The Substitute Bride
By
Victoria M. Johnson
Copyright 2012 Victoria M. Johnson
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Special Thanks To
Judy Bullard
Book Cover Designer
Parthenia M. Hicks
Tribewriter Editorial Services
I especially appreciate my husband Michael for his encouragement and humor. Because of him I can confidently imagine romance novel heroes.
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The Wedding Planner’s Apprentice
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The Substitute Bride
“It’s the cat. Look what she did to me!” Megan said.
“Uh-oh,” Kellie Quinn said, staring at her twin sister’s puffy face and red eyes.
Megan sneezed. “How did Barbarella get in my room?”
“Calm down, dear. It’s your wedding day.” Mom tried to soothe her.
“How am I supposed to get married like this?” Megan’s nose was non-stop runny and had turned red from the way she’d roughly wiped it. “I knew I shouldn’t have spent the night here. I should have stayed at my apartment,” Megan wailed. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and moaned. “The photographers from Bride Charisma Magazine will run the other way!”
“I’ll call Doctor Gonzalez.” Mom darted out of the room.
Kellie hugged her sister and tried to distract her from her symptoms. “I bet you get the front cover. Once those Charisma photographers see you in your gown, they’ll be scrambling to get the best shots.”
“You think so?” Megan sneezed, twice.
“Absolutely. They’ll say they’ve never seen a more beautiful bride.”
“You think I’ll start a new trend with the tiara?”
“The magazine likes to see brides give a twist to their ensemble.”
Megan wiped her nose. “Ouch!”
Mom ran back into the room carrying two medicine bottles and a glass of water. “Doctor Gonzalez says to give you a sedative so you can relax and an antihistamine. Thank goodness I have both on hand.”
“I don’t need to relax. I need to stop looking like death warmed over.”
“Take them,” Mom and Kellie said together.
Megan popped one pill from each container into her mouth.
“Let’s have breakfast,” Mom said.
“I need to shower and prep my face for the makeup woman first,” Megan said.
Kellie and her mom left to eat and get busy with the final wedding preparations.
When Kellie entered her sister’s bedroom an hour and a half later, Megan was fast asleep. She wore a creamy mint-green facial mask.
“Meg?”
Megan stirred but didn’t waken. Kellie gently shook her.
“What?” Meg was groggy.
“You fell asleep.”
“Huh?” Megan glanced at the clock. She sat up too fast and brought her hand up to her head. “Whoa, why am I dizzy?” She felt her cheek. “What’s on my face? It feels tight.”
“It’s a facial mask.”
Megan screamed and ran to the sink. She splashed water on her face. “It’s hardened! It won’t wash off!”
Kellie watched her sister frantically scrub her face. “Hey, take it easy. Don’t claw your face off.”
“It’s really stuck to my skin!” Megan sounded hysterical.
“Use warm water. It’ll soften and wash off.”
“How did I fall asleep? What was in those pills?”
“Go sit down.” Kellie soaked a washcloth with warm water, wrung it out, and brought it to Megan.
Megan held the medicine containers and shrieked. “Mom didn’t give me an antihistamine, she gave me a sleeping pill and a so-called relaxer. Where is she? Mom!”
“She’s outside talking to the florist.” Kellie slapped the warm moist towel over Megan’s green masked face.
“The florist! I haven’t showered yet. I’m behind schedule. Why didn’t anyone wake me?”
“We thought you were showering.”
Megan sobbed. “I can’t get married like this. I can’t be seen like this. I won’t.”
Kellie thought her twin was being melodramatic. “So you’ll be a little late. You’ll make a grand entrance and everyone will forget they had to wait awhile.”