Needing Happily Ever After - Elena Aitken Page 0,29

had ever said anything about Damon and her ending up together.

“Oh, for sure, Katie. The two of you were always so close, we all kind of knew something else was going on there.”

“You did?”

They did?

She hadn’t. Had she? Not that there was any point in denying it too much. Instead, Katie shrugged. “Well, I guess we weren’t very good at hiding anything.”

“Right?” Her mom linked her arm through Katie’s and all but dragged her into the store. “I am so excited to help you with this today. I just know we’re going to find the most perfect dress.”

“And with your cute little body…” Faith jumped in. “I actually might need to take a few pictures of you for some promotional pictures Hope was talking about. Especially because I know we’re going to find the perfect dress.”

Katie felt a little like she’d just been thrown into the middle of a tornado. But, on the other hand, she was relieved to have someone else take charge of the whole process. For the next two hours, she let her mother, and Faith—who seemed to be enjoying herself a whole lot more than Katie would have guessed—and a sales attendant named Betty take charge as they pulled dress after dress off the racks, and helped her into them. Each one was more beautiful than the last, and even Katie had to admit that she was enjoying herself.

“Oh wow,” Betty exclaimed, the way she did with every dress as she zipped her up. “This is…oh, wow…wait until you see this one.”

Katie turned to see the tall, blonde woman with a huge grin on her face. She always looked excited, but in all the dresses that Katie had tried, the saleslady hadn’t worn this particular expression.

“Are you ready to see it?”

For the first time since the whole experience had started, Katie wished there was a mirror in the change room.

“Let’s go.” She shrugged and let Betty lead her to the small podium with the three-way mirror in the waiting area where Faith and her mom sat.

The moment she walked in, her mom gasped and Faith jumped up from her chair. “Oh, Katie.” Her mother dabbed a tissue to her face.

“Mom? Is it that bad?”

Faith shook her head slowly. “Just wait…”

Betty fluffed her skirts and gently turned her so she faced the mirror.

“Holy shit.” It was probably not the most delicate thing to say, and definitely not the most appropriate. But it was the only thought that Katie could put together as she took in her own appearance.

Her eyes moved slowly down her body, taking in the entirety of what was in front of her. They’d put her in a simple, form-fitted, satin ivory dress that fell off her shoulders. It was unbearably elegant and absolutely perfect.

“Well?” Betty asked gently. “Can you picture walking down the aisle in this one?”

Katie turned a little so she could examine herself in the mirror from all angles. She’d never imagined herself in a dress quite like it, but somehow it was absolutely perfect.

“Can you see it?” Faith came to stand next to her. “Can you see yourself saying I do in this dress?”

Her friend’s words hit her in the gut. Katie stared at herself for a moment before closing her eyes. She could see it. The entire moment was crystal-clear. Damon at the end of the aisle. Walking toward him. Taking his hands. Marrying him.

She nodded and opened her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered. “I can absolutely imagine marrying Damon.” She looked to Faith and then her mom, and almost started crying. “This is the dress.”

It was late by the time Katie got home from the city and more than once she regretted turning down her mom’s offer to grab them a hotel room so they could stay in the city. It would have been fun to spend a night drinking wine and chatting with Faith and her mom, and of course it also would have meant that she wouldn’t have had to spend the last three hours driving through the mountains in the dark. But despite all the reasons she should have stayed, there was one big draw for her to get home.

Damon.

She couldn’t help it, but the draw to make the drive back to Glacier Falls and the little guesthouse at ElkView was strong. Really strong. She’d always loved being around him, but the last few days had been different. More intense. Of course, it was because of the whole wedding thing.

But Katie couldn’t help shake the feeling that