Plump & Pretty

by Mary E Thompson

  My free hand covered my mouth as I realized what he was about to do. Tears poured from my eyes, and I couldn't breathe.

  "Riley, you are my perfect woman. The person I've always dreamed of finding. Someone I can laugh with and cry with, someone I can talk to always, and someone who makes me feel whole for the first time in my life. I promise to bring you muffins for breakfast every day for the rest of my life, but only if you promise to become my wife. Will you marry me?"

  I nodded, unable to get any words past the lump in my throat. "I need to hear it, baby. I need you to say it."

  "Yes," I squeaked through my tears. "Yes, forever yes. I love you."

  "I love you, baby."

  Epilogue - two months later

  Carrie

  It was the year for weddings. On New Year’s Eve, Addi got married. In January, Sam got hitched. Then my best friend, Riley, snuck her wedding in. Apparently May 21 was a good day to get married. I still couldn't believe Riley was getting married. She and Connor only started dating four months earlier, but Riley insisted it was right.

  I had to trust her.

  I didn't like Connor at first. I knew he was hiding something when I met him. Of course I was right, but I didn't know it was something that could tear them apart and crush my best friend. When Riley told me he was interviewing for another job in Chicago, I worried about my friend. I could see the stress in her eyes. Even worse was when they broke up because of the job.

  Thankfully Brady talked some sense into Connor. Neither men ever admitted everything they said, but whatever it was it worked because I was standing in the back of Riley's parents' church, waiting to walk down the aisle. Riley's dress was beautiful. A stunning floor length dress, off the shoulder cap sleeves, lace overlay skirt, and satin bodice. The weather outside was cooperating perfectly with a beautiful sunny day, but not too hot.

  I was in my navy tea length dress. It was strapless, which I loved, and Riley let us pick out sexy silver sandals to wear with the dresses.

  "Oh, Riley, you look so beautiful," her mom, Renee, said as she stepped into the room. Renee was supposed to let us know when they were ready for us, but she needed a few minutes to gush over her daughter. Riley's sisters, Jamie and Sophie, were the other two bridesmaids with me.

  "Thanks, Mom. So do you!" Riley exclaimed, taking in Renee's knee length lavender dress with a navy and lavender floral wrap draped over her shoulders. She looked beautiful as the mother of the bride, a role she was too happy to fill.

  "Connor's nervous. He keeps asking everyone if they've seen you. He thinks you're gonna run."

  "Aw, jeez. I thought we were over that. Maybe I should go talk to him?"

  "No," I said, rising to my feet. "I'll go. You spend some time with your mom and sisters and we'll go when I get back."

  "Are you sure?" Riley asked hesitantly. She knew how I felt about Connor when they got together but as I've gotten to know him I realized how much he loved my best friend, and how perfect he was for her. I’d grown to be a pretty big Connor fan.

  "Riles, Connor is perfect for you. I'm going to remind him of that."

  "Thank you, Carrie," Riley said as she pulled me in for a hug.

  In the hallway I weaved my way through the back rooms of the church to where I head men's voices. Connor's best man was Sam's husband, Brady. They got closer once Connor gave up Chicago and moved in with Riley. Connor also included his producer, Jeff, as one of his groomsmen, and had Xander, Mandy's husband, as the last one. After Xander gave Connor a hard time, they became close, Connor knowing Xander was always there for Riley and Xander knowing Connor loved her.

  I knocked on the door and heard someone yell to come in. I pushed open the heavy wooden door and found four attractive men in tuxes looking at me. "I heard someone in here is getting a little anxious about the bride not showing up," I teased.

  Connor blushed and the others ribbed him for worrying. "Why would she want to marry you?" "Riley's too smart to end up with you!" "I don't know why she thought you were a good choice!"

  Connor's face paled as their jokes unintentionally hit the mark. He dropped into a chair and put his head in his hands. I smacked Xander and Brady, since they were my friends, and lectured them, "What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you see how nervous he is?"

  "Damn," Xander said, looking at Connor, "I didn't know he was taking it seriously."

  "It's been their whole problem, you idiot. He's flipping out and his groomsmen, the guys who are supposed to be helping him, are making this shit worse. Fix it."

  "It's okay, Carrie, they're right. Riley deserves better than me," Connor said in a self-deprecating tone.

  I stalked over to him, my heels clacking on the tiled floor. When I reached him I reached out and whacked him on the back of the head.

  "Ow!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?"

  "You're being a dumbass! Listen to me, that woman in there has been in love with you forever. She believed for most of her life that she wasn't good enough for you. Now you're pulling this stupid shit? This is her wedding day. You and your insecurities don't matter today. All that matters is making my best friend happy. Riley is one of the most amazing women I've ever known and she deserves better than you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. So, you're gonna knock it the fuck off, you're gonna pull your shit together, and you're gonna realize how lucky you are that a woman like Riley loves you enough to marry you. Then you're gonna walk out that door with these three assholes and marry the woman of your dreams. And every day for the rest of your life you're going to thank God that you did something right and managed to marry her. And if you ever forget again, I'll be back with something stronger than my hand, like a baseball bat, to give you another whack."

  I took a deep breath and spun around to the other three, who were gawking at me like I grew an extra head. "As for you three, one more fucking word about Connor not being good enough for my best friend and you're out of the wedding, and I'm telling your wives exactly why."

  The looks of panic on their faces was enough to insure they weren't going to say anything else that would upset Connor. I looked back at him and found myself suffocating against his massive chest, his arms tight around me. "Thank you, Carrie. You're right. And I'm not gonna forget again. Riley is lucky to have you as a best friend."

  I nodded and hugged him back and said, "She's lucky to have you too. Don't forget that. Now, are you ready to join the land of the married?"

