Bolted (28 page)

“What I intend to tell my buddy Bernice has nothing to do with baked goods.” She blew out a breath. “I should probably talk to Alice before we take off. I need to let her know I’m staying.”

“I have a feeling she’s figured that out.” He nodded toward where Alice stood in the doorway.

“You fixing dinner tonight, or do I need to pull one of the frozen pizzas out of the store?” She didn’t look all that excited about the prospect.

“We never did discuss days off, did we?” Greta pushed herself to her feet. “I’m thinking weekends would be good.”

“I’m thinking we’ll discuss this later.” Alice shrugged. “So what about tonight?”

“Go for the pizza, Alice.” Greta grinned. “I need to pick up my stuff back in Promise Harbor.”

Alice sighed. “First thing Monday morning, we hash all of this out. I guess pizza won’t kill us for one night. Considering that Nadia was ready to take over the cooking again.”

“Monday it is.” She watched Alice head back inside, then peered beyond her into the hotel, her eyes widening. “Oh my lord.”

Hank pushed himself to his feet. “What?”

She nodded toward the lobby, stepping through the front door. “That.”

Hyacinth stood on a footstool, wearing the Bridesmaid Dress from Hell Greta herself had been wearing when she first arrived. The neckline dipped almost to her waist, exposing the white T-shirt underneath. The puke-green ruffled skirt was bunched up to her elbows. She looked a little like she was wearing an exercise ball.

“This is the most wonderful dress in the world,” she said dreamily.

“It’s a little big,” Greta murmured.

“I’ll grow into it.”

Nadia stepped through the door to the family apartment, her garden basket on her arm. “Come on, Hyacinth. We need to pick some rosemary.” She narrowed her eyes. “Put the dress back for now. We’ll cut it down later.”

Hyacinth sighed. “Do we have to cut it down?”

“Only if you want to be able to actually walk around in it. Which is always handy.” Nadia took a handful of ruffles, lifting the dress up toward the little girl’s head. “Hold still and I’ll pull it loose.”

Hyacinth glanced back at Greta. “Thank you for the dress. It’s lovely. I’m glad you’re staying.”

Greta nodded. “Me too.”

Nadia sighed. “All right, let’s go.” She cast a quick grin in Greta’s direction. “Have a nice trip, my dear. See you tomorrow.”

Greta stood watching for a moment, then shrugged. “You know, she’s right. That dress was absolutely ghastly, but in a lot of ways it was the most wonderful dress in the world.”

Hank slid his arm around her waist, trying to control his idiot grin. “In that it brought you to Casa Dubrovnik, I’m inclined to agree. Want to head to Promise Harbor? What do you need to bring back, by the way?”

She shrugged. “Just my suitcase mostly. I need my clothes. I’m out of underwear.”

He gave her a long look. “If you bring back your suitcase, does that mean no more braless days?”

“Probably.” The corners of her lips edged up again. “Then again, I’m open to negotiation. And bribery.”

He pulled her into his arms, feeling her warm, braless breasts soft against his chest. “Woman,” he murmured, “I so like the way you think.”

About the Author

Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of contemporary romance for Samhain Publishing. Her books have won an EPIC Award for Contemporary Romance, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the New England Romance Writers Beanpot Award, and the Holt Medallion, among other honors. Meg lives in Colorado. Her website is
www.MegBenjamin.com
and her blog is
megbenj1.wordpress.com
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Look for these titles by Meg Benjamin

Now Available:

Konigsburg, Texas

Venus In Blue Jeans

Wedding Bell Blues

Be My Baby

Long Time Gone

Brand New Me

Don’t Forget Me

Fearless Love

The wedding’s off but the honeymoon is on…

Jilted

© 2013 Kelly Jamieson

Promise Harbor Wedding, Book 1

Devon can do this. She can show up at her ex-boyfriend Josh’s wedding, even though he’s marrying her ex-best-friend. She can show everyone she’s happy with her fabulous life in Boston, her great career, her amazing shoes—and she can show everyone she’s over him.

