Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24) (37 page)

The canopy was still swaying. I panicked. I didn’t know exactly what to do. I didn’t want the canopy to fall on the bride and groom but I also didn’t want to out myself as a wedding crasher. When I heard the canopy creak and then saw it lean to the side, I knew it didn’t matter if I was caught.

“Get out!” I shouted so loud that just about everyone turned to look at me. “Get out, the canopy is falling!”

Then the attention turned to the canopy. People began darting out from under it. Some were in such a rush to get out that they bumped into the other poles that were holding the whole thing up. The canopy began to droop inward. The bride and groom rushed out from underneath.

As the canopy began to droop even further and threaten to collapse, I spotted a victim that no one had thought about—the wedding cake. It was three tiers and perfect. The details of the frosting and decoration made it look like a work of art rather than a cake. I knew in that moment that my mistake was about to take away something very sacred from the bridge and groom. Without taking the time to think about it, I rushed under the canopy.

“Don’t!” someone said behind me.

I ignored the cry of warning. I ran toward the cake just as the canopy was fully collapsing. I felt it come down on my head. Luckily it didn’t hurt—it was soft material, but it did trap me very well. I began to feel claustrophobic. I could only see shadows through the material of the canopy. I had no real idea of what was going on, except for the shouts I could hear.

“Someone’s in there! Someone’s still inside!”

“The cake. Oh, no—the cake!”

“How did this happen?”

“Great idea to have an outdoor wedding, huh?”

Chapter 7

I grimaced as I realized the disaster I’d created. I kept my hands pressed up against the canopy and my body slightly hunched over the cake. Soon the canopy began to lift from above me. As it was slowly raised, I was revealed inch by embarrassing inch. Everyone was staring at me.

I waited for the moment when I would be cursed out, thrown out, or even sued. But as the canopy was secured once more—and better than the first time—a round of applause erupted from the wedding guests. I was shocked by the reaction until I looked down at the cake. Not a rose was out of place. I hadn’t even smudged the frosting. I had saved the cake, even if it meant I had exposed myself.

The groom, Caleb, walked slowly toward me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I think so,” I said.

He looked at the cake and then back at me.

“You really saved the day,” he said. “Thank you.”

I smiled. I felt bad for accepting his gratitude since I was the one who had caused it in the first place, but I decided it was best to keep that little detail to myself.

“I wouldn’t want your special day to be ruined,” I said.

“Who exactly are you?” His eyes squinted at the edges as I hesitated to answer. “Are you a friend of Kayla’s from school?”

I could see Kayla walking towards us. I knew that the moment she got into the conversation she was going to know that I was not a friend from school. Kayla and Caleb would figure out that neither of them knew me and that I had never actually been invited. I began to feel a subtle panic deep inside of me. Was I going to get arrested for this?

I took a slight step back. I could see the priest whose behind I had brushed, the handsome usher who I’d gotten into trouble, and the maid of honor heading in our direction. Once they all began to talk they would likely discover that I had caused all of the problems at the wedding.

“I’m a distant cousin,” I said. “Twice removed.”

“A cousin?” he asked. “I thought I had met all of Kayla’s family. Honey, come over here.” He waved to her.

“Oh, excuse me. I really need to use the bathroom.”

I walked away before Kayla could reach Caleb. I disappeared into one of the park restrooms. It wasn’t the best place to hide considering that Kayla or any other woman could follow me, but I was hoping it would allow me to avoid attention and suspicion.

While hiding in the bathroom, I heard the dance music begin to play. I sighed as I leaned against the tiled wall. There I was in my new dress, hiding away in a bathroom. If I’d listened to Max’s suggestion I could have been out dancing, possibly even with him.

I closed my eyes for a moment and thought about what my wedding would be like. Of course the groom was a big question mark, but the rest I could fill in with my imagination. It was nice to dream about, but at the moment it seemed like a complete fantasy. Once I thought enough time had passed, I stepped back out of the bathroom.

The sun was just beginning to set. It furnished a beautiful glow to the grassy area that had been cleared out to serve as a dance floor. The set-up was nice. There were squares placed down on the ground to serve as a dance floor. Some of them were lit up, each in a different shade of light. It was pretty amazing to see.

After the bride and groom had their first dance, the dance floor began to fill up with people ready to party. I could tell right away that this was a lively crowd. The drinks were already flowing and the volume of the voices in the crowd had cranked up.

I found a safe place to sit—away from anything that I could knock over—and watched as people began to dance. I had always loved to dance. The sensation of the music pulsing through my senses always made me feel good. Clubs weren’t my thing because of the flashing lights, the crowded spaces, and the endless cloud of perfume and cologne. But this was outside, under the stars.

I found myself longing for the opportunity to dance. Another time I might have felt confident enough to ask a man to dance. But after all of the commotion I’d caused, I did not want to push my luck.

While I was sinking into my thoughts, I kept feeling a sensation of someone looking in my direction. I glanced toward the person. Sitting a few tables away from me—also alone—was a man who looked to be in his thirties. His hair was a little too long and his suit was quite outdated, but I had learned not to make snap judgments. I looked away, hoping he didn’t notice that I had looked in his direction. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested. I just didn’t want to draw any attention. After a moment or two had passed I began to relax again.

“You are stunning.” He sat down in the chair directly beside me.

I looked up at him with surprise and a little excitement. He had a smooth enticing voice that made his long hair and cheap suit a little less cause for concern.

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t even want to come tonight. I thought it was a waste. But now I’m really glad I did.”

“Oh?”

“I have had the chance to meet a beautiful woman. I’m just hoping to have the chance to dance with her.” He looked at me with a gentle pleading that made me think he was a decent guy looking to have a good time.

Chapter 8

I was about to turn the guy down for the sake of hiding out, but his attention was flattering enough to make me want to take a chance.

“Okay.” I stood up. He followed me on to the dance floor.

As soon as my shoes hit the tiles he grabbed my hand and whipped me around so swiftly that I nearly fell over. All of a sudden I realized the grave mistake I’d made. I had agreed to dance with someone who was either an avid dancer or a professional. He gazed at me with passion as he flung me away from him once more. Not only was his style of dance drawing the attention of everyone on the dance floor, it was making the meal I’d just eaten threaten to come back up.

“Excuse me, I think I’ve had enough.” I tried to pull my hand from his.

“The song isn’t over yet!” He spun me once more.

I was so dizzy that the stars were spinning above my head. Then to my absolute horror he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me completely up into the air. He lifted me so quickly that my legs shot straight out, giving anyone who was looking a full view of my panties.

“Put me down!” I wriggled out of his grasp and nearly fell backwards into the same couple who’d thought I had fondled the priest.

“Jimmy, how many times have I told you—no drunk dancing!” a woman said as she walked up to him. “I’m sorry, he’s my brother and he gets a little wild when he’s had too much to drink. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I turned and stumbled off the dance floor. I was more than a little disappointed. Not only had the dancing left me not feeling so hot, but the compliment he had paid me didn’t mean much if he was drunk.

I sat back at my safe out-of-the-way table to let my stomach settle. The gurgling began to die down. When a waiter passed by with a tray of wine, I grabbed one to help the situation and perhaps to drown my disappointment a bit. I sipped at the wine and watched the happy couples on the dance floor.

After a few minutes, I was seriously entertaining the thought that it just might be time to go home. I’d seen enough to know that yes, it was what I wanted, and no, I had no idea when I would actually have it. I stood up to leave, but as I turned I found myself staring into Max’s beautiful eyes.

“May I have this dance?” he asked.

I smiled at him as he held out his hand. Max, as usual, had swept his way into my life. He had a knack for dramatic entrances. He looked incredible in a simple black suit. I knew he’d had to dig to the back of his closet to find it. It made me feel special that he would work so hard just to join me at the wedding.

“Of course.” I smiled as I took his hand.

The warmth of his touch sent tingles through me. I tried to ignore them. Max was my friend. He was here to dance with me as my friend and nothing more than that.

He led me out on to the dance floor. I wasn’t worried about who might notice us now. Everyone was drunk enough that they wouldn’t care if they realized we were crashing the wedding.

Max’s arm tightened a little around my waist. I felt held by him as we swayed in the moonlight.

“You really are amazing, Sammy, you know that?”

“I’m learning.” I offered him a cocky smile.

“You’re becoming braver and bolder than ever. I think it’s a very beautiful quality.”

“Thank you.” I felt a little shy as I looked up at him as we danced. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

“I didn’t want to miss the last dance with you.” He spun me in a swift gesture and then pulled me close again.

It felt so good to be wrapped up in his warmth. For the first time I realized it wasn’t just a chemistry thing. I felt comfortable and at peace in his arms. Was that just a deep sense of friendship that I was trying to turn into something more?

“What about Vanessa?” I asked. “Didn’t you bring her?”

“No.” His voice was quiet.

I searched his eyes intently. I could always tell when Max was trying to hide something from me. This time was no different. The way his eyelashes fluttered and his lips tightened gave him away.

“Is something wrong?”

He hesitated. I watched his gaze travel around the people dancing all around us.

“She wanted too much from me,” he said. “She wanted more than I could offer.”

I was silent for a moment. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a small amount of celebration within me for the fact that Vanessa was out of the picture. But I also felt badly for her. She wanted what any normal woman would want—what I wanted. She wanted a partner who was available for a real relationship.

“I’m sorry.” I rested my head lightly on the curve of his shoulder.

“Me too.”

“Didn’t you feel any connection with her?” I caught sight of his jaw rippling with tension.

“Not enough. I enjoyed my time with her, but she wanted me to say that I was in love. Was I supposed to lie?” he asked.

I lifted my head and met his eyes. “No. That’s something you should ever lie about. I’m sure it hurt for her to hear the truth, but it’s better than pretending to feel something that you don’t.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said. “Then she threw her shoe at me.”

“Her shoe?” I asked. “Was it a flat, at least?”

“No.” He sighed. “It was pointy.”

“I’m sorry, Max.” I tried not to laugh.

“It’s not funny.” He gave me a stern look that made me want to laugh even more.

“No, it’s not funny at all. It’s assault. You want me to call the cops for you?” I offered him an innocent expression. He glowered at me for a moment and then shook his head.

“They can’t all be you, Sam,” he said. He offered me a slow sweet smile.

Chapter 9

I wanted to pluck that smile right off Max’s lips and keep it forever. It made him look so handsome, especially with the moonlight flowing down across his face. I wanted him more than ever. I began to tilt my chin so that my lips could meet his. It was the romance of the evening, it was the draw of the moonlight, it was the power of that slow sweet smile. Just when my lips would have neared his, a sharp sound drew our attention.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Kayla said.

Caleb threw another glass down on the ground. It shattered on impact.

“Well, I want to know why he’s here!” Caleb said. He shot a glare in Max’s direction.

Max cringed and leaned close to me to hide his face.

“Do you think that’s our fault somehow?” I asked Max.

He turned back to look at me. His lips were still dangerously close.

“I don’t think so. But it might be a sign for us to get out of here.”

Another glass went flying through the air. “What other secrets are you keeping?” Caleb demanded.

“It was one night!” Kayla said.

Some of the guests rushed forward in an attempt to calm Caleb down.

“So why is he at our wedding?” Caleb asked.

Both Kayla and Caleb looked over at Max.

“Uh oh,” I said. “I think that they’ve you mistaken for someone else.”

“So much for magical,” Max said.

He released his arm from around my waist. “What were you saying about marriage and romance?”

“They can’t all be perfect,” I said.

“I guess not. But now would be a good time for us to run,” he said.

Caleb was charging across the grass toward Max. I took Max’s hand in mine and ran with him toward the exit of the park.

“Faster,” Max urged. “I’m not much of a fighter.”