by Bree Cariad
Dinner was fun. The ham covered in honey tasted wonderful and the vegetables even tasted good. Seated next to Charlotte, Christopher was open and chatted easily with all of them. He sent Stephanie warm smiles every other minute and by the time dessert was delivered, she knew he liked her.
“This is good,” Christopher hummed as he took a bite of the berry and cream-filled dessert. “It tastes like cheesecake. What is it?”
“A secret family recipe,” Charlotte said easily, winking at Stephanie. Drake caught the wink and looked between the two of them, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked at Christopher.
“So, do you like Hyacinth?”
“Yes, I do. Tons of stuff to do here. I love nature.”
Drake grinned. “Been fishing on Hins Creek Lake yet?”
“Jerod took me last week. Caught some amazing trout. It was like that when I was a kid. Fresh fish right out of the lake. Nothing better. That’s one thing I miss here. The restaurant I worked at in Maine, we got fresh fish daily. Crab. Lobster. It was fantastic.”
“We need a nice upscale restaurant in town,” Charlotte said quietly. “We have the diner and a couple other small eateries, but a nice sit-down restaurant that served wonderful food would be lovely.”
Alex grunted and nodded. “It would be nice.”
“My gran ran a bed and breakfast,” Christopher said. “I grew up there. In fact, that’s where I fell in love with cooking. We had fresh fish daily there too.” He paused and his eyes rose and locked with Stephanie’s. “What do you want to do, Stephanie?”
Startled, she shrugged. “I don’t know. Right now I’m getting by as a seamstress.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“I love to sew,” she hedged.
He grinned as if realizing she wasn’t giving him a straight answer. “Where do you get your own clothes?”
She looked down at her crazy halter dress. “Oh, I designed and made this.”
“The dress you wore at the picnic too?” She nodded, wondering where he was going with this. “And Jerod says you designed and are making Cami’s wedding dress.”
“Yes?”
“Your sense of style is unique and there are a lot of people clambering for that. Ever thought of mass-producing your designs?”
“I never even graduated high school.” Heat filled her cheeks as she blurted out the words. Surely a clothing designer needed a fancy education.
“So?” Christopher acted as though that was no big deal. “I bet there are home study courses you could take. Most colleges offer online degrees now. You could get a GED, get some business courses behind you, and I bet your designs would sell well.”
Drake beamed at her as though he couldn’t agree more and she looked from him to the man seated opposite him. “Uh, thanks.”
“Sure. If you decide, a friend of mine runs an online shop for unique clothing. I can put you in touch with him.”
* * * * *
Grabbing her towel, Stephanie dried her hair as she stepped out of the shower. The conversation from Saturday night’s dinner still resounded in her head as she got dressed, pulled her hair into a pony tail, and withdrew Cami’s dress from its protective plastic before putting it on the dress form Charlotte had lent her. As it was already sized to Cami’s measurements, it made her job easier.
When she was twelve or thirteen, she had dabbled in dreams of everyone wearing her strange designs but never truly thought seriously about it. But Christopher thought it was a good idea. And he was from outside their tiny little town so he was more likely to know than she would.
A knock on her door let her know Cami was here for her fitting. Tossing a clean cloth over the dress, she walked over to the door and opened it. “Hey!” Cami said, rushing past her. “I brought muffins. How’s the dress going? Was last night fun?” She continued to chatter as she removed muffins from a basket hanging on her arm, placing them on Stephanie’s tiny kitchen counter. When she finally took a breath, she giggled. “I’m not letting you get a word in, am I? I’m just so excited to see my dress.”
“Well, go wash your hands and let’s get to it.”
Squealing, Cami ran into her bathroom, washing her hands and removing her clothes. When she came out, she wore the strapless bra Stephanie had requested and a pair of seamless panties. “Okay, where do you want me?”
