Hardpressed by Meredith Wild Page A

Heath and Blake were in the living room, talking quietly, catching up. For four people who cared about each other so much, we all had a lot of catching up to do.
    I helped Alli pack since she’d lost time staying the night with Heath. I could tell from her frazzled and sleep deprived state that they’d had an intense night. Probably no less intense than the one that Blake and I had shared. She was right about these Landon men keeping us on our toes. Heaven help us both.
    But her color was back and her mood was lively again. She struggled to zip up the luggage that always seemed to grow after a visit even though we hadn’t done any shopping. She conquered it and stood back, hands on her hips. I checked the time. We only had a few more minutes before we sent her off to the airport.
    “I guess this is it,” I said. I tried not to think about how much time would go by before I saw Alli again.
    Tears spilled over onto her cheeks. She pulled me into a tight hug and sniffled into my shoulder. We’d had a great visit, but I knew her tears weren’t all for me.
    “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
    “You promise?” She pulled back, holding my hands tightly in her own.
    “I promise.” Come back and we can all be together , I thought but swallowed the words. No point in going there. That was her choice to make. She knew she could always come back.
    “Heath loves you and I love you.”
    “And you love Blake!” She giggled through her tears.
    I hugged her again. We separated once Heath popped his head into the bedroom.
    “Time to go, babe.”
    She gave me a little squeeze and waved goodbye, disappearing through the doorway with Heath.
    Blake came up to me as a tear fell down my cheek. Damn it. I would miss that girl. He wiped it away and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist, thankful that at least I’d never have to say goodbye to Blake any time soon. I couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine it, ever.
     
    *
    “Are you sure it’s going to fit?”
    I waited impatiently as Marie unzipped the garment bag and peeled away the enclosing plastic from the dry cleaners.
    “I think so. I had the top taken out a bit.”
    I laughed a little as I held a modest arm around my breasts, which had always seemed a little too full for my petite frame. I stood in my bedroom in my underwear as Marie unveiled the dress. The floor-length gown was a rough black silk with a pattern of faded teal velvet embellishments.
    I stepped into the dress and Marie zipped me up. The sweetheart top tightened around my chest comfortably. Grateful I wasn’t busting out, I shuffled over to the mirror to see how the rest of the dress fit. The mermaid cut gown hugged my waist and hips perfectly, and the large swaths of the vintage fabric flowed out at my knees.
    Marie stepped beside me, almost a head taller and looking as vibrant and gorgeous as ever. She’d been my mother’s best friend, but over time she’d truly become one of mine as well. Sometimes she was the mother I needed, other times just a friend I could talk to about things I couldn’t imagine talking to my mother about. Times like these though, she looked at me the way my mother would have. Her eyes clouded a bit as we admired the beautiful gown together.
    “Sometimes I forget how much you look like her.”
    I smiled and swallowed back tears. Now that I knew my father, I could appreciate a little more how closely my features favored my late mother’s. We shared the same blond locks and fair skin, but my father’s eyes stared back at me.
    I tensed suddenly at the thought of seeing him tonight. Nothing about that relationship was simple.
    “Well, she had incredible taste.”
    Her eyebrows rose slightly. “Actually, Daniel bought this for her. She wore it to our senior ball.”
    “But she left it with you.”
    “She left a few things, out of convenience I suppose. Told me to donate them. But this was too beautiful not to keep. I’m so glad I did. Look at you.” She