Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
My blush pink dress moves against my thighs as I shift in my seat. It is the dress I picked out with Maria when she took me shopping in East Hampton. The net fascinator I bought rests at an angle in my hair, a vintage touch that makes me feel like I’ve stepped out of an old Hollywood photograph. My nude heels pinch a little, but they make my legs look longer, so I’ll suffer. The gold clutch in my lap gleams softly. The only problem is the nerves that threaten to pull me down if I let them.
We reach the end of the driveway and the chauffeur stops the car. Before I can grasp the handle of the car door, Rhett has come around to my side. He offers me his hand as though we’re in some old-fashioned film. Cameras flash, and I panic inside. Am I going to end up in the bloopers in an issue of Hello at some point? A who’s who of nobodies. I relax slightly when I realize quickly that they’re not paparazzi, just the wedding photographers and some of the other guests capturing the arrivals. Still, I straighten my back and tilt my chin up slightly, suddenly conscious of every detail: the way my dress floats in the sea breeze, the way Rhett’s hand steadies me, the way his gaze flickers over me with something that makes my skin feel warmer.
“You look beautiful,” he murmurs, so low I almost miss it.
My cheeks heat. “I don’t feel beautiful at all.”
His eyes hold mine, darker than the ocean. “You will be the most beautiful woman in every room you enter.”
Before I can respond, an usher guides us up the grand steps in front of us. The air smells like salt and roses. The gardens are drenched in blooms. White orchids, pale pink peonies, blush roses climbing arches and railings vie for attention. There are flowers everywhere, as if someone decided the estate should resemble a living bouquet. A string quartet plays softly near the entrance, the enchanting notes weaving through the laughter of guests.
Inside, we are led to a large room that has been transformed. Rows of cream chairs stretch across the room with an aisle between them, facing a raised platform draped in cascading flowers. A crystal arch stands at the front, catching the sun through the huge windows behind it until it scatters rainbows across the guests below. Everything is decked out in shades of cream, ivory, and gold, a palette so elegant it almost hurts to look at it.
We look for our seats with Rhett’s friends. Max sees us first, and he immediately stands to greet us. He is tall and broad in a perfectly tailored suit, his grin easy. He leans in and kisses my cheek.
“Well, well, look who’s arrived. Was hoping you might have gotten bored with Remington and ditched him by now.”
“Don’t count on it,” Rhett says dryly, settling into the row.
I sit down beside him.
Maria beams at me, her dark hair shining in the sunlight. “Pippa, you look incredible. That dress was made for you.”
“Thanks,” I say with a nervous smile. “You look stunning in that dress.” Her dress is a soft peach silk number, cut daringly low at the back. “I’d kill to look so effortlessly elegant.”
She shrugs like she doesn’t expect to hear anything else. “This old thing,” she says dismissively, then winks at me.
Harrison, lounging on Maria’s other side, tips his sunglasses down his nose to glance at me. “Remington is one lucky bastard.”
I roll my eyes, but Rhett’s hand finds mine, squeezing lightly. My pulse jumps at the gesture.
Then Vanessa arrives.
My breath catches as I take her in. She’s wearing a sleek navy gown, and her hair is pinned up with a few soft waves around her face. Her make-up is flawless. But she’s not alone. A tall, handsome man in a dove-grey suit escorts her, his hand steady at the small of her back. She’s radiant, laughing at something he whispers, leaning into him like she’s known him forever.
My heart gives a little leap. The ruse worked. Vanessa has moved on. She’s here with someone new, her gaze sliding over Rhett and me without even a flicker of longing. Relief should flood me. This is exactly what we wanted, isn’t it? But a sudden, unexpected, and uninvited sadness tugs at me. If Vanessa has moved on, and George wants me back, then we have successfully reached our end goal. The game is over. I don’t want to go back to George, but what does that mean for Rhett and me once this wedding charade is over?
I force a smile as she and her date settle a few rows ahead of us. Maria leans over, whispering.
“Wow, Vanessa sure picked well?”
“Yeah,” I manage, clutching my gold purse tighter. “He looks like a good one.”