Substitute Bride Read online

  Substitute

  Bride

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  Substitute Bride - Smashwords Edition

  Previously published under the pen name Kate Page

  Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

  Copyright © 2012 by Ruth Ann Nordin

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover Photo images Dreamstime. www.dreamstime.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  http://www.ruthannnordin.com

  Table of Contents

  Other Romances Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Across the Stars Series

  Other Romances Written By Ruth Ann Nordin

  Regency Collection

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

  Her Counterfeit Husband

  A Most Unsuitable Earl (coming soon)

  Nebraska Historical Romance Collection

  Her Heart’s Desire

  A Bride for Tom

  A Husband for Margaret

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband

  Shotgun Groom

  To Have and To Hold

  His Redeeming Bride

  Isaac’s Decision

  South Dakota Historical Romance Collection

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Native American Romance Series

  Restoring Hope

  A Chance In Time

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor Bound by Love

  Virginia Historical Romance Series

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Other Historical Romances

  Meant to Be

  Falling In Love With Her Husband

  Omaha Contemporary Romances

  With This Ring I Thee Dread

  What Nathan Wants

  Across the Stars Series

  Suddenly a Bride

  Runaway Bride (coming soon)

  His Abducted Bride (coming soon)

  Chapter One

  “You’re going to what?” Alexandra Dixon asked as she stopped walking along the boardwalk at the Florida beach.

  Kevin Edwards turned to her. “Is it so hard to believe?”

  Alex blinked a couple of times and shook her head. “No. I guess not. I mean, we’re not in high school anymore, but…” She adjusted her football cap and shrugged. “You’re not even in a serious relationship.”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  “Of course it does.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” He sighed and dug his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I have to get married by Valentine’s Day or I don’t get the money.” Glancing at the crashing waves of the Gulf of Mexico, he added, “It’s a lot of money, Alex.”

  She glanced at the sun then turned her gaze in his direction. “How much money?”

  “A million dollars.”

  Her green eyes grew wide. “Whoa.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I said when the lawyer read my aunt’s will.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the rail in front of him. “No one had a clue she even had that kind of money. I mean, she drove around in a beat up used car and lived in an apartment. My parents used to offer her money to help her out.” He laughed. “Isn’t that a riot?”

  She fiddled with her ponytail, letting the dark brown strands twirl around her fingers.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked when he noticed her nervous habit.

  “Nothing.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Come on, Alex. It’s me. Kevin. I’ve known you since kindergarten, so don’t give me that ‘nothing’ bit. What’s up?”

  “Fine. I’m just wondering who you’re going to marry.”

  “I didn’t get that far yet.”

  Looking relieved, she let go of her ponytail and joined him at the rail. “Good because I think Mary would be a wonderful choice.”

  He grimaced. “For real, Alex?”

  “Yeah, for real. She’s great.”

  “Sure, if you want to be bored to death.”

  Alex laughed. “She’s not boring. You’re not being fair to her.”

  “Her idea of a good time is going to the art museum and spending hours deciding what the artist was trying to say. I swear, I never should have taken that Art Appreciation class. That was a painful semester.”

  “Okay. You have a point. Why look at paintings when you can watch a good game on TV?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Andrea?”

  An image of Andrea with her frizzy hair and mass of pimples came to mind and he shuddered. “Pass.”

  “What? Why? She’ll let you watch football, baseball, and all the other sports whenever you want. She’ll even go along to the games and pretend to be interested in them.”

  “I have to be attracted to the woman I marry.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the way she looks.”

  He snorted and turned to her. “So says a woman.”

  “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that you have no idea what men find attractive.”

  “Gee, I hang out with you, Camden, and Greg all the time. You’re telling me I haven’t learned something about the male psyche?”

  “You join us when we watch the games.”

  “And I’ve watched you guys drool over the babes at half-time.” She put her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that guys like big boobs and long legs.”

  He smiled in amusement. “Boobs don’t always have to be big, but we want to be able to notice them.”

  “Then Andrea will suit you just fine.”

  “No. Believe it or not, we do look at the whole package. It’s best when the body is proportioned right.”

  She groaned. “You’re hard to pick a wife for.”

  “You gave me some lousy options.”

  “Fine. Then who would you pick?”

  Tapping his foot on the boardwalk, he stared at the sky and thought over all the women he knew. There should be at least one decent woman he could happily marry in the next month. He needed a good mix between beauty and brains, but who fit that bill? Then he snapped his fingers and turned to Alex. “I got it!”

