Confessions of a Mail Order Bride - Complete (8 page)

I looked at my watch for the fifteenth time. Brad was still not here to pick me up and the wedding was starting in less than twenty minutes. What was keeping him? I tried texting him but he didn’t respond. It was awkward standing outside of the hotel waiting for him.

I heard the door to the Big Bull open. “Is everything ok, Judith?” Vic asked as he looked out and spotted me. He walked over to where I was standing. He was wearing a pair of dark denims and a crisp white shirt—nice, but pretty casual for a wedding.

“Not really,” I felt a bit sick to my stomach. “I don’t know why Brad’s not here. He said he’d be here over an hour ago. He doesn’t answer my texts…”

“And you’ve been waiting all this time…?”

“Yeah…” I felt like I’d been stood up.

“Maybe something came up. Why don’t you text him that you’ll meet him at the church. I’ll drive you and then you can go to the reception from there with him.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, relieved. I really did not want to miss a minute of Sherry’s wedding. I had a lot to report back to the office about what her dress was like, what type of flowers she had…all the nitty gritty details. Plus, I couldn’t wait to see her!

“Of course, let me get the car.”

As Vic went to get the car, I smoothed my hands on my dress, wiping off the little bit of moisture on them. Things weren’t going as planned.

In a few minutes, Vic was back with his sedan and I climbed in front next to him.

“Is Max coming?”

“He’s already there. He’s one of Adrian’s best men.”

“One—how many best mans do you have at a wedding in Shifter Villages?”

Vic snorted. “I dunno…this is the first wedding the town has had! But there are two at this one…me and Max.”

“You? You’re a best man!”

“Yeah, but I’ll be walking Sherry down the aisle.”

“What!”

“She’s never been close to her parents, and she said I changed her life with the Marriage Mates site. So, she asked me to walk her down the aisle to Adrian.”

“Wow…well, we’d better get there then.”

As Vic gunned the car, I stared out the window. It was upsetting that Brad had not turned up. This was not a good start to our relationship. But, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. There was probably a good reason he was late. When we got to the church, Vic went off to find the groom and I found a seat at the back of the church so I could flag Brad down when he came.

I glanced around the church. It was filled with men. These were not your average guys. They were huge, muscular, brawny shifters. I swallowed as I noticed a few of them eyeballing me. I thought Vic was dressed casually, but he was dressed up compared to these guys. Most of them were in clean, but worn jeans and tees. There were a just a few women and they were all dressed casually. I felt out of place in my red silk dress and black patent heels. This was quite a change from the weddings I was used to. As I looked around the room, I caught site of Evan and Grant a few pews over. They looked just as they did in their photographs…scruffy, dirty blondes with stubble and messy hair. I couldn’t help but think of my earlier dream and I had a flash of one of the twin’s faces buried deep between my legs. I caught Evan staring at me and I quickly looked away.

Just as the wedding march started, I finally got a text from Brad. He said he was running late but would meet me at the reception. Thank God he was ok. Now I could relax and enjoy the ceremony.

As the music progressed Adrian came walking down the aisle. I had met Adrian when he’d come into the office to pick up Sherry. He was a gorgeous man with long hair, amber eyes, and bronze skin. Wearing dark denims and a cream colored linen shirt, he couldn’t stop grinning as he walked towards the church alter, followed by Max. Max looked uncomfortable and out of place in his starched shirt and black slacks. I had to give him credit for not letting his feelings get in the way of supporting his friend though.

Then it was Sherry’s turn. She was glowing as she clutched Vic’s arm and he led her down the aisle. She was wearing a buttery soft yellow dress with little bow tie shoulder straps. The dress was ringed with flounces at the bottom. Her shoulder length brown hair had been softly highlighted and layered. I had been wondering if she would use concealer on the birthmark on her face. She hadn’t, and it didn’t matter. She looked absolutely beautiful. Sherry did not have to put on pretenses or try to hide who she was. She looked perfect.

The ceremony was short and simple. Sherry was shifting excitedly from one foot to the other, and even though his back was to me, I could sense Adrian was beaming from one ear to the other. At the end of the ceremony when the pastor said ‘you may kiss the bride,’ Adrian held Sherry for a little too long and the guests started tittering. I could just imagine what their night was going to be like. Now it was done. Sherry Cole was married to Adrian Landen. The radiant couple made their way down the aisle to the cheers of the crowd.

