Single Wide Female in Love Complete Bundle: Books 1-4

by Blake, Lillianna

  “No! This can’t be happening! My wedding is in two months. There’s no time to get another venue!”

  “I’m terribly sorry, but these things happen. Perhaps you could have a nice beach wedding?”

  “But I get sunburn!” I wailed into the phone. “Hello? Hello?” I was met with the sound of the dial tone.

  I stood beside my car and tried not to burst into tears. Just when I thought everything was going to be perfect, it was all falling apart. I didn’t fit into my dress, Max wouldn’t tell me his plans for the honeymoon, and now I had lost the wedding venue.

  How was I going to explain to Max that I just didn’t show up for the meeting? Would there even still be a wedding?

  As if he could sense my distress, my phone began to ring. I saw that it was Max calling. I couldn’t bring myself to answer it. I needed time to fix everything that had gone wrong.

  I drove away from the gym with tears in my eyes. I still had no food and twenty pounds to lose. I found myself parked in front of Stephanie’s house. I didn’t even think about where I was going. When I opened my car door she opened the front door of her house and stepped outside.

  “Samantha? I didn’t know you were coming over!”

  “Oh, Stephanie, I’ve ruined everything!” The tears flowed hot and sticky against my cheeks.

  “Samantha!” She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “Don’t you worry about a thing, we’ll figure it all out. Come inside. You probably just need something to eat.”

  I muffled my moan against her shoulder. What I wanted was an entire wedding cake to devour, but I knew I couldn’t risk gaining another pound.

  Stephanie steered me inside. Through my gulps and hiccups she managed to hear the whole story of the disaster I’d caused.

  “So we need to find a new place for the wedding. That shouldn’t be too hard. Just take a deep breath. Weddings do this to people. It’s supposed to be the happiest time of our lives, but for many people, I think it ends up being the most stressful.”

  I grabbed a handful of tissues from the box she held out. As I wiped at my eyes she patted my other hand. “I know what you need—a wedding planner.”

  “But I wanted to do it myself!” I frowned.

  “I know you did, but you still will. The best part about a wedding planner is that they use your ideas and do all of the work to make sure that your day is perfect. That will give you the time you need to focus on losing weight.”

  “That does sound good.” I sighed. “As long as he or she will listen to exactly what I want.”

  “I’m sure he will. A friend of mine got married last year and she said she had the most amazing wedding planner. I can get his name for you if you’d like.”

  “I guess.” I frowned. “You don’t think I’m giving up?”

  “No, sweetie. I think you’re delegating. You’re churning out books like crazy, you have your blog that you’re working on all of the time, and now you’ve set a weight loss goal for yourself. If you don’t do something to take the pressure off you soon, you’re going to crack.”

  “You’re right, you’re right.” I nodded. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”

  “I’ll e-mail you his information.”

  “Okay.” I took a deep breath and smoothed my palms down over my knees. “Thanks, Stephanie. I’m going to go home and get my head on straight.”

  Chapter 9

  I turned on my music as soon as I walked in the door of my apartment. I needed more than just computer time. I needed to soothe my nerves and free my spirit.

  As I danced around the living room I decided this was much better than working out with Blake.

  After about twenty minutes of dancing, I headed over to my computer. Ever since I’d started my blog, I found it useful for my writing, but also for accountability. Whenever I set a new goal for myself, I’d update my blog so that my readers would be able to hold me to it.

  I needed to do something important. I needed to admit to my readers that I’d put some weight back on. I was hopeful that I’d gain support from them to help me to lose the weight before my wedding.

  As I typed out the blog post, the truth poured out of me. It wasn’t about the bad food choices I’d made, or the fact that I’d neglected going to yoga and my regular meditation class—it was about much more than that. It was about losing myself in the planning of the wedding. My quest for perfection had caused me to lose my sense of self.

  After I posted the entry, I thought about it for a long time. Was it really so bad that the chapel fell through? The only reason I’d chosen it was because it seemed like the right place. But was that where I really wanted to get married?

