Insert Groom Here

by K. M. Jackson

  Also by K.M. Jackson

  Holiday Temptation

  (with Donna Hill and Farrah Rochon)

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

  Insert Groom Here

  K.M. Jackson

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Also by

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Teaser chapter

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  DAFINA BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2017 by Kwana Jackson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-0568-6

  ISBN-10: 1-4967-0568-8

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4967-0569-3

  eISBN-10: 1-4967-0569-6

  Kensington Electronic Edition: January 2017

  For Will,

  I’m so glad to have taken that walk with you.

  Acknowledgments

  To say seeing Insert Groom Here in print is a dream come true is an understatement to end all understatements. To thank God for making it happen, well, the tiny words don’t do the feeling justice. But God has been in this project from the very beginning. You see, I have to give a huge thank-you to Bishop W. Darin Moore, who at the time was my pastor and during a sermon on marriage first said the words “Insert Groom Here” and got my mind whirring on a story. Yeah, I know I should have stayed focused on the sermon at hand, but this is where my brain went, and I took the ride! Thank you so much, Bishop Moore!

  And another big thank-you for the support and love to my GC Bowling Angels, who have been in my corner, cheering me, all the way through this process. And I’d like to give an extra special thank-you to GC Angel Wesley Battle for being my behind-the-scenes TV consultant on the project, answering all my questions on TV sets and production. And to his wife, my teammate Carmery, for her positive “That’s doable!” reinforcement! With all these wonderful folks cheering me on, I feel truly blessed.

  To my editor, Selena James, and the amazing Kensington family. You all are a joy. I can’t thank you enough for making my dream come true. And to my wonderful agent, Rachel Brooks, and the rest of the L. Perkins Agency, thank you for being in my corner.

  To Farrah, for always being a friend and a support. You are the very best! To the Destin Divas: you ladies make me want to be better at all of it! To Dren: you make the day better! Thank you. To Amy, thank you for your keen eye and for being the fabulous you!

  And to all my friends, supporters, readers and cheerleaders over the years, your kindness can never be repaid. Thank you.

  And now to my family . . . bring on the mush!

  To my husband, Will, and my twins, Kayla and William, I hope to make you all as proud as you do me. I am the luckiest wife and mother there ever was. You are my treasure and have my whole heart.

  To Ma, thank you for being there for me and dreaming this dream with me. I Love You. To James, Ashley, and Semaj, thank you for holding me down.

  To Nana, I hope I’m still making you proud and that you are telling the stories in heaven. #WeNeedDiverseRomance always.

  Chapter 1

  “I can’t marry you.”

  Eva Ward knew words were being murmured over her shoulder, but for the life of her she couldn’t quite make them out. The red light above the camera transfixed her, and Kevin’s voice sounded like it came from somewhere far away, as if from down a long corridor. To top things off, she was fighting a chill. The temperature in the blasted television studio had to be set at fifty degrees at the highest. Eva thought about the frigid air a moment and hoped the cold didn’t show on her face—or, lord help her—anywhere else on her anatomy. That would be all she needed, for her nipples to make a surprise appearance on national morning television. Eva pushed back a frown as she brought her thoughts back to that blasted red light and Kevin. Okay, focus time. What is he going on about?

  “I can’t marry you,” Kevin repeated, and Eva blinked.

  Wait. What?

  “Wait. What?!” Jim Bauer, The Morning Show’s co-host, took Eva’s confused thoughts and echoed them out loud, punctuated with his usual everyman laugh. But this was a bad time to laugh. In fact, it was the absolute worst time to laugh. “I don’t think we heard you correctly, Kevin. It sounded for a moment like you were calling off the wedding.”

  Eva fought to keep her smile in place as Kevin turned from her to Jim. “That’s right, Jim. I am.”

  She blinked again as the words really begin to sink in. He is calling off what? Anger bubbled up, heating Eva more quickly than could possibly be safe. She caught another glimpse of the red light and forced herself to push it back down. Hold on there. This is not the time to go off the rails, Eva told herself. She could do this. She’d practiced being on live TV, and she’d been put on the spot plenty of times. She was trained for these moments. Media relations was her job, for chrissake.

  Eva pulled her attention away from the maddening red light that reminded her millions of people were watching this debacle over their morning coffee and toast. Instead, she plastered on a well-trained smile and focused on what her fiancé, Kevin, and the talk show’s co-hosts were now saying. But try as she might, she couldn’t wrap her head around the words as they trickled toward her in dribs and drabs.

  Something about being “confused,” Kevin said. “Just not the right time,” he went on. And wait, did she really hear the words “moving too fast”?

  Hold up, this was madness! It was as if she was having some sort of odd bout of both inner and out-of-body experience, and she couldn’t get the two to gel. But she had to, because Kevin was talking about her as if she wasn’t there, sitting by his side on TV. National freaking TV! It was time to take control of the situation.

