand over hers. “Then you’re halfway there. And you’ve put your faith behind the prayer, because you bought the dress. I bet you you’re married within the year Kit.”

Jane laughed. “Layla, you cannot be serious. A year? She’s not even dating anyone and every guy who has asked her out in the last few months she’s turned down flat.”

Layla shrugged, “One year.”

Kit sighed and turned back to Jane to say something rude, but stopped when she caught sight of the dress bag lying over the back seat. Her wedding dress. One year. Hmmm. Maybe . . .

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank all of the people who helped me to write this book. I’m especially grateful for the editing skills of Zachary Hill and Jessica G. I couldn’t do it without them.

Biography

I live in Utah with my six children and I'm the author of eleven books - so far. I enjoy the outdoors, reading and being with my children. I'm a HUGE believer in happy endings. Scarlett really should have been happy with Rhett, and it’s a darn shame Leo and Kate didn't float safely into New York on the Titanic. Alas, since I can only control my own imagination, happy endings are found in: Never Letting Go of Hope, A Trusting Heart, Justifiable Means, Forever Friends, Soul Searching, Makeover, Taking Chances, The Broken Road and Do Over.