Chapter Fifteen

Ashley

 

“Oh dear, that dress looks gorgeous on you. How do you like it?”

I look down at the price tag and almost have a heart attack. Sure, it’s a beautifully simple sweetheart A-line dress with a beaded sash. It has a strapless bodice and the back is crisscross strapped like a corset holding everything up top in place. The dress is fitted up top but gently flares out at the bottom. It is floor-length with no train, which I love. It fits me perfectly, and if I’m honest, it makes me feel like a princess. However, I could live off the cost of this dress for like three years!

“Umm… well, it’s beautiful but…”

“But what? What’s wrong?” Giselle gets out of the leather seat she’s been sitting in and puts down the complimentary champagne the sales associate gave us when we walked in. When she walks up to me and puts her hand on my shoulder, I choke up. I don’t know why but I have been so emotional over the little things lately.

“My dear, talk to me. Why are you crying?” She wraps her arms around me in a hug.

“What’s wrong?” My mom comes out from the bathroom and rushes to me. I didn’t know it, but when I showed up in Colorado, my mom was getting off her flight as well. Kaden surprised me, knowing I would want my mom to be here when picking out the details for our wedding. It was one of the best surprises I could ask for.

“Giselle, give the girl some space.” Rose speaks up from her chair and when I look at her she gives me a wink.

“I’m sorry. I love the dress. It’s just a lot of money. I don’t feel right spending this kind of money on a dress. Kaden and I are supposed to become equals, partners in a marriage, right? Isn’t that what dad and you always said?” I direct my question toward my mom. “I just feel like I have nothing to contribute.”

“Oh sweetie, you contribute plenty. You make Kaden so happy. There was a time when I thought he would never find love again, but he did, and he found it with you and your sweet son. Partnership is not about money; it’s about trust and friendship. It’s about supporting and respecting one another.”

Rose stands and places her hands in mine. “Don’t allow money to come between you and my grandson. Whether you are rich or poor, money can destroy a relationship. Don’t ever feel like you are inferior. No amount of money can buy the friendship and love you and Kaden have created. Let him love you. He wants you to have the perfect wedding. Don’t look at prices. Enjoy yourself, so when you look back you remember the beautiful moments. Don’t allow them to be tainted with who has more money.”

She pulls me into a loving embrace and kisses me on my cheek. “Welcome to our family, my sweet girl.”

I turn to look in the three-way full length mirror and without thinking about the price, fall in love with the dress.

“This is the one I want.”

After picking out the dress and sending pictures of the bridesmaids’ dresses to the girls, who let me know they appreciate me not sticking them in crazy ugly colored dresses, we go to meet the wedding planner, Julie, for lunch.

“Is there a venue you are thinking of for the wedding?” Julie asks.

“We can just do it at the club… Wouldn’t that be the easiest?”

Rose and Giselle exchange a look.

“What?”

“Well, it’s just that Kaden and Gabrielle got married there.”

“Oh no! I didn’t even think about that. I’m so sorry.” I bury my face in my hands. How could I not have thought about the fact that Kaden has already been married? What if I choose the same colors they had or the same style dresses? Will he remember her instead of thinking of me? Tears quickly form and I have no choice but to release them so everything isn’t blurry.

“I’m sorry, Julie. I know you came here to discuss the wedding but I don’t think this is a good idea.”

I drop my napkin onto the table and rush outside needing some fresh air to collect myself. I am walking down the sidewalk in no particular direction not paying attention when I run into a woman walking in the opposite direction.

“Excuse me.” I look up and see a ghost. It’s the woman in the pictures. Gasping, I look around to see if someone is playing a joke on me. “Gabrielle?”

The woman’s eyes widen before smiling sadly. “No, she was my sister. You’re Kaden’s fiancée, right? I saw you that day in the club, when we ran into Kaden but you probably weren’t thinking about that at the time.”

“Oh, right. You were hugging him. I didn’t see your face clearly. You are Gabrielle’s twin?”

