Ready or Not

by Melissa Brayden

She understood why her friends temporarily lost their minds when things were amiss with the people they loved, because there was nothing on the planet that compared or mattered more.

  When Brooklyn and Jessica sealed their union with a kiss, Mallory felt as if her heart might burst with happiness for her friend. She thought back to where Brooklyn was two years ago and how dramatically her life had shifted for the better. The happy couple recessed to music that flowed from the Spanish guitar just as the sun parted ways with the sky. It had been an unforgettable ceremony.

  As dusk shifted into night, the sundeck was outfitted with warm lanterns and dinner was served on the Chelsea Market Passage adjacent. The passage was just that, a warehouse in Chelsea that the train used as passage. With tall ceilings and open on either side, the passage was the perfect location for a little dinner and dancing under the stars.

  As they swayed easily to the music from the band she’d hired with Jessica’s approval, Mallory felt Hope’s eyes on her. “What’s going through that head of yours?”

  Hope shook her head once. “You are the prettiest bridesmaid I’ve ever seen.”

  Mallory brought both of Hope’s hands to her lips and kissed them. “Does that mean you’ll dance with me?”

  “That could be arranged quite easily.”

  “Hey, people in love,” Samantha said, joining them. “Was that not the most beautiful ceremony in all of life?”

  “I can’t wait to see the photos,” Mallory said. “They did some classic black-and-whites that are going to be stunning with this architecture.”

  “I love this place,” Hunter said, joining them. “Have you two walked along the railing by the water?”

  “We have not,” Hope said. “But I wouldn’t miss it. I love the water.” Mallory was instantly transported to their non-date at the Seaport and smiled at all she hadn’t known back then. Brooklyn and Jessica approached, pulling her from the memory. As they’d been making their way through the room, it was clear they’d saved their friends for last.

  The foursome broke into applause in celebration of their newly married friends, and a hugfest erupted. Sam held out a hand. “Most beautiful wedding I’ve ever attended, hands down.”

  “Really?” Jessica asked. “I mean, I definitely thought so, but I might be a little biased.” She smiled and looked to Brooklyn. “Let me ask my wife.”

  Brooklyn gave her head a little shake. “Wow. Did you hear that? That hasn’t sunk in yet. We’re married, everyone. Isn’t it awesome?”

  “To commemorate the awesome, how about a private toast, just us?”

  “Yes,” Brooklyn said, lighting up. “I would love that.”

  Hunter disappeared and returned promptly with six glasses of champagne.

  “Mallory, would you mind doing the honors?” Brooklyn asked. “It seems only fitting.”

  Her friends nodded their agreement, and instantly, all eyes were on her. She didn’t exactly have anything prepared, as she hadn’t anticipated this moment. Instead, she decided to speak from her heart. “Nearly twelve years ago, a witty blonde walked into our lives, and with her arrival came the final piece of a four-way friendship I, for one, will cherish for life.” Though the eyes looking back at her were now glistening like her own, she pressed on. “What makes me even happier is knowing that she’s found Jessica, someone who understands how special she is and happens to be more than amazing herself.

  “So I toast the newly married couple on this gorgeous summer night and send a wholehearted thank you into the universe for them, and for each of you. People make life worth living, and I, for one, have some pretty fantastic reasons to get up each morning. So please join me in raising a glass to happily-ever-after.”

  Six glasses came together in celebration, and to Mallory, the moment was a perfect one. What were the odds that Brooklyn and Jessica, archrivals, would somehow find their way to each other? Samantha and Hunter had found love in their proverbial backyard, and she’d fallen head over heels for the one person she never thought possible?

  Love had a way of putting the right people on the right pathway, she thought as she pulled Hope to her. She kissed the woman she loved then and felt all the lighter for it.

  “What was that for?”

  “Because I love you.”

  “In that case…” Hope said, going in for more.

  Later, they all danced the night away, carefree and young and with their whole lives stretched out in front of them. They’d have twists and turns and celebrations and sorrows, but Mallory knew they’d maneuver them together.

  And when the clock struck midnight…they paused for some chocolate.

  About the Author

  Melissa Brayden (melissabrayden.com) is a multi-award winning author of six novels published with Bold Strokes Books and currently hard at work on her seventh. Alongside her writing, she is in pursuit of her master of fine arts in directing in San Antonio, Texas.

  Melissa is married and working really hard at remembering to do the dishes. For personal enjoyment, she spends time with her Jack Russell terrier, Bailey, and checks out the NYC theater scene several times a year. She considers herself a reluctant patron of the treadmill, but enjoys hitting a tennis ball around in nice weather. Coffee is her very best friend.

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Illicit Artifacts by Stevie Mikayne. Her foster mother’s death cracked open a secret world Jil never wanted to see...and now she has to pick up the stolen pieces. (978-1-62639-472-8)

  Pathfinder by Gun Brooke. Heading for their new homeworld, Exodus’s chief engineer Adina Vantressa and nurse Briar Lindemay carry game-changing secrets that may well cause them to lose everything when disaster strikes. (978-1-62639-444-5)

  Prescription for Love by Radclyffe. Dr. Flannery Rivers finds herself attracted to the new ER chief, city girl Abigail Remy, and the incendiary mix of city and country, fire and ice, tradition and change is combustible. (978-1-62639-570-1)

  Ready or Not by Melissa Brayden. Uptight Mallory Spencer finds relinquishing control to bartender Hope Sanders too tall an order in fast-paced New York City. (978-1-62639-443-8)

  Summer Passion by MJ Williamz. Women loving women is forbidden in 1946 Hollywood, yet Jean and Maggie strive to keep their love alive and away from prying eyes. (978-1-62639-540-4)

