Let’s try this again
RAVENHURST * PRESENT DAY
CORRECTION, she almost made it out of the room. Maggie ran in front of her and stopped her progress. “Wait. You need a bouquet, oh and something blue,” she said, grabbing her hand and tugged Raven back into the room.
“What to use?” Maggie walked around in circles. “Aha!” She lifted her finger in the air. “I know what to use…be back in a sec.” Then she ran into the bathroom. She came out a moment later with a small towel in her hand. “Hold on, just a minute,” and out she ran from the room, her sensible black shoes a blur in Raven’s peripheral.
In a streak of black and gray, Maggie flew back into the room a few moments later with flowers and a sliver ribbon trailing behind. She made quick work of arranging the white roses and periwinkle in one hand and then wrapped a rubber band around the stems to hold them in place. She pulled a pair of scissors out of her pocket and trimmed the stems. Satisfied with the appearance she deftly wrapped the stems in the silver satin ribbon, covering them completely. She held them out at arm’s length and scrutinized her handiwork. “It’s missing something, don’t you think?”
Raven barely had a chance to open her mouth before Maggie shoved the bouquet in her hand and ran back out of the room, poking her head back around the corner with a, “I’ll be right back. Don’t move look,” and then she was gone.
Maggie flew back in the room, her hair whirling around her face, her cheeks rosy. She held a sparkly brooch in her hand, shaking it. “This was my grandma’s; it can be your something borrowed.” She smiled and fastened the sparkling rhinestone encrusted brooch onto the bouquet to hold the ribbon in place. “Perfect,” she huffed out breathlessly. “Okay, now you may go.” She smiled and bent forward flourishing her arm.
Raven blinked at her in shock. “Maggie, I can’t…” she was so stunned by her kindness she was finding it hard to talk, her lip started to tremble.
“Oh, now you stop, you’re gonna make me cry.” She wiped at her eyes, and sniffed. “Go now, get. I’ll follow behind and make sure your gown stays in place.”
Raven leaned forward and gave Maggie a huge hug, then stood away from her and released a nervous breath. “Okay.” She pushed her shoulders back. “Here I go…” Or so she thought, she needed to get her feet to move first.
Maggie placed a gentle hand on her back and nudged her forward. “You can do it. It’s just nerves.”
Raven wanted to disagree, tell her it was a lot more than nerves, but didn’t.
Milford rushed away from the window over to the doorway of the library. “It’s time,” he called exuberantly over his shoulder and then ducked out into the foyer, completely disappearing from sight.
Reed felt like a rock was lodged in the back of his throat. Beads of perspiration broke away from his forehead and slid of their own accord down the sides of his face. He lifted a shaky hand and blotted the sweat away with his handkerchief, then stuffed it back into his jacket.
Marguerite jumped from the sofa, pulled her cloak up to her shoulders, and fastened it around her neck. She held the length in both of her hands, taking large steps, moving sideways toward the mantle, and grabbed hold.
“Do you need help?” Reed croaked out, his voice not cooperating as he stepped forward to help her.
She brushed his hands away. “I am good, see?” She released the mantle to prove she could stand without assistance and lifted smiling violet eyes to his face. “Thank you for this.”
Reed tried to smile back at her, really he did, but the action was caught somewhere between oh shit and damn I am an idiot. “Ah, you are welcome. I, um…”he swallowed again, “I hope everything… I mean this, works out for you.”
“I am sure it will.” She smiled at him, her violet eyes glittering as she lifted her hand to brush a wayward curl from her face.
Reed scrutinized the mysterious girl, Marguerite. He couldn’t help it. She looked so small and insignificant standing next to him. The bright red cloak she wore engulfed her thin frame, bearing down on her shoulders. He wondered what she had inside, and then quickly dismissed the unanswered question. He suddenly didn’t want to know. He hoped she was right though, for if not, he was marrying Raven for no reason at all.
Cold Feet
RAVENHURST * PRESENT DAY
RAVEN squeezed the bouquet of roses tightly in her hand; there was a mix of white roses and periwinkle for the color blue, although Raven thought they looked more like a purplish blue - similar to the color of Marguerites eyes.
