Broken Together (31 page)

“We’re
tallying our scores so we can choose the best dress,” Marie answered in far too
innocent a tone.

I
glanced pointedly at Cenia. “Gee, I wonder who came up with that idea.”

“I’m
negotiating the final agreement and mediating disputes,” Shae stated happily.

I
shook my head before scrutinizing their scores. “Fives, sixes, and seven… that
seems about right. Okay, next dress.”

Gloria
followed me out of the room. “Your friends are hysterical.”

“That
they are.” I schlepped up the stairs and shimmied into the next dress. This was
one of the few satin dresses that I’d selected. I was trying to steer clear of
dresses that resembled the one I’d chosen in Paris. The formfitting bodice was strapless.
The hips and waist were embellished with a soft floral embroidery that tiptoed
toward the bodice. A wide satin sash framed my hips before falling in elegant
folds. The dress was nearly straight, with the subtlest flair as it fell toward
the floor.

“Hair
down for this one,” Emily announced. She removed the clip from my hair and
fluffed it with her fingers. “Perfect.”

We
traipsed downstairs.

“Oh!
That’s gorgeous,” Marie breathed.

“Very
pretty,” Shae agreed.

I
turned briefly while awaiting their scores. The dress was elegant, but I
couldn’t picture Rafael’s jaw dropping when I walked down the aisle.

Brady
and Jase rated the dress a five while all three girls awarded a nine. I smiled.
“Just as I suspected. Let’s see how you like the next dress.”

The
next dress looked innocent and sweet. I was a million miles from innocent so I
removed it immediately.

Gloria
pulled one of the dresses she had selected from the garment bag and eased it
over my head. “I’ve got my fingers crossed on this one.”

Nicole
pulled my hair in a twist and clipped it up again. Emily tucked a pearl tiara
in my hair. The three women stood breathlessly awaiting my response when Gloria
nudged me toward the mirror.

My
heart stalled. The embroidered dress was beyond exquisite. The entire dress was
heavily beaded with ivory sequins and pearls. The formfitting bodice dipped well
below my breasts, but a built in bra and delicately embroidered straps held
everything in place. The dress hugged my hips before flaring into an incredibly
romantic train. I turned to admire the back, and my vision blurred. The train
was much longer than I expected and delicately scalloped along the edges. A
thin strand of embroidered ivory leaves trailed down my shoulders before delicately
framing my waist. The back was cut in a low V that dipped below my hips. Four
strands of pearls draped from one shoulder to the next, trailing all the way down
my back. I reached for the chair as my knees began to weaken.

Nicole
eased me onto the chair while Emily fanned my face.

Gloria
pressed a handful of tissues into my hand. “Never in a million years did I
think I’d find a woman who could carry this off, but you do in a surprisingly
elegant way. This gown is so exquisite, I couldn’t resist ordering it. I know
it’s a little risqué. Are you brave enough to wear it?”

My
heart was pounding. This elaborate dress pushed the boundaries between romance
and seduction just like Rafael. “It’s perfect,” I finally breathed.

Emily
and Nicole cheered.

Gloria
smiled as she knelt in front of me. “Would you like to show your friends?”

I
studied her kind face. “You know, Gloria, I don’t think I will. I’d like to
keep this dress secret. I don’t want anyone to see it before Rafael.”

“I
think that’s a wonderful idea.” She helped me remove the tiara and dress after
one last look in the mirror.

I
threw my blue jeans and sweater back on so I could break the news to my
friends. I rifled through the bridesmaid dresses before I went downstairs. “We might
as well present this one first. I doubt they’ll look at another dress after seeing
this gown.”

Gloria
smiled. “I’ll make sure they try that one first. Go ahead and send them up.”

My
heart was singing by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs. I was so in
love with my dress.

My
friends’ eyes widened when I stepped into the room.

Shae
jumped from the couch. “What happened? Why aren’t you wearing a dress?”

I
grinned. “I’ve found the perfect dress, but I don’t want to show it to anyone.”

“What?”
Cenia exclaimed. “You can’t do that. We… we have to tally our scores.”

I
laughed. “No, you don’t. You have to go upstairs and try on your bridesmaid
dress.”

Marie
glanced at me uncertainly. “Are you serious? You’re keeping your dress secret?”

I
walked into the kitchen so I could pour a cup of coffee. “I want Rafael to see
the dress first.” I frowned. “Well, maybe not first but at the same time as
everyone else.”

Jase
joined me in the kitchen. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“I
kinda liked being a judge,” Brady objected.

“You
can be a judge for the bridesmaids’ dresses.” I glanced at my friends.
“Gloria’s waiting for you upstairs.”

They
moved reluctantly toward the stairs.

I
lowered my voice. “Either of you willing to wager a bet?”

Jase
leaned against the counter while pressing a coffee cup to his lips. “What kind
of bet?”

I
bit my bottom lip. “I bet they choose the very first dress.”

Brady
joined us in the kitchen. He appeared to be weighing the odds.

Jase’s
eyes narrowed. “I’m not betting on this. You have an unfair advantage. You’ve
seen all the dresses.”

“They’re
women,” Brady scoffed. “No way are they choosing the first dress they try on.”

I
joined him at the center island. “So Jase is out and you’re in. What do you
want to bet?”

“Dinner,”
Brady stated. “Winner chooses dinner, and the loser buys.”

“You
got it.” We shook hands before joining Jase on the couch. “I’d like to go ring
shopping for Rafael tomorrow. Are either of you willing to tag along?”

“I’ll
go,” Brady offered.

“Sure,
why not?” Jase popped a chocolate dipped strawberry into his mouth.

I
patted their knees. “You guys seriously rock.”

Their
jaws suddenly dropped.

