IN SEARCH OF A GROOM
Lilli Barclay needs a groomâand she needs one now. Not for herself, of course, but for her motherâs glamorous wedding-themed benefit. Then Lilli can get back to what really matters, earning a promotion at work. Just her luck that Max Sanders, the ideal candidate, still holds a grudge against her for an incident that happened twelve years ago.
Persuading Max to volunteer will take longer than Lilli thought. Much longer. And the more time she spends with him, the further she ventures down Memory Lane. Pretty soon Lilli canât help wondering if Max could be more than a pretend groom. He still makes her heart race. But will he ever be able to forgive the past and consider a futureâ¦with her?
Lilli stared up at Max, her heart beating rapidly.
With a frown, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. She rested her palms on his chest and sank into the kiss, falling for Max a little harder. But just as she slid her hands to his shoulders, he pulled away.
âNot a good idea,â he said, his voice low, clipped. âI should go before I do something stupid.â
âLike kiss me again?â
He closed his eyes. âIâm not the right guy for you. You need promises. A sure thing. Iâm not that guy.â
âYou could be.â
He stepped back. âI need to go.â He opened the door and slipped away before she could think of any words to stop him.
She leaned her forehead against the cool door, eyes closed. Did he regret coming here tonight? Kissing her? Did he want more between them, or would he always blame her for a past she couldnât change?
Dear Reader,
I so enjoyed creating the characters in Orange Blossom Brides. Lilli and Max had plenty of obstacles before getting their happily-ever-after, but doesnât every journey have a few bumps along the way? Thatâs what makes life so interesting.
The inspiration for this story came when a friend dragged me to a spring fashion show. The room, filled with bright flowers, soft harp music and decorated in a wedding motif, caught my attention. As I sat there, observing the well-dressed guests chatting before the models took the runway, suddenly this story idea came to mind. I love weddings (who doesnât?) so I decided to take the fashion-show theme and make it my own. I invite you to Tie the KnotâA Montage of Vintage Bridal Fashions through the Decades. No RSVP needed, just turn the pages and enjoy.
Iâd love you to visit me at www.tararandel.com. Stop by and leave a message.
Tara Randel
TARA RANDEL
has enjoyed a lifelong love of books, especially romance with a bit of mystery, so it came as no surprise when she began writing with the dream of becoming published. Family values, mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets and beautiful weather inspire the creation of heartwarming stories. This is her first book for Harlequin Heartwarming.
To my beautiful daughter, Megan, who always dreamed of being a bride.
CHAPTER ONE
THE EARLY-MORNING SUN warmed Lilli Barclayâs shoulders as she stood in front of the Cypress Pointe Historical Society building, arms full of charity event files sheâd just received from the secretary. Sheâd have to finish the job sooner rather than later, but later sounded so much better. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath before speaking into her cell phone.
âDoes this have to be done today?â she asked her mother, Celeste, who had taken off to deal with another one of Aunt Marianâs legal issues instead of staying here in Florida to coordinate her latest fund-raiser. âI have a full schedule at work.â
âHeâs the only groom who hasnât given me an answer. Heâs perfect, Lilli. The ladies will adore him, and the model will love walking arm in arm with him down the aisle.â
âI could just call him. Iâve already missed more hours from work than I can afford with this fund-raiser.â
Lilli had recently found, and hoped to sign on, a new client for the marketing firm where she worked. A project that would not only be a profitable account, but would land her the coveted promotion sheâd been working toward. She loved research and the creative part of marketing, but she really wanted to work directly with the customers as an account executive.
The job entailed finding new customers and maintaining relationships while catering to their advertising needs. To climb up the corporate ladder, sheâd worked long hours and made herself available to the point of having no social life. Since her five-year plan had gotten derailed a year ago, sheâd started over with a new plan to get her life on track, and this promotion would be the first step in that direction.