was this innocence about her eyes that was almost alluring.
This person wasn’t Samantha. This was someone who looked like me, but was everything I had never been.
“Put on some of my perfume,” Megan called through the door.
She had dozens of bottles on her counter. I smelled a few and picked one that smelled like a mixture of roses and lavender. Then I slipped the dress over my shoulders, feeling almost immediately as though something was missing when the skirt left my calves bare.
But it was beautiful. The dress was a soft peach with a sweetheart bodice, cap sleeves, and a low waist. It hugged my body in all the right places, making me look almost like a beautiful woman, like Megan and all the other women I’d always admired. It made me feel like the person I’d always wanted to be but never believed I could be.
Tired of waiting, Megan barged into the room and suddenly came up short and gasped.
“My God, Sam!”
“Is it bad?” I asked, glancing in the mirror again.
“No. It’s perfect! You are so beautiful!” She hugged me so tight. “Your outside finally matches your inside.”
I groaned, tears burning in my throat.
“You’re going to make me cry.”
“You’re already making me cry!”
We clung to each other for a long time. Eventually, she peeled herself away and set me down on the vanity bench in front of her counter and did my hair, giving it a little curl and pulling it back from my face. Then she added a touch of makeup—just enough to highlight my eyes, my lips. She gave me a pair of beige pumps and a simple gold chain around my neck to finish it off.
“Gorgeous,” she said when she backed away to get a good look.
“Yeah?”
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes again. Her doorbell rang and we both jumped.
“That’ll be Hayden and Dominic. Hayden should have the wedding rings.”
I groaned. “I’m sure he’s thrilled about this whole thing.”
“If he’s bothered by it, he hasn’t said anything to me.”
“Because he knows it wouldn’t do him any good.”
Megan grew serious. “Hayden hides behind his jokes and his lighthearted exterior. But he’s had a rough time of it, Sam. Cut him a break.”
“I’m not the one always making cruel jokes. It’s like being back in high school, being around him in the office.”
“I know. But, like I said, he’s had a hard time. Luke told me things about him that no one else knows.”
I frowned. I did background checks on all our employees. I remembered doing Hayden’s. He grew up with an aunt and uncle, lived a pretty quiet life in the suburbs until he joined the Navy. Nothing remarkable. I had no idea what Megan was talking about. But I trusted her; I trusted that she’d never lie to me, so I nodded.
“Okay. I’ll be nice.”
Chapter 3
Hayden
I hated wearing suits. It reminded me of a time when I was forced to wear a suit that was slightly small with a tie that was tied too close to my throat. It was like going back in time, going back to a time in my life I’d worked hard to forget. But a lot of things were reminding me of that time now.
I stood in the middle of Megan’s living room, tugging at the tie around my neck even as Dominic rammed his elbow into my side to make me stop. Megan strolled into the room, looking surprisingly casual despite the fact that she was dressed for the office in slacks and a white blouse. I found myself wondering where Dante was and if he’d spent the night again last night. I knew he was making a habit out of spending the night here and it drove me crazy. I’d promised Luke a long time ago that I’d look out for Megan, and I never broke my promises. Never.
Dante gave off a wrong vibe. I didn’t like him, and I didn’t like him around Megan. But she wasn’t about to listen to me about it. He gave her whatever it was she needed right now and that was all that mattered to her.
“Are we all set?”
Dominic nodded. “I’ve got the surveillance truck all set up.
This person wasn’t Samantha. This was someone who looked like me, but was everything I had never been.
“Put on some of my perfume,” Megan called through the door.
She had dozens of bottles on her counter. I smelled a few and picked one that smelled like a mixture of roses and lavender. Then I slipped the dress over my shoulders, feeling almost immediately as though something was missing when the skirt left my calves bare.
But it was beautiful. The dress was a soft peach with a sweetheart bodice, cap sleeves, and a low waist. It hugged my body in all the right places, making me look almost like a beautiful woman, like Megan and all the other women I’d always admired. It made me feel like the person I’d always wanted to be but never believed I could be.
Tired of waiting, Megan barged into the room and suddenly came up short and gasped.
“My God, Sam!”
“Is it bad?” I asked, glancing in the mirror again.
“No. It’s perfect! You are so beautiful!” She hugged me so tight. “Your outside finally matches your inside.”
I groaned, tears burning in my throat.
“You’re going to make me cry.”
“You’re already making me cry!”
We clung to each other for a long time. Eventually, she peeled herself away and set me down on the vanity bench in front of her counter and did my hair, giving it a little curl and pulling it back from my face. Then she added a touch of makeup—just enough to highlight my eyes, my lips. She gave me a pair of beige pumps and a simple gold chain around my neck to finish it off.
“Gorgeous,” she said when she backed away to get a good look.
“Yeah?”
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes again. Her doorbell rang and we both jumped.
“That’ll be Hayden and Dominic. Hayden should have the wedding rings.”
I groaned. “I’m sure he’s thrilled about this whole thing.”
“If he’s bothered by it, he hasn’t said anything to me.”
“Because he knows it wouldn’t do him any good.”
Megan grew serious. “Hayden hides behind his jokes and his lighthearted exterior. But he’s had a rough time of it, Sam. Cut him a break.”
“I’m not the one always making cruel jokes. It’s like being back in high school, being around him in the office.”
“I know. But, like I said, he’s had a hard time. Luke told me things about him that no one else knows.”
I frowned. I did background checks on all our employees. I remembered doing Hayden’s. He grew up with an aunt and uncle, lived a pretty quiet life in the suburbs until he joined the Navy. Nothing remarkable. I had no idea what Megan was talking about. But I trusted her; I trusted that she’d never lie to me, so I nodded.
“Okay. I’ll be nice.”
Chapter 3
Hayden
I hated wearing suits. It reminded me of a time when I was forced to wear a suit that was slightly small with a tie that was tied too close to my throat. It was like going back in time, going back to a time in my life I’d worked hard to forget. But a lot of things were reminding me of that time now.
I stood in the middle of Megan’s living room, tugging at the tie around my neck even as Dominic rammed his elbow into my side to make me stop. Megan strolled into the room, looking surprisingly casual despite the fact that she was dressed for the office in slacks and a white blouse. I found myself wondering where Dante was and if he’d spent the night again last night. I knew he was making a habit out of spending the night here and it drove me crazy. I’d promised Luke a long time ago that I’d look out for Megan, and I never broke my promises. Never.
Dante gave off a wrong vibe. I didn’t like him, and I didn’t like him around Megan. But she wasn’t about to listen to me about it. He gave her whatever it was she needed right now and that was all that mattered to her.
“Are we all set?”
Dominic nodded. “I’ve got the surveillance truck all set up.
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