Marie Ferrarella - Bridesmaid For Hire

She’s a professional bridesmaid…

Who’s suddenly reunited with her ex!

Gina Bongino was almost a bride—but she said no. Now she works as a professional bridesmaid, providing brides with whatever they need on their big day as discreetly as possible. Shane Callaghan, however, is anything but discreet. After ten years, he’s now raising his niece and making wedding cakes…for the exact same wedding Gina is working!

USA TODAY bestselling and RITA® Award–winning author MARIE FERRARELLAhas written more than two hundred and fifty books for Mills & Boon, some under the name Marie Nicole. Her romances are beloved by fans worldwide. Visit her website, marieferrarella.com

Also by Marie Ferrarella

Dr. Forget-Me-NotTwice a Hero, Always Her ManMeant to Be MineA Second Chance for the Single DadChristmastime Courtship Engagementfor TwoAdding Up to Family

The Cowboy’s Lesson in LoveThe Lawman’s Romance Lesson

Texan Seeks Fortune

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Bridesmaid for Hire

Marie Ferrarella

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09166-4

BRIDESMAID FOR HIRE

© 2019 Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To

Ellie Melgar,

Not Even Four Years Old Yet

And Already

An Endless Source Of

Inspiration

To Me.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Prologue

“You understand that I normally don’t like to interfere in my children’s lives,” Anna Bongino stated emphatically.

Animated, the silver-haired, well-dressed woman was perched on the edge of her chair in Maizie Sommers’s real estate office. Anna drew ever closer to the edge as she spoke.

Despite the declaration written in bold black letters on the outer door, the subject under discussion was definitely not about real estate.

“You’re a mother, Anna,” Maizie told the woman in the kind, understanding voice she often used when calming down nervous first-time buyers. “Interfering in our children’s lives is written in the bylaws. You’ll find it listed right after toilet training and staying up all night.”

Sitting back in her chair, Maizie smiled at her friend. She might have been in charge of a thriving real estate business that she’d started right after losing her husband, but the subject matter under discussion was just as near and dear to her heart. Maybe even more so. To her, matchmaking wasn’t just a hobby. Maizie felt it was her calling.

When approached for help, she and her lifelong best friends, Celia Parnell and Theresa Manetti, both successful small business owners in their own right, pooled their vast clientele and were able to hone in on just the right match. So far, they were batting a thousand.

Finding the perfect match had all begun innocently enough. They had decided to take matters into their own hands and find matches for their own children. That successful endeavor had slowly blossomed to the point that their services were sought out by desperate parents or relatives who wanted only the best for their loved ones. They wanted them to have a chance at the happiness that had, heretofore, been eluding them.

Which was why Anna Bongino was now sitting in her office, tripping over her own tongue and trying not to be overly embarrassed as she stated what had brought her here today.

“Gina is a bright, outgoing, beautiful girl,” Anna said almost insistently.

“I’ve seen her photograph,” Maizie replied, agreeing, at least for now, with the “beautiful” part of Anna’s assessment.

“But she’s turning thirty-two soon,” Anna practically wailed.

“That’s not exactly having one foot in the grave yet, Anna,” Maizie pointed out, doing her best to maintain a serious expression. This “advanced” age was clearly a sore point for Anna.

“Well, it might as well be,” Anna cried. She drew herself up. “Did I tell you what my unmarried daughter does for a living?”

“No, we haven’t gotten to that information yet,” Maizie replied.

“She’s a professional bridesmaid,” Anna all but cried. “Have you ever heard of such a thing? I certainly haven’t,” Anna declared distastefully, then sighed mightily. “You know that old saying, always a bridesmaid, never a bride?”