Maggie had thought of everything. She had even dressed up Raven’s plain silver pumps with two smaller rhinestone brooches she called scatter pins. Every step she took, she could see the glittering pins peeking out from underneath her gown. She had to admit they did look very Cinderella-esque. She would have never thought to use brooches on her shoes. Maggie knew all the tricks, apparently.
Milford waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. She swallowed hard. He stood off to the side giving her an appreciative stare. At least she hoped it was. He seemed to be quite pleased with himself about something because he had a very (the cat just ate a canary) type of smile lingering on his face alighting his eyes with a mischievous twinkle.
“You look breathtaking,” Milford said once she reached the bottom of the stairs, smiling at her appreciatively, extending his elbow.
“Thank you,” Raven smiled widely. She couldn’t help it. She took a step forward and placed her arm through his as he guided her forward. She felt like she was pressed between the pages of a fairy-tale. And now all she needed was the handsome prince to whisk her away to some magical land where they would both live happily ever after. Once the thought entered her mind, she lifted her eyes from the floor and her gaze met Reed’s across the room. Her step faltered. Was she really doing this?
She gripped Milford’s arm tighter as he steadied her. Everything felt unreal. Which was probably a good thing since this was not the time for reality to come crashing in on her or else she would run in the other direction. She wondered if they would come chasing after her—the runaway bride.
Milford guided her through the doors; she watched the floor carefully, making her way forward. She guessed the brooches could be her something old, and of course the amulet that hung heavily down between her breast, a reminder that her dream wedding was just a ruse. As soon as that thought entered her mind, she pushed it back out. She would enjoy the moment.
Reed rounded his eyes at her and tried to catch his breath, the action was stuck. He shifted on his feet.
The shiny tops of his shoes held her gaze. By the look on Reed’s face, he was the one that looked like he would run first. A vision flashed into her mind of chasing him down—the runaway groom. A hysterical bubble of laughter threatened to escape from her mouth. She bit her lip to stop herself.
The soft music came to a crescendo and ended just as Milford deposited her at Reed’s side.
Maggie ducked behind and straightened her skirts in the back while Milford walked over in front of the mantle.
I can do this, I can do this, she chanted over and over in her mind while pulling large gulps of air into her lungs. She felt sick. Her stomach churned. She was breaking out in a cold sweat.
Once Maggie finished with her gown, she reached forward to take her bouquet. Raven reluctantly handed it off to her… it was the only thing that stood between her and Reed. He was wearing a tuxedo, probably Armani. Of course, he would own one. The severe cut accentuated his muscular body. She had yet to look at his face. This was the first time they had been this close together since the Library mishap, that was really more of an almost romp session. What would she see on his face? Bitterness… animosity… resentment…she was a coward, she knew, but couldn’t seem to help herself.
Milford cleared his throat. “Shall we begin?” he asked in an authoritative tone and thumped the book he held with his hand. “Twilight is waning rather quickly,” he reminded them both and thumped the book once more.
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Reed cut Milford a sidelong glare… Pushy. He wasn’t ready; he doubted he would ever be. He let out a shaky breath, he supposed now was as good a time as any to set this ruse in motion.
Raven finally lifted her gaze from Reed’s brightly polished shoes; she really didn’t have much choice. This is a dream come true, she told herself, even if it was merely for a day or two. Yes, it was good practice, she assured herself for the zillionth time, and yet it didn’t stop the butterflies from gathering in the pit of her belly.
Not having any other choice she lifted her eyes to his and smiled tentatively. Shit. His face held no emotion; she wasn’t sure if he was happy, sad, or mad that he was marrying her. Well, that was not quite right, he certainly did not look happy. No, not even close.
That was it. She couldn’t take it. Her knees suddenly gave out and she fell forward. It was too overwhelming and everything came crashing in around her. Her hands pressed flat against his chest as he reached forward to steady her. He righted her, lifting her hands from his chest, then dropped his own back to his sides. What in the hell am I doing? She turned to make a break for it, but couldn’t, her gown was stuck.
