Hitched

by Dawn Rae Miller

  "I have no desire to do so."

  The buffet calls to me, so I walk to the far wall. Sure enough, there's French toast. But there's also soft-boiled eggs, salmon and capers, fresh berries, yogurt, and so much more. Mrs. Pearson selected a nice spread for us.

  I fill my plate until it's packed, not caring if I look like a pig, and walk back to the table, taking a seat next to Fletch.

  Brady clinks the side of a glass with a fork. Everyone looks up at him. He’s standing as if to make a speech.

  Oh no. Not again.

  Brady holds up his mimosa in my and Fletch's direction. Flashbacks to his speech last night fill my mind, and I'm already regretting whatever it is he's about to say.

  “Don’t worry, Ellie.” He winks at me and my heart stops. “Fletch, am I glad it's you sitting there today, and not me. I can't even begin to tell you."

  Mrs. Pearson clears her throat and shoots Brady a stern look.

  "So here's to Fletch and Ellie. May your life be blessed with lots of kids, or whatever it is that you want."

  He takes a swig of mimosa, and the rest of our small group lifts their glasses before sipping.

  I take a tiny sip, and my mind wanders. What now? We're married, but what now? Do I go home to my apartment in Boston and pack it up? Does Fletch come with me? Are we going to hire a moving company to haul my stuff across the country, or am I going to try to sell it off?

  And then there's the finances part. Am I going to be dependent on Fletch or try to get my own job and minimally contribute to our household income? How comfortable am I living Fletch's lifestyle? He said I could sit on some boards and get involved in charities, but is that something I want to do, or even be good at?

  "Hey," he says, taking my hand. "I can tell your mind is going. What's up?"

  "Just working through the logistics of a move to the West Coast."

  Fletch nods. "We have a lot to talk about."

  "We do."

  "But for now, can we just enjoy the moment? We're going to be back to real life soon enough."

  "And what does real life look like, Fletch? Are you going to keep working crazy hours, or are you going to scale back and enjoy family life?"

  He tilts his head and studies me. "I worked so much because I had nothing else in my life. Now I have you, and you're my number one priority."

  "I noticed you haven't been on your phone since we got engaged."

  "Because I've been trying to enjoy my time. If I did my job well, it means the people below me can do their jobs just fine without me for a few days."

  I nod at the wisdom of this.

  "Ellie?"

  "Yeah?"

  "We're going to make this work, okay?"

  "I don't want to be a trophy wife like your mom,” I whisper.

  Fletch chuckles. "Haven't you heard? The new trophy wife is one who has her own career and brings fifty-percent to the relationship."

  "I thought it was one-hundred percent."

  He shakes his head. "You give what you can, and the other person gives what he can and hopefully you end up at one-hundred."

  "You sound like you've been hanging out with Yogi Brady."

  "Brady says deep stuff sometimes."

  I pick at my breakfast despite the fact I'm starving. A nibble of French toast, a bite of salmon.

  My wedding band sparkles in the sunlight, and it’s beautiful.

  Fletch nudges me. "Eat up. We're leaving in a few minutes."

  "Leaving?"

  "Ellie, you didn't think we could stay here forever did you?"

  "No, but…"

  "But what?"

  "I just need to get prepared for all of that again."

  "All of what?"

  "The circus."

  "They're gone, Elle. They got what they wanted and left." Hearing him say this reassures me.

  Dad appears at my right arm. "I've got to get going. I have a flight out of Logan at one."

  I stand to give Dad a hug, and he pulls me tight into his arms. "I'm so happy for you, Elle. Fletch is a great guy. He's going to treat you well."

  I squeeze Dad back. Even though it's been nearly ten years since I've lived with him, he'll always be my dad and my biggest supporter. I love him more than words can say. Tears well in my eyes.

  "Thanks for coming," I say. "I love you."

  "Love you, too." He kisses my forehead then turns to Fletch. "Take good care of her, you understand?"

  "I'll do my best," Fletch says. "I promise."

  Dad and Fletch grip hands, and Dad pulls him into a man-hug.

  "Okay, Elle. Give me a call when you get into San Francisco, or just to let me know what you're doing."

  "I will."

  Dad hugs me again before exiting the dining room.

  While we were talking to Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Pearson, and Mrs. Colson have also left the room, leaving just Fletch and me with Paige, Reid, and Brady.

  "Well, c'mon," Paige says to me. "We need to get you ready."

  "And I've got to pack up," Fletch says. "Meet you in the foyer in twenty minutes?"

  "Okay," I say.

  Fletch leaves the room, and I continue to nibble on my breakfast. I'm not in any hurry, which is weird because all I've done for the past two years is hurry. Maybe I'm getting back to my true self.

  Brady juts his hand in front of me and snatches away my plate. "Stop delaying everything and go get packed."

  "I'm not delaying."

  "C'mon, Ellie. I know you. I know how you operate. Something's bothering you. Do you think you made a mistake?"

  I shake my head. "No, if there's any thing I'm sure about is that Fletch and I belong together."

  "Then what is it?"

  "Do you think I'll make a good wife to Fletch?"

  "Of course."

  I sigh. "You think I'll be enough for him? That I'll be able to fit into his lifestyle."

  Brady grabs my hands. "Hey, is this Calista talking because it sounds a lot like something she'd say."

  I shrug my shoulders. "Maybe."

  "Then you need to stop, and as hard as it is, you've got to cut Fletch off from Calista. If you don't, you'll drive yourself mad."

