Kiss the Bride Read Online Free PDF

bed, the wheels of her skates making a clacking noise as she stood. “See ya in your dreams.”
    “Wait, don’t go.”
    Skylar paused. “Yeah?”
    “Do you really think your plan would work?”
    “Guaranteed.” She winked.
    Delaney worried her bottom lip. She wasn’t a liar, but she wanted so badly to wear the veil at her wedding.
    “I’ll tell you something else,” Skylar added.
    “Oh?”
    “I was hanging out tonight, eavesdropping on your dinner conversation with your friends, and I think they’re right.”
    “About what?”
    “Seducing Evan. Making him your sex hostage. Sounds totally hot. Go for it. Maybe it’ll be the jump start you two need.”
    “Your glowing endorsement is all the more reason not to do it.” Delaney glowered.
    “You sound just like her, you know.” Skylar wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue.
    “Just like whom?”
    “Who do you think?”
    Skylar was right. She did sound just like their mother. Judgmental, inflexible, overly concerned with appearances. And that was the last thing Delaney wanted.
    She dragged a hand through her hair. “This is horrible! How can I stop from becoming like her?”
    “Do the most outrageous thing you can think to do. Kidnap Evan from his office, take him to the woods, and have your way with him. I triple dog dare you.”
    “Fine,” Delaney said. “If that’s what it takes to prove to you I’m not like Mother, I’ll do it.”
    Skylar snorted. “Seeing is believing, pipsqueak.”
    Following that snarky comment, Delaney woke up.
    Detective Dominic Vinetti watched Dr. Evan Van Zandt stride into the exam room, frowning at the chart in his hand and shaking his head. A bullet of dread ricocheted through the ventricles of Nick’s heart at the serious expression on the other man’s face.
    “I’ve received the results of your follow-up tests,” Van Zandt said, “and I’m sorry, Nick, but the outcome isn’t as favorable as we had hoped.”
    Sweat broke across Nick’s brow. He fisted his hands and swallowed hard. In this stupid paper gown he was nearly naked and felt too damn exposed. He scowled past his anxiety and mouthed toughly, “Whaddya mean?”
    “It’s been eight weeks since the injury and while your leg is improved, you’re still healing at a much slower ratethan I anticipated. I’m afraid I can’t yet allow you to return to work.”
    Fear swamped him. Anxiety soup. Followed on its heels by a thick, rolling wave of despair.
Son of a bitch.
He could not spend one more hour watching bad television. Could not play one more video game or surf the net one more time or he’d lose his frickin’ mind.
    “I gotta go back to work, Doc. I’ll take a desk job. Sit on my butt, no chasing suspects. I promise.” He held up his palm as if he were taking an oath on the witness stand.
    Van Zandt fidgeted with his tie, then flipped up the tail of his lab coat and took a seat on the rolling stool. He had the butter-soft face of a man who’d lived an easy life. “I can’t in good conscience sign the release form.”
    Nick pressed his palms together, supplicating. “I’m going nuts, here. Please don’t make me beg.”
    “Have you been doing your exercises?”
    “Regular as a nun to mass.”
    Van Zandt threw back his head and brayed loudly at Nick’s comment. “Well, at least you still have your sense of humor.”
    Irritation dug into Nick’s gut. The guy laughed like a freaking barnyard donkey. “Yeah, lucky me. Ha, ha.”
    “Have you been taking your antibiotics?” Van Zandt asked.
    “Morning, noon, and night.”
    “What about the pain pills?”
    “Not so much.”
    “When was the last time you took one?”
    “I never got the prescription filled when I left the hospital,” he admitted.
    “You’re kidding.”
    Nick shook his head.
    “There’s no need to be macho. If you’re hurting, take the Vicodin. Pain inhibits healing.”
    “Pills make me feel dulled.”
    “Take them anyway.”
    “I’ve seen a lot of people get