Page 58 of With This Ring
He glanced at his phone and saw that once again his texts to Layla had gone unanswered. He touched a spot on his collarbone. He needed to figure out how to repair things with his sister, make sure her life was on the right track, and then get out of town.
Hudson needed to finish his business in Flowering Grove and then move on with his life. Now if only he could figure out a way to forget about Dakota.
Chapter 13
“This looks amazing.” Layla stood on the podium and moved from side to side, studying her reflection in the full-length mirror the following Tuesday afternoon. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It definitely resembles my mom’s gown.” She met her aunt’s gaze in the mirror. “Don’t you agree, Aunt Trudy?”
The older woman sniffed. “Yes, you look lovely.” She turned toward Dakota. “You do fantastic work.”
Dakota tapped her chin. “The beading isn’t quite right, and I don’t like the ruffles on the train.” She shook her head. “We’re not there yet, but the fit is better.” She circled the dress, pinning here and there and making mental notes about what still needed to be altered.
For the past five days, Dakota had been working late at the shop, trying to get Layla’s dress ready for the fitting. She hadn’t seen Hudson since he’d helped her find Trouble, and she hated toadmit she missed him. He hadn’t come to the rink Friday or Saturday, but Parker had. And although she had enjoyed her time with Parker, she found herself scanning the crowd for Hudson.
As Dakota pinned the hem, she considered asking Layla and Trudy how Hudson was doing. But she decided it was best not to bring him up at all. She needed to just get over him.
Easier said than done.
“Okay, that’s it for now. You can get changed. I’ll work on it some more and have you come back for another fitting.” Dakota helped Layla off the podium before Layla and her aunt disappeared into a dressing room.
She busied herself with straightening the dressing area until Layla returned with the gown on a hanger.
Trudy wiped her eyes and touched Dakota’s hand. “The gown is turning out perfectly. I was just telling Layla that her mother would’ve loved it. In fact, she looks just like Daphne with that gown on. It takes me back to her parents’ wedding day.”
Layla sniffed. “Oh, stop it. You’re going to make me cry, Aunt Trudy.”
Dakota felt her own emotions welling up. “I’m so happy you like it. I’m sure that with some more work it will look even better.” She turned and hung the hanger on a hook.
Layla consulted her watch. “My friends and Shane’s sister should be here soon to look at their dresses,” she said. “I told them they can wear any style they want as long as each gown is light blue.” Dakota noticed that though Layla was discussing the details of her wedding, she hadn’t really smiled. She got the feeling that something was bothering the bride-to-be.
“Wonderful.” Dakota beckoned her toward the racks of bridesmaids’ dresses. “Let’s look at the options I have. And if theydon’t find what they want here, we can always check out the online catalogs, and I can order what they like.”
Soon Layla’s friends Gina and Sheila arrived, along with Shane’s younger sister, Melody. Together they searched the racks for dresses they each liked. Dakota took care of fittings for each of the dresses before Layla convinced her aunt to look for a dress of her own. After Trudy settled on a simple dark-blue gown, Dakota rang her and the bridesmaids up before thanking them.
After Layla’s friends and Shane’s sister had left the shop, Layla and Trudy lingered behind. Layla perused the jewelry case, and Trudy stood by the counter, her lips turned downward. Something definitely was up, and Dakota couldn’t help but worry about them.
“Can I help you find something?” Dakota asked Layla.
“I was thinking about getting Shane a special pair of cufflinks for the wedding.”
Dakota unlocked the case and lined up a few different pairs. “These are my most popular.”
“I like these.” Layla picked up a pair of pearl cufflinks.
Dakota rang them up, and Layla handed her a card.
“Did I tell you we’re going to the Outer Banks for our honeymoon?” Layla asked.
Dakota gave her a receipt. “You didn’t! I love the beaches there.”
“I do too. But I haven’t been there since I was a teenager.” Layla signed the receipt and took her copy. “We’re going out to Nags Head. Have you ever been there?”
“I went with my family a long time ago. We had so much fun.”
“Shane found a nice hotel on the beach. I just can’t wait until the wedding is here and all of the details are handled.” Layla leaned forward on the counter. “Did I tell you we’re having the reception at the country club?”
Dakota shook her head.
“I thought it would be way out of our price range, but my brother is paying for it all. He’s insisting. He says Mom and Dad would’ve wanted him to pay for it since they can’t. Shane and I want to contribute, but Hud is being really stubborn about it—says it’s his job to take care of things. I’m sure you remember how bossy my brother can be.” She made a face like she was tasting something sour. “He’s really being a jerk.”