The Best Bride (86 page)

She kissed his palm. “I want a small wedding. Just family.”

“Just family isn't a small wedding. Was that a yes?”

Pure joy filled her. “Yes. Always yes, Nick. I'll never say no to you again.”

He raised one eyebrow. “That sounds like a good deal. Gives a man ideas.”

She snuggled up to him. “Cheap talk for a man in your condition.”

“I might surprise you.”

“You already did. In the most wonderful way possible.”

Two years later

 

H
annah turned the car into the long circular driveway in front of the Victorian house she and Nick were restoring.

“How are you feeling?” Travis asked for the fourth time that day.

She glared at him. “I'm fine. I've been fine. I'm going to be fine. It's just a baby, Travis.” She stopped behind Kyle and Sandy's new minivan and turned off the engine.

Travis leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I know, but you're my sister and I worry about you.”

“I handle communications. It's not as if I'm out on the streets catching criminals.”

Travis winked. “No, you do that at home.”

They got out of the car and headed for the house. Nick stood at the open front door, one-year-old Laura in his arms.

Hannah kissed him, then took her daughter. “How's my best girl? Are you excited about your party?”

Nick shook hands with Travis, then looped his arm around his wife. “I don't think she really understands what all the fuss is, but she's very excited about the birthday cake.”

They walked inside. The sound of conversation and laughter filled the house. Most of the family was already there. Louise came over and touched her arm. “Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?”

Hannah sighed. Telling everyone about her second pregnancy had obviously been a mistake. “I'm fine. Really.”

Travis grinned. “Hey, I could have told you that. She's just pregnant, Louise. It's not some strange disease no one has ever heard of.” He tickled little Laura and made her squeal. “It's not as if she hasn't done it before, either.”

“I know, but I worry.” Louise held out her arms and took the baby. “I'll take my granddaughter while you get changed.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Hannah said.

Nick followed Hannah up the stairs. “I'll come along to see if you need any help.”

“More likely to watch,” she flung over her shoulder.

He fondly swatted her behind. “That, too.”

Once in their bedroom, she stripped off her khaki uniform and walked toward the closet. “How was your day?”

Nick sat on the edge of the bed. “Word is getting out. We're booked solid from Memorial Day through the middle of August.”

“Great.” She slipped on a loose cotton dress. Four months pregnant, she was starting to have trouble with her fitted clothes. The elastic waists would last another five or six weeks and then she was going to be back in maternity clothes.

She stepped into the bedroom. Nick smiled at her. Even after two years together, she was constantly surprised by how handsome he was. His blond good looks were a contrast to the dark-haired men in her family.

His gaze met hers. The love shining in his eyes warmed her to her toes. Two and a half years ago, if someone had told her how her life was going to turn out, she would have thought that person was crazy. She'd never expected to find a loving husband and a family. Yet here they were.

She walked to the bed and slipped onto his lap. “I love you, Nick.”

He smoothed her long hair. “I love you more.”

She kissed his nose. “Good. I like it that way.”

They laughed as they started down the stairs.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” he said. “Your mother is thinking of keeping the restaurant open for lunch now.”

Nick and Louise had bought the Victorian house they'd admired two years ago, remodeled it and opened an inn. It had been successful from the beginning. Nick joked that the visiting in-laws were enough to keep it nearly fifty percent full all the time. Louise's restaurant was an integral part of the business. She offered breakfast and high tea.

“I think she would do well serving lunch. If it isn't too much for her.”

He placed his hand on the small of her back. “She loves the work.”

At the bottom of the stairs, they turned toward the living room. The entire family had turned out for Laura's first birthday party. Hannah took in the scene before her. Austin and Rebecca had their three boys nearby. Jill and Craig were with their three boys and two-year-old daughter. Travis held Elizabeth close. Mandy, their oldest, played with her younger sister. Holly and Jordan cuddled their
eighteen-month-old, while Richard, Louise's husband, cradled Holly's newborn. Louise held Laura.

The little girl glanced up. “Mama!”

Hannah took her and held her. Nick settled his arm over Hannah's shoulders, completing the circle.

Hannah looked around the room, at this warm, wonderful Haynes family that had taken them in and made them their own. Together, they'd forged a miracle. A legacy of love strong enough to last through time.

* * * * *

Read on for an exciting excerpt of Susan Mallery's #1
New York Times
bestseller,
THRILL ME!

Maya Farlow learned the hard way to depend only on herself, so when she fell too deeply for the bad-boy charms of Del Mitchell, she did the only thing she could—she ran. Stunned, Del left Fool's Gold to make his name and fortune in extreme sports. Now, ten years later, Maya's been hired to promote her hometown's new slogan, The Destination for Romance, but the campaign's celebrity spokesman is none other than Del, the man she left but never forgot…

M
AYA HAD HOPED
that hanging out with her friend would be enough to chase all the Del from her mind. But she'd been wrong. The night had been an uncomfortable experience of being awake more than asleep. And when she finally did doze, it was only to dream of Del. Not current, sexy, stubbly Del, but the twenty-year-old who had stolen her heart.

She woke exhausted and with memory hangover. Funny how, until she'd seen him, she'd been able to forget him. But now that he was back, she was trapped in a past-present rip in the space-time continuum.

Or she was simply dealing with some unfinished business, she thought as she stepped into the shower. Because as much as she might like to think the universe revolved around her, truth was, it didn't.

Thirty minutes later she was reasonably presentable. She knew the only thing that would make her day livable was lots and lots of coffee. So she left her tiny rental house, pausing to give her newly planted flowers a quick watering before heading to Brew-haha.