Stephanie guided her to the center of the small room and had her close her eyes while she uncovered the dress, unpinned it and slowly fitted it to Cami’s body. “Now, it’s not finished,” she explained. “There will still need to be one or two more fittings before it’s complete.” Once she was sure everything fell just right, she moved her one full-length mirror over in front of Camille and took a step back. “Open your eyes.”
Cami’s eyes sprang open and her mouth opened. “Wow.”
The dress fitted her perfectly, showing off her figure, but the main part was how beautiful the leaf-shaped silk looked as it slid down her. At first, Stephanie had planned to have sets of gold, red, and brown leaves and place them in bunches, but as she worked with the fabric another idea sprang to mind. It had been more work but the results were stunning. Each leaf was made up of all three colors and together it kind of looked like a pile of leaves, though a lot more elegant.
“Stephanie,” Camille said, sniffling. “It’s stunning. Absolutely amazing. Drat! And all I’ve got is my cell phone. Can you take a couple pics? I want to show Mom.”
Walking over to her purse, Stephanie fished out her cell phone and took pictures from the front and back while Cami turned slightly, trying to see all of her dress. “So, you really like it?” Stephanie asked after she had removed the fabric and pinned it back on the dressform.
“Are you kidding? It’s so much better than I had imagined and I imagined something cool. I can hardly wait to walk down the aisle in it.” Cami pulled on her jeans and sweater after switching to a normal bra. “And it’s so worth the strapless bra.”
“Oh, and I got Jerod’s cummerbund almost done, too.” Stephanie pulled it out and showed her.
“Wow, it does look just like my dress. You’re a genius!”
Grinning, Stephanie repacked the cloth and turned to look at her. “Christopher suggested that my designs were unique enough that other people might want to buy them.”
“Of course they would,” Cami agreed. “I mean, look, I wanted you because I knew you would create the kind of gown I wanted and I can’t be the only person out there who wants something unique.”
“I never got my high school diploma.”
“So?” Cami said, echoing Christopher’s words from the night before. “People get GEDs all the time. Plus, do you need a diploma to sell your clothes?”
“No, but if I wanted to know more how the business side was run, I would need to take some college courses.”
“Oh and they probably insist on a GED.” Pausing with an expression that said Cami was deep in thought, her gaze turned to the wedding gown. “What kind of clothes do you prefer to make the most?”
“Dresses, probably. It’s usually what I make for myself.”
“You know,” she said slowly, “The wedding fair is coming to Longdale in February. I wonder if you could make a couple gowns and show them off there? Maybe a wedding dress and a couple bridesmaids gowns?”
“Oh, that’s only a few months away. I don’t think—” That seemed awful sudden to Stephanie. Seven months? Surely in that time she couldn’t get all of that together.
“Well, I don’t know what’s all involved in it, but you could check. Or not,” she added simply with a smile. “I’m sorry. I’m pushing, aren’t I?”
“A little,” Stephanie admitted. “I’m still trying to get my head around the idea.”
“Okay, so let’s talk about something else. How was the dinner?”
They talked for another hour, munching on the muffins Cami brought before she had to leave. “Come to dinner Thursday,” she suggested as she walked out of the door, “at Jerod’s.
I’m making cream puffs and I could use the moral support.”
Snickering, Stephanie shook her head. “I’m not sure I’m the right person to have. I killed a cheesecake last night. Or at least mortally wounded it. Somehow your mom rescued it and turned it into something even better.”
Laughing, Cami walked down the lane and Stephanie watched her go. After her friend disappeared, she closed the door and walked back to the dress. It might be a pipe dream, but even the idea that other people might be attracted to her designs was exciting. After all, her first dream of being a wife and mother was shot, but maybe, just maybe she could do something more with her life than what she was doing now.
* * * * *
The rest of the summer rushed by. Christopher came to dinner every Saturday at the Covingtons for six weeks and then stopped. Charlotte suggested that maybe he now had to work on Saturdays, but it didn’t make Stephanie feel any better. She had truly begun to look forward to their weekly meetings. But thankfully with Camille’s wedding coming up, she spent most of her nights and every weekend making sure the dress was perfect.