  The Princess and the Prix by Nell Stark. “Ugly duckling” Princess Alix of Monaco was resigned to loneliness until she met racecar driver Thalia d’Angelis. (978-1-62639-474-2)

  Winter’s Harbor by Aurora Rey. Lia Brooks isn’t looking for love in Provincetown, but when she discovers chocolate croissants and pastry chef Alex McKinnon, her winter retreat quickly starts heating up. (978-1-62639-498-8)

  The Time Before Now by Missouri Vaun. Vivian flees a disastrous affair, embarking on an epic, transformative journey to escape her past, until destiny introduces her to Ida, who helps her rediscover trust, love, and hope. (978-1-62639-446-9)

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  The Courage to Try by C.A. Popovich. Finding love is worth getting past the fear of trying. (978-1-62639-528-2)

  Break Point by Yolanda Wallace. In a world readying for war, can love find a way? (978-1-62639-568-8)

  Countdown by Julie Cannon. Can two strong-willed, powerful women overcome their differences to save the lives of seven others and begin a life they never imagined together? (978-1-62639-471-1)

  Keep Hold by Michelle Grubb. Claire knew some things should be left alone and some rules should never be broken, but the most forbidden, well, they are the most tempting. (978-1-62639-502-2)

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ion and attraction between Jordan Roberts and Kirsten Murphy be enough for Jordan to trust Kirsten with her heart? (978-1-62639-450-6)

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  Reasonable Doubt by Carsen Taite. Just when Sarah and Ellery think they’ve left dangerous careers behind, a new case sets them—and their hearts—on a collision course. (978-1-62639-442-1)

  Tarnished Gold by Ann Aptaker. Cantor Gold must outsmart the Law, outrun New York’s dockside gangsters, outplay a shady art dealer, his lover, and a beautiful curator, and stay out of a killer’s gun sights. (978-1-62639-426-1)

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  Autumn Spring by Shelley Thrasher. Can Bree and Linda, two women in the autumn of their lives, put their hearts first and find the love they’ve never dared seize? (978-1-62639-365-3)

  The Renegade by Amy Dunne. Post-apocalyptic survivors Alex and Evelyn secretly find love while held captive by a deranged cult, but when their relationship is discovered, they must fight for their freedom—or die trying. (978-1-62639-427-8)

  Thrall by Barbara Ann Wright. Four women in a warrior society must work together to lift an insidious curse while caught between their own desires, the will of their peoples, and an ancient evil. (978-1-62639-437-7)

  The Chameleon’s Tale by Andrea Bramhall. Two old friends must work through a web of lies and deceit to find themselves again, but in the search they discover far more than they ever went looking for. (978-1-62639-363-9)

  Side Effects by VK Powell. Detective Jordan Bishop and Dr. Neela Sahjani must decide if it’s easier to trust someone with your heart or your life as they face threatening protestors, corrupt politicians, and their increasing attraction. (978-1-62639-364-6)

  Warm November by Kathleen Knowles. What do you do if the one woman you want is the only one you can’t have? (978-1-62639-366-0)

  In Every Cloud by Tina Michele. When Bree finally leaves her shattered life behind, is she strong enough to salvage the remaining pieces of her heart and find the place where it truly fits? (978-1-62639-413-1)

  Rise of the Gorgon by Tanai Walker. When independent Internet journalist Elle Pharell goes to Kuwait to investigate a veteran’s mysterious suicide, she hires Cassandra Hunt, an interpreter with a covert agenda. (978-1-62639-367-7)

  Crossed by Meredith Doench. Agent Luce Hansen returns home to catch a killer and risks everything to revisit the unsolved murder of her first girlfriend and confront the demons of her youth. (978-1-62639-361-5)

  Making a Comeback by Julie Blair. Music and love take center stage when jazz pianist Liz Randall tries to make a comeback with the help of her reclusive, blind neighbor, Jac Winters. (978-1-62639-357-8)

  Soul Unique by Gun Brooke. Self-proclaimed cynic Greer Landon falls for Hayden Rowe’s paintings and the young woman shortly after, but will Hayden, who lives with Asperger syndrome, trust her and reciprocate her feelings? (978-1-62639-358-5)

  The Price of Honor by Radclyffe. Honor and duty are not always black and white—and when self-styled patriots take up arms against the government, the price of honor may be a life. (978-1-62639-359-2)

  Mounting Evidence by Karis Walsh. Lieutenant Abigail Hargrove and her mounted police unit need to solve a murder and protect wetland biologist Kira Lovell during the Washington State Fair. (978-1-62639-343-1)

  Threads of the Heart by Jeannie Levig. Maggie and Addison Rae-McInnis share a love and a life, but are the threads that bind them together strong enough to withstand Addison’s restlessness and the seductive Victoria Fontaine? (978-1-62639-410-0)

  Sheltered Love by MJ Williamz. Boone Fairway and Grey Dawson—two women touched by abuse—overcome their pasts to find happiness in each other. (978-1-62639-362-2)

  Death’s Doorway by Crin Claxton. Helping the dead can be deadly: Tony may be listening to the dead, but she needs to learn to listen to the living. (978-1-62639-354-7)

  Searching for Celia by Elizabeth Ridley. As American spy novelist Dayle Salvesen investigates the mysterious disappearance of her ex-lover, Celia, in London, she begins questioning how well she knew Celia—and how well she knows herself. (978-1-62639-356-1).

  Hardwired by C.P. Rowlands. Award-winning teacher Clary Stone and Leefe Ellis, manager of the homeless shelter for small children, stand together in a part of Clary’s hometown that she never knew existed. (978-1-62639-351-6)

  The Muse by Meghan O’Brien. Erotica author Kate McMannis struggles with writer’s block until a gorgeous muse entices her into a world of fantasy sex and inadvertent romance. (978-1-62639-223-6)