The Wedding Dress(6)

He turned, gazing down at her.

“Sorry about the money.”

“I know, Char.” He brushed his fingers lightly over her neck and relieved her fears. “It’s okay. Promise. I’ll be back in a minute.”

In the four months she’d known Tim, she’d learned that he needed time to process. He rarely made snap decisions. Which was another reason to contemplate this whole wedding ordeal.

He never did anything impulsively—so why the marriage proposal so quickly? Was it a moment of romantic weakness? She wasn’t sure he even wanted to marry her. What made him drop to one knee two months after they’d met and slip a ring on her finger?

Did she want to marry him? Charlotte might have to drive back up to Red Mountain in the morning.

But oh, his proposal was perfect and romantic. Charlotte blurted yes without thinking. She led with her heart. At least that’s what Gert always told her.

The band brought down the music and the dance-floor lights dimmed. Couples stepped together and swayed in time to “I Only Have Eyes for You.”

Charlotte grabbed her clutch and headed for the ladies’ room. If she sat there any longer, someone would inquire about Tim.

Shoving through the door, Charlotte was grateful to be alone. She leaned against the vanity counter and studied her reflection in the mirror, ducking under the glare of the unkind lights.

The strands of hair that had slipped from her updo curled around her neck. Pressing her finger under her eye, she dabbed away a spot of mascara. As she opened her clutch for her lipstick, a voice crawled over her shoulder.

“You look beautiful tonight, Charlotte.”

Charlotte glanced in the mirror. Katherine, older brother David’s wife, stood behind her. “As do you. I love your dress.”

Katherine moved to the vanity and leaned toward the mirror, checking her hair and makeup. She was the first and only daughter-in-law in Marshall and Blanch Rose’s family. A distinction she took seriously and guarded jealously.

“Are you having a good time?” Katherine’s smile was stiff and forced as she fished a tube of lipstick from her clutch. “You and Tim have a fight? You were whispering to each other all through dinner. It’s a good thing Blanch couldn’t see you directly.” She smoothed red color over her lips. “Tim’s usually the first on the floor and he’s not been out there yet. He never misses ‘Celebrate.’”

“I’m having a lovely time, Katherine, thank you.” Charlotte sidestepped the woman’s hunt for information. Her conversation with Tim wasn’t any of his sister-in-law’s business. “Forty years of marriage is quite a milestone.”

“You know, Charlotte”—Katherine tore a tissue from the box—“if you’re going to be a Rose, you should start trying to act like a Rose. You keep dragging Tim to dark corners and holding personal conversations like he’s not allowed to associate with his own family. It’s not going to sit well with everyone if this keeps up.” She dabbed the corners of her red lips with the white tissue.

“That shade works well with your complexion,” Charlotte said, unwilling to go on the defensive and debate the Rose family with Katherine. It would be futile. She’d rather stay on her turf. Home field advantage. “My assistant Dixie does makeup for our brides and she’s using soft pinks on the brides with fair complexions.”

Katherine tossed her lipstick back into her clutch. “Well, it was recommended by the girl at the Saks sales counter. But don’t change the subject, Charlotte.”

“Is there a subject?” It felt more like an inquisition. Charlotte clicked her clutch closed and reached for a tissue. She needed a distraction. Bolting for the door would only incite the bee in Katherine’s bonnet.

“Let me tell you a story, Charlotte. I lived next door to the Roses from the time I was three until my freshman year in high school.” Katherine wadded the tissue and tossed it in the trash bin. “David walked me to first grade. Yep, he did. He was the older man, a second grader. Then the summer before seventh grade, my dad moved us across town to a mansion in an exclusive, gated community. We had a pool, tennis courts.” Katherine folded her arms and leaned against the vanity. “But my parents had to work eighty-hour weeks to keep us in the life of luxury, and it tore the family apart. My parents settled their divorce the day after I got my driver’s license.” She stared at her hands. “I felt pretty lost so I drove over to the old neighborhood. To the last place we were happy. Dave and Tim were raking the fall leaves into piles for Jack, Chase, and Rudy to jump in. It was like time stood still at the Rose place except David had turned into this tall, filled-out, gorgeous boy. He saw me and waved. I pulled into the driveway, in so many ways, and never left.”

Charlotte regarded her in the mirror for a moment, their eyes clashing. “I’m not very good at reading between the lines, Katherine.” She held her voice low and steady. “What is it you’re trying to say?” Charlotte walked to the sink to wash her hands, to break the laser line of Katherine’s gaze.

“I’m just going to let out the clutch and speak my mind.”

“Please do.” Charlotte turned off the water and reached for the hand towels, and with an inhale, tightened her ribs around her heart.

“I don’t think you two belong together, Charlotte. You don’t fit in with the family. It’s not that you can’t, but you won’t. What’s going to happen once you’re married? It’d kill Dad and Mom Rose if Tim drifted away from us.”