Bram Baxter Marries the Wrong Sister (The Wrong Girl #1)

Chapter One

Bram

A fter six long months, the love of my life, Lois Jones, is back in town. Of course, she has no clue I’m madly in love with her, because I, Abraham Baxter, am a coward and have never told her how deep my feelings for her run.

But that is going to change. Today.

Rain hits the windshield in a steady rhythm as the truck’s wipers increase in speed, but even the downpour and gloomy skies can’t do anything to ruin my good mood. I put my right turn signal on and turn off the interstate, a broad grin forming across my face.

Lois’s absence has only increased my desire to confess my love for her. I’ve spent the time she’s been working in Europe solidifying my plans and working up the courage. It should be easy.

Step 1: I’ll finally tell my best friend I’m madly and hopelessly in love with her.

Step 2: We will date for an appropriate amount of time but no longer than a year.

Step 3: I’ll propose to her—probably in some elaborate, over-the-top way since that’s what Lois will expect. I’ll figure that one out later, though.

Step 4: We’ll have a short engagement, and then I’ll marry the girl I’ve secretly loved for the past decade.

I only hope and pray Lois feels the same way about me. She has to. Right? Lois and I have been friends since high school—when our parents became best friends—and attended the same college together. Neither one of us has ever dated much. I’ve gone out with a handful of girls, but I quickly realized my heart already belonged to someone else. Lois dated a bit more, but she’s only been in a couple of committed relationships that never panned out—much to my relief.

Through it all, the one thing we’ve always had is each other.

Last year, during one of our families’ Saturday night bonfires, I finally worked up the nerve to tell her how I felt. Stars peeped through the inky sky while we walked side by side on the beach, close enough for me to reach out and grasp her hand, though I refrained. The moonlight cast soft shadows across Lois’s face as the waves lapped at our feet. Everything had been perfect.

But as soon as I opened my mouth to tell her that I loved her, she blurted out that she was going to spend a year trekking through Europe to “find herself.” She said she’d be able to get great content for the lifestyle magazine she was writing for while building her influencer account on social media.

It was as if she’d ripped my heart right out of my chest and tossed it into the ocean, letting the waves carry it away until it was lost beneath its dark depths.

Her face lit up as she talked about all the places she planned to visit and all the things she wanted to do. I loved her too much to try and guilt her into staying, even if it gutted me watching her board that plane.

It’s been rough being separated, but seeing the joy radiating from her face in each picture and video she’s sent has made it easier to bear. The frequency of her messages and calls has grown fewer and farther between, but that’s to be expected since her social media blew up. She secured a permanent column with the magazine and became an influencer for travel agencies. I’m so proud of her. Plus, the time apart has been good. It’s proved to me that I can’t live life without Lois by my side. And maybe—hopefully—it has proved the same to her.

My heart rate increases as I imagine seeing her again and scooping her up into my arms. And maybe, just maybe, by the end of the day, we will be dating, and I can finally experience what it’s like to kiss her.

Or maybe that’s how I’ll greet her. Put all my cards on the table as soon as she opens the door.

Whistling an upbeat tune, I turn into the Jones’s driveway. I lift my hood over my head and exit my truck. Rain falls in sheets as I make a quick dash to the door. Thunder rolls in the distance and the air has grown chilly. I’m glad to be off the road if it’s going to storm. We don’t experience severe tropical storms often, but living on the North Carolina coast, there’s always the possibility of them.

Drawing a deep breath, I knock on the door as restless energy courses through me. I try to squelch my nerves and practice what I’m going to say as I rock back on my heels.

Grayson, Lois’s sixteen-year-old brother, greets me with a wide smile as he opens the door. “You look like a drowned rat.”

Laughing, I shake my head, wet droplets flying everywhere from my hood. “I feel like one.”

“I’ll tell everyone you’re here,” Grayson says as I remove my wet hoodie. He walks into the other room while I slip off my shoes and glance around the familiar home. Because of our families’ closeness and my deep friendship with Lois, I’d spent almost as much time at the Jones’s as I had at my own home during high school.

Laughter and voices float from the family room. The sound of Lois’s soft tone among them has my heart jumping in my throat. A tremor of excitement—and possibly a bit of fear—causes my hands to twitch as I run them through my blond hair.

“Bram’s here.” Grayson’s tenor voice rises above the others, quickly followed by quiet footsteps coming down the hallway. I straighten my shoulders and try to still my racing heart.

Lois walks in, her long blonde curls flowing over her shoulders. The red dress she wears hugs her curves, and I gulp, forcing my mouth to remain closed and my eyes to stay off of her long legs. She sends me a warm smile, one I’ve seen hundreds of times but will never grow tired of.

“Abraham,” she squeals, pulling me into a tight hug. She’s the only person who calls me by my full name, and I secretly love it. I hug her back, breathing in the scent of whatever expensive perfume she’s wearing, a sensual blend of cardamom and amber. It’s different from what she normally wears, but it’s still somehow her.

