Theo didn’t linger in the bedroom. He walked past the bed and toward a set of double doors that opened into a bathroom that made my jaw drop.
Marble countertops. Pale tile floors that gleamed under recessed lighting. A freestanding soaking tub positioned beneath a window. A glass shower large enough to be considered its own room.
And I’d thought the guest bedroom was impressive.
This was on another level entirely.
Two more doors sat opposite each other inside the bathroom. Theo crossed to the one on the right and pushed it open, saying, “Here it is.”
The lights flicked on, warm and golden, illuminating rows of dresses, heels, and handbags.
I stopped just inside the doorway to take it all in, noticing then that a faint trace of perfume lingered in the air.
Alisha’s scent—floral and unmistakably elegant.
And I suddenly felt all too aware that I was standing in her space. In the room where she must have dressed for galas and charity events, slipping into silk and satin while Theo waited patiently downstairs.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked quietly, not wanting to intrude on a space that he might consider sacred.
But instead of telling me that he changed his mind, hestepped in behind me, rested a hand on my shoulder, and said, “Someone might as well use these dresses.”
I searched his face, still not sure I really believed that this was actually okay. But I found no signs of regret or hesitation.
“Are there any dresses I should avoid?” I asked before touching any of them. “Any she wore that might have special sentimental value?”
I didn’t want to unknowingly zip myself into a memory that might unravel him.
Theo hesitated. His green-eyed gaze slowly scanned over the rows.
After a moment, he stepped forward and pulled out a navy-blue dress with intricate beading along the bodice. Then another soft, gold gown.
“Maybe just not one of these,” he said, taking them and carrying them to the back corner of the closet to hang, separate from the rest.
He made one more slow scan of the racks, grabbing two more, and once he seemed satisfied with his selections, he gestured toward the remaining dresses.
“Anything else should be fine.”
“Okay.”
I let my eyes travel over the dresses. There were sleek black gowns. A bold red one. A pale pink one with a flowing skirt that looked like it belonged in a ballroom.
My fingers paused on a shimmery pastel-blue dress with a halter neckline. I pulled it free from the rack and held it up against my body.
“Feel free to try that on in here,” Theo said, already stepping backward toward the door. “Or any others. I’ll just wait out there.”
“Thank you.”
Once he had disappeared around the corner and I heardthe bathroom door click shut, I stepped out of my clothes and carefully slipped into the dress.
For a moment, I expected it not to fit, since Alisha had been a few inches taller than me.
But when I pulled the zipper up, it closed smoothly.
I stared at myself in the gilded, full-length mirror in the corner.
And the dress fit almost perfectly.
It hugged my waist just right, the satiny fabric skimming over my hips without clinging. The neckline was even more flattering than I expected.