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gave a silent prayer of thanks to the shopping gods
who had obviously taken her buddy under their
wings.
You look great, she said, trying not to sound
too surprised.
CeCe felt Oliver s dark eyes skim over her from
the sophisticated twist of her hair, past the discreet
plunge of her dress, and down to the three-inch
heels on her very pointy pumps. She did a quick
twirl around so that he could see her from the back
as well.
Oliver let out a low whistle. You ve really out
done yourself this time, CeCe. You look fantastic.
Then Oliver did something that he d never done
before. He leaned forward and softly kissed CeCe s
cheek. CeCe was surprised to realize that it was not
an altogether unpleasant experience. She also
noted that he smelled great.
Shall we? Oliver extended his arm to CeCe,
and the two of them headed for his car.
______________________
The trip to the church took about twenty
minutes, and CeCe used that time to mentally
prepare to watch Scottie, the man with whom she
had dreamed of spending her life, as he married
another woman. She knew it would be an ordeal,
and she just prayed that she could get through it
without doing anything foolish.
The drive also gave CeCe time to reflect on her
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relationship with Scottie. They met back in college
when he was dating her roommate, Jill. Jill dumped
him rather abruptly, and he had sought out CeCe s
advice in an effort to win her back. Although things
between Jill and Scottie never worked out, CeCe
and Scottie became fast friends.
Over time, CeCe realized that she had fallen in
love with Scottie. Unfortunately, he never gave any
indication that he saw her as anything other than a
pal. Scottie would call her late at night, and she
would listen as he poured his heart out over yet
another failed relationship. Time after time, CeCe
told herself, As soon as he gets all these other girls
out of his system, he ll realize that they are all
wrong for him and that I m the one that he s meant
to be with.
It never happened. CeCe never had the courage
to speak up for herself. Scottie used to list all of the
things that he was looking for in a woman, and
CeCe bit her tongue to keep from screaming Me,
me. Look at me. I m all those things. Can t you see?
But he never looked past CeCe his buddy to see
CeCe the woman. And, as long as she kept her
feelings to herself, CeCe didn t have to face the
possibility of his rejection. That would have been
too much to bear. For CeCe, it was better to keep
hope alive than to open her mouth and remove all
doubt.
When they pulled into the church, CeCe realized
that she hadn t spoken to Oliver at all during the
entire drive. She turned to apologize, but he was
already out the door and moving to the passenger
side of the car to assist CeCe in getting out.
Oliver held her hand just a beat longer than
necessary and then gave it a squeeze before letting
go. Are you ready?
CeCe was touched by his concern for her, and
felt doubly bad about ignoring him on the ride to
the church. She gave him a brave smile and said, I
guess I m as ready as I ll ever be. Let s go.
CeCe took a deep breath, straightened her skirt,
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squared her shoulders, and again linked her arm
with Oliver s.
______________________
CeCe studied the church decorations with a
practiced eye and felt the pangs of despair pierce
her chest. Everything was exactly as she d imagined
it so many times...she d planned her wedding to
Scottie on her morning runs over the years...of
course, with the notable exception that she was
viewing the scene from a pew instead of from the
altar.
The pre-wedding music was winding up. CeCe
focused on the front of the church. She bit her lip
and clenched her hands together in her lap. A door
at the side of the altar opened and the minister,
Scottie, and the best man took their positions.
CeCe felt a fist clamp itself around her heart. Oh
Lord, help me get through this she silently prayed.
The rented tuxedo looked as though it had been
made just for Scottie. Broad shoulders narrowed to
a slim waist, lean hips, and powerful thighs. He
looked relaxed and happy. He looked at CeCe, and
his face broke out into a big smile.
CeCe s heart thrilled at his smile, and she
returned it with enthusiasm. Then she realized that
he had not been looking at her at all, but was
looking past her to the back of the church where the
bride and her father were preparing to walk down
the aisle.
A tear tingled at the corner of her eye, and she
opened her handbag to get a tissue. Before she
could find one, a fresh white handkerchief was
pressed into her hand. She gave Oliver a grateful
look and dabbed away the tear.
Oliver and CeCe stood with the other wedding
guests as the bride joined her groom at the altar.
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