If The Dress Fits Read online

  Copyright

  ISBN 1-59789-900-0

  Copyright © 2008 by Debby Mayne. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of Truly Yours, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., PO Box 721, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683.

  All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

  One

  Tears stung the back of Cindi Clark’s eyes as she reached out and gently stroked the satin bodice of the bridal gown she’d lovingly put on the mannequin. She’d dreamed of working in a bridal shop for as long as she could remember, and here she was, the owner, and less than a year before she turned thirty.

  She should be happy, but her parents had announced they were splitting up. If they couldn’t stay together, how could she, in good conscience, keep perpetuating the myth of happily-ever-after? With a heavy heart, she’d contacted a commercial Realtor from her old neighborhood to list the shop, and now her place was for sale.

  “Sometimes I wish I could buy the place,” Elizabeth said.

  Cindi turned around to face her longtime best friend and only full-time employee. “Yeah, me, too.”

  “But without you here, it wouldn’t make sense. Besides, I really want kids.”

  Cindi chuckled. “I used to want them, too.”

  Elizabeth dropped the tiara back into the box she’d been unpacking, crossed the showroom, and gently placed her hand on Cindi’s arm. “I know your parents’ split is hard on you, but you shouldn’t become jaded over it.”

  With a nod, Cindi forced a smile. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want to participate in something that’s probably going to end in heartache eventually. I mean, look at the number of brides who come in a year later and say it didn’t work.” She turned back to the gown and sighed. “Too bad marriage goes downhill right after the wedding.”

  “That’s not always true, ya know.” Elizabeth stared at the dress Cindi was putting on the mannequin. “I think this is my favorite dress in the shop.”

  “They’re all your favorite,” Cindi teased. “You’re like I was a few years ago—filled with all kinds of romantic notions of a fairy-tale marriage to match the wedding.”

  Elizabeth shrugged as she turned and headed back to her unpacking. “Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with that. So what if I’m a romantic at heart? I have a good marriage.”

  “You’re unusual. That’s not the reality for most people.”

  Before Elizabeth had a chance to argue, Cindi pulled her key ring out of her pocket, went to the door, and unlocked it. Cindi was relieved they had an early appointment for a fitting. She was growing weary of Elizabeth trying to talk her out of selling.

  Her appointment showed up right on time with her mother right on her heels. Angelina Dillard was a soft-spoken girl, the polar opposite of her clearly excitable mother.

  “Would you like some orange juice?” Cindi asked.

  Angelina nodded, but her mother adamantly shook her head no. “Orange juice has calories, and I don’t want my daughter bloated for the fitting.”

  Her daughter scowled.

  “Maybe afterward, then.” Cindi took a step back and gestured around the showroom. “Why don’t the two of you peruse the racks and find some different styles to try? We can alter any of these dresses for a perfect fit.”

  Mrs. Dillard scanned the room then zeroed in on one of the front racks. “I want to see my daughter in this dress,” Mrs. Dillard demanded. She turned to look over the rest of the assortment then pointed toward the circular rack by the back wall. “And that one over there.”

  Cindi turned to Angelina with a questioning gaze. “Is there anything else you’d like to try?”

  Angelina barely had her mouth open when her mother grabbed another dress off the rack. “Let’s see how this one looks.”

  “Mom, I really don’t like the full skirts,” Angelina said softly. “I’d rather—”

  Mrs. Dillard flipped her hand at the wrist. “How would you know what you like when you haven’t even put one of these on? I think you’ll look like a princess in a full skirt.”

  Cindi glanced at Elizabeth and winked before turning back to Angelina. “Why don’t you try on several different styles before you decide?”

  Elizabeth had already pulled a few off the rack and headed back to the fitting room. They’d seen this same scenario many times—the overbearing mother dragging the weary future bride through the store. And rather than pick sides, Cindi and Elizabeth managed to remain neutral as they tried to make peace during one of the most stressful times in the bride’s life.

  As Cindi listened to Angelina’s desires and thoughts about the dresses, she directed Elizabeth to bring in more gowns, each one getting closer to what the bride wanted. They’d learned early that instantly jumping from one side to the other wasn’t the best way to handle this touchy situation.

  The skirts grew less full and more formfitting with each try-on, and the long sleeves gradually shrank to three-quarter sleeves, short sleeves, then sleeveless until Angelina finally had what she obviously wanted to begin with. As Cindi zipped the shiny white satin dress with the floral lace overlay on the bodice, both Angelina and her mother beamed.

  “See?” Mrs. Dillard said. “I told you I’d find the perfect gown. This is absolutely lovely on you.” She took a step back and studied her daughter in silence.

  Cindi met Angelina’s gaze then quickly glanced down to keep from smiling. Angelina turned back to face herself in the three-way mirror. “This is the one I want.”

  Her mother’s reticence quickly evaporated. She sprang back into action, grabbing a hunk of material at the waist. “This dress is way too big for my daughter. It needs to be taken in here. . . .” She pointed to the hem. “And there. It’s way too long. Is there any way you can hem it without ruining the train?”

  Elizabeth popped into the room sporting a pincushion on her wrist. “Absolutely. We do it all the time.”

