The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland
Riley
“So there’s been a slight change of plans.”
Kennedy called me during my drive to Rochester. I was only about twenty minutes away.
“What is it?”
“I’m stuck at this tux fitting place with the guys from the wedding party. They screwed up all of the sizes, and now they’re trying to fix it. So I won’t be able to meet you at my mom’s shop.”
Kennedy’s mother was supposed to be giving him the keys to her boutique so he could take me to select a dress for the wedding. I wasn’t exactly sure what this news meant.
“Should I wait for you somewhere?
“No. If you wait for me, we won’t have enough time before the rehearsal dinner. I just got off the phone with my mom, and she’s going to meet you there.”
Panic started to set in. “Kennedy, I can’t meet your mom without you!”
“Why not?”
“We haven’t even discussed what I’m going to say or anything.”
“Honestly, Riley? Just be yourself. That’s more than enough. There’s nothing you could say that could make you better than you already are.”
His words calmed me down just a tad. Seriously, what a sweet thing to say.
“I guess I just thought maybe you wanted me to jazz things up a bit. You know, like how we met when I was saving you from a burning building. That sort of thing.”
He let out a hearty laugh. “Riley, that was never the plan. Tell the truth. Although, maybe neglect to mention that I lied through my teeth to your mother over Christmas. My mom doesn’t need to know any of that.”
I blew out a breath. “God, now I’m nervous. I thought you’d be with me.”
“Riley. You’ll be fine. And I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Mrs. Riley’s boutique was basically a little house, situated at the corner of a residential street. A white lace gown with a champagne-colored sash was displayed in the window and a sign read: Suzanne’s Bridals. From what Kennedy told me, his mother’s shop also featured regular dresses and shoes, as well as the bridal gowns.
One-stop shopping to meet your fake boyfriend’s family.
A bell chimed as I opened the door.
“Be right there!” I heard someone call from the back.
My palms were sweaty as I geared up to meet Mrs. Riley. My eyes trailed along a line of white dresses sandwiched together along the left side of the room. On the other side were evening gowns and shorter dresses in a rainbow of colors.
“Riley?”
I turned toward the voice.
A petite woman with short brown hair and a huge smile greeted me.
“Mrs. Riley?”
“Please, call me Suzanne. Gosh, I can’t get over the fact that your first name is our last name!”
“Yeah. It’s a pretty funny coincidence.”
“Kennedy tells me that’s how you two met? He was being a wiseass after receiving some of your email messages?”
I blinked. It caught me off guard that he’d opened up to his mother about that.
“Yeah. That’s exactly how we met,” I chuckled and lowered my eyes, wondering how much she knew about those emails.
“Well, he seems very fond of you. I guess it was meant to be.” She smiled. “Anyway, I don’t mean to make you blush.”
I hadn’t realized I was.
She clapped her hands together. “Let’s find you a dress, shall we? Kennedy emailed me your size.”
Suzanne asked me what color I had in mind, and I told her I was particularly fond of deeper tones since anything too pale made me look washed out. She selected a few shorter dresses in red, blue, and plum.
“You can change in that dressing room right over there in the corner. Then come out and use the large mirror out here. Better lighting.”
“Thank you so much.” I ventured into the changing area to play dress up.
When I returned to the main room, someone else had arrived, a young, attractive woman about my age.
Kennedy’s mother introduced us. “Riley, this is my son Bradley’s fiancée, Felicity.”
“Oh you’re the bride! Congratulations,” I said. “It’s great to meet you.”
Felicity had long brown hair and reminded me a bit of the actress Katie Holmes in her Dawson’s Creek days.
“Riley is Kennedy’s date to the wedding.”
Felicity’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped a little, as if the news of Kennedy bringing someone home was a shock. “Wow, okay. How did you two meet?”
“We work for the same company, different divisions.”
“Ah, an office romance.”
“Sort of, I guess. But nevertheless, I’m here. And he’s a great guy.”