I sighed as I got up to leave. Brad still hadn’t arrived. I guess I’d have to ask Vic for a ride. But before I’d had a chance to look for him, Evan and Grant Myles were by my side.

If the two looked scruffy from a distance, up close they were even scruffier.  But, I had to admit that they both had the warmest cocoa colored eyes, and it didn’t take a degree in rocket science to see how hard and buff their bodies were under their tees and jeans.

“We just wanted to introduce ourselves. I’m Evan and this is Grant. We saw you on the ‘Luscious Lads and Ladies’ site.”

“We wrote you quite a few times,” Grant said, frowning, “but we never heard back.”

“I’m sorry. I did get your emails, but I’ve been busy at work and…”

“We think…we think that…” Evan was stumbling over his words but Grant was quick to save him.

“Forgive our bluntness, but we know you are looking for a match. We are too. We would love for you to consider us,” Grant studied me intently, his eyes trying to hold mine.

I looked away.  It was funny how being around this scruffy pair made me a little shy. “Well, I…” I brushed a few strands of hair away from my eyes as I tried to find my voice. These shifters were pretty straightforward and it was disarming.

“To be honest, when we saw your photo something just clicked—for both of us,” Grant added quietly. “We felt you were meant for us and seeing you in person just confirms that feeling.”

“Our instincts have never been wrong,” Evan grinned, the deep dimple on his cheek growing as he smiled wider.  “But we want you to take your time and get to know us.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I met someone else on the site, and we are exploring the possibilities. Aside from that, I’m also just not interested in a relationship with two guys at one time.”

Evan and Grant exchanged concerned glances.

“But we…” Evan started to say something but Grant stopped him.

“I see. Well, let’s be friends for now, then,” Grant said. “We saw you come in with Vic. Will he be driving you to the reception, or can we give you a ride?”

“A ride would be great.” There was no reason Vic should have to taxi me everywhere. “Let me just go find him and let him know.”

As I left the two men, I overheard Grant say to Evan, “don’t push her…give her time.”

I shook my head. Underneath their ragamuffin exteriors, they did seem like really nice guys. But they could have all the time in the world. Something between us—the three of us—was just not going to happen!

The drive over to Kane’s Bar and Grill was a short one. Grant drove and I sat up front with him while Evan kept us entertained, singing from the backseat. The two men had an easy banter with one another and it was obvious they were very close—so close they finished each other’s sentences. Grant tended to be more serious, but Evan brought an easygoing tone to the relationship. It was easy to see why they needed a share-bear pact. They had that close of a bond.

As we walked into Kane’s Bar and Grill, I admired the beach themed decorations Sherry had chosen for her wedding reception. “Look how cute!” I pointed my finger at one of the metal sand buckets on the table. The flicker of a candle glinted off the metallic surface, illuminating it.

“Sherry did a great job!” Evan said. “I love the seashells in the glass bowls.” He pointed at a tall glass jar filled with tiny shells. There were several in the room and they lent a dramatic feel. The theme was beachy but elegant.

“Whoa, look at the spread,” Evan sniffed, his nostrils flaring as he pointed towards the buffet table. It was piled with fried chicken, ribs, country ham, corn, deviled eggs, creamy coleslaw, rolls and butter, chips, dip, and much more.

My stomach was growling. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

“Come look at this, Judith.” Grant took my hand in his and led me over to the cake table. “This is one of the desserts we made for Sherry.”

“Oh wow! It’s beautiful!” The wedding cake on the table was truly a piece of art.

“It’s several round layers of vanilla cake covered in a rich fondant icing,” Evan said.

I pointed to the strategically placed small shells and sea horses that decorated the cake, “and the shells and sea horses?”

“They’re all made from sugar and are edible,” Grant said proudly. “Here we have a small cake in the shape of a seashell for Sherry and Adrian to take home.” He lifted up a lovely, small cake near the big one so that I could see it clearly. “They can freeze it and eat it next year on their anniversary.”

“It’s so pretty, yum!”

“And we made cupcakes,” Grant pointed to a metal cart nearby. It held dozens of tasty looking cupcakes iced in shades of cream and peach. Each of the little cakes boasted a small shell or seahorse decoration.

“Oh my God, they look delicious!”

