Wilde About You (Weddings By Wilde Book 1) Read online

  WILDE ABOUT YOU

  Weddings by Wilde, Book 1

  Deb Kastner

  Daydreamz Publishing

  Copyright © 2017 by Debra Kastner

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Daydreamz Publishing

  https://www.debkastnerbooks.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Book Layout © 2019 Author Daydreamz

  Wilde About You/ Deb Kastner -- 1st ed.

  ISBN 978-0-0000000-0-0

  To my precious Lord for sustaining me.

  And to my soulmate, Joe, who believed in me before I believed in myself.

  CONTENTS

  DECEMBER 15th (25 Years Ago)

  WEDDING REHEARSAL (Present Day)

  SINCERELY

  PIECE OF CAKE

  YES, NO, MAYBE SO?

  MERRIMENT AND MISTLETOE

  PROLOGUE

  DECEMBER 15th

  (25 Years Ago)

  Yuck.

  Blech.

  Stupid.

  Six-year-old Matthew Wilde slipped a finger underneath his bow tie where it pinched the most, just under his chin, and gave it a good yank. The dumb thing was choking him, but no one seemed to notice or care. All eyes were on the soon-to-be bride, Heather, whose high-pitched tweeting and chattering sounded like an annoying little bird. Her voice hurt his ears.

  Matthew’s Uncle Travis was marrying that lady, and Matthew was s’posed to be the ring bearer at their wedding.

  No one had asked him what he thought about being in a stupid wedding. It wasn’t fair.

  He didn’t like to dress up. At all. And he especially hated the bow tie. One of the groomsmen had thought it would be funny for all the guys to wear their bow ties with t-shirts during the wedding rehearsal, and they made Matthew wear his, as well.

  Matthew didn’t think it was funny. He thought it was torture.

  He didn’t like having to walk down the aisle, either. He knew how it would be. Everyone at the rehearsal would stare at him as he carried an embarrassingly frilly pillow with two wedding rings tied to it.

  “Oh, he’s so cute,” they would say.

  “What a little darlin’.”

  Gross.

  This wasn’t even the real wedding. Only a rehearsal. Tomorrow was going to be worse, with tons more people watching and whispering. Plus, he’d have to wear a suit and shiny shoes that pinched his toes.

  And the worst thing of all was that he had to follow the three-year-old flower girl, Riley Weaver down the aisle. Unlike Matthew, Riley was thrilled by all the attention and couldn’t wait to toss rose petals all over the floor. She had to pretend for the rehearsal because the adults didn’t want to have to pick up the mess all those rose petals would leave, but it would still be a mess tomorrow.

  Matthew didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to any of the adults that it might be better not to throw the petals at all. He didn’t want rose petals stuck to his suit because Riley’s enthusiasm got out of hand.

  The musical fanfare started and Matthew watched as one by one, the beaming bridesmaids slowly walked down the aisle, pretending to hold their bouquets of invisible flowers in front of them. Riley strolled behind them right on cue, dancing down the aisle with her little white basket and flinging her arm wide as if she was hurling petals everywhere.

  Matthew felt a few wiggles building up in him, as well. They’d had to stand and wait for a long time. But he knew he wouldn’t get away with moving around like Riley. Mama would grab him by the scruff of the collar and tell him to mind his manners.

  “It’s your turn, cowboy,” Heather whispered in his ear, giving him an encouraging squeeze on his shoulder before nudging him forward.

  Matthew stood up half an inch taller. At least Heather could see he was s’posed to be a cowboy and not some stupid ring bearer.

  He started down the aisle, taking one step and then bringing his feet together before taking the next step, just as he’d been coached to do. As he expected, everyone’s eyes were on him, and heat rose to his face. The bow tie was choking him even worse now that people were staring at him and all he wanted to do was be done with this and take it off.

  But first, he had to make it to the top of the aisle and back down again.

  ***

  Being a flower girl was the best thing ever.

  Three-year-old Riley Weaver loved getting to wear a frilly bright purple dress and carry a basket with matching ribbons down the aisle at her Auntie Heather’s wedding. Auntie Heather had let her choose her own dress, one that floated when she spun around.

  Which she liked to do.

  A lot.

  At the rehearsal, she didn’t get to toss any actual rose petals in the air, but now that the actual wedding was underway, her basket was full to the brim with pink, purple and white petals. Today, when she danced up the aisle, she would get to make the path pretty with all of the petals.

  The only bad thing about Auntie Heather’s wedding to handsome Travis Wilde was the annoying ring bearer, Matthew. All he did was scowl and complain, and yesterday, when no one was watching him, he’d stuck his tongue out at her.

  She’d stomped his foot in response, but she’d been caught and had been reprimanded for it.

  Stupid boy.

  It was all his fault she’d had to sit perfectly still on a chair in a corner for a whole five minutes, and not talk even once.

  Worse, Riley didn’t think Matthew really felt the heel of her foot at all when she’d stomped on him, since he was wearing cowboy boots.

  He wasn’t even a real cowboy. He was too young for that. She doubted he could even ride a horse.

  Anyway, cowboys were yucky and smelly and lived all together in a messy barracks.

