by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt
ACCLAIM FOR SECRETLY SMITTEN
Love Between the Lines
“Colleen Coble’s writing shines almost as brightly as the love story set amid a mystery backdrop in Love Between the Lines. Coble proves once again why she’s a master in her genre. Don’t miss this heartwarming addition to the Smitten series. Highly recommend.”
—ROBIN CAROLL, AUTHOR OF THE JUSTICE SEEKERS SERIES
“Colleen Coble has a special talent to draw her readers into her story and make us a part of it. I so appreciated this delightful tale of a real woman I could admire as I sought to be more like her.”
—HANNAH ALEXANDER, AUTHOR OF THE WEDDING KISS
Make Me a Match
“What a charming story! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kristin Billerbeck’s characters in Make Me a Match and following them through the streets of Smitten. Zoe is a delight! And William a strong hero. So grab a cup of tea, snuggle up in a fuzzy blanket, and get ready for a fun read.”
—MARLO SCHALESKY, AUTHOR OF THE CHRISTY AWARD-WINNING BEYOND THE NIGHT
“Kristin Billerbeck delivered again, drawing me in fast with her quick wit and uncanny understanding of the heart. In the end, I wasn’t ready to let these characters go. Sigh . . . I am not-so-secretly smitten with Make me a Match.”
—TRACEY BATEMAN, AUTHOR OF THE WIDOW OF SAUNDERS CREEK
“I’m smitten with Smitten! Kristin Billerbeck’s Make Me a Match is a delightful read with rich, vibrant characters. I can’t wait to get my hands on the entire anthology.”
—NICOLE O’DELL, FOUNDER OF CHOOSE NOW MINISTRIES AND AUTHOR OF THE DIAMOND ESTATES SERIES
Knit One, Love Two
“Romance and yarn! Two of my favorite things. And they are knit together perfectly in Knit One, Love Two, Diann Hunt’s charming novella in Secretly Smitten.”
—ROBIN LEE HATCHER, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF HEART OF GOLD AND BETRAYAL
“Diann pens a sweet story, with characters who tug at your heart. A lovely, romantic read!”
—KATHLEEN FULLER, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE MIDDLEFIELD FAMILY SERIES
“Diann Hunt delights with her new novella, Knit One, Love Two . . . Enjoy this charming story by a very special storyteller!”
—MAE NUNN, CAROL AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF A TEXAS RANGER’S FAMILY
Love Blooms
“Love Blooms will sweep you back to Smitten and leave you wishing the town and characters were real. A sweet romance that reminds us that God has good plans. So let go, trust, and embrace a story that highlights the many ways God is smitten with us.”
—CARA PUTMAN, AUTHOR OF STARS IN THE NIGHT AND A WEDDING TRANSPIRES ON MACKINAC ISLAND
“A beautiful story of self-discovery, taking chances and falling in love. I truly enjoyed spending time in Smitten and found myself smitten with the lovely characters, the setting and everything about Love Blooms. I look forward to the next book by Denise Hunter.”
—LYNETTE EASON, BEST-SELLING, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS
“With love capturing the hearts of her mother and sisters, Clare Thomas feels like the odd woman out, with only her precious plants to fill her life. But love blooms in unexpected ways in this charming, heartwarming story from talented author Denise Hunter.”
—MARTA PERRY, AUTHOR OF NAOMI’S CHRISTMAS AND LYDIA’S HOPE
Secretly
Smitten
ALSO BY THESE AUTHORS
Smitten
Colleen Coble
Under Texas
Stars novels
Blue Moon Promise
Safe in His Arms
The Hope Beach novels
Tidewater Inn
The Lonestar novels
Lonestar Sanctuary
Lonestar Secrets
Lonestar Homecoming
Lonestar Angel
The Mercy Falls series
The Lightkeeper’s Daughter
The Lightkeeper’s Bride
The Lightkeeper’s Ball
The Rock Harbor series
Without a Trace
Beyond a Doubt
Into the Deep
Abomination
Cry in the Night
Silent Night: A Christmas
Novella
(available as e-book only)
The Aloha Reef series
Distant Echoes
Black Sands
Dangerous Depths
Midnight Sea
Alaska Twilight
Fire Dancer
Anathema
Kristin Billerbeck
The Scent of Rain
A Billion Reasons Why
Split Ends
The Ashley
Stockingdale novels
What a Girl Wants
She’s Out of Control
With This Ring, I’m Confused
The Spa Girls series
She’s All That
A Girl’s Best Friend
Calm, Cool, and Adjusted
Diann Hunt
Bittersweet Surrender
(available as e-book only)
Be Sweet
For Better or For Worse
Hot Tropics & Cold Feet
RV There Yet?
