Cupcakes & Mistletoe: One of the Boys Series, #7

By Teresa Crumpton

Five months to plan a wedding really isn't long enough but Calla and Wes don't want to wait any longer to tie the knot. To close out this magical year with a bang they will say I do. What could go wrong?

Calla Bond and Wes Westminister cordially invite you to spend the holidays with them as they become man and wife.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Teresa Crumpton
• Release date: Feb 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9798201661847

Book preview

Copyright

Copyright © 2019 Teresa Carol Galinari Crumpton

Published by Teresa Crumpton

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, or other status is entirely coincidental.

Ebooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever known, not known or hereafter invented, or stored in any storage or retrieval system, is forbidden and punishable by the fullest extent of the law without written permission of the author.

For more information, contact the author athttp://www.teresacrumpton.com

Published: Teresa Crumpton 2020

Cover Design: Kristen Hope Mazzola

Formatting:

Edited by: Stephanie Taylor

Dedication

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To my loving husband with love

Chapter 1

Twelve Ugly Dresses

Calla

Five months. Five. Fucking. Months. I know I’ve forgotten something. It was insane to try to plan this wedding in just five short months. Seriously...what the hell was I thinking?

Calla, stop panicking. We’ve got this, Trey soothes as I stand in front of three mirrors in what seems like the hundredth wedding dress.

Easy for you to say. You had two years to plan with Joe.

I let out a long, vocal sigh as I stare at the dress in the mirror. Closing my eyes, I take a deep, cleansing breath and block out all the craziness around me except the music playing overhead.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....

I need a drink, I grumble lifting the poofy skirt so I can step off the platform. I only have a few days left to find my dress, and nothing is working!

Trey rises out of his chair next to Nessa, picking up a champagne flute as he walks toward me.

That’s a valid point. But in five months, you’ve planned the perfect wedding when a normal, sane person takes a year or more, he reminds me, placing the flute in my hand. Now, take a long sip of this then take a deep breath. We’ll find you the perfect dress.

From the corner of my eye, Ella catches my attention as she pops off Jax’s lap. Since her near-kidnapping after her birthday party while visiting her mother's grave, she’s been a bit clingy. Not that any of us mind. Hell, I would be clingy too if I was her. But I miss the spunky kid that I’d come to love, and I hope we get her back very soon. The fact that the asshole who tried to take her is still out there scares the shit out of me, and I can’t even begin to imagine what it's like for Jax and Forest. Maybe when the guy is caught, Ella will come out of the shell she’s shoved herself in.

Aunt Calla, Ella calls to me.

Yes, sweetheart? I give her my full attention.

If I pick out a dress, would you please try it on?

Like she even has to ask. Girl’s got us all wrapped around her little finger.

Of course, I will! Pick out however many dresses you want. I’ll try them all on, I reply.

Ella marches closer to me, grabbing Trey’s hand as she passes by.

Come on, Uncle Trey. I’m going to need your help to carry the dresses, she admits, pulling him away from the rest of us.

Ella and Trey disappear into a cloud of white and tulle as I walk into the dressing room to get out of the current dress that’s so not me, it’s not even funny, taking another sip of bubbly as I go. Closing the curtain behind me, I spot a small shelf to my right that’s just big enough for a glass or two. With one more swig of champagne, I set the flute on the shelf and try to unzip the dress.

Unable to reach the zipper I call out, Alright, y’all! I need help getting out of this getup.

Coming, coming, Nessa calls back. A few seconds pass and Nessa pops her head in. Turn around.

I do as I’m told while mumbling, I hate dress shopping.

I know you do, Nessa agrees stepping into the dressing room just enough to help me.

She gently holds onto the dress as she pulls down the zipper. The dress slips as Nessa unzips it, and I cross my arms over my chest, keeping it in place.

Thanks, I tell her over my shoulder.

Nessa puts her hand on my shoulder. Anytime, she affirms, leaning her head into mine.

I really don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s the sister I never had. Hell, Teagan and Jax are becoming family, as well, and I’m so thankful they’re both here for this. Shifting my arms, I unwrap my left one from my chest and wrap it around Nessa’s waist, giving her a side hug.

