"I think we found the dress," Aubree's mother announced in a singsong voice when they returned home.
Aubree had tried to tell her mother that it was too soon to make a decision on a dress because they were all still emotional about the engagement itself. Her mother shushed her and told her that she knew the moment she saw it that that would be her dress.
"I can just see it! You walking down the aisle with your father, Pachelbel's Canon playing softly in the background, rose petals sprinkled along the floor, Dan in his cute little tux, looking all dashing as he waits patiently for you to meet him at the end."
She started getting all choked up at the end. Aubree couldn't help gaping at her because her mother rarely, if ever, got emotional in front of others.
"Oh, Aubree. You'll be the most beautiful bride in that dress," her mother gushed, her eyes brimming with tears again.
"Way to go, Bree," her father said as he met them in the foyer. "You broke her."
Her mother shot him a glare and smacked him lightly on the chest.
He clutched his chest as if it hurt. "See? Defective. Take her back."
"You're defective."
"See?" He jabbed his thumb in his wife's direction. "She can't even come up with a decent comeback. You broke your mother."
"Shut up, Steve."
As her parents continued their normal bickering into the living room, Dan arched his eyebrows at Aubree as she slipped off her flip-flops. "I take it the dress shopping went well?"
Her face grew warm and she bit her lower lip. "Yeah."
He rubbed her arms as she stepped toward him. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Holding him reminded her of how secure he made her feel, and right then, that was what she needed.
"Is everything okay?" he asked as his hands began to rub her back.
Shit, he's worrying.
"Mom's stressing me out," she admitted into his shoulder, omitting the bigger issue on her mind that he didn't need to know about.
As if wedding planning was the least of her worries.
"Don't worry. She's just excited. She'll settle down once we leave."
Aubree nodded against his chest. The distance will be good for all of them. Her mother won't be in her hair constantly over the smallest things like rose petals scattered down the aisle. Wasn't that the job of the flower girl anyway?
After a minute in his arms, she was already starting to feel calmer. Pulling back, she gazed up into Dan's eyes. "I love you."
He kissed the tip of her nose. "I love you too."
"Aubree!" her mother called from the living room. "What colors have you thought of for your bridesmaids' dresses? I think magenta will look lovely on your girls!"
Aubree shot Dan a 'save me from this crazy woman' face, earning a chuckle from Dan.
Turning on her heel, she marched into the living room. "Mom, no pink!"
After a late lunch, they spent an hour flipping through bridal magazines, followed by another hour of surfing the Internet for venues in Minneapolis.
Aubree kept reminding herself that her mother was excited and wanted to help.
At three-thirty, she was able to escape her mother and call her best friend, Brooke. She had debated on calling Brooke to tell her the news because, well, she wasn't sure what to make of her confused feelings regarding Stone—and Brooke would definitely pick up on the lack of excitement in Aubree's voice about the engagement. She knew how long Aubree had been dreaming of this day.
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Stone (Parts I & II)
Werewolf[COMPLETE] Some bonds can't be broken, even in death. -- He couldn't endure another heartbreak. "Accepting her would be a mistake," he said. "She's a human. I can't afford to have her blood on my hands." Gwen looked away, and he knew she saw the ima...
