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Ally woke up with a sickening feeling in her stomach. When she checked her phone and saw Mitch hadn’t called, she wanted to pull the covers over her head. Couldn’t she pretend to be ten years old again and make pillow forts and drink mugs of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.
“Absolutely not,” Elizabeth said when Ally suggested it. She tossed the covers off of her daughter and grabbed her by the ankle. “You’ll get dressed, go to work one more day, and give everyone that one-hundred watt smile or you’re name isn’t Ally Sinclair. At least for a little while longer.”
She hadn’t liked it but there was no arguing with a Sinclair. So, Ally got dressed in the purple swing dress she had planned. Too bad her dark mood didn’t match. She looked good but the cheerfulness didn’t match her eyes.
“Now don’t you worry,” Elizabeth said as she pushed her toward the door. “I’ll make you hot chocolate tonight but not a moment before! I don’t want to see you before dinner, young lady.”
Ally went to work. She put on her apron, proofed some dough, and started to make some pie filling. By the time the kitchen smelled of cinnamon, Ally felt better. Her spirits lifted all thanks to her passion of pie. Several were in the oven when Chad the baker and Lauren arrived nearly together.
Lauren had a water bottle and kept taking swigs of it but her complexion still looked a little green. “You look as bad as I feel, what happened?”
“I look bad?” Ally rushed over to the mixer and bent over to see her reflection in the stainless steel mixing bowl. She brushed her hair back and wrinkled up her nose. “I look fine.”
What was Lauren talking about?
“I know what happened, so stop pretending. Mitch stopped by last night and told me everything. He thought maybe I had talked to you. I was surprised you didn’t call me, honey.” Lauren went from looking green to looking incredibly sympathetic.
“I didn’t want to talk. How....how was he?”
“Beside himself. He feels horrible. Sounds like he made a real mess of things last night but you know that’s not really him. It’s the stress and the baby.”
“The baby? What baby?” Ally’s voice rose a pitch as she wondered what the heck Lauren was talking about. She was pretty sure there was no baby.
“Daisy and John. They decided to name her Hannah. And John, the doffus he is told Mitch in a room full of people! It sent his mind reeling. Imagine, John telling him during his bachelor party?” Lauren shook her head. “I’d kill him but he’s not my brother to kill. Unfortunately.”
Ally couldn’t believe it. Why hadn’t Mitch told her? “There’s a lot he’s not telling me lately.”
Lauren sighed and rested a hand on the counter. “Heavens, what go through that man’s head sometimes. Talk with him today. Work it out now before the wedding.”
Ally bit her lip and scary thoughts entered her head. “Maybe it’s bad luck to go into a wedding this way.”
“Like people don’t have disagreements or misunderstands?” Lauren took her hands. “As long as I’ve known you, you’ve made your own luck. Don’t turn you back on it now.”
Ally smiled through her tears. “How do you always know what to say?”
Lauren laughed. “I’m older. We’re trained to do this. Talk to him,” Lauren said gently. “In a few days, all of this will be nothing more than a bad memory. You’ll laugh at how foolish it’ll all look. Trust me and trust in your love, Ally.”
*****
LAUREN’S WORDS STAYED with Ally all through the morning rush and the lunch crowd. She ran over to the famous Blueberry Inn to meet with Piper one more time before the wedding took place. Ally tried to keep her emotions in check as she entered the lobby but she couldn’t. She felt like a bundle of nerves! She worried about what Mitch was thinking and what he was going to do. Meanwhile, she was doing her best to make sure everything would continue along as if the wedding would go off without a hitch.
Ally was afraid it wouldn’t.
Elise greeted her as she stepped through the kitchen’s swinging doors. “Hi there! Piper will be right out. Do you want anything?”
Ally shook her head no and sat down at one of the dining room tables. It was covered in a white table cloth with a candle in the center. It wasn’t lit yet or the dinner service, but Ally stared at it anyway.
She jumped as a glass of ice water was placed down in front of her. “What’s this?” Ally asked.
Elise shrugged. “You look like you need it. Wild party last night, eh? You feeling the effects of all that tea and all those adorable tea cakes?”
Ally forced a laugh as she sipped her water. Her throat turned icy drinking it and she realized how little she had been drinking since yesterday. The water tasted amazing and it felt even better going down. “I love a wild party!” She joked. “But no, it was what I was looking for. I’m just...overwhelmed.”
Elise looked over her shoulder as Piper came in. “Well, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. I’d say I know what you’re going through but I haven’t gone through it yet.” She cringed and went white as a sheet.
Ally squeezed her hand. “You two will be perfect. I’m sure of it. You’re both special people. The Dale I knew....well, he wasn’t like this. You’ve been amazing for him.”
“Same as he has been for me.” Elise smiled stretched wide and her eyes glinted with happiness. It was so good to see someone so happy.
Elise excused herself as Piper stepped forward. “Well!” Piper clapped her hands together quicky. “Who is ready to go over the final walk through! Mostly it’s flowers on the banister and a white roll carpet outside to our special wedding gazebo....Ally? Hello?”
“What? Huh?’ Ally snapped her head back toward Piper. “Did you say something?”
“I did,” Piper nodded with a tilt of her head. “What’s wrong? Is it wedding jitters?”
“Something like that,” Ally admitted, her head down.
Piper sighed and sat down across from her. “Look, all my brides go through this. But you have nothing to worry about. You’re in good hands. Your wedding planner is meticulous and most of all, you’re marrying Mitch Dressen. What girl hasn’t wanted to heal that lonely man’s heart? He loves you.”
“It all sounds so true,” Ally admitted. “I wish...I wish we hadn’t fought last night.”
Piper nodded with understanding. “If you talk to him, you’ll feel better. A misunderstanding, that’s all it was. The stress of all of this. But it’s going to go off without a hitch! You’ll see. The food will be delicious. Everything will be beautiful and you’ll finally be in his arms. For good.”
Ally hoped it was that simple. She felt a rise of intense emotion and she shook her head to keep it at bay.
“Oh, Ally!” Piper slid closer and gripped her hand. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”
“Maybe.” Ally shrugged. “I don’t know. It started as a misunderstanding but—.”
“You’re written in the stars! It’s true, don’t make that face with me. It’ll work out and trust me. Once he sees you in your dress and you see him dashing in his tux, all of this will be a thing of the past.”
“How can you be so sure.”
“Honey,” Piper smiled, “I’ve seen it hundreds of times. They don’t call the Blueberry Inn magic for nothing.”