Texas Christmas Bride: The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs Book 6 by Jean Brashear Page B

Paris or New York.” She tore her gaze from the gorgeous dress. “David and I eloped and got married by a JP in San Antonio and it was okay because we weren’t marrying for love. It was all I could do not to fall on the floor and weep because I wanted to be marrying Jackson, not David. I don’t know how David dealt with me. I wept through our wedding night and for months afterward, I was a zombie…” She bit her lip. “But he stuck with me, and he loved me until I could love him. He gave me two beautiful girls, and he took Ben as his own.” She lifted her gaze to the two women. “I am such a mess over this. I didn’t expect to feel this guilty. I thought I was past the grieving and mostly I am, but—” She wrestled her voice under control. “Jackson deserves so much better. How can I be this messed up when I’m finally getting to be with the love of my life? I’m sorry—I’m sorry. He’s your brother and—”
    She buried her faced in her hands and whirled away. “I’m so embarrassed.”
    Then there they were, one to each side. Penny drew her close and let her sob on her shoulder, while Rissa patted her back. “You’re not alone anymore, Veronica,” Penny murmured. “Not ever again. You have a family. All of you do.”
    Oh, the relief of it, the breathless wonder…the unimaginable luxury. She and Tank had been alone to face their childhood, each in their own way, and they’d never been close, but her brother had tried to shield her from the violence always lurking, threatening to explode.
    David had been aware of the artificiality of their joining. She’d done everything she could to overcome their rocky start and they’d built a life together, but then David, too, had been snatched away. She’d dug in, squared her shoulders and pushed on through days and months when she could barely breathe around the pain of losing him, the shock, the terror of how she’d manage to keep body and soul together for all of them.
    And now…
    She had a chance at her dream—if only she could make peace with her past.
    She straightened. Drew in a jagged breath. Scrubbed at her face. Rissa turned away and found a tissue box, handed them around.
    “Don’t even think you’ve finished crying until you’ve heard the bad news.”
    “What?” Veronica’s heart seized.
    “Hayley’s back in town,” Rissa pronounced in tones of doom.
    Relief swamped her.
    They broke up laughing.
    It felt…amazing.
    They sniffed and blew their noses and wiped their eyes…and giggled.
    She felt reborn. “Okay.” She heaved a breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
    “Strip ’em,” Penny ordered.
    “Um…”
    “Oh, don’t tell me you’re modest. Sorry, but you’re in our wheelhouse now, the sister zone. You don’t have anything we haven’t seen.”
    “Except mine are better,” Rissa intoned.
    Penny snickered. “You think that.”
    As the two bantered, Veronica managed to take off her blouse and jeans and resisted the urge to cover herself.
    A whole new world indeed.
    Then the dress was being lowered over her head, and she wanted to turn to look in the mirror, but Penny wouldn’t let her. “Not until I’ve got you fastened up.”
    “Is it going to—”
    But Veronica could already feel that it fit.
    “It’s as if it was made for you, I swear. You’re going to need probably three-inch heels, since this can’t be hemmed with that lace around the edge, but hey—shopping trip!”
    “Kill me now,” Rissa groaned.
    “Beth and I got this. And Hayley, of course.”
    Veronica wanted to laugh, but she wanted worse to see. “Now?”
    “Almost—okay, yes. Turn around.”
    Veronica bit into her lower lip as she turned and… “Oh.” Her eyes filled again.
    She turned from side to side, adoring the swish of the chiffon as it fell so gracefully to the floor. “It really does fit.”
    “As though it was made for you, for real,” Rissa agreed.
    Veronica glanced over at Penny. “You’re not that much taller than