“Ah, good, good,” Kate said, fiddling her fingers together. “Excellent. Let’s go show the girls.”
She followed Kate outside and then stood on the small dais. “Well?” she asked the other women.
“This was a great idea,” Sybil said. “What do you think, Catherine?”
“Hmmm…” Catherine tapped her finger on her chin. “You know, I really liked wearing this one and I thought it looked good on me. But now that I think about it, it seems like something you would wear, Chrissy.”
“Excuse me?” she asked. “We’re shopping for you, remember?”
“I know,” her sister said. “But, you’ve always been the more traditional one, I think. I feel like this is the gown you’d pick if you were getting married.”
Christina looked at herself in the mirror. Hmmm. Catherine knew her well. A little too well. It was something a princess would wear and she had been the more girly of the two of them growing up.
“Excuse me, ladies, I hate to intrude, but are you…”
Christina turned around at the sound of the familiar voice, the voluminous skirts whipping around her. “What are you doing here?”
Jason stared up, his eyes darkening as his gaze raked over her in the white gown. Heat crept up her neck and suddenly the dress felt too tight and the room too small.
“You can’t see your bride in her gown before the wedding day!” Kate shrieked as she lunged in front of Christina.
Jason shook his head. “I’m not Matthew.”
“And she’s not me,” Catherine said, getting to her feet. “What are you doing here, Jason?”
“Matthew’s waiting outside. He wanted to surprise you and take you girls to lunch,” he explained. “He didn’t want to accidentally see the gown, so he sent me to check on you.”
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Sybil said.
“We’re not done yet,” Catherine said. “Could you guys wait a little longer?
“Sure,” he said with a shrug.
Christina stared after him, watching his retreating back as he left without even giving her a second glance. She still couldn’t believe he saw her in a wedding gown, of all things.
“Chrissy?” Catherine asked, waving her hand in front of her face. “Are you okay?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” She cleared her head and gave her sister a weak smile. “So, which one should I try next?”
Chapter 5
“Are they done yet?” Matthew asked as Jason walked past him.
“No.” But I am, he added silently as he walked away.
The cold air felt good as it hit his face. The wind wasn’t biting anymore, and to him, it felt more like a cool breeze. He kept walking down Main Street with no real destination in mind.
Surely that wasn’t something Matthew planned. His brother’s words from last night had struck something in him and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Mate. It was ringing in his head over and over again. And now, seeing Christina wearing a wedding dress…
“What’s the matter with you?” Matthew asked as he caught up to him.
“Nothing.”
“C’mon, just talk to me.”
“I said nothing, okay?” He really wasn’t up for another discussion. “Look, something came up.”
“At the mines?” Matthew asked, his expression changing. “Did you get new information?”
“Maybe, not sure.” He didn’t want to lie to Matthew, so he thought of an excuse. “I should go to the hospital and check on our guys. See if the families need help.” It wasn’t a lie and it was his job to take care of them.
“Of course. Just keep me updated.”
“Will do.”
With one last nod, Matthew walked away.
Finally alone, Jason thought about his options. He could wait it out. Christina would be gone in less than a week, but he wasn’t sure he could control his dragon for that long, and it would be difficult to avoid her. So what was he supposed to do?
He needed a distraction. There was that hot brunette from the The Den last week. She came to Blackstone for a girls’ weekend, he remembered that Nate hooked up with one of her friends. Julie? No, Jessica. She was getting cozy, but his dragon wouldn’t let him seal the deal. Asshole.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled down, then found her name. His finger hovered over the screen for a few seconds before he dialed.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Jessica? This is Jason. Lennox. We met at The Den in Blackstone last week.”
“Oh,” she said in a breathy voice. “I was beginning to think you were never going to call me.”
He could almost see her pout. “Yeah, well, I had some work stuff come up. I was wondering, are you free?”
“Free? When?”
“I was thinking tonight … ”
Chapter 6
“You made the right choice,” Angela said as she handed Catherine her credit card. “You’re going to be gorgeous, and I won’t have to make too many adjustments.”
“Thanks, Angela,” she said. “You’ve been great. Especially considering how last minute everything is.”
“I really appreciate you helping,” Matthew added.
“No worries at all,” the other woman replied, her eyes warm. “Now, don’t stress, okay? Just enjoy your day. Both of you.”
“I will!” Catherine waved goodbye to Angela as they left the shop.
Matthew had been waiting for them in the boutique, safely outside the dressing area. There was no sign of Jason, but Matthew told them that he had to deal with things at work and wouldn’t be joining them for lunch. Christina wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
Matthew took them to lunch at Rosie’s Bakery and Cafe. He explained Rosie had been there almost forever, and a place where he and his family would frequent when he was growing up. After lunch, Matthew left them because he had to run back to the office and they had more wedding errands to run.
“Where to?” Christina asked.
“Lunch, then flower shop, then the cake shop. Oh, we should swing by the jewelry store as well. I know we didn’t have time to get you all the same dresses, but you should at least have some matching accessories.”
