My One and Only: A Holiday Novella - Book One in the Harper's Corner Series Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Thank You For Reading!

  MY ONE AND ONLY

  By Christina George

  All rights reserved. Use of any part of this publication, whether reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior consent of the publisher, is an infringement of copyright law and is forbidden.

  ASIN: B076JHVPBS

  1

  Jessica frowned at the full-length mirror in the church’s bridal dressing room. She looked like an enormous confection, a white explosion of tulle and lace. Not the look she would have chosen, even if she were 5 years old playing dress up.

  But William, her fiancé, wanted a big, traditional wedding, and he had implored her to wear his mother’s gown. Hence the dress with a five-foot train, a veil that would likely suffocate her if she wasn’t careful, and twelve (yes, twelve) bridesmaids.

  “You look beautiful,” said Maggie, who was one of only four bridesmaids who were actually her friends. The rest were William’s cousins. He insisted not including them would upset the delicate family balance. Big weddings were a tradition in the Larson family, he said, to which of course Jessica obliged him.

  “I feel like I should be a cake topper.” Jessica let out a sigh and forced a smile while she tugged at her wheat-blond hair that was pulled (a little too tightly) into a chignon. It was beginning to give her a headache, the tendrils of pain creeping in around her temples.

  Maggie fluffed Jessica’s veil again and adjusted her train. Wearing an off-the-shoulder, pink chiffon gown – which Jessica designed, Maggie looked natural, gorgeous.

  “Don’t you love the dress? Brides are supposed to love their dresses,” she bubbled, with her usual prep-squad cheeriness.

  Jessica nodded, “Of course I love it. It’s just…well…a lot of dress, and a bit hard to move around in.”

  Maggie moved closer—at least, as close as she could, given the circumference of the lace and fabric. “I know you wanted to wear one of your own designs, but William will be in awe of you. Isn’t that what’s most important?” she said softly. “Soon you’ll be Mrs. William Larson, and you’ll have babies. They will all call me Auntie Mags.”

  With some effort, Jessica turned away from the mirror, the dress shifting and rustling as she did. “You’re right, I’m being silly. William is an amazing man, and I’m so lucky to be marrying him.” Jessica sighed, and Maggie took her hand.

  “I hope one day I meet a man as wonderful as he is,” Maggie squeezed her hand and looked at Jessica reassuringly.

  Just then, the door to the bridal room swung open, and a sea of pink chiffon came billowed in, heels clicking on the polished wood floor, and laugher filling the room.

  Jessica turned and looked at each and every one of her bridesmaids and hoped she hadn’t forgotten anyone’s name…

  . . . .

  “You’re a selfish bastard!” Matthew Larson yelled at his brother while he gripped his arm even tighter. Will jerked his arm away, fumbled with his keys, and tried to open the door to his brand-new BMW.

  A wedding gift to himself.

  “I can’t do this!” he insisted, “Tell her I’m sorry. Since you’re her best friend, she’ll take it better from you than she would from me.”

  Matt gripped his brother’s arm again and swung him around, “You’re a disgusting bastard, and you can tell her yourself.”

  Will took a swing at him, clipping him on his chin. Matt figured his brother knew better than to tussle with him, since the Army had trained him to inflict serious damage in a fight.

  Matt let go of Will to rub his chin, and as he did, his brother jerked open the car door and slid in, slamming it shut after him and locking it.

  “I’m sorry!” Will yelled through the glass, and fired up the car, gunning the souped-up engine. “I’m really sorry.” And with that, he tore out of the parking lot, nearly sideswiping a few guests on their way to the church.

  2

  New Year’s Day, Five Years Later

  “Maggie I’m fine, really,” Jessica said, her cellphone tucked between her shoulder and her chin while she worked the silk fabric of a wedding dress.

  “You’re at the shop, aren’t you?” her friend accused, sounding impatient.

  “Yes, I am, and do you want to know why? Because a lot of girls get engaged this time of year, and soon this place will be flooded with brides wanting dresses, so I need to be ready.”

  Jessica could hear her friend sigh. “But it’s New Year’s Day,” Maggie said, and then added softly, “And it’s…”

  Jessica let out an exasperated sigh, “Yes, I know, it’s what would have been my and William’s five-year anniversary. Damn him for screwing up New Year’s Day for me, but the bastard insisted we get married on the first day of the new year, so we could start the year off right.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reminded you,” Maggie said.

  Jessica turned her attention back to the dress. Every year, William’s betrayal hurt less and less. Still, the sting was there. It didn’t help that since then, she opened up Ever After, one of the busiest bridal salons in all of Upstate New York, which also carried her own original designs exclusively.

  “It’s fine, really. He clearly did me a favor. Anyway...sorry I can’t make it.”

  “We’re all going to Jules’s bakery, our traditional New Year’s Day pig-out spot. You have to come.”

  Every year her friends gathered at Sweet Spot, her friend Jules’s bakery. Although closed for the New Year holiday, and had clearly stuffed themselves with cupcakes and cookies, they gathered every year, to talk about their hopes and dreams for the year to come. They were collectively referred to by friends and families as “the coven,” since the group of them had been inseparable since they were kids.

