“Color?” I asked, thrown by the question.
“I know sometimes women like to color coordinate at these sort of things.”
I had to workveryhard to keep my expression neutral at that moment. “True. Well, my dress is maroon, so if you have something that goes with that. But if not, it’s a Siskiyou County wedding. We’re fairly casual around here.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow. For thiscasualwedding.” I didn’t understand the teasing note in his voice on that word, but I smiled as I rolled my eyes.
As he turned to join his friends, I reached for his wrist, and he turned back around. “Thank you. While I’m not admitting thereisa third-wheel situation, I’ll be grateful to have a friend at my side.”
The corners of Callan’s eyes crinkled, and he said, “Anytime, local.”
I forced myself to walk at a normal pace as I returned to my table, miniature pies abandoned.
“What did he say?” Coral asked. She, Yasmin, and Aurielle leaned toward me as I took a seat.
“He’s coming to the wedding with me.”
“Perfect!” Yasmin couldn’t look more pleased.
“Yasmin! I didn’t ask you to invite him.”
“I know.” She looked guilty now. “But I felt so bad that none of us could come. And then Coral suggested—” She cut herself off, eyes going wide.
I turned to Coral.Of course. “This was your idea?”
She raised her hands, completely relaxed. “Guilty. But you should be thanking me.”
I covered an exasperated smile and kept my lips firmly closed. I didn’t want to feed the rumor mill, even if it was just among my friends. I scanned the teahouse for real this time, wondering about scouting plants. How real of a threat was that? I shivered at the idea of plant spies listening in on our conversations, despite how innocuous they usually were.
“We’re friends right now. And that’sall.” I put an emphasis on the last word, hoping any prying ears would get the message. That was all we could be, at least as far as the world of magical botanists was concerned.
“Well then, a wedding sounds like the perfect opportunity for twofriends”—Aurielle put the last word in quotes with her fingers—“to enjoy a romantic moment on the dance floor.” My quietest friend wiggled her eyebrows.
I picked a chocolate-covered blueberry off Yasmin’s plate and popped it into my mouth to cover my blush. “We’ll see about that.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The morning of my aunt’s wedding flew by in a flurry of hanging decorations, straightening rows of chairs, and providing directions to the caterers. After I finished arranging the flower garland on the arch, I checked my watch and realized, with a jolt of panic, that it was already time for my styling appointment.
I rushed into the house and changed into my dress before planting myself in front of the hairdresser, who had just finished with my aunt and the other bridesmaids. Twenty minutes later, she’d transformed my hair with a braided half-updo scattered through with flowers.
“It’s gown time!” Aunt Vera announced, reaching out her hands to collect me from my chair.
I clapped and let out a squeal. We went into a more private room, and I helped my aunt step into her gown then spent ten minutes lacing up the back. I was so focused on configuring the complicated laces correctly that I hardly noticed anything else around me. As I tied the laces into a bow at the bottom with a satisfied nod, I stepped to the side and finally looked at my aunt, who was gazing at herself in the floor-length mirror.
Out of nowhere, tears sprung into my eyes, and I covered my mouth with a hand. I had seen my aunt in her gown when she had purchased it, but seeing it now, when it had been custom-tailored to her body, emotions I couldn’t name flowed through me. She was radiant.
“Aunt Vera,” I breathed.
“How do I look?”
“Bryce is going to lose it.”
She laughed. “I’m sure he’s not expecting me to be in a big princessy dress. I never expected that either, but now that I’m wearing it, I can’t picture myself in anything else.”
“It’s perfect.”
My aunt looked me up and down. “Your maid of honor dress looks great. I think your ‘not date’ is going to like it.”