“Oh, I know,” she assured me.
Trying to change the subject from my relationship with Kennedy, I asked, “Is your gown from here?”
“Of course. Where else?” She grinned. “I’m actually here for my final fitting. Suzanne figured that since she was coming here anyway to meet you, we might as well do that now instead of waiting until tomorrow morning.” She looked down at my dress. “That plum is a great color on you, by the way.”
“Thanks. I think this is the one. I don’t think I even need to try on the others. I love it so much.”
“I couldn’t agree more. It fits you perfectly.” Excitement filled her eyes. “Wanna see my dress?”
“Um, sure. I’d love to.”
“Okay. Be right back!”
Felicity disappeared with Suzanne into a backroom. I made my way over to the long rack of wedding gowns and stopped at one in particular that I absolutely loved. Oh, yes, this would be the one I’d pick if it were my big day. A simple lace gown, trumpet style, strapless, and just a hint of sparkle. My heart felt heavy because at that moment I thought of Frankie, and how he’d planned to propose but never got the chance.
I snapped out of my sad thoughts, blinking back an unexpected tear just as Felicity floated back into the room holding out the sides of her Cinderella-style ball gown with a huge smile on her face.
“Oh my gosh. You look gorgeous, like a princess,” I said as she stepped onto the raised platform in front of the mirror, even though the huge tulle skirt wasn’t my style at all.
Suzanne noticed my hand still on the dress I’d been admiring. “You like that one? Good choice.”
“I do.”
“That’s actually my original design. I don’t design all of these, but that one is custom. I made it for a wedding that never ended up happening, unfortunately.”
“Oh, so it’s cursed? It’s perfect for me, then,” I laughed.
“Want to try it on?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t.”
“Come on, Riley!” Felicity said. “It’ll be fun.”
I didn’t take much convincing. It really was a gorgeous gown. I shrugged and removed it from the rack. “Okay!”
After heading back to the dressing room and slipping it on, I realized that the back was like a corset and needed to be cinched and tied. I was going to need some help.
When I emerged, Suzanne said, “Oh, how lovely. That dress looks like it was made for you, Riley!”
Felicity came around behind me. “Here, let me,” she said as she began lacing up the back of the bodice.
The boutique phone rang and Suzanne disappeared to answer it.
As Felicity continued to work on the ties, she said, “I’m really glad you’re here, Riley.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to be here.”
“We weren’t sure Kennedy would show up at all. Then suddenly he was on his way home and agreed to be in the wedding party. It’s been a long road getting to where we can talk again. A part of me will always love him, just not in the same way, of course.”
I blinked in confusion. “The same way?”
Her face froze as her eyes met mine in the mirror. “Kennedy...told you about our history, right?”
I swallowed. “I’m afraid not.”
“Shit. I just assumed...”
I turned to face her. “What history?”
“Kennedy and I were together, before I fell in love with Bradley.”
“Bradley. His brother.” The wheels in my head turned so fast, I felt lightheaded. “Wait. You’re...the one he didn’t become Neil Armstrong for?”
She frowned, looking confused. .”Excuse me?”
“The one he was with when he turned down the space program?”
“Oh. Yeah. We were together then.” She seemed to realize her error in divulging this to me. “Crap. If he hasn’t told you, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, I’m glad you did.”
“Maybe don’t mention we had this talk?”
“I’ll let him tell me himself, in his own time. If he wants me to know.”
I fussed with my neckline, somehow feeling like it was choking me, even though it wasn’t anywhere near my neck. This new information had me reeling.
Kennedy’s ex left him…for his brother.
She was marrying him tomorrow.
And Kennedy was in the wedding.
This explained a lot, why he hadn’t been home in so long.
Just as Suzanne returned, the bell at the door dinged. All of our heads turned to him at the same time.
Kennedy’s eyes went wide as he took in the surreal sight of two girls and two gowns.