  While their annual gathering was, truly, nice and cozy, Jessica really didn’t have the time this year. Her wedding gown designs had taken off like wildfire. After a feature in Paris and US Vogue magazines—thanks in large part to the celebrity who wore one of her designs at a highly publicized wedding—Jessica was also supplying wedding gowns and other special occasion dresses to high-end wedding boutiques in New York City and throughout the country.

  She had decided to open her dress salon more than five years ago, even before she and William started planning their wedding. Now here she was, left at the altar going on five years, and designing some of the most sought-after wedding gowns in the world. Ironically, she secretly hated weddings. Okay, maybe hate was a strong word. She disliked them intensely.

  “If you don’t show up, we’ll all just come get you.” Maggie sounded def
iant, and Jessica knew her friend wasn’t going to give up.

  “Fine,” Jessica sighed. “I can be there in thirty minutes. Just let me finish pinning this dress, and I’ll be on my way.”

  Sweet Spot had supplied her wedding cake, but no one ever mentioned that, or what they’d done with it after she left the wedding in Matt’s truck. He’d broken the news to her, of course, in his own Matt way. Ever the gentleman, ever the good friend. Actually, her best friend. Even though she hadn’t seen him since that horrible day.

  Jessica slogged through the snow. It was still cold in New York, winter was in full force, and the town of Harper’s Corner looked like an old-fashioned Christmas card, thanks to a fresh snowfall the night before. Jessica had lived here all her life, and had never considered leaving, even after the humiliation of William’s abandonment.

  When she arrived at Sweet Spot, everyone was already there—Maggie, Adelaide, Caroline, and Charlotte…and Jules, of course.

  “Jessica!” several of the women caroled when Jessica pushed open the door.

  “We have lots of cupcakes,” Jules announced, motioning at the spread she had laid out. Jules walked over to give Jessica a peck on the cheek and whispered “How are you doing?”

  Jessica smiled and shrugged out of her coat, hanging it on the coat rack with the others. Then she turned to her friends, lifted her chin, and squared her shoulders.

  “Okay,” she said, probably louder than she needed to. “I am only going to say this once. It’s been five years”—she held up her hand, wiggling her five fingers, “Five. And I’m fine. I don’t wake up each New Year’s Day pondering how to end it all, or bemoaning that I was jilted at the altar. I’ve moved on, and I want you all to do the same.”

  Adelaide tossed her deep brown hair over her shoulder. “Well it’s about damned time, Jessica. We were about to call you pathetic,” she winked at Jessica while the rest of them laughed.

  “Now,” Charlotte leaned back and crossed her legs, “let’s talk about you getting back on the horse.”

  Jessica reached for a cupcake, red velvet with butter crème frosting, while promising herself to spend more time in Charlotte’s new spin studio tomorrow.

  “What horse?” Jessica took a bite out of the cupcake and decided it was worth every fattening calorie.

  “You know…” Maggie arched her brows, sipping her coffee, “…dating?”

  Jessica just looked at her and took another bite, letting the shake of her head be her reply. “No,” she said after she swallowed the decadent mouthful. “I have no time, and no inclination.”

  “My friend Claire said she got on Tinder, and got all kinds of requests,” a blinking, timid Adelaide offered.

  “Tinder is a sex site.” Maggie took a bite out of her chocolate cupcake.

  “It’s not!” Adelaide said, semi-horrified, then in almost a whisper added, “…is it?”

  “They’re all sex sites.” Jules set another plate of cupcakes on the table, and Jessica started to sit down when from behind her when a male voice behind her said:

  “What’s a sex site?”

  Who?— OMG, it’s Matt! Her best friend, Matthew Larson, looking devastatingly hot in an officer’s uniform, with a duffel bag over one shoulder.

  “Matt??” Jessica’s heart gave a happy thump. It was five years to the day since she’d last seen Matt. Setting down her second cupcake, Jessica ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck. His duffle hit the ground with a thud as he embraced her.

  “Hey, ladies,” he winked at the girls over Jessica’s shoulder.

  “Hey, handsome,” Maggie said. “What brings you home?”

  Jessica relaxed her arms, but noticed Matt still had his hands on the small of her back. His hair was dark, almost mahogany, and every hair neatly in place. At a towering six foot four, he was quite a bit taller than his brother.

  “Just got back from Afghanistan.” Matt turned to the girls. “It’s nice to see you ladies again. Jessica here has kept me updated with all of her letters and emails.”

  Maggie raised an eyebrow, “Oooooooh,” she wagged a finger at Jessica, and then at Matt. “So, you two stayed in touch, did you?”

  Jessica cleared her throat and gave her friend Maggie a warning stare. “As I would stay in touch with any best friend.”

  Matt tried to suppress a grin, “Well, ladies, I don’t want to keep you.”

  “Is this your first stop?” Jules asked, following Maggie’s lead.

