You arent responsible for what happens to me, Garrett.
You became my responsibility the moment I brought you home, he refuted gruffly.
Jenna was touched by his chivalrous sentiment, and startled by the deeper layer of resentment she detected in his tone.
Why did you do it? she asked quietly. You could have left me to fend for myself.
He scoffed at that. Sweetheart, you were far from being able to take care of yourself. You were in no shape to be left alone, and your options were limited. I was your safest bet.
Thank you.
He shrugged off her gratitude. So, what do you plan on doing now?
You mean now that Im no longer someones bride?
Almost at the altarwill these nearlyweds become newlyweds?
Welcome to Nearlyweds, our brand-new miniseries featuring the ultimate romantic occasionweddings! Yet these are no ordinary weddings: our beautiful brides and gorgeous grooms only nearly make it to the altarbefore fate intervenes and the weddingsoff!
But the story doesnt end there. Find out what happens in these tantalizingly emotional novels by some of your best-loved Harlequin Romance® authors over the coming months.
To Catch a Bride
by Renee Roszel
#3660
The Wedding Secret
Janelle Denison
www.millsandboon.co.uk
To my niece, Briannamay you find a hero as strong and handsome as your dad. As always, to Don, for being all that, and more.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
THE bride had the face of an angel and the body of a goddess, all wrapped up in yards of shimmery white fabric that spilled like liquid satin all around her. The incongruity of so much lily white material in an establishment where sinful fun was a Saturday night invitation made Garrett Blackwell do a double take as he slid onto a vacant stool at the bar.
He wasnt the only one staring at the lone bride occupying the far corner booth, drinking, or rather gulping, dark liquid from a snifter. Leisure Pointe was rocking with loud music and rowdy as ever with good-natured arguments and boisterous laughter, but the main attraction seemed to be the lady in white. The women eyed her with curiosity and speculation, while any one of the men looked willing and eager to stand in for the nonexistent groom.
Garrett couldnt blame them. She was a head-turner, the kind of woman a man could make a real fool of himself over. Huge blue eyes, full lips that begged to be kissed, and flawless, satiny skin that seemed to glow with warmth. Hair the color of sun-dappled wheat was pinned on top of her head, half of which had escaped to fall in a riot of springy, spiral curls around her face and down her back. The off-the-shoulder design of her wedding gown, dazzling with pearls and sequins, dipped low enough to hint at nicely rounded breasts, then nipped in to what appeared to be a tiny waist. He imagined she had long, slender legs to match, and cut off his thoughts before they traveled to more forbidden territory. What skimpy lingerie she might be wearing beneath that dress was none of his business.
Shes a looker, isnt she?
Garrett finally turned on his stool and faced Harlan, the burly man who tended the bar and owned the joint. Harlan wore a plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled to just below his elbows, old worn jeans, and suspenders to hold them up, though the thick girth of his belly could have done the job just as easily.
What she looks like is someone who made a wrong turn off of Interstate 44 coming out of St. Louis. No one as city-polished and elegant as her would deliberately head to the small town of Danby, Missouri, unless theyd gotten lost. Who is she, anyway?
Damned if I know. Harlan pried open a long-neck and set the bottle in front of Garrett, knowing his preferred drink. Nobody seems to know who she is or where she came from. Never seen her around Danby before tonight, and shes got a face and a body no healthy, red-blooded man would forget, if you know what I mean.
Oh, Garret knew exactly what Harlan meant. He didnt have to turn around to remember what she looked like, to recall the wild crush of hair a man could lose his hands in, full breasts made more lush by her slim waist, or to experience that unwanted stirring of desire that had skirted the edges of his own sanity. Shifting in his seat, he lifted the bottle of beer to his lips and took a long drink of the cool, malty liquid in an attempt to banish his wayward thoughts. So, wheres the groom?
