Suddenly a Bride Read online

  Suddenly a Bride

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.

  Suddenly a Bride

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright 2011 Ruth Ann Nordin

  V2.0

  Cover Photo images Copyright Shutterstock Images LLC. All rights reserved – used with permission.

  Cover Photo images www.dreamstime.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Ruth Ann Nordin Books

  http://www.ruthannnordin.com

  To Stephannie Beman and Joleene Naylor: two wonderful authors who became friends. You are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and my life is better for knowing you.

  Other books by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Regency Collection

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

  Nebraska Collection

  Her Heart’s Desire

  A Bride for Tom

  A Husband for Margaret

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband

  Shotgun Groom

  His Redeeming Bride

  Isaac’s Decision

  South Dakota Historical Romance Series

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Native American Romance Series

  Restoring Hope

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love (coming soon)

  A Chance In Time (novella)

  Other Historical Romances

  Falling In Love With Her Husband

  Meant To Be

  Contemporary Romances

  With This Ring, I Thee Dread

  What Nathan Wants

  Suddenly a Bride

  Virginia Brides Series

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Christian Sci-Fi Thriller

  Return of the Aliens

  Chapter One

  “Number 258!”

  Rilo An quickly stood up and approached the counter before the large gelatinous purple creature called out the next number. He produced his ticket and brushed the shaggy brown hair out of his eyes.

  “What is your wish, sir?” the creature said in a high-pitch whine.

  “I wish for a life mate,” he said, uneasily adjusting his black jumpsuit.

  In this large room with a good two-thousand people, the place felt unbearably hot, and his warm clothing was not helping. He cleared his throat and focused on the glittery purple blob that swayed as it punched something into the holographic screen in front of it.

  “Number 239!” called out a pink gelatinous creature from another window at the long counter.

  A woman with three eyes and wings flew out of her chair to go to the pink creature.

  “May I see your tag?” the purple creature asked him.

  Rilo turned his attention back to the representative and pulled out the metal tag from his pocket.

  The creature’s hands felt slimy and cold as it took the tag from his hand. Not wishing to offend it, Rilo resisted the urge to wipe his hand on his one-piece suit. His future depended on what this creature decided, and these particular Star Systems Unlimited representatives were not known for their good nature.

  The representative looked at him with its black eyes. “You are from the planet Pandoran?”

  “Yes.”

  “You will want a life mate who is physically compatible with you.”

  “Yes.” There was no way he was going to have children otherwise.

  The creature gave what could be considered a nod and punched in some options on the screen floating in front of it. “Two choices for a male from Pandoran. Earth or Alaris?”

  He shrugged. “What is the difference?”

  “Earth females are emotional and prefer a permanent bond. Alaris females are driven by power and switch partners as the genetic line dictates.”

  Oh. He didn’t like the idea that a woman might decide his genetic line didn’t suit her. That was part of what led to his planet’s current predicament. “Give me an Earth female.”

  “Do you have a preference on what type of Earth female we give you?”

  Seeing as how he knew very little about females in general, he didn’t have the slightest idea what to pick except for the basics. “I want a female who wants a permanent bond and children with one man.”

  “That describes most females there.”

  Then there shouldn’t be a problem finding one, he almost said, but then, he would have probably been sarcastic and he didn’t want to upset the representative.

  “Is there a certain body type you desire?” it asked.

  “Just one that can bear children.”

  The purple creature gave a low exasperated hum. “I will pick one for you.”

  He nodded his consent. What else could he do? He had so little knowledge in this area. With a planet full of men, all he’d seen were pictures of women in the school files. But the females who once inhabited his planet wore the same black jumpsuits and had long black hair. To him, they all looked the same. He reasoned that Earth females would as well.

  A thought did occur to him. “May I ask if Earth females can still have female offspring?”

  “Yes. Females outnumber males by a small percentage on that planet.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Then there was a good chance more females could be born. With any luck, his offspring would include females as well.

  “I put in your request. You may wait in the Ready Room.” The purple being scanned his tag with the necessary information to get him to Earth—and to the woman who would be his life mate.

  He thanked the creature, took his tag, and turned to the large white room that formed a perfect circle. The counter in the center of the room mirrored the circle, and he guessed there were twenty representatives attending to the customers all waiting for their wishes to be fulfilled. He wondered how the system running the place knew which Earth female would be wishing for the same thing he was.

  Giving a slight shake of his head, he decided it wasn’t important. Star Systems Unlimited would take his credits and find a suitable match. He searched the crowded room where various beings from other planets sat and waited for their number to come up so they could make their wish.

