Romance Me: A Collection Of Standalone & First In Series Books Read online

  "Hey, where are you going?" She forced Kevin to sit down as he made his way toward the door. The longer she could keep him there, the longer she could put off the inevitable. "The night is young. Stay a while."

  Kevin leaned back and looked at his younger sister. He'd hung around her and her friends a lot growing up, but could tell it wasn't the night for his company. "What are you avoiding?" he asked while looking at the only box unopened on the table.

  Kimberly sat beside him and put her hand on her forehead. The air-conditioner blew cool air around her, but Kimberly felt flushed. "You know how I do things, you know, impulsively?"

  "Who? You? No way," Kevin joked.

  She turned her head and stared at the item tormenting her from behind. "I think I might have done something to that box," she whined.

  Kevin couldn't help but laugh at his sister's awkwardness. "You think, or you know? What could be so bad inside?"

  "I don't know," she frowned and nervously looked around to make sure her friends couldn't hear them. "There's just something about it," she started to explain, but another vision appeared before her eyes. She lay in a bed with nothing but a sheet covering her while watching a bare rear end walking away. Startled by what she envisioned; Kimberly jumped up. Kevin stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I bet there are embarrassing photos of me inside."

  Before Kevin could calm her down, Jennifer walked up to them and grabbed the box. "Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she asked Kevin.

  "Yes, I was just leaving."

  "Good," Melissa piped up. "I'll show you to the door."

  Kevin hugged Kimberly and whispered, "Let me know if Melissa left a love note to me in that box of yours." She shrugged but said nothing. "You'll be fine," he said then kissed her forehead.

  Kimberly disagreed. Her insides twisted, and she knew that box was to blame.

  THEY SAT IN A CIRCLE on the floor like they were conjuring a spell or something; the box sat in the middle. Kimberly pulled her knees to her chest and squeezed them into her. She looked around at her friends and realized there was nothing inside that wasn't supposed to be in there. The pit in her stomach had nothing to do with her impulsive behavior but the idea of letting her friends go for good.

  The box, in her opinion, was the last of their childhood. After it was opened, after all contents came out and stirred their memories, nothing would be left. They were adults now, and being adults had consequences for them as a group. Janie had become a world traveler and a wife to Jacob, a man she met while working in Paris. They officially resided in New York, but were away more than they were home. Jennifer had a young baby and did a great job being a single mother, but it left little time for friends. Kimberly was surprised Jennifer stayed at the party as long as she had. Melissa and Kimberly's friendship grew stronger, with the other two away so much, but Kimberly knew it was only a matter of time before Melissa would be gone too. What would happen after opening the box, she thought to herself, what other reasons would they have to get together?

  "If you insist on going through this God-awful thing," she said as she began to stand up, "then we're going to need more wine."

  The others moaned, their patience wearing thin. "Fine, but you sit down; I'll get it," Janie retorted knowing Kimberly would take a long time or find another reason to stop them.

  Minutes later, the time had come. Kimberly's nerves calmed. The memories that came out of the box caused them all to laugh. One by one, they took turns taking something out. Pictures, jewelry, magazine clippings, clothing, and books lay on the floor.

  Melissa reached in and grabbed a letter folded and shaped like a triangle. Her face turned crimson as she read it. The others asked what it was, but she slid it into her pocket and kept it safe from wandering eyes. Kimberly couldn't help but giggle while wondering if Kevin's suspicions were correct.

  "Okay," Janie shouted, "last item!" It was her turn to reach into the box, but she had been the first. "Wait," she stated. "How is there an extra item in here?"

  All eyes turned to Kimberly. From its conception, she kept it in her possession. The tension in her body returned, dancing and bottles of beer flashed before her eyes again. "How am I supposed to know?" she snapped when she realized they were waiting for an answer.

  Janie took the envelope in her hand. The other three watched intently as Janie ran her finger under the seal and pulled out some kind of certificate. She glanced at it then her eyes focused on Kimberly. Sweat began to bead up on Kimberly's brows as she anxiously waited to hear what it was.

