get started on the wedding plans.”
“Let her have at it. Should I tag along? I’m eager to get started on being the best—and only—son-in-law she’ll ever have.”
Brina grins like a sunbeam. “Please? The more distractions from Mom-zilla, the better.”
“Already done, sweetheart,” I tell her, kissing her so deeply I know what’ll always be the hardest part of our days together.
Letting go.
29
Sea Queen (Sabrina)
Weeks Later
“Hold your breath!” Mom pulls the zipper of the trumpet dress up.
“This is so over the top,” I huff out.
“Brina, baby, I’m a writer. You have to indulge me. Plus, you have a way better body than I did when I got married.”
“For real, no one looks good in a trumpet dress,” I whine, hiding my face behind my hands.
“You do.” Paige sits on the bed of the cabin, holding my sea-foam bouquet and her pale-blue flowers.
“Really? I feel like a little girl playing dress up. Not the woman who’s about to marry the most eligible bachelor in Chicago.”
Paige giggles. “All because Emily helped me pick your bomb-ass dress. You’re welcome. I think if you were left to your own devices, you would’ve picked pajamas.” She drops the bouquets on the bed, comes over, and leads me to a mirror.
I stare into it. My brown hair curls into ringlets, piled on my head in a bun with tiny pearls nestled in. The dress is floor length with a poof of cascading train that starts a couple of inches above my ankles. It’s shimmering white on top, then fades into a pale pastel blue around the waist that becomes a sea green at the knees, twirling into a cascade of bright whites, blues, and sea greens where the poofy train starts.
“See? You look like a mermaid ready for her prince,” Paige says.
The effort paid off, I’ll give her that. I look hot.
“My baby is a mermaid!” Mom beams and clasps her hands together, then she hugs me from behind.
I study Paige’s dress. It’s a high-low sea foam. The ring of flowers in her hair are even accented with the occasional shell or sea star. Mom’s is deeper blue with a sheer neckline plunging into blue sequins and longish sleeves. A green bow around the waist completes the look.
“If I’m a mermaid princess, you’re the sea queen,” I say.
“But of course.” She smiles and lifts her head a little higher.
“Do I even want to know what you’ve done to the deck?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She looks at Paige and winks. “You got this, Paige? I’m going to go make sure everything’s ready out there.”
Paige smiles. “Yeah, we’ll come out when the music starts.”
“The head piece is in that drawer.” Mom points to a nightstand beside the bed. “I figure she’ll give you less hell about it than me.”
Mom walks out of the cabin, and Paige pulls a crown from the nightstand.
“Ta-da! Are you ready for this, duchess?” she asks, a grin that’s pure mischief on her face.
It’s legit beautiful, even if it’s also totally over-the-top, covered in seashells and pearls and two silvery chains that edge across my forehead on each side.
“Whoa. It’s pretty but it still feels like too much. She wants me to wear a crown?”
Paige sighs. “She sold Mag on the theme. That’s the only reason I went along with it, but your groom bought it.”
“He did?”
There’s a knock at the door. Something tells me to flip the lock which turns out to be a good thing when someone tries barging in.
“Brina, let me in,” Mag says behind the door.
“No way! It’s bad luck to see me before the wedding.”
“This isn’t something I thought I’d ever do. I need your opinion on my tux.”
“Nope. It was your idea,” I say. “Go to the deck and wait for me where you’re supposed to be before Mom goes into stage manager mode.”
“I can’t get one damn kiss before the ceremony?” he growls.
Heaven help me, I smile like a fool.
“I have my dress on already. Do you want to ruin our marriage before it even starts? Go.”
“Sabrina—”
“Mag, vamoose. You’ll see me soon.”
“Not fair,” he grumbles. “You know I can’t deny you.”
I’m still a little weak in the knees as I hear his heavy footsteps fading.
The music starts a minute later. I have Paige check to make sure the coast is clear so Mag can’t sneak a look before he should.
Showtime.
He’s standing next to the judge where he belongs.
Jordan walks Paige up the aisle and stands beside his brother. He’s getting taller by the month, and I think he’ll be slaying