Best Foot Forward

  Best Foot Forward

  The Best Girls Series

  Book Three

  by

  Tamie Dearen

  Best Foot Forward

  Book Four of The Best Girls Series

  Tamie Dearen

  Text Copyright © 2014 Tamie Dearen

  All Rights Reserved

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Special Thanks

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Acknowledgements

  Undying thanks to all my early readers: Nancy, Heidi, Avery, Alyssa, Holli, Wesley, Scotty, and Janna. Your encouragement kept me going, and some of you even took the time to mark mistakes for me. Thanks for being patient with my writing obsession. And most of all, I need to thank my sweet husband, Bruce, who calls himself a writer’s widow. He inspired me with romance, acted as primary reader and consultant, and battled jealousy as I spent endless hours, late into the night, in an intimate affair... with my computer.

  Special Thanks

  Writing can be lonely, but great supporters make it all worthwhile. Some supporters went out of their way to help spread the news about The Best Girls Series. A special thanks goes out to all of these great people who helped make this happen: Ramona Moore, Scotty Shepherd, Wesley Daniels, Donna Read Peace, Ashley Longoria, Katy Kornegay, Marsha Herron, Callie Ann Haas, Ellen Berggren, Donna Burkett, and Emily Seawright. You rock!

  Chapter One

  Horatio was in love with Grace Marshall. And he was determined to marry her. She was perfect in almost every way. She was beautiful, with shoulder-length thick, wavy brown hair and huge hazel eyes that twinkled when she laughed... which was almost all the time. She was always in a good mood. No matter what the weather was like, no matter what anyone did, no matter what anyone said, she always laughed. Nothing seemed to bring her down. When she walked into a room, it was like the sun had appeared from behind the clouds. She was almost perfect, except for her being a little too tall.

  But Horatio knew her height wouldn’t be a problem for long. He was growing fast, and his big brother was really tall. Horatio was already the tallest kid in Ms. Marshall’s first grade class—well, almost the tallest. Madison and Ariel were taller than him, but they didn’t count since they were girls. And Ms. Marshall liked Horatio a lot. She had told him how special he was, and she always got excited when he drew her a new picture. And when he got his new shoes, she’d really liked them. He couldn’t wait to show her his loose tooth.

  “Look, Ms. Marshall! Look! Do you see?” He opened his mouth wide and twisted the tooth to demonstrate how wiggly it was.

  *****

  “Oh!” cried Grace at the sight of the bloody tooth. She turned her head and swallowed at the queasy feeling that surged in her stomach. “That’s really great, Horatio,” she said, hoping her face wasn’t as green as she felt. She’d always had a problem with blood, but she’d hidden the malady from everyone she knew. Even her own family had no idea how nauseous she became at the sight of a single drop of the red oozing liquid. She certainly couldn’t reveal any sign of that particular weakness around her first graders. They’d be certain to plague her with cuts, scratches, and bloody noses at every opportunity.

  “I get to put it under my pillow, and I get money for it,” said Horatio. “I’ll buy you something with my money. What would you like?”

  “Horatio, that’s so sweet. But I don’t want you to spend your money on me. You should buy something for yourself or for someone in your family.”

  “But I want to buy you something.” His lower lip began to tremble.

  “The best present you could get me would be another one of your pictures,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

  “Ms. Marshall,” said another little boy standing close by. “I have a loose tooth, too. You wanna see?”

  “No thank you, Jeffrey. I need all of you to go get your backpacks right now. It’s almost time to go.” Grace surveyed her noisy class—five girls and thirteen rambunctious boys. She’d only made it through one week, and she could tell this would be a long school year.

  She glanced at the clock, looking forward to the dismissal bell and imagining her muscles relaxing in a hot shower before she settled down for a cup of hot tea. Rent was expensive in New York, so Grace had moved back into her family’s home two years ago when she finished her degree. She still paid rent, but only a fraction of what it would cost her to live in an apartment, even sharing expenses with a roommate or two. And truth-be-told, she loved being back with her three younger sisters, whom she’d missed terribly during her college years, despite seeing them all at least once a week for Sunday night dinner. The Marshall clan, as they called themselves, were extremely close, though they had their fair share of squabbles. Her older brother, Spencer, was the only sibling who had moved out permanently. Of course, he was soon to be married to Emily Best, and Grace would have yet another sister.

  “Too much estrogen around here,” their father complained, though the whole family knew he was teasing.

  The bell rang and the kids poured out the door, most of them pausing to receive a goodbye-hug. All the germicide in the world couldn’t keep her from catching whatever sicknesses the kids had, but Grace couldn’t bring herself to deny showing affection for the kids. Some of them came to school with dirty faces and hollow eyes, revealing the stress of their home-lives. If suffering a few colds and viruses during the year would lift their spirits, then so be it.

  Horatio was the last to leave, kicking the floor with his foot as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You don’t want a present, Ms. Marshall?”

