by Rayne Reilly
Contents
Copyright
From Rayne
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
About The Author
Copyright © 2017 Rayne Reilly
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations and articles. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
Thank you for purchasing this latest novella.
I really hope you enjoy it and will consider leaving a review. Reviews can help a great deal in letting other people know about my work and allows me to keep writing stories that I love. I read all my reviews and enjoy hearing from my readers.
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Don’t miss the latest books in Rayne’s Shifter Series
Beringer Brothers
(Book 1) Grant Available now.
Other books by Rayne Reilly
The following books are best read in the order listed
Shifter Series Novella’s
Pleasantville
Bear Boss’s Mate Volume 1
Werebear’s Mate Volume 2
Purrfect Mate Volume 3
Vampire’s and Shifter’s
Forbidden Mates -Part One
Forbidden Mates - Part Two
Complete Box Sets Available
Pleasantville Series includes Bear Boss’s Mate, Werebears Mate and Purrfect Mate
Forbidden Mates Set includes Forbidden Mates and Exiled.
CHAPTER ONE
“What a beautiful day for your wedding. The sun is out and there isn’t a cloud in the sky!” Kellie said excitedly as she peered out the window from the upstairs bedroom where she and Acacia were getting ready. She had done her own hair and makeup and was ready to go. Kellie stood at the large window gazing out over the grounds. The Beringer Family Estate, with its lush gardens surrounding the majestic home, was the perfect venue for Acacia’s wedding.
Looking down at the sprawling green grass and colorful flower beds, Kellie marveled at the number of people who were already milling around near the seating area.
“This estate is massive! Don’t you find it a little bit intimidating?” asked Kellie, speaking in a lowered voice.
Acacia sat perfectly still. Having her hair done in an elegant style befitting a bride, her magazine-worthy look was almost complete. She cast her eyes in Kellie’s direction without moving her head.
“It was quite intimidating the first time I visited but the family turned out to be warm and friendly. I guess I’ve gotten used to it!” she smiled and brought her gaze back to the mirror in front of her.
Kellie hugged herself as she watched her best friend observing the transformation she was undergoing. Acacia rarely wore makeup and was the last person Kellie ever expected to adapt to the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Today, Acacia looked absolutely radiant and Kellie could only feel a huge sense of pride and love for her friend. She deserves this day.
She had caught Acacia in tears earlier that morning when she arrived to pick her up to take her to Grant’s parents’ estate. She knew that Acacia wished her mother was there to see her get married. Now, several hours later, she could see that Acacia was allowing herself to be in the moment instead of dwelling on her loss.
Kellie admired her friend for getting to this point in her life and she hoped that she too would find her own happily ever after…or at the very least meet someone who wanted to spend time with her. It was going to be lonely when Acacia left for her honeymoon with Grant. It was quite likely that the two young women would not have as much time together as when they were both single.
Kellie watched the stylist add the final touches to Acacia’s hair, makeup and gown. When Acacia stood and turned to face her friend, Kellie had tears in her eyes.
“You look beautiful!” she gasped. “Grant is going to just melt when he sees you.”
Acacia’s grin spread ear to ear. “I hope not!” She giggled.
***
Acacia walked alone down the aisle with Kellie behind her. Each of the women held bright bouquets of pale lavender roses. The wedding guests were seated in cloth-covered chairs under a large canopy that matched the colors of the bridal party.
The entire event was far more beautiful than Kellie could ever have imagined. She had played a small part in helping plan the day along with Acacia and Grant. She felt pleased to have been part of such a grand occasion.
Her constant smile had left her mouth twitching in one corner and she was glad to have her back to the crowd when she reached the front and took her place next to Acacia. Turning slightly, she watched her friends exchange vows.
Kellie avoided eye contact with Holden or Reece who were watching from their places beside Grant. Both brothers had been asked to stand with Grant for his big day, with Holden being the best man. Acacia had only Kellie on her side but she didn’t seem to mind.
The ceremony went along smoothly with Acacia welling up a couple of times and Kellie following suit at seeing her friend so happy. The moment came when Kellie had to turn and sing a song, a cappella, for the crowd. A cordless microphone and stand had been placed in the spot she stood to sing. Kellie loved singing and usually wasn’t frightened of performing in front of people.
However, when she glanced at Holden as she had last night at the rehearsal, panic rose in her. Quickly, she averted her eyes and closed them for a moment so that she could focus on the words of the song. The crowd fell silent as she sang a popular love song that Acacia had selected for the big day.
When Kellie was finished, she noticed several people dabbing at their eyes with tissues. She walked back to her spot next to Acacia and listened as the final vows were said and Grant kissed Acacia tenderly.
