Bucking Tradition by Gina Cole

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About the author:

Ginny Sterling is an avid romance writer. She enjoys telling tales that tug at the heart. She enjoys reading and creating stories that leave the reader smiling, laughing or crying. She mostly writes Western Romances Books – including The Lawkeepers. She also writes Contemporary romance, as well as the Timeless Brides Series (Time travel romance) under the pen name, Gina Cole.

Having lived in several different parts of the United States, she and her family have settled in Kentucky. She spends all of her free time writing, quilting, or shopping for coffee mugs to add to her collection.

www.ginnysterling.com

Here is a short sample from the book:

Beth was trying to stay calm as her best friend prepared to make either the biggest mistake in her life or the best decision ever. Heck, she’d even taken an online course to be able to officiate the impromptu wedding. Her of all people!
Charlotte’s hair was braided neatly in two French braids split down the middle, but instead of leaving it plain? Beth was currently trying to weave in little sprigs of baby’s breath in her friend’s’ hair as fast as humanly possible in the women’s restroom. If she had one more woman shove her aside for the sink, she was gonna shank her and deal with the consequences.
“Seriously? Don’t any of you eighties wannabe women have a can of Aquanet in that bag? I mean, we are prepping for something serious!”
“Beth, stop. If you have to do without, it’s going to be gorgeous anyways.”
“It’s not every day my girl pops the question to a guy.”
“No and I don’t plan on doing this again. Its hell on my nerves.”
“Yours? I have been waiting for lightning to strike me down all week!”
Giggling, they hugged , and then Beth fussed with the flowers again. Charlotte’s face was extremely pale, and she looked green around the gills. Her lipstick stood out on her face like a bloody Rorschach test for some psychologist’s office. She looked about as bridal as anyone could without any real notice.
“Are you wearing something blue?”
“Oh my gosh, no…” Charlotte, or Charlie , as Beth called her, turned even more white , if that was possible. I knew it, Beth thought wryly. Charlie was so in love with this guy that she wasn’t fully able to focus. The last four days had been a whirlwind of thrown-together plans and haphazard ideas. When Beth had been buying tampons at Walmart, it struck her as she walked down the aisle and saw the tiny bridal section. She’d picked up the skimpy thong as an afterthought and was glad now that she had.
Charlie laughed hysterically as Beth yanked out a blue thong from her purse. It was completely trashy and had ‘BRIDE’ sequined on the front of it. “Old and borrowed are my boots. New is the flowers. Something blue you can consider a shower gift as well as a good luck charm.”
Yanking the tags off, Beth held open the bathroom stall door for her friend to change. “God give me strength,” Charlie whispered aloud and stepped out of the stall. Beth’s eyebrow s shot up in mirth as she handed Charlie a tiny sample bottle of whiskey.
“I don’t know about strength, but in case your nerves need fortifying? Charlie, meet little Jack in liquid form. Ewww! That sounded really effin nasty,” she said , making a face. “Let’s try that again. Drink up for when Jack goes down. No, no, no. That’s not right either.”
“Give me that and shut up,” Charlie snorted and quickly drank the shot of whiskey. “I swear, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well it would certainly be a lot less fun,” Beth shrugged, playing it down. Honestly, she wanted to tell her about how long it took to track down who was in control of the announcements here in the building. That was a real fiasco and work of art, if she said so herself.
“True.”
“We had better go or you are going to miss your man’s entrance.”
The two women linked arms and headed into the arena. Sure enough, the crowd was getting to their feet for the National Anthem. They immediately came to a halt and held their hands over their chest until it was over, resuming their rush to take their seats. Charlie watched as several cowboys walked out, waving their hats at the crowd before taking their places. Clowns and horses ran around the enlarged arena much to the delight of the audience.
Beth fought back a grin at the crestfallen expression on Charlie’s face as she saw Jack cross to the other side of the area. Plan one is moving into motion, she thought and grinned. When the cowboys had been prepping, she took full advantage of her looks and wrangled in some help. His name was Scott and he was a complete dumbass. Breathtakingly cute but stupid as a rock. One too many kicks to the head, possibly? He’d fallen for the oldest trick in the book. She’d promised to go on a date with him if he’d coerce Jack to coming to their side of the arena.
“Folks, we are having a slight change of plans. If you will give us a minute or two before we begin?” Beth heard the announcer call out over the loudspeakers.
“You are up, bridezilla.”
“I don’t think I can stand; my knees are knocking so hard.”
“Girl, get up! You have got to get this marrying thing over with and then you can knock boots later. Trust me, once you get it out of your system, it will be easy-peasy lemon -squeezy. Now get up because here comes Jack and Scott the studmuffin.”
“Really?”
“Yes really. UP!”
Charlie got to her feet and quickly grabbed the metal tubing that served as a railing to separate the crowd from the arena. Jack quickly climbed up the chute, looking alarmed.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m great, why?”
“Scott told me you were ill, and it was an emergency.”
Beth winked at the moron happily. The twit had done it. Hook, line and sinker. She almost felt guilty at the look of pride on his face that the trick had worked. Almost.
“Dude,” Scott interrupted with a grin splitting his face. “I lied to get a date with her hot friend. Wednesday night, Beth?”
“You betcha, sweet cheeks,” she said saucily and cleared her throat. She whipped a handkerchief from her pocket and waved it up in the air, giving a signal.
