“Exactly. Good for our little town. Don’t you think?”

“Sure,” I say as she ushers me into the changing room.

“Try these on, sweetie, and I’ll be out here if you want some advice or a different size.”

I strip off the wedding dress and dump it in the corner of the room. It’s filthy now after a full day of traveling. Wedding dresses weren’t designed for wear and tear, I guess. Durability certainly wasn’t one of the attributes I was looking for when I tried on dresses. I’d left shopping to the very last moment—or so the bridal store told me. They said that normally brides come in as soon as they have a date fixed. They also told me most brides bring their moms. My mom had no interest in coming. Anyway, it was easier to go alone. And quicker. I picked the second dress I tried on and, luckily for me, it didn’t need many alterations.

I pull on a sweater over a white, long-sleeved t-shirt and look in the mirror. The pants are navy blue and weirdly lightweight, and the sweater has pockets on the side. It’s practical and warm, and best of all, it’s not a wedding dress. I’ll take it.

I hear more voices in the store and mentally high-five myself for getting here early enough to avoid prying eyes.

“I’m sick of it, Marge. He completely takes me for granted. And there’s never any notice,” a woman’s voice says, her irritation obvious.

As I come out of the changing room, I see a redheaded woman perched on a stool by the cash register. “I might take myself up to the Colorado Club. Get a new job. I’ve got a ton of waitressing experience. They might even make me a manager.”

“You want a jacket?” Marge asks me.

I really need to give Byron back his jacket. His truck was gone already by the time I woke up, so I didn’t have a chance to return his clothes this morning. I hope he had another jacket to wear. “Yes, please,” I call, though Marge is already halfway across the store, searching out the perfect coat.

I smile at the woman with a high ponytail, perched on the stool by the counter. She mouths a hi back.

“Did you say the Colorado Club is hiring waitresses?” I ask. It’s not like I expected to stay in this town when the bus dropped me off last night. But unless I decide to head home, I don’t have anywhere else to go. If there’s a job here, that might be reason enough to stay.

“They’re hiring more than just waitresses,” the woman says. “They want housekeeping staff, restaurant staff, admins. There are a lot of openings from what I can tell. Are you job hunting?”