First Love Second Choice

by Armstrong, Lindzee

  Contents

  description

  title page

  other books by

  copyright

  dedication

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  EPILOGUE

  Dear Reader,

  also available

  acknowledgments

  author bio

  When wedding planner Keslee gets asked on a date by her long-lost high school crush, Bryce, everything should be perfect. But Bryce mistakes Keslee for her deceased twin sister, Jadyn. And Keslee doesn’t correct him. Talk about awkward. To make matters worse, she learns they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other because Bryce is the marketing director at the venue where Keslee’s new client has chosen to get married. Keslee knows the charade can’t last much longer, and fears she’ll lose Bryce forever when she tells him the truth.

  FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHOICE

  by

  Lindzee Armstrong

  Other Books by Lindzee Armstrong

  No Match for Love Series

  Meet Your Match

  Miss Match

  Other Works

  Wishing on Baby Dust (published as Lydia Winters)

  Copyright © 2015 by Lindzee Armstrong

  Published by Snowflake Press

  All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the author.

  Cover Design by Novak Illustrations

  Interior Design by Snowflake Press

  Edited by Cindy C. Bennett

  Tooele, UT

  Print ISBN 978-0-9863632-3-8

  Library of Congress Control Number 2015908567

  To Candice and Liz, my fantastic accountability partners. Without them, this story would’ve never been discovered or told.

  CHAPTER ONE

  How had she run out of ice cream? Keslee avoided eye contact with the few late-night grocery shoppers—she was in her pajamas, after all—and made a beeline for the freezer section. Reality TV wasn’t the same without Dreyer’s slow churned, and Survivor waited patiently at home on her DVR. Keslee scanned the selections: mint chocolate chip, fudge tracks, cookies ’n cream.

  Her eyes stopped on rocky road. That had always been Jadyn’s favorite. Keslee’s index finger rubbed the spot behind her left ear where she’d gotten a tattoo of a red balloon in remembrance of her twin sister. Red balloons had been how they comforted each other when things got hard. Sometimes it was actual balloons, but usually it was pajama pants with balloons, or red candy in the shape of a balloon, or a dozen other things. Funny that Keslee hadn’t been brave enough to get the tattoo until Jadyn was no longer around begging her to do so.

  You hate rocky road. She was more sentimental than usual with the second anniversary of Jadyn’s death approaching. But not sentimental enough to ruin her ice cream with almonds. Her eyes skipped over the rocky road and focused on the double fudge brownie.

  “Jadyn?”

  Oh no. Keslee turned around, willing the person to go away. Shoo, fly. She didn’t want to deal with this tonight. In the twenty-two months since Jadyn’s death, she’d run into a few situations like this and had to inform people of her twin sister’s passing. It never got easier. At least last time she’d managed to not cry. Hopefully she’d be as successful now.

  “It is you,” the man said. He reached out, clasping her to him in a hug. Keslee let out a yelp of surprise, and the man pulled back. “It’s me, Bryce. From band?”

  Keslee’s stomach jumped like she’d just swallowed a pack of Pop Rocks. “I remember you.” Boy, did she remember. Short brown hair had replaced the shaggy mop from their high school days, and a five o’clock shadow now covered his face. But she could see the Bryce of seven years ago hidden beneath. Jadyn had been the one in band. Keslee had been in orchestra, but she’d still chatted with Bryce a time or two. Harbored a secret crush on him all through tenth grade.

  Keslee wrapped her arms tightly around herself, hoping to hide her pajamas. Why hadn’t she worn a jacket? Oh yeah—ninety degree weather. But the matching Batman t-shirt and pajama bottoms were just embarrassing. “Bryce, listen—”

  “I can’t believe it’s you.” He laughed. “At first I thought you might be Keslee, but then I saw the tattoo.” He motioned to her ear.

