Free Learning to Move Forward: Novella #3.5 by Cynthia P. O'Neill Page B

up so he can take it down and run his fingers through it, which of course makes me melt. All I cared about was it being able to easily remove and keeping my hair intact.
    Amber pulled the seamstress out from the back room and she glanced over each of us, tugging here and there. She leaned back, shaking her head. “I don’t think we need to do a thing. The dresses fit perfectly, unless either of you have any issues.”
    I turned around in mine and then stepped down off the platform and over to the seats, where I tried sitting. Everything fit like a glove. I watched as Laurel followed suit and had no complaints about her dress, either.
    This went much smoother than I’d anticipated. I’d expected spending several hours here and having to return a couple of times, but we were done. We actually had some time to kill so I asked if we could take the dresses to her house and pick up a late lunch along the way.
    I wouldn’t need to be at the country club for several hours and didn’t want to return home without Jonathan. I hoped that maybe he and Garrett would still be watching the kids. My mind kept wondering about my job and I needed some closure, but when we arrived at Laurel’s place, we discovered her mother-in-law, Olivia, helping the nanny watch the kids.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
     
    I was thankful for Laurel’s insight in getting extra lunch for everyone, just in case a few extras stopped by. It turned out to be a girls’ luncheon with me, her, my future mother-in-law, Olivia, and Laurel’s mom, Sylvia, who dropped by later.
    Olivia handed us notes from Jonathan and Garrett, which explained that they’d been called into work regarding a contract. Harris had gone with them to help negotiate with the neurology department at the hospital they were working with. Garrett went on to leave something romantic in Laurel’s note. I could tell because she turned several shades of red, much like me.
    Jonathan had been suggestive in his note, telling me what he’d like to do with me later on tonight. It definitely kicked up my heat level a few degrees. He also promised to bring Harris and meet up with his mom and my parents at the country club to review the final menu selections.
    The next few hours were wonderful. I loved my Aunt Sylvia and my future mom. We got along wonderfully, but my heart always ached to have this kind of bond with my own mother. But I guess it’s not meant to be.
    It was late afternoon when we got to the country club to do a final walk through and approve the menu. I was surprised to see our florist there with some sketches of the gazebo decorated in various styles, all of which appealed to me.
    I asked Jonathan his opinion and my mother just fussed. “It’s your day, Grace, and it needs to be perfect. You need to pick out what you want.”
    I was grateful when Jonathan spoke up. “I agree about it being Grace’s day, but the only thing that makes it perfect is her being there and marrying me.” He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my back and pulling me to his chest where only I could hear him whisper, “Let’s walk over to the side and make the floral selection together.”
    I turned toward him, rising up on tip-toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “This is why I love you. You’ve got my best interest at heart.” I nipped at his lower lip and smiled. “Know that I’ve got your back, too, babe!”
    Jonathan nodded to his father, which must’ve been a cue to get my parents to walk away for a bit to discuss where the guests would be seated with the country club manager. The florist, Talia, flipped through five different designs, using different flowers, styles of greenery and fabrics to bring our vision to life. We’d already decided on the color of flowers we’d use, just not the type of flowers.
    The simplest design was several stands of flowers surrounding the gazebo, all in fall colors. They could be relocated to the reception area, which