“Try one,” Grant said, holding out one of the cakes.

“The bride hasn’t cut the cake yet.” I moaned biting my lip. It was so tempting.

“It’s a cupcake, not the wedding cake, so it’s no big deal.”

I glanced over toward where Sherry and Adrian were standing. They looked over the moon with happiness. I licked my lips. “I can’t resist.” I took the cupcake from Grant and took a long lick of the icing, swirling my tongue around my lips to soak up every drop.

Evan moved closer to me and placed his thumb against my mouth. “You missed a spot,” he said throatily.

I swallowed. His touch felt so good it surprised me. The sensation I felt in my belly threw me off guard. But before I had time to react, a deep, male voice called out to me from behind.

“Judith…I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

It had to be…Brad!

As I turned around, Brad pulled my body towards his and pressed me against his chest. He looked just like his photograph—so handsome and he smelled just as I had imagined—spicy and warm. It felt so good to finally be in his arms. “Sorry I’m late Judith, I got caught up in some work.”

I smiled. “I know you have a high pressure job. I can handle it.” Of course I was disappointed that Brad had not made me a priority on our first meeting, but I knew how important work was. You didn’t become successful and rich like Brad without putting in a lot of time.

“Err…ah…” I could hear Grant clearing his throat and l looked over at him and Evan. They were both watching me with disappointment reflected in their eyes. I felt bad, but after all, I had told them I was here to meet my mate.

“Evan, Grant, this is Brad. Brad, this is Evan and Grant.” The men acknowledged one another. I could see that Evan and Grant were not too happy.

“We already know each other,” Grant said, curling his lip. It was obvious he was not a fan of Brad’s.

“Yeah, I know who the baker boys are,” Brad waved his hand dismissively. “Thanks for taking care of my girl, but I’m here now. Come on Judith, let’s go find a quiet spot to talk.”

Brad grabbed my hand and I mouthed goodbye to the two bear shifters. They were great guys and I hoped they would meet the right mate for them soon.

For the rest of the night, Brad and I talked about our jobs and lives. It was a little awkward, but I was sure with time it would become easy and relaxed. It didn’t help that Grant and Evan were practically stalking us. I could feel their eyes burning into me and I made a point not to look over at them. I guess Brad could feel it too. He grabbed my hand and asked me to leave the reception and go to the Dixie Diner, a little café around the corner.

I found Sherry and complimented her on the beautiful wedding and told her we were leaving. She wished me luck with Brad. Just seeing her so glowing and happy made me want what she had even more. As Brad and I walked to the café hand in hand, I decided to do whatever it took to make a success of the relationship.

The Dixie Diner was practically empty except for a short order cook and a waitress. I guess everyone in town was at the wedding. Brad and I slid into the same side of a red vinyl booth. He pulled me towards him and wrapped his arm around my waist. The smell of his aftershave was intoxicating and I leaned in closer, enjoying the feel of his muscular body.

“Do you want a cup of coffee or something to eat?” The waitress asked with a sour expression on her face.

“Judith, this is Marcie Shore. She is one of the few women in Shifter Villages.”

Marcie shot Brad the evil eye, but it didn’t seem to bother him. She looked at me, shaking her head.

It was obvious she and Brad had some bad blood between them, unless she was just having a really bad day. I decided to ignore her dirty looks. “Nice to meet you Marcie, are you a shifter too?”

“No, I’m not,” Marcie replied bluntly. Marcie was a big, curvy woman. She was very pretty, but her face was tired and drawn.

After we ordered coffees and Marcie left, Brad grabbed my hand. “You know, let’s just skip the coffee and go back to my place.”

“Well, I…”

Brad winked at me. He was so good looking it made my heart melt. He leaned into me, his lips brushing my skin.

“I want you, Judith.”

I swallowed. It had been so long since I’d been in bed with a man. And I knew Brad was intended for me…so why not?

Brad took my hand and we walked out of the coffee shop, passing the surly waitress on our way. I could feel her eyes boring into our backsides as we walked by. I wasn’t sure what her problem was, but she needed to get over it.

Brad leaned in and whispered in my ear, his hot breath making my loins tingle. “My apartment is just around the corner and I can’t wait to get you naked.”

A wave of anticipation washed over me. I couldn’t wait to get this hunky wolf man naked either!