Free My First - Jason & Katie by Melanie Shawn Page A

much less watching her.
    Trying to shake off the eerie feeling, Katie turned to Sophie and asked, “So, beautiful. Tell me all about the dress I'm about to see. Is it strapless or halter or spaghetti straps?”
    Sophie clasped her hands in front of her heart, which seemed to be a gesture that she had embraced since falling in love and beginning to plan her romantic wedding. She dreamily expounded, “It has capped sleeves. I’m wearing Grandma Marie’s dress but we had to make some adjustments.”
    Sophie beamed as she swept into the front door of Mona’s. She enthusiastically greeted her soon-to-be cousins, the Sloan girls AKA the Quad Squad. Haley, Jessie, Becca and Krista returned her greetings just as enthusiastically, and they all giggled and squealed as they chattered about the upcoming nuptials.
    Katie was just steeling herself to go and join the group with her best plastered-on smile, but she felt Aunt Wendy's hand at her elbow, holding her back from the crowd for a moment.
    Katie's false smile began to falter when she looked into Aunt Wendy's compassionate eyes as she said, “Baby girl, Grandpa J told me that you’ve had your eye on that dress since he first showed you his wedding pictures. I’m sorry, Buttercup. You sure you’re okay with, all of this? Is it starting to be too much for you?”
    As she spoke, Aunt Wendy ran her hand through Katie’s hair, the same way she had thousands of times before, ever since Katie was little.
    Katie put on her best brave face. Her voice only trembled a little as she said, “Of course I’m fine, Aunt Wendy. I wanted to wear Grandma Marie’s dress when I thought Nick and I were going to have a happily-ever-after. I haven’t even thought about that dress in years.”
    Aunt Wendy looked unconvinced, and so Katie bolstered the cheer in her voice even further as she continued, “Honestly, I swear, I’m great! I’m just here to be the best M.O.H. I can be. This weekend is all about Miss Sophiebell.”
    Katie wasn't sure if she were trying to convince Aunt Wendy or herself.
    “Okay, Buttercup. You just let me know if you need any little thing. I may be wearing my ‘wedding planner’ hat a lot this weekend, but you know that I never take my ‘Aunt Wendy’ hat off.”
    As she gave this sweet speech, Katie had to laugh as she watched Aunt Wendy mime putting on and taking off the imaginary hats. She almost expected her to end with a flourish and take a bow. In a spontaneous fit of affection, Katie threw her arms around her aunt's neck and squeezed tightly.
    “I know, Aunt Wendy, and I love you for that! But I really am fine, I promise. Let’s just head on in and get this wedding party started!”
    Aunt Wendy smiled and gave her one last squeeze before heading into the shop, but Katie hesitated. She paused and glanced around the street one more time, unable to shake the primal sensation that she was being observed.
    She still didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so she shook her head and turned toward the door. Oh well, she figured, it's probably just anxiety bubbling up from my subconscious, wanting to be dealt with. This being my first day back in town, and all of the ghosts I've had to face in just the last 90 minutes...it's no wonder.
    Maybe it was good, Katie reasoned, that she was being forced to face things now. Maybe she could finally close this chapter of her life once and for all. This would let her start fresh. She could approach life without the past weighing her down, something she had never experienced as an adult. She sighed. A girl could hope!
    As she walked fully into Mona’s, she saw that the girls were already in dressing rooms trying on their dresses. She took a seat on the comfortable deep green sofa that backed up against the storefront window and settled in to wait for her turn.
    Aunt Wendy bopped efficiently from dressing room to dressing room, making sure that each bridesmaid had everything that they needed. Katie was impressed by her