  “It has to be perfect,” Mrs. Dillard screeched. “We’ve invited everyone from the country club, and they’ll notice everything.”

  Cindi felt that awful, familiar constriction in her chest. “Angelina will be a beautiful bride.” She nearly choked on the words, but she meant it.

  Mrs. Dillard beamed. She reached out and smoothed her daughter’s hair. “She sure will. By the time we get her hair done and all my heirloom diamonds on her, she’ll make all my friends jealous.”

  Angelina looked annoyed. She’d obviously had this conversation with her mother before.

  “Even now, with her hair down and no jewelry, she’s beautiful,” Elizabeth said.

  Before Cindi had a chance to agree, Mrs. Dillard started flapping her jaw again, going on and on about the guest list, yapping about how all the girls would swoon and wish they were the bride—all the wrong reasons for this wedding. Cindi had heard it all before. The last bride who’d tied the knot cried at the first fitting and said she’d changed her mind about the wedding and wanted to elope. Elizabeth had managed to soothe her nerves.

  “Would you like some orange juice now?” Cindi offered. “We also have some muffins if you’re hungry.”

  Angelina smiled and nodded. “I’m starving.”

  Mrs. Dillard frowned. “Are they low-fat?”

  “I believe we have some low-fat in the freezer,” Elizabeth said. “I can thaw
them in the microwave.”

  “Never mind,” Mrs. Dillard said. “We don’t have that kind of time.”

  Angelina frowned and stared at her shoes.

  Cindi recognized the look of dejection. “It’ll only take a minute.” She turned to Elizabeth. “Why don’t you pour the orange juice while I get a couple of muffins ready?”

  They scurried to action, leaving no room for argument. Even from the back room, they could hear Mrs. Dillard talking about watching every single bite because Angelina needed to stay slim and trim—at least until after the wedding.

  “Don’t let it get to you,” Elizabeth whispered as they arranged the tray of orange juice and muffins.

  “We just need to make sure Angelina gets the gown she wants,” Cindi agreed. “The rest of it is out of our hands.” She squeezed her eyes shut and said a silent prayer for the patience to continue working with Mrs. Dillard.

  When she opened her eyes again, Elizabeth had already carried the tray to the showroom where Angelina and her mother sat on the love seat in the corner. Cindi joined them and gave her talk about how they wouldn’t have to worry about a thing related to the dress because Cindi’s Bridal Boutique had the experience with all the details ironed out.

  The phone rang, so Cindi excused herself, leaving Elizabeth to finish the first session with the Dillard women. It was her Realtor.

  “I have a potential buyer for the shop,” Fran Bailey said.

  Cindi’s heart thudded with an odd mix of anticipation and unexpected sadness. “Good.” That’s all that would come out.

  “He wants to see the shop tomorrow afternoon, if that’s convenient.”

  Cindi opened her appointment book before she realized what Fran had said. “He? As in a man?”

  “Yes, he’s a very successful businessman who likes the thought of owning a bridal shop.”

  How odd. In all the scenarios Cindi had envisioned, a male buyer hadn’t even crossed her mind. “Well, I guess that would be okay.”

  Fran chuckled. “I know his mother, and she’s a very nice lady. Besides, we can’t very well turn down potential male buyers.”

  “Oh, I understand. I’m booked until noon, but after that I’m free until two tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Excellent!” Fran said. “I’ll bring him by at one. He’s already seen the shop from the outside, and he wants to come in and take a look around inside.”

  “I’ll stay out of the way,” Cindi offered.

  “Um, he asked that you stick around.”

  “I thought you said—”

  Fran interrupted. “I know when you listed I said it’s best for you to make yourself scarce in the beginning stages, but occasionally buyers make specific requests. I told him it might be better to wait until he’s closer to a decision, but he insisted.”

  Cindi paused for a moment and tried to imagine why someone would insist she be there. “I’ll do whatever you feel I should,” she finally told Fran, “if you think that would help sell this place.”

  ❧

  Jeremy took another spin around the block and slowed down as he got close to Cindi’s Bridal Boutique. He was amazed at how much of herself she’d put into the window display. If someone had shown him pictures of a dozen bridal shops and said one of them was Cindi Clark’s, he would have picked this one without a second’s hesitation.

  He came to a near stop and stared at the window, half hoping he’d see Cindi and half hoping he wouldn’t. Ever since she went away to college, he’d wondered about her. The breakup had ripped him up inside, and he wished he’d handled things differently. He should have been completely up front with her rather than acting like the tough guy. But he was a kid back then. What did he know?

  The car behind him honked, so after a quick glance in the rearview mirror, he accelerated. He needed to head back to his parents’ condo in Roswell.

  He pulled into the condo parking lot right after his mother, who’d just closed and locked her car door. She smiled as she turned to him. “Productive day?” she asked.

  Jeremy shrugged as he loosened his tie. “I’ve narrowed down a few places to look at.”

  “It would be nice for you to find a business here in the Atlanta area so we can see more of you.”

  He gently put his arm around the woman who’d sacrificed so much for him and his brother. “I know. After I nail down a business, I’ll look for a house.”