  Janie made no expression when she said, "Holy crap, Kim. What the hell is this?"

  Chapter 2

  MELISSA LOOKED OVER Janie's shoulder at the certificate. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes grew large. Kimberly leaned across the circle. "What is it?" She attempted to grab the paper, but Jennifer intercepted. Her friends moved their eyes from the paper, to Kimberly, and back to the paper. None of them spoke for a long minute; the longest minute of Kimberly's life.

  "You're married!" Janie finally shouted.

  "I am not," Kimberly cried and succeeded at snatching the paper out of Janie's hands. The blood drained from her face as her hands began to shake. Her friends weren't kidding. The last remaining item in the box was a marriage certificate.

  Melissa started to laugh. "Guess there is a Tom after all."

  "And he splurged on the finest ring money could buy," Janie laughed as she held up a plastic ring with a hideous orange gem glued to the top. She found it inside the envelope then looked inside to make sure nothing else was in it.

  Kimberly broke down and cried. She had no idea where the certificate came from, but it looked legit. It was issued by the state of New York and carried her signature. The groom's name didn't ring a bell to her: Ryan Calvin. Kimberly thought she would throw up. "I don't know what this is. I'm not married."

  "Why wouldn't you tell us about this?" Janie snickered.

  Kimberly looked up to her friends and saw the concern in their eyes. There was never anything to tell them. She had no clue what was happening. "I just told you. This isn't real. What is this?"

  Melissa put her arm around Kimberly and pulled her close. "It's real, hon. Are you saying you don't remember eloping?"

  The word ‘elope’ brought a fresh batch of tears to Kimberly's eyes. "No."

  They all looked at each other and shrugged. "It's dated today, nine years ago. What do you remember about that day?" Janie smiled in hopes to help her friend remember.

  Kimberly frowned. She didn't remember anything except it was her birthday. "Nine years ago, I turned 21." She shook her head to let the others know she didn't know anything else.

  "Let's piece the puzzle together," Janie suggested. "We must have gone out to celebrate. Who doesn't party when they're legal to drink?"

  Jennifer crossed her arms and recalled a memory of her own. "Yeah," she replied to Janie's suggestion. "We did, but she abandoned us for some military guy." As soon as the words fell out of her mouth, Jennifer and the others knew they were onto something.

  "That’s it!" Melissa exclaimed. "This mystery man must be that man. You did leave us that night. Do you remember him?"

  Kimberly dried her eyes and rested her head on the chair behind her. She wondered if the images flooding her mind during the evening were memories of that night. She decided to come forward. "Earlier, I had visions. They must have been from that night. We danced and drank a lot of beer." Her friends leaned toward her waiting to hear more. Kimberly blushed. "I think I might have brought him home, but I definitely don't recall marrying him."

  "You did," Janie said as she waved the certificate in the air. "Happy anniversary."

  They passed the ring to Kimberly. She held it with her thumb and forefinger as another vision appeared before her. They stood next to a gumball machine searching her purse and his pockets for quarters. Several plastic ball-like cups were thrown on the floor. "We need a match," she heard him say but had no clue why.

&nbs
p; "It must be annulled by now," Kimberly said as she wiped her eyes from the tears that fell.

  Jennifer looked up from studying the certificate. "Hate to break it to you but, if you don't remember getting married, do you honestly think you would have remembered to get it annulled?"

  Kimberly jumped up and frantically searched her purse for her cell phone. The others sat and watched her every move. She dialed a number and impatiently waited for Kevin to answer. "Come on, come on," she mumbled into the phone. She knew what Jennifer said made sense, but Kimberly still didn't want to believe it.

  "Calling so quickly," Kevin answered. "So, she did confess her undying love for me."

  Kimberly looked to Melissa and recalled the note she put in her pocket but wasn't in the mood to play matchmaker. "It's more serious than that," she replied. "I need to see you right away. Legal matters," she added.

  "It's late, Kim," Kevin spoke into the phone. "Whatever it is, can't it wait until morning?"

