by Maggie Way
“I can do it,” she said and snatched the bottle of shaving cream from me. “Tell me the ring story.”
I watched her squirt the white foam into her hand as I began the story with how I’d ripped the ad out of the magazine, and how I’d kept the ring for months on end, dreaming of the day she would say yes.
About the Author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ann Marie Frohoff grew up on Los Angeles California when music and film began pushing the limits of provocation. She’s a lover of grey areas, yoga, music, John Hughes flicks and anything that stimulates and elevates the imagination. She resides in Los Angeles in a beachside town with her family.
Ann Marie will soon branch out into the Urban Fantasy genre with two new adventure/thriller series to include a dose of romance (of course).
You can contact her at [email protected]
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Something Borrowed
by Lexi Ostrow
Prologue
Adrianna couldn’t help but stare at Jaxon as he stood with his back to her in the kitchen. Which isn’t what you are here to do. Focus, Adrianna. She tried to shift her attention to the assignment on the table, but it was impossible. All she could do was look at what must have been the world’s most perfect backside.
“Earth to Adrianna, anyone in there?” Kailey snapped, waving her hands in front of Adrianna’s face.
Sheepishly, she shrugged and forced her attention to the pencil-scrawled numbers on the paper. If Kailey was annoyed that she wasn’t listening, she would be a whole hell of a lot more annoyed if she found out it was because Adrianna couldn’t stop staring at her older brother.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, just pay attention.” Kailey glowered as she leaned over to look at the other paper. “Not like you even did the problem I was going to ask about.”
Sighing, Adrianna closed her eyes and forced herself to think about something other than the boy she’d had a crush on since she was old enough to crush on boys. There had always been something about him that had drawn her to him – even if she’d never dared to tell Kailey that. He’d spent the summer in Marine boot camp – at least she thought the Marines called it that, maybe it was basic training – and had only grown even more perfect.
The short spiky cut of his black hair made his chiseled jaw all the more pronounced. She’d give anything to run her fingertips over that jawline as they kissed. He’d been muscular before leaving, but the time away had developed his arms in such a fashion that she longed for them to wrap around her while they kissed on the grass.
“I’m just distracted. Who gives homework the first week of school?”
“AP classes, and if you don’t figure out how to un-distract yourself you’ll fail the first semester of Calculus AB and God knows how many other classes. Which means no spring season.” Kailey pushed backward on the table and stood up. “Whatever. I’ll be right back.”
“Jeesh. My sister can be a real drama queen,” Jaxon said from behind her.
She turned and found herself eye-to-eye with the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen. They seemed to sparkle in the light, or at least to her they did.
“Some of us are choosing college over a life of servitude to the country, and many of us need scholarships and good grades to get us there.”
He clutched his and staggered backward. “Ouch. That was a harsher burn than most of the things my drill instructors shouted at me.” He smirked as he stood back upright and flipped Kailey’s chair, so the back rested against the table before dropping down onto it.
Unable to help the smile on her lips she shook her head laughing. “She’s going to kill you if you don’t get out of her chair.”
“There are a lot of things my sister would like to do. Being able to wallop me enough for me to even feel it will never be one of them.”
Repressing a laugh, she forced herself to look back at the homework on the table. “You know, becoming a Marine seems to have swelled your ego more than when you were just the local high school football star.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smirk proudly at the comment as she picked up her pencil and pretended to focus on the numbers in her textbook.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. I’m in better physical shape, ready to defend my country, friends and family at a moment’s notice and I look pretty damn sexy in my dress uniform.”
Good heavens, she thought as an image of him in uniform promptly popped into her head. It took everything she had not to look up at him. Jaxon had always liked attention, and she had a feeling he was expecting her to give it to him.
“Oh come on, you know you want to admit that I’d look pretty fucking awesome in a uniform,” he said, prompting her for that attention once more.
Blowing out a deep breath she dropped her pencil onto the table and looked over at him. As she’d expected he was grinning at her, his brown eyes smiling with amusement and his arms casually draped over the chair like he wasn’t having a conversation about how attractive he was.
“I think...” she started before getting up from the seat. “That it’s a little stuffy in here, and we could use some air.” Walking over to the switch on the wall she flicked it up, turning on the ceiling fan and feeling pretty content with her remark.
“Jaxon!” Kailey shrieked from the bottom of the stairs. “Get out of my chair! We’re working!” Huffing, she stamped over and smacked her brother on the shoulder. “When do you deploy? I mean honestly, I thought the only benefit to you joining the stupid Marines was that you’d go somewhere else and stop annoying me.”
Rising from the chair he held his hands up in mock surrender. “Calm down, little sis. Give me three more works to harass you like a big brother should and then I’ll be out of your hair.” He pushed up from the chair and gestured dramatically for Kailey to sit back down.
That got her attention. “Where are they sending you?” She cringed at the slight sound of desperation in her question.
“Australia, Darwin to be exact.”