  “You can buy the condo at the other end of our building,” she quickly offered.

  With a chuckle, he shook his head. “As tempting as that is, I’m afraid I need to be a little farther away so you won’t feel like you have to cook for me every night.”

  “I really don’t mind,” she argued.

  “I know you don’t, and that’s very sweet.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “But I’ll be fine. Speaking of dinner, how about I take you and Dad out tomorrow after work?”

  “Think we might have something to celebrate?” she asked as she slowed her pace.

  “Maybe.”

  ❧

  Cindi had arrived early to make sure the showroom was perfect for the Realtor. “I totally don’t get why I have to meet this guy.”

  “I’m sure he just wants to ask some questions about the profitability,” Elizabeth said.

  “Probably, but I’m thinking he’ll take one look at the place and leave when he realizes we’re strictly a bridal shop.” She rolled her eyes. “After all, what would a man want a place like this for?”

  “Maybe it’s for his wife or something.”

  “I didn’t think about that. Whatever the case, I want to make sure nothing’s out of place.”

  Elizabeth tilted her head back and laughed. “Nothing’s ever out of place here. You’re the most meticulous person I know.”

  Cindi took a rag out from behind the counter, squirted some furniture polish on it, and took one more swipe at the wooden shelves by the desk. “That’ll have to do.” She went to the back and tossed the rag into the hamper to take home later.

  When she came back out to the front, Elizabeth was standing at the front of the store chatting with Fran and her client, who looked amazingly like. . .

  “Jeremy?” she squeaked.

  The man glanced at Fran, who cast a curious look first at Cindi then at Jeremy. Then he took a tentative step toward her. Cindi felt numb from the tip of her toes to the top of her head—she couldn’t budge, she was so shocked. She felt she’d just taken a giant step back in time—and her tall, dark, and handsome boyfriend had just entered the room. His brow-hooded brown eyes had a few crinkles around them, but she would have recognized him anywhere.

  After a couple of seconds, she cleared her throat and looked at Fran. “Is this your. . .client?”

  Fran nodded. “I understand you two knew each other a long time ago.”

  “We were high school friends,” Jeremy quickly said.

  “Um, Jeremy,” Elizabeth blurted, “it’s nice to see you after all these years.”

  Jeremy offered a grin. “Nice to see you, too, Elizabeth. Things going well for you?”

  Cindi turned to Elizabeth, who clamped her mouth shut and shrugged as she took a small step back. Elizabeth was obviously just as surprised as she was.

  “So this is what you’ve been doing since college, huh?” Jeremy asked, breaking the short silence.

  “Yes.” The lump in Cindi’s throat was so big she was afraid to try to say more.

  “Nice,” he replied with a nod as he walked around, looking everything over, making Cindi feel she was being scrutinized. “Very nice.”

  “Why are you here, Jeremy?” Cindi asked.

  His attention quickly returned to her. “I like buying thriving homegrown businesses and taking them to the next level.”

  Fran’s smile widened. “And he’s been quite successful at it.”

  “So I’ve heard,” Cindi said. “You don’t live here, so how can you run a bridal shop?”

  “I’ll just hire someone to work it for m
e.” He reached out and touched one of the gowns before pulling back to face her. “At least for a while. I’m thinking about moving back to Atlanta.”

  Cindi’s shock had finally worn off, replaced by annoyance. “This isn’t exactly the kind of business someone can hire unskilled workers to run.”

  Fran quickly dropped her smile. “Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea for the two of you to be here together so early in the process. Why don’t we come back later, Jeremy?”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll just take a quick look around, and maybe Cindi can show me her books.”

  As tempted as she was to tell him her place was no longer for sale, Cindi just nodded. His appearance at her store had taken her completely by surprise—she was afraid she’d slip up and say or do the wrong thing.

  She and Elizabeth stuck close together the rest of the time Jeremy was in the shop. A customer came in, so she didn’t have a chance to show him her books. As soon as he and Fran left, Elizabeth turned to her, eyes wide, forehead crinkled, and slowly shook her head.

  “I never saw that one coming. That totally surprised me.”

  Cindi snorted. “You and me both.”

  “What are you gonna do?”

  “What can I do? Never in a million years would I have expected to see Jeremy Hayden thinking about buying my store.”

  “You can take it off the market.”

  “I know, but I don’t think I’ll do that.”

  “What if Jeremy makes an offer?” Elizabeth asked.

  “I guess I’ll have to deal with it if it happens—but it probably won’t. A commitment-phobe like Jeremy isn’t likely to actually buy a bridal shop.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll never forget. . .”

  When she didn’t finish her sentence, Cindi offered a half smile. “You can say it. He jilted me right before high school graduation. I won’t forget it, either, but I got over it a long time ago.” At least she thought she had—until now. “I went away to college, and he went into the army. Besides, I don’t think he was a Christian, so it wouldn’t have worked out between us anyway.”

  “It’s just weird how it all happened. One day he seemed to be so into you, and the day after you told him about your scholarship and acceptance to the University of Georgia, he suddenly acted so cold.”