It was Lady Gaga. “Bad Romance,” which she thought was rather ill timed.
“You said if I wanted to use my discount, Kayla, I needed to come into the store.” Casey sounded ever-so-slightly defiant.
“I did say that.” Kayla was trying to look hard and cool but a very poignant bit of hope was creeping into her expression.
These two missed each other a lot, Britt realized.
And then Kayla’s face paled when something ghastly apparently occurred to her.
“Are you... are you getting married?” Her voice was faint.
“No. And I’m not pregnant, either,” Casey said hurriedly.
Apparently Casey knew the drill.
Some of the color rushed back into Kayla’s cheeks.
It occurred to Britt then that the whole kerfuffle regarding Truck Donegalmightnot be completely resolved. Which meant things could get potentially a little sticky. If not today, then at some point.
“No, I was wondering... can I use my twenty-percent-off discount for Britt?”
Britt’s jaw dropped. That twenty-percent discount was part of Kayla’s peace offering after their fight in the street.
She swiveled toward Casey. “Casey...that’s so... I just...”
“We can’t send you off on a date with John Tennessee McCord in any of the stuff you usually wear, Britt,” Casey explained practically. “You’re like an ambassador to Hollywood for Hellcat Canyon.”
“That’s whatIjust told her!” Kayla was delighted. “The first part.”
“I don’t know if Maison Vert is inmynear future. I make pretty good money at the Truth and Beauty,” she said, rather defiantly. “And besides...” Casey faltered. “I just wanted to see...”
And then she smiled a watery sort of smile and shrugged with one shoulder.
Kayla very, very carefully removed a tear from the corner of her own eye with her pinky nail, lest it mess up her mascara.
“I missed you, too, Casey,” she said.
And then they practically leaped into each other’s well-dressed, flawlessly made up arms. And now the atmosphere was zinging with delighted relief and rejoicing.
“Casey, Britt wants that white halter dress in the window. With your discount, that brings it down to about thirty-five dollars.”
“I bet she cantotallydo that!”
Britt totally could.
“That dress is perfect for her!”
“I’m going to do an updo for her. And I’ll do her makeup, too. She will lookamazing.”
For a moment, it was like Britt wasn’t even there. Britt didn’t mind, not really. It was hard to begrudge being forgotten for a moment, because she’d reunited a pair of friends, she’dgaineda pair of friends, and she’d be getting the manandthe dress. Not bad for a day’s work.
Her heart felt like a big sun shining in the middle of her chest.
Kayla leaped back from Casey when her phone chimed as a text came in.
She scanned it swiftly. “It’s Edie from the flower shop. She says John Tennessee McCord just came in!”
The whole town was apparently tracking her date like NORAD tracked Santa.