“If I make people wear that they’ll never forgive me.” Lily indicated a bridesmaid’s dress Beth had in her hand.

“I was trying to get to the one behind it.” She pulled the other out. “This one.”

“About you how? That blue would look so gorgeous on you guys.”

“Maybe I’m not meet-the-parents material. Maybe they hear the name Murphy and they can only think about my parents. God, what if they think I’m like that?”

“Whatever his hesitation is, I don’t think it’s that he’s ashamed of you. Plus, look, Petal is a small town, but chances are, his parents either don’t know who you are, or if they know about your parents, they’re not stupid enough to think you’d be that way. But, if that’s the case we will kick him in the face and give him dirty looks until the end of time and he will most definitely not be eating cake at my wedding. After you dump him and move on with someone way hotter, that is.”

All of that was probably true. Probably. “Well it’s weird and I’m getting a complex.”

“Maybe you need to break it off with him. Why be with someone who makes you feel bad?” Lily indicated the dress. “Try it on.”

“I don’t know why I have to be the guinea pig and do this before everyone else has to.”

“Because I said so. Because it’s your job as the maid of honor and my best friend and because you have a fabulous sense of style. Plus it gives me a reason to look at clothes.”

Lily would most likely end up making all the damned dresses for her bridesmaids anyway. “Crafty bitch.”

Lily swatted her butt. “Go on. I’ll be waiting.”

She got into the dress in the changing room. “I don’t want to break up with him. I want him to trust me enough to talk to me. Maybe I’m doing this all wrong.”

Beth came out, waving a hand at the neckline. “Way too much boobage here. Tate will put someone’s eye out.”

Lily’s laugh made her feel better. “Yeah, but yours look pretty spectacular in it. Still, we really can’t have your boobs upstaging mine. Hello, bride here.” She winked. “Maybe you can wear it to the rehearsal dinner.”

“I have to wear something like this to the rehearsal dinner? It’s going to be fancy? You know it’s going to be wall-to-wall Murphys. We’re not really fancy people.”

Lily laughed and handed her several more dresses, shoving her toward the changing room again.

“My father is hosting it. He just informed me of this fact today. I haven’t decided if I’m going to accept. I haven’t told Nathan yet either.”

Beth sighed and went back to try on the dresses. “Why shouldn’t you accept? It doesn’t have to mean anything. You guys are paying for this on your own. Unless you don’t want any involvement with him at all.” She clucked her tongue. “This one has a corset type thing at the back.”

Beth went out and Lily tightened the dress’s bodice. “Wow. This is definitely a contender. Since Tate is Nathan’s best woman, she’s going to need a different dress anyway. This one is so pretty.”

“When do we get to try on your dress?”

Lily smiled. “I’m going to make it. With your help of course. It was either me making all your dresses or me making mine. I don’t have the time to do both. Do you hate me?”

Beth turned, taking her friend’s hands. “Why on Earth would I hate you? I can swing this dress. Tate can swing her dress. Of course I’ll help in whatever way I can. You sure you want the stress? Of making it, I mean?”

“I saw this pattern at a garage sale of all places.” Lily moved back to her purse and pulled it out, handing it Beth’s way.

Beth looked it over, knowing immediately that the style would suit her friend beautifully. “Vintage. Perfect.”

“Tea length. But it’s a daytime wedding anyway. I think instead of all this lace for the sleeves I might do cashmere, as a removable bolero jacket. If the weather holds up and we have the ceremony outside, it’ll be cold.”

“And it’ll be so soft against your skin and so pretty. Like a snow princess.”

Lily nodded. “I know. Thank God you like it. It’ll take some time. The skirt is pretty full, lots of pleating. But I can do it. I want to do it. It’ll mean more to me. To pick out the fabric and everything.”

“I’m in. Just tell me what you need and I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. It means more than I can say.”

“I’m your best friend. You don’t have to say.” Beth smiled, kissing Lily’s cheek.

“You’re not doing it wrong. The thing with Joe I mean.” Lily looked Beth up and down. “This dress is the one. The color is perfect. What do you think?”

“You don’t think so? I don’t know. I mean, I did game him at the beginning. I simply pushed myself into his life but I knew he dug me. But I don’t want to play games. I want him to trust me. I’m…I’m falling in love with him.”

Lily sucked in a breath. “Games are dumb anyway. And they never, ever work. So if you don’t want to break things off, you have to give him some space and time and then figure out what you’re going to do if he won’t share. However,” Lily continued as Beth went back into the changing room, “I think we need to strategize on how to avoid that. We’re super smart, you and me. He doesn’t stand a chance.”