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The Stand-in Bridegroom

Copyright © 2011 by Marilyn Baron

All rights reserved. No part of this story (eBook) may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or book reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidences are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by TWB Press

Edited by Terry Wright

Cover Art by Terry Wright

ISBN 978-1-936991-25-9

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By

Marilyn Baron

Patra Collins beamed at the ox of a man barreling through the

revolving doors of the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas. He was the picture

of casual sophistication in his beige sport coat and brown tie, looking

more like an Ivy League college professor than an oncologist, but his

expression mirrored that of a homeless man: down-in-the-dumps,

perhaps lost, or worried. Something was definitely wrong with Dex.

She jumped into the welcoming arms of her future brother-in-law.

“Dex, we weren’t sure you were going to make it to the rehearsal. What

a wonderful surprise. Where’s Doug? Wasn’t he on your flight?”

Dex lifted her feet off the floor, nearly choking the life out of her,

and then he kissed her lightly on the cheek. He was even bigger than she

remembered, and being in his arms again felt like a homecoming. Dex

~4~

was Doug’s identical twin brother, and she could barely tell them apart.

Dex had an unruly brown curl that hung down on his forehead, whereas

Doug’s hair was straight. And Dex had bulked up since she’d last seen

him. The incredible hunk was hanging on to her like he never wanted to

let her go.

“Wow, you look...wow,” he stammered, sizing her up, from her

sparkly dangling earrings, a something new gift from her mother, to

shapely, tanned legs and painted toes peeking out of high-heeled strappy

sandals. Her fitted blue knit dress, the color of an Alaskan iceberg,

flattered her figure and complemented her beautiful steel-gray eyes, or

so she’d been told by Mom, who’d earlier given her the official Lydia

Collins stamp of approval.

Wow was exactly the reaction she was going for. She’d spent a

small fortune at the hotel on a newly cut ash-blonde bob meant to

overshadow what she considered her worst feature—a slight overbite

that Doug found sexy, but that always made her feel like a wolf in bad

need of orthodontia. Doug affectionately called her his Wolf Girl and

begged her not to get braces, teasing, “What sharp teeth you have, my

dear, the better to bite me with.”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered in Dex’s ear.

“Uh-h, listen,” he stammered, finally putting her down. “There’s

something—”

“It’ll be no problem to add an extra place setting for dinner. Let me

~5~

call my mother. She’ll be so happy to see you.” Patra removed her cell

phone from her purse and started dialing her mother’s number.

Dex stopped her, folding the phone in the palm of her hand.

“Don’t—”

“You are staying, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you came all the way

from Boston—”

“Patra, stop talking for a minute. Take a breath. I have to tell you

something.”

She squinted at Dex Grainger. His face looked ashen. For as long

as she’d known him, and that was nearly her entire life, she hadn’t seen

him look this serious. A cold icicle of fear stabbed her chest. Had he

come with bad news? Bad news about Doug? “Is Doug...is Doug

alright? Tell me nothing’s happened to Doug.”

“Come sit with me,” Dex suggested in a subdued tone.

Fighting panic and waves of nausea, she followed Dex to a cozy

seating area in the hotel lobby. Gazing up at the 18-foot ceiling, she saw

the most extraordinary chandelier by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly,

formed of 2,000 hand-blown glass blossoms, but the opulence seemed

suddenly bleak. The world became a mix of confusion and dread. She

lowered herself into a cushy patterned wing chair. “What’s the matter,

Dex?” She stared at him and tapped her foot anxiously.

He sat in the chair next to her. “How do I say this?” he said, not

facing her.

~6~

“Just spit it out, for heaven’s sake.”

He looked her dead in the eye. “Doug missed his flight. He might

not make it.”

Her stomach clenched. Doug isn’t going to make it...to what...to

the rehearsal...the dinner?

“You mean he isn’t coming to the rehearsal? Is that what you’re

saying?” It couldn’t have been that simple, but she clung to that hope

anyway. “Okay, okay, we can work with that.”

“Patra, that’s not what I mean.” Compassion gouged deep lines on

Dex’s face. He sat forward, elbows on his knees. “I don’t think Doug is

going to be here for the wedding.”

