“We make dresses for size fourteen and up,” Paula answered. “So you’re interested in a one-of-a-kind wedding dress? Let me show you the pictures of what we’ve already done. Then Jody can show you the sample fabrics we keep on hand in the store. If you like what you see, you can make an appointment with Mitzi to design the dress of your dreams.” Paula pushed the photo album over to the edge of the table. “Y’all have a seat so you don’t have to bend.”

Mitzi kept an eye on the girls as they milled around from one table to another. It was like seeing everything for the first time through their eyes.

“We do bridesmaid dresses as well,” Jody said.

“That’s fantastic. You can see none of us are beanpoles,” the girl said.

“Could I give you a card? It’s got all our information on it in case you’d like to think about it and make an appointment,” Mitzi said.

“I don’t need to think about it.” She picked up a card. “We all live in McKinney. Celeste isn’t far. Can we get our name on the calendar now or do we have to call?”

Mitzi opened her appointment book. “What day is good for you? And will you all three be driving over?”

“Yes, ma’am, we will. I’m Kay Lynn Johnson. Next Friday would be wonderful,” she said.

Mitzi ran her finger down the page until she reached the right date. “Morning or afternoon?”

“Afternoon,” one of the bridesmaids answered. “Kay Lynn hates to get up early on her day off.”

“Then let’s say two o’clock,” Mitzi said.

“That’s great.” Kay Lynn wrote the time down on the back of the card. “This is like awesome.” She turned to leave and saw the wedding cake. “I have to have that thing, too. Only I want poinsettias instead of roses.”

She and her friends moved over a few feet and started talking about cake. Glenda’s samples arrived while they were still there, and Kay Lynn was busy tasting them when the next set of ladies came up to The Perfect Dress table.

“Looks like it’s going to be a profitable day,” Glenda leaned in to whisper from the next table.

“Yes, ma’am,” Mitzi agreed, but she was looking at the text from Graham that had popped up on her phone: Missing you.

She hurriedly typed in: Me, too.

Jody scanned the whole room and thought about all the brides-to-be there. If she ever trusted someone to get into another relationship, she intended to have a real wedding. Maybe not a big one, but a ceremony to seal the vows.

“Y’all ready to take a break for lunch?” Mitzi asked.