The Bridesmaid Wore Sneakers
It takes courage to fall in loveTo everyone in her rural Ohio community, Jude Foster O’Leary’s dead husband is a war hero. Yet how can she forgive him for choosing the military over his family when they needed him most? And now the charitable foundation she established in his name is in danger of going belly-up, until Liam Manning comes to the single mother’s rescue. But the financial adviser’s arrival in Dancing Falls wasn’t happenstance. Despite her attraction to the driven professional in his three-piece suit—and Liam’s winning way with her young son—Jude has to protect herself from this caring, contradictory man who takes dangerous risks. And from the treacherous feelings Liam’s awakening.
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It takes courage to fall in love
To everyone in her rural Ohio community, Jude Foster OâLearyâs dead husband is a war hero. Yet how can she forgive him for choosing the military over his family when they needed him most? And now the charitable foundation she established in his name is in danger of going belly-up, until Liam Manning comes to the single motherâs rescue. But the financial adviserâs arrival in Dancing Falls wasnât happenstance. Despite her attraction to the driven professional in his three-piece suitâand Liamâs winning way with her young sonâJude has to protect herself from this caring, contradictory man who takes dangerous risks. And from the treacherous feelings Liamâs awakening.
âJude, Iâm your man, financially speaking, if youâll have me.â
She appeared uncertain, as if she was going to turn him down.
âI really do know what Iâm doing. All you need to do is...give me a chance,â Liam finished.
And then she completely surprised him. âI guess I could.â She looked up into his eyes. âYou really will try to understand, right?â
The question made her seem so vulnerable, as if sheâd trusted before and her faith had disappointed her. Guilt stabbed him. Heâd made a deal with her father even though he hadnât been comfortable doing it. Liam didnât like keeping secrets. And yet here he was, working undercover for Dr. Foster.
But why should he feel guilty? The foundation, and Jude, would benefit from his advice. And once he helped her, just maybe this normally strong, determined woman would accept an invitation for dinner.
An unexpected breeze kicked up from the woods. Strands of Judeâs hair tickled Liamâs nose.
Most likely she wouldnât go out on a date with him. How could he forget that she loved another man?
In my last book, I told the story of Alexis, the firstborn daughter in the series, The Daughters of Dancing Falls. As firstborn, much was expected of Alex, and she more than met expectations in grades and accomplishments.
In this book, I concentrate on Jude, the middle daughter, whose life was fraught with mistakes and risks. Writing this story, I thought a lot about middle children. Had my sister not died very young, I would have grown up a middle child. I discovered that middle children often act out, because they feel underappreciated or have a difficult time finding their niche in the family. But I also discovered one very interesting fact. If you look at pictures of three siblings, the middle child is usually in the middle of the photo. That should make the âmiddlesâ feel special. They are the center, the focus of the picture. âMiddlesâ unite. You are the center of the family. You ground the others with your determination and will to stand out on your own merits.
I hope you enjoy this book about the middle child in the Foster family. I certainly enjoyed writing it for you.
I love to hear from readers. You may contact me at [email protected] or visit my website, www.cynthiathomason.net.
Cynthia
CYNTHIA THOMASON inherited her love of writing from her ancestors. Her father and grandmother both loved to write, and she aspired to continue the legacy. Cynthia studied English and journalism in college, and after a career as a high-school English teacher, she began writing novels. She discovered ideas for stories while searching through antiques stores and flea markets and as an auctioneer and estate buyer. Cynthia says every cast-off item from someoneâs life can ignite the idea for a plot. She writes about small towns, big hearts and happy endings that are earned and not taken for granted. And as far as the legacy is concerned, just ask her son, the magazine journalist, if he believes.
This book is dedicated to Lisa Beaumont, my rugged and beautiful stepdaughter, who, like the heroine in this book, finds as much comfort in the company of four-legged creatures as she does the two-legged variety.
Contents
Eight years ago
âAN OLD SOUL with a fighting spirit.â That was how Jude Fosterâs mother often referred to her. Well, if caring about people and creatures and causes made her an old soul, then Jude was happy to have earned the title. Just because she didnât go out with friends a lot and chase guys...just because she didnât care a bit for the community college courses her father had encouraged her to enroll inânone of that meant she didnât have a fulfilling life.
True, she was twenty-three years old and had never been in love. So what? Her mother also told her that her heart would find its match eventually, and in the meantime she didnât mind avoiding all the angst and heartache her sisters constantly talked about.