  “I just don’t want you to spend any money on me, Horatio. A picture would be very nice, and it would mean just as much to me.”

  “Okay,” he mumbled.

  Grace patted him on the head as he left and fetched her purse from her desk drawer.

  “Hey, Grace!” Katy, a fellow teacher who’d been a friend in college, leaned into the doorway. “I missed you during our recess break today.”

  “Yeah—sorry about that.” Grace lifted a hand to rub her forehead, realizing she had a headache. “Marcie asked me to take her recess shift. She said her ankle was swelling.”

  Katy rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with Marcie’s ankle—she told me she’s going dancing tonight. Didn’t you sub for her on Monday, because of her supposedly sore throat? She’s just using you.”

  Grace let out a groan. “You’re probably right. But I just don’t suspect people of doing that sort of thing.”

  “That’s because you’re too nice, Grace. You would never lie like that.” Katy’s mouth screwed sideways. “Well, that’s not quite true. You aren’t intentionally deceitful for selfish reasons. But you do tell those crazy whoppers that pop into your head when you’re in a panic. Like the time the principal caught you coming in late because you overslept, and you told her there was a fire at your apartment.”

  “Technically, that wasn’t a lie. I did catch my toast on fire that morning.”

  “Yes, but remember how bad you felt when she
took up a collection for you?”

  Grace felt her cheeks burning. “Yes, I swore I would never do anything like that again. But sometimes crazy things come out of my mouth and bypass my brain.”

  “I know it. But don’t worry... that’s one of things I love about you.” Katy’s mouth dimpled as she winked. “Do you have plans this weekend? Going someplace fun with your hunky doctor boyfriend?”

  Grace’s stomach bunched up. She’d been trying to avoid thinking about Brad. Ever since last weekend when he’d mentioned the idea of love and marriage, she’d known she had to break off their relationship. It was wrong to keep stringing him along as if her feelings were as serious as his. She had to do the right thing.

  She tried to keep her tone of voice light. “Actually, I don’t think we’ll be dating much longer. I plan to end it tomorrow night.”

  “I thought you really liked Brad. What happened? Was he cheating on you?”

  “No, worse than that. He said the L-word.” Grace pronounced the letter like it was a curse.”

  “How awful!” Katy’s words dripped with sarcasm as she crossed her arms and rested against the doorframe. “He should be tarred and feathered. Or maybe we should burn him at the stake.”

  “You know I don’t do long-term relationships. I just date for fun.”

  “How long are you going to let one bad relationship ruin your life? Can’t you just accept that Mark was a jerk and move on? That was your freshman year in college—it’s been five years now.”

  “I have to accept the fact I’m too gullible. I believed Mark when he said he loved me, just like I believed Marcie when she said her ankle was hurt. I’ve learned that all guys want is to have sex. So as soon as they make a move or use the L-word, I know it’s time to move on. I’ve done that ever since the fiasco with Mark, and it’s been working great.”

  “But if you follow that rule forever, you’ll never get married.”

  “I don’t want to get m—” Grace’s throat clenched as she squeezed out the word. “Married.”

  “Your face just turned white, Grace! What is it with you and marriage? You were one of my bridesmaids, and you loved it. You’ve been gushing about your brother’s engagement. Why is marriage okay for everyone else, but not for you?”

  Her throat felt like hot gritty air had been blowing through it. “I don’t know. I think it’s because I really believed I was in love with Mark. I don’t think I can ever trust my own judgment.”

  Katy’s head was already shaking with a what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you expression etched on her face. “Just don’t do anything crazy, Grace. Give him a chance to prove he really does love you.”

  Grace forced her lips into something she hoped resembled a smile, but she didn’t reply. She knew she didn’t dare take that chance with Brad. Her willpower wasn’t that strong. If he really convinced her he was in love, she would make the same mistake she made with Mark.

  Handsome and athletic, Mark had professed his devotion and spoke of their future together, his sincere words thrilling her even more than his kisses. In a moment of weakness, she stopped fighting and surrendered to passion, imagining their certain future together as husband and wife.

  But the next day, she was filled with regret. She told him she didn’t want to have sex again until they were married. His jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed, cold fury lacing his words. He called her cold and manipulative and about fifty other adjectives that ripped her heart out and left behind scar tissue that would never heal.

  It was then that she realized she couldn’t trust herself. She’d thought she was in love. She’d believed he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. But she was wrong. So wrong. She couldn’t trust herself, and she couldn’t trust men, either.

  After nine miserable months, her sisters and friends convinced her to date again. But now, she was careful to guard her damaged heart. She never allowed a physical relationship to progress beyond a few kisses, and never in a private place where she might be tempted to repeat her mistake. She always ended her relationships before anyone became too emotionally involved, usually after one or two months... three at the most. This routine had been working for years.

  Some men were only interested in sex, but that kind of guy was usually upfront about it, boldly suggesting they could be friends with benefits, upon which she would send him packing before the relationship got started.