When the ceremony wrapped up, the minister announced Mr. and Mrs. Grant Beringer to the crowd and the couple walked hand-in-hand back down the path toward the house, followed by Kellie and the two brothers. Up till then, neither Holden nor Reece had spoken or acknowledged Kellie since they had not seen her until she appeared in front of the minister with Acacia.
Kellie squeezed the happy couple and gave each of them a little kiss on the cheek.
“Congratulations, you two! The wedding was so beautiful!”
“Thanks,” said Grant, beaming.
“I'm so relieved! Everything went off without a hitch!” exclaimed Acacia.
“Now, for the party!” grinned her new husband, rubbing his hands in anticipation.
Kellie turned to Grant’s handsome brothers. Both of them smiled at her as she lightly hugged them. The buzz of voices and movement began behind her.
“The guests are coming,” said Grant's mother, Marcia. Kellie returned to her place next to Acacia.
The small wedding party stood in a line to greet the nearly one h
undred and fifty guests that wanted to personally congratulate the newlyweds. Kellie couldn’t believe that Acacia had managed to convince Marcia Beringer the family matriarch to reduce the list from hundreds more. The occasion of her firstborn son being married was a bigger deal to her than both Grant and Acacia had realized and at the earliest hint of a smaller guest list, Marcia had become quite upset. Grant explained that Acacia had no family and a short list of friends. It wasn’t fair to inundate her with hundreds of people she did not know. Marcia gave in and reduced the list to only the most important family and friends.
Once everyone had gone through the receiving line, Kellie, Holden and Reece followed the bride and groom to a large tent. There was a wooden dance floor in the middle and a stage area for the DJ and Grant's older cousin, Jim who would be the M.C. for the evening. The head table was covered with expensive linen and colorful flowers. There were smaller round tables scattered throughout the tent similarly decorated.
Taking her seat at the head table, Kellie felt nervous excitement around the evening ahead of her. The first time that she had seen Holden all those months ago, she found herself incredibly attracted to him. Unfortunately he didn’t seem to share those feelings. She hoped that things would be different today since he had been incredibly complimentary last night at the rehearsal dinner – even to the point of chatting with her for a little while.
Looking around the room, she saw Holden chatting with a female wedding guest. He was on his way to the head table when the slender young woman stopped him. She hugged him tightly and he didn’t seem to mind. She watched as he ran a hand through his perfect brown hair and nodded at something the woman said to him.
He was every woman's definition of tall, dark and handsome. He had a slightly smaller build than Grant but the way his tuxedo fit him made him look like a sexy movie star. Kellie was so lost in watching Holden that she hadn’t even noticed that Acacia had sat down in the empty seat to her right.
“Kellie…Did you hear what I said?” Acacia whispered as Kellie became aware of Acacia’s hand on her forearm.
Kellie shook her head and turned to look at Acacia.
“Sorry? What was that?” she mumbled.
Acacia let out a chuckle and leaned closer. “I said, Holden looks great, doesn’t he?”
Kellie nodded and cast her gaze back to where he had been standing but he was gone. Moments later, she felt someone take the seat on her left. Judging by the intense waves of nervousness in her stomach, it had to be Holden. Her eyes widened as she looked at Acacia and silently mouthed, “Oh. My. God.”
Acacia let out a silent chuckle and sat back in her chair facing the room. Kellie managed to keep a steady smile on her face as she turned and sat upright in her seat. She kept her eyes front, pretending to be taking in the room around her.
“Hi,” Holden said.
Kellie turned her head to catch the sexy grin forming on his face.
“Hi.” The word came out as a whisper.
“You look great!” Holden said, gazing into her eyes.
“Th-thanks…you too,” Kellie stammered as she reached for a pitcher of water and poured herself a glass. She took a big gulp and stared straight ahead, again her smile widening. Sitting next to him, electricity raced through her body.
'Just relax,' she told herself.
***
Soft music played in the background as the meal was served. After everyone was finished,
Jim rose. Picking up a microphone, he cleared his throat and said, “Good evening everyone! May I have your attention, please?”
A hush fell over the room as all eyes turned toward the tall middle-aged gentleman.
Jim continued. “Thank you, and thanks to all of you for coming. The groom would like to offer a few words.”
Grant stood, taking the microphone as it was passed down the table to him. “I just want to thank you so much, everyone, for coming today,” he began, smiling broadly, “and especially, I would like to thank my parents for making this day absolutely perfect for my lovely bride and me.”
The guests clapped as Grant looked back and forth between his mother and father and raised his glass to them. “A toast to my parents, Marcia and Forrest,” he offered.
“To Marcia and Forrest,” replied the guests collectively, as all raised their glasses along with Grant.
The groom looked at Acacia with such love that Kellie knew he would do anything to make her happy. When it came time for Holden to give his speech, Kellie didn’t take her eyes off him. He ribbed and teased his brother, telling tales about when they were young. Fortunately he made the stories appropriate and didn’t do anything to hurt or offend Acacia in any way.
