Kate Fortunes Journal Entry Letter to Reader Title Page Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Teaser chapter Copyright
Kate Fortunes Journal Entry
I couldnt be happier about Kelly and Macs wedding! Thank goodness Mac knows the meaning of family honor and doing the right thing, especially since Kelly Sinclair had always been more like a daughter to me than an employee. Mac knows how worried Ive been about Kelly once I learned how his brother Chad took advantage of her trusting innocence and ran off, leaving her pregnant and unwed! Im just so proud of the way Macs taken charge of this awful situation, and I know hes going to make Kelly a wonderful husband.
Its been such fun helping these two dears plan their wedding. Oh, I know theyre not in love now! But I think Kellys about to show Mac exactly whats missing in his life.... And I can hardly wait to see what this new year holds for them and the rest of my precious family!
Dear Reader,
Welcome to a new year with Silhouette Desire! We begin the year in celebrationits the 10th Anniversary of MAN OF THE MONTH! And kicking off the festivities is the incomparable Diana Palmer, with Januarys irresistible hero, Simon Hart, in Beloved.
Also launching this month is Desires series FORTUNES CHILDREN: THE BRIDES. So many of you wrote to us that you loved Silhouettes series FORTUNES CHILDRENnow heres a whole new branch of the family! Awardwinning author Jennifer Greene inaugurates this series with The Honor Bound Groom.
Popular Anne Marie Winston begins BUTLER COUNTY BRIDES, a new miniseries about three small-town friends who find true love, with The Baby Consultant. Sara Orwig offers us a marriage of convenience in The Cowboys Seductive Propasal. Next, experience love on a ranch in Harts Baby by Christy Lockhart. And opposites attract in The Scandalous Heiress by Kathryn Taylor.
So, indulge yourself in 1999 with Silhouette Desirepowerful, provocative and passionate love stories that speak to todays multifaceted woman. Each month we offer you six compelling romances to meet your many moods, with heroines youll care about and heroes to die for. Silhouette Desire is everything you desire in a romance novel.
Enjoy!
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
Please address questions and book requests to:
Silhouette Reader Service
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The Honor Bound Groom
Jennifer Greene
www.millsandboon.co.uk
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to
Jennifer Greene for her contribution to the
Fortunes Children miniseries.
JENNIFER GREENE
lives near Lake Michigan with her husband and two children. Before writing full-time, she worked as a teacher and a personnel manager. Michigan State University honored her as an outstanding woman graduate for her work with women on campus.
Ms. Greene has written more than fifty category romances, for which she has won numerous awards, including three RITA Awards from the Romance Writers of America in the Best Short Contemporary Books category, and she entered RWAs Hall of Fame in 1998. She is also the recipient of a Career Achievement award from Romantic Times Magazine.
Meet the Fortunesthree generations of a family with a legacy of wealth, influence and power As they gather for a host of weddings, shocking family secrets are revealed...and passionate new romances are ignited
KELLY SINCLAIR: This sweet, single woman trusted the wrong man, but shes determined to do anything to protect the littlest Fortuneeven if it means marrying the babys uncle!
MAC FORTUNE: The brooding CEO thought he knew all about being responsible and acting honorably when he proposed a marriage-in-name-only to pregnant Kelly Sinclair. Until she and precious Annie moved into his home, and suddenly, keeping them at arms length became physicallyand emotionallyimpossible....
ANNIE FORTUNE: This adorable baby may be the youngest Fortune, but shes a heartbreaker-in-waiting for the next generation.
KATE FORTUNE: Shes just celebrated her eightieth birthday, but the family matriarch is still going strong, rejuvenated by all the lovely newcomers to the Fortune family!
One
The wedding was a mistake. Getting married had seemed an outstanding idea to Kelly Sinclair two weeks ago, last week and even when shed woken up this morning. But that was then and this was now. At this precise moment, Kelly realizedwith a flash of brilliant claritythat shed have to be bonkers to go through with this.