“Not so fast.” Marguerite narrowed her eyes. “I have someplace I need to be,” she reminded Raven. The toe of her shoe pressed firmly down onto the hem of the gown.
Raven got the meaning behind those words loud and clear. “Fine,” she added with a huff and jerked her gown. Marguerite didn’t seem to believe her and kept her foot firmly planted in place. “I am not going anywhere,” Raven said and widened her eyes at Marguerite, yanking on her gown again.
Marguerite reluctantly lifted her foot but gave Raven a sharp look of warning just the same.
Raven shook out her skirt and turned back toward Reed. His expression had softened a bit or at least he didn’t look like he hated her any longer. Thank God.
Once everyone situated themselves in his or her proper places, the ceremony began. “Dearly beloved we are gathered here today…”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The constant thumping was the only thing Raven could hear. It blocked out all other sound. It was her heart, apparently; it was beating the crap out of her ribcage. She kept her eyes trained on Reed’s crisp white shirt. Even when he made a grab for her hand, she still kept her gaze trained on the pristine fabric and little onyx buttons. She felt a small ripple of excitement shoot through her body. She was really doing this. Raven was all too aware of him suddenly. Fine, that was a lie too. She was very aware of him the entire time. The way his Adams-apple bobbed up and down in his throat, the tendons flexing at the side of his neck. His hand held onto the very same hand she did her pit check with the first time she saw him…it was only just a few short days ago and look at where she was now…it seemed everything had come full circle.
Her little voice taunted her…What in the hell are you doing? Her other voice, the one that inevitably got her in trouble taunted back: I am getting married - now shut the hell up.
Reed slid his hand down into his trouser pocket and pulled out his mother’s ring. He opened the little velvet box and shoved it out towards Milford.
Milford reached out to take the box and tugged. “Sir you need to release the box.”
Reed finally let go and turned back toward Raven, holding the ring out.
Raven’s eyes rounded in disbelief…. Holy shit! That was one big-ass diamond. It had to be at least ten carats. Please let me get to keep it. Her hand shook as he tried to shove the ring on her finger. It slid down easily to her knuckle and then stopped—Damn water weight. She wanted to cry. It had to go on. He tried again pressing down on the ring. She winced and lifted her eyes to his. “Ah, let me try, okay?’
He released her hand and she turned her head, stuck out her tongue, and licked her knuckle. At this point, she didn’t care what she looked like; there was no way in hell she going to miss the opportunity to wear a big-ass diamond ring. She grabbed hold of the ring and finally pushed it over her knuckle.
“See, it fits,” she said, smiling broadly, shaking her hand in the air; the stone sparkled brilliantly in the light. She couldn’t stop looking at the ring, but then noticed an awkward silence that quickly fell over the room. She lowered her hand and reluctantly turned back toward the others. “Sorry, where were we?” She glanced over her shoulder at Marguerite, who did not look happy. Not one bit. Raven didn’t care, at least not now.
Milford cleared his throat again. “Please hold hands,” he directed, his tone reprimanding.
Raven made a face.
Reed barked out a laugh and then covered it with a cough.
There it was another covert cover-up for a laugh in your face. Except Reed didn’t seem to be laughing at her this time or at least not exactly at her, but at the situation they were in, which was sad and laughable at the same time. Still she was not going to back out now. She persevered through her uncertainty and placed her hands into Reed’s once more.
Once they were holding hands again, Milford’s voice rang out like a church bell, loud and clear. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife….You may now kiss your bride.”
Raven shut her eyes, puckering her lips slightly, and then the prince kissed his princess…and they lived….
Her dream kiss was short-lived. It was more of a hit and run. Reed caught part of her chin and the edge of her lip and then his mouth was gone. She blinked, stunned. Wow. That was pretty bad. That may have been the crappiest kiss she ever had…no, that wasn’t true. The worst kiss ever still went to Benji Dobson who had slobbered like a dog.