  Keslee’s hand flew to the spot. Her hair, pulled back in a ponytail, left the tattoo exposed. The tattoo she’d made sure was a perfect replica of Jadyn’s.

  “Did your parents ever forgive you for getting that? You always were a risk taker.”

  Keslee tried again. “Yeah, about that …” How had Bryce not already heard?

  “You know, I always meant to ask you out in high school.”

  Keslee shifted, her crocs squeaking against the floor. So he’d had a crush on Jadyn. She wasn’t surprised. Every red-blooded male had been half in love with her. Jadyn had always been the bubbly, outgoing twin, up for any challenge. Like cliff diving in Hawaii, then getting caught in a riptide and drowning. I miss you, Jadyn.

  “I promised myself if I ever saw you again, I’d ask you out.” Bryce’s gunmetal blue eyes practically sparkled with joy at seeing Jadyn again. Except Jadyn was dead.

  This was getting out of hand, even if Keslee’s sophomore self was fan-girling inside. “Wow. I’m very flattered, of course.”

  Bryce ducked his chin. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed you’re single. Of course you’re dating someone.”

  Keslee’s heart lurched at his expression. “It’s not that I’m dating anyone. It’s just that, well…”

  Oh, her heart! His lowered eyes and slumped shoulders caused a physical pain to shoot through her. If she’d yanked his soul out of his body and jumped on it with stilettos, he couldn’t look more disappointed.

  What will it hurt if I pretend to be Jadyn for one night?

  Keslee rejected the idea quickly. I can’t impersonate my dead sister. That’s twisted. If Jadyn were still alive, Keslee might have considered it. Switching places had been a common occurrence, even as adults. Jadyn had been a jokester like that.

  But no. Just no.

  “Forget I mentioned anything,” Bryce said quickly. She could see the shy Bryce from high school reappearing, the one who’d hidden behind his trombone and plumed shako hat. “I should probably go.”

  She couldn’t let him be crushed. Really, what would it hurt to be Jadyn for one evening? In fact, it would be sort of nostalgic. A brief connection with her sister. Keslee would go on the date and be intentionally boring. Then Bryce could go on his merry way, content his life was complete without Jadyn in it. It would be kinder than telling him the truth and having him live his life with “what ifs.” Plus, he’d stop looking at her like she’d used his heart for target practice.

  The fact that she could live out her high school fantasy at the same time was simply a bonus.

  “Bryce, wait,” Keslee said.

  He turned back around, his eyes hopeful.

  Keslee folded her arms tighter around her waist, mostly obscuring the Batman logo. “I would love to go out with you.” Her cheeks burned red in a very un-Jadyn-like way. “I mean, if you’re asking.”


  “So you’re single,” Bryce said.

  “I’m very single.” So is Jadyn. Probably. Can you date in heaven?

  “Awesome.” A dimple appeared in one of Bryce’s cheeks. Keslee wanted to caress it with her index finger. She’d always loved that dimple. “How about Friday?”

  Yes! Of course. Anytime. Keslee nearly said the words aloud, but stopped herself. What would Jadyn do? “Let me check my calendar,” Keslee said. Crap. Now she’d have to look at her phone. Which she’d stuffed in her bra since her pajama pants didn’t have pockets. She turned away, trying to shield Bryce’s view with her shoulder. She quickly pulled it out, already knowing that Friday evening was a big fat blank. It was the first Friday in months she wouldn’t have a wedding to oversee. She’d planned on spending the night reading, but she could move that to Saturday morning. “Looks like I’m free,” Keslee said.

  “Great. Let me get your number and address.” Bryce pulled out his own phone—a flip phone, seriously?—and they exchanged contact information. “I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said.

  “I look forward to it.”

  He laughed. “It’s so good to see you again. Today’s my lucky day.”

  “Mine too,” Keslee said. Her stomach was already a bundle of nerves. This is silly. Why did I agree to this? I’m not Jadyn. Keslee was definitely not the impulsive twin. Except for the tattoo. And, okay, pulling the phone out of her bra. But that was only because she’d been caught off guard.

