Read Caught (Men of the Show Book 3) for Free Online Page A

glowing from head to toe?   I know wedding glow and I know baby glow, and you’ve definitely got baby glow.”   She stood and walked over to her with her arms outstretched. “I’m so glad you finally told me!   It was almost impossible for me to keep my mouth shut.”
    The three of them were hugging each other with teary eyes when Nancy walked in.  
    “Why aren’t you in your dress yet, Karen?   We’ve got to get moving!”
    “Oh!”   Karen extracted herself and rushed over to the portable rack. “Let’s get this bitch on and get this thing over with. There’s a hunky man out there waiting for me to put a ring on it.”

    *   *   *

    The ceremony went off without a hitch. Everything was beautiful. Red and white roses filled the chapel, skillfully arranged around a multitude of candles, creating a warm, intimate environment even though almost two hundred people packed the church. Karen and Jerry made a heartwarming sight standing on the altar reciting their vows to each other, the love between them apparent in their eyes and the big grins on their faces. Karen had been worried she would break down into sobs, insisting Shannon hide a wad of tissues in her bouquet, but she was strong and smiled at Jerry the whole time.
    Matt was incredibly handsome in his tuxedo and Shannon felt beautiful on his arm. She wasn’t wild about the ruby-colored strapless floor-length dress she wore, but next to Matt, she could be wearing a black garbage bag and still be presentable.
    He smiled warmly at her when she walked to his side before they headed down the aisle. For a moment, everything else fell away and it was just the two of them. Matt tucked her arm into the crook of his and said, “You look beautiful,” and Shannon believed him as she gazed into his warm eyes, her heart beating faster, but Nancy quickly broke the moment when she shooed them forward. She hoped that after the ceremony they could resume the harmless flirting started the night before, but she was now alone and Matt hadn’t paid her one iota of attention after dinner.
    They’d enjoyed conversation while they ate, but when Shannon played the exchange back in her head, however, she could pinpoint exactly where he’d lost interest. What had started out as a nice and playful discussion quickly turned when her job came up, and that was all she’d talked about—how much time she had to put in, how she had no life and how all of her focus was on her career. That was the exact point he’d quieted down, and as soon as he’d finished eating, he’d excused himself.
    She sighed and took another drink of her wine. Alone at the head table while everyone else mingled—even her nosey relatives were avoiding her—and she was trying hard not to, but she was starting to feel sorry for herself.  
    Happy people surrounded her, her sister was married and pregnant, and the one guy Shannon hoped to engage in some mindless flirting with had ditched her. She didn’t know why the melancholy, but it’d hit her suddenly as Karen and Jerry danced together, their first time as a married couple.
    Shannon was happy with her life and loved her job, as demanding as it was, but there was a small worry that perhaps she was missing a great deal more and that panicked her. Was she truly okay with sacrificing so much now—the boyfriend, the wedding, and the kids—for a career that left no room for anything else?   Was she really going to put everything off until sometime down the road?   What if “sometime” never came?   What if she missed her one chance because her focus was solely on her work?
    Shannon scanned the room and her eyes kept coming back to Matt. He stood by the bar talking with some of his teammates. He’d removed his jacket, exposing his white shirt and charcoal vest and tie, looking like he should be on the cover of a magazine. She let herself daydream and imagine being with someone like him. It would be nice to have someone to talk to, to come home to and