  She should know. She lived on a big ranch. Her Daddy was the boss of a whole bunch of cowboys, but he made sure Riley stayed as far away from them as possible. Daddy said his little girl was too good for ranch living, and as soon as she was old enough to go to school, she would be attending a private, church-sponsored boarding school where she would have a proper upbringing.

  Riley’s Mama said Daddy spoiled her too much.

  But just now, Mama was the one spoiling her and fussing over her. Mama applied a hot iron to Riley’s hair, turning it into soft ringlets, and then pinned the long strands up on top of her head into cascades of curls.

  Riley asked if she could wear makeup like the bridesmaids were doing. She was so excited when Mama said yes that she squealed and whirled around three times, admiring the way her dress spun high around her. Mama laughed and told her she had to remain perfectly still as she dabbed Riley’s eyelashes with black mascara. Then Mama brushed her cheeks with a rosy pink powder and finished with shiny lip gloss that matched the roses in her basket.

  Riley stared at herself in the mirror, hardly believing what she saw. Mama had made her extra pretty for Auntie Heather’s special day. Riley almost felt like it was her special day, too.

  There was a photographer in the room snapping pictures with a long-lensed camera. Riley beamed and posed when the photographer crouched to her level to take several pictures of her.

  She held up her arms and twirled, enjoying the swish of the soft fabric as it floated around her. The bridesmaids laughed and clapped, telling her she was
the most perfect flower girl ever.

  Riley knew she wasn’t perfect. She got into trouble too often for that, and then she had to tell Jesus she was sorry.

  But this day was going to be perfect, she just knew it.

  A man Riley didn’t know knocked loudly on the door to the room the ladies were dressing in and stuck his head in to say it was time for them to line up for the wedding.

  Riley’s heart was beating super-fast as Mama took her hand and led her out with the bridesmaids, while Auntie Heather lingered behind to make final touches on her veil.

  Riley could already hear music playing inside the church by the time they stood in a nervous group just outside the door to the sanctuary, whispering excitedly and making finishing touches on each other’s gowns and hair.

  Mama leaned down and kissed Riley’s cheek. “Don’t be nervous, honey. You’re going to be great out there.”

  Riley wasn’t nervous. She was just antsy, ready to do her part and be the center of attention for a little while. She wanted everyone to see her beautiful dress.

  Another man Riley didn’t recognize arrived with the naughty ring bearer, who was now dressed in a black tuxedo and shiny shoes.

  Unlike Riley, Matthew looked miserable. He frowned so hard his dark eyebrows touched each other over his nose when the man pressed a frilly pillow with the wedding rings tied on them into his hands.

  Somebody ought to say something to the boy. He was going to ruin everything if he kept frowning. No one would want to watch him act that way while he walked up the aisle. He was supposed to smile and make everybody happy.

  He’d better not mess it up for Auntie Heather or Riley might just have to stomp on his foot again. She bet her shiny shoes with their square heels would hurt him more than the sneakers she’d been wearing yesterday.

  Also, Matthew’s bow tie was crooked. Probably because he kept yanking on it. But again, everyone seemed to be too busy to notice him.

  Mama was still holding Riley’s basket of roses, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

  She marched up to Matthew and rolled her eyes when she met his gaze. He was taller than she was, but that was fine, because she could still reach high enough to do what needed doing.

  Before Matthew could protest, she reached up and straightened his tie.

  She didn’t even notice the wedding photographer was there until she heard the snap-click of the camera.

  Riley didn’t understand why the photographer would want to take a picture of her straightening the stupid boy’s tie, but she didn’t have time to think about it, because just then the doors opened and Mama handed Riley her basketful of rose petals.

  The wedding was starting.

  This was her moment to shine.

  Chapter One:

  WEDDING REHEARSAL

  (Present Day)

  Matthew Wilde shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and rocked back on the heels of his cowboy boots, wishing he could be anywhere except where he was—in the fellowship hall of a church with a group of people he hardly knew, or what he was--the best man in a wedding party, waiting for the event coordinator to arrive so the rehearsal could get off the ground.

  He had never much cared for weddings. Maybe that was why, over the years, he had kept all of his relationships with women at arm’s-length and had never dated any woman in particular for more than a few months at a time. The very first word of commitment out of any girlfriend’s mouth—or even worse, the L word--and he was out of there faster than a jackrabbit being chased by a coyote.

  Usually, he managed to find ways to duck out of celebrating friends’ happy days. Weddings almost always ended in divorce anyway—and divorce tore lives apart.

  Matthew’s first experience with divorce had come early in his life. When his Uncle Travis had split with Heather shortly after they’d wed, the cataclysmic damage and fallout of emotional shrapnel had ranged far beyond the two adults in question. It had wrecked entire families, and not just their own.

  Wave upon wave upon wave. He was still experiencing effects of the outcome to this day.

  Matthew clenched his teeth, swallowing back the burn in his throat.

  Too close to home.

  And so not worth it.

  But when his closest friend and fellow wrangler Brady Adams asked Matthew to be his best man, he couldn’t come up with any reasonable way out of it. Brady knew how Matthew felt about weddings and had used Matthew’s integrity to good-naturedly guilt-trip him into it.

