Page 1 of Operation Annulment
prologue
COMMANDMENT #1: THOU SHALT NOT COUNT THEIR DIAMOND RING BEFORE IT’S ON THEIR FINGER
Kate
Idouble-check my reflection in the rearview mirror, dabbing at the stray lip gloss that’s settled near the corners of my mouth.
“Almost perfect,” I mutter to myself.
Tonight is the night.
I’m almost positive that Benjamin is going to propose. It is our one-year anniversary, after all. One long year of waiting. One year of nothing more than chaste kisses.
So maybe he’s a little old-fashioned and wanted our first time together to mean something—more men should take hints from him.
I’ve been patient.
Dakota and Jackson have been together for over a year now, but there is no way in hell that my little sister is getting a ring before me.
No sir.
Benjamin will propose tonight—he just has to— and I’ll start planning a modest wedding with close friends and family. All thosePinterestboards are about to come in handy. Then, we’ll settle down in south Lubbock and have two kids. Maybe we’ll throw a dog in the mix,too. All that will be missing is the white picket fence, and that’s only because I prefer an eight-foot-high security fence. It’s better for the children.
Other than that, it’s perfect.
He and I are amazing together. With his job as a physical therapist and my job as a licensed counselor, we’ll have financial stability—something I lacked growing up. Our children, one boy, and one girl will be enrolled in the best private school in the area, and we’ll take family vacations to exotic locations every year…
I might be getting a little ahead of myself. First and foremost, I need to sort out the wedding details.
I wonder if chocolate fountains are still in.
Benjamin said to come by around seven for ‘dinner and a little surprise.’
I just hope that ‘little surprise’ weighs two carats.
I check the clock on my dash again.
Four fifteen.
I’ve got forty-five minutes to get his house ready for tonight. I can’t wait to see his face when he comes home to find me in his bed, wearing nothing but lingerie.
I grab the overnight bag from the passenger seat, checking to ensure the lingerie is packed. It’s a white lace number I picked up at Wal-Mart. I initially set out to find something at the mall, but Victoria’s Secret is slightly out of my price range.
I’ve still got Dakota to think about. Retail doesn’t pay that much, and God knows Jackson isn’t helping out. He totally could, though, if he wanted to. His family is beyond rich.
I push aside thoughts of Jackson and Dakota before climbing out of my black Chevy Tahoe. It’s the one splurge I’ve allowed myself over the years—granted, I bought it from a rental car company. The poor thing had been driven by God and everyone, if the mileage was any indicator.
It was like searching for a wife within a brothel, but beggars could not be choosers.
I shut the door with my hip while balancing my purse and bag in hand. I’ve got the lingerie, rose petals, and a bottle of champagne. I hope that once he sees all the trouble I’ve gone to, he’ll drop to one knee and immediately beg me to be his wife.
I can’t keep the smile off my face as I unlock the front door. Benjamin’s house is pristine—no milk crates doubling as tables or second-hand furniture. Each piece was hand-chosen fromPottery BarnandRestoration Hardware. I place my bags on the mirrored console table in the entryway and remove my heels before running my fingers along the back of the brown leather sofa. The faint hint of cologne wafts up from a throw pillow. It’s so deliciously Benjamin.
This is no bachelor’s pad—it’s a home fit for a queen.
And in a few hours, I’ll be wearing the crown.
My hands still when I see the two glasses of red wine sitting on top of the vintage pallet coffee table on casters. It’s not like him to leave anything out. I walk into the kitchen, but it doesn’t look like he’s been home yet. There is a small box sitting on the island, though.