  Eva blinked again, her lashes feeling thick and gloppy from the extra coats of mascara plus the individual false lashes the makeup woman had put on her that morning. She had thought they were a bit much at the time. Now she was afraid that with all the ridiculous blinking she was doing, she probably looked like Bambi gone drag. Eva forced her eyes wide, as if that would somehow make her appear saner, and stared at Kevin. Oh hell, Mr. Smooth was starting to sweat, despite the fact that if it was two degrees colder, you’d be able to see your breath as you welcomed Satan into the studio. His sleek, ultra-
groomed, dark cocoa skin was starting to glisten, and Eva now noticed a hint of fear in his eyes.

  Eva’s heart raced, but despite this, she caught Kevin’s eye and gave him a smile that she hoped said, “Come on, honey, don’t lose your cool now,” as she reached over and gave his hand a pat. She could do this. Just a little damage control, and she’d reel this right in.

  Eva turned to her other side and looked at Diane Parker, one of The Morning Show’s other co-hosts, but Diane’s blue eyes only seemed to mirror Eva’s own internal confusion.

  Just perfect. No help from blondie.

  So Eva turned her gaze to Jim. Good ol’ Jim. Surely Mr. All America would help save the day. But in that moment, a clear sound finally reached Eva’s ears, punctuated by good ol’ Jim’s good ol’ laugh. The loud, false pang rang against her eardrums. “Har, har! Good one, Kevin,” Jim said, as Eva took in the obvious tension playing around the corners of his mouth, causing some of his pancake makeup to crease. “Of course you’re joking.”

  “No, Jim, I’m not,” Kevin said, his voice clear, strong, and surprisingly absolute as he turned Eva’s way. “I’m sorry, Eva. I can’t go through with this.”

  Despite her best efforts at bracing, Eva winced as the words penetrated. The full impact hit her like a crosstown bus trying to make up for lost time.

  This was not happening. It couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not now. Not to her.

  But Kevin continued, his voice getting higher with each word. The more his lips moved and the words washed over her, the more of a blur he became. His handsome features, smooth skin, close-cropped hair, fine button-down oxford shirt, new three-button jacket, pocket square—all becoming a washed-out mass of swirly rejection under the bright studio lights. For a moment, Eva felt like she might be sick, so she bent her head, her gaze hitting Kevin’s highly polished leather shoes. The ones that she had picked up for him last week so he would be perfect for their big television appearance this morning. Eva felt her chest tighten as her throat squeezed shut.

  “I really am sorry, babe. But I can’t do it. It’s all too much, and I’ve realized I’m not ready to get married.”

  It was like a physical blow. Like he had kicked her in the gut while wearing the shoes she paid for.

  Eva’s head snapped up then, away from the shoes and away from Kevin too. She saw the camera and the red light as it flashed before her like a beacon. She shut her eyes for a moment and thought once again about how many people watched this while they sipped their morning coffee and ate their sugar-toasted oats. What were they thinking as they stared at the seemingly normal-looking woman in her pink twinset and sharply pleated skirt? Damn it, she was wearing her grandmother’s pearls. How does one go about getting dumped in heirloom pearls?

  The nausea twisted at her again, and Eva had the distinct feeling that her normally caramel-hued skin was probably taking on a green cast to match the bile now churning in her belly. She wondered if the color would be picked up and broadcast in HD. Now there was ideal breakfast entertainment for you.

  And then it hit her, and her worry doubled. Practically tripled. Shit. Her mother was watching this. Watching and most likely fuming. She could imagine the look on Valerie Ward’s face right now. She was sure to be yelling into a phone right that moment to have her assistant and the rest of the staff come in early to get started on damage control. The thought sent Eva over the edge. Probably even more than experiencing disappointment herself, she hated the idea of letting her mother down. She’d had enough of that in her life, and though she came off as a human fire-breather, Eva knew it was mostly a mask to cover past hurts.

  Not ready to get married.

  Kevin’s words echoed through Eva’s head, along with visions of her mother’s impending tirade, and she felt the heat rise. First, it was a burning in the soles of her feet, then it licked up her legs, moving on to radiate through her stomach before finally making its way to her face.

  She paused, her breathing virtually stopping a moment as the stomach churning turned to a full-on boil. Was this bastard really breaking up with her on national television merely months, hell, practically weeks, before her perfectly planned wedding?

