Authors: Bridget Lang
Romance: SCREWED (An Arranged Marriage to the NFL Bad Boy) (A New Adult Contemporary Athlete Sports Football Romance) (19 page)
Chloe admired the gentle waves that the hairdresser was creating in Heather’s shiny chestnut hair. Her make-up had already been done, and she was chatting animatedly with the woman, occasionally glancing over at Chloe, a light, content smile resting on her lips.
Chloe looked down at her own dress, she was flower girl, maid of honor and chief bridesmaid, all in one. It was easily the happiest Chloe could ever remember being, including the day that Heather had returned. That night, she’d tucked Chloe into bed, the engagement ring glinting on her finger, and Chloe had known then that everything was going to be okay.
She made her way over to the window, watching as the band set up in the back yard. The ranch and its substantial grounds had been completely transformed, wisteria weaving its way around every bench, table and through the small pine pagoda where the ceremony would take place. Bouquets of Peonies, Calla Lily, Sweet Pea and Hydrangeas covered the table tops, and toppled out of the seat backs. Fairy lights, Chloe’s idea, were tacked everywhere, so come evening the place would look like something out of a magical kingdom, with Heather as it’s beautiful queen.
She searched for her father. He was talking to his brother, Uncle Wyatt, and looked incredibly handsome in his three-piece suit. She felt a rush of pride as she watched him. Not long after he and Heather had gotten engaged, they had told Chloe about his bear. She smiled to herself; she knew she’d seen a grizzly on the outskirts of the surrounding forest. She’d been sworn to secrecy, but that didn’t matter – she thought it was
awesome
, and it was enough just for her family to know. She was sad she’d never be a bear, but then, neither would Heather, so that was okay.
The guests were milling about, admiring the flowers, and she spied Wesley over by the stage, helping set up the sound system for Wyatt’s band to play later. Kellie Lane was hovering by, but Wesley was completely ignoring her. Chloe hoped he noticed her tonight; her dress was a lapis blue to match the flowers she’d be carrying, both she and Heather had roughly designed it together, before sending it off to New York to be made.
“Are you ready?” Heather had risen from the chair, her hair finished and tumbling down her shoulders perfectly. Chloe nodded, and took her arm. Together they made their way down the stairs.
Josiah was waiting for them in the kitchen; he was going to be giving Heather away today.
“Everyone’s ready for you. Chloe, you go in front.” He commanded. Josiah took Heather’s elbow and she smiled at him, nervously.
“Don’t be nervous. It’s going to be perfect.” He reassured her.
Chloe took one look at the pair behind her and made her way to the door. She signaled to Wyatt, and his band began the opening chords of the wedding march. Everyone turned to look. Practically the entire town of Jackson Hole had wanted to be here today, and it made Chloe extra proud at how her parents were so loved by everyone. Heather had opened a small patisserie on the town’s main road, the locals raved about it and already tourists were venturing from nearby cities to taste Heather’s divine creations.
She could see her best friend, Lucille, in one of the back rows. Lucille was practically green with envy as she surveyed her friend’s dress. That just made Chloe all the happier, and her smile just that bit wider as she made her way down the makeshift isle, walking on a soft bed of rose petals.
She looked up to see her father’s smiling face, grinning at her. Chloe watched as the grin faded, and was replaced with a look she couldn’t quite ascertain as he gazed past her at his soon-to-be wife. Chloe quickly checked over her shoulder to see if Heather was okay, but whatever was in Tanner’s look made Heather blush bright red and smile, averting her gaze to the floor. Chloe shrugged and continued her slow march to the front.
Chloe stood to the side of the ceremony, gently wiping away tears that she repeatedly wished wouldn’t fall; but it couldn’t be helped. Watching her mother and father together, she gave a small smile of triumph. Her plan had worked, against all the odds. Chloe closed her eyes and sent up a small prayer of thanks to the God of strong, caring dads, amazing moms who could love, cook, and hug properly, and the families that got their happily ever afters.
THE END
Mia made one mistake – one.
She secretly dated her best friend, Rachel’s brother, whom she’d had a crush on since third grade. But, that one mistake changed Mia’s life forever.
Logan doesn’t regret the love he gave to Mia, if it were up to him, they’d be married by now. It clearly wasn’t up to him, when Mia dumped him three years ago in an email. Logan went on to pursue his dreams of playing pro football, and has made a huge success of his talent. He never saw Mia again….
Now, his sister Rachel has called everyone back home to Oakville for her lavish, over-the-top wedding.
The upcoming nuptials leave Logan with questions- Will Mia be there? Has she moved on? Can he rekindle their spark? Can he convince Mia that she’s the only woman he’s ever truly cared for?
