You May Kiss the Bridesmaid

by Camilla Isley

I nod.

  “I’ve researched the whole IVF thing, and I’m not a fan. Can we make the babies the old fashioned way?”

  “You’ve researched IVF?” A single tear rolls down my cheek. “Is this for real?”

  “What do I have to do to convince you, you stubborn woman?” He groans in frustration and settles me on the bench next to him. “Drop to one knee?” Archie bends to the ground and takes hold of both my hands. “Summer Knowles, will you—”

  Before he can finish, I use our joined hands to pull him back on the bench. “You don’t have to propose right away!”

  “Hey, I was grand-gesturing you. Are you sure you don’t want all this?” He waves at the wedding set-up in the distance. “The fairy tale wedding, the happily ever after?”

  “Of course I do, but today, happy for now is more than enough. All I needed was to be sure that if we started dating, you’d be open to marriage and a family… one day.”

  He frowns at me. “Happy for now? Is that a new thing?”

  I smile. “Not a fan of romance novels, uh?”

  He makes a duh face.

  “Happy for now is where happily ever afters are born. When todays turn into tomorrows and all days afterward.”

  Archie stands up and pulls me along, pressing my body against his. “I’ll take the now thing, Summer Knowles, but be ready because I plan on getting all those tomorrows.”

  “Good,” I say, and close my eyes as my unicorn kisses me.

  Note from the Author

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed reading You May Kiss the Bridesmaid. I had so much fun writing this book, but I also wanted to pour a little of me in it. The opening scene might’ve felt weird for a rom com. To make the book start in a hospital room is a choice I debated for a long time. But, if you’ve been following me for a while, you might already know my son was born through IVF. Before starting the process, I had no idea how it worked, and half-way through, I’m not going to lie, the needle sounded scary. In the end, for me it was a very positive, non-painful experience that I wanted to share in a fun way in my writing. If you’re struggling with infertility or just want to give yourself more time to make a decision about motherhood like Summer, feel free to write to me if you have any questions at camilla.isley@gmail.com. I can’t give any medical advice, but I can share my personal experience with you.

  If this is the first book in the First Comes Love series you’ve read, you can go back to Book 4, To the Stars and Back, to meet Lana and her celebrity boyfriend Christian. And book 5, From Thailand with Love, to read Winter and Logan’s love story first hand. You can also catch up with the first three books in the series in this special box set edition, First Comes Love Books 1-3.

  If you’re a series aficionado, thank you for following me on this entire journey. The long-awaited small-town romance about city-girl Samantha Baker and a local cowboy, Sweet Love and Country Roads, is finally in the works and will be the next book in the series. You can read the blurb on the next page. But I also have a little surprise for you: I plan to write a prequel novel for this series and make it free. Most platforms don’t allow for free pre-orders, but you can sign up to my Readers’ Group to be the first to know when this new free book will be released.

  Now I have to ask you a favor. If you loved my story, please leave a review on Goodreads, your favorite retailer’s website, or wherever you like to post reviews (your blog, your Facebook wall, your bedroom wall, in a text to your best friend…). Reviews are the best gift you can give to an author, and word of mouth is the most powerful means of book discovery.

  If you’re craving more romance, you can turn the page for a sneak peek from Let’s Be Just Friends, the first book in my new adult college romance series Just Friends, which is absolutely FREE to download at all retailers. This series is slightly different from my romantic comedies. The characters are younger and a little more prone to drama. As a disclaimer, I wanted to let you know that Book 1 has some cheating in it, in case it’s a reading pet peeve of yours. I know many readers dislike stories with affairs, and me writing one isn’t in any way an indication that I support any kind of cheating. I just think that betrayal is a sad reality of some relationships and, writing about love and romance, I wanted to challenge myself with a story with a bit of a darker side, exploring my characters’ flaws more in-depth.

  I hope I haven’t bored you too much with my babbling… Thank you for your constant support!

  Camilla, x

  Sweet Love and Country Roads

  Samantha Baker is an ambitious, high-flying movie producer living in New York City. She loves her shoes, drinking Cosmopolitans, and would never trade the comforts of city life for anything in the world. But when her job is put on the line, Samantha has no other choice than to move to the middle of nowhere to straighten out the filming of her latest romantic comedy blockbuster.