  Each day when the place opened for business, they started at number one and continued on until it was time to close. He was glad he decided to come early. As it was, the two suns lighting the solar system would soon reach the first-quarter of the primary sun’s cycle.

  He wondered how long the wait was in the Ready Room. The electronic board at the front of the room beneath the clock directed him to the corridor he needed. He headed for it, wondering exactly what a female would be like. Earth women were more emotional than the ones on Alaris. He wondered what “emotional” meant. It wasn’t that he and other men on his planet didn’t feel, but no one labeled them or even their females “emotional”. But he’d risk “emotional” if it meant he could secure a female for the rest of his life.

  Every male on his planet understood the inherent dangers of relinquishing that life bond. He wondered if the Alarians would wake up and give up
their selective breeding. Too many lessons had to be learned the hard way, he supposed.

  As he made his way down the corridor with windows that filtered in the bright blue light from the multitude of lights coming from the second sun, he saw another male from his world. The uniform and brown hair gave him away. The man stood at the end of the line which led to a tall, stick-like creature.

  Rilo stopped behind him and asked, “Are you seeking a female too?”

  The other man turned to him and nodded. “Is there another wish for us to have? We have everything else on our home world.”

  “It’s the only reason I’m leaving.” Rilo took a deep breath and glanced behind him. He could return to the safe and familiar, but there wasn’t anything worthwhile in it. What did he have after all? A job, a place to live, mindless entertainment... Life there hadn’t been bad. But it hadn’t been fulfilling either. He glanced at his tag before he asked, “Did you choose Earth or Alaris?”

  “Earth,” the man said.

  “Me too. What did you wish for in a life mate?”

  The man gave him a slight grin. “I didn’t request a life mate.”

  Rilo frowned. “You don’t want to secure your offspring’s standing in the female’s life?”

  “Oh, I do. But I don’t know what to expect. I’m not sure if I’ll find any of the Earth women to my liking. It might be that Alaris is better suited for me.”

  “But the women there don’t seek life mates.”

  They moved forward in the line, and the man said, “I know, but I was warned the women on Earth can be emotional. I’m not sure if that’s worth it. What if they’re violent? What if they’re too restrictive? What if they’re miserable?”

  Rilo hadn’t considered that. “Is that what emotional means?”

  He shrugged. “I read that emotions can run from good to bad.”

  He didn’t like the sound of this. Taking another step closer to the stick-like creature, he said, “I told them I wanted a female who wished for a permanent bond and children. Surely, such a woman would be nice to be with?”

  “I don’t know. I’m going to Earth to check it out and see for myself. If it turns out that a female Earthling won’t suit me, I’ll come back here and request Alaris.”

  As they walked forward, Rilo wondered if he should have done the same thing. Perhaps he was hasty in asking for a life mate. This was a permanent decision, and his wish was being processed. He glanced back at his tag. It was too late to pay to return. He was at the mercy of the woman the agency selected for him. Just how did they make their decision anyway? Did they run his profile through a database and match him up with the one who best suited him or did they just pick a female at random?

  The man next to him showed the stick-like creature his metal tag and the creature scanned it. Then the creature turned his attention to Rilo who presented his tag as well.

  The creature nodded to both of them. “Earth. Corridor E3. Terminal 12SS. Departure at 678 sun cycle 1,853 sun cycle 2.”

  Rilo felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement. In as little as seven hours, he’d depart for Earth.

  “Will you be going to eat?” the man asked him as they made their way toward Corridor E3 which was lit by the suns through the windows on all sides.

  “Not yet. I want to see if they have any brochures on Earth.”

  “I’m sure they do. In case I don’t see you again, I wish you well with your life mate.”

  “Thanks.”

  “If nothing else, with women there, I’m sure the scenery will be better.”

  Rilo couldn’t argue that point. He wondered if there would be any pictures of Earth women here. Did they look like women that had once inhabited his planet or were they different? He’d guess similar if they were physically compatible with him.

  His traveling companion found a place to eat and departed down an off-shoot corridor, leaving Rilo to scout out the information centers up ahead.

  ***

  Caitlyn Davis walked up to the booth in the diner where the two construction workers sat. She inwardly groaned and glanced at her friend who was busy filling coffee cups. Well, she’d have to battle Travis and Richie today.

  She pulled out the pad and pencil and asked, “May I take your order?”

  Travis, the brunette, turned his eyes to her and scanned her up and down. “What’s a pretty lady like you doing in a joint like this?”

  She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “The same thing I do every time you come here. Now, may I take your order?”

  “I don’t know. Got a private spot where we can go?”

  Richie, the blond, laughed. “Can I get served when he’s done?”