“Folks, we have a treat for you all tonight if I could have your attention.”
“What’s going on?” Jack asked, his face looking more confused than ever. “Charlie, you look gorgeous with flowers in your hair darling.”
Damn straight she does! One point for you, buckaroo, she thought.
“I wanted to relive my happiest moment tonight,” Charlie started, and Beth saw she was ready to start blubbering royally. This would end up on YouTube, Facebook , or the news, so she might as well make the best of it. Turning around, she saw a wireless microphone was being rushed to her, just as she designed. Beth was handed a microphone and promptly shoved it in Charlie’s face.
“Go ahead,” she coached happily as Charlie nodded in agreement.
“As I was saying, I wanted to relive the happiest moment in my life. The moment I met you. I was here, wearing this dress and these boots , scared to death as I watched the most gorgeous man I have ever seen smile at me. I’m still scared to death,” she admitted with a nervous giggle.
“Charlie, honey. You don’t have to do this,” Jack interrupted, garnering a hostile look from her. W.T.F. was he doing stopping her? This stuff was epic! EPIC.
“Hush!” Beth glared at him. “Don’t you stop her ; this needs to be said.”
“Jack, you asked me where I wanted to be in a month from now. In five years from now. I want to be with you. I can’t imagine not having you in my life. You are everything to me. My happiness, my laughter, the very air I breathe. Jack Seguin, we have had a crazy whirlwind romance and while it’s a freaky fast rollercoaster? It’s MY rollercoaster and I want to ride it with you.
Beth was ready to cry at the sheer emotion pouring out of her friend. Hallmark channel eat your freakin heart out, she thought, blinking back tears. E.P.I.C. squared by a zillion! Clearing her throat, she was not about to let herself start bawling in front of everyone.
“Let me clarify all of that for the parents out there: Charlie wants to ride a rollercoaster, not Jack. Well, she wants to ride Jack too… but that comes later.”
“I want that too,” Jack announced grinning from ear to ear. “I want both. The rollercoaster of our life and you, Charlotte English. I want you.”
“Jack, will you marry me?”
“Only if you marry me first,” he retorted and pulled out a small velvet box from a zippered pocket inside of his vest that still gaped open. He held open the box for Charlie. She took a look inside and smiled, pulling her hand out from behind her back. Holding her fingers up, she revealed two small thin circlets of gold that they’d picked out together. That had been so fun at the jewelry counter making Charlie blush when she was telling her that ring sizes were measured against penis sizes. Good gravy, just the expression on the girl’s face had her chuckling and covering the microphone.
“Well good thing there is a newly ordained minister here, yo!” Beth hollered loudly in the microphone in order to work the crowd. “Am I right? If you want to see these two get married, clap your hands!”
Jack leaned forward and cupped his hand behind Charlie’s neck, pulling her to him for a kiss. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“You sure about this? There is no backing out if we get married right now. I thought you might want an engagement period.”
“Nope. I want you as my husband.”
“Then you’ve got me, love.”
“Scotty McStudmuffin! C’mon up here and sign as a witness for us because we are about to get some nuptials stuff a-going.”
Clearing her throat, Beth politely officiated a quick ceremony between Jack and Charlotte.
Jack then climbed over and jumped the fence to be beside Charlie when they said “I do” to each other. Pulling her into his arms, he dipped his new wife as he kissed her thoroughly. “I sure do love you, Mrs. Seguin”
“Don’t you have some bull riding to do, mister?”
“Yes ma’am, I sure do. I’ve got a lot of work to do today if I intend to keep my bride happy.”
“Oh, she’s happy, as long as you are.”
“Wife? I am thrilled to my boots.”
“No regrets?”
“Nary a one, love.”
“You two are too much,” Beth teased softly, but there was a hint of envy in her voice that she tried to hide. How could she not be envious of them? I mean, she had diddly and squat in her life right now. A craptacular job with a hermit of a roommate. There was nothing happy, glowing, or joyous in her life. It was monotony at the very finest.
Fuck it, she thought wryly. I need a damn change and a miracle.
Beth marched right over to where Scott was standing with his back to the audience, his hands looped over the railing. The man was equipped with a set of shoulders that would make a linebacker look like a chump! She marveled at the way the material of his shirt was stretched to the point it might tear across his biceps. Oh yes, she was going for something different, right freakin’ now .
Beth tapped his shoulder and the moment he glanced over, she leaned down and kissed him thoroughly. This was no peck at all. This was an “I teach CPR” lip lock that made her knees weak. The moment he realized that he was being kissed, his tongue stroked hers , taking the wind out of her lungs. Oh, my word , he is deliciousness on a stick! The moment she broke the kiss, she licked the side of his lips for good measure.
“Divine,” she whispered and stood up, just in time to see him lose his grip and fall to the ground below with a thud. Leaning over the railing, her eyes locked with his as she wiped the side of her mouth knowingly with a possessive stare at him. He might not seem to be all that and a bag of chips, but she’d sure as hell try him on for size a few times! Waving her fingers at him, she watched as he picked himself up and several clowns came over to help dust him off.
“That was for luck! I thought you were supposed to be good for longer than eight seconds, buster? You’d better be much better than that on Wednesday!” Beth challenged and dusted off her hands, taking her seat primly with a satisfied smile on her face. She didn’t wait for his response or what he said. She didn’t need to hear it. The man was delicious and built like a freight train, one she intended to ride.
Scott McStudmuffin, or whatever his name was, had no idea what was heading his way.