When Girlfriends Chase Dreams by Savannah Page

carton and— What is inside?
    One hundred and twenty wedding invitations.
    For a ceremony and reception to follow immediately…
    At Chanfield Manor!
    “I thought you said that the ceremony was booked for the church,” Conner says.
    “It is,” I breathe out. “Oh…no…” I drop my head and close my eyes. “Melissa forgot to cancel the order.” I toss the box’s top aside and sink listlessly into the couch. I want to scream and cry and curse, but all I can do is sit there, eyes closed, trying to inhale and exhale deeply.
    “I take it these are the wrong invites?” Conner asks, his tone sounding like he’s treading on eggshells.
    “She told me she had them under control. I can’t believe this!” I finally say after a long period of uncomfortable silence. “I trusted her.” I wag my head and tightly cross my arms over my chest. “I was confident Melissa had this, Conner.” I can feel the tears coming, and I blink rapidly to keep them at bay.
    “It’ll all be all right, babe.” Conner puts a warm hand on my back and makes circular motions. “It’s spilled milk.” I give him an empty glare. “Seriously. This is an easy fix. Invites? No biggie.”
    “It wasn’t supposed to be a mistake to begin with,” I say. “Now I’m concerned there are other mistakes she’s making!” I can feel a surge of panic rise inside. Oh no. More wedding stress… Here it comes…
    Conner increases the speed and pressure of his circular motions across my back. “Calm down, Claire.” He gives me a kiss on the cheek. “This is a super easy fix. No need to stress about it.”
    “Easy for you to say. You won’t have to deal with…” I wave my hands about “…this! You just need to make your suit-fitting appointment.”
    He chuckles and kisses my cheek once more. “And I’ll deal with that. Come on. One step at a time.” He pats my back in a way that tells me to get up and get on with my day. “You were just telling me how great Melissa is and how much easier the planning is on you now that she’s here. One mistake isn’t the end of the world, babe.”
    “I suppose,” I mutter. I twist my lips to one side and contemplate the situation.
    I guess this is just a bit of spilled milk. I mean, maybe I can get a refund. Or maybe I can deduct it from Melissa’s bill. I’m sure Dad won’t be too livid over a few hundred bucks.
    Conner’s right; it is an easy fix. We can just order more invitations. Besides, the number of invitations in this box here certainly won’t end up being enough, seeing how Mom and Dad are still adding to the guest list.
    “Now get ready to have your girl date,” Conner says, patting me encouragingly again. “Talk to Melissa about this, order new invitations, and that’s one wildfire put out, right?” He meets my eye line and draws a weak smile out of me.
    “Okay,” I say, trying to put on a positive face. I grab the box of useless invites and dump them into the recycling bin, then prepare to head out for some wedding fun. I mean, today is supposed to be a really great day, after all. I can’t let some soured invitations ruin it, right?
    It’s the last Saturday in February. It’s major crunch time here. The girls and I have an appointment to try on the dream dress Mom found for me in the magazine. The boutique has received a sample for me to try on, and we’re all going to celebrate the special (and hopefully lucky) day by going out for a light brunch first. If the dress ends up working out, then I’m going to feel like a real bride. And I could really use a win right now.
    As I crawl through the passenger door of my dilapidated car, I’m having a tough time putting myself in a positive mood, even though I could very well be purchasing my wedding dress today. I’ve got Conner in one ear telling me to have fun and not worry, and I’ve got an empty promise from Melissa ringing and driving me bonkers in the other.
    “It is only one mistake,” I remind myself, forcing a smile