  Her new country home has no Starbucks, no Pilates, and the one pub in town only serves beer or heavy spirits. On the plus side, the views are scenic—and not just for the aerial shots, as the local eye-candy provides a welcome distraction.

  At least until Samantha discovers a native cowboy, Travis Hunt, is the source of all her troubles… And the battle begins.

  Each has something the other wants, but as Samantha and Travis go head to head, they might discover the endgame has changed.

  When hate turns to heat, all becomes fair in love and war for these two sworn enemies who’ve been playing a game of hearts.

  But will a roll in the hay be enough to make Samantha decide there’s no sex in the city and convert to country living?

  Learn more about this story...

  Sneak Peek – Let’s Be Just Friends

  One

  Rose

  Something woke Rose with a start. She tried to pinpoint the source of the noise, but it stopped before she could. A quick peek at the alarm clock sitting in silence on her bedside table told Rose it was only 9:00 a.m. Good. At least two more hours to sleep.

  The noise started again just as Rose was beginning to drift off. Already half-awake, she managed to identify the sound clearly this time. It was Tyler’s phone ringing in the distance. But, where? Not in the adjoining room where Rose assumed he was sleeping. No, the sound seemed to be coming from farther away, somewhere on the lower floor of Tyler’s townhouse.

  Curled under her soft covers, Rose waited for the sound of his quick footsteps down the stairs, but it never came. He must’ve been fast asleep, in which case she doubted the faint noise of his ringtone would be enough to wake him. Tyler was a heavy sleeper ordinarily, and he’d been out all night, or at least until three this morning when she’d gotten in. She guessed he wouldn’t wake up until at least noon.

  Rose waited for the phone to stop ringing so she could go back to sleep. But Tyler’s vintage MC Hammer ringtone started playing again almost immediately. Can’t touch this…

  Throwing the blankets away from her, Rose sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. What the hell! Who was so eager to talk to Tyler this early on a Saturday morning?

  Georgiana! The name popped into Rose’s mind. She was the only person who’d obsessively binge-call him on a Saturday morning and not get the message people wanted to sleep. Even Tyler’s mom would’ve given up after two missed calls. Why was Georgiana so desperate to talk to him? Did they have a huge fight? Did he finally ditch her? No, that would be too good to be true; they probably just had some kind of argument.

  Rose sat on the edge of her bed, tense, listening. The phone had gone quiet again. She waited to hear if it was going to ring again and began twisting her long brown hair into a side braid. Sure enough, after a few seconds, she heard the same familiar tune. Can’t touch this…

  Irritated, she hopped off her bed, threw open her door, and stepped out onto the landing.

  Tyler’s door was shut. Rose pressed her right ear to the wooden panels. She heard the faint, regular breathing of someone sleeping
. Listening more closely, she tried to make out the sound of a second person breathing, but she could only hear Tyler. It seemed he was alone.

  Rose stepped away from the door, disappointed. So the argument had not been about Tyler cheating on Georgiana with some other girl. Rose was surprised—and a little annoyed—that Tyler had been faithful to Georgiana for as long as he had. Not that she supported the cheating, but she was eager for Georgiana to be out of their lives, and Tyler had cheated on every girl he’d ever been with. It was maddening that the one girl he’d decided to be faithful to was an obnoxious Regina George type.

  The house fell silent again. Standing there in the hall in nothing but a turquoise tank top with a frilly trim and matching shorts, Rose shivered. Boston always seemed too cold compared to Texas, no matter the season. She would’ve preferred to wear an oversized sweater to bed, but last night she’d had no other choices. Busy with her Summer Academic Fellowship for Harvard Law, she hadn’t bothered to do laundry in weeks. Her Victoria’s Secret PINK set was the only clean thing left at the bottom of the sleepwear drawer. It was either that or two drops of Chanel Number Five.

  Rose massaged her arms with her hands to warm herself up as she turned around, away from Tyler’s door and toward the bathroom. Might as well, since I’m already up. She finished her business and was about to exit the bathroom when she caught herself in the mirror. Her mini-pajama fit her well. Yes, not bad at all. Pity she turned into a popsicle when she wore them.

