A Small-Town Bride
Page 26
“What would fix this situation for you?” he asked.
“I love him,” she whispered, her voice so tight it sounded brittle.
“So you’d be okay if he changed his mind and we started over? You still want to marry him?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip. “I certainly don’t want to kill or maim him.” She glanced at Madison. “Or mess up his car.”
“Let me go talk to him, okay?”
“You can’t be serious.” Emma downed the last drop of her champagne and glared at him. “He left her at the altar. That’s like the worst humiliation a woman can suffer. It’s like he—”
“Shut up,” Laurie said, her voice surprisingly strong. “I’d take him back,” she said.
“Okay. Let me see what I can do.”
He got up and headed toward the door, but Emma followed him.
“You aren’t seriously thinking about talking Brandon into going forward with the ceremony, are you?”
“Why not?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because he left her at the altar. That means, de facto, that he’s a dickwad, and Laurie deserves better than that.”
“Maybe he just had a moment of—”
“No. He walked away from her. You want her to grovel and ask him to come back? Really?”
“It’s not about what I want, Emma. It’s about what Laurie wants and needs, and what Brandon wants and needs. The object is to find a win-win situation for both of them.”
“You’re unbelievable. Laurie is not capable of judging what she wants right now.” Emma’s fists landed on her hips.
“And you are?”
Emma shook her head. “No. But I think Laurie loves the idea of Brandon. I think she’s been overlooking a lot of problems with the real Brandon.”
Andrew let out a long breath. “Look, she asked me to talk to him, okay? I’m the best man, and it seems to me that it’s kind of my job to see if I can fix this situation.”
Emma folded her arms across her chest. “Knock yourself out. But you aren’t going to change Brandon’s mind. My guess is that he’s been cheating on Laurie.” She turned and ducked back into the Churchill Suite.
Was there someone else? Andrew didn’t think so. But, hell, he’d been surprised that day when he’d come home from work and found Val all packed and ready to run off to her lover.
* * *
Laurie looked down at the champagne flute, studying the way the late-afternoon sun sparkled on the bubbles and her two-carat, pavé-set Tiffany engagement ring. She remembered the day Brandon had put that ring on her finger. It was at her birthday party, two years ago. She hadn’t thought too much about the fact that members of their close group of friends each brought a balloon to the party with a single letter on it. But it all became clear when Brandon suggested a group picture with the balloons. And suddenly the balloons spelled out “Laurie, Will You Marry Me?”
Brandon had gotten down on his knee and presented the ring in its beautiful robin’s-egg-blue Tiffany box. She’d loved the ring from the first moment she’d laid eyes on it. It was classic and maybe a tiny bit old-fashioned.
And now she would have to give it back.
Something broke inside her heart, and the tears she’d been trying not to shed welled up like a fountain. How could a man who’d organized such a romantic proposal walk away from a wedding?
She slipped the ring from her finger. “Someone needs to give this back,” she managed to choke out.
“Aw, honey,” Mindy said. “You are not giving that back. You’re going to sell it on eBay and pocket the ten grand. You’ll need it to fix up that house Brandon talked you into buying. Now, drink your champagne. It’ll take the edge off.”
She did as she was told, and just as soon as she’d drained the flute, Madison refilled it. “I just don’t get it,” Laurie said through her tears.
“Neither do we,” Emma said. “But the important thing is that a man who leaves his bride at the altar is a jerk.”
Laurie shook her head. No. Brandon was a great guy. The problem wasn’t Brandon. It was her.
She sniffled back her tears and downed another glass of champagne. Yes, definitely. She was the problem. She’d been a fool to think that they had a special relationship that could weather her problems in the bedroom. She needed to accept the fact that she was a dud when it came to sex. She was uptight and OCD and had trouble turning her brain off. Who wanted to be chained to a wife like that?
She downed another glass of champagne.
“So, girls, you know we really can’t kill him or castrate him. But the Camaro…We could really mess it up.”
