Never a Bride: A Short Story by Traci Hall

into a better man in these past few months.” He patted his jacket pocket, pulling out a velvet box. “A man worthy of your trust. Your love. I kept our rings.”
    “I thought…” She knew he loved her. Could she trust him? Did she dare allow herself to be vulnerable?
    “It has always only been you.”
    She swallowed the salty taste of tears at the back of her throat. “I...I love you. I never stopped loving you, but I couldn’t admit it and get through each day. I don’t want a circus.” She caught a sob, her heart free now that she’d released her feelings. “I love you enough to live in an igloo, if that makes you happy.”
    “You make me happy. You agreeing to be my wife will make me even happier.”
    “Say yes, already,” Lisa stage-whispered.
    Suddenly shy, realizing she’d just shared her innermost feelings with a room full of practical strangers, Sheena nodded. “I lived my life without you in it, Jared, and I was miserable. I want you, to love and hold forever. If that means marrying you, then…”
    He stared up at her, dazzling her with love.
    “I will.”
    “Right here, right now?” Jared stood on the lower stair, bringing them eye to eye.
    “Yes.” She had nothing to lose, and a life together to gain. Her parents, guests of Mike and Lisa’s wedding, sat a few rows back. Her mother cried into a handkerchief and her father gave her a nod. “If I wait, you might change your mind,” she teased through happy tears.
    “Until death do us part, baby,” he whispered in her ear, maneuvering her toward the minister as his dad grinned. “Which will hopefully be a good long time from now.”
    “You’re sure?” Sheena whispered. “You said marriage was bondage.”
    “I’ve got some things I want to try…”
    We hope you enjoyed reading, NEVER A BRIDE.

We hope you enjoyed reading, NEVER A BRIDE.
     
    Be sure to visit ReadByTheSea.com to get the latest full length BY THE SEA books in Traci Hall’s new contemporary romance series.
     
    Read AMBROSIA by the Sea and KARMA by the Sea!
     
    Here’s the first chapter of AMBROSIA by the Sea:
     
     

Ambrosia by the Sea - Prologue
     
     
    Celia Langford watched the replay of her husband’s death with morbid fascination. She wasn’t normally a fan of the macabre, nor did she enjoy self-inflicted pain.
    But, she thought as she unwrapped another Snickers bar, a mini, so it didn’t really count as candy, how could she face her family once word of Preston’s death was released?
    She savored the melting chocolate on her tongue–a treat she hadn’t allowed herself in seven years. Why? Celia held on to the marble counter in her white-on-white kitchen, staring at the video, pausing at the spot where Preston perched on the edge of the plane, ready to sky dive over the beautiful Pacific Ocean in Hawaii.
    The dark-haired woman at his back adjusted his buckles and checked his parachute. She turned to the side, and Preston ran his hands over her rayon suit, taking the time to squeeze a plump breast. The hair on the back of Celia’s neck rose and she swallowed the chocolate. Not into extreme sports, Celia was fairly certain mammograms were not part of the services offered at Pacific Sky Diving Inc. Besides, her late husband was a Pediatric Oncologist, not a Gynecologist.
    The woman smiled, her teeth bright against her olive skin tone. Her glossy lips were the wrong shade of raspberry, but Preston didn’t seem to mind when she pressed her mouth to his, cupping his groin for good measure. They each waved to the cameras. Who, Celia wondered, had they been planning on sharing their video with?
    She reached for another piece of candy, tears blurring her vision. They held hands and jumped together. As if that were not close enough contact, they entwined their legs, and came around for another kiss. Preston’s laugh was the one she rarely heard–carefree and wild. This man had Preston’s perfect hair, dark brown kept trimmed to his neck. Preston’s eyes