  Rose moved her gaze up to her face. Her eyes were such a dark brown as to be almost black, and her skin tone made her look constantly tanned. Not like Georgiana with her impossibly white skin, long licorice-black hair, and startling blue eyes. Did Tyler prefer blue eyes? Over the years, he hadn’t shown any particular trend in his women. Tall, short, curvy, androgynous, brunette, blonde, redhead—it didn’t matter to him. As long as they were attractive.

  Tyler’s phone began ringing again downstairs. Like an angry cat, Rose hissed at the mirror. How was she supposed to sleep if that damn thing was going to go off every five minutes? She exited the bathroom and ran down the stairs, the carpet muffling her steps.

  After a quick scan of the living room—no phones in sight—she eventually located the phone in the kitchen: a shiny rectangle lying innocently on the table—lifeless. Rose looked at its black screen accusingly just as it started ringing again. Georgiana’s smiling face greeted her. It was her calling. Rose grabbed the phone, turned it to silent, and put it back down, relieved. Georgiana’s face remained lit for a few more seconds and then disappeared.

  With the phone neutralized, she could go back to her peaceful sleep-in day. But as she turned to leave, a speech bubble popped up on the screen. The temptation was too strong; Rose snatched up the phone and read it.

  I’m sorry, okay? Can you please pick up?

  So, they definitely had an argument. And it looked like it was Georgiana’s fault. What could she have done? Nothing too bad, Rose was sure. Georgiana was all sweetness with Tyler. She acted nasty only when he wasn’t around, during the rare times when Georgiana and Rose were alone together.

  Georgiana was jealous of her. That was the only explanation. The sentiment was strong and reciprocated, too. Georgiana didn’t like the idea of her boyfriend living with his attractive female best friend. As for Rose, she didn’t appreciate Georgiana’s intrusion into their friendship—or the intrusion of any of Tyler’s girlfriends, for that matter.

  And Georgiana was more annoying than most of the girls he dated. She went to Harvard Law with them, meaning she imposed not only on their free time, but on their school time as well. In class, she sat with them—Rose on one side, Georgiana on the other, and Tyler sandwiched in the middle. At lunch, she ate with them. When they were studying, she followed them to the library. And she was at the house so often that Rose wondered if she was trying to move in without Tyler noticing. Georgiana being beautiful and rich didn’t help. Nor the fact that she was the daughter of one of the most powerful and recognized lawyers in Boston, Bradley Smithson.

  This was the first time since high school that Tyler had dated someone who was in school with them. Rose had forgotten how hard it was to have a daily reminder of him being with someone else. Not to mention the unwelcome novelty of being in the next room when Georgiana spent the night. Contractors should make thicker walls. It was almost like Georgiana was being a loud lover on purpose, to make sure Rose knew just how well Tyler satisfied her in bed. Her. Not Rose. Never Rose.

  When Tyler had first started going out with Georgiana, it hadn’t been so hard. Not while Rose had been with her boyfriend Marcus, her longest relationship to date. She suspected the two years she’d spent with Marcus had been Tyler’s first experience with jealousy. She remembered being glad when he’d started dating Georgiana so she could finally stop feeling guilty for spending all her time with her boyfriend. Rose also hadn’t told Tyler she was moving in with Marcus and hadn’t been sure how he would take the news. Then everything had collapsed. Marcus had been offered a huge promotion in LA. And in less than a month, he’d left Rose heartbroken, with a canceled lease and nowhere to live. Of course, Tyler had stepped in immediately and invited Rose to stay in his spare bedroom. She’d accepted, grateful to have her best friend near her 24/7. Georgiana hadn’t been happy about it.

  Rose sat in a chair at the kitchen table and rolled Tyler’s phone in her hands, tempted to snoop. She didn’t know why, but it seemed important she found out why Tyler and Georgiana had argued. But if Tyler discovered her at it, he’d flay her. He’d always been protective of his things, especially his phone, at least with his girls, and usually with a good reason. Although lately, he’d been growing increasingly private with her, too. Rose felt left out, and she couldn’t help but blame Georgiana.