“Maybe we could find a bottle of spray paint and write the words, ‘Left the bride at the altar’ across his back window,” Madison said.
“You’re an amateur,” Mindy said. “I vote that we go to Lowe’s and buy a pickax and turn the Camaro into Swiss cheese.”
“That would be too obvious,” Emma said. “We should just put sugar in the gas tank.”
The girls continued to discuss ways of destroying Brandon’s beloved car while they sipped several more glasses of champagne.
Meanwhile, Laurie obsessed over all the things she’d done wrong. It was amazing that Brandon hadn’t found someone else. Assuming he’d told her the truth. But it didn’t matter, because as soon as he started playing the field, he’d lose interest in her. She bored him in the bedroom, and that’s why he wanted her to date other guys. Maybe he thought she needed the experience. Like the opposite of slut-shaming or something. But sleeping around would be like cheating on him.
Except it wouldn’t be cheating. Not now.
The truth exploded on her like a stinger missile, and suddenly all the champagne she’d been sipping didn’t want to stay down. She didn’t make it all the way to the bathroom before she hurled it up.
Well, that was it. Her beautiful seven-thousand-dollar wedding dress was utterly ruined. Even if Andrew could talk Brandon into marrying her, Laurie now had nothing to wear.
About the Author
Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances. Her books have won critical acclaim and publishing awards. She is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her Southern heroes. She has two grown children, a couple of demanding lap cats, and a cockapoo puppy to keep her busy. She lives in Virginia where, when she’s not writing, she’s knitting or playing her forty-year-old Martin guitar. If you’d like to receive information about upcoming releases or book signings, you can join Hope’s mailing list at http://www.hoperamsay.com/mailing-list/.
You can learn more at:
HopeRamsay.com
Twitter @HopeRamsay
Facebook.com/Hope.Ramsay
Also by Hope Ramsay
The Last Chance series
Welcome to Last Chance
Home at Last Chance
Small Town Christmas (anthology)
Last Chance Beauty Queen
“Last Chance Bride” (short story)
Last Chance Christmas
Last Chance Book Club
“Last Chance Summer” (short story)
Last Chance Knit & Stitch
Inn at Last Chance
“A Christmas to Remember” (anthology)
Last Chance Family
Last Chance Hero
“A Midnight Clear” (short story)
The Chapel of Love series
“A Fairytale Bride” (short story)
A Christmas Bride
Praise for Hope Ramsay
Last Chance Hero
“Fans will enjoy another visit to Last Chance, the quintessential Southern small town. The characters in this town are priceless…Readers can expect to have a whole lot of fun.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I love visiting Last Chance and getting to revisit old friends, funny situations, the magic and the mystery that always seems to find their way into these wonderful stories.”
—Harlequi
nJunkie.com
Last Chance Family
“4 stars! Ramsay uses a light-toned plot and sweet characters to illustrate some important truths in this entry in the series.”
—RT Book Reviews
“[This book] has the humor and heartwarming quality that have characterized the series…Mike and Charlene are appealing characters—unconsciously funny, vulnerable, and genuinely likeable—and Rainbow will touch readers’ hearts.”
—TheRomanceDish.com
Inn at Last Chance
“5 stars! I really enjoyed this book. I love a little mystery with my romance, and that is exactly what I got with Inn at Last Chance.”
—HarlequinJunkie.com
“5 stars! The suspense and mystery behind it all kept me on the edge of my seat. I just could not put this book down.”
—LongandShortReviews.com
Last Chance Knit & Stitch
“Hope Ramsay is going on my auto-read list for sure. Last Chance Knit & Stitch may be my first Last Chance book, but it won’t be my last.”
—HeroesandHeartbreakers.com
“Ramsay writes with heart and humor. Truly a book to be treasured and heartwarming foray into a great series.”
—NightOwlReviews.com
Last Chance Book Club
“The ladies of the Last Chance Book Club keep the gossip flowing in this story graced with abundant Southern charm and quirky, caring people. Another welcome chapter to Ramsay’s engaging, funny, hope-filled series.”
