Read Online Only One for Me by Candace Shaw - Free Book Online Page A

at the end of the day and whisked me off to Montreal. He
got permission from my principal so I could be off for the rest of
the week. We’re here now.”
    “ In Canada?”
    “ Yep. He’s here for
business, so he’s actually in a meeting at the moment. I just
couldn’t believe it.”
    “ So when’s the big day?”
Taking off her black suit jacket, Yasmine tossed it on a barstool
next to the island.
    “ Well … we have to get
married really soon, like the first weekend in June. He’s accepted
a job in Madrid, Spain.”
    “ Congratulations. I’ll
start looking for plane tickets to New York. Just tell me
when.”
    “ Since my family is mostly
in Memphis and his is in St. Louis, we’re going to get married in
Memphis.”
    “ Makes sense.” The
microwave beeped. Yasmine took out the plate, poured a glass of
Merlot, and carried the items to the couch, plopping down on
it.
    “ And you have to be my
maid of honor.”
    “ I would be
honored.”
    “ Thank you, girl. And I
need a big favor. Because I’m in New York, there are some things
with the planning process that I can’t do, even though I just
secured a wedding coordinator in Memphis. I need someone there I
know and trust, and I trust you.”
    “ Of course I will. Lucky
for you, my consulting contract with the school system doesn’t end
until the middle of June, so I’ll be here. Just email me the
information and a laundry list of assignments, and I’ll get on
it.”
    Having lived away from her hometown of
Memphis since she was eighteen, Yasmine had moved back temporarily
six months ago from Atlanta to be with her mother, who was in
remission from stage one breast cancer after completing her rounds
of chemotherapy.
    “ Perfect. Doug has asked
his best man to help with some things like the tuxedos and what
not.”
    At the mention of the best man,
Yasmine’s heart dropped and the food on her plate no longer looked
appetizing. She took a sip of her wine before asking the dreaded
question.
    “ Who’s the best
man?”
    “ Relax, its Doug’s big
brother. He lives in St. Louis and will go with you to the first
meeting with the coordinator this Monday at three o’clock if you
can make it.”
    Yasmine breathed easy again and took a
sip of her wine.
    “ I can make it. I honestly
thought you were going to say someone else’s name.”
    “ Nope. Doug did ask him,
but he’s speaking at a medical convention in Vegas that weekend and
won’t be able to come to the wedding.”
    “ Why am I not surprised
that Dr. Cannon Arrington is too busy to attend his best friend’s
wedding?”
    “ I can’t believe you
haven’t bumped into him since you’ve been back in
Memphis.”
    “ Fortunately, no. Besides,
I’ve been with mother or doing consulting work for the school
system.”
    “ Doug said Cannon has been
in Brazil the past few months doing business for Doctors Unlimited.
You know he’s the CEO of the organization. He’s in and out of town,
so maybe that’s why you haven’t run into him.”
    “ Sherika, what is our
agreement?”
    Her best friend since
fifth grade sighed. “That I never mention him or what he’s doing to
you.”
    “ Thank you. Now back to
you and the fabulous wedding I’m going to help plan.”
    The ladies talked for a few more
moments about the wedding details until Doug returned from his
meeting and Sherika happily got off the phone. Yasmine finished her
dinner in relief mode. The last thing she wanted to do was to run
into Cannon, much less plan a wedding with him. Even though she was
now thirty-six and not the naïve girl she was in her early twenties
when she thought she was in love, she still didn’t want to see him.
It took her years to get over their relationship that she thought
was perfect. Eventually she’d dated again, and even had a few
marriage proposals, but turned them all down. They had been nice
guys, but she’d guarded her heart to the point of never falling in
love again, dumping guys left and right when she