“LoLo,” I whisper, attempting to keep my emotions in check. “It’s good to have you home.”

She moves out of my arms, and I instantly miss her closeness. Giving me another smile, she reaches for my hand. “Come on, I have a surprise for you.” Excitement is bubbling out of her.

I smile, my heart lifting at the feel of her small hand in my larger one. Lois drags me into the family room where her mom, Ada, her other brother, Miles, and her sister, Quinn, are sitting with a man I’ve never seen before.

My eyes flit around the room, noting the expressions everyone wears. Grayson is propped against the wall, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and lips pursed. Miles looks bored, as is typical of the pre-teen. Ada’s hands are nervously twisting in her lap, and Quinn is sitting with her back tense and straight as a rod.

Something is definitely off.

Unease settles deeper and my shoulders stiffen as Lois drops my hand. She glides over to the unfamiliar man as he stands, her face beaming the entire time.

“Abraham, I want to introduce you to Chad Baldwin.” She pauses, gazing up at the man with an adoration I’ve longed to see directed at me. Jealousy clenches my gut. “My husband.”

Everything stops. The voices around me fade into a distant buzz as I stand frozen, watching helplessly as my entire world shatters and falls apart around me. I couldn’t have heard her right. It isn’t possible. Chad loops his arm around Lois’s waist and tugs her closer, dropping a light kiss on her lips. Instinctively, my hand forms a fist, and I have to resist the urge to punch the guy.

“Husband?” I hear someone ask, before realizing it’s my voice. This can’t be happening.

Lois twists a strand of her hair around her finger, a nervous tick when she’s uncomfortable. “I know it seems quick, but we met four months ago and have spent every day together since.” She giggles. “It was the sweetest thing. I was filming at the Eiffel Tower, and my tripod broke. I happened to see Chad standing there with his high-tech video camera. I asked him if he could help me out and . . .” Lois trails off, raising a delicate shoulder. “We hit it off. He’s been traveling with me and filming for my account.” She glances up at Chad again, looking like one of those heart-eyed emojis. She’s never given me that look before. “I knew the first time I saw him that he was the one.”

All of the air whooshes out of my lungs, and my knees almost buckle underneath me. How I remain standing in this moment, I’ll never know. Inhaling against the pain of my broken heart, I extend my hand—because Mom would skin me alive if I wasn’t a gentleman—and paste on a smile that would make any politician envious. “Congratulations.” I thank God my voice sounds normal, though a bit forced. If Lois notices, she doesn't say anything.

“Thank you. Lois has told me so much about you,” he replies in a heavy British accent that once again has me battling the impulse to punch him. I’m not usually prone to violence, but when you watch all of your dreams and well-laid plans dissipate before your very eyes, it tends to bring out the primal instinct to fight to the death.

Also . . . Lois has told him so much about me? Yet, she’s failed to mention the man in front of me even once in all of our correspondence. There is no way I missed an important detail like this. He’s never even appeared in any of the images or videos she’s shared online.

Thankfully, an excited squeal breaks the awkward tension hanging in the air. “Bram!”

A little body attaches to my leg, and even though my heart is currently lying on the floor in pieces too small to ever fit back together, I can’t keep from chuckling. “Jovie Bovie Blue,” I say over the lump in my throat.

Jovie, Ada’s six-year-old foster daughter, giggles and jumps into my arms, burying herself in my neck. The tender affection squeezes my chest, and I take a shuddering breath, hoping no one else can tell how close I am to falling apart. I focus all of my attention on the comfort of her little arms wrapped around me instead of watching Lois with her arms wrapped around Chad. That sight has nausea rolling inside of me.

The desire to punch the guy hits me again, but I push it down. I bet his name isn’t even Chad. It’s probably something obnoxious like Lord Chadwick.

“Bram, Mama Jones said I could get a hamster,” Jovie chirps, her blue eyes gleaming as she shakes her head. Bright pink ethnic braids flap around her face, the beads at the end clanking together with the movement.

“Jovie,” Ada replies sternly. “I believe what I said was that I would think about it.”

Jovie slants closer to me and stage whispers, “That means ‘yes’.”

The adults chuckle, and Chad says—in his pretentious British voice—“Perhaps later we can take you to the pet store to pick one out.”

Jovie eyes him warily and snuggles closer to me. Good girl. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. At least one of the Jones girls likes me better than Lord Chadwick. Though, technically speaking, Jovie isn’t a Jones yet. She’s still in the foster system, but I don't doubt if the opportunity arises, Ada will adopt her, like she and Zeke adopted Grayson and Miles.

Quinn reenters the room—she must have slipped out at some point—with beverages and snacks for everyone. Not just any snack. One of her homemade brownies. Normally, the thought of the chocolatey-gooey goodness would have me drooling everywhere, but the idea of something sweet—or anything really—on my already churning stomach makes me want to throw up. Quinn raises a dark brow when I turn down her brownie offer.

