A Happy Endings Wedding (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 11)
Page 9
They all stared at her. Awkward.
The woman cupped her mouth and spoke in a stage whisper to Hailey. “He’s a cranky butler.”
Gabriel stiffened even more, if that was possible. “Who are you?”
The woman tossed her dark curls over one shoulder and thrust her hand out. “I’m Polly Lyon and that’s no lie.”
Gabriel stared at her hand and made no move to take it.
Polly finally dropped her hand. “You might be the hottest butler I’ve ever seen, but…that stick up your ass really kills it for me.”
Everyone’s heads swiveled back to Gabriel to see how he would take the pseudo-compliment.
And then Crown Prince Gabriel Rourke, that grim dour son of a bitch, cracked a smile.
~ ~ ~
Three months later, Hailey carefully edited the quotes from Luxury Weddings and Bride Special to craft the perfect marketing lines for Villroy Island if they ever got back into the destination-wedding business. It turned out Bonnie had lied and there were no other weddings planned. Her sole purpose had been to sabotage the inaugural wedding to ruin Villroy’s chances as a wedding venue. How she thought that would restore her family’s royal blood ties was beyond comprehension. The woman was certifiable.
Hailey would use these lovely quotes for Love Junkies too, which was still going strong. They’d picked up momentum thanks to her and Ally’s efforts, along with Mad’s stellar marketing plan. Hailey admired the quotes, smiling to herself. Personal experience with a deeply loving wedding could only work in her favor as a wedding planner. Luxury Weddings: “One look at this crazy-in-love couple could’ve made any wedding a success.” Bride Special: “A classy serene ceremony and reception that radiated love.”
She was much too Zen about her growing baby to dwell on the hiccups. Josh had battled manly tears when they saw the ultrasound and got the news that the baby was a girl. Her warrior beast would make a fantastic dad.
La-la-la. Please ignore the following bit of paper recycling! (If only she could shred the internet.)
Luxury Weddings
Destination Wedding or Cursed Wedding?
I’m not going to pretty it up—the debut wedding on Villroy Island was anything but glamorous. But it was full of love. And I do love romantic touches. How about a groom who works behind the scenes to pull off the reception after the caterer goes on strike? The bride who doubles as her own wedding planner right up until the vows to make up for an incompetent wedding planner, who was later banned from the island! We won’t mention the furry wedding that unexpectedly took place three hours prior to the debut wedding. (See sidebar.)
Our intrepid couple pulled it off and then some, showing love was more important than any traditional detail. Did I mention the musicians were in full Viking gear, fresh from a reenactment? Or that the gown was a replacement for one that was ruined by a freak fire? How about the “Happy Birthday Hailey” cake instead of a wedding cake?
And the bride was thrown overboard at her own bachelorette party! As if that wasn’t bad enough, the flowers were plucked from the side of the road when the florist couldn’t deliver on the promised order. Some might’ve said the wedding was cursed. Not this happy invited guest. Because one look at this crazy-in-love couple could’ve made any wedding a success.
REDACTED BY ORDER OF HIS MAJESTY KING GABRIEL ROURKE OF VILLROY ISLAND.
I say let’s give Villroy Island as a destination wedding the benefit of the doubt, provided they hire a new wedding planner. Can’t beat the location!
~ ~ ~
Find out more about Gabriel Rourke in my new standalone romance Royal Catch! The Bachelor meets Survivor royal style!
Gabriel
I am the crown prince of Villroy, heir to a kingdom, bound by duty to marry and produce an heir.
I expected a quiet arrangement through royal channels; instead I got a palace full of women vying for my hand. And how do they “win” this barbaric game set up by my crafty mother? By figuring out how to save the kingdom's faltering economy through a series of challenges. This undignified circus is beneath a man of my stature! Proof being that a saucy, ill-mannered woman wearing body-hugging clothes is in the lead. I could never love someone like that, let alone marry her.
Anna
The plan sounded simple.
I pose as my friend, pick up her inheritance, and return with the cash to keep her out of jail. (Apparently, being a princess in hiding is no excuse for identity theft.) So, yeah, I'm not exactly royal. I'm an orphan, a self-made woman, and proud of it. Suddenly I'm in a battle royale with a bunch of crazy competitive women for “riches beyond our dreams.” I'm in a time crunch, which means I need to win this competition fast. Only, that means winning over the judge, the smoldering hot grim-faced Gabriel. And now I find myself wanting to compete for more than just the money. But could a royal prince ever fall for a commoner like me?
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You’ve just read book #11 in the Happy Endings Book Club series. The books in the series are Hidden Hollywood (Jake & Claire), Inviting Trouble (Parker & Mad), So Revealing (Ty & Charlotte), Formal Arrangement (Alex & Lauren), Bad Boy Done Wrong (Zach & Carrie), Mess With Me (Ethan & Ally), Resisting Fate (Ben & Missy), Chance of Romance (Logan & Sabrina), Wicked Flirt (Marcus & Lexi), An Inconvenient Plan (Josh & Hailey), and A Happy Endings Wedding. I hope you enjoy them all!
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Other Books by Kylie Gilmore
The Clover Park Series
The Opposite of Wild (Book 1)
Daisy Does It All (Book 2)
Bad Taste in Men (Book 3)
Kissing Santa (Book 4)
Restless Harmony (Book 5)
Not My Romeo (Book 6)
Rev Me Up (Book 7)
An Ambitious Engagement (Book 8)
Clutch Player (Book 9)
A Tempting Friendship (Book 10)
Clover Park Bride (A Clover Park Short)
The Clover Park STUDS Series
Almost Over It (Book 1)
Almost Married (Book 2)
Almost Fate (Book 3)
Almost in Love (Book 4)
Almost Romance (Book 5)
Almost Hitched (Book 6)
Happy Endings Book Club Series
Hidden Hollywood (Book 1)
Inviting Trouble (Book 2)
So Revealing (Book 3)
Formal Arrangement (Book 4)
Bad Boy Done Wrong (Book 5)
Mess With Me (Book 6)
Resisting Fate (Book 7)
Chance of Romance (Book 8)
Wicked Flirt (Book 9)
An Inconvenient Plan (Book 10)
A Happy Endings Wedding (Book 11)
All Kylie Gilmore Books
Acknowledgments
Thanks for reading, you awesome reader goddess! Thanks also to my family, Tessa, Pauline, Mimi, Kim, and Jenn for all you do.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks are not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A Happy Endings Wedding: © 2019 by Kylie Gilmore
Digital Edition 1.0
Cover design by Kim Killion
Published by: Extra Fancy Books
All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the writer, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
ISBN-10: 1-942238-69-X
ISBN-13: 978-1-942238-69-0
About the Author
Kylie Gilmore is the USA Today bestselling author of the Happy Endings Book Club series, the Clover Park series, and the Clover Park STUDS series. She writes humorous romance that makes you laugh, cry, and reach for a cold glass of water.
Kylie lives in New York with her family, two cats, and a nutso dog. When she’s not writing, wrangling kids, or dutifully taking notes at writing conferences, you can find her flexing her muscles all the way to the high cabinet for her secret chocolate stash.
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Kylie can be found on Twitter @KylieGilmoreToo and on Facebook.com/KylieGilmoreToo. Contact Kylie at kylie@kyliegilmore.com