Page 38 of Undefeated Love
“Thank you for coming.”
Katlin flashed her a smile. “I wouldn’t have missed this.”
“Maid of honor, step up, please.” The wedding planner pointed to the spot where she should stop.
Katlin took the two steps into the doorway and froze. Like always, her gaze met Alex’s. She watched him start to move before her brother grabbed his arm and whispered something into his ear. Alex nodded and resumed his position.
“Go ahead. Go,” the woman said with some urgency as though Katlin had been told before.
In step with the music, Katlin followed Nita, Lee Lu, and Tori down the aisle and took her place on the stage.
The music changed and the minister raised his arms, signaling for everyone to stand and turn as the bride made her entrance.
The string quartet played Wagner’s Bridal Chorus from the operaLohengrinand Grace appeared in the doorway out of the shadows. She beamed as she stepped through and was joined by her father. Her radiant smile warmed Katlin’s heart as she walked down the aisle toward Griffin on her father’s arm. The strapless dress with elegant black embroidery across the bodice fit snugly to her small hips where it flared out with four pleats, stylishly inlaid with similar black needlework that carried around the edge of the three-foot train. As far as Katlin was concerned, the highlight of the dress was the delicate black stitching that flowed from the front, high over her waist, and dropped in a soft V to just below her butt.
It was so Grace.
The deep ruby red of her roses and the long green stems in her hands seemed to burst with color against the black and white. Her gorgeous auburn curls lay gently over her shoulders, framing her green eyes. No one could miss the thumbnail-sized emerald that lay centered between her bare shoulders. It had been a gift from Grams, Griffin’s beloved grandmother; a family heirloom and Grace’s something old.
Katlin watched Grace fight tears when her father moved her hand to Griffin’s and declared, “Her mother and I do.” Not many people knew that during Grace’s first marriage, of which she had very little input into the wedding, her husband’s mother insisted that Grace’s father, the local minister, perform the ceremony. This time, he was able to walk her down the aisle and give her away.
Although the ceremony was brief, and both she and Alex had duties to perform as maid of honor and best man, Katlin refused to look at him.
The cheat.
The liar.
The sonofabitch who’d shattered her heart.
All too soon, the minister was introducing Mr. and Mrs. Parker Griffin Mitchell the fifth. With huge smiles, Grace and Griffin led the way down the aisle toward the house where they would enter through the doors where the women had exited.
This was the most dangerous part of Katlin’s plan. As maid of honor and best man, she and Alex had to walk the fifty feet to the house side by side. As soon as the newlyweds were off the raised platform, Alex immediately stepped beside Katlin and took her arm as she carefully stepped down.
She shook her arm loose from Alex and started down the aisle. She didn’t care if he was beside her or not. All the attention was on the new couple in front of them.
“Katlin, I am not engaged to JJ. That whole—”
“Congratulations. You remembered my name.” She spoke through her pasted-on smile.
“—farce was nothing but a publicity stunt. I knew nothing about it. I’m innocent here,” Alex insisted, turning toward her as they walked behind Griffin and Grace. Alex’s eyebrows suddenly came together as though he’d just heard what she’d said. “Of course I remember your name.”
She looked over at her shoulder at him while still moving. “You didn’t the last time I saw you. Thank you for not calling me babe. I now officially hate that fucking term of endearment.”
Katlin glanced around quickly to see how many people heard her say the word fuck. Not that she’d see any of those people ever again, but it wasn’t part of most people’s everyday vocabulary the way it was hers. Good. No one was looking directly at them.
Hand in hand, Grace and Griffin hurried for the privacy of the double doors leading into the house. As soon as they stepped inside, Griffin moved them into the shadows and took his wife into his arms.
Katlin stepped in and frantically looked around. She needed an escape. It came seconds behind her. Daniel scooped her into his arms, hugging her, and lifted her off the floor.
“God, it’s great to see you again,” her brother whispered into her ear. He set her down several feet away from Alex with Daniel’s back to her nemesis. “Are you sure you can’t stay?”
“Positive.” Katlin glanced around for the fastest way out. “The car is running and waiting for me.”
Alex had dodged incoming couples trying to make his way to Katlin. “Katlin, please. Just give me one minute.”
Daniel grabbed her into another hug, again putting himself between Alex and her. “He really does love you. He’s not engaged to her and never was. He was played.” When Daniel set her down on the floor, his hand dove into his pocket. He handed her a tiny SD drive. “Watch the videos. You’ll want to listen to his voicemails and read his text messages. You may change your mind.”
Katlin glanced around. “I fucking doubt that,” she said just above a whisper, this time nobody hearing her drop the F bomb.
