by Kimberly Fox
My ride is waiting, so I just take a deep breath and walk out of my condo building, pretending like I’m not about to throw up from nerves.
I open the door and slip into the smooth leather seats. “Hi, Mitchell,” I say, smiling at my boss who’s here to bring me to the wedding. “You’re looking nice.”
He’s wearing a faded brown suit and a green tie, but somehow it kind of looks good on him. Oh, God. Are you that desperate that you’re finding Mitchell good looking now?
“Thanks,” he says, looking at me with a big smile. “Stitches picked it out.”
“Who?”
He plucks a picture off the dashboard and hands it to me. He’s shirtless in the picture and cuddling with his new puppy. I’m not sure who is hairier.
“I named him Stitches,” he says as his grin widens.
“So, it’s going well with you two?” I ask. It’s nice to see him so happy. I’ve never seen him smile this much, ever.
His eyes roll up as he smiles. “Better than well,” he says, looking like he’s on cloud nine. “He’s amazing! He pulled my bowling shoes out of the closet and peed in them. Isn’t that cute?”
“That’s… something,” I say, looking at him funny.
“Oh, we’re just the best of friends,” he goes on. “It’s been so nice having another living being in my house.”
“That’s wonderful, Mitchell,” I say, glancing back at my condo as he drives down the street.
The nerves in my stomach are back now that we’re on the way to the wedding. I haven’t spoken to Shane, and I don’t know if he’s going, and the suspense of not knowing is killing me.
For sure he’s going to be there.
I check my face and teeth in the visor mirror while Mitchell keeps rambling on about his new pup.
He’s not going to show. He’s probably too busy conspiring with his lawyers on how to steal every cent I’ve ever made.
My eyes narrow on my reflection as my stomach flutters. It makes me sick every time I think about it. How could he be suing me after I tried my best to help him? After I saved his life?
He’s pure scum, and you’re lucky you found out now rather than years from now when you’re married with children.
But I don’t feel lucky. Just nauseous.
I really liked him, and I even thought that he may be the one. And that’s just making all of this that much worse.
It was the ultimate betrayal, and I set myself up for it.
I shake my head as I look out the window, wondering how I could have been so stupid. This was just like Gavin, only worse because I should have known better. I shouldn’t have put myself in this position in the first place, so this time, it really is my fault.
Mitchell talks about his puppy for the rest of the way to the church, and although it’s getting pretty annoying hearing every single thing that he chewed up or peed on, it’s still better than him talking about Anabelle, so I just shut up and listen.
“Ready?” he asks when he parks the car and I don’t move. There’s an empty pit in my stomach, and I’m starting to sweat now that I see people dressed in suits and dresses walking through the parking lot up to the church.
I scan the crowd but don’t see him. And there are no dirt bikes parked anywhere around here, so I take a deep breath and relax a little. I don’t think he’s coming.
A strange mix of relief and sadness hits me as I step out of the car.
“Oh, Mitchell,” I say, cringing when I see his shoes. “Did Stitches chew up every pair of shoes that you have?”
They look like he got them stuck in a paper shredder or something.
“That’s my best friend for you,” he says, laughing as he glances down at his chewed-up shoes. “They’re going to be a great conversation starter.”
“I’m sure they will be,” I mutter as I turn away. Oh, God. Will people think we’re… together?
The fluttering in my stomach comes raging back as people start looking at us as a couple. I was going to have the hottest date at the wedding, and now I’ve been downgraded to Mitchell.
Now I really hate Shane.
The church is covered in white flowers and looks absolutely beautiful. The ushers are standing by the door looking good in their tuxedos. They welcome us in and tell us to grab a seat on the left.
“I hope you and your boyfriend enjoy the wedding,” the cute usher says as we pass.
I jerk my head back around. “Oh, we’re not…” He’s already gone. “Together,” I mumble to myself.
The church is half-filled with people chatting away and looking excited. I look around quickly, but I don’t see any hot motocross guys sitting in any of the pews.
He’s not here.
I don’t know how I feel about that. A part of me wanted to see him, and a part of me never wants to see him again. It’s a constant fight between the two sides, but I seem to be the only one losing.
“I’m just going to head to the bathroom before it starts,” I whisper to Mitchell who’s pulled a photo of Stitches out of his pocket and is staring at it with a longing in his eyes. He nods.
My stomach is a mess of nerves as I hurry into the back where the bathroom is located. I slip inside and throw some cold water on my face, wondering why I came here at all.
Just go home. You don’t even know these people.
I’m here to celebrate with Walter, but he’s my patient and I’m already too close. I should just go home.
I look like a hot mess. I’m sweaty, my skin is pale, and I accidentally splashed water on my dress. All I want to do right now is go home, put on my pajamas, curl up on the couch under a blanket and watch a full season of Gilmore Girls.
I’m walking down the hall to get back to my seat when a door opens, and someone grabs me, pulling me inside the priest’s quarters.
I’m too shocked to scream when I see Shane’s face. He looks like more of a mess than I do, and that’s saying a lot.
