Walker Bride (16 page)

Pearl batted back tears that began to sting
her own eyes as the woman moved to her daughter and stood with her,
looking in the mirror.

For the first time in her life, Pearl wished
for that happiness. She wanted it. She craved it.

It would be different. She knew that. Her
mother would make the day all about her. Her father, if he bothered
to show up, wouldn’t even be her first choice to walk her down the
aisle.

Oh, she’d want a dress and a formal setting,
but she had come to the conclusion, she only wanted to share it
with the man she would marry.

Discretely, she excused herself to the front
of the store and pulled her cell phone from her purse. There was
still no call or text from Tyson.

Something had happened. Why wasn’t he
responding to her?

Pearl was dressed and ready for Susan’s
bachelorette party. They had agreed to a tea party, and her sisters
had both called and made sure she hadn’t hired a stripper.

It bothered her that they’d think she would.
Of course, ten years ago, maybe she would have. But she’d grown up.
So why did everyone have to think she was going to cause
trouble?

The Garden Room was set up for high tea, and
the twinkling white lights on each of the trees illuminated the
outdoor venue. She wondered, in the end, what the reception room at
their new location would look like. Lydia certainly had a way of
making it warm and unique.

Pearl stopped just short of the room and took
it in. There was Susan, and unmistakably Susan’s mother and her
sister. Her sister looked just like Susan, only with blonde hair.
Pearl had heard that Susan’s parents were hippies, but she’d have
to admit, she thought that meant ‘were’. Her mother’s hair was
bright silver, straight, and hung to her waist. The dress she wore
was bright in color and perhaps handmade. Each finger adorned a
ring, and her arm clamored with bangle bracelets. But what Pearl
noticed most, was the sparkle in her eyes. Susan’s mother adored
her, and she was genuinely happy for her daughter. It came through
louder than any words ever could.

“Aren’t you going in?” Her mother’s voice
came from behind her.

Pearl turned to see her mother standing
beside her. Her hair was perfect, and so was her makeup. The suit
dress was pristine, and the jewelry she’d chosen accentuated it
perfectly.

“You look beautiful,” Pearl complimented.

“Thank you, darling. Who is that in the
sandals?” Her mother’s voice dipped.

“Susan’s mother.”

Her mother hummed, but Pearl understood it.
It was a displeased hum. Leave it to her mother to be judgmental on
someone’s looks.

Lydia saw them lingering in the corner and
moved to them. She pulled Pearl into a warm hug.

“I loved meeting Donald,” she told her. “He
came by the building today, and we drew up plans for the reception
hall. You’re going to love them.”

She knew she would. “He’s very talented.”

“C’mon. Let’s get this party going.”

Because Lydia and Bethany had been in charge
of the tea, it was exquisite. The selection of drinks was just
right, and the tea sandwiches were incredible.

“Susan,” her mother began somewhere into her
second glass of champagne, “you didn’t cater your own bachelorette
party, did you?”

Susan laughed and shook her head. “I had
nothing to do with it. Bethany, Lydia, and Glenda did it all. They
even made the sandwiches.”

Bethany giggled. “I give all the credit for
the food to Glenda. She’s truly the master of the tea party.”

Lydia raised her tea cup. “I’ll second that.
You are a genius when it comes to this sort of thing.”

Glenda blushed. “I love to entertain. Thank
you for letting me.”

Pearl watched Lydia’s face as Glenda spoke
about teas and pastries. The woman was wild with ideas and they lit
up her face when she had them. Pearl didn’t have to ask her what
was on her mind, she could read it. She thought Glenda’s tea
parties would be the perfect fit in their
wedding mecca.

Pearl looked around the room at the women who
had come together to celebrate Susan. Only Susan’s mother and her
sister were there from her side of the family. The rest of the
guests were people Susan had met in Georgia or were related to
Eric.

They certainly had a big family and an
eclectic one at that.

Pearl’s mother sat next to her brothers’
mother and shared gossip. They’d been best friends before they
became the wives of Bryon Walker. Somewhere after they’d become
ex’s they became best friends again and had stayed that way.
Glenda, Eric’s stepmother, was the perfect mother, in Pearl’s
opinion. She doted on her sons, and on Susan.