  Matt nodded, “It is indeed. I had hoped to take home some sweets for my mother, and then realized what day it is.” He gave a side-glance to Jessica, and then quickly added, “I mean since it’s New Year’s Day, I thought the bakery would probably be closed. But then I saw the lights on...”

  “Well, for you, anything you want, Matt,” Jules leaned against the counter in a semi seductive pose she didn’t quite pull off. Just about every girl around the table, with the exception of Jessica, had had a crush on Matthew Larson, at one time or another. He was roguishly handsome, with thick, dark, wavy hair and light green eyes. The uniform only added to his appeal.

  “So, what can I getcha?” Jules watched Matt drag his eyes away from Jessica and over to her.

  “Oh, just grab a half a dozen of whatever, thank you.” He turned back to Jessica.

  “Can I drop by your place after I spend some time with my folks?” He tried to say it in a hushed voice, but everyone around the table leaned closer.

  Jessica nodded. “Sure, any time,” She said casually, while feeling anything but, with several pairs of eyes on her.

  Jules boxed up the cupcakes and walked around the counter, handing them to Matt.

  “Here you go, no charge, and thank you for your service.”

  Matt stiffened. “Thank you, but I don’t need a handout. I’d like to pay you.”

  Jules threw up her hands, “No way! Where would we be without you boys?” She nudged Jessica with her elbow. “Isn’t that right, Jessica?”

  Jessica patted Matt’s arm. “I’ll pay for them, Jules. A welcome home gift for my good friend Matt.”

  A chorus of awwws followed Jessica’s comment, despite her emphasis on the word “friend.”

  Matt gave Jessica a slight wink, then turned to the women with a small bow and said, “Ladies, always a pleasure, and thanks for the cupcakes. I’m sure my folks will love them.”

  “Not as much as they’ll love seeing you, I’m sure.” Jules said.

  “I’ll see you later,” he said, low-voiced, with a wink for Jessica. Then he left, closing the door gently behind him.

  “That is one fine specimen of a man, mmmm-mmm-mmmmm,” Maggie hummed after he was safely out of earshot.

  “Indeed, he is,” Caroline chimed in with her sweet Southern accent, fanning herself. “And you’ve been writing that hot hunk of man this whole time?” She shook her head at Jessica, who sat down and nonchalantly took another bite of her cupcake.

  “We’re friends.”

  “From the way he looked at you, I’d say good friends,” Adelaide offered. Timid as she was, the girl was no fool.

  Jessica grabbed another cupcake, trying to ignore them. “Matt and I have been best friends for years,” she said calmly.

  “Well then, I’d say you almost married the wrong brother,” Jules piped in, and Maggie’s mouth curved.

  “Yes, indeed,” Jules said, grabbing another frosted cake. “The wrong brother, for sure.”

  3

  After cupcakes (and an intensive interrogation regarding how often she and Matt wrote and what types of emails they sent), there was a brisk exchange about how good Matt might be in bed, truly a no-holds-barred cupcake fest.

  It was determined that he’d probably score somewhere between mind-blowing and making a girl forget her name.

  In the meantime, during the entire discuss
ion, Jessica didn’t respond, or encourage, or debate. She knew better than to get in the middle of a “girls-gone-crazy-while-eating-cupcakes” debate anyway.

  “Listen, ladies, I have to head back to the shop and get ready for tomorrow,” Jessica stood up and grabbed her purse.

  “Oh, Jessica, stay. We’re just getting started,” Charlotte winked.

  Jessica grabbed her coat off the coat rack and shrugged into it. “I’m sure you’ll do fine without me.”

  “Have fun with hottie Matt tonight. Do you think he’ll wear his uniform?” Jules raised an eyebrow while the rest of them giggled.

  “I want details!” Maggie winked as her friend grabbed the door handle, waved good-bye, and left without responding.

  The moment Jessica left Sweet Spot, she was back in shopkeeper mode, and anxious to get everything ready for the big post-Christmas rush she was certain would descend on her tomorrow. Unless, of course, Harper’s Corner was suddenly devoid of romance, which she doubted. Besides, even if nobody from her town got engaged, women would still come from miles around to shop at her salon.

  As she slipped the key in the door, she recalled the look on Matt’s face when he came to tell her his brother, William, had turned tail and bailed on their wedding. Matt had seemed almost as crushed as she was. When she cried, he’d been right there for her, listened to her, and consoled her.

  Setting her purse down on the counter, Jessica pulled out her iPhone and sent a quick text to Matt: “How about I make us dinner?”

  His response a few minutes later was, “Fantastic! I’ll bring wine.”

  To her complete surprise, she felt her body warm at the thought of dinner with Matt, of spending time with him again.

  Matt was, after all, a good friend, and moreover, he was her ex-fiancé’s brother, which in and of itself was complicated as hell.

  But they’d grown even closer while he was gone. There were times when he admitted that getting her emails and care packages was sometimes the only thing that kept him going. She made sure she wrote daily, sometimes just about trivial things, like keeping him up-to-date on town gossip, or the ins and outs of running her shop (which she was certain must have bored him to tears).