Page 2 of Forged in Deception

But no longer could she open her eyes and see her beloved Professor.

“You’re doing just fine for your first time. I promise. Don’t fight it. Just surrender. Trust me.”

She breathed again and again, grasping for her thoughts in the frenetic show of color and thundering sound.

Two words entered her mind before leaving it again, carried on the smoke and the waves of light.

“I’m scared.”

She hadn’t spoken them aloud, but she knew that he heard her. Some part of herself, a part that felt very far away now, was certain of it. She could trust him, just as she always had.

She felt herself beginning to relax at last.

The Professor was there beside her in the hut, and everything would be all right.

He was there.

He was still holding tightly to her hand.

CHAPTER

TWO

ASHER

“We can still fix this. This is not an emergency.”

“The bridal shop canceled! That is theultimatewedding emergency.”

“I’d say throwing up on your dress is a little bit worse. Or being left at the altar–”

“Ladies, can we focus, please? We’ll just find new bridesmaid dresses. It’ll be fine.”

“Ooh, now that we have the chance to change things up, have you considered doing orange? I look so gross in green. And orange is the hottest color for weddings this season. I read it in, like, ten bridal magazines.”

“Orange-orange, or pastel orange?”

“Either one. But not, like, orange soda orange. Obviously. Gross.”

“But orange is the hottest color forfall. It’s going to be almost Christmas!”

“So what? This is San Antonio! It’s not like it’s going to snow. Probably.”

“Okay, hold on. How about this? We keep it simple and just do black. It’ll be classy. And everyone looks good in black.”

“Black? Bristol, you can’t have your bridesmaids wear black! I know you’re stuck marrying Cam and therefore cleaning a house he lives in, but this isn’t a funeral.”

“Um, ouch! You do realize I’m sitting right here?”

“She’s right. You’re the messiest person on earth!”

Asher Forge stifled a laugh as his youngest brother, Cameron, glared over at the group of women gathered around the large dining room table. Just when he thought he’d die of boredom from all this wedding talk, things were finally starting to get interesting.

Cameron and his fiancée, Bristol, were due to be married in two months, and they seemed to be feeling the crunch. The father of the groom, Gabriel Forge Sr., had suggested that a family Sunday dinner and wedding planning session at his home in the country would be just the thing, considering that the reception would be taking place under a huge marquee in the backyard.

Apparently, it was going about as well as Asher had expected.

“You want my advice, Cam?” their cousin, Reilly, chimed in from the adjoining living room. “Just let the women handle the wedding. Just let them do whatever they want. It’s the most painless option.”

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