Raven turned and looked over her shoulder. Crap. Marguerite was still there and she was not happy. Raven smiled at her tentatively, mouthing the word. “Sorry.”
“You’re going to have to do better than that, Sir. Perhaps try a bit harder; really put some effort into it. You need to mean it.”
Reed swiveled his head around. “What?” His mouth dropped open stupidly. “You…you, didn’t say anything about that,” he stumbled over his words and glanced towards Raven. Her face had turned a bright shade of red, which matched her lipstick perfectly. Great, perfect. He felt like an ass.
Raven tried not to let his words hurt her, but they still did. Was she that bad? Why yes, apparently she was—her bottom lip started to quiver and she wanted to hide under a big fat rock…again. Of course, there was nowhere to hide, no place to go. And Marguerite was still standing there. She just wanted this debacle to be over. Go back to her room; finish off her bottle of wine… or maybe she should switch up to something a bit stronger while she was at it. She glanced over at Maggie her face stark white, her eyes huge. It had to be shock or was that pity she saw on her face? She wasn’t quite sure. Poor Maggie, no that wasn’t quite right—poor me. That was it. She was going to start blubbering like a fool if she didn’t get out of here…like now.
“Raven, I…” Reed trailed off, what was he to say? Shit. He raked his hand through his hair and glanced over towards Marguerite; she was holding the amulet, with the saddest look on her face. He failed her. He felt terrible. He took a deep breath. “Fine,” he gritted out and gave Milford another sidelong glare.
Before Raven had a chance to run, which was really her intent, Reed pulled her body against his, and his mouth came crashing down on her own. She held on for dear life as he deepened the kiss. She let him kiss her, her arms hanging limply at her sides. Suddenly the kiss was over. Well, that was better—it dried up her tears.
Reed was breathing heavily; his gaze lingered on her lips. They were so full…soft…sexy. He shook his head and looked over his shoulder.
Marguerite was still there gaping at them both.
“Why isn’t it working? What am I doing wrong?” Reed asked, and then laughed, shaking his head. What did he expect? Damn. It was all for naught, every last bit.
“Are you concentrating on sending me back?” Marguerite asked her voice coming out shrill.
Raven flinched from the sound. Marguerite so
unded like she was about to have a full-on freak out attack. She sighed and pressed her lips together, she could certainly sympathize.
Reed shook his head. “Ah…no.”
Marguerite pressed her hands to her face and sighed heavily before she lowered them again. “It doesn’t just happen. You must think about sending me back,” she stressed the words and glared at them as if they were both stupid.
“Back where exactly?”
“The Age of Chivalry, King Arthur’s Realm, you need to think about Knights, a simpler time, a forgotten time…can you do that?” She lifted her brow in question and looked pointedly at Raven not Reed.
Raven blinked and pointed to her chest. “Me?”
“Yes, you,” she answered in an exasperated huff, lifting her hands in the air and then dropping them back to her sides.
Raven felt terrible. “Yes. I can do that.”
Marguerite gave her a look that said otherwise. “Come here please.”
Raven stepped away from Reed, and situated herself next to Marguerite.
“You need to kiss him like he is everything you have ever wanted, everything you would ever need to live…can you do that, for me?”
Huh, she hadn’t been thinking at all when Reed kissed her, maybe that was the problem. She lifted her fingers to her lips, they felt tender… a reminder of the short kiss they had shared. She gave Marguerite what she hoped was a reassuring smile and walked back to stand beside Reed.
Sadness weighed in on Raven suddenly. This was probably going to be their last kiss—ever. She knew she should be thankful, not care, since he was being a jerk, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t’ help thinking about their kiss in the library. That kiss could have been … a movie kiss—perfect.
Too bad the moment was gone…or was it? If this was going to be the last kiss she ever had from Reed, she wanted to make it one he would remember, one he would never forget. Yes, that is what she would do, so before she could change her mind she blurted out, “Well I guess the third time is the charm right? She laughed nervously. “I mean, ah, don’t you think?”
DREAMS OF TOMORROW: A NEW ADULT TIME TRAVELING ROMANCE (Ravenhurst Series) Page 17
