by Noelle Adams
“You weren’t even enjoying it earlier!”
“Yes, I was. What are you talking about?”
“You weren’t laughing like everyone else.”
“That’s because I was kind of overwhelmed with other feelings. But I’m in a better frame of mind now, so show me again. Give me a private pageant.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t about to refuse him. So she found some generic music on her phone to play for accompaniment and then went back into the bathroom to give him a whole routine.
She strode out, her hands turned outward near her hips, and stopped on the first spot, twirling and smiling and simpering. Then she moved to another spot and posed again, this time bobbing her head in a series of nods like she was supposed to give to the judges. When she moved from that spot, she tossed her hair and gave him an over-the-shoulder look and final wink before she returned to the bathroom.
Robert was overwhelmed by laughter by the end of it, and she was pretty proud of herself for that accomplishment.
When she peeked back out, he gestured toward her, and she ran over and jumped onto the bed, trying to tackle him. He was ready for her, however. He was sitting up fully now, leaning against the headboard, and he pulled her onto his lap.
After kissing her for a while, he asked, “Did you really do that whole ridiculous routine when you were six years old?”
“Yes. I really did.”
“I can’t believe your mom did that to you.”
“I don’t think she had any idea how much I hated it. I wanted her to be happy with me, so I did it until I just couldn’t anymore.”
“She should have known better.”
“Yes. She should have. But that was a long time ago. Any similar performances I give anymore will have to be just for you.”
His eyes smoldered as he slid his hands down her back to cup her bottom. “That sounds like a good plan to me.”
Her body was starting to tingle from his entitled hands and his possessive expression and the lean strength of his body beneath hers. She leaned toward him and gave his bottom lip a little tug before releasing it and deepening the kiss.
It was a good kiss. Slow and leisurely and deliciously sensual. She was definitely ready for more when Robert pulled back and cleared his throat.
She’d been about to go for him again, but she paused at his expression. “What is it?”
“I wanted to say something. Before we go any further.”
He sounded so serious her heartbeat sped up. She sat very still as she nodded.
“I love you, Amanda. And I know some people throw the words around easily, but I don’t. I’ve never said them before. To any woman except my mother. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. So I know we haven’t been together for very long, but this doesn’t feel like the beginning to me. And I know I need to work on being more open about how I’m feeling, so I’m going to just say this flat out. I’m fully invested in this. I’m committed all the way. I’m not going to be seeing anyone else or even thinking about anyone else, and I’m really hoping you feel the same way.”
“Of course I do! You think I want to see someone else?”
“Well no. Not really. But I know people have different expectations about early stages of relationships, so I thought it was wiser to say something.”
She giggled and nuzzled his neck briefly. “Yes, it’s very wise. I’m definitely not going to be dating anyone else, and I’d be mad as hell if you did. I love you too, Robert. The same way. I’ve never felt like this about anyone else either.”
He nodded, his jaw relaxing slightly. “Good. And just one more thing. I’m expecting this to last a long time. Like forever. My feelings aren’t going to go away. And on that issue, it’s fine if you don’t—”
“I do! I feel the exact same way. This is the real thing for me too. It really is.”
“Okay. Good.” They gazed at each other for a sappy minute before he added, “So now that we’ve gotten that issue taken care of, you can go back to doing what you were doing before.”
“And what exactly was that?” She grinned.
“It was something like this.” He took her head in his hands and showed her exactly what he meant.
epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER, AMANDA was at another wedding—her zillionth wedding that year.
Not that she was complaining. If she hadn’t gone to so many weddings this year, she might never have gotten together with Robert. And the past months with him had been the happiest she’d ever known.
At least she wasn’t a bridesmaid this time. She’d been a bridesmaid enough this year to last her a lifetime. This evening was the wedding of an old school friend, but she was just a guest, so she could wear what she liked and do what she liked, which made for a much more enjoyable evening.
She smoothed down the skirt of her dark blue silk dress. Winter formal wear was always tricky, but she’d managed by pairing the sleeveless dress with a little gray cardigan with a few glittery threads woven in to make it sparkle.
She looked good, and she also wasn’t freezing her ass off.
“Hey, Amanda,” a voice said, coming out of the far bathroom stall. “I didn’t know you were in here.” Serena appeared, looking pretty but kind of tired in her green dress and sleek chignon. “That’s a great outfit.”
“Thanks. You look good too. Are you feeling all right?”
“Yeah. Just tired. Eva watched a scary movie with her dad last weekend, and she’s been having nightmares. So I was up with her a lot last night.
“On no. That sounds terrible. Poor little thing. And poor you.”
“I’m okay. She’s just eight, and I’ve told him that she’s not ready for movies like that. She’s really sensitive, and those things affect her. But he doesn’t listen.” Serena rolled her big blue eyes, making her feelings about her ex-husband more than clear.
