Hot Seal Next Door_A Bad Boy Second Chance Romance

by Tia Wylder

  It’s the perfect precursor to our wedding day.

  Barely a month after we got back from Turks & Caicos, Zachary took me out for dinner, and instead, we ended up in Seattle. I had mentioned a few times how I had never been and had always wanted to go, and suddenly, we were on his private plane headed to the Pacific Northwest for a meal. We walked around Pike Place Market, had coffee and ate pastries on the water front, and then he took me to the top of the Space Needle for dinner. When dessert came, he got down on one knee, and gave me the most perfect teardrop diamond ring. After I basically passed out for a second, I threw my arms around him and said, of course, yes.

  We were going to wait to get married until after I finished law school since I was already in my third year. But the more we talked about it, the more excited we got at just being married. So, we planned our wedding for Christmas Eve and decided to have it in New York City, because we both loved it there it so much.

  The planning hadn’t been terribly complicated, since I didn’t have much family, and neither did Zachary or Donovan. It was easy enough to get everyone together, and Zachary even paid to fly Liza out so she could be my Maid of Honor. The wedding was going to be held outside of Belvedere Castle in Central Park, one of the most gorgeous places in the city. The flowers were delivered, the chairs were set up…

  And then it snowed. Everyone scrambled to figure out what to do, trying to decide if we should just move to another location. But in the end, Zachary convinced them to let us inside the Castle so we could have the ceremony there, even though we hadn’t booked. Between his charm and his checkbook, he had the wedding moved into the castle before I’d even had a chance to pick up my dress.

  So now I am standing here, in the dressing room of this beautiful castle, and Liza is fitting me into my designer, fairy-like wedding dress. My best friend is adjusting the hem of my skirt and fussing over the belt at my waist.

  “Are you going to tell him?” she asks smiling up at me. I shoo her away.

  “I’ll tell him. Soon.”

  Liza rolls her eyes. “You should tell him.”

  A knock on the door interrupts my withering eye roll. “Go answer that before I pop you upside the head.”

  Liza skips over to see who is knocking, but shouts first, “No future husbands allowed! It’s bad luck!”

  “No future husbands here,” Bethany shouts back through the door, “Just future Hot 100 stars!”

  Liza laughs and opens the door to let Bethany in. “More like Number ONE Hot 100 stars!”

  Bethany and Liza hug, and it makes me delighted that they’ve gotten to be such good friends too. Bethany really needed friends when we got back from Turks & Caicos, as even with the excitement of getting signed, the Professor Sam situation hit her hard. Liza and I had started hanging out with Bethany, keeping her company, and going with her places when she needed moral support. It had really helped, and she’d been doing better every day. I am thrilled to see her so happy today.

  Bethany gives me a curious look, then scans me up and down. She shakes her head thoughtfully, before putting her hand on her chin. I throw my hands in the air.

  “What? What is the problem?”

  “Are you going to tell him?” Bethany asks, her eyebrow raised.

  “What is with you guys? I’ll tell him when I tell him” I say as I sweep my hair back into a loose bun.

  “Whatever you say, princess. So, still planning on taking the bar early?” Bethany asks as she plops down in the chair across the room.

  “Right after graduation! Already signed up. Ladies, looking at the clock, I see it’s about that time. Bethany, shouldn’t you be in position?”

  Bethany jumps back up and sighs. “A performer’s work is never done! I’ll see you out there, sports fans!”

  She disappears in a flash of pink hair and lavender fabric, leaving Liza and me to start for the room where my wedding party is waiting for me. Liza gives me a huge smile.

  “Are you ready, Roy?”

  I laugh as she references one of our favorite films. “I was born ready!” I respond in kind. We make our way down to the hall, and while the doors are closed, I can hear Bethany start singing my favorite jazz standard inside. With no one to walk me down the aisle, Liza has agreed to take my arm and help me get there without tripping over my own feet. Two stewards open the double-doors, revealing the gorgeous candlelit room inside. Old-fashioned torches and bright red roses line the aisle, and at the end, stands Zachary.