She squeezes me briefly before letting go and heading back out with the others. As I step out of the dress, my phone buzzes from my pants pocket on the stool in the corner. Picking the dress up by the bodice, I re-clip it on the hanger dangling from the hook in the wall. I reach for the flute once the dress is out of the way and sip the sparkling wine as I move to the stool and pull my phone from the pocket. Taking a seat on the stool, I wake my phone up.

Two messages wait for my response, and I set my flute down by my feet before replying.

Ben: Hey, sis. I wanted to check in and see how the wedding planning is going.

I quickly shoot back my response.

Me: It’s going, I guess. I'm dress shopping, and I hate it.

I start to close out of the message when another one pops up.

Ben: Sorry. Wish I was there to help. Not that I'd be that helpful, but I'd do my best. Who's with you?

Me: I kinda wish you were here too. At least then I'd have a part of Mom & Dad with me. I think I'm missing them more than usual. As for who's here: Nessa, Trey, Jax, Teagan, & Ella.

Ben: I miss them too, and I'm sure Mom & Dad are with you. See if Trey will take pics of the dresses you try on, and I'll give you my opinion. Maybe that will help?

Me: ❤ Thanks, Ben. I'll ask him. It just might help. I've tried on a few that I didn't like so we'll start with the next round. It might be a few minutes. He's with Ella picking out my next dress to try on.

Ben: You're welcome. Anything I can do to help. Okay, sounds good. Love you, sis.

Me: Love you too.

Backing out of Ben’s message feed, I tap on Wes’s.

Wes: Hey, gorgeous! How’s shopping going?

Me: It’s not. I’ve tried on twelve ugly dresses. So far nothing says this is the one.

I wait a minute to see if Wes responds and pinch the bridge of my nose as a faint pounding starts behind my eyes.

In twelve days, I’m marrying the man of my dreams but I still haven’t found a fucking dress.

Wes: Sorry, sweetheart. I know you’ll find it. Rex and I are headed to the lake house to get it ready. Mom and Dad said they’d meet us there too.

Me: Thank you. I’m starting to stress out.

Wes: Why haven’t you told me?

Me: Honestly, it just hit me. Or I guess I just realized it.

Wes: Tonight let’s discuss what’s going on & see what I can do to help.

Me: That sounds good. xo Love you

Wes: I know. Ox

I roll my eyes at his use of I know from Star Wars.

Sometimes, it would be nice just to see the words.

I close out of the messages and pick up my drink, finishing it in one final sip. Getting to my feet, I drop the phone onto the stool and take a couple of steps to the curtain. Popping my head out, I make eye contact with the girls.

Can one of you please give me some more champagne? I finished mine. I hold the flute out just enough to be seen.

I got ya, Jax states, getting to her feet and walking over to me with the bottle in her hand.

Thanks, I reply as she gets closer.

She takes the flute from me and fills my glass. The rustling of dresses catches my attention, and I spot Trey moving into another aisle, his hands overflowing with more dresses.

Are you sure you want Ella picking out dresses for you to try? Jax asks, grinning as she passes the flute back to me.

Honestly, she can’t do any worse than some of the ones I’ve tried on already. Besides, it put a smile on her face, and I haven’t seen enough of those since the incident. I reply, taking the bubbly drink from her.

Good point. She’s getting better, and the chili cook-off she did with Trey helped more than he knows, but she’s still pretty withdrawn. It breaks my heart, she confesses, glancing off in the direction Trey had wandered.

I know. Wes and I have said it before, but I’ll say it again. If there’s anything we can do to help, we will. She’s probably the closest thing we’ll ever have to having our own kid, I admit taking a sip of my drink.

Really? Y’all don’t want kids? Jax wonders, her expression pensive.

Both of us are so focused on Belladonna that we barely have time for each other some days. For us, that doesn’t seem fair to a child. Besides, we both like to get up and go and having a kid would make that a little more difficult, I respond, reaching out and grabbing Jax’s hand.

I squeeze it before letting go, and the corners of her lips curl slightly.

I’m a bit saddened by that, she states quietly, making sure Nessa and Teagan can’t overhear. But I’m glad Ella has all of you in her life. Everything y’all have been doing is helping, and not just Ella, but all of us. My dad hasn’t let the attempted kidnapping go even though the case has gone a little cold. There are little things that make him think it’s all connected, including the break-in to my apartment.

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