Must-Have Husband (Summer Grooms Series)

BOOK: Must-Have Husband (Summer Grooms Series)
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MUST-HAVE HUSBAND

 

By

Ginny Baird

 
 

Published by

Winter Wedding
Press

 

Copyright 2013

Ginny Baird

Kindle Edition

ISBN 978-0-9886953-4-4

All Rights
Reserved

 

This ebook is
licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or
given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another
person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient, unless this book
is a participant in a qualified lending program. Thank you for respecting the
hard work of this author. To obtain permission to export portions of the text,
please contact the author at
[email protected]
.

 

Characters in
this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

 

Edited by Linda
Ingmanson

Cover by Dar
Albert

 
 
 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Romance writer Ginny Baird has published novels in print and
online and received screenplay options from Hollywood for her family and
romantic comedy scripts. Her fiction has been published in the US, Australia,
Brazil, Denmark, and Norway, and translated into many languages. She is an
award-winning writer and the best-selling author of several romantic comedies,
including novellas in her HOLIDAY BRIDES SERIES. Prior to selling her first
romance novel to Kensington Books in year 2000, Ginny wrote suspense fiction,
which she’s recently reissued under the pen name Gabby Grant. You can learn
more about her by visiting her website
http://www.ginnybairdromance.com
.

 
 
 

Books by Ginny Baird

 

Summer Grooms Series

Must-Have
Husband

 

Holiday Brides Series

The Christmas
Catch

The Holiday
Bride

Mistletoe in
Maine

Beach Blanket
Santa

The Holiday
Brides Collection

(Books 1
– 4)

 

Other Titles

Real Romance

The Sometime
Bride

Santa Fe
Fortune

How to Marry a
Matador

Real Romance
and The Sometime Bride

(Gemini
Edition)

Santa Fe
Fortune and How to Marry a Matador

(Gemini
Edition)

 
 
 

MUST-HAVE HUSBAND

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

A Note from the Author

 
 
 
 

Chapter One

 

Connie Oliver bent forward to pick the brambles off her
hiking socks. A manicured fingertip caught on the scratchy wool fabric and tore.
She peered up through the bangs of her short blonde bob. “Excellent idea, sis.
Totally awesome.”

Linda gave an indignant pout. “Give me a break, will you?
Just look. Look around! It’s gorgeous.”

Connie straightened in time to catch a fuzzy brown arachnid
skittering up her leg. “Gorgeous, and full of spiders, ticks, and fleas!” she
proclaimed, pulling it off with a pinch.

Linda watched her fling the bug into the forest then lifted
an eyebrow. “Like those bloodsuckers back in Los Angeles are so much better.”

“Now, don’t you even go there. Just don’t. You promised. No
man talk, remember? This was supposed to be a girls’ getaway.”

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you. It’s just that if you’d seen Walt
for who he was in the first—”

“Linda!”

“Fine.” She adjusted her baseball cap. “Deny it all you
want. But you, girlfriend, have a talent for picking out losers.”

“That’s not true. I’ve just had bad luck.”

“Bad luck since the eighth grade?”

“With a memory like yours, who needs iPhones?”

“Maybe we should have recorded it. Might have avoided
instant replays.”

Connie picked up her walking stick and moved along. “Like
you’re
such an expert,” she said,
casting a scowl over her shoulder.

“I’m three years younger than you, and married, aren’t I? To
a great guy besides, because I know how to pick ’em.” Linda hastened her pace
to catch up, her long blonde ponytail bouncing. “Say… How about if Beau and I
introduce you to—”

Connie hurried to stay ahead of her. “Another tomcat like
Doctor Martin? No thank you.”

Linda threw out her hands. “How were
we
supposed to know Beau’s ethics professor was married with six
children?”

“Ethics? Ha! So you see? I’m not the only one around here
who makes mistakes.”

“One mistake, okay?” She narrowed her thumb toward her
forefinger. “One teeny little mistake…” She hustled to keep up. “Will you
puleeze
slow down?”

Connie halted in her tracks and met her sister’s earnest
blue gaze. “Beau’s got a cousin…”

“No.”

Linda’s lips turned up in a grin. “Second cousin,
twice-removed…?”

Connie huffed, feeling beaten down by this entire affair.
Here she was, slated to get married in nine weeks, and she was absent one
particular item: the groom. Not that it was entirely her fault. She’d had him
at one point. He’d just unfortunately slipped away. “I said, no.”

“Fine! Remain an old maid and break the family tradition.
See if I care.”

Connie took Linda by the elbow, stung by her barbs. “You
know, Linda. If I didn’t totally believe you love me… I’d swear you hate me.”

Linda’s expression softened. “Oh, Connie, I don’t hate you,
can’t you see? I’m just worried about this predicament you’ve put yourself in.”

Connie’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t exactly ask Walt to
walk out.”

“No, hon, of course you didn’t. But, can’t you see? That was
four
months
ago. And all this while plans
for your wedding have been steamrolling along. You should have told them by
now, Connie. Mom, Dad, Ollie… Everyone.”

“Not
everyone
,”
she said, referring to their sickly older grandfather, “and you know it.”