“I’m sorry you’re having to deal with that.”
“Thanks. We’ll get through it. But never again am I going to do that to myself.” Serena made another face, this one less annoyed and more bitter.
“Do what?”
“Put my life in the hands of a man, especially now that I’d be putting my daughter there too.”
“So you don’t think you can trust any man again?” Amanda was genuinely asking since she didn’t want to sound skeptical or judgmental. People needed to do what was best for them, and marriage wasn’t best for everyone.
“Sure, I can trust some men. I trust my dad. And I trust my brother. And I trust Keith. But anyone else...” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, at least you have your family and Keith.”
Serena smiled, her face clearing. “Yes. I do. And I can always count on them not to change or let me down. But enough of my whining. How are things going with you?”
“Good. Really good.”
“Things with you and Robert still going like a sappy romance?”
“No! I mean, yes, things are going great, but it’s not like a sappy romance. I mean, we’re both real people, and so we have issues to deal with and everything. But we’ve been really happy together. I have no complaints.”
“Any chance of wedding bells for the two of you coming up?” Serena’s expression was teasing—she obviously knew what Amanda’s reaction would be.
Amanda gave her friend’s arm a light swat. “I have no idea what will be coming up, but we don’t have any plans right now.”
“It’s going to happen for you soon. I can feel it.”
Amanda gave her a quick, one-armed hug before she washed her hands.
Amanda didn’t know what to say to that. The truth was she was starting to hope her relationship with Robert might go in that direction, but she was trying to be patient and realistic. Robert had spent most of his life pushing away genuine intimacy and commitment. He wasn’t necessarily going to want to jump into marriage.
It had only been six months.
And thing
s were going so well.
She had nothing in the world to complain about.
WHEN SHE RETURNED TO the room where the reception was still in high gear, she had to stand near the door for a full minute, scanning the crowd until she found Robert. She’d left him over by the bar, but he’d moved to the other side, near the doors that led out onto the terrace.
She had a moment of sweet nostalgia after she spotted him. Robert was looking particularly good in his black suit. This was the same venue as her sister’s wedding. It almost could have been that night again—the night she’d first started falling in love with him.
Robert gave her a little smile when she caught his eye, as if he might have been thinking the same thing. Then he made a deliberate turn toward the doors and pushed through one of them, walking out onto the terrace.
She smiled as she followed him, maneuvering through the gathered guests until she’d reached the doors and stepped outside.
He was there by the railing, in almost the exact same spot as he’d found her having a minor breakdown so many months ago.
Maybe he was feeling nostalgic too.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked. “It’s kind of cold.”
“I know it is.” His smile was warm and fond and just a little bit dry. Exactly like him. “Do you need my jacket?”
“No, I don’t need your jacket.”
“One time I offered it to you, you said it smelled like me. Scrumptious I think was the word.”
She gave him the eye roll he deserved. “If I recall correctly, I also called you arrogant and presumptuous that night, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in a random comment on how you smell scrumptious.” She leaned forward and sniffed his shoulder. “Although you still do, if you want to know the truth.”
He laughed and pulled her into a quick hug. She still loved every time he did that. It was like he couldn’t help but reach out to her in his amusement.
“But seriously,” she went on after a minute of enjoying the feeling. “Were you getting hot in there or something?”
“No. I just wanted to come out here.”
“Oh. Why?” Her eyes were wide. She really had no idea what was about to happen.
He cleared his throat and shifted very slightly.
Frowning, she asked, “What are you all stiff and nervous about all of a sudden?”
“I’m not stiff and nervous.” He frowned back at her, lofty and disapproving.
With a giggle, she gave him a patronizing pat on the shoulder that she knew would annoy him. “Of course you aren’t. You’re not nervous at all. You’re always totally confident and in control—in fact, I’m in awe of your lack of nervousness about anything.”
“Shut it,” he muttered.
“But despite your superhuman abilities, you did seem kind of nervous before. Like a sappy guy who was about to... about to...” She trailed off as an idea came to her for the very first time.
He arched his eyebrows, a glint awakening in his eyes that was impossible not to understand. “About to what?”
“About to... Robert?” Her voice squeaked on his name. She hugged her arms to her chest.
He was half smiling as he cleared his throat again and stuck his hand in his pocket.
She made another squeak and raised one hand to cover her mouth.
Then, with an expression of self-deprecating amusement, he lowered himself to one knee and extended his hand.
In it was a jeweler’s box. In the box was a beautiful princess-cut diamond on a sleek platinum band.
She made a little sobbing sound as she stared down at it. At him.
“You’re my sunshine, Amanda Griffin,” he said thickly, gazing up at her with an adoration she’d never have dreamed she’d see on his face even a year ago. “And you always have been. Will you marry me and be my sunshine forever?”