  Eva finally turned and looked at Kevin, fighting hard to keep her emotions in line. She laughed. A belly laugh that would make even ol’ Jim proud. It’s a joke. It has to be. Diane and Jim cautiously joined her in the chuckle and bolstered her spirits. Whew. She couldn’t believe she’d almost fallen for it. Of course, Kevin would never do that to her. He also had too much riding on this marriage. Too much riding on them. It must have been some silly producer thing. They were always doing something to try and jack up the ratings. And she played along and fell for it, for a moment. She should have known it was a stunt. What better fodder for the gossip mill and ratings than an on-air breakup and makeup from America’s, at least for the moment, sweetheart couple? But Kevin knew how important this was. How much this wedding meant to her. To them and their future. Both personally and professionally. But he had been a fool to go for it in the first place and not let her in on the joke.

  Eva strained out a smile. “Funny. But come on, sweetie. Joke’s over,” she said. “Now tell me you were just playing.” She turned to the camera and raised a perfectly arched brow. “Tell America you were playing. We will be married and have our dream wedding right here on The Morning Show courtesy of Tied Knot Style and Bliss.” Eva smiled wide. Her mother would appreciate the advertiser tie-in. One never missed out on the opportunity to thank a sponsor. It was a cardinal rule of marketing. Always keep the sponsors happy and coming back to write another check.

  But instead of laughing with her and getting in on the joke, good ol’ Jim clammed up and flipped through his blue cards, looking confused, and Diane, well, she was still a grinning zero as she nodded in a bobbleheaded way that couldn’t quite be declared for or against the joke theory. And wait, was that sweat on her brow now too? Holy hell.

  Eva looked back at Kevin for reassurance, and he shrugged. The bastard shrugged!

  “I really am sorry, Eva. You know I always cared for you.”

  Cared? Did he say cared? A rock thudded where her heart was supposed to be. Cared. As in, what you do for your late grandmother, as in how you felt about your childhood dog. Cared, “ed,” as in past tense?

  Kevin turned to the camera and laid on that old Kevin charm, looking ever so innocent and sincere. “I’m, um, sorry, America. I’d like to apologize to you too. And this is not Eva’s fault. It’s all me.”

  Jim piped in, “Well, I’m not really sure what to say here. We’ll, well, take a commercial break and be right back?” He then held his ear and with an awkward look turned to Eva. “Oh, uh, I really am sorry; it seems we can’t go to commercial. Not for ninety more seconds.” Jim gave Eva a look that said, “Tough break, kid.”

  Eva bit her lip and tried to steady her breathing, since her heart was beating so hard and fast she was sure the mics must be picking up every erratic thump. Crap! In ninety seconds, she was sure to be dead from humiliation.

  Diane shifted her eyes away before speaking to the camera. Her voice took on a funereal tone. “We are truly sad to hear of this development. We were all looking forward to your wedding. But I guess now, given the circumstances, and as per the rules of the competition, we’ll have to choose another couple.” Diane smiled and changed her voice on a dime. “Luckily, we still have Sherri and Brad from Des Moines, who are our runner-up couple. Hey, as they say, it’s for the best to find out before the marriage that the two of you don’t suit. Don’t you think?”

  Just perfect. It’s now that she turns into a freaking all-star chatterbox, spouting rules and crap.

  “No.”

  The word came out before Eva could stop to think about what she was saying.

  “Excuse me?” Diane asked, her wispy brows drawing together. “Maybe you didn’t hear what Kevin said. He does not want to marry you.”

  Eva shot Diane a look that said Thanks, but no than
ks for the clarification, then turned back to Kevin as he piped up again.

  “Yes, Eva.” Kevin put his hand across her forearm. “What are you talking about? I said I won’t marry you. There won’t be a wedding.” He rubbed his hand gently across her forearm. Eva looked down at it, not knowing if it was supposed to be comforting or controlling. It didn’t matter.

  It wasn’t either.

  She looked up at him, eyes blazing, and jerked her arm away. Then, catching the red light out of the corner of her eye, Eva thought briefly of her mother, before giving Kevin a huge smile that would probably make the most venomous snake proud. “I don’t give a damn what you said. I will have my wedding with or without you.” It was like a fire had ignited and was rushing through her veins, threatening to burn out of control.

  Kevin pulled back, shaking his head. “Eva, come on. Stop, you’re not making sense.” Then he lowered his voice to a stage whisper, as if the mics still couldn’t pick him up. “Plus you’re embarrassing yourself.”

  For the second time that morning, Eva laughed inappropriately on national TV. Goody, maybe hysterics are setting in. She supposed it was natural, given the circumstances.

  “Oh, really? Tell me, how can I embarrass myself any more than you already have? Freaking all of America is watching my national dumpation!” She waved her hands wildly in a gesture to the studio. Beyond them there were multiple cameras and overhead lights, and you could see the silhouettes of the burly cameramen nodding their heads in the distance. Behind Eva, Jim, Diane, and Kevin was a large window with people jockeying for their moment of fame, holding up signs saying hi to mom. Eva blew a guy in a cheese hat a kiss when he made an obscene gesture toward his crotch.

  She turned back to Kevin and nodded. “See there! I’m already fielding promising offers.”