Free Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson Page A

the car, they don’t get along. At all.” I shook my head. “Might make good fodder for a TV show, but it’s rarely fun in person, trust me. I’ve seen more brides lose it over family members, and vice versa. It’s hard all the way around.”
    â€œThen let’s you and me make a pact.” Alva reached over and patted my hand. “We’ll agree to demonstrate the opposite spirit.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œWe won’t be one of those families. When it comes to planning my sister’s wedding, we’re all in, 100 percent. And there won’t be any squabbling.”
    â€œThat’s sweet, Alva.”
    My aunt’s eyes flooded and her voice quivered. “I plan to keep my trap shut, no matter what she chooses. Even if she picks a hot pink minidress for the ceremony. She’s the bride. It’s all about her.”
    Um, you were there when she went with the light blue . . . “She’ll look lovely on her big day. No doubt about it.”
    â€œRight. Beautiful golden-years bride.” Alva leaned back against the seat, her eyes fluttering closed. “I’m an old spinster. No wedding in sight for me. So don’t worry, sweet girl. You’ll never have to keep your trap shut on my account. If there’s really such a thing as Prince Charming, he somehow missed his exit and met up with some other prettier, younger chick.”
    The strangest feelings swept over me at her words. I wanted to respond with a lecture about how life was filled with possibilities no matter your age. I would use Queenie as an example. But before I could open my mouth, Alva was snoring loudly.
    I thought about her words as I drove. She considered herself an old maid. Likely people around her did too. She was eighty-plus years old and had never married. But not everyone was meant to, right?
    I pushed that thought out of my head and gave the wedding dress another glance in my rearview mirror. It seemed to mock me. I released a slow breath and tried to deal with the strange emotions stirring in me. I’d already worn that beautiful gown on the cover of a famous magazine. I would wear it for real one day as I walked down the aisle toward Brady. I would. In the meantime, I’d keep my spirits up by focusing on Queenie’s big day.
    The rest of the drive, Alva talked in her sleep about some of the strangest things I’d ever heard. My thoughts shifted back to the bride-to-be, Carrie Sanders. What would it be like to have two families dueling instead of cooperating? Awkward.
    Then again, I understood awkward, didn’t I? Hadn’t my ex-boyfriend just called a few days back to tell me how much he missed me?
    I refused to let my thoughts linger on Casey. Instead, I focused my attention on the road. And on my schedule. With Brady’s surgery coming up, I needed to put everything down on my calendar.
    Suddenly the idea of Brady heading into surgery made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t see past the image of the man I loved undergoing something so painful.
    The man I loved.
    I did love him. I did. And in spite of the fact that he’d never come out and said the words, I prayed he loved me too.

8 O n Moonlight Bay
    I would crawl over the mountains of Beverly Hills on my hands and knees if I could do a movie with Doris Day!
    John Wayne
    I headed south on I-45, breathing a sigh of relief as I came to the Fairfield exit. I couldn’t help myself. I had to stop at Cooper Farms to buy some peach preserves and talk to the owner, who was providing vegetables for Queenie’s wedding reception. Gratis, naturally. Was the whole town of Fairfield offering their services at no cost?
    After this I pointed the car in the direction of Dairy Queen, where my cousin and the other ladies would be waiting. The strangest emotions took hold of me as I pulled into the parking spot. I felt glued to my seat. How many times had I come here with Casey over the