  Georgiana, who was sorry for something she’d done. What was it? She contemplated the black screen, trying to make up her mind. To spy or not to spy?

  “What are you doing?”

  Tyler’s voice put a sharp end to her dilemma. He was standing at the foot of the stairs, wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants.

  “Oh, you’re awake, good!” Rose said, faking anger to cover her embarrassment at nearly being caught in the act. “Next time if you leave your phone lying around, do me a favor and put it on silent so it doesn’t wake me up.”

  “Rose.” There was an edge to his voice. “Why were you looking into my phone?”

  “I wasn’t looking into your phone.” She dropped the phone on the table. “This thing has been ringing nonstop for almost an hour. I couldn’t sleep, and it didn’t seem like you were getting up anytime soon, so I came downstairs to silence it.”

  “If you were just putting the phone on silent, why were you sitting on a chair with it in your hands?”

  Always the lawyer.

  “I was trying to decide if your cuckoo girlfriend had ruined my sleep-in,” Rose said, getting up. Her chair scraped loudly on the kitchen floor. “Or if I could go back to bed.”

  Rose stared him down; attack was the best defense. But would he believe her?

  Two

  Tyler

  Rose’s aggressive tone was familiar. It was the one she used when she got caught doing something she shouldn’t and wanted to steer the attention away from herself. She was so busted. Tyler didn’t really care if she’d tried to hack his phone. Try as she might, his password was an alphanumeric nightmare, and he was sure not even the CIA would be able to crack it. One bad experience with an above-average tech-savvy girlfriend had been enough to force Tyler to up his security.

  Still, what business did Rose have nosing around his things? Usually, it was hysterical girlfriends who tried to hack him, not his best friend. He kept no secrets with Rose. Well, except maybe his constant arguments about her with Georgiana. Rose had never been BFF with any of his previous girlfriends, but with Georgiana, it had been hate at first sight. On both sides. Had Rose sensed she’d been the reason for thei
r argument? But if she wanted to know, all she had to do was ask.

  Tyler was planning a way to make her confess when she stood up, and he saw what she was wearing—or rather how much she wasn’t. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He was used to seeing his best friend in faded loose T-shirts three or four sizes too big for her. Not in mini shorts. Definitely not in mini shorts.

  Rose must have noticed his staring because she blushed bright red. Yet, she didn’t lower her gaze or rush off. Weird. Regular Rose was so shy and reserved. So much so that in the six months they’d been living together, she’d never shown more skin than that on her ankles. When she showered, she brought her clothes in the bathroom and came out already changed. He’d never even seen her in a towel. Even when she did the wash, she planted herself outside of the tiny laundry room like a watchdog. She said she didn’t want him to see her underwear because it embarrassed her. So, her standing there half-naked and bold was seriously freaking him out.

  Frozen, Tyler watched her walk toward him.

  “Anyway, Georgiana says she’s sorry,” Rose said, brushing past him as she continued toward the stairs. “And before you ask, no—I didn’t spy. The message popped up on the screen.”

  Tyler followed her, not quite able to tear his eyes from her derrière as she climbed the stairs. He was shocked into silence. Seeing her like this was like being slapped in the face. He hadn’t tried to sleep with her, sober or drunk, for how long now? Two years. Not since she’d been with Marcus, not since her last fierce refusal of his advances. That night he’d been drunk and came on to her hard. Her “no” had been equally strong, worse than an ice shower. Sobered up by her rejection, he’d never been tempted to try again. Call it a strong reality check. To him, it had become clear she wasn’t interested. So, Tyler had set his mind on being her friend, just a friend.

  His reaction to her lack of clothes was a dead giveaway that he’d been kidding himself. He collapsed onto the living room couch, taking a few minutes to steady himself and reboot his brain. He’d always thought Rose was beautiful, but he’d never considered her sexy. Yet today, her outfit combined with her defiant attitude made her irresistible. He needed to know what was going on to make her act so strangely. As if pulled by an invisible rope, Tyler got to his feet and followed Rose up the stairs.