As the day progressed, Christina actually found herself enjoying the company of the other two girls, despite her initial reservations. Kate was certainly an acquired taste, but she found the younger woman’s crude sense of humor amusing. She had taken an immediate liking to Sybil, though it was probably because she reminded her of Cordy in some ways—the peacemaker and always the one to make sure everyone was comfortable and having a good time. She was also surprised that Sybil worked as a social worker, especially considering the vast wealth and privilege she had grown up with.
It was already late so they all decided to have dinner at one of the restaurants in town. After their meal, the four women walked out in good spirits.
“Thanks so much for taking the day off to go shopping with me,” Catherine said. “I had so much fun.”
“And the night isn’t over yet,” Kate said.
“What do you mean?” Christina asked.
“Oh no, what did you do?” Sybil exclaimed. “Kate … ”
“Well—”
She was interrupted by a loud horn that played an obnoxious tune. Three heads whipped around, their faces in varying degrees of surprise, shock, and horror at the gigantic pink Hummer limo that pulled up in front of them.
“Surprise!” Kate waved her arms in the air. “This is your bachelorette party.”
“What?” Catherine’s face went pale. “You didn’t!”
“I did.”
“I told you I didn’t want a bachelorette party,” Catherine said.
“And I said you were getting one, so here we are.” Kate grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. “What? There aren’t any half naked men hiding in there. I like my hide un-burnt, thank you very much.”
“Where are you taking us?” Sybil asked.
“We’r
e just going to The Den,” Kate explained as she scrambled up into the limo. “I got this for us so we don’t have to drive or ask anyone else to bring us home.”
Sybil crossed her arms over her chest. “And how much are you planning to drink?”
“Let’s just say, if you can’t find me by the morning of the wedding, you better send out an APB.”
* * *
Catherine explained to Christina that The Den was a local bar, and the place she worked as a bartender when she first came to Blackstone.
“Tim’s a great boss,” her sister said. “If a little gruff.”
The Den was lively for a weekday night, but then again, it was one of the few bars in town. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a petite, curvy redheaded waitress.
“You’re new,” Catherine said. “I mean, you weren’t here when I was the bartender.”
The waitress shook her head and gave her a shy smile. “Yeah, I just started a few weeks ago. My first night working was your engagement party, actually. My name’s Penny. Tim has your table all ready. He asked that I take good care of you.”
Penny led them to a table in the corner, which had been decorated with pink feather boas, glitter confetti, balloons, and penis-shaped banners.
“I picked out all the decor,” Kate said proudly.
Sybil flashed Kate a dirty look as she gingerly pushed the paper phalluses aside so she could sit down. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”
“Penny, my girl!” Kate said. “Four shots of tequila, please. Now,” she said to her companions. “What will you be having?”
Despite her reservations, Christina found herself having an even better time. She had drunk three glasses of wine and was feeling a little tipsy. Catherine seemed to be enjoying herself, and introduced more of her former work friends as they came by to offer their congratulations. All of them seemed genuine enough, except for maybe one or two, though Christina had a sneaking suspicion it was because of jealousy. After all, Catherine had landed the most eligible bachelor in town.
“A toast to the bride-to-be,” Kate said, raising her shot glass. Christina had lost count of how much the other woman had drank, but then again Kate was a shifter and could drink any human under the table without batting an eyelash. “I wish you happiness, love and … who am I kidding? Hot sex, orgasms, and tons of little dragonlings are all you need for a happy life.” She knocked back a shot of tequila.
“I won’t even try to beat that,” Christina said. “You win.”
Kate threw her head back and laughed. “You know? I thought you were kind of a bitch when we first met, but now, I like you.” She offered her a shot. “Here, this’ll help you relax.”
“No, but thanks,” she said. “I’ll stick to wine.”
“Spoilsport.”
“Hello, ladies, I didn’t know you were having a party.” A man had walked up behind Kate and Sybil, and put his arms around their chairs. Christina narrowed her eyes at him. He was handsome, in that devil-may-care kind of way, with his long, sandy-blond hair and mischievous green eyes. Like most shifters, he was tall and looked like he worked out every day of the year. He also looked very familiar.
“Yeah, that’s because you weren’t invited, moron,” Kate said, rolling her eyes.
“Chrissy,” Catherine began. “This is Nate, Kate’s brother.”
“By blood only,” Kate drolled.
Ah, that’s why. Nate looked like a masculine version of Kate. Friendly green eyes turned to her. “Nice to meet…whoah…sorry. Seeing you both side-by-side is a little mind-boggling.”
“Aren’t you going to hit on her, too?” Kate asked.
He shook his head. “Uh, no. No offense,” he said to Christina. “But it’s a little weird. With you two being twins and all.”
“And the fact that I must have turned you down ten times,” Catherine added.
“Six times,” Nathan corrected with a grin. “But, I’m not disappointed you didn’t fall for my charms. You can’t stop fate, right? With you and Matthew being mates and all.”
Catherine laughed. “I guess not.”
Nathan sidled up to Christine. “So, are you single?” he asked, flashing her a smile.
