Two Week Honeymoon (SAMPLE NOW ON AMAZON)

1 - Kinsley (EDITED)

"I don't understand what's going on in that head of yours. Why in the world would you cancel that breathtaking cake you fell in love with, that also tasted amazing for you to make your own?" my best friend and maid of honor, Kristine, wondered as she stood on the other side of the counter, observing me as I frosted the cake. "It was already paid for, and it's not like you haven't had other things to worry about."

You don't have to tell me. I already know.

Soon, you'll understand why I decided to make my wedding dress, the wedding favors, invites, cake, food, and everything else.

With my eyes on the cake, I dispersed the frosting and said, "Since I wanted my wedding to be impressive and unique, I changed course. I wanted to show Tristan what he means to me without breaking the bank, so I made everything." I slowly spun the cake, ensuring the frosting was even and I didn't miss a spot. "Besides. Baking is what I do for a living. So, why not save money by making my own cake?"

"You already had everything picked out and paid for that mega-dream wedding you always wanted—the dress, centerpieces, cake, flowers, and everything else. I don't get it. What happened that made you change your mind about having a fancy, high-end wedding to go as cheap as you are now?"

I picked up the icing spatula, touched up an area thinner than the rest, and then looked up at Kristine with a mischievous smile. "Tristan told me there was no reason to spend thousands of dollars for an event that lasted only a few hours. So because he begged me to make this wedding as cheap as possible, he's getting what he asked for. And some," I proudly said, grinning wider.

Kristine's eyes narrowed, and her head tilted to the side as she studied my face. "Tristan told you months ago he wanted you to have the dream wedding you always dreamt of having and for you to have the most extravagant wedding a bride could ever have. That money was no object since his parents offered to pay for it—well, most of it, anyway." She studied my face some more, looking for an answer. "You're up to something. For you to change your mind and make everything yourself screams something happened."

My brows drew together as I asked, "Why would making all my own things look like I'm up to something?" I extended my hand toward her. "Can you please hand me the piping bag and tips behind you?"

Two months ago, Tristan went out of town for work. When he returned a week later, Tristan surprised me when he handed me paperwork for an all-inclusive two-week vacation he had purchased for Barbados for our honeymoon.

A few weeks after surprising me with a trip of a lifetime—a honeymoon to Barbados, he shocked me when he asked if I could find a way to do everything cheaper for the wedding. Giving me an excuse that his parents told him they were no longer paying for it and all the money they already forked out, I needed to return to them—citing his father lost a boatload of money when the stock market crashed.

My first thought was, whatever, it's fine. I thought it was weird anyway when Tristan's mother first offered to pay for our wedding when the bride's family usually pays for it.

Tristan then told me that if I pulled off an inexpensive wedding, he'd use his savings to buy me the dream home I always wanted. That's when my plans for throwing an elegant wedding changed.

Actually, everything was changing—including my heart and emotions.

So because of what was happening around me, I got cheap—like bargain-basement cheap. And without Tristan knowing, I used his money and credit cards instead of mine to buy what I needed.

"I saw that mischievous look in your eye and that famous Cheshire Cat grin on your lips you always get when you're plotting something wild," Kristine accused as she held the piping bag and tips in front of me but refused to let go when I went to take them from her. "What did you mean Tristan's getting what he asked for?" She had an I demand to know what's going on look in her eye. I reached for the items I asked her to hand me, but she brought them to her chest as she said, "I'm your best friend and maid of honor, Kinsley. I deserve to know what's going on, especially since you're getting married tomorrow..."