Cenia,
Marie, and Shae filed into the room. They looked stunning in the deep purple
gowns I’d selected. The bodice, a sheer lavender material, was embellished with
a beaded purple and ivory floral applique that strategically covered the chest
and framed the back of the dress, which was cut in a V just above the waist. A
ruched eight inch strip of fabric defined the waist. Large black roses swirled
throughout the dark purple skirt which pooled on the floor in a subtle train.
The dress was elegant, sexy, and unabashedly romantic.

“This
dress is unbelievable,” Shae murmured dreamily.

“Absolutely
gorgeous,” Marie agreed. She turned a slow circle, admiring the train.

“I
may never take it off,” Cenia announced defiantly.

“Maybe
you should try the other dresses,” Brady suggested.

Shae
looked horrified. “No. This… this is the dress I want to wear.”

“Me
too.” Marie looked pleadingly at me.

“I
told you I wasn’t taking it off,” Cenia very nearly growled.

I
laughed. “I’m so relieved. I was secretly hoping for that dress.” I snapped a
picture for Lexie and Kimme, who had agreed to wear whatever we chose.

“Who
knew dress shopping could be so easy?” Marie exclaimed as they walked upstairs.

I
looked pointedly at Brady. “You’re buying ZPizza for dinner.”

“Works
for me,” he conceded with a grin.

Jase
just shook his head.

*
* * * *

“What
do you think of this one?” I tapped on the glass above the brushed titanium
band.

The
jeweler pulled it out of the case. “Black titanium wedding bands are quite
popular these days.”

Jase
slid the ring on his finger. He was modeling rings since his coloring was
similar to Rafael’s. “I don’t know. There’s nothing really distinctive about
this ring.”

I
frowned at the ring. “I agree.”

“Why
don’t you try this one?” Brady pointed to a rustic looking ring.

The
jeweler pulled the ring out and set it on top of the counter. “That ring is
handmade, hammered silver with antiquing.”

Jase
returned the titanium ring to the jeweler before slipping the hammered band on
his hand. “This looks like Rafael.”

The
ring had an old world feel about it and certainly looked masculine enough. “I
don’t know about silver, though. Isn’t silver soft?”

The
jeweler nodded. “Titanium and platinum are more scratch resistant. Have you
ever seen a tungsten carbide ring? They’re completely scratch proof, our most
durable rings by far.” He pulled a highly polished silver ring with a black
inlay from his case. “The only problem with these rings is they can’t be
resized.”

Brady
slid the ring on his finger.

I
studied both of their hands. “I don’t know whether to go with contemporary or
rustic.” I looked at the price tags and released an exasperated breath.
“Neither of these will work.”

Brady
frowned. “Why not?”

I
pointed to the price tag. “That ring is a hundred dollars. I can’t buy Rafael a
hundred dollar ring, not when he bought me this.” I held my ring out for
everyone to see.

“I’ve
been admiring your engagement ring,” the jeweler confessed. “Is that a
Verragio?”

I
nodded. “My wedding band is a Verragio as well.” Rafael had shown me the braided
band to ensure I liked it. I nearly fainted when I saw all of the diamonds.

The
jeweler collected the rings and returned them to the case. “I have some
Verragio wedding bands in my other case.”

We
followed the jeweler to the other side of the store and quietly studied the
rings. “That’s the one,” I finally whispered.

My
heart leapt when the jeweler pulled it from the case and placed it in my hand.
“This ring is available in platinum or eighteen karat gold.”

The
ring was solid, heavy even. The trim along the edges was highly polished and
set against a black enamel line with a brushed platinum finish in the center.
The ring was deeply notched. Each notch formed a square that framed a diamond.
Five diamonds were set flush inside the ring. The design was masculine and
refined, which seemed fitting for a man who preferred cargo pants and jeans
over his tux but still enjoyed the finer things in life. “This is perfect.”

“Would
you like to see it on my hand?” Jase inquired hesitantly.

“Sure.”
I handed him the ring. “How does it feel?”

Jase
slid the ring into place. “Solid and comfortable.” He clenched his hand and
twisted the ring around his finger. “I really like the way it feels.”

I
placed my hand over Jase’s hand. “It looks good with my engagement ring. Can
you see Rafael wearing this?”

“Absolutely,”
Brady agreed.

Jase
slid the ring off his finger and placed it in my hand. “I think this ring is
perfect.”

I
handed the ring to the jeweler before digging out my credit card. “I’d like
this ring in a size eleven. Platinum, please.”

He
nodded his approval. “You’ve chosen a very handsome ring. Would you like to
have it engraved?”

“Yes,
please.” I followed him to the register where he handed me a slip of paper. I
carefully printed the two words I’d been considering ever since Rafael proposed
and whisked me off to Portugal.

The
jeweler read the inscription he would later engrave. His eyes glistened when
they returned to mine. “I’m so happy you found one another.”

“Me
too,” I answered sincerely.

*
* * * *

“Rafael!”
I sprinted around the corner and ran smack dab into Jase’s chest.

He
tried not to laugh. “Let me make sure it’s him.” He strode past the center
island just as Rafael opened the door into the kitchen.

I
darted past Jase and jumped into Rafael’s arms. “You’re four hours early!”

“I
was trying to surprise you.” His hands speared my hair and clenched my waist as
he pressed his lips to mine. He forced my lips open. The kiss grew possessive
and there was an underlying current that made me tremble with anticipation. “I’ve
missed you,” Rafael admitted while his lips still blanketed mine.

“I
missed you too.” I buried my face in his neck and hugged him again. God, how I
loved this man.

“We’re
going to head out,” Jase announced, as if we might not notice.

Rafael
tucked me under his arm.

“Are
you going to see Emma?” I pried curiously.