  Sure, I planned my wedding from the time I was a little girl, but I wasn’t that little girl any more. My tastes had changed as I’d grown up.

  I saw that I had an e-mail from Stephanie with the wedding planner’s information. If I was going to let someone else plan my wedding, I needed to figure out what I actually wanted. I closed my eyes and tried to picture the big day. Was it inside? Was it outside?

  There were two things that I knew had to be part of my wedding. Max—and me twenty pounds lighter.

  I sighed as my mind returned to my weight gain. The trainer had been a bust, but I still needed to focus on fixing the problem.

  I did a quick search for diets that would help me to lose weight fast. As I expected, the results were numerous. I waded through any that required a pill or a machine. Then I cross-checked the results that remained with warnings of sudden death, sexual dysfunction, and abnormal hair growth. I chose the top ten of the diets that remained.

  The first not only seemed doable, but it sounded fun. All I had to do was juice pineapple for five days and I was guaranteed to lose ten pounds. Ten wasn’t everything I wanted to lose, but it would be a good start, and I would still have five weeks left. I added the diet to my blog so that my readers would know what I was up to. A surge of excitement rushed through me as my heart pounded. I was sure that I would have everything under control by the next day.

  After a long shower I called Max to wish him goodnight.

  “Hey, babe, are you feeling any better?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry I’ve been a little crazy lately. I think you were right. I decided to get a wedding planner after all.”

  “Great! I hope that means we’ll get to spend a little more time together. I’ve been missing you.”

  “I’m sorry, Max. You know how busy I’ve been with all of the books and the blog. I really wish that you would just quit your job and come run my tech for me.”

  “Run your tech?” He laughed a little. “Sammy, you know I can’t just quit my job.”

  “Why can’t you? Don’t you think it would be fun to work together?”

  “Maybe.”

  I noticed the distance in his voice. “It doesn’t sound like a good idea to you?”

  “Sure it does, but we just have so much on our plate right now—with the wedding and then the move.”

  I cringed at the mention of the move. It was going to be hard for me to leave behind the apartment that I’d lived in since college. Max owned his own house so it made the most sense to move in with him. But I hadn’t really given a lot of thought to what it might mean to be giving up the solace I often enjoyed.

  “There’s always going to be stuff on our plate, Max. We have to be brave enough to try anyway.” I frowned. I thought he and I were on the same page about our future. “I thought it would be amazing if we worked together. We could travel whenever we wanted and if we have kids—”

  “If we have kids?”

  Max’s voice sounded tense.

  I swallowed hard. “When we have kids, we’ll both be available to them. What could be better than that?”

  “It sounds ideal, Sammy. It’s just that I don’t want to put any undue pressure on our marriage when it’s just starting off. I’m not saying no, I’m just saying let’s think it through and make sure that it’s right for us.”
>
  I sighed. Sometimes I wondered why I couldn’t just tweak Max’s brain and make him agree with me. As much as I hated to admit it, he did have a point.

  “Alright, you’re right. We do have a lot to focus on right now with the wedding.”

  “Great. Don’t forget about your bridal shower.”

  “And your bachelor party. How many strippers are you going to have?”

  “Oh wow, are you volunteering? I don’t know how I feel about you getting naked around my friends.”

  “Max!”

  He laughed. I loved the sound of his laugh, even if he managed to infuriate me.

  “Sammy, when are you going to get it through your head that the only woman I ever want naked and twirling around a pole is you?”

  I raised an eyebrow and considered how to respond to that. “Well I did take that pole dancing class.”

  “Fine, so no strippers at the bachelor party, and I’ll make sure that we get a stripper pole in the honeymoon suite.”

  “Ugh, what kind of hotel offers that? You’re not planning to get one of those rooms with a heart-shaped tub, are you? And magic fingers in the bed?”

