“You lied to Felicity at the reunion when you swore you wouldn’t reveal our engagement,” Hutton pointed out.
“Oh, come on.” Mimi rolled her eyes. “Felicity knew I was going to tell everyone—I’m the mean girl. I’ve always been the mean girl. People are only friends with me because I intimidate them.”
“Tell you what, Mimi,” I said. “You stop trying to intimidate me, and I’ll try being your friend for real.”
“Seriously?” She perked up a little. “Can I come to your wedding?”
“We’ll see.”
“And will you cater my bridal shower? I can’t stop thinking about those watermelon crostinis.”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
“And maybe . . .” She fussed with the ends of her hair. “Maybe you could give me the name of your stylist? I’ve been thinking about trying some little bangs like yours.”
I burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Mimi asked.
“Actually, Mimi, I cut them myself.”
“You cut your own hair?” She was visibly horrified.
“Sometimes. It’s a nervous habit, something I do when I feel like my life is out of my control.” I shrugged. “I shouldn’t do it, but you know what?”
“What?”
“It’s okay if I do. I don’t have to be perfect. Or fashionable. Or even symmetrical.” I looked at Hutton, and his smile was everything. “I can just be me. And that’s enough.”
EPILOGUE
ONE MONTH LATER
“Are you ready?” Millie popped into the room at Cloverleigh Farms that my sisters and I were using to get ready.
“Definitely.” I studied my reflection one last time. “Do you think it’s lame that I’m wearing the same dress? Everyone here will recognize it.”
“Not at all,” Winnie said, handing out bouquets to everyone. “It’s gorgeous on you, and this time you’ve got the veil. That totally changes the look.”
I reached up to touch it—it was Frannie’s veil, and none of us had thought it would look right with the dress, but somehow the long, traditional veil gave the short, modern dress just the right touch. We’d all shed tears when Frannie had brought it out of the box so I could try it on, remembering the day she’d married our dad.
“Also the sneakers.” Millie laughed, shaking her head. “It’s a look all your own.”
I looked down at my feet. “Yeah, I couldn’t do those heels again. At least they’re clean and white!”
“You look amazing. You can’t even see the blood on the dress,” Emmeline said generously.
I laughed. “Thanks.” The dress had been dry-cleaned after the party, but you could definitely still see the faint stain. That was okay—little imperfections didn’t bother me.
Audrey fussed with my bangs a little. “And your hair is so cute. Good job staying away from the scissors today.”
“You know what?” I smiled at all four of my sisters. “Believe it or not, I wasn’t even tempted. But I think Hutton took all the scissors out of the house yesterday just in case.”
Hutton and I were renting a place in town while we looked for land to build on. He’d left his position as CEO of HFX and sold most of his shares to Wade, but he’d agreed to stay on as a consultant as long as he could work from home. He had several offers from other companies, both in the crypto industry and outside it, but so far, he’d turned them all down.
He wanted to devote more time to his charitable foundation, and he’d also been offered an adjunct professor’s position in the mathematics department at a university nearby. The department head was one of our old high school math teachers, and she and I had persuaded him to try teaching just one small class this semester.
Natalia, his new therapist, was also on board with the plan, and even though he complained about her all the time—she reminded him too much of Allie—he hadn’t fired her.
I thought that was a good sign.
“You all look beautiful,” I said, my heart swelling with love and gratitude as I looked at the women surrounding me. They’d each chosen their own dresses in different styles but in complementary shades—the twins in peach and watermelon, Winnie in coral, Millie in scarlet. “I could not be more proud to have all four of my sisters beside me today.”
Winnie fanned her face. “Don’t do this to me. My mascara isn’t even dry yet.”