Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
I said something to that effect about an hour after we’d arrived. Hal laughed and said, “I don’t know about a glow, but I’m definitely happy.”
While Ryder showed Devon the horses, which he rescued and rehabilitated, Hal took me to see his design studio. It was located just a few yards from the main house. On the way, he threw his arm around me and squeezed my shoulders as he exclaimed, “I’m so glad you’re here, Kit! I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too. Sorry about the short notice, by the way. We’ve been playing it by ear with this road trip, so up until two days ago, I wasn’t entirely sure when we’d arrive.”
“That’s no problem at all. You’re welcome any time.”
He held the studio door for me, and when I stepped inside, I whispered, “Wow.” I’d seen it during some of our video calls, but I hadn’t realized how big it was. Ryder had it built for Hal after he’d moved to the ranch, and it was glorious—airy and open with high ceilings, walls of windows for natural light, and all the state-of-the-art equipment Hal needed to produce his incredible wedding dresses.
We’d both graduated this past June, and he’d ended up totally killing it at the year-end fashion show. Clips from his collection had gone viral online, which had helped him bring in a steady stream of clients. He only worked on one dress at a time, and each was a labor of love with gorgeous, often hand-sewn details. His dresses were so in demand that he had a long waiting list of clients.
Basically, he’d done exactly what I’d hoped to do, except with brides-to-be instead of drag queens. Not that I begrudged him his success. I was absolutely thrilled that my friend got to make a living doing exactly what he wanted to do. He was incredibly talented, not to mention kind and wonderful, and he deserved every good thing that came his way. He also gave me hope that I might find my own unconventional path to success one day.
He was in the early stages of creating a new gown, and I circled around the dress form and complimented the elaborate corset he was constructing. Then I noticed a cluster of drawings on the far wall and hurried over to them as I asked, “Are those the sketches for your wedding outfit?”
“Yeah, they are.”
He and Ryder had gotten engaged just a few weeks ago, and I knew my friend was going to design something truly spectacular for himself. While he tended to dress all in black, he’d also always preferred clothing that didn’t conform to traditional ideas about gender. Of the almost two dozen sketches he’d tacked up, about half featured some type of flowy overskirt paired with slim-fitting pants.
“I’ve been thinking about this for months,” he said, “long before we officially got engaged, but I’m having a hard time narrowing it down. Would it be nuts to make myself six different outfits and change every hour?”
He was kidding, but I smiled at him and said, “It’s your day. If you want to turn it into your own personal fashion show, I say go for it.”
That made him smile, too. “I appreciate the support.”
“Seriously, all of these designs are gorgeous, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. I love the shades of blue, too. I knew you wouldn’t go for traditional white, but I guess I assumed you’d wear black, since it’s your signature color.”
“I’ve made a couple of black wedding dresses for my clients and they were amazing, but I felt like it was too somber for our wedding. Ryder and I are planning on an outdoor wedding in April, and we’re hoping to time it for when the Texas bluebonnets are at peak bloom. They inspired the entire color scheme, including my outfit.”
“That sounds like it’s going to be beautiful.”
“It will be, and you and Devon are invited, of course. We’re planning to send out the invitations next month, right after the holidays.”
“I’ll be here. I just don’t know if I should bring it up to Devon…”
Hal turned to me and asked, “Does he hate weddings or something?”
“It’s not that. The issue is that it’s in April. If I mention it to him, he’ll tell me he’ll be dead by then.”
My friend instantly looked alarmed. “Oh god, is he sick? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“No, he’s not. Let me explain.”
After I told him about the psychic, the curse, and Devon’s family history, Hal took a seat on the edge of his worktable and muttered, “Wow.”
“You don’t believe in that kind of thing, do you?”
“No. I can be a bit superstitious, but that’s just silly stuff like throwing spilled salt over my shoulder. I’ve known people who believed in psychics, though. I used to work with a woman who went to visit one every week without fail and based all her big decisions on what she was told. She spent a fortune.”