  “I’ll see you on Friday, then.” Bryce pulled her into another hug. This time Keslee allowed herself to savor it. His arms were strong, just like she’d always imagined them to be, and he smelled like apple cider. Keslee slowly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back.

  “I’ll text you sometime this week,” Bryce said, pulling away.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Bye, Jadyn.” Bryce gave her a crooked grin and walked away.

  Keslee leaned against the doors of the freezer section, her heart thundering in her chest. Had she really just agreed to a date with her high school crush while impersonating her sister? In her Batman pajamas? She must be insane. She turned around and grabbed a carton of double fudge brownie ice cream.

  As she waited in line to pay, Keslee couldn’t help thinking that, insane or not, this was the most she’d looked forward to a Friday in a really long time.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Back in junior high, there was a blue-eyed, spikey-haired boy. He was on the swim team, and Keslee and Jadyn had both been twitterpated with him, especially when he was gracefully diving into the lane between theirs at practice.

  About a month into the new school year, Keslee and Jadyn bickered over the boy. He’d walked Keslee to class, but eaten lunch with Jadyn. The argument had turned into a full-on fight, and Keslee and Jadyn spent nearly a week avoiding each other. Not an easy feat considering they shared a few classes and a bedroom.

  It was Jadyn who’d broken down and apologized first. That’s when they’d come up with The Pact, the one that made a boy one hundred percent off limits if they both liked him. It was the only fair way to handle the situation and preserve their relationship.

  Keslee chewed on a lock of hair as she waited at a red stoplight. Back in high school, she had been disappointed when Jadyn voiced a preference for Bryce. Keslee had admitted to liking him too, and they’d both stayed true to The Pact.

  And now Keslee had a date with him.

  The light turned green and Keslee eased her foot onto the gas, turning into her apartment parking lot. A date with Bryce. She shook her head. That was the last thing she’d expected tonight.

  Keslee and Jadyn had never discussed the finer points of The Pact. Like whether or not death nullified it. And whether or not you were breaking it if, while on the date with the boy you both liked, you were pretending to be the other twin.

  Keslee killed the engine and grabbed her carton of ice cream. She trudged up the steps to her apartment. It’s fine. Jadyn wouldn’t want Bryce to live with regret. Keslee opened the apartment door. The date with Bryce was a good thing. She’d be boring and Bryce would get over his schoolboy crush on Jadyn. Hopefully he’d be boring enough to help her get over her schoolgirl crush on him. It was a win-win situation. Probably.

  Keslee pulled the top off the ice cream and dished herself a generous bowl. Then she curled up with her favorite blanket and started Survivor.

  A date. As Keslee watched the survivors panic after the previous episode’s tribal council, she wondered what she’d even wear Friday. She hadn’t been on a date in … well, too long. A year, maybe? All her nice clothes screamed “business lunch.” Not exactly the vibe she wanted to broadcast.

  Wait, what was she thinking? She was supposed to be repelling Bryce, not attracting him. For both their sakes. Nothing sucked more than the pang of regret. She learned that all too well after Jadyn drowned.

  The front door opened. Keslee paused the DVR and smiled at her roommate, Summer. Keslee could tell from the raccoon eyes that Summer was exhausted. Her dark curls had frizzed like a troll doll’s, and her dress was creased and wrinkled from a long day.

  “How were parent-teacher conferences?” Keslee asked. “Did Michael’s parents show?”

  Summer kicked off her shoes and dropped her backpack on the kitchen table. “Yes, and surprisingly it didn’t go too badly. Hopefully his behavior will improve after tonight.”

  “I hope so, for your sake,” Keslee said. How Summer could spend all day teaching kindergarteners was beyond her. “I’ve been waiting to start The Bachelor until you got home. There’s ice cream in the freezer.”

