She hated that her first thought was sexual. This man was slime and she still found him attractive and intriguing. There was definitely something wrong with her.
“I’ll listen,” she said, “but only if you’ll give equal time to the opposition.”
“Fair enough.”
As he made his living arguing his side, it didn’t sound fair to her at all.
“You still doing the party?” he asked.
She narrowed her gaze. “Are you going to threaten me again?”
The smile returned. “I was bluffing. I wanted to see how far I could push you.”
That had been a bluff? What would he do if he was serious? “Don’t do it again.”
“Agreed.” He looked at her. “Friends?”
She reached for the door. “Uneasy business associates.”
“I was hoping for more.”
“Hope away,” she said as she stepped into the hallway and walked toward the elevator.
5
Mia stepped out of the bridal shop dressing room and headed for the platform in front of the three-way mirror. The stiff satin gown flowed out around her as she walked.
“Shoes will help,” Katie said, grabbing a pair with three-inch heels from a row of bridal pumps in front of the mirror.
Mia held up her skirt, then slid into the shoes. They were too big. Like a little girl playing dress up, she shuffled the last couple of feet to the platform and stepped up. Katie moved around her, adjusting the dress.
“How are you two doing?” the salesperson asked as she breezed in front of the mirror. She tilted her head as she studied Mia. “She’s just lovely. What a beautiful dress.”
Katie agreed with her on both counts. The strapless satin gown hugged Mia’s full breasts, rib cage, and waist before flaring out to the floor. The heavy fabric flowed into a train. The dress was a little big on Mia, so Katie reached for a box of pins tucked on a shelf by the side mirror.
“We’d like to see what it would look like if it was fitted,” she said to the saleswoman. “Is that all right?”
“Of course.”
The woman watched for a couple of seconds, then smiled. “You seem to know exactly what you’re doing. I’ll leave you two to discuss possibilities.”
Katie circled Mia, taking in a bit of fabric around the waist, then fluffing out the skirt. “What do you think?”
Mia looked at her reflection. “I like the style, but there’s something wrong.”
Katie nodded. Mia looked like a princess, despite her streaked hair and big eyes. The white satin set off her skin. Yet it didn’t look…perfect.
“What do you like about it?” she asked.
Mia shrugged. “That it’s strapless. I like the lace.” She brushed her hand against the lace sewn across the waist and rising toward her breasts. More lace decorated the hem and the train.
Katie squinted, trying to imagine her sister walking down the aisle of a church. The way she would move and the dress would move with her. The flow of the fabric. The-
“The satin’s too heavy,” she announced. “It’s not going to look right on you. We should have seen it before. You’re only five foot three and despite having the biggest boobs in the family, you’re really small. Don’t move.”
She hurried back to the dressing room, where they had already tried on and discarded five other wedding gowns. She returned with one covered in tulle and lace.
It was an off-the-shoulder style that had made Mia’s neck look as wide as a fullback’s. But the fabric was perfect. Lace decorated the bodice of the dress, becoming more scattered closer to the bottom. A lace trim finished the hem.
“Imagine the dress you’re wearing,” she continued, “but with this material. It’s soft, it flows better, and it won’t overwhelm you. I would do a band of satin at the top, to give the bodice structure, but the rest of the gown could be in this lacy tulle. What do you think?”
Mia kicked off her shoes and spun around on the platform. “Yes. That’s exactly right. It will be perfect for summer, too. I love all the lace.” She beamed at her sister. “You’re the best.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Katie couldn’t help smiling. “Okay. If you’re sure, then go get changed and we’ll grab some lunch. After that, I want to have you pick out the lace.”
Forty-five minutes later they sat across from each other at a Beverly Hills bistro. While Katie didn’t normally shop in this part of town, she’d wanted Mia to see as many lovely gowns as possible before making her choice.
“Are you sure about the dress?” Katie asked after they’d given their order. “We can keep looking.”
Her youngest sister tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ears. “I swear, I love your idea. I’ll have to start working on my arms, though, so they’re buff.”
“They’re pretty buff now.”
“Thank you.” Mia picked up her soda and took a drink. “I can’t wait to see the look on David’s face when he sees me walking down the aisle. He’s gonna die.”
“Let’s hope not.”
Mia grinned. “You know what I mean.” Her smile faded a little. “Katie, are you okay? You’ve been kind of distracted today.”
“I’m fine.”
“Really?”
Katie nodded because there was no way she was telling the truth. What Zach had done yesterday still made her furious every time she thought about it, which was far too often. Okay, he loved his son and was worried about him, but that didn’t excuse threatening her or wanting her to betray her family.
Whatever his plan had been, he’d blown it, because she was more determined than ever to see Mia and David happily married.
“Are we counting calories?” she asked to distract her sister.
Mia shook her head. “Not even close.”
“Good.”
Katie flipped back the white napkin covering the bread basket between them and groaned when the smell of freshly baked rolls drifted to her. She offered the basket to her sister, then took one for herself.
The flaky crust scattered crumbs everywhere when she tore it in half. Katie braced herself for a religious experience. A dab of sweet butter completed the moment. She took a bite.
Heaven. Pure heaven. Who needed men when there was perfect French bread in the world?
And speaking of men…
Zach flashed back into her brain. Go away, she told the image. She refused to find him attractive after what he’d done. He was not good-looking, not sexy, and certainly not her type.
One out of three, she thought wryly. Not bad odds. He’d been a jerk, and she would be wise to forget about him. There was only one problem-a couple of things he’d said had made sense.
Oh, she didn’t want that to be true, but there it was. Young marriages didn’t often make it.
“Do you ever think it’s strange that our parents have always pushed us to get married so young?” she asked her sister.
Mia shrugged. “I never thought about it. It’s not really our folks, it’s much more Grandma Tessa and Grandpa Lorenzo. It’s an Italian thing.”
“That and they want a male heir for the winery.”
Mia laughed. “Granny M shares that. I couldn’t believe she sounded disappointed when I said I wasn’t pregnant. Most grandparents would be relieved.”
“Not ours.”
Katie thought about all the subtle and not-so-subtle hints she’d received over the years. About how she would be so much happier if she was married and had children of her own. Preferably male children.
Mia leaned toward her. “Why can’t they leave the winery to Brenna? She cares about wine making and stuff.”
“Brenna lives in L.A. That makes it hard to run things on a day-to-day basis. I have my own business, Francesca is studying psychology and sociology, and-”
“And I plan to take over the world,” Mia said lightly. “Brenna is the right one, if you ask me. Now that Jeff is out of medical school, he could start a practice up close to the hacienda. Plus, then we’d get to see them more.”