Standing in Line to Marry a Man Already Taken Chapter 1

This is the third time Seth Farrelly and I are heading to the courthouse to get our marriage certificate.

The first time, his late friend's sister, Emma Lewis, loses her dog, and he spends the entire day helping her look for it.

The second time, Emma says she isn't feeling well, and he spends the whole day at the hospital with her.

I tell myself three's the limit. Today has to be the day we make it official.

But then a sudden downpour hits.

Seth shoves the only black umbrella we have into my hands.

Then he takes off his suit jacket and runs into the rain toward Emma, wrapping the jacket around her and the Samoyed in her arms.

"Emma isn't in good health. She can't be out in the rain. I'll take her home first. We can deal with the marriage paperwork another time."

His voice is as cold and detached as ever.

I stand there, gripping the umbrella handle, staring at the man who can't stand even a speck of dirt. Yet he lets the dog's muddy paw leave prints all over his white shirt.

And he still holds Emma protectively in his arms.

What Seth doesn't know is that this is the last time I'll ever wait for him.

My phone vibrates, and a message from Emma pops up.

"You lost again. That's three times now."

Watching the two of them disappear into the rain, I reply calmly, "I know."

* * *

After sending that message, I opened my umbrella and walked into the rain.

The wind was so strong that it snapped the umbrella's ribs.

By the time I made it back to the house, I was soaked through. My trench coat clung to my body, my lips had turned blue from the cold, and my fingers were stiff and numb.

When I opened the door, the living room was warm and brightly lit.

Emma Lewis was curled up on the couch in my silk nightgown, holding a glass of warm milk.

Her Samoyed lay at Seth Farrelly's feet while he gently dried her hair with a towel.

At the sound of the door opening, he looked up at me.

His brows immediately snapped together. "What happened to you? You know the house rules. You're not supposed to step into the house dripping wet."

I looked down at my feet. Rainwater was dripping from the hem of my dress, leaving a small puddle on the marble floor.

Yet right beside it, Emma's dog had left a trail of muddy paw prints.

Seth had always been a clean freak. During the seven years we'd lived together, he insisted that I organize my clothes by color and leave no water spots around the sink. He would even give me flak over a single strand of hair on the couch.

I'd always been careful to accommodate his habits, afraid of upsetting him. But now, he let that dog run wild in the living room.

There were even muddy spots on his white shirt, yet he seemed completely unbothered.

Emma set her milk down, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at me.

"Audrey, don't blame Seth," she said softly. "I was freezing, so he rushed me home. I'm sorry you got caught in the rain. Let me run a hot bath for you."

She hurried to her feet, but her ankle gave way, and she stumbled toward Seth.

He dropped the towel and caught her by the waist.

"Careful. What are you doing, moving around like this?" he scolded, though his voice was soft and full of concern. "You're not in good health, and you just had a scare. You need to take it easy."

Then he turned to me, his expression cold. "Look at you. You're making a mess on the floor. Are you throwing a tantrum?

"Emma's been worried sick about you. Can't you act like an adult for once? I left you an umbrella, yet you still got soaked like that. Are you really going to blame her for that?"

I stood there frozen. The sheer unfairness of it left me speechless.

To him, Emma getting caught in the rain made her a helpless victim, while my soaked clothes were just another pathetic stunt to get his attention.