“Yeah, well, I plan on tearing into that wedding cake later, so I better have plenty of room.” I connect with Juls in the mirror, smiling at the sight of her in the floor-length, pale-gray bridesmaid dress she looks amazing in. “What time are you heading over?”

She looks over at the stove and quickly spins around, grabbing her stuff. “Shit. Right now. I’ll have your bridal suite set up for you, so go straight there when you get to the Whitmore. And use the side entrance. If Reese sees you beforehand, I’ll kill him.”

I laugh and hear my mom’s agreeing noise behind me as Juls walks to the door. It swings open just as she gets to it, Joey emerging from the stairs and decked out in his tux.

“Wow. Look at you,” he says to Juls, earning himself a kiss on the cheek.

“Right back atcha. I’ll see you guys there.” She disappears down the stairs as Joey comes to stand beside me.

“Everything go okay?” I ask as my mother steps back, seemingly done with her task. I spin around and face Joey, seeing his awestruck expression.

His eyes twinkle with adoration as he takes in the sight of me. “You look fucking fabulous.”

“Joseph,” my mother scolds.

He glances over at her. “Well, she does! Seriously, I don’t think anyone has looked this good in a wedding gown before. Aside from Juls.” He shakes his head with an exhaustive sigh. “Single gal, party of one over here.”

I smack his shoulder. “Whatever. No problems with the cake?”

He steps up to the mirror, straightening his tie. “Of course not. I gave it the Joey treatment. It’s waiting for you at the Whitmore, as is your anxious groom.”

“You saw him?” I grab his shoulder and spin him around. “How does he look?”

His eyebrows raise. “Like he might pass out if he doesn’t see you soon.”

I frown. “Really?”

He nods before the crease in his brow sets in. “Billy, on the other hand, is acting all weird. It’s like he purposely avoided me while I was there. And let me tell you, if this is how it’s going to be today, Brooke might have some competition on her hands. I don’t need this shit from a guy who obviously has zero plans of one day giving me the wedding of my dreams.”

“Dylan, sweetheart, we need to get going,” my mother says as she grabs the stuff I’ll be taking with me to the bridal suite.

I grab Joey’s chin and lower it, narrowing my eyes at him. “Don’t count Billy out just yet.”

His eyes widen. “What does that mean? Do you know something?”

I put on my best poker face and loop my arm through his. “I know he loves you. Now stop making this day all about you. I seem to be the one in the fancy dress.”

He gives me a smile as we collect the rest of my things. Standing at the door, I look around my loft one final time. The movers will be coming sometime during the ceremony and taking everything out for me. The next time I come to work, my loft will be an empty space above my bakery. And I’m okay with that.

“Let’s go, cupcake.”

I take one last mental shot before heading down the stairs behind Joey. I beam at the beautiful white lilies sitting in the center of the worktop, a gift from the other bride. I assumed someone else in the wedding party was going to stop in this morning to pick up her cake, but she wanted to personally thank me for fitting her in on such short notice. And she also wanted to give me the flowers herself.

Joey holds the front door open for me as my mom walks close behind, holding my train off the ground. Cool air lifts my hair off my shoulder. The driver smiles and opens the back door of the limo, allowing the three of us to file inside. The excitement I feel rushing through me as we make our way to the Whitmore is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. But I know it won’t top the moment I see Reese.

We’re all huddled in the bridal suite as I check my hair and makeup in the mirror for the thousandth time in the past half hour. I twirl a few curls of my hair around my fingers before fluffing the waves falling past my shoulders. My makeup is looking better than it ever has; elegant yet simple. One of the girls from Chicago Bridal worked her magic on me early this morning while her partner styled my hair. Juls has been in and out of the room, keeping everyone in line while Joey slipped out minutes ago to take care of something he wouldn’t elaborate on. My mother has been trying to keep herself from crying, but every time I make eye contact with her, she loses it. And then there’s my dad. The calmest of the bunch without a doubt. He’s sitting in a high-back leather chair, looking out the window between stealing a few glances at me I’ve caught in the mirror. He really is the yin to my mother’s yang. Complete opposites, the two of them. She’s barely holding herself together while he looks like it’s just another Saturday. Nothing major happening today or anything.

The door to the suite swings open and Joey darts through, slamming it shut behind him. “He’s trying to see you! Is he nuts? That’s bad luck!”

I step off my pedestal, letting my dress fall out around me. “What? Who is?”

“Reese!”

My heart flutters at the sound of his name. I move closer to the door just as the knob begins to rattle.

“Dylan?”

Joey spins around and presses his mouth to the door. “You are out of your mind if you think I’m letting you in here.”

“Joey, it’s okay.”

“It most certainly is not,” my mother adds. “Dylan, you can’t see each other before the ceremony. This isn’t like not having a rehearsal dinner.” She moves between me and the door, pulling Joey off it. “Reese Carroll. You are not allowed in here.”

“I don’t need to come in. I just want to hear her.”

Joey looks back at me and then his eyes lose focus. “Goddamn it, Billy.”

I chuckle, stepping up next to my mom. She looks over at me and sighs before waving her hand and giving me the go-ahead. I move up to the door and flatten my hand against it.

“Reese?”

A soft thump knocks against my hand. “Please, tell me you’re almost ready. I’m fucking dying.”

I giggle. “I’m ready. I’ve been ready. I’m just waiting for Juls.”

I hear a faint growl. “Go get your wife and tell her we’re starting. Now.” The sound of footsteps leading away from the door makes me smile as I picture Ian as a man on a mission. “Love, can I… I don’t know, can you just give me something? Crack the door open a little?”

I glance over my shoulder, seeing my mother and father in quiet conversation. Joey hears the request and immediately spins around and blocks my parents’ view of me. I turn the doorknob and pull, opening the door a few inches and peering around, making sure to keep my body completely hidden. His eyes meet mine, and I see the desperation in them.

I keep all focus on his face, not letting my eyes wander down his body. I want to save that for the ceremony. I smile behind the door. “You okay now?” I whisper, not wanting to alert my mother.

He leans his head against the doorframe, blinking heavily. “I’m not spending another night away from you. I barely got any sleep last night.”

“What, is Ian not a good snuggle buddy? I’ve heard otherwise.”