The weekend before the wedding, Dora and Stephanie worked things out with Cami’s fiancé and family and kidnapped their friend for a small party. Kathy was already back at school but had sent her gift to Dora to keep until the right time.
“My last girls’ night out as a single girl,” Cami said with a laugh as they curled up in Stephanie’s cabin. Strewn around her with pieces of paper that she had ripped from her gifts as she unwrapped them. Dora had gotten her a set of wonderful bath salts. Stephanie hadn’t known what to get so had purchased a few doodads for the house. But Kathy had purchased a pretty white babydoll nightie for her.
“I guess Kathy would know more than we would what you would need,” Dora said with a twisted smile. “I’ve been so busy this summer I’ve been a horrible friend. It’s late, but is there anything I can do?”
“Just be at the church in two weeks.”
“I can do that.”
“Is your mom back yet?” Cami asked quietly.
“Next week. She’s been very happy every time she called, though, so this summer away was just what she needed.”
“How about you?” Stephanie asked, watching her.
“I’m getting along.”
“Oh, no!” Cami shrieked with a horrified expression on her face.
“What?” they both answered, wondering what was wrong.
“Dora, I forgot your birthday,” she whispered in horror. “Last year I wasn’t doing very well, but this year I should have remembered. I’m so, so sorry.”
“That’s okay,” Dora assured her. “Stephanie and I had a late meal and laughed.” She shrugged. “It’s just a birthday.”
Instantly Cami’s expression turned from horror to annoyance. “Dora, I love you, please know that, but you need to learn that it’s okay to get annoyed or angry when people do stupid things. I did something stupid. Get mad at me.”
“Why? It doesn’t change anything and getting mad just makes me feel bad.”
“Fine, don’t get mad.” Cami pouted making Stephanie laugh.
“Fine, fine, I’m mad. Feel better?” Dora asked with a sweet smile.
“Yes, much. Now, what’s next?”
“You’re getting married,” Stephanie said with a smile. “In less than two weeks, you’ll be Camille Kinsley. Are you ready?”
“Soooo ready. I’m glad Dad was okay with Jerod proposing early. I think if I had had to wait until November, I’d go crazy and drag everyone along with me.”
“And then Kathy has her baby,” Dora added. “Which means you’ll be an aunt.”
“Are you two going to try for a baby right away?” Stephanie asked with interest.
“Well, we’ve talked about it. Both of us want a large family but as Jerod keeps reminding me, we’ve got time. So we’ve decided to leave it up to the universe. We aren’t going to actively work for a baby, but we aren’t going to use anything to stop it either. So, if I’m meant to have a child right away? I’ll get pregnant.”
They chatted until nine when a knock came at the door heralding the arrival of Cami’s parents. Dora helped Camille hide the nightie and the other gifts in a gift bag as Stephanie let them in. Five people in her tiny cabin was way too many. The wedding dress was already safely ensconced in Camille’s closet at home and had been for a week, so they gathered her things and left, taking Dora with them so they could drop her off at home. As Stephanie shut the door behind them, it was with a sense of loss.
Her best friend would soon be married and as much as they might say things wouldn’t change, they would. It was a natural progression. Married women and single girls thought about different things, not to mention they had different lives.
The wedding was amazing and Stephanie couldn’t stop preening a little as she watched Cami walk down the aisle in a dress she had designed. It was startling and oh, so beautiful. She looked around the crowd, but didn’t spot Christopher anywhere. Surprised he wasn’t at his uncle’s wedding, she allowed herself to mourn what could have been and let it go. One of her new maxims was not to worry about things she couldn’t change.
She helped serve food at the reception and she and Dora stuck together, talking to several people but mostly just wandering around and watching their beaming friend and her husband. When they waved as the two of them headed off for their honeymoon, Stephanie had to wipe some tears away. “Be happy, Cami,” she whispered, knowing that wish was already granted.