Lydia and her mother were very social. Each
of them made their rounds from table to table to speak to each
guest. Of course, there were Pearl’s sisters, Bethany, and Audrey,
but they sat at separate tables.

Audrey was cordial to Bethany, but she had
yet to warm up to her completely. Though Pearl understood it, she
didn’t condone it. Bethany had moved to Georgia to be with her
family—with them. She deserved to be included as much as
possible.

Pearl figured Audrey was just jealous. Pearl
had a great deal to do with the other women in the family. In fact,
even Lydia’s mother had already mentioned that she would be
stopping in to look at wedding dresses.

It was at that moment when Lydia’s mother
mentioned her wedding, when Pearl froze. Usually, there’d have been
no hesitation in setting her up an appointment, but she had
realized that this woman was Tyson’s mother too. Sure, not by
blood, but she’d adopted him—raised him.

She talked to Pearl as a woman in need to a
professional. There wasn’t the slightest hint that Pearl was
something more to this woman’s son.

Pearl had another glass of champagne as she
listened to the friendly banter going on around her.

She quickly realized the rest of the week was
going to be all about getting Susan and Eric to the altar.

The wedding was on Saturday, so she would
have to close her shop. That had taken some arranging too. It had
crossed her mind to ask Sunshine to come in and just be present.
But appointments worked out in her favor.

Wednesday, everyone would pick up their
dresses and tuxes. The bonus there was, she’d get to see Tyson.
Maybe he’d feel different about her “adjusting” the tux than he had
about her measuring him.

Thursday afternoon there was a small spa day
planned for the bridesmaids. Manicures and pedicures with the
coordinating polish color. Audrey had arranged it at the salon she
worked at.

Friday was rehearsal dinner at Susan and
Eric’s house.

Then, bright and early Saturday morning, she
had an appointment to have her sister do her hair.

Just thinking of it all was exhausting.
Seriously, she thought as she finished off the current glass of
champagne, if she was ever to get married, she was just going to
elope. She knew weddings and brides were her business, but there
was just too much to think about. Grateful as she was that people
went through it on a daily basis, she didn’t want anything to do
with it for herself.

Wednesday morning Eric was waiting outside
her store before she had even made it to the door.

“Are you that anxious to get married,” she
joked as she walked toward him. “You want your tux first thing in
the morning?”

He chuckled. “When you rise with the sun, you
sometimes forget how early nine o’clock is to other people. I’ve
been in town an hour already. Ran into Smythe at the coffee shop
and had a cup of coffee with him. His brother died last night,” his
voice trailed off.

Pearl’s heart jolted in her chest. “That’s
horrible.”

“He said he’d been in hospice.”

Pearl nodded. “Smythe’s niece told me. They
had their wedding early so that he could be there.”

“That’s sweet. What role did you have in
that?”

She shrugged as she unlocked the door and
opened it. “I just had some compassion, that’s all. She needed a
dress altered, and I made sure that happened.”

“You’ve always had a sweet side,” he said as
they walked in, but she didn’t turn to acknowledge that.

Her soft side had been shadowed by her need
to make her parents suffer through her adolescence and teenage
years. But it was nice to know that someone understood her.

“Are you collecting all the tuxes?”

“Mine, Gerald’s, Ben’s, Russell’s, and my
dad’s.” He numbered off with his fingers. “Dane will be by later,
and so will Tyson.”

Just hearing that he was coming to see her
lit a fire deep in her belly.

She walked toward the back of the store with
him in tow. “It’s unusual for there to be more groomsmen than there
are bridesmaids.”

“I think it’s all crazy to tell you the
truth, but this is what Susan wanted. I just wanted all my brothers
to be part of it.”

She turned to look him in the eye. “I think
it’s wonderful that you included Tyson.”

“I spent my life hating him for no reason.
The hate and secrets have to stop, and it starts with us. He’s my
brother. He should be in my wedding.”