  “Look,” she began, not hiding her exasperation, “I’ve got a job to do, okay? It’s lunchtime and I have other people to take care of, so if you don’t get to it, I’m going to let you fend for yourself.”

  Travis groaned. “That’s the problem, Caty. I fend for myself too much.”

  She rolled her eyes and turned to go to another booth where a young couple was reading their paper menus.

  “Oh wait.” Travis motioned for her to return. “I was just kidding. You know that. I’ll be good.”

  “Fine.” She pressed the pencil to the pad and waited for him to speak.

  “I’ll have the Reuben sandwich with fries and a nice, tall glass of pop.”

  “What kind?”

  He smiled and shrugged. “Surprise me.”

  She looked at Richie. “And you?”

  “I think I’ll try the chili and grilled cheese combo today, but I’ll have tea—hot.” He gave her a suggestive look. “I like things that are hot.”

  Deciding not to comment, she went to the next booth and took the couple’s order before she hurried to the counter and posted the orders for the cook to see. Then she proceeded to fill up everyone’s drinks. She glanced at her friend, another waitress who worked at Jack’s Diner. Her friend shot her a sympathetic smile as she ran to get the plates the cook just put up on the ledge that separated him from the crowd that filled the place.

  “One hour and things will slow down,” her friend said as she collected the meals.

  “Sandy, we need a vacation,” Caitlyn replied and took three plates.

  “A trip to the beach will take care of that.”

  “I’m tired of the beach.”

  Sandy’s eyes grew wide. “How could you get tired of the beach?”

  “It’s not fun unless you’re enjoying a romantic walk with a guy.”

  “Not if that guy is Richie or Travis.”

  Caitlyn grimaced. “True.”

  As Sandy went to her booth, Caitlyn turned to set one plate at the counter where a man read a newspaper. Then she carried the other two plates to the nice couple.

  “Hey,” Travis called out, “didn’t we order before them?”

  Ignoring him for a moment, she went to another booth and asked the three women if they needed anything before she decided to get the plates waiting for Travis and Richie. She placed them on the table and hurried back to the counter before they could engage her in another mind-numbing conversation.

  Soon enough, Travis and Richie had to leave for work, and after that, the lunch rush died so Caitlyn could sit down and give her aching feet a rest. She really needed a better pair of shoes.

  Sandy passed by her on her way to the coffee pot. “Want some?”

  “Might as well. It’s the only way I’ll stay awake.” She yawned and leaned forward, her elbow on the counter. Swiveling in her seat, she asked, “Do you want to see a movie Friday night?”

  “Depends on what’s playing.” She filled up two cups and glanced at her friend. “I will not go see another tearjerker.”

  “But those are heartwarming.”

  Rolling her eyes, she walked over to Caitlyn and sat next to her. “They are depressing.” Setting the cups down, she continued, “I thought you’d shy away from love stories that end in one of the spouses dying. I mean, considering w
hat happened with my brother and all.”

  Caitlyn tore open a packet of sugar and poured it into the cup. “I loved Randy.”

  “And watching those movies help?”

  She shrugged and swirled the sugar with a spoon. “I know it’s weird. Maybe it’s grim.”

  “Yes, it is. Very grim.”

  “Yes, but I’m not the only one who lost her husband to something like cancer. The movies remind me of that.”

  Sandy sighed and touched her arm. “I hope that you’ll move on and find someone else. It has been three years, and your biological clock is ticking.”

  Caitlyn grinned. “This isn’t about me. It’s about you being a godmother.”

  She shrugged. “I can claim the title even if I’m not technically the aunt.”

  “You’re my best friend. Of course, you’ll be my kid’s godmother.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.” She winked before she took a sip from her coffee. She shuddered. “How do the customers tolerate this?”

  “The ambiance.” Caitlyn motioned around the near-empty diner. “It says class and style. It’s the in place to be.”

  Sandy giggled and shook her head. “You’re so full of it.”

  “Probably.”

  Jack peered through the door that separated his station from theirs. “I’m going on a smoke break. You girls think you got it covered in here?”

  Caitlyn noted the two women who had brought in their children and were laughing. “They’re not drinking the coffee you made, so we should be fine. No lawsuits pending.”

  “Yeah well, I wouldn’t have made the coffee if someone hadn’t been ‘indisposed’ at the time.”

  “You really want me to pee out here?”

  “I’m just saying,” he said with a shrug. “You weren’t here and people were asking for coffee. I had to do something before they started taking out their pitchforks and torches.”

  “Oh, go ahead and smoke,” Sandy told him. “We’ll fend off the hungry customers.” Once Jack nodded and returned to the kitchen, she turned her attention to Caitlyn. “As long as that movie is a comedy, thriller, or horror, I’m in for Friday.”