“You’ll have to walk in alone, and

“You’ll have to walk in alone, and that’s when most people get to show off the most, walking up that fake red carpet.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t really interested in getting my picture in the newspaper.
“Maybe next year we’ll all go together,” Lisa said a moment later, her voice a little wispy. “I’ve been talking to Colin Parsons off and on.”
“Have you?”
“He’s been busy with work and everything, but he said he would like to take me out if he can ever get back to Texas.”
“The two of you must have really hit it off at the wedding.”
“I didn’t think so at first.” Lisa stood back a little, assessing my eye shadow. Then she moved forward, pressing her brush to my eye again. “But then he started texting me like a month ago.”
“Just be careful, Lisa. He’s an actor. And if he’s anything like Miles…”
“Things are going well between you and Miles, aren’t they?”
It depends on your definition of well.
“They’re fine,” I said, even as I found myself wondering if I was lying, or just deluding myself.
“He adores you,” Lisa said softly. “I almost cried at your wedding when you froze up and he went over there to bring you down the aisle. That was probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely. I hope the guy I marry would be inclined to act that way. But I’ll probably end up marrying the kind of man who’d just get pissed and storm off.”
“I doubt it. If he loves you enough to ask you to marry him, he’ll already know he has to be extremely patient with you.”
“Gee, thanks,” Lisa grunted, but she was smiling when I opened my eyes. “But, seriously, I can’t tell you how happy I am for you, Riley. I kind of knew you’d be the first to get married between the two of us. But I’m thrilled you find a good guy like Miles.”
“I never believed myself I’d get a guy like him,” I admitted. But, again, I still wasn’t sure he was really mine.
My phone buzzed, the new smartphone Miles got for me when we were first married. A text informed me that the limo Joan had arranged was here.
“Time to go.”
I stood and brushed my hands over my skirt, straightening it around my hips. Lisa took my arms and led me over to the full length mirror.
“His eyes are going to pop out of his head when he sees you.”
I stared at my reflection, shocked at how amazing I really did look. I’m not a self-centered person—far from it—but even I couldn’t find a flaw with what I saw. The dress flowed perfectly over my body, showing off the good things and hiding the bad. Lisa pinned my hair up in a fancy French knot that framed my face just right, making my normally nondescript eyes pop. And the makeup was so well done that it might have been done by a professional.
“Lisa, you are a miracle worker.”
“It’s easy when I have such a palette to work with.”
Tears burst into my eyes and I turned to hug her. “I wish you were coming.”
“Next year.”
She pushed me back and pressed a tissue to the bottom of my eye to keep the tears from spilling. “Don’t mess up all my hard work now.” She touched my chin lightly. “Remember every detail so you can tell me about it tomorrow.”
“I will.”
“And have a good time.”
I nodded, but as I rode in the back of the limo all by myself, I knew that a lot of what happened tonight would depend on Miles. We hadn’t been out in public together since his mother died. There hadn’t been any dinner parties, no meetings with clients that required socializing. I wasn’t sure if that was because he was still catching up from the time we’d been away, or if he’d just chosen not to include me. So this would be our first appearance in a month.
I was as nervous as though it was our first.
We reached the hotel where the party was being held in just a few minutes, but the line of cars waiting to unload their passengers was impossibly long. I think we sat there for half an hour. I wanted to text Miles, to find out if he was already waiting inside for me, or if I’d have to mingle alone for a period of time. I’d never done that before and the prospect made me glad I chose not to eat before getting dressed this evening.
When the car finally pulled up to the red carpet, I could see the crowd of reporters gathered along the edges. It was almost like a Hollywood premiere, just on a much smaller scale. This was Waco’s claim to fame, outside of our pretty awesome college football team. News outlets from all over Texas were here to cover the event. However, they looked bored at the moment. I was pretty confident they would remain that way as I climbed out of the car.
I was wrong.
“Over here, Mrs. Thorn.”
“Could you turn this way, Mrs. Thorn?”
“Why didn’t you and Miles come together, Mrs. Thorn?”
“Is there trouble in paradise?”
“How is Miles holding up after the death of his mother?”
The questions came at me from every direction. I didn’t know which way to focus, so I just kept my eyes on the entrance to the hotel and tried not to trip over my own toes.