Debra Ullrick - The Unintended Groom

A Perfect Partnership

When Abby Bowen’s dream of love is dashed, she pursues a new dream: opening a dinner theater in Hot Mineral Springs, Colorado. There’s just one hitch; she needs a male business partner. The handsome father of twins who answers Abby’s ad is perfect…perhaps too perfect. Working with someone like Harrison Kingsley—without losing her heart—will be harder than Abby anticipated.

It’s a good thing Harrison’s arrangement with Abby is strictly business. Because with her kind soul, smiling blue eyes and gentle way with his boys, he could easily fall for her. But the longer he works with Abby, the more Harrison realizes that the Lord might have an entirely different partnership planned for them.

Abby smiled, and without looking where she was going, stepped into the hall. She collided with a granite wall of flesh and stumbled backward.

Something warm, strong, yet gentle secured her arm.

“Oh. I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was—” Words deserted her the instant her eyes landed on the sculptured face of the handsome man gazing down at her, still holding her arm.

He looked every bit as startled as she was. “Are you all right, miss?”

“I’m— I’m fine. Thank you.” She straightened. Only mere inches from him, her eyes never drifted from his. “I’m sorry for staring, but you have very unusual eyes. They’re quite beautiful.”

Those same eyes twinkled. “Thank you.” The stranger said it as if he meant it, but his closed-lips smile didn’t stretch very far. “Could you please tell me where I might find Miss Abigail Bowen?”

“I’m Abby.”

Surprise flounced across his face, and his attention drifted over her again, starting with her feet and ending at her hair.

“You’re...Miss Bowen?”

DEBRA ULLRICK

is an award-winning author who is happily married to her husband of thirty-eight years. For more than twenty-five years, she and her husband and their only daughter lived and worked on cattle ranches in the Colorado mountains. The last ranch Debra lived on was also where a famous movie star and her screenwriter husband chose to purchase property. She now lives in the flatlands, where she’s dealing with cultural whiplash. Debra loves animals, classic cars, mud-bog racing and monster trucks. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drawing Western art, feeding wild birds, or watching Jane Austen movies, COPS, or Castle.

Debra loves hearing from her readers. You can contact her through her website, www.debraullrick.com.

The Unintended Groom

Debra Ullrick

www.millsandboon.co.uk

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

—Romans 8:28

To God be the glory. Without His help, and the help of my dear friend and author extraordinaire Staci Stallings—God blessed me abundantly by sending her into my life—my stories would never get written.

And to my husband and best friend, who throughout our thirty-eight years of marriage consistently told me whenever a problem arose that God would take care of it. Sweet hubby, you were right. God always did and still does. So thank you, darlin’, for being my example of faith and trust in a loving Savior.

I love you so very much and always will.

You’re the other half of my heart and soul.

(MEGA HUGS AND KISSES)

Your forever devoted wife,

Deb

Contents

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

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

Hot Mineral Springs,

Colorado 1888

“What do you mean, I can’t?” Abby Bowen fought to keep from slamming her hands on her hips and glaring down at the rotund man seated in front of her.

“I’m sorry, miss,” the mayor and head chairman of Hot Mineral Springs, Mr. Prinker, said as his cheeks flushed.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before I bought the place?” She clenched her teeth as hot anger boiled inside her. There was no excuse for this. None whatsoever.

“We didn’t know what your intentions were for the building. We assumed you wanted to open a dress shop or a restaurant or even a luxurious mineral spa for women. We already have one for men, you know.” He grabbed the lapels of his jacket and puffed out his chest like a zealous rooster who was full of himself. “Any one of those would have been allowed. However, we—” he glanced around the large rectangle table at each of the seven town committee members “—cannot allow a single woman to open a theater. Why, something of that nature would be quite scandalous and ruin our town’s fine upstanding reputation. Not to say your own, young lady.” He shook his forefinger at her.

Abby wanted to latch onto his meaty finger and shove it up his bulbous red nose. But that attitude would get her nowhere, much less please the Lord. She quelled her anger as she searched for another option. Why some townspeople thought women who ran a theater were of questionable repute, she didn’t understand. In other towns, people did it all the time, and it was not considered a scandal.

“It’s too bad that your name is not Mr. Bowen,” Mr. Prinker said as if in deep thought. “For if it was, we might consider your proposal. However, as it stands, we will have to refuse the license required by our town to open such an establishment.”

Such an establishment? What did that mean? Whatever it meant, she didn’t care. She just wanted to make sure she understood him correctly. “Let me see if I get this straight. Are you saying if I was a man, I would be able to obtain this license?”

“In a manner of speaking, that’s precisely what I’m saying. However—” he rubbed his double chin for the longest moment of her life “—there is one other alternative.”

“And what, pray tell, is that?” Abby didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm from her voice. She’d about had enough of these men and their preposterous accusations.

“If you were to take on a male business partner, a gentleman with an outstanding reputation, then we would consider allowing you to open your theater. Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”

They all nodded their heads.

What?! Surely these buffoons weren’t serious. Were they? Abby gazed at each man to see if they indeed were. Their stoic faces confirmed her assessment. She shook her head at the utterly and completely outlandish idea. “So you’re saying, if I obtain a male—” she emphasized the word male with abhorrence “—business partner, then you will allow me to open my theater? Correct?”

“Yes, ma’am. We feel it’s the only proper way. I am certain, ma’am, that you will find there are many upstanding men in our community who would be more than willing to help you with your business adventure. Including any one of us here in this room.” The mayor’s horse teeth overtook his supercilious grin.

Oh, how she wanted to reach over and whip that arrogant smirk right off his thin lips. Humpft. As if she needed their help running a business. There wasn’t one person in this room with whom she’d ever consider doing business with. They all looked shiftier and greedier than a gang of bank robbers.

“Excuse me a moment, gentlemen.” She all but choked on that last word. These men were no gentlemen.

“Of course.” Mr. Prinker’s smile couldn’t get any phonier than it was right now.

Abby stepped outside the room and slipped around the corner so she could be alone a few minutes. She paced up and down the sparkling-clean hallway, wringing her gloved hands. With each step she took on the polished hardwood floor, her button-up shoes echoed, her pink silk bustle gown swished and the pink plume on her hat danced.