Page 3 of Help Wanted: Wife

“It’s a sweet, romantic idea to surprise him. You look beautiful. Stunning.” Hope giggled. “If your dad teared up, imagine the effect you’ll have on William.”

Prudence laughed. “My dad is super sentimental. But, yeah, I kind of wanted to wow William.”

“You will! You are the most beautiful bride ever. And your wedding gown is gorgeous! Your mom outdid herself.”

“Thank you. She’s been working on it for months.” She fluffed the billowy tea-length white satin skirt. The hem was adorned with seed pearls and crystals, all hand sewn. Her mother had used the lace from her own wedding veil for the bodice and the long sleeves.

“She did a beautiful job on my frock, too.” Hope wore a knee-length raspberry sheath. “It’s so pretty.” Her friend flashed a cheeky grin. “Not at all hideous like most bridesmaid dresses.”

“Would I force my best friend to wear a hideous dress?”

“Your mom went above and beyond, altering the dress at the last minute so it would fit.” Four months pregnant, Hope smoothed her hand over her baby bump. “After giving you my measurements, I found out I was pregnant, and I spaced and forgot about the dress. Sorry!”

“You had a good excuse. I’m so happy for you. And me. I get to be an honorary aunt! I’m thrilled Cosmic Mates worked out for you.” Prudence hugged her. “Your Krogan is a hottie. His holograms don’t do him justice.” Like all Caradonian men, her friend’s tall,muscular alien husband was drop-dead handsome with a smoke-blue complexion and dark-blue hair. “I’m honored you came back to Terra Nova for the wedding. I worried you might not be able to travel all the way because of the pregnancy.”

“I worried too, until doctors reassured me the artificial atmosphere on the spaceship was controlled for comfort and safety,” Hope said. “I would hate to miss your wedding. Krogan and I got married at the justice of the peace’s office. The officiant almost put us to sleep with his dull delivery. Laughing about it brought us together. Your ceremony will be romantic and elegant—the way a wedding should be. I love how you decorated the gazebo. You picked the best time of year to get married. All the flowers around Bloomhaven are blooming.”

“Almost like I planned it that way!” She grinned. Having dreamt of a fairy-tale wedding for years, everything had been planned out in her head.

Her tech-tab dinged with an incoming message.

“Maybe that’s William telling you he’s arrived and begging your forgiveness for being late,” Hope suggested.

“It had better be.” She grabbed her device, opened the message, and scanned it. Then reread it. Pressure built up in her face, and her ears buzzed.

“Pru, what is it? What’s wrong?” Hope asked. “You’re as white as a sheet.”

“He’s…not coming.”

“Who’s not coming?”

“William.”

“What? What do you mean? He wasn’t in an accident, was he? What happened?”

Her chest squeezed so tight she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak.

I’m sorry, Pru. I can’t marry you. I didn’t know how to tell you, but I’ve met someone else. We eloped this morning. I’ve always loved you, but I realize I’m not in love with you. You deserve more than I can give you. I’m sorry. – Will

“William…William…married somebody else,” she managed to say.

Chapter Three

A knock sounded on the bedroom door.

“Just a minute!” Prudence tossed a jacket over the tech-tab on the bed and scooped the empty Rocky Road ice cream cartons into the trash. “Come in!”

The door cracked open, and Hope poked her head inside. “Are you decent?”

“Yeah.” Decent enough. She wore old stretchy pants and a chocolate-stained pullover shirt she’d had on for two days. She’d even slept in it.

“Krogan and I are leaving for Caradonia,” Hope said in a hesitant voice. “We came to say goodbye.”

“Come on in.” Pru beckoned with a forced smile.

Hope and her husband entered. The man’s broad-shouldered, tall form caused her room in her parents’ cottage to shrink. Were all the men on Caradonia that big? William, the cheating, cowardly weasel, had been short for a man, only an inch taller than her, so they’d stood eye to eye.

“I hate leaving you like this.” Her friend’s sympathetic gaze bounced off the empty ice cream containers in the trash before meeting Pru’s eyes.

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