Linda warmly patted her shoulder. “If only I could help you
face facts, then maybe you wouldn’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“Oh? And what facts are those?”

“You’re a great girl from a wonderful family, but you can’t
seem to stop yourself from going after these tigers on the prowl.”

Connie twisted her lips and stared at her sister. Inwardly, she
knew that Linda was right. Connie
did
have a talent for picking out losers, but she’d never done it on purpose.
Perhaps she was just too trusting, always wanting to see the good in everyone. “Just
what are you saying?”

Linda stared at her sincerely. “Simply that you wouldn’t
know a decent man if he fell on you.”

“Hey!”

“I mean it, Connie. There are tons of great people out
there. Really good ones.”

“Yeah, and as you keep reminding me, lots of bad ones too.”

“I’m not encouraging you to keep going after the bad ones.
All I’m saying is you need to be a little more flexible, not so rigid in your
expectations.”

“My expectations are the same as yours were,” Connie lied.
While she truly loved Beau and believed him perfect for Linda, the fact was his
staid, mainstream conservatism didn’t quite match her type. When Connie
envisioned the ideal mate, he wasn’t tall, coat-and-tie and conventional, but adventuresome,
energetic, and fun. The problem with the energetic ones she’d had so far had
been convincing them to focus all their energy on her. Connie sighed, wishing
it weren’t so darned difficult, this
happily
ever after
thing.

“You know what Grandpa says…”


It’s just as easy to
love a rich man as a poor man,

the
two girls parroted together in a deep tone mimicking his, before bursting out
in giggles.

Connie appraised her sister’s carefree face, surmising it
must feel wonderful to have met her special someone. Beau really was ideal for Linda
and obviously made her happy. Connie felt a flash of envy, wondering if she’d
ever know that sort of relationship herself. “Oh, Linda,” she said, suddenly
flinging herself into her sister’s arms with a sob. “What am I going to do?”

Linda wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. “You’re
going to get through this, that’s what. The moment we get back to Napa, you’re
going to tell everyone the truth.”

Connie sucked in a breath, not knowing how she could
possibly do that. The news would kill her grandfather, and he had one foot in
the grave already. The only thing that kept him hanging on was the thought of
living to see his last granddaughter wear the traditional family wedding gown, the
one that had belonged to his late wife. With Connie, the cycle would be
complete, and everyone destined to don the family heirloom and be blessed by
its magic would have worn the sacred gown. Tears burned down her cheeks at the
thought of breaking her dear grandfather’s heart. He’d been so good to them
all. It was a simple wish he’d held, not so unreasonable for a man of his
generation.

She’d put off breaking the news to her family, hoping
against hope the wedding might still go on. Perhaps Walt would come to his
senses and realize she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. But
just before Linda booked this girls’ weekend, she’d learned that he’d already
moved on. He’d not only taken up with someone new, he’d moved in with her
besides. Connie released another sob, and Linda held her tighter.

“There, there,” Linda said, patting her back. “It’ll be okay.”

Connie pulled back with a wail. “I don’t see how!”

Perhaps Linda didn’t either, because she had nothing further
to offer. No kind words of wisdom or even snarky comments. She just studied her
sister sadly.

“I feel so horrible I waited this long,” Connie admitted,
ashamed. “And now Grandpa’s turning eighty.”

“It might have been kinder to tell him
before
his birthday.”

Connie blinked. “You’re the one who was just saying now’s
the time to fess up!”

“And it is,” Linda said surely. “The longer you let this go
on, the worse for everyone it’s going to be. You’re going to have to just woman
up and put it out there. It will be like a Band-Aid, ripping it off.”

“Ow!”

“But the sooner it’s done…” Linda held her gaze. “The sooner
everyone will begin to heal. You included, sister. You’ve got to take this next
step, so your life can go forward.”

 

Rugged mountain man “Mac” McCormack strode through the main
room of the rustic lodge, carting his gear. The rucksack strapped to his shoulders
carried a pup tent, bedroll, sleeping bag, and all the dehydrated foods an
outdoorsman could hope for.

His best friend, Hank, and the owner of the lodge, addressed
him from the far side of the reception desk. “Headed out already? I thought you
weren’t breaking camp until dawn?”

Mac stopped and turned toward his friend, stroking his
reddish beard. It had come in nice and full and slightly darker than the auburn
hair on his head. It matched his fur elsewhere, though. “I feel a rain coming
on,” he told Hank. “So I wanted to stake out early.”

“Speaking of getting soaked…” Hank leaned forward, resting
his elbows on the desk. “What did the insurance dudes say about your store?”

Mac shifted on his feet, disgruntled by the memory. “Just
what I expected. There’s an out clause in my coverage excluding forest fires.

“Ouch, man. That burns. What are you going to do?”

“What I always do when the going gets tough. Hit the trail.”

Hank lowered dark eyebrows over chocolate-colored eyes. “If
you’re coming back by Saturday, maybe you could double up with Kelly and me? We’re
grabbing a burger, then a movie in town. I’m betting we could talk her sister
Victoria into coming along.”

BOOK: Must-Have Husband (Summer Grooms Series)
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