The creamy gardenias clutched in her hands started trembling and wouldnt quit. Anxiety sloshed in her stomach in sick, dread-filled waves. Maybe most brides suffered some nerves on their wedding day, but the average, normal bride wasnt seven months pregnant. She not only felt scared, but she also felt ugly, fat and scareda lethal combination. To add insult to injury, her pregnant condition made a swift escape an especially challenging problem. Her fastest speed was a waddle. A duck could probably beat her in a sprint.
She tested her memory for any time in her life when she might have been this petrifiedbut no. There was nothing to compare to this level of terror. At twenty-seven, Kelly had certainly been hurt before. Shed been frightened before. But shed never been in a situation where she felt this hopelessly, helplessly trapped. Panic was swimming in her pulse.
The door to the bathroom whooshed open. Kate Fortune, the seventy-year-old matriarch of the Fortune Cosmetics empire, poked her head in and then marched straight toward the bride. With slim, competent hands, she gently tugged the pearl-seed veil resting on Kellys blond curls a little down to the left. Everyones seated. I told them to start the wedding march in two minutes. And I thought you might need some last-minute help, but I can see youre all ready. And you look absolutely breathtaking, sweetheart.
Kelly met the older womans eyes in the vanity mirror. I look like a watermelon stuck on a toothpick.
You sure doand Im so jealous. Theres nothing like a pregnancy to give a woman a special radiance, and youve got it in spades. Just as Kate stepped back to give her one last critical look-over, the door whooshed open again.
Mollie Shaw charged in with a brilliant smile, her long red hair swinging halfway down her back. Theres our bride! I figured youd be having some last-minute jitters and wanted to tell you that everythings ready, nothing to worry about Hi, Ms. Fortuneman, do I love that smoky blue dress. Its so elegant, looks wonderful on you. And, Kel, you couldnt possibly be more gorgeous....
Mollie gently tugged Kellys veil just a little down on the right. ...and now youre perfect. The musics going to start in just a minute or so. Remember what I told you about taking three deep breaths?
Yes.
Okay, Im going back outbut you know Ill be around to help during the reception. Everythings going to be fine, sweetie. Trust me.
Nothing was going to be fine. But Mollie had already charged back out the door before Kelly could get a word inmuch less find the courage to announce her escape plans and that the whole deal was off.
That girls face is so familiar, Kate said absently.
The comment confused Kelly enough to distract herat least for a second. Well, sure shes familiaryou know Mollie, Kate
Yes, and shes been a godsend. Lucky for all of us that your friend was already in the wedding planner business. As young as she is, shes really a dynamo. I dont know how we could have put all this together in two short weeks without her. Its not that. Its just that her red hair and green eyes are so distinctive, and every time I see her face I think I should recognize her from somewhere else, but I just cant place it. Well...it certainly doesnt matter now. Especially when weve only got a few more seconds, and theres something I really want to tell you.
Kate fixed the veil one more time. Her way. If she noticed the brides crepe white pallor or the frantic alarm in her eyes, she never let on. Kelly...Im so honored that youre letting me be the one to give you away. Im sorry your mom isnt still alive to be part of thisshed be so proud. But I want you to know, I couldnt care more if you were my own daughter.
Well, spit. Her conscience was already suffering from muck-deep guilt, and Kates words only made her feel worse. She had to tell Kate that her mind was made up; the wedding was offthere was no way she could possibly go through with it. But somehow she couldnt get the words said.
Kate had done so much for her. Four years ago when Kate had plucked her from the pool of clerks and given her the job as her personal social secretary, Kellys whole life had irrevocably changed. Most people found her boss to be irascible and ruthless and domineering. She was all those thingseven to her familybut never to Kelly. Their working relationship had long turned personal. Kate was the one who had picked out the cream satin wedding dress with the pearl-studded collar and cuffs. The simple style with the subtly draping pleats almost hid her beachedwhale-size tummy, and heaven knew it was the most glamorous, gorgeous dress shed ever owned. And it wasnt just the blasted dress. Kate had paid for the wedding, the clothes, everything, even made all the arrangements to have the ceremony at the Fortune company headquartersprobably the one place on earth where they could control security and be completely protected from the media.