Mia is not looking forward to the wedding. She is a terrible liar and she has secrets that she’d rather keep buried. One in particular- her three-year-old daughter, Emma.
How will Mia explain why she forfeited her Harvard Law scholarship in favor of working at SmartMart?
Mia stood at register, waiting for the next person in line to hurry up and make their decision. Candy or no candy? Gum or no gum? A rather large, gray haired woman made a face at Mia as she eyed the chocolates, as if Mia was somehow personally responsible for tempting her. The man behind her grumbled and shuffled his feet.
"Come on lady," he yelled. "It's not rocket science."
The woman glared back at him then turned her wrath on Mia. "I don't like the way you're looking at me," she said. "Where's your manager?"
Great
. The only thing Mia needed less than a root canal was to drag Mr. Rayner over to her register. Why couldn't anyone who shopped at Smart Mart actually be reflective of the store's name. "Ma'am," Mia started her attempt to placate the woman.
"Ma'am? Did you just call me
ma'am
?"
Mia sighed, realizing her error. "I'll just get the manager for you."
She signaled Mr. Rayner, who came over and took the woman aside, apologizing for something Mia never did. At least her third hour on register was over. Lara brought a new drawer to replace Mia's, who gratefully left her post in search of fresh air. Mia tried to sneak past Mr. Rayner for her last break of the night, but he caught her opening the back door to the alley with the bench.
"Mia, a minute please?"
Mia paused. She was so close to the fresh air—well,
alley
fresh air, but at least there were no fluorescent lights—but she turned into Mr. Rayner's office instead. He sat on top of his desk, leaning against the edge. He pushed out a chair for her with his foot and she took it.
"Mia, why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself? I can help you if you'd just be a little nicer to me." He reached out an arm and tried to grope Mia's shoulder. She jumped out of her chair and took two steps back. This was an old game.
"I have a boyfriend," she lied.
"No you don't," he laughed, as if the thought was too ridiculous to entertain. "Come here why don't you?" He opened his arms and Mia considered relenting. She was so tired of working double shifts and standing at register for three hours at a time. But then Mr. Rayner licked his lips and Mia's stomach churned. Things were bad, but they weren't
that
bad.
"I'm going on break," she said.
"Fine," Mr. Rayner said, straightening up. "But that old bat complained about you. I have to make a record of it. That makes three complaints this month Mia. One more and you're facing suspension."
Mia bit her lip. She only had an hour left. "Can I go now?" He nodded like he was doing her a favor and she scurried away while she still could.
Mia was almost out the alley door when Jake ran up to her.
"Hey, Mia." He was out of breath. "Glad I caught you. Listen, there's a hot party on for tonight. Can you cover me?"
"Doesn't your shift start in like an hour?"
He lifted his shoulders. "So?"
Mia wanted to slam his head against the wall. Jake knew she'd never turn down an extra shift. She and Emma needed the money too badly. But she was so tired. She pictured the pink princess dress Emma had gone crazy for at Smart Mart the other day. Who would have thought that fake satin was so expensive?
"Fine," she said.
"Thanks," he said, grinning. "That's awesome."
She watched Jake run off and a pang of jealousy hit her heart. He was only a year younger than her, yet his life was so different. She was twenty-one. She should be going to parties instead of... but that was a horrible thing to think. Emma was the one good thing about her life.
She stepped outside and sucked in the cool night air. Late August was always a peaceful time for the weather in Wisconsin. Football would be starting soon, and she was sure to see Logan splashed across the screen even more as the weeks went on. She never could get away from him completely. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she looked with shock at the number. It was from Rachel. She hadn't talked to Rachel in three years. Not since Logan was drafted and they both moved to San Francisco.
Mia, I'm getting married this weekend. I need help. I can't make it in Oakville by myself. Please come. I've missed you.
Mia turned off her phone and drew in several deep breaths. Why would Rachel be getting married in Oakville? She'd heard people in town talking about the wedding. Her fiancé was some big shot Hollywood actor. Shouldn't they get married there, in L.A.? She went back inside. Her ten minutes were up.
Work lasted forever. Mia walked through the door of her tiny apartment to find Emma asleep in Tera's arms. It wasn't quite dawn. Mia shook the babysitter gently and paid her double what she'd promised. The money was almost too precious to part with, but it was worth it to keep Tera coming back. She's the only one who would come down to Harvest Road with any regularity. Everyone else deemed the area too poor to set foot in.