I palm my forehead at the stupid question. Why else would this woman be a spitting image of Kaden’s dead wife?

“I’m an idiot. Please ignore me.”

The woman laughs. “That’s ok. My name is Danielle. It’s nice to meet you. You looked like you were in a rush, and you’re crying. Are you running to or from something?”

“From… I was at a lunch with the wedding planner and I kind of got overwhelmed. But you don’t need to be bored with the details of my crap.” I wave my hand.

“I don’t mind. Kaden and I have been friends for years. I’m happy he found you. When he came to visit my family a few months ago he seemed to be turning a corner. Congratulations on the engagement.”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. So, what had you feeling overwhelmed?”

“It’s going to sound stupid but I was supposed to pick the venue, so I picked the country club, which was the same location where Kaden and your sister were married. Now I’m second guessing everything. It’s my first wedding but he’s already done all this.”

“Ahh… and you’re afraid you will either be repeating what they did or he won’t like what you chose and compare it to their wedding.”

“Yeah. Stupid, right?”

She laughs softly. She has a pretty smile just like her sister did in all the photos I looked through. “No, it’s not stupid. Talk to Kaden. Tell him how you feel. Otherwise you will drive yourself crazy with worry.”

“You’re right, I will. Thank you. It was very nice to meet you.”

“You, too. I look forward to the wedding.” Danielle gives me a quick hug, then walks off. The wedding? I never would have thought her family would want to attend our wedding…

My phone goes off.

Kaden: Ash….

Me: yes?

Kaden: Talk to me, babe. My mom said you ran out of lunch crying.

Me: Can we just elope like Caleb and Hayley did?

Kaden: We can do whatever you want, baby.

I think about how selfless he is. I know if I really wanted to, Kaden would go to the strip, find a little church, and marry me tomorrow. But then I remember our family, especially his grandmother, who wants to see us get married. It would be selfish to deprive them from being there to witness us getting married. I feel so lost and confused. I sit down on the bench and start crying again.

Kaden: You there?

Before I can reply my phone is ringing.

“Hello?”

“Baby, are you still crying? What is going on?” The sound of his voice makes me cry harder.

“I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” My cries turn into sobs. “W-we were deciding on a location and I pick the w-wrong one. I-I picked the o-one where you married Gabrielle.” I am now crying so hard I am hiccupping and I can’t stop.

“Ashley, baby, please calm down.”

“I-I can’t. What if our wedding is horrible? What if you liked your first one better? What if I say the wrong things? Or pick the cake you already had? You didn’t want to get married again because you were only supposed to get married once. You already had your perfect wedding.”

“Oh, baby. I wish I was there so I could wrap my arms around you and hold you. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” I sniffle and it sounds horribly un-lady like, “Ugh! I am all snotty. I sound like a vacuum sucking up snot.”

Kaden chuckles softly.

“I don’t think I can do this, Kaden.”

“Do what, Ashley? Marry me or plan the wedding?”

“Plan the wedding. Of course, I want to be your wife.”

Kaden sighs into the phone. “I’m sorry, Kaden.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. How about we do something a little untraditional? How about I plan the wedding? You already picked out your dress, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, everything else is just details. I don’t like you sounding like this. It’s not worth the stress. Our wedding will be one-of-a-kind because it will be ours. Everything could be the same, the colors, the venue, the food… It wouldn’t matter because the only important detail, the only thing I care about is you and me and Tristan. It will be perfect and original because I will be marrying you.”

“Everything you say is always so damn perfect.” My cries that slightly subsided start back up again in full force and Kaden chuckles into the phone.

“They weren’t meant to make you cry, Ash. Go back to the restaurant and eat lunch. Enjoy your time with our moms and my grandmother. Go to the spa, get a massage, and then come home. I will handle the details. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“And baby…”

“Yeah?”

“I love you and your cute snotty sniffles.”

“I love you, too.”