  “Oh trust me sweetheart, there are going to be magic fingers—”

  “Max!”

  “I’m sorry.” He laughed again. Then his laughter stopped. “Wait a minute, you’re not planning to have a stripper at your bridal shower, are you? Don’t women do that now?”

  “I don’t know; Stephanie is planning it.” I smiled a little at the hint of jealousy in his voice. “Would that bother you?”

  “Huh.”

  “Would it?”

  “I guess that depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not you want to see me in a Speedo, because I’m the only stripper giving you a lap dance.”

  “Oh, is that so?”

  “Yes, ma’am, and to be honest I’m not a fan of Speedos. They chafe.”

  “And you know this how?” I laughed.

  “Never mind about that.”

  “I bet. I love you, Max.”

  “I love you too. I’d probably make a sexy cop though. With the sunglasses and the handcuffs.”

  “Hm. I’ll run it by Stephanie.”

  “You’d better not!”

  “Bye, Max! Love you!” I hung up before he could sputter out everything he had to say.

  I was in a much better mood after I talked to Max. He always brightened my day. Plus the thought of him in sunglasses, a Speedo, and armed with handcuffs was rather pleasant. I was more determined than ever to look amazing for him when I walked down the aisle.

  Chapter 10

  I was faced with the task of having to find a new grocery store. I could only hope that no one had taken a picture of me during my stolen shopping cart escapade and shared it with other grocery stores in the area.

  I was excited to start my pineapple juice diet. The instructions were very specific. Buy fresh pineapple, juice fresh pineapple, and drink fresh pineapple juice. It sounded delicious and healthy.

  When I walked into the grocery store I was relieved to see that it wasn’t very crowded. In the produce section there was a small display of pineapples available.

  “Don’t they look cheerful!” I smiled. I went to pick up one of the pineapples. One of the spikes on it pricked my palm. “Ouch! Stupid pineapple.” I tossed it in my cart. I had no idea how many pineapples I would need. How much juice would one pineapple yield? I shrugged and tossed ten into the grocery cart. “That should be enough to get me started.”

  As I wheeled the cart to the register I noticed a few looks from employees and others in the store. I guess not everyone was informed about the pineapple diet.

  Carefully I loaded each pineapple up onto the conveyor belt. The cashier was busy talking to the previous customer. He absentmindedly pushed the button to move the conveyor belt forward.

  When he did, all of the pineapples began to fall over. It was a bit like dominoes the way they knocked into one another.

  “No, oh stop!” I tried to catch a few of the pineapples but their sharp spikes made me shriek.

  “What’s going on here? Did you knock those pineapples over? Why would you do that?” The cashier ran out to stop the pineapples, but they rolled away. Other customers jumped and dodged them. Suddenly the PA system screeched on.

  “Please be advised there are pineapples rolling down the aisles. Please exercise caution, our staff and security team are working hard to fix the problem.”

  In that moment, as I watched a security officer walk toward me, I was pretty sure that I was never going to be able to grocery shop again.

  “Ma’am, ma’am, you know you’re going to have to pay for those pineapples.”

  “If one more person calls me ma’am…” I frowned. “Don’t worry, I want the pineapples. It wasn’t my fault they rolled away.”

  “Sure. Just pay the man, and take your pineapples.”

  I sighed and paid for the pineapples. As I carried my bags to the car I hoped that the juicing would be more successful than the purchasing. Then it struck me. Could you even juice a pineapple? I’d certainly never juiced one before.

  When I got back to my apartment I pulled out my juicer. I had to look up a video to figure out just the right way to cut and juice pineapple. Once it was juiced I drank it down. It was a sharper taste than I expected. It made my tongue burn and my cheeks tingle. But it also gave me an energy boost. With a positive attitude and a rush, I dialed the number for the wedding planner. It only rang twice before he answered.

  “Let me plan your destiny, this is Will speaking. Will you be happy? Will you get everything you’ve ever dreamed about? Will you dance with joy? Oh yes, you will, with Will!”

