The Sometime Bride

compliment.”
    Paulette enclosed his hand in her viselike flesh and leaned forward. “A compliment meant for you, not Wilson Haywood,” she said in a hushed tone.
    Mike fought the urge to wince in her talons and forced a tight smile.
    Paulette kept hold of his hand and took a step forward, straight honey-colored hair swinging over her shoulders. “That stuffy old suit, Wilson,” she continued in a whisper. “I can barely remember. But you, sweetheart, a gal’s not likely to forget.”
    She leaned in and brought her mouth very close to his ear. “Is it serious?” she asked, just as Mike felt a hand on his shoulder.
    “Paulette,” Carrie said, stepping between the two of them. “How nice to see you getting reacquainted with Wilson.” Carrie slipped an arm through one of Mike’s and linked him in tight. “Isn’t he even better than you remembered?”
    “Quite,” Paulette said, eyes narrowing. “In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say—”
    “Of course, the plastic surgery helped a lot.”
    Paulette’s jaw dropped open. “Wait a minute. You’re not saying—”
    Mike raised his free hand and massaged his rugged jaw. “A little here, a little there. Filling in the face, that is. Worked wonders. Maybe you ought to try it.”
    Paulette huffed, but Carrie just bit into her bottom lip and raised her eyebrows.
    “And the gym helped too, of course,” Mike continued, finding himself getting more and more carried away. “But I said to myself, I said, nothing’s too good for my Carrie. She wants a certain type of man, she’s going to get it…”
    Carrie held her breath and watched Paulette’s eyes widened.
    “I mean, why not?” Mike asked. “You women do it all the time, reinvent yourselves for your men. Breast augmentation—”
    Paulette went positively white and glanced down at her own flat chest.
    “Come on, Wilson,” Carrie said, nudging him soundly with her elbow. “Time you talked to a few more of our guests…”
    “And not,” she whispered sternly in his ear, when they’d left the mortified Paulette behind them, “about breast implants.” In spite of her admonition, Carrie found herself fighting the urge to giggle. From the time she’d been fourteen, Carrie’s first cousin Paulette had made it her personal goal to steal every man in Carrie’s life right out from under her. Well, not this time, Carrie thought, glowing brightly as the man on her arm looked down into her eyes with a naughty grin.
    “She deserved it,” he whispered back. “Not only did she suspect the truth, she was coming on to me besides.”
    Carrie looked back over her shoulder at Paulette, who was downing a fast cup from the punch bowl, then broke into a chuckle. “Oh Mike,” she said, patting his arm. “You’re absolutely right. Busybody Paulette got just what she deserved. But do you think she’ll tell?”
    Mike looked straight over the top of Carrie’s head. “I think she’s leaving. Hope she wasn’t your maid of honor or anything important like that.”
    Carrie spun around to see the back-porch door swinging shut at Paulette’s back. “Holy cow!” Carrie exclaimed, stretching up on her toes and giving Mike’s cheek a firm peck. “How on earth did you do that? I’ve been trying to get Paulette to keep her nose completely out of my business for nearly twenty years and never even came close to succeeding until now.”
    Mike’s cheek tingled where Carrie’s warm lips left their mark, reminding him ever-so-pleasantly of the type of fiancé he was expected to be. Touchy-feely. Amen, Mike thought, winding his arm around Carrie’s shoulders like a prayer. She was truly radiant today. Looking very bride-like in her white linen dress, its clean lines unintentionally outlining every curve. Even its scooped neckline, which professed its innocence by camouflaging itself with a hint of lace, looked positively villainous in its enviable position right next to Carrie’s bosom.
    “What? What is it?” Carrie asked, bringing a hand to shield her briefest hint of cleavage. “There something wrong with my dress?”
    Mike gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze and planted a light nibble on her tantalizing neck. “Nope, nothing at all. I was just thinking about how great you look in white.”
    Carrie slapped a palm into the side of Mike’s head. “Behave yourself! Grandma Russell’s coming!”
    “Just playing the part,” Mike said, drawing her into an affectionate hug and kissing her lightly