“Are you sure?” She tilts her head, her turquoise eyes narrowing slightly.

I send her a tight smile, hoping she doesn’t see right through me. “Yeah. I had a big supper.” Lie. I’ve never turned down one of her brownies before no matter how stuffed I am, and we both know it.

Quinn hums softly in response but thankfully doesn’t call me out as she continues serving everyone else.

One miserably long hour later, the storm has let up and I’m finally able to make my escape without drawing any questions about how odd I’ve been acting. Quinn keeps glancing over at me and rolling her eyes subtly whenever Chad starts talking. Guess I’m not the only one who is less than thrilled with Lois’s new husband. Though it’s for very different reasons.

I say goodbye to everyone . . . and Chadwick. The man’s name leaves a sour taste on my tongue.

How could Lois have gotten married without saying a word to anyone? Even her family?

And why does his name have to be Chadwick? Okay. In all fairness, I don’t know if his name is really Chadwick. It doesn't matter, though. Lord Chadwick. Chad. Chadwick. Whatever his name is, he isn’t me.

Lois sees me to the door. I wish she hadn’t. It takes a lot of effort for me not to tense when our arms brush in the hallway. Such an innocent act that used to make me want to lean in closer simply to feel her nearness now feels as if she’s taking a knife straight to my chest.

I can’t lean in to her anymore. Can’t long for her. Can’t think about kissing her. I can’t think any of those thoughts or entertain the feelings she’s elicited from me for so long.

Tugging my mostly dry hoodie over my head, I peek at the woman who’d just taken a wrecking ball to my heart and demolished my entire life’s plans. She’s completely destroyed me, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive this.

Anger and hurt twirl around inside my gut, each one trying to take the lead in the dance that is slowly killing me. Lois twists her hair, jaw tensing as her eyes dart around, not meeting mine. The anger stirring inside lessens as I watch her. Goodness, I do love her. And Lord help me, but I can’t stay mad at her.

Hurt? Yes. Angry? Well, I’ll work through it. Besides, I’m more angry with myself for not saying something to her sooner.

“Congratulations again, LoLo. I wish you all the best,” I say softly, surprising myself at how much I mean the words.

Her features relax and she glances up at me, causing the ache in my chest to deepen. “Thank you, Abraham. He's a great guy.” I want the best for her, I truly do. That doesn’t mean I want to stand here and talk about Chadwick. Her husband. Her husband who is not me.

Giving a stiff nod, I reply, “Well, I guess I’ll see you around, if you plan on staying?” I hesitate, not sure what I hope she will say. Do I want her to stay? If it was only Lois? Yes. A hundred times, yes. But Lois and Chadwick? Seeing them together? Cuddling? Kissing?

No. My heart can’t take it.

She lets out a sigh and runs her fingers through her hair. I try not to follow the movement or to recall how many times I’ve longed to run my own fingers through her blonde locks. “I’m not sure what the plans are right now. Truthfully, we wanted to spend more time in Europe on our honeymoon before coming home. But then Mom told us how sick Quinn is—”

“Quinn’s sick?” I interject, my brow furrowing. My twin brothers, Cyrus and Titus, and I were just here a few days ago for a cookout and no one had said anything. How had Quinn looked? I try to think back, but she’d seemed her normal, quiet self. Maybe a little slimmer than usual. Truthfully, I hadn’t paid much attention to her. A twinge of guilt pokes at my chest.

Lois nods and sighs. “You know Quinn, she doesn’t like the attention. She’s felt off for a few weeks. But it’s getting worse and Mom said she’s losing weight. Quinn won’t admit it, of course. I decided to come home last minute to help Mom try to get her to go to the doctor. She’s refusing because it’s so expensive.” She sounds worried, which causes a knot of anxiety to form inside my gut.

“She doesn’t have health insurance?” Quinn is three years younger than Lois and me, the same age as Titus and Cyrus. The thought of something being wrong with her settles heavily on my chest.

“No. And she refuses to try and get a job that will provide it,” she replies with a bitter edge to her voice. Tears well up in Lois’s eyes, and she wipes a stray one away with her thumb. I stuff my hands into the pocket of my hoodie, fighting the urge to pull her into a hug. Before Lord Chadwick—I have to stop thinking of him like that or I’ll end up saying it to his face—it would have been natural. I don’t have that right anymore.

“That would be tough for her. She loves her job.”

A huff escapes Lois’s lips. “Yeah, but she needs to take care of herself too.”

I can’t argue with that. Knowing Quinn, nothing could make her give her job up. “I’ll be praying for her.” It’s the only solace I can offer at the moment.

Lois gives me a wobbly smile, her eyes watery with unshed tears. “Thanks, Abraham. You’re a great friend.”

The word clings to me throughout the rest of the evening. Friend. It’s all I’ve ever been to Lois. All I’ll ever be now.

As I climb into bed that night, I try to think about my future. But every time I close my eyes, all I see are Lois and Chad. Lois had been my future. Now she’s gone and my life will never be the same.