  I’ve never seen him look so handsome in all of the time I’ve known him. His thick hair is slicked back, his beard grown out just a little, the way I like it best. He’s wearing a black, three-piece suit, with a bright white shirt and a tie that matches the pale blue of my dress. He also has on his glasses, which only amplifies how wide his eyes go when he catches the side of me. Donovan gives him a gentle chuck on the shoulder and a smile as all of the wedding guests get to their feet.

  Liza and I start walking down the aisle, and I lock eyes with Bethany, who is singing her heart out. I can see she is tearing up a little, and I start to too, but then I remind myself that I have a ton of eye makeup on and need to keep it at least a little bit together. As we inch our way to the front of the room, everyone “oohs” and “aahs” at me, but all I can see is Zachary, bathed in candlelight with the softly-falling snow in the window behind him. I think I can even hear the beating of his heart over the din of the room.

  Or maybe it’s just the sound of my own.

  When we get to where Zachary and Donovan are waiting, Bethany wraps up her song with a flourish, and the minister steps forward. With a respectful nod, he says, “Who gives this woman away?”

  Liza scoffs. “No one! She gives herself away. What is this? The Dark Ages?”

  The room erupts in laughter and the minister bristles. “Of course. Apologies. Will everyone please be seated?”

  Liza reluctantly steps to my side, and Zachary and I stand in front of the minister, impatiently waiting to take our vows. The minister droned on and on, despite the fact we told him to keep the ceremony brief. I think I’m going to erupt into giggles for no reason when Zachary leans over and whispers in my ear, “We still have time to elope to Vegas.”

  I giggle audibly this time, and the minister shoots me a dirty look. I scowl back at him and think, Well, now is as good a time as any.

  I lean over to Zachary and whisper in his ear, “I’m pregnant.”

  Zachary spins all the way around on his heel and shouts, “What?” at the top of his lungs. The minister starts shushing us, visibly annoyed. But Zach clearly doesn’t care. I just nod at him, trying not to make the minister angrier. Instead, Zachary picks me up and spins me in a circle, kissing me over and over again. The minister starts shouting at us.

  “Hey! Hey! Stop that! This isn’t the time for that!”

  Zachary keeps kissing me anyway, then turns to the guests. “It’s exactly the time for it! We’re having a baby!”

  Our friends erupt into applause, and Donovan slaps Zachary on the back. Bethany and Liza just laugh because they both guessed a while ago and had been keeping the secret against their will. Behind us, the minister throws up his arms.

  “Oh, sod it. Do you take Ava Audrey Webber to be your wife?”

  Zachary grins. “You bet I do.”

  “And do you Ava Audrey Webber take Zachary Joel Webber to be your husband?”

  “I sure do,” I say with a wink.

  We don’t hear the minister say anything else before Zachary sweeps me up into his arms and envelops me, as we disappear into our first kiss as husband and wife. With Zachary in my arms and our baby on the way, I know that life is about to be better than I ever imagined when I began this beautiful deception…

  The End

  Dr. Single Dad’s Fake Marriage

  Chapter One

  It was picture perfect if Melody wasn’t in it.

  Daniel Brookes sighed deeply and stopped staring at the family photo that was taken almost
three years ago. Though the life of a doctor was far from glamorous in most cases, this rang especially true when it came to pediatrics. He was rather gifted with children, having a daughter of his own who was crazy about him. Just because his previous relationship with her mother hadn’t worked out didn’t mean he couldn’t give his daughter the life she deserved. He had a supportive family, and with his job, his pride, he would never want for anything. At least nothing, maybe, aside from a bit of stability. As much as he struggled to make things work with his ex-wife, the woman was simply being unreasonable. If he could just convince the courts to give him full custody, or at least the majority… he sighed once more, shaking off these thoughts. His next patient would be due at any moment, and he would be lying if he denied being excited to see them. His sister, Danielle, was bringing in her son to get a routine checkup. As was always the case when he thought of his sister, he couldn’t help cursing his parent’s poor sense of humor. Daniel and Danielle always got remarks everywhere they went, regarding how they were nearly identical down to their names even. Danielle’s son and Daniel’s daughter thankfully broke the trend. He refused to name Amanda anything that even started with the letter D, and knew his sister felt much the same about Troy.