Fool's Gold had grown in the ten years she'd been away. Giving walking tours of the city as a part-time job in high school meant she was familiar with the history and layout. She had a feeling the schedule of festivals she'd once memorized still existed in her brain. Probably stored next to all the words to Kelly Clarkson's “Since U Been Gone.”

The thought made her smile and, humming the song, she walked into Brew-haha.

The coffee place had been decorated simply, with bright colors and lots of places to sit. There was a long counter up front, a display of tempting, high-calorie pastries and a tall, broad-shouldered man at the front of a six-person line.

Maya froze, half in, half out of the store. Now what? She was going to have to face Del at some point. Thanks to Mayor Marsha, they would be working together. But she hadn't thought she would have to deal with him precoffee.

The downside to an otherwise perfectly lovely town
, she thought, sucking up her doubts and joining the line.

As Del finished placing his order, whatever he'd said had the cashier laughing. He moved over to wait for his order and immediately started talking to the barista.

Had he always been so friendly, Maya wondered, watching him, while trying to appear as if she
wasn't
paying attention at all. A trick that had her still-slightly sleepy self struggling to keep up.

The line moved forward. Several other customers stopped to talk to Del, greeting him and then pausing to chat.
No doubt catching up
, she thought. Del had grown up here. He would know a lot of people.

A few words of the conversations drifted to her. She caught bits about his skysurfing and the business he'd sold. Because when Del had left town, he'd not only gotten involved in a new and highly risky sport, he'd designed a board, founded a company, and then sold it for a lot of money. Which was impressive. And the tiniest bit annoying.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to have done great. But maybe he didn't have to be so good-looking at the same time as being so successful. Was a disfiguring scar too much to ask for? Something to level the playing field?

But no. With his three days' worth of beard and easy smile, he was still movie-star handsome. She would know. She'd seen plenty of him on video and he was impressive. The camera loved him and that meant the audience did, too.

She reached the front of the line and placed her order for the largest latte they had. She thought about ordering an extra shot of espresso, then acknowledged she would be most likely returning later. Better to spread out the caffeine.

She stepped to the side to wait for her drink. Del was still talking with a couple of people. She expected him to finish his conversation and leave. Instead he headed for her.

“Morning,” she said as he approached. Her lingering sleepiness faded as odd tingles began in her toes and raced up to the top of her head. Horror replaced trepidation.

No, no, no! There couldn't be tingles or awareness or any of that. Uh-uh. No way. Not her. She refused to be attracted to Delany Mitchell. Not after ten years and thousands of miles. The miles being metaphorical for her and literal for him. They were done. They'd moved on. Okay, technically she'd dumped him in a cruel and immature way, but regardless of her failings, it was so over as to be a relationship fossil.

Exhaustion, she told herself desperately. The tingles were the result of exhaustion. And maybe hunger. She would probably faint next and then everything would be fine.

“Morning,” he said as he stopped in front of her. “You ratted me out to my mother.”

The words were so at odds with what she'd been thinking that she had trouble understanding their meaning. When the mental smoke cleared, she was able to breathe again.

“You mean I told her you were in town?”

“Yeah. You could have given me fifteen minutes to get in touch with her.”

She smiled. “You never said it was a secret. I stopped by to see a friend and told her you were back. She was surprised.”

“That's one way to put it. She gave me an earful.”

The barista handed Maya her latte. Maya took it and started for the door. “If you're expecting me to feel guilty about that, it's so not happening. How could you not bother telling your mother you were coming home? I'm not the bad guy here.”

Del fell into step with her. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Is that what we're calling it these days?”

He held open the door for Brew-haha. When they got to the sidewalk, he pointed to the left and she walked along with him. Because, well—why not?

“You're saying I should have let her know I was home for the rest of the summer?”

“Speaking as your mom's friend, yes, you should have told her you were coming. Or that you'd arrived. And if you didn't want me to tell her, you should have said something. If she scolded you, it's your own fault. I accept absolutely no guilt or blame on the topic.”

He surprised her by laughing. “You always did have attitude.”

Back then it had been bravado. She liked to think she now had a little experience or even substance to back it up.

They reached the lake. Del turned toward the path that led to the rental cabins on the far side. Maya went with him. The day was sunny and promised to be plenty warm. August was often the hottest part of summer in Fool's Gold. Up in the mountains fall came early, but not in the town itself.

Along the shores of Lake Ciara, just south of the Golden Bear Inn, was a cluster of summer cabins. They ranged from small studios to large three-bedroom structures. Each cabin had a big porch with plenty of room for sitting out and watching the lake. There was a play area for the kids, a communal fire pit and easy walking access to Fool's Gold.

Del led the way to one of the smaller cabins. There was plenty of seating on a surprisingly large porch.

“Not a suite at Ronan's Lodge?” she asked, taking the chair he offered.

He settled next to her. “I spend enough time in hotels when I travel. This is better.”

“But there's no room service.”

He glanced at her, one brow raised. “You think I can't cook?”

It had been ten years, she thought. “I guess I don't know that much about you.”
Anymore
. She didn't say the last word, but she thought it. Because there had been a time when she'd known everything about Del. Not just his hopes and dreams, but how he laughed and kissed and tasted.

First love was usually intense. For her it had been that and more. With Del, for the first time in her life she'd allowed herself to hope she might not have to go it alone. That maybe, just maybe she could believe that someone else would be there for her. To look out for her. To give a damn.

“To start with, I can cook,” he said, drawing her back to the present. “There was a last-minute cancelation so I got the cabin.”

A couple of little boys played down by the water. Their mother watched from a blanket on the grass. Their shrieks and laughter carried over to them.

“It's going to be noisy,” she said.

“That's okay. I like being around kids. They don't know who I am, and if they do, they don't care.”