  Summer smiled. “I never say no to ice cream. Let me change and I’ll be right back.”

  Ten minutes later, Summer settled next to Keslee with her own bowl of ice cream. “I didn’t even ask how your day was,” Summer said. “How was work?”

  “No bridezillas melted down, so no complaints from me.” Keslee grinned. “But I’ve got something way better than work to tell you. I have a date.”

  “What?” Summer let out a squeal. “Why have you kept that quiet for the last ten minutes? Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “His name is Bryce.”

  “I don’t even need to know what he looks like. I can tell from his name that he’s hot.”

  Keslee laughed. “You’re a good friend, Summer. Trust me, he’s hot.”

  “Okay, let’s hear it. Where did you meet him?”

  “That’s an interesting story. I ran into him at the grocery store.” Keslee blushed. “I was wearing my pajamas and picking out ice cream.”

  Summer threw back her head and laughed. “I’ve told you to stop going out in public like that. You must’ve been a real temptress to secure a date while wearing Batman pajamas. Maybe I should try it.”

  Keslee’s gut twisted. If only it was her Batman jammies that had encouraged him to ask her out. If he’d known she was Keslee, would he still want to catch up? “We sort of already knew each other. In high school. I had a huge crush on him.”

  “This gets better and better.”

  “Bryce was in band. He played the trombone, and I thought it was pretty much the sexiest instrument in the entire world. I never wished so badly that I’d decided to play the clarinet instead of the violin.” Keslee let out a dramatic sigh. “I used to go to all the school games to watch him play. Jadyn thought I was there to support her, of course—she was in band, too. But really I was paying attention to Bryce.”

  “Were you two friends in high school?”

  Keslee cocked her head to the side, considering. “We were friendly. We didn’t run in the same crowds, but we would nod at each other in the hallway. We were even lab partners once for biology and did a group project together for English.” The only time in her life she’d been eager for homework. “He was really nice, and did a lot of humanitarian work. He was always heading up food drives, that sort of thing.”

  “He sounds amazing. I’m so excited for you, Keslee.
Clearly he had a crush on you, too, or he wouldn’t have asked you out.”

  If only. Keslee considered—just for a moment—switching topics and not telling Summer the whole story. But she couldn’t do it. Hopefully Summer wouldn’t be too judgmental. “That’s the thing. He didn’t have a crush on me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “In high school, he had a crush on Jadyn. At the grocery store, he thought I was her.”

  Summer’s eyes widened. “What did he say when you told him?”

  Keslee grabbed a lock of hair and started twisting. “I may or may not have neglected to clarify the situation.”

  “What? Keslee, you have to tell him Jadyn’s gone.”

  “What if I don’t?”

  Summer crossed her arms and let out a loud sigh. “Seriously?”

  “Listen, okay? Bryce has had a crush on Jadyn since high school. If I tell him Jadyn’s dead, he’ll be devastated. You should’ve seen his face when he thought Jadyn was turning him down. He was crushed, Summer. Crushed. I couldn’t tell him she was dead.” Okay, I could’ve told him. But I really didn’t want to.

  “So you decided to be her? I can’t even picture you having this conversation with him. You aren’t the type of girl who impersonates her dead sister for a date.”

  “Hey, I didn’t judge you when you picked the unemployed loser with no personal hygiene as your last rebound boyfriend. I couldn’t take Bryce’s sad puppy dog eyes. If I tell him, he’ll think he missed his chance with Jadyn and be all regretful.”

  “He did miss his chance.”

  “Yeah, but he doesn’t know that. I’ll go on the date, be pleasant but bland, and we’ll never have to see each other again.”

  “How has he not heard about her passing already? Keslee, this isn’t you. What happens when he tries to add Jadyn on Facebook? Or follow her on Twitter? When he can’t find her on any social media site, he’s going to get curious.”

  “He had a flip phone, like it’s still 2005 or something. I don’t think he uses social media.”