Tara Randel - His One And Only Bride

“Hey, Zoe. Wait up.”

She was being prickly, and she knew it. He’d made her sound like a saint and she was far from one. If she’d been a better person, she wouldn’t have been filing for a divorce after making one last-ditch effort to fix her marriage. Wouldn’t have screamed, I never want to see you again, the final time her husband walked out the door because her heart was breaking and she’d had enough.

Yes, she’d picked up the pieces after Mitch’s death. Grieved the man, as well as the marriage that had been collateral damage when his career had carried him to every corner of the world. If there was the hint of a government coup, political upheaval or celebrity scandal, Mitch was there with his camera. But the idea of a new man, Tim or anyone else for that matter, took some getting used to. One day, she would be totally one hundred percent over Mitch. Today was now or never.

Stopping by the glass-etched main entrance, she faced Tim when he caught up to her. “Please go inside,” she told him. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

For the first time he looked unsure of himself. “Was it something I said?”

“I need to gather my thoughts.” She tilted her head toward the building. “I’ll be in soon.”

“If you say so.”

A blast of air conditioning drifted over Zoe as Tim went inside. Heaving a breath, she lowered herself onto a rocking chair a few feet away and smoothed the cotton skirt of her dress with shaky fingers.

Mitch still had the power to reduce her to uncertainty. It hadn’t always been that way. When they’d met in high school, then married young, he’d always made her laugh. Given her hope.

But once he’d become Mr. Hotshot Photojournalist, things had begun to change. Subtly at first. He was a thrill seeker from the get-go; she shouldn’t have been surprised when he thrived at his job. She, on the other hand, had always been leery about walking into the unknown. She had been wounded as an innocent bystander in a bank robbery, and the helplessness she’d felt then had never left her. It had, in fact, spurred on her commitment to the town and the people of Cypress Pointe. Mitch, meanwhile, had craved the action and on the way to success, her concerns hadn’t seemed to matter to him.

Can’t blame him. You had your part in the breakup.

It was true, but she’d hoped Mitch would put their failing marriage first. When he didn’t, she’d become even more civic-minded, throwing her energy into projects bettering the lives of her friends and neighbors. But what if she’d tried harder? Maybe battled her fears? Gone with him a time or two to show her support? If she’d known then what she knew now, she might have made a different choice.

A couple headed in her direction, dressed up for the wedding-reception revelry inside.

“Good afternoon, Mayor.”

She waved. It still felt odd answering to that title. She’d always been Zoe. Just plain Zoe. Mitch Simmons’s wife. Leo’s mother. Samantha’s daughter. Now she had a responsibility to the good people of Cypress Pointe. She wasn’t completely sure how that had happened. One day she was busy with her latest community project, a food bank, when her best friend suggested she’d make an awesome mayor. Next thing she knew, she was running an election and won.

Now she ran a town, dealt with a town council, worked closely with the police and fire chiefs, along with other officials, and found herself thriving. Her ideas were accepted and embraced, and best of all, successful. Her passionate goal of keeping Cypress Pointe safe for current and future generations was falling into place.

“Are you going inside?” the man asked as he held open the door.

Not wanting to appear rude, she stood and joined the couple as they ventured inside. Following them into the cool, spacious lobby, her heels echoed on the marble floor leading to the assigned banquet room. As she entered, voices carried over the soft music flowing from hidden speakers. Waiters moved about the room with trays of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne. The yummy aroma of a loaded baked potato made her stomach growl. She took a small plate and helped herself to the potato and a BLT on a cracker. She’d forgotten to eat lunch in her rush to get ready and had to stop herself from swallowing the comfort food too quickly. Taking a bite of the potato, she closed her eyes and savored the gooey melted cheese spiced with bits of bacon.

“Whoever came up with these hors d’oeuvres is a genius,” a familiar voice said beside her.

Zoe’s eyes flew open. “Bethany. I missed you at the rehearsal party last night.”

“My flight got delayed. I came in too late.”

“I knew you wouldn’t miss the wedding.”

“After hearing all your stories about Lilli making Max crazy by dragging out the wedding plans, I had to see the ceremony with my own eyes.”

Depositing her plate on the tray of a passing waiter, Zoe threw her arms around her best friend and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Bethany squeezed back. “Me, too.”

Zoe pulled away to scrutinize her friend. Bethany’s shoulder-length brunette hair gleamed under the subtle banquet room lighting and her mocha eyes sparkled. “I see the road agrees with you.”

“What can I say? I love my job. Even if it does keep me away from Cypress Pointe.”

Zoe hugged her again. “Which is more often than I like. But now you’re here. That’s all that matters.”

“Just for the weekend. I fly out Sunday.”

Tomorrow? Pushing away the pinch of dejection, Zoe smiled. “Great. We can catch up. Leo would love to see his godmother.”

“And I’m dying to see him. Half of my suitcase is filled with toys and adorable little outfits I couldn’t resist buying.”

Bethany might be busy, but she always had time to dote on Leo.

“Stop by in the morning.”

“I will.” She sized up Zoe. “You okay with all this lovey-dovey, happy couple stuff?”

Zoe laughed. Bethany was not a believer in happily-ever-after.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure? I thought I saw you tear up during the ceremony.”

Good grief. “Did everyone notice?”

“I suppose only people paying attention. I’d say the majority were focused on the bride and groom.”

Which, hopefully, meant only Bethany and Tim saw the moment of weakness.

“No matter. I’m good. Better than good.” She scanned the room. “I even have a date roaming around here somewhere.”

“So you’ve stuck to your moving-on plan?”

“Absolutely.”

“I guess Tim is a good choice...” Bethany’s voice trailed off.

“But?”

“He’s a firefighter. Why do you pick guys who run to danger?”

Why, indeed?

“Forget I said anything. If you like him, that’s good enough for me.”

“I do,” Zoe insisted. “He’s a nice guy.”

“But he doesn’t get your pulse racing?”

“Been there. Had the broken marriage to prove it. Next time, I’m going for solid and steady.”

Bethany snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Yeah, Zoe had a thing for thrill-seekers. Could it be because she lived vicariously through them? How’s that working out for you?

Not well.

Bethany frowned. “My folks are sending me the stink eye. Gotta run.”

It took everything in Zoe not to turn toward Mr. and Mrs. Donahue. Since the ill-fated robbery when Zoe and Bethany were young teens, they hadn’t wanted much to do with her. Unconsciously, she rubbed her arm, her fingers brushing over the raised scar.

Growing up, she’d based the idea of what a family should look like by the Donahues’ example. Bethany’s parents had normal jobs, normal hours and normal relationships, while Zoe had cooked her own meals and basically ran her mother’s life. Even today, she missed the security of their home, the comfort of their friendship, a life she’d been a part of for too short a period of time.