  "No," Kimberly began crying again. "It can't wait."

  Janie walked to Kimberly and hugged her. "Honey, there's nothing he can do to help you right now. We're taking off. Go and get some sleep. Maybe you'll remember more."

  "You'll remember what?" Kevin asked, overhearing Janie speak.

  Kimberly sighed. They were all right; nothing could be done that late at night. "Fine," she ignored her brother's question. "Can you come over first thing in the morning?"

  "I'll be there," he answered then hung up.

  The others kissed Kimberly's cheek goodbye and left. Kimberly locked the door behind them then placed her head on the wall as she cursed herself for being careless.

  BY MORNING, KIMBERLY's eyes were puffy from crying and bloodshot from lack of sleep. She tried to get more rest, but discovering her unknown marriage caused a million thoughts to run through her mind. She made a pot of coffee and waited for Kevin to show up. He'd fixed a million mistakes of hers, but this was the first time she ever needed him to fix something within the legal system.

  At last, a knock on the door caused Kimberly to jump up and run to it. "Thank God you're here," she exclaimed as she pulled him into the kitchen.

  "What's the urgency?" he asked as she poured two cups of coffee. "It's Saturday morning."

  "I'm married," she burst out loud.

  Kevin nearly spilled his coffee at the news. "What the hell? I left you last night with three other females. Which one is your wife?"

  Kimberly didn't find his humor to be funny. She shoved the certificate in his hands and waited for his reaction. "We found this in the box."

  He looked at the paper in disbelief; the same look she had the night before. Kimberly could almost see the wheels in his head spinning. "Is this for real?"

  "You tell me," Kimberly answered. "You're the divorce attorney," she groaned at the irony.

  "Yes, I deal with divorces, but I don't need to see their marriage certificate whenever I receive clients."

  Kimberly took a sip of her coffee and sat back in her chair. Her nerves were out of control. "What am I supposed to do?"

  He placed the paper down on the table and reached over for her hand. "It's going to be alright. I'll take care of everything."

  Chapter 3

  IT TOOK DAYS BEFORE Kevin could take care of anything. His office was closed for the weekend, and any colleagues he needed to help him were out of their offices. Kimberly used that time to ransack her apartment: looking in drawers, safety boxes, and inside of old books for any sign of annulment papers. She still didn't remember that night but held onto hope that she took care of it long ago.

  When nothing turned up in her search, she went to her computer. Curiosity began to develop, and Kimberly wanted to know who Ryan Calvin was. She ran her own online management company and thought she knew how to locate anyone, but Ryan remained a mystery. She searched all the normal sites looking for information but found nothing.

  On Tuesday, Kevin phoned her. "Can you come to the office?"

  "I'll be right there," Kimberly answered, hoping her nightmare was ending.

  Once she arrived at his office, Kevin pulled a chair out for her to sit in. He sat opposite of her and frowned. "I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you," he told her. Kimberly didn't say anything. She just studied his face. "In the event that a spouse cannot locate the other to annul a marriage, they're legally required to post it in the notice section of all major newspapers."

  Kimberly shook her head. "I don't understand. What are you saying?"

  "We know you didn't file for an annulment because you don't even remember saying 'I do,' so I ran a search to see if this Ryan guy did. There is no sign of an annulment, and your marriage is legally binding, I'm afraid."

  Tears built up in her eyes, but Kimberly was determined not to let them fall. She didn't want to be married to anyone, let alone a stranger. "Are you sure? I looked him up and there is no trace of him," Kimberly stated. "Maybe this has all been a cruel joke."

  Kevin shook his head. "Many people avoid the internet, Kimberly. Just because you can't find him doesn't mean he doesn't exist." He opened a folder and placed a piece of paper before her. "This is the marriage license." He pointed to a couple different areas of the document. "That's your signature, this is his." She looked up at him but didn't seem to understand what he meant. "To have a certificate in your possession is one thing; you're right, anyone could play a trick on you. But, this," he said pointing to the paper, "was filed with the state of New York. Not a trick."