  "Hell, yeah," Connor said with a broad smile. He grabbed his jacket and was shrugging into it when I let myself out. I smiled at my success and headed back to Riley.

  "They're ready," I told her when I got to our room. “Connor's straight now."

  Panic filled her face and she clasped her hands over her mouth, muffling her words. "What did you do?"

  "I pulled his head out of his ass. He's good."

  "Did you hurt him?"

  I shook my head. "He's fine. And he's waiting for you. Let's go see him. You'll like how he looks in his tux."

  "She certainly likes how he looks out of it," Sophie teased.

  Renee put her hands over her ears and said, "Mother in the room! I don't need to hear about my daughters' sex lives!"

  Riley shot Sophie a look and winked at her, making Jamie laugh. Renee just shook her head.

  We all checked our hair and makeup in the mirror again then decided we were ready. Riley's dad, Henry, knocked on the door and told us they were starting. Renee went ahead to be seated first and Henry walked with Riley to our holding area at the back of the church.

  "I'm nervous now," Riley mumbled when we were set, waiting as Renee and Connor’s grandma were seated.

  "He loves you. He can't wait to marry you. Focus on that and you'll be fine."

  "How did you get so good at talking people off the ledge at weddings?"

  I knew what she was asking. My relationship history was as close to a church as a hooker was to a steady boyfriend. I wanted to get married, and have kids, but it hadn't wo
rked out for me. I was ready, but none of the guys I'd dated were. Everyone kept telling me I was still young and had plenty of time, but I didn't want to hear it. I wanted what my friends had. A husband, a kid would be nice too. Or a few.

  "I just know you and Connor. You guys are perfect for each other. You're both afraid the other one's gonna run, but it's not gonna happen. We can all see it, I'm just not afraid to slap Connor upside the head or tell you you're being stupid."

  Riley gasped. "Is that what you did? You slapped him?"

  "He deserved it. He's good now."

  To my surprise, Riley laughed. She shook her head and threw it back and laughed, loud and long and fully. I couldn't help join in and neither could Sophie or Jamie. Henry simply shook his head at all of us.

  When the door to the church opened we quickly reclaimed control of ourselves. I was the first down the aisle, followed by Sophie, then Jamie. Once the three of us were standing at the altar I risked a glance at Connor. He mouthed, 'Thank you,' to me. I winked at him then focused on the door to the church as the music changed for Riley and Henry.

  The doors opened and my beautiful friend was revealed. Riley's eyes went straight to Connor. His jaw dropped into an O as he watched her walk toward him. I saw moisture collect at the corner of his eyes, but he didn't wipe it away.

  Riley walked straight toward him, her gaze never wavering, as he seemed to pull her by an invisible thread to him. When Riley and Henry reached the altar they stopped.

  The priest asked, "Who gives this woman to this man?"

  "Her mother and I do," Henry said, his voice full of emotion.

  Riley faced her dad, matching smiles on their faces. He kissed her cheek and hugged her, then gave her hand to Connor, and shook Connor's other hand. A moment passed between the men, and I knew Henry was silently welcoming Connor to the family.

  I stood and looked out over the crowd. It'd been a hell of a year so far, hell being the key word for me. My job was getting to me, even more since I watched Riley take over READ and love every minute of it. I didn't have grand plans of owning my own business like she did, but I had hopes that one day I'd enjoy my job. Of course that hope also came with the idea that my job would be a full time mom.

  It was hard to make that happen without sex, or a sugar daddy to support me.

  No, that wasn’t really what I wanted, although I did joke about it occasionally. I wanted a partner. Someone who would do anything to make me happy. Someone I would do anything for also.

  Someone I was fairly certain didn’t actually exist.

  Husky & Hot, Carrie’s full story, is available April 5, 2016! Preorder now!

  Thank You!

  Thank you so much for reading Plump & Pretty. Every book in the series is special to me, but I really loved Riley. She reminded me of myself in some ways, especially with her love of books. I’ve never worked in a book store, but I always thought it would be a pretty awesome job!

  Reviews are huge for writers, especially new ones like me. I’d love for you to leave a review of Plump & Pretty wherever you buy books. And please check out my other titles!

  Big & Beautiful series

  Chubby & Charming (free everywhere)

  Lush & Lovely

  Shapely & Stunning

  Bulky & Beauteous

  Fat & Fine

  Plump & Pretty

  Husky & Hot (preorder now)

  Fluffy & Fabulous (available Apr 26)

  Paradise Park series

  Playing By The Rules (free everywhere)

  Back In The Game

  Stuck On The Sidelines

  Better In Bed series

  Wait For It

  Work For It

  Fight For It

  Love On Deck series

  In Front Of Me

  Breathing For The First Time

  Learning To Love

  Standalone Novels

  Finding Home

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  About the Author

  Mary E. Thompson grew up loving to read, like a good little girl. Many nights she would fall asleep with the flashlight still turned on as she hid under the covers trying to finish the last few pages of a book. As an adult, the light from her ereader means she doesn't need a flashlight, but she still stays up way too late to finish a book.

  When Mary's not reading, she's playing with her two kids or living out her own real life romance novel with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, especially when it's paired with peanut butter, and has been known to have a bad day just because there's no chocolate in the house.

  Mary grew up in Buffalo, New York and swears she's the only local to never ski or snowboard. Soccer was always her sport, with a couple adventures white water rafting and skydiving to keep things interesting. Mary moved to South Carolina for college but missed Buffalo every day. Yeah she thinks she's crazy, too. She somehow convinced her South Carolina born and bred hubby to return to Buffalo to raise their kids and live out their lives. He’s still not sure what he was thinking.