RaeAnne Thayne - Country Bride - Country Bride / Woodrose Mountain

Country Bride by Debbie Macomber

Luke Rivers is a man of his word.

He agrees to marry Kate Logan when she foolishly proposes to him—after one glass of champagne too many—at her former fiancé’s wedding reception. And Luke, stubborn rancher that he is, refuses to renege on his promise.

Kate was devastated when the man she’d always loved married another woman, a newcomer to their Oregon town. But now, not only does Luke refuse to break their engagement, he insists that Kate doesn’t love Clay—she actually loves him!

Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne

Brodie Thorne is a man who knows what he wants.

And that’s Evie Blanchard, a physical therapist from LA who recently moved to Hope’s Crossing, Colorado. He wants her to work with his injured daughter, Taryn. A wealthy, self-made man, Brodie will do anything to get Taryn the rehab she needs—and that includes convincing the reluctant Evie to move in with them.

Despite her vow to keep an emotional distance between them, Evie starts to fall for Brodie’s adorable little girl…and for Brodie himself.

Praise for the novels of #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

“Macomber is a skilled storyteller.”

—Publishers Weekly

Debbie Macomber “demonstrates her impressive skills with characterization and her flair for humor.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Whether [Debbie Macomber] is writing lighthearted romps or more serious relationship books, her novels are always engaging stories that accurately capture the foibles of real-life men and women with warmth and humor.”

—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Debbie Macomber tells women’s stories in a way no one else does.”

—BookPage

“Macomber…is no stranger to the New York Times bestseller list. She knows how to please her audience.”

—Oregon Statesman Journal

Praise for the novels of New York Times

bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne

“Thayne’s second Hope’s Crossing contemporary is sweet without being cloying… Plenty of tenderness and Colorado sunshine flavor this pleasant escape.”

—Publishers Weekly on Woodrose Mountain

“Readers will love this novel for the cast of characters and its endearing plotline…a thoroughly enjoyable read.”

—RT BookReviews on Woodrose Mountain

“Thayne, once again, delivers a heartfelt story of a caring community and a caring romance between adults who have triumphed over tragedies.”

—Booklist on Woodrose Mountain

Country Bride

Debbie Macomber

Woodrose Mountain

Raeanne Thayne

www.mirabooks.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise

Title Page

Country Bride

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Epilogue

Woodrose Mountain

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Country Bride

Debbie Macomber

One

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

A burst of organ music crescendoed through the largest church in Nightingale, Oregon, as a murmur of shared happiness rose from the congregation.

Standing at the altar, Clay Franklin claimed his right to kiss Rorie Campbell Franklin, his bride.

Kate Logan did her best to look delighted for her friends, even though she felt as if a giant fist had been slammed into her stomach. Tears gathered in her eyes and she lowered her gaze, unable to watch as the man she’d loved for most of her life wrapped his arm around his new bride’s waist.

Clay should be marrying me, Kate cried silently. I should be the one he’s looking at so tenderly. Me! During the past few weeks, Kate had repeatedly reassured herself that she’d done the right thing in stepping aside to bring Clay and Rorie together. But that fact didn’t lessen her pain now. Kate loved Clay, and that wasn’t going to change. He was her best friend and confidant, her compass, her North Star. And now Clay was married to another woman—someone he loved far more than he could ever care for Kate.

A clean white handkerchief was thrust into her hand by Luke Rivers, her father’s foreman. Kate knew he’d been waiting for this moment, convinced she’d dissolve into a puddle of tears.

She declined the use of his handkerchief by gently shaking her head.

“I’m here,” he whispered in her ear.

“So is half of Nightingale,” she returned wryly. Luke seemed determined to rescue her from this pain—as if that was possible. All she wanted was to survive this day with her dignity intact, and his open sympathy threatened the composure she’d painfully mustered.

“You’re doing fine.”

“Luke,” she muttered, “stop making a fuss over me. Please.” She’d managed to get through the ceremony without breaking down. The last thing she needed now was to have Luke calling attention to her.

It was ironic that Kate had been the one responsible for bringing Clay and Rorie together. She should be feeling noble and jubilant and honorable. But the only emotion she felt was a deep, abiding sense of loss.

Rorie and Clay walked down the center aisle, and from somewhere deep inside her, Kate found the strength to raise her head and smile blindly in their direction. Luke’s hands gripped her shoulders as though to lend her strength. His concern should have been a comfort, but it wasn’t.

“I’ll walk you to the reception hall,” Luke said, slipping his arm through hers.

“I’m perfectly capable of making it there on my own,” she snapped, not wanting his pity. She would’ve argued more, but since they were sitting near the front of the church, they were among the first to be ushered out. Holding her head high, Kate walked past her friends and neighbors, doing her best to appear cheerful and serene.

At least she looked her best; Kate had made certain of that. She’d curled her thick blond hair until it lightly brushed her shoulders. The style emphasized her blue eyes and sculpted cheekbones. She’d shopped long and hard for the perfect dress and had found one that enhanced her slender waist and outlined her trim figure. The minute she’d tried on the soft blue silk and viewed herself in the mirror, Kate had known this was the dress. Although the lines were simple, the look was both classic and sophisticated, a look she’d never bothered to cultivate before. Too often in the past, she’d been mistaken for a teenager, mostly, she supposed, because she dressed the part. But she was a woman now and she had the broken heart to prove it.

Kate paused in the church vestibule, waiting for her father. Devin was sitting with Dorothea Murphy, his widow friend. Her father’s interest in the older woman was something of a mystery to Kate. Tall and plump and outspoken, she was completely unlike Kate’s late mother, who’d been delicate and reserved. Kate sometimes wondered what it was about Dorothea that attracted her father. They’d been seeing a lot of each other in recent weeks, but the possibility of their contemplating marriage filled Kate with a sudden, overwhelming sense of alarm. Kate pushed the thought from her mind. Losing Clay was all she could deal with right now.

“Are you all right, Princess?” Devin asked when he joined her.

“I wish everyone would stop worrying about me. I’m fine.” It wasn’t the truth, but Kate was well aware that she had to put on a breezy, unconcerned front. At least for the next few hours.