Cassidy Bright’s sparkling pink dress highlighted her pink complexion. The tailored waist made her thin body have curves. She tugged the beaded bandeau snug over chest, her strapless bra in place, and left the mirror. Looking good for herself was all that mattered and right now, she felt pretty.

Her hair was smoothed in sleek waves with nary a frizz. Tomorrow she’d have an updo with cascading curls. Her plan to wow Remy at her wedding with a complete transformation was gone. Hopefully she’d still shock him, but it felt kind of nice to dress up.

No one was here to make her feel ridiculous for being more like a girl which would be exactly what her sister would do, even if she just tried to wear lip gloss on a windy day. She never should have hid herself because of college. She’d given Alex too much power.

She floated down the stairs and Remy’s eyes widened as she neared him on the bottom step. He’d changed into a black tuxedo that hugged his body and showed off his taut muscles.

He held out his arm for her, a slight frown between his brows. “You look so different.”

She tugged on the side of the dress to ensure she was good. Isn’t this what he wanted from her since she’d moved here? She kept the question to herself and instead laughed and tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “My initial plan the other day was to keep my long frizzy hair in my face until our wedding day.”

“Your plan?”

Tonight she’d take her place at the top of the world. Tomorrow, Remy was hers. As they walked into the main room, she slowed down, remembering Gigi as she answered, “But Michael, the stylist, insisted we had too much work to do for that and we needed to start right away. This is part two of three.”

He brushed his hand against her cheek, careful not to touch her skin. “I’m afraid of part three then.”

“Why?” She blinked, not certain if he approved.

He leaned closer. “Because you’re stunning. I won’t want to leave your side tonight to do my best man duties.”

Her lips tingled like she wanted to ask for a kiss, but she ignored the sensation and patted his arm. “Blackwell has been your good friend for years now.” She remembered how the two of them were friends in college. Her heart stammered a little as she realized she was no longer just watching Remy from the sideline. As they passed another mirror, he stopped.

She checked her strapless dress with a quick glance to make sure it was all in the right place as Remy picked up a rose boutonnière that he attached to his lapel. “I have to give a speech.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Cassidy said. “Though I have to say for one of the most eligible dukes in all of Avce, his small, intimate wedding in the chapel is a surprise.”

Remy turned toward her. “He never wanted to be the Duke of Oakley. Unlike me, his father was around and handled life for him until recently.”

Part of her heart still squeezed and felt sad for Remy like she had as a girl knowing that he never had his parents. She fixed his tie that was a little crooked. “I’m sure you miss them.”

He shrugged and offered his arm again. “I don’t remember them. I have an ideal of what a family looks like but Grannie has always been enough of a parent for me.”

He walked toward the front door, but she stalled. “I don’t remember a school function without Gigi showing up to support you, even when you tried to be in Tinkana, your rock band.”

A huge grin grew on his face. “You remember that? We were ten when I went through that phase.”

She remembered almost everything about Remy. She’d always noticed whatever he did and it had hurt her when he’d played his silly pranks. She lowered her head, refusing to dwell on that, and pointed in the other direction. “Well, I promised to go see Gigi before we go.”

“I’m coming with you.” He placed his hand on her lower back as they went to Gigi’s room.

The moment he opened the door, Gigi put her book down and smiled at them. “Cassidy Bright, you look beautiful. I love this dress and that you’ve cut your hair. You’re breathtaking, young lady.”

She was almost thirty. Remy would be thirty in a few weeks, which was why they were marrying so fast. But for now she twirled around and showed how the dress flared a little in the back which gave her more legroom, in case she wanted to dance. “My mother helped me find the dress.”

Remy’s gaze was on her legs when she stopped spinning.

Her face felt hot as she wondered what he thought.

He didn’t comment but instead turned to his grandmother. “We have to go, Grannie.”

They all exchanged kisses and Gigi said, “Love you both. Have fun.”

Then he escorted her out and they walked back to the large foyer when he stopped and stared at the stairs going up to their bedrooms. “Wait. I forgot something.”

He then rushed up the stairs, two steps at a time. She noticed through the side windows at the front entrance that Fari had brought out Remy’s red Ferrari for them rather than the black.

Remy raced down the stairs, holding the bannister, but stopped his fast pace when he practically braked in front of her. Her eyebrows shot up as she asked, “What did you forget?”

“This.” He pulled a necklace out of his pocket.

The diamond glistened in the light of the chandelier and she see that the gem was first rate. She shook her head. “I can’t wear that.”

“For me.” He walked around her and clasped it on her neck. “Besides, it becomes yours tomorrow. I don’t have many things that were my mother’s. Grannie grabbed me in my crib and ran to her car that night the communists came and killed my parents.”

