The Man You'll Marry Read Free

know?” she whispered.
    “Know what?”
    “That’s exactly what happened to Aunt Milly. That’s part of the legend. She tried to refuse the dress, but the seamstress wouldn’t take it back, nor would she accept payment. When Aunt Milly left the dress shop, she had car problems and needed a mechanic. My uncle John was that mechanic. And Aunt Milly married him. She married the first man she met, just like the seamstress said.”

Two

    “S helly, that doesn’t mean you’re going to marry the next man you meet,” Jill stated calmly, far too calmly to suit Shelly.
    Perhaps Jill didn’t recognize a crisis when she came across one. They were talking about fate here. Predestination. Okay, maybe, just maybe, she was being a bit melodramatic, but after the ghastly day she’d had, who could blame her?
    “Aunt Milly came right out and said I’m going to get married soon,” Shelly said. “According to the family legend, the first man you meet when you get the dress is the man you’ll marry.”
    “It’s just coincidence,” Jill reassured her. “Your aunt probably would’ve met her husband without the dress. It would’ve happened anyway. And don’t forget, she’s an old woman now,” Jill continued soothingly. “I know this wonderful old lady who comes into the pharmacy every few weeks and she always insists I’m going to getmarried soon. I smile and nod and fill her prescription. She means well, and I’m sure your aunt Milly does, too. She just wants you to be happy, the way she was. But I think it’s silly to take any of this prediction nonsense seriously.”
    Shelly exhaled sharply. Jill was right; Aunt Milly was a lovely woman who had Shelly’s happiness at heart. She’d had a long, blissful marriage herself and wanted the same for her great-niece. But Shelly had plans and goals, none of which included meeting and marrying a stranger.
    The story of Aunt Milly’s wedding dress had been handed down through the family. Shelly had first heard it as a child and had loved it. She’d ranked the story of her aunt Milly and uncle John with her favorite fairy tales of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, barely able to distinguish truth from fantasy. However, she was an adult now. Her heart and her life weren’t going to be ruled by something as whimsical as a “magic” wedding dress or a fanciful legend.
    “You’re absolutely right,” Shelly announced emphatically. “The whole thing is ridiculous. Just because this wedding dress supposedly conjured up a husband for my aunt Milly sixty-plus years ago doesn’t mean it’s going to do the same thing for me, no matter what she claims.”
    “Well, thank goodness you’re finally being sensible about this.”
    “No one bothered to ask me what I thought before shipping off a so-called magic wedding gown. I don’twant to get married yet, so I certainly don’t need the dress. It was a nice gesture, but unnecessary.”
    “Exactly,” Jill agreed.
    “I’m not interested in playing déjà voodoo.” She paused to laugh at her own joke.
    Jill chuckled, too. “I wouldn’t be, either.”
    Shelly felt greatly relieved, and the tight muscles along the back of her neck began to relax. Jill was, as usual, full of practical advice. Aunt Milly was a wonderful old lady, and the legend was a delightful bit of family lore, but it would be laughable to take any of this seriously.
    “How about meeting me for lunch tomorrow?” Jill suggested. “It’s been ages since we got together.”
    “Sounds good to me,” Shelly said. Although they’d been close friends since college, it took some effort on both their parts these days to make time in their hectic lives to see each other. “When and where?”
    “How about the mall?” Jill asked. “That would be easiest for me since I’m scheduled to work tomorrow. I can get off a few minutes before twelve.”
    “Great. I’ll see you at noon at Patrick’s,” Shelly promised. Meeting her friend for lunch was just the antidote