  But others were subtler in their approach. As she got older, she saw a pattern developing. Once a man began to talk about being in love with her, mentioning how much he cared for her, there seemed to be only one way he wanted to express that love—through sex. Some would even profess love on the very first date. She hated hearing that word, because it didn’t mean anything, at least not what it ought to mean. The one thing it always meant was the end of a relationship.

  But Brad was different from other guys she’d dated. Perhaps it was because, at thirty years of age, he was six years her senior. Whatever the reason, he hadn’t pushed her sexual boundaries. He took her out and entertained her and spent time with her and made her laugh for two months. And not one time had he ever attempted to do more than kiss her. But man-oh-man did he ever kiss her. His kisses made her toes curl and clouded her normally clear judgment. She knew if they continued to date, she’d soon be willing to abandon her physical boundaries with Brad. And even more dangerous, she might fall in love with him.

  Grace knew she had to break up with Brad, especially after what he revealed the week before. She couldn’t get it out of her mind...

  They had been at Brad’s apartment, watching a baseball game, one of her favorite pastimes. Even though her small stature and cute features made her seem like a prissy girl, Grace loved sports of every kind. She liked baseball, basketball, hockey, football, soccer... You name it—she liked it. His roommate, Josh, joined them on the couch since he was currently mooning over a girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day.

  Her eyes kept darting away from the game to look at Brad. He was, in her opinion, the most attractive guy she’d ever met, with six feet of lean muscle. He wore his dark-brown hair closely cropped and sported a goatee, a look Grace absolutely adored. His eyes were blue, light crystal blue, like looking into water. Like her, he was an outdoor and sports fanatic. He was extremely bright, having done his emergency room residency at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. But he recognized her intelligence, never talking down to her even though she was a first grade teacher. She’d never had as much fun with anyone in her life as she’d had with Brad.

  The trouble started when Josh was called into work at the hospital, leaving the two of them alone. When Brad reached his hand out to tenderly cup her cheek, gazing at her with his eyelids halfway closed, she felt her heart begin to race. With no more than the lightest brush of his lips across hers, she felt a fire kindling inside her.

  “Grace... You’re so beautiful.” His voice was low and gravelly, and she could hear him breathing fast and heavy. She wanted to let herself go and be fully engulfed in his touch, his caress, his whisper. But she knew this was the dangerous time, when she could easily disregard her own boundaries. She didn’t want to do something she would regret later.

  He planted light kisses all along her jaw and she lifted her chin to allow him access. His fingers trailed up and down her neck, sending millions of sparks through her nerves until she was squirming in her seat. He moved his mouth back to hers and teased her lips until she pushed her mouth against him, yearning for full contact. But he held back, playing with her lower lip until she moaned into his mouth. At the sound he groaned back and his kiss became more urgent. Harder. Seeking. His tongue slipped between her lips and slid against hers.

  Abruptly he pushed himself away and fell back against the couch. “Grace, I can’t keep doing this.”

  She groaned at the loss of his touch. Then tears pricked her eyes as she realized what was coming. Their relationship had to end. She’d had this moment many times before with
other guys, but for some reason it felt worse to lose Brad.

  “I understand,” she whispered, surprised at the ache she already felt. “I’m just not willing to give you what you want.”

  “No, I don’t want you to... I mean... I can wait.”

  “Wait?” Blood pounded in her ears. “But—“

  “I love you, Grace.”

  Grace’s jaw opened and closed like a guppy. Her heart thudded in her chest and clenched with longing—a deep desire to believe his words. She hadn’t felt this way since that fateful night with Mark. Alarm sirens screamed inside her head.

  “I need to go.” She leapt toward the door.

  “Grace—stop!” He was following her outside. “You can’t walk home at night alone. Let me walk with you. We can talk on the way.”

  “No... I don’t want to talk.” Her voice was shaking, as were her hands. Her entire nervous system had gone haywire.

  “Okay. I won’t talk. I’m sorry I said that. I thought I’d waited long enough to tell you, but I won’t say it again. Please? Okay? Just forget I said it.”

  She didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer. The old wounds from Mark’s harsh words gaped open, raw and bleeding.

  I really like Brad. I didn’t mean to hurt him. Will he think I’m cold and manipulative? I don’t think I can bear to hear it from him.

  True to his word, Brad didn’t speak to her on the twenty-minute walk. When she reached her door, trying to escape inside, he pulled her against him and held her tight. It felt so good to be in his arms it hurt. His hand smoothed her hair as his lips pressed against the top of her head.

  “Grace... Don’t freak out on me. Nothing has changed. We’re still good together.”

  When she tore herself from his arms, it felt like pulling damp skin from a freezing metal pole. She had fought back her tears as she rushed through the door to the safety of her home. Inside the heavy wooden door, grateful no one was there to see her, she calmed herself down, resolving to do what had to be done. The next time I see Brad, I have to break up with him.