Harlan cleared dirty glasses off the counter and set them in the soapy water filling the sink behind the bar. Havent seen one, though shes had a few marriage proposals from the young bucks here tonight. Theyve been swarming around her like flies on a horses tail, and making a general nuisance of themselves. He shook his head, something fiercely protective lighting his brown eyes, the kind of look one would expect from the father of three teenage daughters nearing the dating age. I finally had to tell them to back off and leave her alone. She doesnt look like shes interested in the kind of company they have in mind, though that hasnt stopped some of them from sending her drinks. Five snifters of Amaretto. I just told Becky to cut her off and not to accept any more orders from her admirers, unless its for coffee.
A smile twitched the corner of Garretts mouth. Harlan appeared and acted like a big, gruff grizzly, but he was a kind and fair man. He ran his establishment efficiently and didnt begrudge a person a good time. But it was also known by anyone who frequented the place that Harlan didnt like trouble in his bar, didnt allow arguments to escalate into brawls, and he always looked after the patrons whod imbibed beyond their limit.
Like the bride without a groom.
Harlan moved to the opposite end of the bar to fill drink orders, and Garrett found his gaze sliding her way again. She was a fascinating feminine creature, made more intriguing by the mysterious circumstances that had brought her to Danby, and how out of place her presence was in Leisure Pointe. Dressed like a fairy princess, and possessing a natural beauty that was as stunning as it was arousing, she was like a glittering diamond nestled among drab rhinestones. She didnt belong, and had city sophistication written all over her.
When Harlan returned, Garrett expressed his thoughts out loud. Who in their right mind would drop her off here?
Her limousine driver.
Garrett frowned. I didnt see a limo out front.
Grabbing the bar towel slung over his shoulder, Harlan dried a beer glass and set it in the rack above him. His mouth stretched into a tight line of disgust. The guy didnt stick around. He followed her in with a suitcase and told me that she asked him to stop here. The prissy fellow said his contracted time was up, that he wasnt waiting around, and she was on her own.
Thats it?
He did mutter something about having to drive all the way back to St. Louis, so Im assuming thats where she came from.
But it explained little else.
Harlan sighed and braced a beefy forearm on the bar surface. I need you to do me a favor, Blackwell.
Garrett lifted a brow. Why do I get the feeling Im not going to like what you have to say?
Aw, come on, Harlan groused. I just want you to go over there and ask the lady who we can call to pick her up.
The request was simple, straightforward, and required minimal interaction, but Garrett didnt do damsels in distressnot anymore. Not when the last woman hed rescued had taken advantage of his generosity and duped him in a very life-altering way.
His expression must have conveyed his grim thoughts because Harlan was quick with a response. Im sure I could get a line of volunteers to do the deed if I asked, but I suspect that most of the men in here would proposition her instead. Considering the frame of mind shes in
Garrett scowled. Harlans words didnt paint a pretty picture. Dammit all, anyway, he thought irritably. Hed come to Leisure Pointe to relax and unwind, have a few beers and shoot the breeze with Harlan and some of the old cronies whod been his dads buddies before hed died. The same old boring Saturday evening routineso unlike his brothers weekend of partying, women, and generally raising hell with his own friends.
Rylan. Seeing a way out of Harlans well-meaning intentions, Garrett squinted through the haze of cigarette smoke in the bar, searching for a dark, tousled head of hair and a quick charming grin that belonged to his younger brother.
Why dont you find Rylan and get him to do it? Garrett suggested. Though his brother enjoyed the fairer sex, and they flocked around him like bees to honey, hed never take advantage of a woman. The honor and respect their mother had instilled in her boys was deeply ingrained, but Garrett doubted Charlotte Blackwell would ever have anticipated the steep price her eldest son had paid for being so chivalrous.
His eight-year-old daughter was a constant reminder of just how honorable hed been. Too bad Chelseas mom hadnt been equally responsible, or faithfulto him, or the little girl shed never truly cared about.
Your brother left with Emma Gentry over an hour ago, Harlan said. And he didnt look like he was going to be back any time soon.