  He sorted through some papers, waiting for his nurse to fetch him and announce the arrival of his next patient. He smiled as the portly older woman peeked in his office door, offering the handsome doctor a broad smile.

  “Troy Brookes is here, Dr. Brookes,” she blinked her eyes with a faint smile. He returned her grin, rising from his feet and slipping out of the office. He went to the room the nurse had relayed, peeking inside to see his young nephew rummaging through the various drawers full of supplies.

  “Hey, what are you doing!?” He growled in a gruff voice, and Troy jolted upright before turning to face the doctor. The young man’s face was the picture of relief when he realized it was only his uncle who had caught him, and he stepped up to Daniel for a firm hug. Daniel kissed the top of his nephew’s head, jolting when he heard an unfamiliar voice coo about how cute the situation was. He turned, seeing his sister Danielle as expected. However, what he hadn’t expected was the beautiful woman who sat at her side. The woman offered him a bashful grin, and he grinned toothily in turn. “Danielle, you didn’t mention you were bringing a guest,” he teased, and Danielle rolled her eyes.

  “What would you have done? Tidied up the place? It sure could use it,” Danielle snapped, receiving a loud guffaw in turn.

  “You can always go see a doctor that would charge you. I’m sure they would see that your meticulous needs are taken care of,” Daniel grinned. He offered his hand to the other woman, smiling as she turned wide eyes upon him. “Daniel Brookes, as I’m sure you’ve heard. You are…?” He prompted, receiving a giggle and the faintest of blushes in response.

  “I’m Tiffany Aegis, Danielle’s friend,” she crooned, gripping his hand and shaking it firmly.

  “Best friend, who will soon be out of a house,” Danielle announced, much to Tiffany’s apparent chagrin.

  “Danielle, you don’t have to tell everyone,” she sputtered, and the other woman rolled her eyes.

  “As if any of us in this room are without dirty laundry. Some more than others, I’m talking about your sock drawer Troy,” she bit out, and the boy jolted upright with a bright blush.

  “She’s right, Tiffany. I have my share of troubles as well. A custody battle over my daughter has gone unresolved for months, and I’m beginning to suspect it’s because I would be a single father,” Daniel muttered, going about the boy’s usual checkup. Tiffany sighed, propping her chin up in her hands.

  “If a dreamy doctor has problems, what hope do the rest of us have?” She mused aloud.

  “Dreamy?” Daniel repeated. He smirked, patting Troy on the head. “Danielle, Troy’s fine. The nurse will see about his vaccinations, and then you should be able to go. Miss Aegis, I must say, it was a pleasure to meet you,” he grinned. Tiffany returned his smile, rising from her seat and quickly jotting something down on a piece of paper.

  “Call me if you ever need to talk, Daniel. I’m always willing to offer an open ear,” she hummed, and Danielle looked between the two with quirked lips.

  “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. You ladies have a good day, and of course, you too Troy,” Daniel murmured, taking the number and gently placing it in the pocket of his scrubs. Tiffany offered him a final lingering glance before following Danielle and Troy out of the room. Daniel felt himself exhale a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, slumping slightly against the exam table.

  He realized belatedly that he hadn’t given the gorgeous woman his number, but soon after she left, he received a simple text message explaining that she’d gotten his number from his sister. He quirked his lips in a smile, musing how such a thing might have made him angry in the past, but now he’s fortunate to have his sister as a wingman of sorts. He texted back again once he was in the privacy of his office, telling her that he hoped she would keep in touch. She answered with a single emoticon, it’s lips pursed into a kiss. He chuckled to himself, shoving his phone back in his pocket. He knew he would continue the text conversation later, but the present time required he invest his full attention in his work at the office.