Patra emitted a nervous laugh. “He’s the bridegroom. The

bridegroom has to be here.”

“I knew this was going to be difficult.”

Difficult? Then clarity struck her. She’d bet this was the most

outlandish prank those two had ever pulled on her. “You’re kidding,

right?”

“He’s not answering his cell phone. No one can reach him. He’s

incommunicado. Walt, his Department Chair at the hospital, confirms he

left later than he’d planned because of a complication during his last

surgery. It couldn’t be helped. It was a matter of life or death for the

patient. There are no more flights from Boston to Vegas today. And the

flight that leaves tomorrow will get him here too late for the wedding.”

~7~

Patra pursed her lips and thought of all the repercussions his

absence would cause: postponement, cancellation, wedding gift returns.

“That would be a disaster.”

“I’m hoping he’ll work something out. He should be contacting

one of us anytime, but you have to be prepared to call it off.”

Call it off...? Ah ha! That was the punch line. Those guys think

they’re so funny. Patra smiled and socked Dex on the arm. “Good one. I

know you two like to joke around. You’ve been pulling pranks on me

since we were in kindergarten. Was this joke Doug’s idea?”

“This isn’t a joke. Read my lips. I can’t find my brother.”

How absurd. “Doug would never be late for his own wedding.”

“I’m sorry, Patra.”

Beating back tears, she blew out a breath, wondering if there was

more to the story. There had to be some explanation, some logical...

“When did you last talk to him?”

“This morning. We were at the hospital. He was telling me how

much he was looking forward to this wedding...even if he thought it was

a bit over the top.”

“I know...we’ve gone a little overboard, but—”

“Your mother’s gone overboard.”

“We can’t scale down at this late date. If Doug wanted something

smaller, we can...I mean...well, he should have said something. The

wedding is tomorrow.”

~8~

“You wanted to go all out, so he went along because he wants you

to be happy. More than anything, your happiness is what’s important to

him.”

“You’re sure he’s not backing out, right?”

“Doug get cold feet? My brother wouldn’t do that to you. You’re

everything to him. He loves you.”

Patra slumped back in the chair. “Where can he be?”

Dex shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

“My fiancé is MIA the day before our wedding. He’s going to

leave me standing at the altar. I can’t believe it.”

“I’m here.” Dex grinned.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself.”

“I’m sorry it’s turning out this way.”

“My wedding is going to be ruined.” Tears burst from her eyes. “I

have to call my mother...to cancel the wedding.” She opened the cell

phone but couldn’t see the numbers to dial through her tears.

Dex stood. “I guess I better leave you alone.”

Patra dropped the cell phone in her lap. Blood drained from her

face. She felt faint and slumped forward. “I can’t...I just can’t. Mom’s

invested a fortune on this wedding...in time and money.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

Her hand flew to her chest. She couldn’t breathe. “How am I going

to explain this to my mother...my guests...our guests...what am I

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supposed to do?”

“I’ll tell them for you, if you want.”

The truth came out so easily for Dex. But this time the truth was

going to hurt everyone she loved. She jumped to her feet. The urge to

run down the Las Vegas Strip screaming seemed like a good idea. If Dex

hadn’t grabbed her arm, she would already have been out the door. He

pulled her into his chest.

She clenched her fists under her chin. “This is the worst day of my

life.” She sobbed.

People in the lobby began to stare.

Dex wrapped his arms around her. “Everything’s going to be

okay,” he said, his voice soothing. “Doug wouldn’t deliberately

disappoint you.”

“Disappoint me? Dex, this can’t be happening. Everyone is already

here. They’ve flown in from all around the country. What am I going to

do?”

“I’ve got an idea.”

“Take a flying leap off Hoover Dam?”

“I’ll marry you. I’ll stand in for my brother.”

“Are you insane?”

“I won’t take no for an answer.”

***

Patra stopped crying and looked up at Dex, her mind blinking in

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and out in disbelief. “Nobody does that.”

“You need a bridegroom. I’m available. You said it yourself, the

guests are here. I wear the same size tux. Same face. Same last name.