That news of him being so far away irrationally made her sick to her stomach. She and Jaxon had known one another for nearly her whole life. While she was grateful he wasn’t deploying to a combat zone, she didn’t enjoy knowing she’d likely never see him again. Not that there’s any reason for you to see him now.
“Well, that ought to be...fun.”
“You bet. Food, beautiful sites, beautiful women,” he winked at her. “Well, I’ve done my brotherly duty for the day. Catch you both later.” He saluted them and pivot turned before marching out of the kitchen.
Kailey snorted. “I know I’ll miss him when he’s gone, but my god I wish he’d leave already.”
“Yea,” she said, without any of the excitement that was probably expected of her. Soon he’ll be just another high school crush.
Chapter One
“I can’t find it!” Kailey shrieked, rummaging through the drawer and tossing things behind her onto the bed.
“Calm down,” Adrianna knew her best friend was prone to hysterics, but her wedding day was just not the time for them. “I’ll find it. Why don’t you do sit over there and wait until they’re ready to do your makeup?” She tried to keep her voice level as she blatantly told the bride to chill the fuck out.
Kailey nodded, her mouth set in a thin, angry line. “Fine, but I can’t go out there without my something borrowed!” Picking up the bottom of her Vera Wang gown, s
he glided effortlessly over to the white wicker chair next to the mirror where the other bridesmaids were having their makeup done.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Adrianna pushed back her bangs and lifted her lavender dress up so she could walk without worry to the drawer. Kailey had left it open, and it wasn’t shocking that Kailey had been unable to find the small diamond earrings from her mother. For months, Adrianna had been telling Kailey to stop wearing them daily. Yet, it wasn’t so easy to take off the only piece left of her mother, which is what Kailey had told her every time.
The drawer was an accumulation of all things wedding. From color swatches to hairstyle clippings from magazines and floral sketches to business cards, it had all been dumped into this one drawer in the master bedroom of Kailey’s parent’s house. Sifting her hands through the paperwork, she focused her sense of touch on anything that wasn’t paper, in case her eyes missed them.
“Have you found them?” Kailey’s voice echoed through the room now that she sat in the on suite bathroom having her makeup and hair done.
“Not yet,” she called back, digging her way deeper into the drawer. “I saw you put them in her last night.”
“I can’t believe we got that drunk,” commented Lauraina, a bridesmaid.
If she were honest, neither could she. It had seemed like the only solution to the growing problem of Kailey’s bridezilla-ness at the time, and it probably had been. With a quick call to an Uber, they’d loaded in and had gone to the Crown and Anchor, a local bar just on the point. Six shots in and the groom's party had shown up. Which had meant Kailey had freaked over Jim, her fiancé, seeing her the night before the wedding, and that ultimately lead to at least four more shots of vodka.
One in the afternoon and as far as she could tell, everyone’s hangover had vanished thanks to many protein shakes and more than a handful of trips to the bathroom worshipping the porcelain god.
“Aha!” She called in triumph as a business card for a bakery slid to the left, revealing the interlocked diamond stud earrings. Grasping them, she held them above her head and waved her hand. “I’ve got them.”
“That’s why you’re my Maid of Honor!” Kailey shouted, this time with a childlike glee and a huge smile on her face.
Crisis averted, she thought with a sigh of relief. She loved Kailey like a sister, but her best friend had more than a slight tendency to the melodramatic. A trait that almost got her murdered by her wedding party at least three times in the past during as planning occurred. With just an hour until the wedding, Adrianna was praying absolutely nothing else went wrong, she wasn’t confident anyone would survive it.
Clutching the earrings in a fist, she lifted her dress with the other and sidestepped around various shoes, bras and underwear to get to Kailey. She paused, forgetting what she had wanted to say as she looked at her friend.
“You’re beautiful. The most perfect bride ever to get married in all of New Orleans.”
Kailey’s dark hair had been curled, then swept to the side allowing the curls to trail over her shoulder. While the makeup wasn’t finished, the smoky brown eye makeup was bringing an extra sparkle to her hazel eyes. The gown was vintage, a sweetheart top covered with lace that was set with sequins, beads and small pearls.
Her gaze glanced up to the mirror, showing her side swept blonde hair and equally shimmery makeup. The thin halter straps of the gown disappeared under her side ponytail, and the dress seemed to perfectly elevate her rather ample bosom. She might not be the bride, but she had probably not looked this done up since their prom ten years ago. Kailey had gone to great lengths to make certain that none of them looked ugly because they would all be in her wedding photos.
“I hope you mean that,” Kailey said, though there was none of her usual bite. Worry lines marred the otherwise perfect surface of her forehead as a powder brush dusted across her face.
“I absolutely mean it. You, Kailey Donovan, are getting married when the sunsets and you look stunning.”
Kailey flushed but smiled. “Do you think Jim will like the dress?” She sounded slightly like a young child seeking approval from a parent or teacher.
