The Wedding Shop Read Free

courthouse or she’d have bought her dress from Miss Cora too.
    At least Haley liked to think so. Even at ten, she had a strong sense of tradition.
    Daddy and Mama moved back to Heart’s Bend when Haley was two, wanting to be near family, wanting out of the cold. And Mama started her own sports medicine clinic. She was pretty famous as far as Haley could tell. Athletes from all over came to see her.
    “You need a veil.” Tammy claimed a discarded piece of newspaper, smoothed it out on the floor, and folded it over Haley’s head.
    Haley laughed, ducking away, the black-and-white veil slipping from her head. “If I come home with lice, Mama will have a cow.” She inched toward the third-floor stairs. “Let’s explore up here. Maybe we can find something to use.”
    But the third floor was cluttered, full of boxes and old computer equipment. Paint peeled from the walls, the floor was covered with rotting carpet, and the bathroom was torn apart.
    Tammy shivered. “This creeps me out. Let’s go back to the mezzanine.”
    But Haley spied something peeking out from the edge of the carpet. She stooped, pinching the edge of a black-and-white photograph.
    Tammy squatted next to her. “Hey, that’s Miss Cora. I saw her picture in the paper.”
    “I know. I remember.” Haley looked up at the dank quarters. “Do you think she lived here?”
    “I hope not. It’s gross.”
    Haley stared at the haunting reflection in the woman’s eyes, like she longed for something. A strange twist knotted up Haley’s middle. Taut prickles ran down her arms. Her sixth sense again. Running into something she could feel but not see.
    “Look, clothespins. And a piece of tulle. This can be your veil.” Standing next to a bookshelf, Tammy held up her treasures.
    “Let’s just pretend I have a dress and a veil.” Haley stared at the face in the picture. Miss Cora was not very pretty, but kind looking with old-fashioned hair, like in Granny’s pictures, a curiosity in her expression. And sadness. She was definitely sad.
    But she’d heard only happy things about Miss Cora. Did she like running a wedding shop? Did she have lots of brothers like Haley? That can make a girl sad. Or was she an only child, like Tammy?
    “Hal, come on before Mama beeps me home.”
    Thunder let loose a boom of agreement. Haley tucked the picture in her shorts pocket and hustled down the stairs.
    “I changed my mind. You be the bride. I’ll be the shop owner, Miss Cora.”
    “Miss Cora?”
    “Why not? It’s pretend, right? Besides, if Cole’s the groom, it’s best you be the bride. You’ll marry him before I ever will.”
    Back on the mezzanine, Haley hurriedly moved into pretend mode jogging down the stairs to the foyer. “Oh, hello, Mrs. Eason. Your daughter is putting on her veil right now.” She mimed opening the shop’s front door because the real one was dead bolted. “Please, have a seat.”
    Overhead, Tammy shuffled across the mezzanine, then hummed the wedding song as she descended the staircase, one slow step at a time. Haley breathed out, blowing her bangs from her forehead, the stale, hot air of the shop making her sweat, causing dust to stick to her skin.
    “Isn’t she beautiful, Mrs. Eason?” Haley jumped an imaginary line and pressed her hands to her cheeks to play the role of Tammy’s mother. “Oh my stars, I’m going to cry. I’m going to cry.” She fanned her face with her fingers. “Darling, you are beautiful, so beautiful.”
    Tammy modeled her newspaper veil, held out the skirt of her imaginary gown, and cooed how she couldn’t “wait to marry Cole Danner.”
    Upon her words, lightning cracked, so bold, so loud this time the windows rattled. Tammy jumped into Haley’s arms.
    Then they fell to the floor laughing, hooting, popping their hands on the splintered hardwood. When they quieted down, Haley stared at the high ceiling.
    “Let’s own this shop one day, okay?” She gripped Tammy’s hand in her own. “We’ll go