Judy Duarte: Under The Mistletoe With John Doe

Once seated, Barbara glanced across the aisle at Jason’s mother. The two women smiled at one another, their eyes misting over.

Betsy’s biological family had been invited to the wedding and had taken a back-row seat. In spite of Betsy’s fears that meeting Carla would complicate her life, it had turned out to be a blessing instead.

Again, the organ segued to another tune, and Molly Mayfield started on her way to the front of the church, where she took her place as the matron of honor and looked out at those who’d gathered. When her gaze lit upon her husband, Chase, who sat in the third row with their daughter in his lap, she beamed.

As the wedding march began, Jason tried not to crane his neck, looking for Betsy. When he spotted her on her father’s arm, his heart skipped a beat.

Dressed in a strapless, full-length gown, Betsy was a sight to behold. Jason had attended a lot of weddings and seen many beautiful brides, but none of them would ever compare to his.

As their gazes met and locked, he had to tell himself to breathe.

Moments later, Pete Nielson handed his daughter over to Jason, and within minutes, they’d made their heartfelt, lifelong vows to love and cherish each other forever. Then, they shared their very first kiss as husband and wife-sweet and gentle and loaded with promise.

Jason thought his heart would burst with happiness as he led his wife down the aisle.

“You have no idea how happy I am,” Betsy whispered.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea.” Jason gripped his wife’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

As a camera flashed, his feet slowed, and he turned to her. “Thanks for taking a chance on me when I had no idea who I was.”

“It wasn’t hard to do. The only thing I didn’t know about you was your name. Your strength, your honesty, your integrity, were all there. All I had to do was open my heart and let you in.”

There, in the back of the church, he gave her another kiss-this one spontaneous and unrehearsed.

I love you, it promised. Today, tomorrow and always.

always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least favorite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldn’t shake the dream of creating a book of her own.

Her dream became a reality in March of 2002, when Silhouette Special Edition released her first book, Cowboy Courage. Since then, she has published more than twenty novels.

Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. And in July of 2005, Judy won the prestigious Readers’ Choice Award for The Rich Man’s Son.

Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California. When she’s not cooped up in her writing cave, she’s spending time with her somewhat enormous but delightfully close family.