Kate had private reasons for wanting this wedding to happen. Kelly realized that, but it didnt make her debt of gratitude any less. Shed still been treated like a daughter. Kate, I had no idea that you were going to go to so much trouble and expense
Nonsense. Your friend Mollie did all the legwork. I just helped with a bit of the organizing. It was a joy to arrange, no trouble at all.
Kelly knew better. Shed never asked for any of it, but every detail from the out-of-season gardenias to the designer dress to the champagne reception was a measure of how much trouble her boss had gone to. She also hadnt realized how much Mollie and Kate had conspired behind her back until everything was already done. Another layer of guilt troweled on her conscience. Theyd both been so wonderful to her. She really didnt want to show her ingratitude by hightailing it for the front door at a wallowing gallop, but there was only one word screaming in her mind. Escape.
Abruptly she heard the first strains of the wedding march. Adrenaline bolted through her bloodstream, and a lump clogged her throat bigger than the Rock of Gibraltar. She couldnt go through with this. She just couldnt.
There now. Kate also heard the music and firmly, securely, tucked her arm in hers. Here we go...just think calm and put a smile on, and dont worry about a thing. Everythings going to work out.
Nothing was going to work out, but it seemed like only a millisecond passed before Kate had effectively herded her the few steps across the hall to the long, tall set of double mahogany doors. She could see Sterling, Kates husband, waiting just inside. And Renee Riley, her maid of honor, shot her a wink, before starting her walk-down-the-aisle thing. Kates grip never loosened when Kelly cast a swift, frantic glance over her shoulder.
The exit wasnt visible from here, but she glimpsed the lobby windows. Outside, holiday decorations still wreathed the streetlights and snow was clearly pelting down in a stinging fury. Not untypical of a New Years Eve in Minnesota, the winter wind was howling like a banshee. The snowstorm had been building momentum since midafternoon, as if the weather gods had figured out her state of mind and were sending an omen. This was a bad idea. A disastrous idea.
In fact, she made a prompt New Years resolution to never again get married for as long as she lived.
But in those teensy milliseconds, Kate had propelled her to the middle of those open doors, in full view of the guests. The place wasnt recognizable as a conference room. In one sweeping glance, Kelly saw the red velvet carpet, the satin ribbons draping the chairs, the dais at the front of the room transformed with pots and sprays of fragrant gardenias and babys breath and heart-red roses. She also saw the guests all rising in traditional respect for the bride and thought: they werent gonna like it when she cut and run.
The minister smiled reassuringly at her from the front of the room. She thought: his smile was gonna disappear fast when the bride hiked up her skirts and took a fast powder.
The gathering only seemed crowded because every chair was filled, the room stuffed with people, yet the guests couldnt number much over thirty. She knew every face. They were either Fortunes or related kinnone of her own family, because she had none...not anymorebut God knew the Fortunes had taken her in as if she were part of their clan. Everyone knew when and how shed gotten into trouble. Everyone had gone out of their way to stand by her, and their choosing to attend the wedding was another measure of that support.
An already catastrophic situation just kept getting worse. Undoubtedly they were expecting to attend the usual nice, peaceful, happy ceremony. Instead all they were going to get was a mortified bride running helter-skelter into a snowstorm. In cream satin shoes and no coat.
Kate gripped her arm more securely, urging her forward, yet her hold was never really that tight. Kelly knew she could shake free. It was just a matter of picking her moment. This marriage wasnt just a mistake. It was a mistake the size of an earthquake. Maybe shed have to leave the country under an assumed name to live this down, but she simply couldnt go through with it.