Chapter 5
Fall always had a feeling of finality to it. It rubbed out the warmth of summer and left behind a chill that announced winter was coming and fast. Finding that she needed to be out amongst people more, Stephanie started riding the bus into town every day and spending several hours at the Lava Lamp. In that time frame, she usually saw a few people she knew, Dora stopped by and had coffee with her every day, and she settled into a new comfortable routine.
Letting her fingers glide across the page of her notebook, she was busy drawing one of her latest design ideas when she felt more than saw someone next to her. Looking up, she was startled to look into a pair of familiar green eyes that looked slightly apprehensive.
“Christopher!”
A slow smile crossed his features. “Hey, Stephanie. Can I sit down here or is that against Hyacinth code?”
She wasn’t sure if he was teasing or being serious, so she tried to lighten the mood. “If it is, I’m sure the cops will be here shortly.”
Chuckling, he sat down across from her, eyeing her drawing. “I saw pictures of the wedding dress. That was a beautiful gown.”
“It really was,” she agreed. “I’ve worn my own clothes before, but I had never seen someone else in them. Watching her walk down the aisle was amazing.” After pausing, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “I was surprised not to see you at their wedding.”
He took a long sip of coffee before he answered. “Yeah. I had to return home for a few weeks. I had a long talk with Jerod before I left. He understood.” It sounded as though it wasn’t something he wished to talk about, so she changed the subject.
“Are you ready for winter?”
Snorting, he shook his head. “Yes, and no. I’ve got some goals I’m working on so it’s going to be a very busy few months for me. What about you?”
“I like winter, or at least used to. After all, if it weren’t for winter, we wouldn’t have spring.”
A flash of warmth lit his eyes. “Very true. So are you working on new designs?”
It was easy to talk to him. He had the same kind of internal warmth she recognized in men like Jerod Kinsley and Alex and Xander Covington. As the lighting outside of the windows darkened and the light turned gray, she looked over her shoulders. “Oh, dear. Looks like we might get snow.” Closing her pad, she began to put things back into her bag. “I had best get back to the bus station before it snows. The roads can get gnarly at that point.”
He gla
nced around. The only other people in the café besides the two of them were the baristas who were gazing out another window and not paying attention to them at all. “Stephanie,” he said in a soft voice and she looked up into his eyes. “Do you want to see me again?”
The question unsettled her. Did she? Yes. But only if she knew where they stood. “Christopher, the courting system here is different. Would I like to see you? Yes. But not at the cost of what could be.” If she spent too much time with him and they weren’t courting, her reputation which was already iffy, would be shot.
He nodded, seeming to understand. “Thank you for your honesty.” Reaching over, he squeezed the back of her hand before standing up and leaving the café without another word. Figuring that meant she would only see him accidentally, she drank the rest of her coffee and picked up her bag. At least she didn’t feel badly about it. Sure, she would have liked to have been courted by him, but maybe Dora was rubbing off on her. She was learning to accept things she couldn’t change.
Heading out the door of the café, the first snowflake drifted down in front of her.
* * * * *
Thanksgiving was a date she had ignored the year before, but this year she had two invitations for dinner, one from the Covingtons and one from Dora and her mother. Figuring that the Covingtons would understand, she accepted Dora’s invitation. The Lexington household was quiet but happy. The kitchen was a strange green and purple plaid design that was rather difficult to look at, but she looked past it as that wasn’t what mattered.
“Thanks for inviting me,” she said as they sat down to a dinner of roast chicken and potatoes. Stephanie had brought along a store-bought pumpkin pie which the other two had seemed pleased about.
“It’s a pleasure to have one of Dora’s friends over again,” Darcelle said with a smile. “It’s been too long.” There was a spring in Mrs. Lexington’s step that surprised Stephanie. From what Dora said, before summer she had been depressed and missing her husband so much she painted the kitchen a different color every other week. But now, it was as though she had a new lease on life. Stephanie could understand. So did she.