It took her a few moments to find her voice, but she nodded until she could finally choke out, “Yes. Yes, of course I will!”
He made a relieved sound in his throat as he hefted himself up to his feet, wincing slightly as he rose. He pulled her into his arms. “I love you, sunshine.”
“I love you too! So much.”
After a minute of hugging, she pulled away so he could put the ring on her finger. They both stared down at it in satisfaction, but then she asked, “Did you hurt yourself going down on one knee?”
“No, I did not.” He looked offended but wasn’t. “Just pulled something standing up.”
She burst into laughter, and then he did too. And Amanda knew one thing for sure.
Being with him would never be a mistake.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed The Mistake! The next book in the Bad Bridesmaids series is The Mission (about Serena and Keith). You can find an excerpt from that book on the following pages.
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excerpt from The Mission
SERENA INVITED KEITH to stay for dinner when they got home. He’d been a huge help to her today, and she always enjoyed his company.
Plus, she felt kind of weird about their interaction regarding dating, and she wanted to make sure things were good between them before they said goodnight. She’d had to work hard to build back a stable life after her divorce, and Keith was central to that stability. Nothing upset her peace and security like conflict with him.
The three of them had a grand time making pizza (with premade crust), adding all kinds of creative and yummy toppings thanks to Keith’s ingenuity. They’d been working through all the Disney princess movies, so they watched one of those afterwards, all three of them together on the couch with Eva in the middle.
Eva was happy and giggling when the movie was over, and she didn’t even object to it being her bedtime. As she ran off to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth, Serena smiled over at Keith, who was still slouched on the other side of the couch.
He looked particularly big and warm and masculine as he stretched his long legs and leaned back his head. He’d never been much of an athlete, and he was only semi-regular about working out, but he was made lean with good shoulders and a mostly flat abdomen. Today he was wearing worn jeans and a blue crewneck. The long sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and her eyes were drawn to his tanned forearms. She wasn’t sure why she liked the looks of them so much. The dark hair, the ripples of the tendons. He’d always worn a watch—for as long as she’d known him—and he was wearing one now. Basic black with a digital display. It slid slightly back and forth whenever he moved his arm.
She knew him so well. She knew every scar and mole on his body—at least those visible in his regular clothes. She was suddenly hit with the vision of what he might look like without a shirt. Without anything on at all.
“What is it?” he asked, his eyebrows arching up. He had brown hair and brown eyes and the slightest little cleft in his chin.
“Nothing.” She felt her cheeks warming for no good reason. “Just I’m glad you stayed tonight.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. You might have had plans. Or you might have still been a little annoyed about my attempts to aid in your love life.”
With a slight roll of his eyes, he replied, “Your attempts are sometimes annoying, but I know you mean well.”
“I do.”
“So we can give it a try. What can it hurt? Line up the women, and I’ll make my way through them like bowling pins if will make you happy.”
“I’m not trying to make me happy. I’m trying to make you happy.” She actually didn’t like the idea of women lined up to try to snare Keith. Attempting to make him theirs.
He didn’t feel like theirs.
He felt like hers.
But that was silly and selfish and irrational, so she didn’t indulge the feeling. Instead she reached out and put a hand on his forearm, just next to his watch. “I promise I am.”
“I know you are,” he said with the slightest edge of roughness in his voice. “That’s why I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Good.” She felt better now. Like whatever the lurking conflict might have been had been entirely dealt with. She was about to say something. She wasn’t even sure what. But she didn’t have the chance because Eva ran in just then wearing pink cotton knit pajamas decorated with unicorns. “Can Uncle Keith do my chapter tonight?”
“If he doesn’t mind.” Serena glanced over at Keith to check his expression.
He was already standing up. “Of course I don’t know. What book are you reading now?”
Eva scampered back to her bedroom, following by Keith at a more leisurely pace.
Every night since Eva was born Serena had read out loud to her. After Eva learned to read, they started taking turns, passing the book back and forth so they both could read out loud.
It wasn’t an unusual activity, but it had become almost a ritual for them. On the few times Serena was out and had to miss Eva’s bedtime or when Eva was with her dad, it always felt like something was missing in her day.
Keith had taken his turn at the nighttime reading several times before, and Serena chuckled as she heard the two of them talking about the book about fairies Eva was currently making her way through.
After checking her phone for a few minutes, Serena got up and wandered down the hall to check on their progress. When she peaked into the bedroom, Eva was propped up on two pillows with her huge stuffed elephant tucked under the covers beside her. Keith was sitting on the chair next to the bed, leaning forward as he read, the book held in both hands over his knees.
In a few minutes, Eva stuck out her hand in a silent demand, so Keith handed her to book so she could take her turn.
Serena’s heart ached in her chest as she watched. She wasn’t sure why the little scene moved her so much. It wasn’t new or unusual or particularly sentimental.