Kellie spoke next. Standing with her glass of wine in hand she felt her hands tremble slightly. She flashed a sincere smile and glanced down briefly at Acacia and Grant.
"I want to congratulate my best friend Acacia on finding a man who loves her more than anything. Today has been an emotional day. I hope one day that I am as lucky as Acacia. I would like to toast my friends Acacia and Grant. Thank you for allowing me to be part of all of this." Kellie waved her hand as she spoke and glanced at the bride and groom. Lifting her glass, everyone joined in with a hearty cheer. The clinking of glass and happy chatter filled the room as Kellie sat back down.
When it was Acacia’s turn to speak, Kellie couldn’t help but get emotional.
“I want to thank everyone for coming, and I would especially like to thank the Beringers for embracing me as family. Thanks to each and every one of you. Most of all I want to give a toast to my incredible husband for making me the happiest wife on the planet.” She beamed at the crowd and raised her glass. After taking a sip she sat down next to Grant. He kissed her and the crowd cheered.
Kellie wiped a tear from her eye and took a drink from her wine glass. Though she had eaten, the five of them had managed to have several glasses of wine each during dinner and she was feeling slightly light-headed. Feeling emboldened by the wine, she turned to Holden as the dinner and speeches wrapped up.
“I liked your speech,” she said, politely.
Holden nodded once. “Thanks,” he said, confidently.
There was an awkward silence between them. Kellie cleared her throat.
“So, when are you going back home?” she asked hesitantly.
“I’m heading back tomorrow. With Grant leaving for his honeymoon, I think it’s best I get out of town before my father starts making demands of me,” he smirked, mischievously.
Kellie chuckled and looked down at her empty dinner plate.
“What about you? Do you work tomorrow?” he asked, quickly.
She turned to look into his eyes again. “Yes. I am working in the afternoon,” she said forcing a smile.
The brief smell of his cologne wafted past her as he moved his hand to scratch the side of his head. It left her feeling more intoxicated, this time by him.
I need to get away from him for a few minutes.
Being near him was more than she could bear. She pushed her chair back and was about to stand when Acacia reached out to touch her arm.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
“Yes. Just need to go to the ladies' room,” Kellie responded, standing.
“Come back soon. The first dance will be starting any minute.” Leaning closer to Kellie and lowering her voice so Holden could not hear, she added, “Since you are the only woman in my bridal party you will have to dance with Reece as well as Holden. I hope you don’t mind?” she teased.
Kellie raised her eyebrows and grinned.
“Mind?” she whispered back. “I think I can handle it…the real question is will they want to dance with me?”
She refused to turn and look at Holden in case he was watching her. Being near him created both anxiety and arousal at the same time. She didn’t pretend to understand any of it.
Acacia pulled her friend closer and whispered into her ear one more time.
“I think both Bering
er men will be happy to dance with you. Don’t you dare think otherwise!” she said adamantly.
Kellie smiled as she stepped away from the table and headed toward the house.
Walking back to the reception tent, Kellie couldn’t help but think about Holden and the way he looked at her. Why did his words not match the heat in his eyes? What was his deal? Was he feeling anything around her the way she was for him?
As she approached the head table, she glanced briefly at each of the Beringer men. They were not lacking in looks or strong muscular bodies. Kellie sighed as she brought her gaze back to Holden who was speaking with Acacia and gesturing with his hands as he spoke.
She was disappointed that Holden hadn’t spoken with her as much that day as he had the previous night. He had been so complimentary of her singing and she hoped that his kind words were a prelude to him asking her out. Unfortunately, he had barely spoken to her the entire day. Still, there would be the first dance alongside the bridge and groom. Maybe then he would ask her out? Or at the very least show some interest in her?
As she reached her chair, the dinner music softened and Jim announced the upcoming first dance. Every muscle in Kellie's body tensed. Stepping back, she looked at Holden. There was a slight hint of movement in the corner of his mouth. He gazed at her in the same way he had the night before. It wasn’t her imagination; there was something between them. A heat that made her feel weak with desire for him.
“We're up!” Holden said, pushing his chair back from the table and rising.
Kellie's heart skipped a beat. Here we go.
Everyone at the head table stood and moved toward the dance floor. Grant held Acacia’s hand as he led her to the center of the room and pulled her close.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” began Jim. “Having their first dance together as husband and wife, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Grant Beringer!”
Everyone applauded as the swell of music began and the newlyweds glided effortlessly across the floor. The happy couple danced for several minutes smiling at one another lovingly. Kellie waited for either Holden or Reece to approach her. She refused to take her eyes off Grant and Acacia for fear that the Beringer brothers would turn away and not ask her to dance.