Bride Interrupted Read Online Free PDF Page A

time. Kayla put the ring and the note in a dish on the counter. Did one of her clients send this? Was it meant for one of her brides? The ring looked vaguely familiar, but with her head pounding, she couldn’t think straight to identify why.
    Dread knotted her stomach, and she didn’t want to be alone. Downing two ibuprofens, she headed out the door back towards the bar to finish out the night.

    The blaring ring of her cell phone woke Kayla Sunday morning. Before answering, she peered at the clock on the bedside table. Nine forty. Past time to get out of bed. Grabbing her phone, she mumbled a sleepy, “Hello.”
    “Um, is this Kayla?” The man’s voice was uncertain and shaky.
    “Yes it is. Who’s speaking?”
    “This is Jerry. Marcy’s fiancé. She was supposed to come by this morning before our meeting with you, and she hasn’t shown up yet. It’s not like her to be late. Did I misunderstand and she went ahead to see you?”
    Kayla sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “No, I haven’t seen or heard from her in days. I’m sure it’s nothing but a nervous and excited bride-to-be.”
    “That’s strange because yesterday morning she was fine.”
    Kayla shook her head to clear the last of the morning fog from it. “Come on over, and we’ll wait for her here. You have directions?”
    “Yes, I do. I’ll see you in about half an hour.”
    Kayla quickly showered, dressed, and put on a pot of strong coffee. She poured her first cup when a knock sounded on the door. She opened it to find a distraught, disheveled looking young man. His black hair fell across his eyes, ruffled by his hands as well as the wind. The button-up shirt was half tucked in and half out. Beady eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses peered up anxiously at Kayla.
    “Jerry?” she asked.
    He nodded. “Is Marcy here yet?” A worried frown crept across his forehead.
    “No, she isn’t. Come in though. We can try to call her.”
    In the kitchen, she pointed him to a barstool while she dialed Marcy’s number on her cell phone. Three times, the call went straight to voicemail. A twinge of uncertainty lit up in the back of her mind. The man sitting at her counter toyed with a napkin, twisting and turning it over and over in his hands. His jumpiness was beginning to upset Kayla. She could deal with anxious brides-to-be, but dealing with grooms was not her thing.
    Marcy should be there by now. Kayla tried to come up with a viable reason, but nothing seemed to fit the personality of the happy young woman she’d come to know over the past months via email and phone. And at their one in-person meeting the other evening, Marcy was so excited about marrying this man, the idea she got cold feet was ludicrous.
    Trying to buy some time, and to calm Jerry’s nerves, Kayla pulled out the portfolio of Marcy and Jerry’s upcoming wedding. “I need your input on some of this food. Marcy wasn’t sure which main course would be best, brisket or roasted duck. Maybe you could help decide.” That wasn’t the full truth. The meal was planned, they were serving both meats, but Kayla had to give him something to occupy his mind and his hands. It was the first thought that came to mind.
    After several minutes of wedding talk, they decided on brisket, but Jerry’s eyes had a faraway look, and she was sure his mind was miles away. Kayla jumped off her stool and went around the counter to the coffee pot. “More coffee?”
    “Sure,” he mumbled.
    Kayla carried the two cups back to the kitchen counter. Jerry reached around Kayla to pull the little seashell dish closer to him. Inside sat the ring Kayla had received last night. He picked it up and held it in his hand between his finger and thumb. His brow wrinkled before he turned questioning eyes in her direction.
    “Where did you get this?”
    “Umm, it was left on my door, wrapped up like a present. I wasn’t sure who sent it, or what it meant. Actually I set it here and forgot about it.” She told him