  “Who?”

  “Tammy Vance. You know, the one who was in Biology with us. I still talk to her from time to time.”

  Alex gasped. “No!”

  Surprised, he asked, “No?”


  “No. Absolutely not. She’s horrible. Don’t you know what she’ll do to us? She’ll insist that you give up being my friend.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, come on.”

  “It’s true. She will.”

  “You’re not usually this dramatic.” He turned back to the surf and thought about Tammy. Tammy might suit well. Blonde hair, perky, great body, and athletic enough to exercise with. Currently, he jogged with Alex, but he might have to change that. If he was going to be married to Tammy, then he’d have to spend more time with her. Maybe that’s what bothered Alex. Looking at his friend, he said, “We’ll still get to hang out with the guys for football games. I won’t be coming by where you work—” he motioned to the small shop further down the boardwalk, which was snuggled between the restaurant and clothing shop—“all the time, but I’ll still come by.”

  “No, you won’t, and I won’t be allowed to join you and the guys for football games. Tammy won’t let you.”

  He laughed again. “Give me a break. I’m not a little kid. I can decide who I hang out with.”

  “She’ll insist you stop hanging out with me.”

  He knew she was serious, but he couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Fine. Don’t believe me, but don’t be surprised when she tells you something like this.” She clasped her hands together and used a high-pitched voice to say, “Kevin, I really can’t wait to be your wife. I just know we’re going to have a great life together, what with your money and my talent for spending and all—”

  Amused, he crossed his arms. “Alex, be nice. She’s not a shopaholic.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Look, we know she’ll marry you for the million.”

  “I’m marrying her for the same reason.”

  “And you don’t see anything wrong with that?”

  “I wouldn’t ask her if I wasn’t already interested in her, okay?”

  “I know. You do have some standards, but I’m telling you that even if she is nice to you, she can’t stand me and won’t tolerate you hanging out with me.”

  “That’s easy to resolve. I’ll let her know from the get-go that I’ll still be your friend. I was going to ask you to be my best man anyway. This will let her know how much you mean to me.”

  She smiled and pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, that is so sweet, but I can’t be the best man because I’m a girl.”

  “There’s nothing saying the best man can’t be a girl.”

  “Tradition?”

  He shrugged. “It’s my wedding and I can do it however I want.”

  Frowning, she said, “It’s going to be Tammy’s wedding too.”

  “Yeah, and she can control her side of the aisle. If she wants a man to be her maid of honor, I won’t stop her.”

  “I’m telling you she won’t go for it. As soon as she finds out I’m the best man, she’ll flip.” She gave him a pointed look and added, “She won’t flip out in front of you, but she’ll let you know this isn’t in her plans. She’ll use her feminine wiles to persuade you.”

  “Feminine wiles?”

  “Yep.”

  “Show me.”

  She wrinkled her nose in a way he always thought was cute. “What?”

  “Show me how she’d use her great and powerful feminine wiles to convince me to give up on my best friend. That way I’ll be prepared for it when it happens.”

  “Fine. Okay, I’ll show you.” She took off her cap and set it on the bench before she took the scrunchie out of her hair. “But I’m only doing this so you’ll recognize it when you see it. Otherwise, you might miss it.”

  “Ha ha. I’m not brain dead.”

  Alex shrugged off her jacket and set it beside her hat.

  Intrigued, he forgot the surf and seagulls and focused on her. “Are you going to strip?”

  With a chuckle, she shook her head. “Of course not. I’m going to act like Tammy, and part of acting like her is looking like her.” She undid the top three buttons of her work shirt and pushed her boobs up so he could see her cleavage.

  Kevin glanced around and was relieved to see no one was watching her. True, she was playing a part, but still… He didn’t like the idea of anyone but him getting a chance to look at her this way.

  She ran her fingers through her dark hair and let the waves settle gently on her shoulders. “There. Minus the blonde hair, I think this is a good imitation of Tammy, don’t you?”

  Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Sure.” Except Tammy didn’t look as good. He shoved the thought aside. Alex was his best friend, the sister he never had, for goodness’ sakes!

  Adding an extra swing to her hips, she went over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her soft breasts pressing against his chest. When he glanced down, he got a generous view of her cleavage. He hadn’t realized her breasts were that big before. His body reacted to her on its own accord, and he instinctively placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer to him. He looked into her eyes and wondered if she picked up on his arousal, but she seemed oblivious to it.