—Library Journal
“Last Chance is a place we’ve come to know as well as we know our own hometowns. It’s become real, filled with people who could be our aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, or the crazy cat lady down the street. It’s familiar, comfortable, welcoming.”
—RubySlipperedSisterhood.com
Last Chance Christmas
“Amazing…This story spoke to me on so many levels about faith, strength, courage, and choices. If you’re looking for a good Christmas story with a few angels, then Last Chance Christmas is a must-read.”
—TheSeasonforRomance.com
“Visiting Last Chance is always a joy, but Hope Ramsay has outdone herself this time. She took a difficult hero, a wounded heroine, familiar characters, added a little Christmas magic, and—voilà!—gave us a story sure to touch the Scroogiest of hearts.”
—RubySlipperedSisterhood.com
Last Chance Beauty Queen
“4½ stars! Enchantingly funny and heartwarmingly charming.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A little Bridget Jones meets Sweet Home Alabama.”
—GrafWV.com
Home at Last Chance
“An enjoyable ride that will capture interest and hold it to the very end.”
—RomRevToday.blogspot.com
“Full of small-town charm and Southern hospitality…You will want to grab a copy.”
—TopRomanceNovels.com
Welcome to Last Chance
“Ramsay’s delicious contemporary debut introduces the town of Last Chance, SC, and its warmhearted inhabitants…[she] strikes an excellent balance between tension and humor as she spins a fine yarn.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] charming series, featuring quirky characters you won’t soon forget.”
—Barbara Freethy, New York Times bestselling author of At Hidden Falls
Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
To receive special offers, bonus content, and news about our latest ebooks and apps, sign up for our newsletters.
Sign Up
Or visit us at hachettebookgroup.com/newsletters
Fall in Love with Forever Romance
A SMALL-TOWN BRIDE
By Hope Ramsay
Amy Lyndon is tired of being “the poor little rich girl” of Shenandoah Falls. In her prominent family, she’s the ordinary one—no Ivy League education and no powerful career. But when her father tries to marry her off, she finally has to stand up for herself, despite the consequences. Cut off from the family fortune, her first challenge is to find a job. And she’s vowed to never rely on another man ever again, no matter how hot or how handsome.
HOLDING FIRE
By April Hunt
Alpha Security operative Trey Hanson is ready to settle down. When he meets a gorgeous blonde in a bar, and the connection between them is off the charts, he thinks he’s finally found the one. But after their night together ends in a hail of gunfire and she disappears in the chaos, Trey’s reasons for tracking her down are personal…until he learns she’s his next assignment. Fans of Rebecca Zanetti and Julie Ann Walker will love the newest romantic suspense novel from April Hunt!
THE HIGHLAND DUKE
By Amy Jarecki
Fans of Outlander will love this sweeping Scottish epic from award-winning author Amy Jarecki. When Akira Ayres finds a brawny Scot with a musket ball in his thigh, the healer will do whatever it takes to save his life…even fleeing with him across the Highlands. Geordie knows if Akira discovers his true identity, both their lives will be jeopardized. The only way to protect the lass is to keep her by his side. But the longer he’s with her, the harder it becomes to imagine letting her go…
FOREVER MINE
By Erin Nicholas
The newest book in New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas’s Opposites Attract series!
Maya Goodwin doesn’t believe in holding back. Ever. As a cop, she never hesitated to throw herself into harm’s way to save someone. As a doctor, Alex Nolan knows all too well that risks can have deadly consequences. So Maya—daring and spontaneous—is the exact opposite of who he’s looking for. But he can’t resist exploring their sizzling attraction, even though falling for Maya might just be way too hazardous for his heart.
CRAZY FOR YOU
By Rachel Lacey
Emma Rush can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a thing for Ryan Blake. The small town’s resident bad boy is just so freakin’ hot—with tattoos, a motorcycle, and enough rough-around-the-edges sexiness to melt all her self-control. Now that Emma’s over being a “good girl,” she needs a little help being naughty…and Ryan is the perfect place to start.