Mia moved Emma back into her bed, kissed her forehead and returned to the living room. Their couch was starting to fall apart and Mia made a mental note to keep an eye out at the Goodwill. Logan's face flashed across the screen when Mia turned the TV on. She knew she should go to bed. She had to be back at work in a few hours, but Logan's face smiled at her and she couldn't turn away. She remembered the last time she'd seen him... the night they'd finally made love. It had only been three years ago, yet it felt like decades. Even now, his face was smooth and tan and he stared at her from the TV screen with wild blue eyes and a smile too charming for his own good. In these moments, she missed him even more than she would have believed possible.
Logan stood for the cameras with his back straight and a smile on his face. His sand colored hair swept back over his head, and the girl on his arm—
Crap! What was her name again?
—kissed his cheek as the lights kept flashing.
"Hey Logan! Over here!" shouted a reporter. The blonde on his arm threw her body over his, like she was a blanket, or maybe a snake. She coiled one leg around him and pulling him close with both her arms. His face smacked against hers hard; it felt like he'd just been tackled. She ran her tongue over his lips, and he continued to smile for the cameras as if he was enjoying it all. In truth, he wanted to run away from this woman
and
the cameras and just go sit in a library or a coffee shop somewhere and be alone.
He was twenty-six and already tired of the girls and the fame. It was great being the best quarterback in football, but all he really wanted now was to play the game. He didn't care about the other stuff, like the money or the girls or even the trophies. Okay, maybe he still cared a little about the trophies, after all, he wasn't crazy. But the girls were a dime a dozen. He flashed back to college. Just before he'd gotten drafted to San Francisco, he and Mia had shared a magical night together and a promise that she'd ultimately broken. He couldn't stop his heart from fluttering when he pictured her face of cream and her golden hair falling around her shoulders like a string of halos.
The blonde pinched his ass and the reporters all laughed. She was posing for them like they cared about her. Like she was an actress or a model instead of a groupie.
Was he sure she wasn't?
It looked at her again and tried to remember where he'd met her. A bar. It was always a bar. The flashes continued, blinding him for a full minute before he blinked enough to regain his sight. Vultures. All of them. It occurred to Logan that maybe the blonde was a vulture too, and he eyed her suspiciously as she swiveled her hips.
He wondered what Mia was doing now. If she was happy. He hated the idea of going back to Oakville for Rachel's wedding, but if he had to, maybe he could at least look her up. He was sure she'd be gone. Harvard law was a far cry from Oakville, Wisconsin, why would she have returned? But still... her parents were probably still there. Maybe he could find them at least. Get an address.
Why torture yourself?
He had left Oakville, but it had been Mia who'd left him. He should just leave well enough alone.
The cameras flashed again, too close to his face this time, and his eyes started to tear up. What were the taking pictures for anyways? They acted like he was doing something really juicy—like robbing a bank or breaking a world record. The season hadn't even started yet. He was just walking into a restaurant with a girl he barely knew. What was so interesting about that? Would they still want pictures if it was he and Mia walking into the restaurant, or did the blonde hold some strange charm he couldn't see?
The flashes must be getting to his head. Why was he still thinking about Mia right now? It had been three years. He couldn't still be pining for her. He shook his head and opened the door to the restaurant. The blonde—
Vicki! Her name was Vicki!—
put her hand on his back as she ushered him inside, swinging her head back for one last look at the photographers. Her lips were too red, he decided. He longed for the soft pink petals that had belonged to Mia.
What's wrong with me? Stop it now. There's no point in thinking about her.
It was definitely Rachel's wedding that was doing this to him. And the idea of going back to Oakville after all this time. At least he'd be going back rich. His parents had insisted on staying there, but then he'd insisted on buying them the nicest house in town, far away from the gutter they used to live in when he was growing up. Hell, maybe the town would even throw him a parade.
After dinner, Logan dropped Vicki at her apartment. Two other girls, pretty in an overdone, trampy sort of way, tried to help draw him inside. There was a time, right after Mia had dumped him, that he would gladly have accepted their invitation. Now he fought them off and headed back to his empty mansion. It was filled with priceless artwork his manager had insisted he buy because it was somehow good for his image. Except of course, there was no one but him to enjoy it or even look at it. Rachel and her fiancé Erik were hardly ever over here. She was too busy modeling, and he was too busy being absorbed by Hollywood. Rachel had told him she was keeping her house in San Francisco but moving down to Hollywood after the wedding. He wasn't sure what the point of it was. Why keep two houses when they're both going to be empty?
Disgusted with the strange and irritating melancholy he'd stirred within himself, he grabbed a suitcase from his closet and started to pack for Rachel's wedding. At least Rachel would be stuck in Oakville with him. There, he wouldn't be alone.
