Read The Wedding Chapel Online
Authors: Rachel Hauck
The Wedding Chapel
ACCLAIM FOR
HOW TO CATCH A PRINCE
“A stirring modern-day fairy tale about the power of true love.”
—C
INDY
K
IRK
,
AUTHOR OF
L
OVE AT
M
ISTLETOE
I
NN
“
How to Catch a Prince
is an enchanting story told with bold flavor and tender insight. Engaging characters come alive as romance blooms between a prince and his one true love. Hauck’s own brand of royal-style romance shines in this third installment of the Royal Wedding Series.”
—D
ENISE
H
UNTER
,
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
W
ISHING
S
EASON
“
How to Catch a Prince
contains all the elements I’ve come to love in Rachel Hauck’s Royal Wedding Series: an ‘it don’t come easy’ happily ever after, a contemporary romance woven through with royal history, and a strong spiritual thread with an unexpected touch of the divine. Hauck’s smooth writing—and the way she wove life truths throughout the novel—made for a couldn’t-put-it-down read.”
—B
ETH
K. V
OGT
,
AUTHOR OF
S
OMEBODY
L
IKE
Y
OU
,
ONE OF
P
UBLISHERS
W
EEKLY
’
S
B
EST
B
OOKS OF
2014
ACCLAIM FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS
“Rachel Hauck’s inspiring Royal Wedding Series is one for which you should reserve space on your keeper shelf!”
—
USA T
ODAY
“Hauck spins a surprisingly believable royal-meets-commoner love story. This is a modern and engaging tale with well-developed secondary characters that are entertaining and add a quirky touch. Hauck fans will find a gem of a tale.”
—
P
UBLISHERS
W
EEKLY
STARRED REVIEW OF
O
NCE
U
PON A
P
RINCE
“Both books,
Once Upon a Prince
and
Princess Ever After
, are a good blend of uplifting entertainment with a mystery twist—not too heavy, not too light, just right! Five-plus stars awarded to these most excellent books by Rachel Hauck.”
—L
AURA
P
ALMORE
“A completely satisfying read. I’ve read
A March Bride
three times!”
—J. G
OLDHAHN
“Upon entering the world of Brighton and now Hessenberg (
Princess Ever After
), my mind was awash with the colors, sounds, sights, and even smells of this delightful, fictional city. So much so, I wish it were real so that I could schedule a visit! All in all, this was a world I did
not
want to leave.”
—T
HINKING
T
HOUGHTS
B
LOG
“I just finished my ARC of
Once Upon a Prince
and I LOVED IT! I don’t say that often because I do so many book reviews and it’s hard to find a real gem, but this one fit the bill!”
—L
ORI
T
WICHELL OF
R
ADIANT
L
IT
“
The Wedding Dress
is a thought-provoking read and one of the best books I have read. Look forward to more . . .”
—M
ICHELLE
J
OHNMAN
, G
OLD
C
OAST
, A
USTRALIA
“I thank God for your talent and that you wrote
The Wedding Dress
. I will definitely come back to this book and read it again. And now I cannot wait to read
Once Upon a Prince
.”
—A
GATA FROM
P
OLAND
“Rachel Hauck writes with comedic timing and dramatic flair that underscore the stirring theme of God equipping and legitimizing those He calls to fulfill a purpose. Her portrayal of the supernatural presence and intercession of the Holy Spirit is artfully executed and a powerful testimony. Hauck illustrates Reggie’s spiritual awakening with a purity that leaves little doubt to its credibility.”
—
F
AMILY
F
ICTION
ON
P
RINCESS
E
VER
A
FTER
ALSO BY RACHEL HAUCK
The Wedding Dress
N
OVELLAS FOUND IN
A Y
EAR OF
W
EDDINGS
A March Bride
(e-book only)
A Brush with Love: A January Wedding Story
(e-book only)
T
HE
R
OYAL
W
EDDING
S
ERIES
Once Upon a Prince
Princess Ever After
How to Catch a Prince
L
OWCOUNTRY
R
OMANCE
N
OVELS
Love Starts with Elle
Sweet Caroline
Dining with Joy
Nashville Sweetheart
(e-book only)
Nashville Dreams
(e-book only)
W
ITH
S
ARA
E
VANS
Sweet By and By
Softly and Tenderly
Love Lifted Me
ZONDERVAN
The Wedding Chapel
Copyright © 2015 by Rachel Hayes Hauck
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
ePub Edition © October 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-34333-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hauck, Rachel, 1960-
The wedding chapel / Rachel Hauck.
pages; cm
ISBN 978-0-310-34152-9 (softcover)
1. Man-woman relationships—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3608.A866W425 2015
813’.6—dc23
2015023680
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Interior design: Mallory Perkins
15 16 17 18 19 20 / RRD / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my sister, Rebekah Gunter
Contents
H
EART
’
S
B
END
, T
ENNESSEE
J
ULY
1948
J
immy’s journey began with a photograph. One of two girls standing next to a slender bride gripping a weak cluster of flowers, the shade of a stone chapel falling over their faces.
“My cousins.” Clem’s heavy exhale pushed him down to the family’s brand-new sofa. “From England.”
“All of them?” Jimmy remained planted in the same spot he’d been standing when Clem passed over the picture. In a warm swath of afternoon sunlight falling through the square front window.
“Nooo, golly geez, just the two flower girls, or bridesmaids, whatever you call them.
They’re
coming to live with us.” Clem whistled low and slumped down against the couch cushions, his dark hair buzzed in a close crew cut. “If all three of them came to live with us, I’d have to move out. And you know Mama wouldn’t cotton to losing her baby boy.”
Jimmy’s eyes watered. Dang. He was too old for tears. He cleared his throat, then said, “She’d hunt you down.”
“You don’t say.” Clem made a wry face, but Jimmy knew their joking etched around the truth. Clem was now his mama’s
only
boy. Big brother Ted had died on Iwo Jima just a week after his twentieth birthday, and the family had never been the same.
Though more than three years had passed since the telegram arrived, Jimmy’s soul still vibrated with the echoes of Mrs. Clemson’s wailing as her husband read the news. Everyone in Heart’s Bend had loved Ted. No exaggeration.
Everyone
. The whole town shut down for his memorial.
Jimmy jerked around, glancing at the stairs, for a moment imagining he heard the big guy’s thunderous footsteps.
“Come on, lazies, let’s get up a game. Jims, you staying for dinner? Mams, set an extra place for dinner . . .”
“. . . but what’s a fella to do?” Clem’s question brought Jimmy out from the shadows. “They lost everything in the war. Their folks, their home . . .”
Right. The cousins. Jimmy studied the picture again. “They’re orphans?” His heart moved with understanding.
“Yessiree, and they’re coming here to live.” Clem leaned toward the radio console and upped the volume, the velvet voice of Doris Day giving energy to the sunlight.
“Gonna take a sentimental journey / to renew old memories.”
“So why’re you showing me this?” Jimmy held up the photograph. Did Clem want him to decode something between the shades of black and white? “Might be kinda nice, Clem, having kids around. The house won’t be so . . .”
Lonely
. He wanted to say it, but the tone sat sad in his ears. If Jimmy knew about anything, it was loneliness: the hollow shadows of a dark house, the chill of walking into a cold kitchen, the loudness of silence.