  “Dr. Dan… Daniel,” a whispering voice asked, “I am heading to cafeteria, do you want me to bring anything for you?”

  Glanced with his baby blue eyes toward the clock on the side of the wall. It was long passed his usual lunch break hours. He sighed knowing the nurse had a crush on him, “No, thanks. I have brought my own.” He quickly immersed himself completely in the next patient record waiting on his desk.

  The day was a usual one, filled with checkups and sniffly noses. He could only count down the minutes until he was free to go pick up his daughter from his ex-wife’s house. Though he supposed he should have been grateful that she agreed to watch young Amanda while he worked his busy job, he couldn’t help feeling as though it only harmed his chances of getting custody.

  Daniel sighed deeply, pulling his cellphone out to check for any missed called and unanswered text messages.

  Nada. Nothing.

  He wasn’t a deadbeat by any means, and could certainly afford a babysitter. He simply didn’t see the need for the time being, considering how obnoxious his ex was about seeing that she got proper visitation. He had to remind himself at times that he didn’t have full custody of his daughter yet, and visitation wasn’t an issue he could rightfully press. All the same, he could only hope the woman wouldn’t try and deny him his time with their beautiful daughter. Although he may have regretted some things about being with Amanda’s mother, he would never regret his beautiful daughter.

  As the day drew to a close, he found himself pulling his cellphone out of his pocket again with sweaty palms to check once more.

  No missed calls.

  No text messages.

  Nothing from Tiffany.

  As he drew a deep breath, a slow pulsating blue signal caught his attention. He quickly opened the text once more, smiling fondly upon seeing a clumsily written text from his daughter. As he was reading how excited she was to have a home, another text popped up. It was a rather melancholy message, with Amanda confessing how she wished her mother would pay more attention to her. Daniel narrowed his eyes, ignoring the other text in his inbox as he shoved his phone in his pocket. He needed to get his daughter, and he needed to get her fast. If her mother wouldn’t give her the proper love and affection she deserved, he would be certain to make up for it in buckets. He slipped into his sporty convertible, fastening his seatbelt before pulling out of the parking lot. He was always one of the last doctors to leave, but fortunately never had to deal with things such as closing the office. That was for the nurses and receptionists to take care of. Though it was a relief that he got to end his day a bit early, he couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for those who wrapped up in such a thankless job.

  He turned up the music on
his radio, zoning out somewhat as he drove the familiar path to his ex-wife’s apartment. He could only hope he didn’t walk in on another date night that his daughter was forced to endure. He could sympathize with the fact that Melody, his ex, wanted to move on. Truly, he could. He could not sympathize, however, with the fact that she always placed her daughter secondarily to the men she dated. The music on the radio suited his mood well enough, being an old bluegrass singer balefully regaling a tale of his lost love. While Daniel didn’t consider Melody his lost love, he certainly had felt that way sometimes. There was a time where he wouldn’t have even considered taking a woman’s number. It was funny how time changed things. He had wanted to remain friends, but… well. It seemed it simply wasn’t in the cards. Melody held heaps of resentment towards him, resentment he was well acquainted with. He couldn’t help the long hours he worked, but it seemed that once Amanda was born, he simply forgot to make time for his marriage. He vowed to never make the same mistake, even though it was ultimately for the best.

  As he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, he could see his young daughter riding her bike back and forth along the sidewalk. She was alone, utterly unsupervised. He jumped out of his car, trying to keep his expression relaxed as he approached the young girl he so adored. She perked up immediately upon seeing him, jumping off her bike and allowing it to crash to the ground as she bolted towards him. He thought to chastise the fact that she’d given her bicycle such little care, but decided it was not worth the potential tears. He swept the girl up into his arms when she was close enough, holding her tenderly against his broad chest. She sighed happily, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck.