Read Chapter 1, Can’t Make This Up…

99�� FAN PRICING UNTIL APRIL 7TH, AT MIDNIGHT Chapter OneTrinity

I wasn���t a wedding planner. I was not cut out for this. ���Pardon me,��� I gushed as I nearly ran over a little old lady wearing the brightest pink dress I had ever seen. Garish was one way to put it.��

���Slow down!��� she scolded.��

I kept running. This was a mess. I should have told my best friend I couldn���t be the maid of honor. I was so far out of my depth I couldn���t even see the shore. I was best suited as a bridesmaid. I could not take this kind of pressure.��

This wasn���t the average wedding at the VFW or the Red Lion. This was the wedding of the year with all the uppity people in the Pacific Northwest in attendance. And I was going to ruin it.��

���Excuse me,��� I called as I dodged around a middle-aged couple making their way down the hall toward the opulent lobby of the hotel.

���Some people are so rude,��� the woman muttered.��

The woman had no idea what was on the line. I could not ruin my best friend���s wedding.��

Naya was counting on me to make sure this lavish wedding went off without a hitch. She had bucked her fianc�����s idea of hiring a wedding planner. She wanted to do it all herself.��

She and I planned every detail, with the hotel guy helping to plan the reception. Why? Why did she think we could take on such a monumental task? Because she was batshit crazy. No sane woman would ask me to plan her wedding to a billionaire.��

���I���m sorry,��� I muttered as I dodged around more guests.��

I hopped in the elevator only slightly out of breath and slapped my hand against the button for the eighth floor. Sweat trickled down my back. The hotel was less than a block from the church. I didn���t want to waste time searching for a ride and opted to run all the way to the hotel.��

���Come on, come on,��� I urged, encouraging the steel box to move faster.��

My heart was pounding in my chest. I leaned against the back of the elevator and watched the numbers count off. The second the doors slid open, I was off like a shot after the brief respite from my mad dash through the ridiculously overpriced hotel. I rounded the corner with the card key in my hand.��

���Please be in there,��� I muttered.��

The ringbearer���s pillow had vanished. Well, not vanished. We all suspected we knew where it was. In the groom���s parents��� room. That was the last time the precious little devil they were using for their ringbearer had the damn thing. I told her not to let him play with it. ���Oh no, he needs to practice,��� I mimicked in a high-pitched voice.��

I rounded the corner, my destination in sight. I glanced down at my watch to check the time and slammed into a wall. ���Ow,��� I muttered and bounced off the wall that was suddenly in the middle of the hallway.��

���Didn���t anyone tell you not to run indoors?��� a male voice said.��

I looked up and right into Ryker Fallon���s face. His blue eyes were locked on mine. His full lips curved in a sexy smile. ���I���m in a hurry,��� I said.

���Is there a fire?��� he asked casually.��

His eyes flashed with mischief. I was not going to fall for his charms. I knew Ryker. Rather, I knew of Ryker. He was the twin brother of the groom. Naya had warned me he was a world-class womanizer. It was rumored he was some kind of sorcerer. He waved his hands and women���s panties dropped.��

���No fire. I���m going to your parents��� suite.���

���They aren���t there.���

I rolled my eyes. ���I know that. I have to get the ringbearer pillow.���

���Do you want me to get it?���

I held up the key. ���I���ve got it handled, thanks. Aren���t you supposed to be with Ryan?���

He flashed another one of those panty-dropping smiles. ���I forgot my cufflinks,��� he said and held up a small box. ���You���re Trinity, right?���

���Yes, we met last night at the rehearsal.���

���I met a lot of people last night at the rehearsal,��� he answered with a smile. He looked down at my chest.��

���Eyes up here, buddy,��� I snapped.��

���Sorry, the gold glitter letters were blinding me. Does she make you wear those shirts to keep you all straight?���

He was teasing, but it was insulting. ���It���s fun and supportive. The label as maid of honor is for people like you.���

���Like me?���

���Yes, I don���t want to be mistaken for the help or one of your concubines.���

His deep chuckle sent goosebumps spreading over my skin. ���I wasn���t aware I had concubines. Please, tell me where they���re stashed. It would save me a lot of effort and energy.���

I was not going to flirt with him. He was a master flirt, and I would never be able to win at whatever game he played. ���I���ve got to go.���

���I���ll go with you.���

���No thanks.���

He was leering at me. The way he was looking at the words emblazoned in bright, gold glitter made me feel like he was staring right through the fabric.��

Damn these stupid shirts. They had been Naya���s idea. She thought they were cute. The word maid stretched across my breasts. The other two words were barely noticeable. It was all about my boobs.��

I tried not to wear things that drew attention to my breasts. They did that well enough on their own.

���I���m very good at finding things,��� he said.��

���Thanks, but I���ve got it.�����

He shrugged. ���All right. Don���t be late. I would hate to see Naya go full bridezilla.���

���You and me both,��� I muttered. ���I���ll see you there.��� I stepped around his massive athletic body. He was worse than the sun sucking planets into its orbit.��

���Are you sure you don���t need any help?��� he asked in that whisky-smooth voice.��

���I think I can find a pillow.���

���Suit yourself. I���ll see you in a bit. I���ll be the tall guy wearing a tux.���

���Thanks for clearing that up for me.���

He winked before walking down the hall in a relaxed gait like he had nothing in the world to worry about. I shook my head and continued walking.��

Ryker Fallon had everything he could possibly want or need. He���d been born into a wealthy family, and he made oodles of money himself with his job as a chiropractor to a professional football team. He just kept getting better looking and richer.��

Some people were just born under the right moon. I did not have that kind of luck. I slid the key into the lock and opened the door. The suite was, of course, a hundred times fancier than I could ever afford myself. I looked around the living area and found the velvet bag. I ripped open the ribbons and sighed with relief.��

���Thank god,��� I muttered. Just to be sure there wasn���t chocolate milk or some other ugly stain on the thing, I pulled it out. The baby blue velvet pillow was in perfect condition. I put it back in the velvet bag and rushed out of the room.��

I ran all the way back to the church. I let myself in through the side door and walked down the hall toward the room where we were all getting ready. I burst through the door and held up the bag. ���I got it!���

Naya looked up, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. ���Thank god,��� she said with a small laugh. ���I would hate to think a single pillow could ruin my entire wedding. Come sit. You���re late.���

I took a seat in the chair next to hers. ���Where is everyone?���

���They already got their hair and makeup done and are now getting dressed.���

���How���s your mom?��� I asked. ���She looked like she was going to have a stroke���over a pillow. The priest said we could use one of their pillows.���

She smiled. ���She���s better. There was a moment of panic. I think she���s been planning this wedding for longer than I have been alive. But everything is better now. She���s dressed and ready and went to talk to Ryan���s parents. I swear they are all far more nervous than me and Ryan. It���s our wedding and we are the ones trying to keep them calm.���

One of the hairdressers that had been hired for the wedding stepped behind me. She quickly began pulling my hair up in the decided-upon style. ���I think everything is good now, assuming Ryker doesn���t lose the rings.���

���He won���t,��� she assured me. ���I���ll kill him if he does.���

I laughed because I knew it was true. ���I ran into him, literally.���

���Uh oh, did you sleep with him?���

I gave her a dry look. ���Seriously? I was gone maybe ten minutes. I think that is insulting to me, but more insulting to him.���

���I had to make sure. The man is notorious.���

���I know. You warned me. I���ll wear garlic around my neck or do whatever is necessary to ward off his charms.���

I watched the woman behind me work her magic with my hair. I felt so pampered and spoiled. I would never be able to have this in my own life. Naya was one very lucky woman. She not only found a great guy that she fell madly in love with, but he just happened to be stupid rich. I felt like a movie star getting ready for the red carpet.�� ��

���Good luck,��� she said with a bright smile. ���I will freely say it. He���s handsome as hell. I can say that because he looks just like my man.���

���There is a notable difference.���

���Ryker is a little taller and his eyes are a different shade of blue,��� she said. ���Ryan has soft eyes. His smile is far more genuine.���

���You are so in love,��� I said with a smile. ���I really am happy for you. Maybe just a little jealous too.���

���I���m over the moon,��� she said with a hitch in her voice. ���Did you ever think this could happen?���

I looked at her in the mirror. ���No. No, I didn���t. I knew you would marry first. You���ve been planning your wedding forever.���

���And you���ve been trying to avoid marriage for just as long.���

���Not avoid it, but it���s never been my priority. I���ve always assumed I would get there at some point, but it wasn���t like something that I dwelled on. Now that we���ve been going through this with you, I���m almost positive I don���t want a big wedding. A chapel in Vegas will do just fine.���

���This hasn���t been so bad,��� she said.��

I raised an eyebrow. ���Um, what world have you been living in? The last six months have been insane. I swear I spotted a gray hair the other day.���

���But you did amazing.���

���Thank you, but I have premature graying and a wrinkle. I still don���t know why you didn���t take Ryan up on his offer to hire you one of those fancy wedding planners. You could have had doves and ice sculptures and everything else.���

She reached across the space between our two chairs. ���I wanted this to be the wedding I dreamed of. I wanted it to be personal. I didn���t want anyone to tell me what I wanted. You know what I wanted. You���ve listened to me ramble for years about this day. I knew you would keep me on the right path.���

I let out an exaggerated sigh. ���Fine, if you���re going to be all sappy. It was fun. I did enjoy the dress shopping and flower shopping and, lord have mercy on my poor hips, the cake tasting. I now know everything I don���t want for my own wedding.���

She laughed. ���Glad I could help you.���

���I���m ready to do your makeup,��� the makeup artist that had been hired said.��

I lifted my chin. ���Do your worst.���