  She gave him a cute pout as she ran her fingers through his hair. “Kevin, my sweetheart,” she began in a high-pitched voice, “I’m so glad you asked me to marry you. I’ve been in love with you ever since we met. I think we will be an awesome couple, but I have one teeny tiny concern.”

  He blinked and forced his mind back on what Alex was saying. Taking a deep breath, he willed his voice to remain normal. “A concern, Tammy? Whatever could that be?”

  Alex giggled at his joke, and he grinned, enjoying the jiggling of her breasts. She batted her eyelashes a couple of times and continued, “I’m not sure about the thing you have with Alex.”

  Growing serious, he said, “Alex and I go back to kindergarten. We’re best friends. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “But is it possible for a man and a woman to be friends without that friendship developing into something more?”

  “Sure, it is.” He brought his hands up and cupped Alex’s face. “What Alex and I have is special, and there’s no way I’m letting that go. If you can’t accept that, then we shouldn’t get married.”

  Alex’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You’ll say that?”

  “Yes. I’m not going to give up my friends for any woman. I promise.”

  She let go of him and stepped back so she could wipe the tears from her eyes.

  Even though he regretted the loss of their physical contact, his heart constricted at the sight of her crying. “You have nothing to worry about. You’ll always be my best man.”

  She laughed and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Okay. I believe you.”

  Wishing to lighten the mood, he wiggled his eyebrows. “You should do that whole spiel on your next date.”

  She laughed. “You just want to see me make a fool out of myself. You know I don’t do the whole flirting thing well.”

  Really? She could have fooled him. He grabbed the cap off the bench and handed it to her. “Are you still dwelling on what happened three years ago with Luke?”

  Alex shuddered. “I told you to never mention that again.”

  “It wasn’t that bad. And from what you just did as Tammy, you’ve gotten great at the whole flirting thing.”

  “Yeah, but you’re my friend. There’s no pressure with you.” She slipped on her jacket and grimaced. “I swear, I will never wear false eyelashes again.”

  “You didn’t put them on correctly.”

  “No, I didn’t. And they fell into my drink. But that wasn’t the worst of it. When I stood up, my dress ripped.” She shivered. “I still can’t go into that restaurant.”

  Coughing on his laughter, he turned his gaze to the seagulls. If he looked at her disgusted expression, he’d lose it. He knew she thought that was the worst thing that ever happened to her, but he rather fancied the memory of her with a slit right down the side of her dress. She had some great curves. Too bad she hid them behind her loose t-shirts and baggy jeans.

  �
�You know,” he said, finally able to look at her without laughing, “if you dressed up like a woman more often, men would ask you out. I bet more guys would go after you than Tammy.”

  “If a guy can’t handle me the way I am, then I don’t need him.”

  “I’m not telling you to change who you are. I’m just saying you shouldn’t be afraid to show off your assets.”

  “I’m not a tramp.”

  “You don’t have to be a tramp. Just sexy things up…with class. You were hot in that dress.”

  She gasped and slugged him in the arm. “You’re not supposed to say things like that.”

  “If I don’t tell you these things, who will?”

  “How about the guy I’m dating?”

  “And he would be where…?” He motioned to the boardwalk where a few people lounged on some benches out of hearing distance.

  “Maybe I’m not interested in dating right now.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Nice try, Alex. This is me you’re talking to. I’ve seen you at your best and worst, and I remember when Troy broke up with you last year and you couldn’t figure out why. I stayed up with you all night while you cried.”

  “You did.” She smiled at him. “You’ve always been there for me.”

  “And that’s the way it’ll always be.”

  “Thanks, Kevin.” She glanced at her watch. “I better get back to work.”

  “Okay. See you this weekend for the game?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” she said and headed back to work.

  Chapter Two

  Alex sat in the Rathskeller on the main campus as she waited for her friend. Though two students played ping-pong in front of her, she was preoccupied with other things, namely what she’d be doing after graduation. She hoped for a job in Fort Walton. It wasn’t that the commute to Pensacola was a long one, but she hoped to spend her days on the beach close to where her family lived. She thought over the possible jobs she might get and debated the pros and cons of each one.

  “You ready to eat?”

  Alex pushed back images of teaching kids to play volleyball on the beach and turned to Nita Ward. “Hey.” She stood up and grabbed her backpack. “Are you sure you want to eat here?”