Finally Satisfied Read Free Page A

out on the rack. Once the dresses
were arranged to Angel's satisfaction, she stepped back. "Which of
these are the color you want for your wedding, Reggie?"
    Reggie pointed to a deep maroon taffeta.
    "Okay." Angel removed that one and set it
aside. "Cara, of the ones remaining, which is the closest to what
you want?"
    "There are so many different shades. When you
put them together like this, it's easier to see the differences."
She walked back and forth, studying each dress. She stopped in
front of a crimson satin. "This one. It's perfect!"
    Angel put the rest of the dresses back on the
rack except for the two Reggie and Cara had chosen. She hung those
side by side. "Now, see? These colors look nothing alike. The
crimson is going to work better than the darker maroon in outdoor
pictures, and it will be stunning against the snow. And you're
going to add white jackets to these, where Reggie probably won't.
No one will see any resemblance between the two weddings, believe
me."
    Cara smiled at Angel. "When did you get so
smart? You're right. They aren't even close." She turned to Reggie.
"So, are we good?"
    "Yeah. Sorry. I didn't mean to panic,
but…"
    "No apology needed. We all have this ideal
wedding in our head and want everything to be perfect." Cara hung
the maroon dress back on the rack. "Now that we've settled on
color, let's look at styles. I want to go with ankle length,
something that will look stunning with a white fur jacket or stole.
Beyond that, I'll let you two choose. And while you're doing that,
I'm going to try on some wedding gowns."
    Angel followed Reggie down the aisle, pulling
out different dresses and holding them in front of her to look in
the full length mirrors that lined the walls. What was she doing?
She had no business in a place like this. Cara was wrong when she
said they all had the perfect wedding in mind. Angel didn't. She'd
never allowed herself to think about marriage, or love, or
weddings. She'd given up that chance when she gave up her son.
    ***
    Mitch stopped on the sidewalk in front of
Giselle's. What was he doing here? Gray had sent him to scout out
the bridesmaid dresses so they could match the color to the
cummerbunds, but he could have just as easily sent Sam. He sensed
Cara and Gray's matchmaking attempts at work, but this time it was
doomed to fail. Even if Angel had any interest in him--which she
didn’t--he was no longer interested in her. Or soon wouldn't be. He
was determined to shake off this obsession. It was time to move
on.
    Then he saw her through the shop's front
window. She wore a crimson gown in shimmery satin with long white
gloves and a white fur. White fur earmuffs set off her long brown
hair. She looked like a combination of faerie and snow queen. She
seemed fascinated with her reflection in the mirror and a brilliant
smile lit her face.
    He'd never seen her smile like that. He'd met
her during the worst time of her life, and though he was sure she
smiled when he wasn't around, like now, she'd never turned one his
way. It surprised him how much that hurt.
    He had the information he needed, so there
was no reason to go inside. He didn't want to watch the smile fade
when she saw him, so he shoved his hands into his pockets and
returned to the tuxedo store. As he stepped inside, he vowed this
was the last time he'd wear a tuxedo for anyone's wedding but his
own.
    ***
    "You both look absolutely amazing."
    Angel swung away from the mirror, embarrassed
at being caught admiring the picture she made in crimson and white.
Then she caught sight of Cara. All she could say was, "Oh!"
    The gown cascaded in lengthening tiers from a
shirred bodice, the bottom of the dress spreading out at her feet
and trailing behind into a short train. Thousands of seed pearls
and rhinestones sparkled as they caught the light. The veil reached
the hem of the dress and Angel could already see it, blowing behind
Cara on a breeze, as the photographer captured the moment. The
outside photos would be