Pearl turned toward the rack of tuxes
quickly. She didn’t want him to see that that had brought her to
the brink of tears. He was right. The secrets had to stop.

She gathered the tuxes for the men whom Eric
had listed and then turned to hand them to him. “I’ll be there to
adjust if needed. Sewing kit in hand.”

He studied her. “You live for this, don’t
you?”

“I love to see happy people.”

“How big will your wedding be? A Royal
affair?”

She chuckled. “I thought of that last night.
If I ever get married, I’m running away.”

He laughed. “I kinda think that’s fitting for
you. Do it all your way.”

She nodded. That would be precisely the
point.

It was going to be an evening of paperwork,
Pearl noted, as the door to her store was never closed for long.
Lydia had bounced in and out three times, once with Donald. A
photographer Pearl worked closely with dropped by to check out the
colors for one of the weddings she was shooting. And Gia Gallow had
stopped in to introduce herself.

“I am looking forward to being part of the
new location. Your sister Bethany was in my store yesterday, in
fact. She was picking up a wedding gift for this weekend. She has
been a regular customer,” she said, her Italian accent dripping
with exotic.

“The next few months can’t go fast enough,”
Pearl laughed. “So where are you from originally?”

“Lucca. I grew up inside Lucca, so my family
is steeped in tradition.” Gia’s smile radiated though Pearl wasn’t
sure what growing up
inside Lucca
meant. But she figured
she’d have plenty of time to get to know her.

The door opened again, and Dane walked
through. “Ah, another tuxedo pickup,” she cheered.

He merely smiled with a raise of his
eyebrows. “Most uncomfortable suit ever.”

Gia turned and looked him over. “I guess you
are the groom?”

Dane shook his head adamantly. “That would be
my big brother. Can’t say I’m anywhere ready to be the groom.”

“I will bet the tuxedo will look wonderful on
you. You have a handsome face.”

At that moment, the handsome face changed
into one of complete surprise. His eyes went wide, and his mouth
dropped open before he spoke.

“Thank you.” He held out his hand. “Dane
Walker. I don’t think I’ve met you.”

The feisty Italian beauty jaunted her hand in
his direction and took his. “Gia Gallow. I own
Treasures from
Italy
around the corner. I will be in the new building with
Pearl when it is ready.”

Dane didn’t say anything else, he merely held
Gia’s hand and stared at her until she pulled back and gave her
long black hair a toss over her shoulder. “It was nice to meet you
both. I will stop in again soon.
Ciao!
” She gave them a
small wave as she walked out of the store.

“Close your mouth, Dane. She’s gone now.”

“This is what I get for moving to Ohio. I
leave town and that,” he pointed to her, “moves in. Just my
luck.”

As the day moved toward its end, she was well
aware that she hadn’t seen Tyson. He had two hours to pick up his
tuxedo before she closed. Was it worth a call to Susan to let her
know he hadn’t come by?

No. That was childish.

She picked up her phone and texted Tyson.

I have your tuxedo ready for pick up. When
will you be by?

She set her phone down and moved to her
computer to put in her new orders.

By five, he hadn’t texted, called, or shown
up. Seriously? What was this man’s problem?

This time, she was going to call him. As she
picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts, the door
opened and in walked Tyson, full of attitude.

“I’m here. Where’s the tux?”

She set her phone down and crossed her arms
in front of her. “You’re just going to bust in here and act like
that? Where’s my hello? Where’s my
I’m sorry I haven’t responded
to any of your texts
?”

“Can I just get the tux?”

It had fallen apart, and she hadn’t wanted to
believe that. He’d given her a few good nights, and days, and that
was all he could offer.

Pearl walked to the back of the store and
retrieved the tux. “Do you want to try it on?”

“Pretty sure you got every measurement the
first time. Can’t see that it isn’t going to fit.”

She nodded. “I’m done for the day. Would you
like to…”

“I have stuff to do. I can’t be spending my
time in town.”

And that was it. She had been dumped and
hard.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Looks like it.” With that, he hung the
hanger over his finger, flung the tux over his shoulder, and walked
out of the store.