We’re practically interchangeable.”

“Except for that curl on your forehead.”

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, I always say.”

Patra crossed her arms. “I never heard you say that.”

“Give this idea a chance, Patra.”

“Did Doug put you up to this?”

“Look, we know he’s going to be late, but I’m sure he’ll be here

eventually. Doug would walk to Vegas to marry you.”

“Okay, let me get this straight.” Patra inhaled. “We can get married

because you and Doug wear the same size tux? Or because you guys

look alike, or because you feel sorry for me?”

“I feel sorry that you’re in this predicament, but that’s not why I’m

willing to stand up in my brother’s place and marry you. I’m in love

with you, Patra, and I have been since the moment you pushed me off

your swing set.”

“Get out of here,” she said in a tone of shy disbelief.

“But when we grew up, you fell in love with my brother, so I

backed off.”

Patra sniffled. “You’ve been in love with me all these years?”

“How could you not know? It’s not something I can hide.”

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Patra bit her lip and took a second look at Dex. He’d always been

attentive and caring toward her, but why the hell was he professing his

love at a time like this? “But I’m not in love with you, Dex.”

“I can still step up to the plate.”

“This is my wedding we’re talking about, not a baseball game.”

“It’s the closest I may ever get to you.”

He was certifiably insane. “You can’t just waltz in and take Doug’s

place. He’ll be here. We’ll wait, just postpone the wedding a few hours

if we have to.”

“This is the Bellagio. That ballroom rents by the hour. The Taj

Mahal would be cheaper. We need a Plan B in case Doug doesn’t show

up in time. I say we keep the wedding plans on track. Doug may get here

before we say, “I do.” If he’s a no-show, no one will know the

difference. We can pull this off.”

“Well...people always mistake you for Doug.”

“Especially your mother. It’ll work, I tell you.”

“That curl in your hair...your buff body...I can think of a dozen

reasons why this won’t work.”

“What are you doing looking at my body?” he teased.

Patra rolled her eyes.

“Do you see any other way out of the mess?”

She felt so numb and confused she could hardly think at all. Her

feelings were a blur of disappointment, heartache, anger, and a tinge of

~12~

worry.

“You don’t want to disappoint your mother and all your guests.”

“I can’t lie to them, either.”

“Then I’ll tell her what we are planning.”

“She’ll go ballistic.”

Dex’s attention darted to the front doors. “Heads up. Your mother

is walking over here.”

Patra’s heart dropped to the soles of her sandals.

Lydia Collins was indeed approaching, like General Patton, and

she looked like she could steamroll anyone who got in her way. She was

all dressed up for the rehearsal and dinner in a stylish St. John knit suit

and Ferragamo pumps. Her mother certainly knew how to finish off an

outfit—complete with white gloves. She was a Steel Magnolia, steeped

in Southern tradition, forged like flint in Atlanta. She looked put

together, stunning, and happy...and Patra and Dex were about to slap

that smile right off her face.

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About the Author

AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH © BY ONE SIX PHOTOGRAPHY

Marilyn Baron is a public relations consultant in Atlanta. She’s a member of

Romance Writers of America (RWA) and serves on the board of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) as editor of The Galley, GRW’s award-winning online newsletter. She is the recipient of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award.

Marilyn writes humorous women’s fiction, including The Edger, which won first place in the Suspense Romance category of the 2010 Ignite the Flame Contest, sponsored by Central Ohio Fiction Writers RWA chapter. Her manuscript, The Colonoscopy Club, finaled in the GRW Unpublished Maggie Awards for Excellence in 2005 in the Single Title category.

A native of Miami, Florida, Marilyn now lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband. She blogs with the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales writers’ blog.

Marilyn graduated from The University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a B.S. in Journalism [Public Relations sequence] and a minor in Creative Writing. She met her husband at UF and both of her daughters graduated from UF. Go Gators!

When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, going to the movies, eating Italian food and hovering over her two daughters. Her favorite place to visit is Italy, where she spent six months studying in Florence during her senior year in college.

She invites you to visit her blog at www.petitfoursandhottamales.com

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