  I blinked at the rapid words that flooded my ear. “Okay. Do you do weddings?”

  “Yes I do, yes I will.”

  I cringed. I wasn’t sure that I could work with someone who had a catch phrase.

  “It’s in two months.”

  “Oh, two months?” He cleared his throat. “Sure, I can do that.”

  “Can we meet today?”

  “Shall we share lunch?”

  I started to agree and then I remembered that the only thing I would be consuming was pineapple. “No, not for lunch. Can you meet me at my apartment, or do you have an office?”

  “Your apartment will be fine. Just text me your address, I’m available whenever you want me to come.”

  “Great.” I smiled with relief. Between the pineapple buzz and Will’s enthusiasm I started to think that my day might be improving.

  Chapter 11

  I spent the morning cleaning up my apartment just in case Will was the judgmental type. When I heard him ring the doorbell I wondered if I’d made a mistake. Could anyone else really plan my wedding? I opened the door to find the strangest man I’d ever laid eyes on.

  “Well, aren’t you just a peach?” He winked his long dark lashes at me.

  They had to be fake—no one’s eyelashes curled like that. He also wore a very heavy amount of eyeliner. His black hair was spiked and tipped with neon green dye. His clothes looked like something out of a comic book. He wore a deep plum button-down shirt with skin-tight black pants, although they could have been stockings for all of how thin and tight they were.

  “Will?”

  “Yes. I’m Will.” He grinned. “Now let’s have a look around your place so I can get an idea of your taste.”

  “Wait, I—uh—”

  He brushed right past me and into the apartment. I tried to think of an excuse to boot him right back out the door. He certainly wasn’t going to be able to plan my wedding.

  “Lovely—uh-huh, interesting.” He stopped short in the middle of the living room. “Well, well, Samantha, I know quite a bit about you now.”

  “That’s impossible.” I looked around my apartment. I’d already packed quite a bit of my personal items. The walls were fairly bare and even my bookshelves were empty. What could he know?
“I don’t think that this is going to work out. I think you should go.”

  “Let’s make a deal.” Will rubbed his hands together.

  “A deal? Maybe you didn’t hear me?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “I heard you just fine. If I can’t tell you more about you than some of your friends can, then I’ll walk right out that door. Okay?”

  “Okay.” I frowned. He wouldn’t be able to tell me anything; I was a little bothered by the waste of time.

  “Samantha, you are an amazing young woman who has waited for just the right man to come into her life.”

  “I’m sure that’s true of every bride you meet.”

  “You’d be surprised.” He laughed. “But I’m not done. It’s very important to you to be honest. You have a doting mother who wants nothing more than to see you married. Your best friend is the man you’re marrying, although you probably have one or two more good friends. Otherwise, you’re not terribly social. You’ve never been in a fistfight and you are a writer.”

  I narrowed my eyes. I had to admit that he was right about everything he’d said. Sure, some could be good guesses, but I was intrigued.

  “You could have just looked up my name to find out I’m a writer. You could have picked up a lot of things about me if you came across my blog.”

  “Oh, a blog, hm? I guess I’ll have to become one of your followers. But I’m betting that none of them would reveal to me that you have been waiting for this day to happen for years. I don’t have to be a psychic to know that you are one half of a fairytale romance. I can make your wedding the perfect backdrop for that romance. What do you think?” He smiled.

  I tilted my head from one side to the other. “I’m not sure. I’m sorry. I just don’t know if our styles would really mesh.”

  “I understand, I do.” He made his way into the kitchen. “I just ask that you open your mind to all of the possibilities. You only get one wedding—at least we hope, right?” He laughed. “So you want to be able to enjoy it.”

  I sighed. Between the weight issue and my writing, I hadn’t really been enjoying the planning of my wedding all that much. Will had a point. With his help, I might just be able to have the wedding I hoped for—a wedding that, as of now, I didn’t even have a location for.