“Just give me five seconds,” he says with his voice racing.
I turn to the door instead. “I don’t think so.”
“Please, Madison,” he begs. “Just let me explain.”
“Are we even allowed to speak to each other?” I ask, whipping my head back around. “Or do we need to get our lawyers here to speak for us?”
Not that I have a lawyer…
“I’m not suing you,” he says bluntly.
I jerk my head back in surprise. “What?”
“It was all a misunderstanding,” he says, looking desperate. “My idiot manager Christopher went behind my back and set it all up, against my wishes.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, feeling a headache coming on.
“Madison,” he says, bending down to stare into my eyes. “I had no idea what he was up to. It came as much as a surprise to me as it did to you.”
“I highly doubt that,” I say, glaring at him. “It was pretty damn surprising to me.”
“It kills me that you would think I could do that to you,” he says.
“Don’t turn this around on me and make me feel bad,” I say, reaching for the door. “Your lawyer sent me a court summons in your name. What the hell was I supposed to think?”
“I’m sorry,” he says quickly. “It was all a huge mistake. My lawyer knows that the charges have been dropped, and I fired Christopher.”
“You did?” I ask, looking into his gorgeous green eyes. I want to believe him. God, do I want to believe him.
“Yes,” he says, swallowing hard. “Madison, I don’t have any medical insurance.”
“You don’t?” I ask, feeling my stomach drop. His bill must have been a few hundred thousand dollars.
He shakes his head. “Apparently, it was cut off after my last accident. Suing you was Christopher’s genius plan to pay off the hospital bill.”
“He’s a jerk,” I say as my hands squeeze into fists. “That was a horrible idea.”
“I know,” he says, staring at me with the softest green eyes imaginable.
“That’s why I fired him.”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I let the relief sink in. I’m not being sued. Hallelujah.
The horrible tension that had built up in my body over the past few days just melts away and is replaced by a sudden giddiness.
“So, you were happy with my care?” I ask, listening to him closely.
“Of course,” he says, staring at me in disbelief. “You’re the best doctor in the world. I could be dead right now, and instead, I’m standing right here. Because of you.”
Wait a minute. Where is right here?
I swallow hard as I look around, wondering where we are. I was so shocked to see Shane when he pulled me into this room that I didn’t even look around.
There’s an old red sofa against the wall with some National Geographic magazines piled on top of it. A flat-screen TV, some old furniture and a hallway that leads to what I’m guessing is a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. It’s the priest’s private quarters, and we’ve just broken into it.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be in here,” I whisper, looking around nervously.
“Do you forgive me?” Shane asks, looking desperate as he stares into my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Madison. I tried to explain but you never answered your phone.”
“It’s at the bottom of a river.”
“And you wouldn’t see me at work,” he says, looking flustered. “I didn’t know what to do. It made me sick to think that you were upset with me. I love you, Madison and you were not—”
“You what?” I ask, my whole body frozen.
He stops and stares at me as he realizes what he just let slip out. “It’s true,” he says with a nod. “I love you, Madison. I really do.”
“Wow,” I whisper, staring at him with unblinking eyes. This perfect specimen of a man is in love with me? I can’t believe it.
“I know you want to take it slow,” he says as my heart swells in my chest, “and that’s fine with me. I’m willing to go as slow as you’re comfortable with, but now you know where I’m at. I know it might take a long time for you to get here too, and that’s okay. I’m willing to wait forever for you.”
All of a sudden, I’m extremely aware of my heartbeat. It’s pounding in my chest.
“You’re not going to have to wait long,” I whisper. “I’m already there with you.”
His eyebrows raise as he looks at me with widening eyes. “You—”
“I do,” I say with a nod. “I love you too, Shane.”
He lunges forward and gives me a ravenous kiss, taking my breath away as he kisses me like no one has kissed me before.
I want more, and I can tell by his wandering hands that so does he.
“You look so fucking hot in this dress,” he says in a deep gravelly voice between kisses. “Tell me you’re not wearing any panties.”
He’s about to find out because his hands are sliding up under my dress.
“Uh-hum,” someone coughs, scaring the shit out of me. We both leap away from each other and whip our heads toward the sound.
“Oh, shit,” Shane whispers when we see the priest standing in his hallway staring at us. He’s wearing long black socks, white boxer shorts, a white undershirt, and that’s it (unless you count the toothbrush hanging out of his mouth).
“Hello, Dad,” I say, turning as red as the devil.
“He’s your father?” Shane asks, staring at me in shock.
“What? No!” I quickly answer. I lean in and whisper. “He’s a priest. We’re supposed to call him Dad.”
“It’s Father, actually,” the priest says, rolling his eyes.
“Sorry, Father,” I say, trying to recover, although there’s no recovering from this. “I haven’t been to church in a while.”
“Clearly,” he says, looking annoyed. “Otherwise you would know that church is the absolute worst place to give into your carnal desires.”
“Right,” I say, dropping my head as I back away toward the door. “We’re sorry.”
“Very sorry,” Shane adds.