Hot Flashes & Cold Cream
Denise Hunter
Sweetwater Gap
The Nantucket Romance series
Surrender Bay
The Convenient Groom
Seaside Letters
Driftwood Lane
The Big Sky Romance series
A Cowboy’s Touch
The Accidental Bride
The Trouble with Cowboys
© 2012 by Kristin Billerbeck, Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Kristin Billerbeck is represented by the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.alivecommunications.com.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the authors’ imaginations or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Secretly smitten / Colleen Coble ... [et al.].
p. cm. -- (Smitten ; 2)
ISBN 978-1-4016-8713-7 (trade paper)
1. Love stories. 2. Christian fiction. I. Coble, Colleen. Tess II.
Billerbeck, Kristin. Zoe III. Hunt, Diann. Anna IV. Hunter, Denise, 1968- Clare
PS648.L6S44 2012
813’.08508--dc23
2012036814
Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 QG 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Love Between the Lines by Colleen Coble
Make Me a Match by Kristin Billerbeck
Knit One, Love Two by Diann Hunt
Love Blooms by Denise Hunter
CHAPTER ONE
Wrapping paper lay strewn around the floor in a happy crumple of color. Tess Thomas handed her cousin one last gift and suppressed a smile. Nat
would blush when she saw the filmy negligee Tess had bought. But Tess knew if anyone would look great in the gown, it was her cousin. It was something Tess would never purchase for herself. But then, what need would she have for a honeymoon gown anyway?
While Natalie began to rip paper with abandon, Tess glanced around the packed parlor of their grandmother’s old house. Their friends had all shown up for the bridal shower, and there wasn’t space for another chair. A few women even sat on the floor with their backs propped against the wall. That was what Tess loved about the small town of Smitten, Vermont. Neighbors were like family. And they’d all pulled together in amazing ways this past year as they worked to put Smitten on the map as a town based on tourism—a romantic destination, in fact. There were so many new businesses, including a big hotel that had taken over the old lumber mill.
Their great-aunt Violet bustled in with a tray of cookies and tea. “Tess, dear,” she whispered. “I’m not sure these gluten-free things are worth eating.”
The cookies were as lopsided as Violet’s red lipstick. The color of that lipstick had never changed over the years—it was the same orangey red that clashed pitifully with Violet’s dyed red hair.
Tess took the crumbliest cookie and took a bite. “They’re good, Aunt Violet. And Natalie will appreciate that you went to the trouble.”
Her aunt’s smile brightened. “I’m so glad, honey. You always were my favorite niece!” She winked dramatically.
Tess’s sister Clare took the tray. “Let me help you with that, Aunt Violet.” She circled the room with the tray in hand, and to their credit, most guests took a cookie.
Natalie took a break from the gifts to nibble on a cookie and glanced around. “Where’s Mia?”
“In the attic,” Grandma Rose said. “You girls always loved to play up there, remember?”
This three-story Victorian was special. Tess, her sisters, and their cousins had loved exploring the attic when they came to visit their grandmother and great-aunts. The grand old home’s welcome enveloped visitors the moment they stepped onto the polished walnut floors.
Tess turned toward the hall. “You stay here with your guests. I’ll check on her, Natalie.”
When Tess reached the bottom of the stairs, Natalie’s adopted daughter, Mia, was descending. The six-year-old had a purple boa around her neck and wore a red velvet dress, the hem trailing on the hardwood. She’d found some lipstick from somewhere—probably Violet’s, judging by the color—and her small white teeth gleamed behind the smear of orange.
Mia reached the bottom of the staircase and twirled. “Look at me, Tess!”
A wave of love swept over Tess. If only she could have a daughter like Mia someday. “Smashing,” she said in genuine admiration. “That’s an unusual necklace.” She leaned down to examine the tarnished metal and realized it held a pair of dog tags. “Where did you get it?”
Mia looked down at her feet and shuffled. “In the attic.”
“Was it in the trunk you were allowed to be in?”
“No.” Mia peeked up at her. She held up her arm to show a bracelet. “My bracelet fell off and went down a hole. I put my hand in to get it and found the necklace too.” Red stained Mia’s cheeks. “Should I put it back?”
Tess put her hand on Mia’s soft hair. “No, it’s fine, honey. I just wondered where you found it. I’ve never seen it before.”
Natalie appeared in the doorway from the parlor. “Is something wrong?” She glanced at her daughter.
“Not really. I was looking at something Mia found in the attic.”
A frown crouched between Natalie’s eyes. “Are those dog tags? What on earth . . . There haven’t been any soldiers in our family, have there, Tess?” She held out her hand. “Let me see them, Mia.”
Mia’s lower lip quivered, but she took off the dog tags and handed them over. “I didn’t hurt them.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m sure you didn’t.” Natalie reached out a reassuring hand to embrace the girl. Lifting the tag to the light, she studied it. “David Hutchins.”
Tess’s grandmother spoke from behind them. “David Hutchins? Where did you hear that name?”