Truth is, her life isn’t so fabulous. She’s just been downsized out of her job, her Jimmy Choos won’t pay her mortgage, and…she’s still heartbroken that Josh chose family over her. The real reason she’s enduring this wedding is that her next stop is nearby Greenbush Island, her last hope of finding a new job.

Josh knows marrying long-time friend Allie will make everyone happy after the rough time their families have been through, and since the woman he really wanted to marry chose her career and big city life over him—why not?

But the perfect wedding turns into a perfect disaster when Allie leaves him at the altar for another man. He never saw that coming! But hey, Devon’s there, offering to help him look for Allie on Greenbush Island, where he’d planned their honeymoon. Only, all they find there are their old feelings for each other and a temptation to risk their hearts one more time…

Warning: This book contains a firefighter hot enough to ignite flames, a woman who doesn’t want to get burned again, a honeymoon suite but no honeymoon, and sex not on the beach (sorry).

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Jilted:

Josh squinted at the label on the beer bottle he held, trying to focus his eyes on it with considerable difficulty. “Is this beer really called Bromance?” he asked Jackson, his best friend and the best man at his wedding tomorrow. They’d been sitting in Stone’s Sports Bar for the last…how long? Josh had lost track, and all his other buddies had headed home. Only he and Jackson were left after going out with the guys the night before the wedding.

“Yes. Bromance Brown Ale.”

Josh nodded. “Okay. Good. I love you, man.”

“Maybe time to get you home,” Jackson said.

“No. I don’t wanna go home yet.”

“Why not?”

Josh now tried to focus on the wood grain of the small table. How could he tell Jackson the truth? He didn’t want to go home because then he’d go to bed and fall asleep—or pass out—and when he woke up it would be his wedding day.

“I might be having cold feet,” he mumbled.

Jackson leaned closer. “What’s that? What’d you say?”

Josh sighed. “I might be having cold feet.”

Jackson’s eyebrows flew up. “About the wedding?”

“No, about getting up from this table.” Then he laughed loudly. Damn, he was funny. Drunk, but funny.

“Shit, man, are you serious? You want to back out of the wedding?”

“No. Of course not. I wouldn’t do that.”

Jackson eyed him. “But you have doubts.”

Josh sighed. “Doesn’t every guy before he straps on the old ball and chain?” Then he slumped a little. He’d never thought of Allie as a “ball and chain” and that was really unfair. She was awesome and he wanted to marry her. He did. “Didn’t mean that,” he mumbled.

“I guess some guys do.” Jackson grimaced and shoved a hand through his hair. “I’ve never had the guts to even propose to someone, so I wouldn’t know. But yeah, it’s probably normal to feel a little nervous about it. It’s a big step. It’s serious.”

“Yeah. Serious. You’re not helping, dude.”

Jackson grinned. “Sorry. Okay, how’s this. You’ve known Allie forever. You love her. You love her family. They love you. Your mom is thrilled to pieces about this. The whole town is behind you on this. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You two are going to have a long and happy life together.”

Josh nodded, still looking down at the table. “Still not helping.”

Jackson gave him a hearty slap on the back, nearly knocking him off his stool. “You’ll be fine. Once you’re up there at the front of the church watching Allie walk down the aisle looking like a million bucks, you’ll be so glad you’re marrying her.”

Josh picked up his Bromance Brown Ale and drained it. “Right. Absholutely. Can’t wait.”

“Fuck.” Jackson eyed him. With all four or maybe five eyes. “You’re hammered.”

“No I am not.” Josh straightened. “I’m fine. Let’s have another round.”

“Nope. I am doing my best man duty and hauling your ass out of here. You’re already going to need a large bottle of Tylenol and a jug of Visine in the morning.”

“Oh, all right.” Josh slid off the stool and held on to the table for a moment when the floor shifted just a bit underneath his feet. Hey, was that an earthquake? If there was a major earthquake they probably wouldn’t be able to have the wedding tomorrow.

That was stupid. He
wanted
to marry Allie.

“I need a burger,” he announced.

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Okay, big guy. Let’s head to Barney’s and then I’ll take you home.”

“Yeah. Barney’s. I can have a hickory burger. And fries.” For some reason, at that moment Devon popped into his head. Sitting at Barney’s Chowder House eating hickory burgers with her. That was her favorite burger too. Guess Barney’s hickory burger was always going to be associated with her in his mind.