  Kimberly wiped her eyes. "What do I do now? What will Mom and Dad think?" Just the thought of them knowing about this made her cry.

  "They don't need to know," Kevin stated as he put the paper back in the folder. "I think a divorce is the best solution."

  "Divorce?" Kimberly squealed. "I thought we were talking about annulments."

  Kevin reached over and held her hand. He explained everything the best he could. "Ryan Calvin resided in Indiana when you eloped. I did some digging, and he still resides at the same address. To get an annulment in the state of Indiana, you need to be a resident for at least six months. You want to move?"

  Kimberly shook her head. "But what about here in New York? Isn't it possible to live in a different state than a," she choked on the word, "husband?"

  "New York has several requirements. Have you consummated the marriage?" Kimberly's cheeks turned crimson when Kevin asked. "Alright then," he continued.

  "Wait," she shouted. "I read somewhere that you can get an annulment if you can prove mental incompetence. I was drunk, doesn't that count?"

  "For three consecutive years?"

  "What?"

  "Mental incompetence must last three years," Kevin stated. He watched his sister's head hang and wished he had better news for her. "Listen," he said. "This happened nine years ago, and you're going to have a hard time convincing a judge that it was a mistake."

  "But, we haven't lived together in those nine years," Kimberly interrupted. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

  Kevin rolled his eyes but ignored his sister's question. He continued with his speech. " You'll have to appear in court, and fill out a lot of forms just to prove your marriage should be voided. I know you don't want to be a divorced woman, but filing that would be a lot easier. We can contact Mr. Calvin, have him sign the papers, and then it gets filed. Since I'm your brother, its not going to cost you anything; my wedding gift to you." He chuckled at the thought.

  Kimberly remained quiet for a few minutes. He was correct: she didn't want to be divorced, but she didn't want to be legally wed to someone she didn't know either. "Okay," she said at last. "Draw up the papers, and I'll go to Indiana myself."

  Kevin laughed but quickly realized she hadn't been joking. "Not happening," he instructed. "I'll have someone from the office take care of this for us."

  She stomped her foot under the table and slapped her hands together. "I'm not asking you if I could go, Kevin. You and my friends are always covering my ass. This mistak
e is huge, and I need to be an adult and take care of it myself."

  Kevin thought she was being ridiculous, but knew better to argue with her. "Fine," he answered.

  "Looks like I'm going to Indiana."

  Chapter 4

  KIMBERLY QUESTIONED her sanity as she drove through Indiana. Her friends told her she was crazy, but she wanted the divorce as soon as possible and didn't think things through. Thanks to Kevin, she had a phone number and an address. Kimberly attempted to call Ryan but, when he picked up the phone, she panicked. She should have talked to him, explained who she was and what she wanted, but she hung up like a teenage girl instead.

  She had no idea where she was and prayed that her GPS wouldn't lose service. Two hours earlier, her flight landed in Indianapolis where she rented a car and started driving. Kimberly was tired. She hoped that, once she found him, he'd sign the papers; and she could take the same drive back to the airport that night.

  Her fear of losing service turned into a reality. "Just great," she mumbled to herself. Kimberly pulled the car over and parked alongside of the road. There was no service on the device or on her cell phone. It was a good thing she bought a map back at the airport and wrote the address down. She was busy trying to figure out where she was going and didn't notice a squad car pull up behind her.

  "Are you all right?" A man's voice startled her as he tapped on her window.

  Kimberly nervously rolled down her window and saw a man who appeared to be a police officer. She read too many news stories about women getting tricked by law enforcer imposters. Kimberly, being out in the middle of nowhere, had her senses on high alert. She soon learned that this officer was legit.

  "I'm looking for this address," she told him as she handed him the paper with Ryan Calvin's information on it.

  He chuckled when he looked at the paper, but Kimberly didn't think being lost out in No Man's Land was funny. "I'm Gavin, the sheriff. You're not from around here. Do you have business with the Calvin family?"