Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest) - By Carly Phillips Page 0,79
out through the slatted door as she struggled to adjust the tightly fitted dress.
“That’s what silver is for. Now get out here and let me see.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?” Cara muttered, tugging on the hem.
“Only my interns, my staff, my patients, and my friends.”
Cara opened the door and stepped back into the hall.
“Oh my God. Stunning. Turn.” Alexa made a spinning motion with her hands, and Cara dutifully followed directions. “Perfect!”
“Look at my cleavage!”
Alexa grinned. “Exactly! Stunning. Classy yet bold. Let’s go. We have to find shoes.”
Cara sighed and shut the dressing room door. Before changing, she glanced at her reflection in the small mirror. She did love how the dress hugged her curves. She’d just never picked out such a statement color before.
“You only live once,” Alexa called out from her room next door. “Stop overthinking it and change.”
Cara laughed and decided her friend was right. She’d buy the dress and make a statement. They paid for their dresses and took them downstairs to pick out shoes.
“Do you have a date for the wedding?” Cara asked.
Alexa shook her head. “With who? The same people who come through my office doors? Or the ER?”
“And whose fault is that? You work too hard! There are plenty of single, good-looking guys in Serendipity, and you know it.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Alexa asked, sounding like she meant it.
Cara narrowed her gaze. “One of these days I’m going to figure out why you won’t let me in when it comes to talking about romance. You sure don’t mind digging into mine.”
“You deserve to be happy in a relationship, Cara.”
“So do you,” she reminded her friend.
“We don’t always get what we want,” Alexa said softly.
And Cara merely nodded, knowing truer words had never been spoken.
Cara and Mike were on the way to the movies in a multiplex about twenty minutes away from Serendipity. They’d just started out when his cell rang and his mother asked if he’d come over.
“I’m with Cara,” he said into the speakerphone.
“Bring her along!” Ella immediately said, no hesitation.
Cara’s chest tightened. She appreciated how the Marsdens always made her feel welcome and not like an outsider. Sometimes she felt more a part of their family than her own.
“Do you mind?” Mike mouthed to her so his mother wouldn’t hear.
“Of course not.” She smiled to reassure him.
About half an hour later, they were gathered in the family room of his parents’ house with Erin and Sam, waiting for Ella and Simon, who were upstairs.
“Any idea why we’re here?” Mike asked his siblings, who sat around his parents’ family room with them on a Friday night.
Erin shook her head. “They just said they wanted to talk, but not to panic, it wasn’t bad news.” Her brows crinkled in confusion.
“Okay, so we’re all in the dark.”
“At least it smells like we’re getting dessert,” Sam said with a grin.
Erin rolled her eyes. “Can you think about something other than your always empty stomach?”
Personally, Cara agreed with him. The delicious aroma of coffee brewing scented through the house, making her hope there was some kind of cake to go along with it. But she didn’t say anything, merely glanced at Sam, and they both laughed knowingly.
Mike, whose arm was around her shoulder, tightened his hold. Cara tried not to be too pleased by the unnecessary proprietary display. Instead, she focused on Kojak. The little dog had made himself at home in her lap, and she petted the fluffy white head, wishing she were able to get a dog of her own.
“What’s with that look?” Mike asked.
Cara couldn’t help but smile at how well he read her. “Kojak’s cute. I wouldn’t mind a pet, but my shifts are too long. It wouldn’t be fair for an animal to be alone all the time.”
He eyed her with a funny expression on his face, but before she could question him, Ella and Simon walked into the room, their arms linked together. Their show of unity wasn’t just an act. Anyone who’d grown up in Serendipity, who’d been to town events Simon had presided over as chief, who’d attended gatherings with this family, knew that Simon and Ella’s love was steady and real. Illness had only strengthened the bond, and Cara envied them the life they shared—sickness and all, she’d give anything for a love that enduring and real.
“What’s up?” Sam asked, leaning forward in his seat.
Erin stared at her parents, her eyes wide and her expression curious.