“Sinning not only in God’s home, but in my home,” he says, looking outraged. “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
“We are,” I say, shaking my head. “Super ashamed.”
Shane grabs the door handle and turns it, not nearly fast enough.
“I’ll expect to see you in confession after the ceremony,” the priest says, glaring at us as we slink out into the hallway.
“Definitely,” I say, nodding as Shane closes the door.
“Are you seriously going to confess?”
“No,” I say with a laugh. “As soon as the ceremony is over, I’m getting the hell out of here.”
He laughs as we hurry back to the pews. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 22
Shane
“Whoa!” I say, laughing as Madison trips on my feet and nearly falls onto the dance floor. “I think we need a bit more practice.”
“Or a bit less wine,” she says, looking adorable with her flushed cheeks.
We’re dancing to Chubby Checker at Walter’s daughter’s wedding, and I couldn’t be happier. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world whenever Madison is in my arms.
She dances back up to me, looking sexier than I’ve ever seen her in her hot red dress. Her hips are swaying, her breasts are jiggling, and she’s got that look in her eye that tells me I won’t be getting very much sleep tonight.
I’m marrying this girl.
It’s inevitable. It will happen.
Once you get a girl this amazing, you don’t let go of her. No matter what.
“We’re going to slow it down now,” the DJ says into the mic. “It’s time to grab your guy or girl and make your way to the dance floor.”
“You hear that?” Madison whispers in my ear as she comes in nice and close. “It’s time to grab your girl.”
I grip her waist so hard as I pull her in close that she lets out a little whimper. “Like that?” I ask.
“That’s good,” she says, grinning up at me. “That’s really good.”
The intoxicating scent of her perfume is tickling my nose, making me crazy with desire for her. The feel of her breasts against my chest, her hips swaying against mine, her breath tickling my neck—it’s all making me want to grab her and pull her into the nearest closet.
“Ahhh,” she says, smiling up at me as Lady in Red starts playing. “I love this song.”
“It was made for you,” I say, smiling down at her. “You’re beautiful, Madison. And you look absolutely stunning in this dress.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she says as she runs her hand down my tie. “Although I have to admit, I do prefer the hospital gown.”
“I’ll put it on for you at home,” I whisper into her ear. “I stole it.”
“You know, you’re not supposed to take those,” she says with a grin. “But in your case, I’ll let it slide.”
I left with a bill of over four-hundred-thousand dollars. I don’t feel bad about the gown.
The bill is still weighing on me, and I’m not sure how I’m going to pay it off. There’s no way I’ll be ready to ride in three months, so The Moxie Energy Drink Championships is off the table for this year. I’ll just have to win it next year.
But in the meantime, I have a huge bill that I have to find a way to pay off. I take a deep breath and try to push that out of my mind as I dance with Madison. No point in worrying about that tonight and ruining this moment.
All I want to think about is the amazing girl in my arms.
“Look!” she whispers as she motions to the bar with her eyes. Her boss Mitchell is chatting up a woman in a crochet dress whose hair is almost to her knees. They seem to be exchanging photos. “Mitchell found a girl!”
“I guess you’ll need a ride home,” I say, grinning down at her. I should be jealous that another man brought her here, but I can’t be jealous of that guy. I’m pretty sure he’s wearing a clip-on tie.
�
�What are they talking about?” Madison asks, staring at them in wonder.
“I don’t think I want to know.”
As the song hits the chorus, Mitchell and his new girl drop the photos on the ground and start making out. Heavily.
“Ew,” Madison says, turning away with a look of disgust on her face. “I didn’t need to see that.”
“Nobody needs to see that,” I say, watching in horror as they go at it. “Well at least if the groom needs to last a little longer tonight, he can think of that image and buy himself some time.”
“Oh, God,” she says with a laugh. “He’ll be able to last an eternity.”
We dance for the rest of the song in silence, just enjoying each other’s company as we hold each other close. The bride and groom are dancing beside us, and I can’t help but picture us in their place one day. As much as I love seeing Madison in her sexy red dress, I’d much rather see her wearing a white one, especially if she’s walking down the aisle toward me while she’s wearing it.
“Mmmm,” she moans when the song is over. “That was nice.”
“The best,” I whisper before giving her a soft kiss.
“I need a drink,” she says as the DJ tries to bring the energy back up with some Michael Jackson. I laugh as she grabs my wrist and pulls me to the bar.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asks her when we arrive.
“Shots!” she says, looking excited. “Surprise us.”
“How many?”
“Two,” I say, answering for her. She’s a little drunk, and I don’t want to have to carry her out of here.
“Better make that three,” Walter says as he comes up from behind us. “Can I join my two new friends in a celebratory shot?”
“You sure can!” Madison says with a big smile. “This is such a beautiful wedding!”
“Thank you,” Walter says, nodding as he looks around with a look of approval on his face. “It did turn out pretty great.”
“It would have been better with an arch,” I say, teasing him.
He looks at me with a sly grin. “Shut up,” he says with a laugh. “I set the cursed thing on fire.”