  "What if his mom doesn't accept me? I’m assuming she’s flying back with us."

  "Then you and Fletch will deal with it," he motions me to follow him. "It's not like she can undo your marriage. And really, the plane ride will give you time to charm her."

  "She may not be able to undo the marriage, but she can make us miserable."

  "She won't. She loves Fletch too much. You'll see."

  Paige waits in the doorway for me.

  “Go get it, Ellie,” Reid says.

  “Thank you for the lovely song last night,” I say.

  “Not a problem. You deserve it.”

  "Now, go. Get packed. And enjoy yourself. Let yourself live a little." Brady gives me a little shove forward.

  Paige reaches out for my hand and leads me upstairs to my room. When she opens the door, she pauses and says, "Oh. My. Someone had fun in here last night."

  The room is a mess. Sheets are strewn across the floor, pillows are everywhere, and the duvet is balled at the end of the bed.

  And my face? Well it's turning a hundred ever-darkening shades of red.

  I hurry through the door and to the closet. Most of my clothes are already in my suitcase since I never unpacked it from the other night. I grab my evening dress and my wedding gown, and hand them to Paige. She slips both dresses into the black dust bag and slings the whole thing over her arm.

  "What else?" she asks.

  "My toiletries and a few things in the dresser."

  Paige whips the drawers open and flings what's left into my suitcase. Since she has that under control, I gather my stuff from the bathroom.

  "So that's it?" she asks.

  "Yes."

  "Then let's get you down to your groom. I'm sure he's anxious to see you."

  I pull my suitcase down the hallway to the staircase. Sure en
ough, Fletch stands below with Reid and Brady.

  And Mrs. Colson.

  When they hear us, all four turn their heads toward us.

  Fletch rushes up the steps to take my bag. "Our car is waiting."

  I hop off the last step, and Paige gives me a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Ellie."

  "Thank you."

  Reid flashes me a lazy smile. He's already stoned. Figures. "Congrats, Ellie."

  Before I can say anything, Brady has me in his arms. "Take care of my man, Fletch. Okay?"

  I nod my head.

  "And if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

  "Thanks, Brady."

  "No problem."

  Mrs. Colson holds out her arms to me. “I know I haven’t been the most supportive mother-in-law, but you make Fletch happy, and I can’t think of anything better than that.”

  We awkwardly hug.

  “Are you coming with us, Mom?” Fletch asks.

  She shakes her head. “No. I’ll catch a first class flight later today. You two take the jet.”

  Fletch kisses his mom’s cheek. “Thanks.”

  “Anything for my favorite guy.”

  Fletch turns to me and tugs at my hand. "It's time to go."

  I let my husband - Husband! - lead me away from our friends and down to the car. The driver holds the door open, and I slide in.

  "Ready for our future?” Fletch says, squeezing my hand.

  "Ready," I repeat. And I am. I’m more ready than I’ve been in ages.

  The car speeds down the driveway, and I turn around in my seat to see our friends waving good-bye.

  For the first time in ages, I feel I’m at a beginning, not an end. The future stretches out before us, and I’m not afraid.

  I’m excited. And one-hundred percent in love.

  “What are you thinking?” Fletch asks.

  I smile. “About our happily ever after.”

  He kisses my hand. “It starts now.”

  “The beginning of forever,” I say

  “And ever.”

  Author’s Notes

  CRUSHED was supposed to be a stand alone book. I felt the story was complete - Fletch and Ellie ended up together, and Fletch experienced personal growth. It was neat and tidy in my mind.

  However, that’s not how readers felt. They wanted to know what happened next, and honestly, I did too.

  Fast forward to the Romantic Times Conference. Erin Brambilla, Liz Czukas, and I were sitting in a sushi restaurant waiting for our bus to take us back to the airport. As I explained my vague ideas for another book, Liz said it should be called HITCHED. From there, we started brainstorming different scenarios about what that book would look like.

  Afterwards, I put the ideas aside to work on a different book that was on a deadline. But I couldn’t get HITCHED out of my head. I also knew I wanted to make it a companion book rather than a sequel, I just couldn’t decide whose POV would speak loudest to me. I wrote a few pages in Brady and Calista’s voice before settling on telling Ellie’s story.

  Ellie spoke to me loudly, a persistent chatter in my mind. She was injured emotionally and needed to grow. She needed to get back in touch with the fierce girl she was in CRUSHED.

  And so Ellie’s story is what I present to you. Damaged, sad Ellie. Unsure how to fill the hole in her heart and desperate to get over Fletch.

  I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  One more thing: Thanks to my boys and husband for grabbing take out dinners, tolerating half-washed laundry, and not laughing at me when I talked about my made-up friends as if they were real. Love you guys.

  Read about Fletch in book one, CRUSHED.

  For seventeen-year-old serial womanizer Fletch Colson, life is a game and if he plays by the rules, he’ll win it all: his dream college, his parents’ money, and a hot (if a little vapid) girl on his arm. Really, it couldn’t be easier. All he has to do is get good grades, live a privileged boarding school life, and try not to mess up too much.

  However, when he accepts the seemingly impossible bet to change his ways and be “just friends” with smart, beautiful, tempting Ellie Jacobs – a girl who seems hell bent on confusing him - Fletch’s whole world is turned upside down.

  Suddenly, what seemed simple and clear, no longer feels right and Fletch must decide if winning it all is worth losing a piece of himself.

  Available:

  Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DEQWpm

  Nook: http://bit.ly/1y5lOyG

  Kobo: http://bit.ly/1IvmwVT