Wynter's Captive by Milly Taiden

Chapter One
     
     
    “Of all the ideas you’ve ever come up with, why the hell did you make me wear a white dress when I’m the maid of honor?” Lili groaned into her empty car’s interior. The warm leather seat rubbed her back while she drove for what felt like the fifteenth hour. Bluetooth connection allowed her to speak with her best friend and the current bane of her existence, Jaylin. “I hate white! You know I look fat in it.”
    Although it was Lili’s opinion she looked fat in pretty much every color. That might be due to her need to lose a few…or twenty pounds, but who the heck was counting, right?
    “I swear, Jay, if it weren’t because I love you like family, I’d have taken this thing off and showed up to your wedding naked.” Yeah right! Naked? Now there was a visual that would make Aunt Patricia go blind. A choked giggle escaped her lips at the image of Aunt Patty in one of her usual panic attacks. Aunt Patty, also known as Jay’s mom, tended to hyperventilate over the smallest thing.
    “We are family you silly girl, or have you forgotten you’re my cousin? And don’t you dare show up naked, Liliana Rojas! I will tell mom, and she’ll kick your butt into next week and probably make you wear one of her dresses. Her old maid dresses. You know the kind. With the million tiny, printed sunflowers and that square flap she calls a neckline.” Jaylin giggled. “Besides, I wanted to wear the red dress to stand out. You girls and every other guest there have to be in white. It’s a winter wedding. Oh, just get here already. What’s taking you so long?” She grumbled.
    “Just tell me if you were able to get the decorator to get you some of those crystal snowflakes we talked about? Those will look amazing hanging off the baby pines you’re using as centerpieces. ” She should’ve been there to help Jaylin put everything in order, instead of being a day late to the wedding.
    “Of course. What kind of winter wedding doesn’t include snowflakes? I might even make them get me a fake snow machine if the white stuff doesn’t show up soon.” A scuffling noise came through the line and then a panting Jaylin spoke, “Hurry up so you can see it.”
    Lili glanced ahead and sighed. It was the perfect day for a wedding. If only Jay had picked the summer months like normal brides. But no, Jaylin had to be different. A white wedding was what she wanted. As in everyone but her had to wear white. Too bad it didn’t look like there’d be any snow. In fact, it was a pretty warm winter so far. A long stretch of empty road, under a cloudless sky and bright midday sun, loomed before her. Thick forest lined up the sides of the road, caging her in. There wasn’t a sign of life for miles.
    “Hey, I didn’t tell you to come to the boonies to get married. I’ve been driving forever, and I can’t seem to get there. You know, New York has great wedding locations,” she grumbled. “And you were supposed to drive with me! But instead of a nice scenic drive with my best friend, I am driving alone and have to rush to get to you.”
    Running her fingers through her long curls, she looked down at the GPS. It flashed a straight arrow and indicated she still had another sixty miles of driving before she arrived at the cabin retreat where the wedding would be held. Stupid mountain retreat had to be in small-town nowhere.
    “This is not the boonies.” Jaylin laughed. “I’m sorry I had to fly, but Brandon got it in his head to bring me in much earlier than the wedding called for. If you would have taken the plane ticket I offered to buy you, you’d be here by now. But nooo you had to be all Ms. Independent I-can-get-my-own-ass-there-alone. Shit, you could’ve flown all my guests on a private jet if you’d used your trust fund. So now I’m left without my maid of honor until who knows when! Thank god the wedding isn’t until later this evening. You have enough time to make it here even in the event of any traffic