Garrett wasnt surprised. He and his brother shared the same house, which Garrett had inherited from his mother when shed moved to Iowa to live with her sister four years ago. But at twenty-six, Ry came and went as he pleased. More often than not, Friday and Saturday nights were spent elsewhere. Garrett didnt care with whom, as long as Ry stayed out of trouble.
How about Otis? Garrett eyed the man sitting at the far end of the bar. Hes pretty harmless and can do the job just as well as I can.
Otis is a randy old fart. Harlan glanced at the other man, then back at Garrett, a dark frown bunching his bushy brows. Just look at him. Hes gawking at her, his mouth is hanging open, and hes all but drooling! Do you honestly think hed be able to put together a coherent sentence when hes so obviously tongue-tied?
Garrett couldnt help but laugh, and as his gaze scanned the males sitting at nearby tables, he realized that Otis wasnt the only one lusting over the voluptuous bride. Amazing that one woman could have such an effect on so many men.
For crying out loud, Blackwell, Im not asking you to marry the girl. Harlan was back to arguing, and his brand of good-natured harassment, all the while mixing drink orders on the pad in front of him. Its getting late, and if she lives in St. Louis, its going to take someone a good hour to come and get her.
Fine, Garrett said, feeling duly chastised for resisting such a quick and simple task for a friend. You owe me, Harlan.
Yeah, yeah. A sudden twinkle entered Harlans eyes, one that matched the slow, satisfied grin on his face. Go on. Ill have a cold one waiting for you when you get back.
Garrett grumbled one last complaint that did nothing to change Harlans mind. Sliding off his bar stool, he headed toward the corner booth. The sooner he got this awkward errand over with, the sooner he could resume his mundane Saturday night activities.
Many curious eyes watched Garretts progress across the room, making him uncomfortably aware of how conversations stalled as he passed by tables. This was a firstGarrett Blackwell approaching a woman in Leisure Pointe. It was a known fact that he didnt consort with the females in Danby beyond a polite nod or greeting. The few bolder, wilder ones that had attempted to pursue him hed turned down as tactfully as possible, no matter how enticing the offer.
Hed never been one for gratuitous sex, but he wasnt a monk, either. Far from it. The few women whom hed had affairs with over the years lived in other towns where gossip and speculation couldnt touch them, or his family. The women he chose to date also knew and accepted up front that he wasnt looking for anything serious. He had no intention of letting any woman manipulate his emotions again.
Blowing out a deep breath, Garrett severed those thoughts and opted to slide into the booth opposite where the bride sat, instead of standing at the edge of the table to conduct his business. The cozy corner table afforded him and the woman a modicum of privacy, away from most prying eyes and ears. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her, or provide entertainment for the masses.
Shed been staring into the depths of the dark liquid swirling in her snifter, looking so lost and dejected. Confused even. As soon as his jeans-clad legs tangled with the froth of satin beneath the table she glanced up, startled by his sudden appearance.
He opened his mouth to speak, and found himself broad-sided by the color of her eyes. At a distance, hed been able to detect that they were blue, but up close and personal, they were incredibly strikinga soft shade of periwinkle, rimmed in a darker sapphire with the tiniest threads of gold shot through the middle. Her lashes were long and thick, her brows delicately, perfectly arched. A natural beauty mark just above her lip on the left side drew his gaze to her full, soft mouth. A mouth that inspired a dozen provocative thoughts.
Despite the symbol of purity and innocence her wedding gown implied, there was a natural, subtle air of sensuality about her. A contradiction of guilelessness and allure that aroused a mans basic interest. Yet he got the distinct impression that she wasnt aware of her appeal, didnt know the mesmerizing effect she had on men. She didnt flaunt herself, didnt tease or flirt to attract attention. She didnt need to. Mother Nature had blessed heror cursed her, depending on how she viewed the situationwith a perfect face and body and a vibrancy that seemed to naturally radiate outward.