“I’m afraid so,” Christina answered, taking a sip of her wine. “I thought you said you weren’t interested in me?”
“I said I thought it was weird,” he corrected. “But I could probably get over it.”
Nathan was charming and hot, she had to give him that. But still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t muster anything more than friendly interest in him. Yet, when it came to someone else…
“Christina is a nice girl,” Sybil said. “So stay away from her.”
“Jeeze, can’t a guy have some fun?”
“Someday, Nathan Caldwell, when you meet your mate, I hope she makes you chase after her,” Sybil said.
Nathan snorted. “I told you before, I’m never getting a mate or getting married. Matthew and Catherine being an exception, all that love and mating shit is for losers.” He turned his head toward the front door. “Finally. I was wondering when he’d get here.”
“Who?” Sybil turned around. “Ah, your partner in crime, my brother.”
“Sorry, Nate,” Kate said as she glanced toward the door. “Looks like he’s not alone.”
Christina felt a knot slowly begin to grow in her stomach as she followed Kate’s gaze. Jason indeed wasn’t alone. A gorgeous brunette was clinging to him, and his arm was around her waist. She gripped the edge of the table, her fingernails digging into the wood. Catherine sent her a strange look.
“You know, Jason usually leaves with a girl at the end of the night,” Kate said. “He’s never walked in with one at the start. Who is she?” Kate looked at her brother. “Do you know her?”
Nate shook his head. “Never seen her before, though she does look familiar. I think she’s been here before. Jason might have talked to her.” His eyes lit up. “Ah, she was on a girl’s night last weekend. In fact, I brought one of her friends back to my place.”
“Eww, TMI,” Sybil said. “But, Jason seeing a girl for a second time? Doesn’t seem like his style.”
An uncomfortable sensation crept up Christina’s spine and made her chest feel tight. She tried to pry her gaze away from Jason and the woman, but she couldn’t turn away. They walked over to the bar and he signaled to the bartender. The brunette draped herself around him and whispered something into his ear. Christina felt the air squeeze out of her lungs.
“Are you okay, Chrissy?” Catherine asked. “Want to go to the ladies room?”
“I’m fine.” Catherine grabbed her wine glass and drained it. “You go ahead.”
“Are you—”
“I said I’m fine.” She looked at Kate and nodded at her shot glasses. “Is the offer still open?”
Kate whooped. “That’s my girl!” She slid over one of the glasses toward her. Christina immediately picked it up and drank it. “Yeah!” She signaled to Penny, who ran over to refill the four shot glasses.
Catherine cleared her throat. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said, grabbing her purse. “I need to take a little trip to the ladies’ room.”
As Catherine walked away, Christina took one last glance toward Jason. Big mistake. Jason was now nuzzling the brunette’s neck. She quickly turned away, the sudden motion making her dizzy.
“Do you think that girl is Jason’s mate?” Sybil asked.
Nate snorted. “No way. Jason doesn’t do mates or that love shit either.”
“Still, it would be nice if he could settle down, like Matthew with Catherine,” Sybil said. “A mate. Not only one his dragon recognizes, but one that the Sinclair legend validates. Dragon mate and soul mate.”
“What legend?” Christina asked.
“Oh, Catherine never told you?”
She shook her head.
“Well, you know shifters have mates, right?”
Christina nodded. “My adoptive father is a wolf shifter a
nd my mother was his mate.” Being human, she didn’t understand all of that. Papa had explained that it was like being in love with someone, but much, much bigger and deeper. That’s why it had nearly driven him mad when she died.
“Well, my mother is a human and she had this saying in her family: the one who knows you from your twin is your soul mate.”
“But what does it mean?” Christina asked.
“We thought it was a joke, growing up,” Sybil said. “But apparently, it’s true with Matthew and Catherine.”
“What’s true?”
“That Catherine can tell Matthew and Jason apart.”
Pressure began to build behind Christina’s eyes. “W-what?”
“Apparently to her, Matthew and Jason look different, which is weird, right? Even Mom can’t tell them apart.”
“Right.” She reached for one of Kate’s shot glasses and knocked back the tequila. The burn felt good. At least she knew that the feeling was coming back to her body, based on the path the liquid burned down her throat. She took a deep breath then took another shot.
The tequila had helped push back that dreaded pit in her stomach but it was slowly creeping back. This was crazy. Insane. Catherine definitely knew she could tell Jason and Matthew apart, too. Did her sister realize…? Of course she did. And she had kept quiet this whole time.
No, it couldn’t be. She was no mate, not to anyone, and certainly not to Jason Lennox.
“Uhm, Christina?” Kate said. “I’m all for having fun, but that’s gonna be your fourth shot. Slow down, yeah?”
Christina stared at the clear liquid in the shot glass in her hand before gulping down every single drop. “Now I’m done,” she said, slamming the glass down. “I think I need some air.”
She whipped around, making sure she wasn’t looking toward Jason and his date as she made her way out. She thought she heard Catherine’s voice calling her, but she ignored it and made her way out of the building.
The Blackstone Bad Dragon Page 5