His fucked-up, shit-faced mind.

They walked the short distance from the bar to Barney’s, the June evening clear and fresh. Josh took deep breaths of the faintly briny air of Promise Harbor, the Atlantic Ocean not far away no matter where you were. He loved living here, even though it had been a tough decision to move back last year. What the hell was he so worried about? Living here as a married man wasn’t going to be any different than living here as a single guy.

Did that make
any
sense? Of course it would be different. He’d be
married
.

Inside Barney’s, people filled nearly every booth and table. Friday night. Right. But Josh and Jackson found an empty table and took a seat.

“You know,” Jackson said. “If you’re seriously having doubts about getting married, it’s not too late.”

Josh gave him a crooked smile. “Sure it is.”

“No. It’s not too late until the vows are said.” Jackson leaned across the table, his face serious. “If you want to run, I’ll drive us to Mexico tonight. Just say the word.”

“Mexico?” Josh lifted an eyebrow.

“Or wherever.”

Josh shook his head. “You know I can’t do that. I made a promise to Allie. I always keep my word.”

“Yeah. You always do.” Jackson grinned. “You are a man of honor.”

“Damn right.” The scent of seafood chowder, charbroiled burgers and greasy French fries filled his head and made his stomach growl. “I’m a man of honor,” he told the waitress who arrived to take their order. “And I’m fucking starving.”

She blinked at him.

“Don’t mind him,” Jackson said with a smile for the teenage girl. “He’s getting married tomorrow.”

“I am,” he said. “To the most wonderful woman in the world.”

But once again, Devon’s face appeared in his mind. What the fuck? Why did he keep thinking of her tonight? Then he blinked. Blinked again. And shook his head.

He wasn’t just imagining her face. She was right there in front of him, sitting in the booth across from them.

Holy fuck.

He stared at her. She stared back at him.

“Devon,” he breathed.

Jackson’s head snapped around. “Devon?”

Josh swallowed. His heart might have stopped. He had to get it going again or he would die. And he couldn’t die the day before his wedding. But there…yeah, his heart was going again. Fast. Hard. That might be worse. Now he was afraid it was going to explode out of his chest. He looked at Jackson. “Allie invited her to the wedding.”

“Jesus Christ.”

She was sitting by herself in the small booth, a half-eaten hickory burger in front of her on the table, looking back at him with wide eyes and parted lips. Her long chestnut hair hung around her shoulders, and those sexy, tilted eyes blinked at him. Then she smiled, a sort of sad little smile that made him ache. “Hi, Josh.”

“Devon. Hey.” The next thing he knew he was sitting across from her, still staring at her. “How are you?”

Devon’s throat closed up and her hands trembled, so she clasped them together in her lap beneath the table.
Why
had she come here? She’d been hanging around at home with her dad. He’d gone to bed, and she’d tried to but couldn’t sleep. For some crazy reason, she’d decided to visit Barney’s Chowder House and have a hickory burger. Not that she was hungry, but she loved Barney’s hickory burgers and here she was in Promise Harbor, and…why not? And now Josh was sitting across from her, staring at her.

“Devon. Hey,” he said. “How are you?”

“Good. I’m good. How are you?”

“Good.” A pause. “I’m drunk.”

“Oh. Okay.” A smile tugged her lips. Jeebus Crust, he was so damn gorgeous he made her heart constrict. His dark brown hair was standing on end in every direction, and his golden-brown eyes gazed back at her with somewhat unfocused intensity. A scruff of beard darkened his square jaw, and his wide mouth curved up into a sheepish smile. “I guess that’s allowed the night before your wedding.”

“Yeah.” His eyes shadowed. “I’m getting married tomorrow, Devon.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” Her heart now softened, looking at his long lashes lowering over amber eyes, his short, straight nose, his beautiful mouth. Images bombarded her—her stroking a finger down his nose, kissing the corners of that mouth, running her hands through his hair, nuzzling his neck, breathing in his scent.

He tipped his head to one side. “I didn’t think you would come.”