Tess turned to see the color leave her grandmother’s face. “On these dog tags Mia found upstairs in the attic.” Beyond Grandma Rose, she saw Aunt Violet turn pale and reach out to steady herself on the wall.
Grandma Rose grabbed the door frame. “With David’s name?”
For a moment Tess thought her grandmother might faint. She rushed to her side. “Grandma, are you all right?”
Her grandmother wetted her lips. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to understand this. David died in the Korean conflict. As far as I know, his dog tags were never recovered. Neither was his body.”
“See for yourself,” Natalie said, joining them, hand outstretched.
Grandma Rose clutched the dog tags, then held them to the light. “Mia, where did you find these?”
“In the attic.” Mia’s voice wobbled. “I’m sorry.”
Tess embraced her. “You’re not in trouble, honey. Grandma is just surprised they were there.” She stared at her grandmother, who was as pale as the white blouse she wore. “Who was David Hutchins?”
Her grandmother was staring at the dog tags. She blinked rapidly. “My fiancé.”
Natalie frowned. “I’m confused. What about Grandpa Martin?”
Grandma Rose bit her lip. “I loved him, of course, but he wasn’t my first love.” She hesitated. “First love is special.” Her face took on a dreamy expression. “He used to call me his Betty Boop.”
Though it hurt even to imagine her grandmother loving another man before her own grandfather, Tess loved a good mystery, and this smelled like the best kind. “If he died in the war, then how did these dog tags get in your attic?”
“I don’t know. It makes no sense.”
“Could the military have sent them back to you?” Natalie asked.
“They didn’t. I would have kept them close. They wouldn’t be in the attic.”
“You’re sure he died?” Tess asked.
“Of course. The army notified his parents. I was there when they told us of his death.” She looked down. “It was the darkest day of my life.”
Darker than the day Grandpa died? Tess studied her grandmother’s face but didn’t ask the question.
“Did he live here in Smitten?” Natalie asked.
Grandma Rose nodded. “Over on Green Valley Road. In that big house where Ryan Stevenson lives now.”
Tess’s pulse kicked at Ryan Stevenson’s name. The handsome widower was a Saturday morning patron at her bookstore. Not that he’d ever noticed her.
“David’s family moved away after his death.” Her grandmother’s voice broke, then she recovered her composure and managed a smile. “We’d better get back to our guests.”
Tess followed her to the parlor, but her brain was whirling. What did it all mean?
The last guests had left and Tess and her sisters were picking up bits of confetti and wrapping paper from the floor. The older women had gone out to practice for Saturday night’s concert in the town square. Tess lifted the dog tags from the table and rattled them in her hands. “We have to get to the bottom of this,” she said.
Her mother, Anna, shook her head. At fifty, she was still trim and her skin was smooth and pink. Most people thought she was much younger. “It’s none of our concern, Tess. We shouldn’t be poking our nose into Mother’s business.”
“Something happened, and even Grandma has no idea what it was. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”
Her youngest sister, Zoe, dropped a dustpan full of confetti into a wastebasket. “I think Grandma deserves to know the truth. How could those tags have gotten there?”
Clare stopped sweeping. “Let’s think about this.” As the middle child, she was the reflective one, with her feet firmly planted on the ground. “It’s very strange.”
“Maybe he didn’t die in the war,” Tess suggested. “
Maybe he came to town. What if Grandpa answered the door when he got here and didn’t let him see Grandma?”
“Now, Tess, I’m sure it was nothing so unpleasant,” Anna said. “I’m sure my mother isn’t interested anymore.”
“Of course she is! You saw how white she went. She must have loved him very much. And what if he’s still alive?” Tess could see it now. A handsome gentleman with white hair stepping out of a restored Roadster. Her grandmother’s face bright with happiness. “We could get them together again.”
“He’s probably married by now, even if he did survive the war,” Clare pointed out. “But you’re jumping to conclusions. It’s more likely that his parents left the tags here or something. Maybe Aunt Violet or Aunt Petunia tucked them away so she wouldn’t be upset.”
“If that’s the case, then there’s no real mystery at all,” their mother said.
Tess was sure it wasn’t something that simple.
Clare’s thoughtful frown was back. “We’ll need to handle this very carefully. If he’s married, we back off without even talking to him, agreed?”
“He should know the truth,” Zoe said. “He should know Grandma thinks he died.”
“The truth isn’t always the best thing,” their mother said. “Not if it hurts someone.”
Zoe rolled her eyes but said nothing. Clare cut her gaze to the carpet.
Tess picked up more paper from the floor. “I’ll do an Internet search. It can’t hurt just to poke around a little.” Ryan’s face flashed into mind. “Maybe Ryan would let me explore his attic, see if there’s any information there.”
“I’m sure you’d like that,” Clare said, her voice teasing. “The most eligible bachelor in town.”