They both knew the story. Her grandmother, who was with Gigi visiting, called her parents who immediately gathered her and left—Chelsea hadn’t been born yet. The soldiers found his parents outside the estate and shot them while Gigi ran for Remy, grabbing him and joining her parents on the tarmac of a mutual friend who fueled his own jet to escape and gave them all a ride out of the war-torn country. She fingered the diamond with sadness. “And my grandma. Your Grannie was always like my own.”

Remy placed both his hands on her shoulders. “She packed so little, but she grabbed my mother’s diamonds as well as the bank accounts. I’d like for you to wear this and tomorrow wear my mother’s full diamond tiara and necklace. It’s been in the family for generations.”

Only Gigi would think straight when soldiers were running up the stairs to kill her. Cassidy wasn’t sure what she’d do if she lived through any of that, but she adjusted the diamond and let it go. “Thank you. I’ll keep this safe for you.”

“For us.” He winked, like Gigi often did. “Now you look like the Countess of Sky.”

She joked as they went to his car, “Glad I pulled it off.”

He opened her car door for her and then drove them to a two-thousand-year-old church that had been built, according to lore, where Mary had appeared to the Roman ancestors of the royal family and made it snow in the spot she’d wanted her church. Some said Avce remained blessed to this day because of the actions of their ancestors.

Unlike the royal wedding, the Duke of Oakley’s chapel was filled with maybe thirty people.

As they walked into the foyer, together, she tugged on Remy’s arm. “Tonight, if there is dancing at this reception, I’d like for you… to dance with me.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and someone snapped their picture. They both ignored it as Remy whispered in her ear, “I want to do more than just dance with you, but tonight, I’ll honor your wishes. Let me go do the best man thing. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be here.” She waved and he headed into the side door where the wedding party waited for the ceremony to begin.

She kept her head down and intended to pick her own seat, but Remy came right back out. He placed his hand on her back and she turned around and he took her hand in his. “Cassidy, Donna needs a maid of honor and doesn’t have any friends here.”

Cassidy quickly realized the American had no one in their country to ask for assistance.

Remy tugged her arm gently. “Can you help?”

“She wants me?” Cassidy followed him toward the door willing to step into the role. Donna had been nice to her and she hoped they both lived happily-ever-after.

“Yes.” Remy motioned for her to go inside where the bride waited.

An older American woman hugged her as she let herself in. “I’m Beth, nice to meet you Cassidy.” Then she adjusted the netting on the bridal veil and asked, “Donna, are you ready?”

Donna looked amazing in her white bohemian style wedding gown. The bride-to-be rushed over and hugged her too. “Thank you, Cassidy. I didn’t even think about what was needed for this wedding ceremony. I was too nervous.”

Taking care of details was what Cassidy excelled at. Donna stepped back and Cassidy handed her a tissue in case there were any happy tears before the bride ruined her makeup and picked up the extra bouquet that must be for her. At least her pink dress matched the pink flowers. She adjusted a peony and said, “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll help.”

Donna nodded and returned to her makeup crew for a last second touch up. “You are my fairy godmother, matching me and Blackwell, so tomorrow, if there is anything you need…”

Her computer program had worked for everyone else. Remy was perhaps something special, but he wasn’t in love with her. And she couldn’t possibly be in love with him. She adjusted more of her flowers as she remembered his kiss that burned through her soul, but that was just physical and didn’t mean anything. She told Donna, “I just want to see that love exists and you and Blackwell are proving it’s possible.”

The makeup people let her go and Donna turned around, her energy dialed high. “I’m hoping we can be friends.”

“I’d like that.” Cassidy touched her simple diamond pendant.

“Good.” Donna’s smile seemed genuine.

A few minutes later the wedding march began. Cassidy walked next to Remy up the aisle, as if they were practicing for tomorrow. People snapped photographs. “Your picture will be in the papers for sure, Cassidy.”

Cassidy pasted a smile on her face but leaned closer to him as they walked. “At least my sister didn’t show up here and ruin Donna’s big day. I’m worried about tomorrow. She had to be invited, being as she’s my sister and all.” In fact, Chelsea was to be her bridesmaid.

His gaze narrowed. “What do you think she’ll do?”

They were almost at the altar where they’d go in opposite directions, but she answered fast. “I don’t know. She’s not used to losing to me. We usually walk two very different paths, but she’s always been competitive.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together.” He squeezed her hand.

Both then split up and she took her place in Donna’s wedding party, seeing for herself the love the two people shared. She occasionally caught Remy’s gaze as they stood across from each other—and suddenly she knew that tomorrow would be fine. Marrying Remy was a good decision and tonight, they’d dance.