  Brady didn’t want anyone but his very best friend Matthew to stand up with him and he would be let down if Matthew refused.

  Matthew should consider it an honor to be asked.

  And on, and on, and on.

  Blah, blah, blah.

  Matthew just wanted to cover his ears and tune it all out, but what else could he do?

  He had to say yes.

  Talk about getting stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  Matthew currently stood leaning his shoulder against one wall, holding it up, so to speak, while the rest of the group mingled cheerfully—and noisily--in the center of the church’s fellowship hall where the rehearsal was shortly to take place.

  It wasn’t the first time in his life that he was an outsider looking in. He’d feel more comfortable after the actual rehearsal was over and the dinner started. People didn’t tend to notice as much whether or not he was talking when everyone was focused on eating.

  “Matthew Wilde,” Brady’s fiancée Chelsea Higgins exclaimed, threading her arm into his. “What are you doing standing all alone over here holding up the wall? Don’t be shy. Come join the party.”

  He wasn’t shy, just a loner. And he was bored. A dry chuckle emerged from deep in his throat, but it held no humor in it, and he was certain Chelsea must have heard how disingenuous it sounded.

  But she appeared locked in her own world. She grinned up at him, her eyes capturing his, searching for something.

  Reassurance? Encouragement?

  Her smile wavered and her lips trembled.

  Must be pre-wedding jitters.

  He plastered his best smile on his face, squared his shoulders and escorted Chelsea directly into the middle of the chaos, where in their heart of hearts, all brides wanted to be. He couldn’t imagine that Chelsea would be any different, despite her nerves.

  “Where’s Brady?” he asked, wondering why the enthusiastic groom-to-be would be late to his own wedding rehearsal. Brady was a laid-back cowboy, but this wasn’t ropin’ and wranglin’.

  This was hitchin’.

  This time he definitely saw a flash of panic in Chelsea’s eyes as worry lines appeared on her forehead as she furrowed her brow.

  “He had to make a quick run to the airport to pick up Riley, my maid of honor. She was supposed to fly in on Monday, but she ended up not being able to get out of work until this morning, so she’s really late getting here. I’m kind of freaking out about it, but I know Riley won’t let me down.”

  Talk about cutting it close. Denver International Airport wasn’t exactly a quick run from anywhere on Colorado’s Eastern plains.

  Matthew hoped Brady would be here soon. Chelsea needed his strength and his perpetually upbeat attitude. Matthew definitely wasn’t that guy, and wasn’t the least bit comfortable filling his best friend’s boots in the interim.

  Matthew needed Brady here, as well. Surrounded by strangers wasn’t his idea of a good time. He was comfortable talking to Brady, even if the conversation would inevitably revolve around the wedding.

  At the moment, it was just Chelsea chittering at him.

  “Riley grew up in this area,” Chelsea said. “Or at least, she was born here. She went to an exclusive boarding school in Denver, the same one I did. That’s where we met. We’ve been best friends since kindergarten. But Riley lives in Los Angeles now, working in marketing as a social media expert. Much too far away, if you ask me. I really miss her.”

  Riley.

  Why did that name
sound so familiar to him?

  Matthew had grown up in this area, as well, on his family’s parcel of land handed down through many generations, land that—

  His vision turned pitch black and then to shades of flaming red. He bit the inside of his lip, shoving his dark thoughts to the back of his mind.

  “She grew up in these parts?” His voice had deepened and he cleared his throat.

  “I think it was on a ranch around here somewhere. Eastern Colorado, anyway, although I realize that doesn’t exactly narrow it down much. I remember she used to complain about having to go home to the ranch for the holidays.” She shrugged. “I’m not entirely familiar with the area. Not like Brady is.”

  “Did I hear my name?” Brady suddenly appeared behind his wife-to-be, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek affectionately.

  Matthew let out a deep breath. Finally.

  Brady flashed Chelsea a toothy grin that was all Brady, making women’s hearts flip the world over. Happy-go-lucky, not a care in the world Brady Adams.

  Matthew wanted to snort and roll his eyes. Somehow, Chelsea had managed to lasso wild-at-heart Brady and was about to hog-tie him good.

  “You better have been nice,” he teased.

  Chelsea turned in Brady’s embrace and stood on tiptoe to give him a proper kiss.

  Way too much PDA for Matthew’s taste. His stomach churned like a combine, just the way it had when he was a little boy, when kissing gave cooties and girls were gross.

  “I’m here. The party can officially get started,” came a woman’s clear, sweet chirrup from just inside the door of the fellowship hall.

  A hazel-eyed beauty with long, thick curls of amber-colored hair embraced the entire group with her smile, her expression beaming sunshine so bright Matthew wanted to hold his hand up against the glare.

  “Riley,” Chelsea exclaimed, running to embrace her friend.

  “Sorry I had to slide in just under the wire like this,” Riley said, and Matthew detected the hint of tightness to her voice. Whatever it was that was bothering her, it was gone the next second. “But I’m here now, and that’s the important part. What can I do to help?”