“I think he’ll love it as much as he loves you.” She walked to stand on the opposite side of the makeup artist and began to unscrew the earrings. “I know every part of you wants to keep worrying, but you don’t need to Kailey. Your father already reported that everything is perfect. All that’s left is for you to breathe and get ready to start life as Kailey Smartel.” As she spoke, she was putting Kailey’s earrings on and slipped out from the side of the chair.
“I know I was a bit of a bitch,”
“A bit?” Ginger called out from somewhere in the bedroom with a laugh.
“All right, a colossal, building-trampling Godzilla of a bride. I appreciate each and every one of you for dealing with me.”
“That’s all right. We end when the ceremony stops, Jim’s got a lifetime of it.” Adrianna smirked at her friend.
A knock on the door drew a shriek from Kailey, who attempted to leap out of the chair and only succeeded in slamming into the makeup tray and launching eyeshadows and brushes to the floor. “My dress!” she squealed and promptly dropped her head to make certain none of the shimmering shadow had landed anywhere but the makeup apron.
“Kailey,” Harry’s Donovan’s voice drifted through the thick door. “Kailey, Jim has sent me with a message.”
“Oh my god,” Kailey breathed, her voice shrill with panic.
Not wanting another shot at World War III, she quickly opened the door and slipped out, closing it behind her.
“Mr. Donovan, please tell me that whatever that message is from Jim it’s only filled with how much he loves her?”
Mr. Donovan gave a crooked smile and shook his head, tussling the small amount of hair he still had left. “I only wish. I know my baby girl, and I’m not thrilled to be delivering this news.”
Adrianna felt sick to her stomach, and she swore the room spun at the older man’s words. “I’m afraid to ask...” she let her voice trail off, hoping that maybe Mr. Donovan would take pity on her and just keep the issue to himself.
“Marco wasn’t able to make it back from deployment.”
That time she knew the room dipped and spun at the words. They’d been told Marco would be arriving from Jordan early morning and that he’d be over as soon as the plane landed. No Marco meant no Best Man.
“I thought it was a sure thing.”
“Nothing in the military is a sure thing.” Mr. Donovan sighed. “We’re lucky Jaxon wasn’t on a deployment or there’s no telling where that boy of mine would be right now.
“How in the hell is an account best friends with an Army man after all?” she groaned, resisting the urge to dig her hands into her hair as she always did when she was rattled.
“I wish I knew,” he said with a short chuckle.
“She’s going to lose her shit,” she blinked realizing who she was speaking too. “Sorry.”
“I think you’re more than old enough to curse in front of me, Adrianna.”
She shrugged, “old habits.” Leaning her back against the door she blew out a deep breath through her nose to release some of the tension trailing through her like a snake . “Do they have a solution? One that won’t involve me walking down the aisle alone and no one handing Jim a ring. Oh, and one that isn’t attaching a small pillow to Percy’s collar.”
“I assure you, the cat is not in the solution. Jim has asked Jaxon to step in, and he’s happy to do it. He’s even changed from his uniform into a tux – good thing I had an extra lying about.”
“She’s going to lose it. They’ve never gotten along.” She was talking more to herself than her friend’s father.
“Not unless we don’t tell her. You know, that should be enough.” Harry said with a twinkle in his eye.
“I don’t know if that’s brilliant, or evil as all hell.”
If Kailey didn’t find out until she was gliding down th
e aisle, there was no chance she’d blow a fuse. If there was one thing Kailey Donovan always was in public, it was the picture of refinement. She often said being the local anchorwoman that allowed her to remain poised when eyes were on her, and there wasn’t likely to be a time when more eyes were than her wedding.
“She’s going to kill us if she ever found out we knew...or Jim for asking Jaxon.”
“Let’s just take it one disaster at a time? If we play our cards right, she’ll be too swept away by Jim to even remember Jaxon was in the wedding party for most of the night.”
“Excuse me? I’ve just finished with the groom and would like to begin photos with the bride,” the photographer said, lifting her camera as if she needed to prove who she was. “That means you’re going to need to come in out of the hall as well, Miss Maid of Honor.” The older woman waggled a finger at her as if Adrianna had done something wrong.
Adrianna reached behind her and twisted the door knob, letting it swing inward for the photographer and her assistant to walk into the master suite.
“Kailey wanted to do photos out on the balcony,” Adrianna said without looking at the woman. “What do I tell her you wanted?”
“Just tell her I love her.”
“I hate lying.”
He beamed at her. “It’s not a lie. I do love my baby girl, and you should tell her that, on this final day of her being my baby girl.”
Laughing, she hugged Mr. Donovan. “This is going to bite me in the ass if I ever get married, but okay.”
Shaking her head, she stepped back in the room, closing the door behind her.
“What did my dad want?” Kailey asked from behind an elegant bouquet of white roses.
“Just for me to tell you how much he loves you.”
She watched as Kailey’s smile shifted from forced for the photo, to genuine happiness. There’s got to be a certain ring in hell for people who lie to their best friends – let alone for people who lie to brides.
