Tara Randel - Orange Blossom Brides

IN SEARCH OF A GROOM

Lilli Barclay needs a groom—and she needs one now. Not for herself, of course, but for her mother’s glamorous wedding-themed benefit. Then Lilli can get back to what really matters, earning a promotion at work. Just her luck that Max Sanders, the ideal candidate, still holds a grudge against her for an incident that happened twelve years ago.

Persuading Max to volunteer will take longer than Lilli thought. Much longer. And the more time she spends with him, the further she ventures down Memory Lane. Pretty soon Lilli can’t help wondering if Max could be more than a pretend groom. He still makes her heart race. But will he ever be able to forgive the past and consider a future…with her?

Lilli stared up at Max, her heart beating rapidly.

With a frown, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. She rested her palms on his chest and sank into the kiss, falling for Max a little harder. But just as she slid her hands to his shoulders, he pulled away.

“Not a good idea,” he said, his voice low, clipped. “I should go before I do something stupid.”

“Like kiss me again?”

He closed his eyes. “I’m not the right guy for you. You need promises. A sure thing. I’m not that guy.”

“You could be.”

He stepped back. “I need to go.” He opened the door and slipped away before she could think of any words to stop him.

She leaned her forehead against the cool door, eyes closed. Did he regret coming here tonight? Kissing her? Did he want more between them, or would he always blame her for a past she couldn’t change?

Dear Reader,

I so enjoyed creating the characters in Orange Blossom Brides. Lilli and Max had plenty of obstacles before getting their happily-ever-after, but doesn’t every journey have a few bumps along the way? That’s what makes life so interesting.

The inspiration for this story came when a friend dragged me to a spring fashion show. The room, filled with bright flowers, soft harp music and decorated in a wedding motif, caught my attention. As I sat there, observing the well-dressed guests chatting before the models took the runway, suddenly this story idea came to mind. I love weddings (who doesn’t?) so I decided to take the fashion-show theme and make it my own. I invite you to Tie the Knot—A Montage of Vintage Bridal Fashions through the Decades. No RSVP needed, just turn the pages and enjoy.

I’d love you to visit me at www.tararandel.com. Stop by and leave a message.

Tara Randel

Orange Blossom Brides

Tara Randel

www.millsandboon.co.uk

TARA RANDEL

has enjoyed a lifelong love of books, especially romance with a bit of mystery, so it came as no surprise when she began writing with the dream of becoming published. Family values, mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets and beautiful weather inspire the creation of heartwarming stories. This is her first book for Harlequin Heartwarming.

To my beautiful daughter, Megan, who always dreamed of being a bride.

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 ONE

THE EARLY-MORNING SUN warmed Lilli Barclay’s shoulders as she stood in front of the Cypress Pointe Historical Society building, arms full of charity event files she’d just received from the secretary. She’d have to finish the job sooner rather than later, but later sounded so much better. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath before speaking into her cell phone.

“Does this have to be done today?” she asked her mother, Celeste, who had taken off to deal with another one of Aunt Marian’s legal issues instead of staying here in Florida to coordinate her latest fund-raiser. “I have a full schedule at work.”

“He’s the only groom who hasn’t given me an answer. He’s perfect, Lilli. The ladies will adore him, and the model will love walking arm in arm with him down the aisle.”

“I could just call him. I’ve already missed more hours from work than I can afford with this fund-raiser.”

Lilli had recently found, and hoped to sign on, a new client for the marketing firm where she worked. A project that would not only be a profitable account, but would land her the coveted promotion she’d been working toward. She loved research and the creative part of marketing, but she really wanted to work directly with the customers as an account executive.

The job entailed finding new customers and maintaining relationships while catering to their advertising needs. To climb up the corporate ladder, she’d worked long hours and made herself available to the point of having no social life. Since her five-year plan had gotten derailed a year ago, she’d started over with a new plan to get her life on track, and this promotion would be the first step in that direction.

She wasn’t a shoo-in, especially with two other people in the office actively seeking the same promotion. The first, Nate, had a few more years’ experience than Lilli. Definite competition. The other, a woman who had recently been hired, was new to marketing. A long shot. Still, Lilli took nothing for granted.

Filling in as charity coordinator for her mother didn’t fit the plan, but her mother had sounded desperate. Lilli hadn’t been able to say no. Never had. Only now her mother’s request might very well get in the way of this promotion.

“You know I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t an emergency.”

Yes, she knew that. For as long as Lilli could remember, her mother had been involved in some type of charity activity. She’d spend weeks on a project, leaving Lilli to snatch a few hours of quality time here and there, and even then, her mother would be preoccupied. That meant a lot of time alone. But how could she be upset with her mother when the woman did so much good for others? And how could Lilli not help when her mother asked? Since her parents’ divorce, it seemed like the only connection they shared.

“So you’ll take care of this for me?” her mother asked.

Procrastinating, Lilli opened the thick file in her hand and narrowly avoided spilling the collection of papers. Her gaze stopped on the top line of the official invitation: Tie the Knot—A Montage of Vintage Bridal Fashions Through the Decades, to be held at the prestigious Cypress Pointe Country Club. Bad enough her mother had asked her to fill in as coordinator for this event in her absence, but the country club? How could Lilli ever set foot in that place again?

She scanned the list given to her by the historical society secretary. She loved lists, herself, so she felt a degree of relief that she didn’t have to start from scratch. Everything from timetables, committees and local businesses supporting the show to couples serving as models were listed. Each woman would wear a bridal dress, either from her family legacy or donated by a member of the historical society. A clever idea. One of her mother’s best.

But a wedding-themed benefit? Lilli cringed. She’d put visions of silk and lace, cake and fondant, and happily ever after out of her mind this past year. Getting dumped at the rehearsal dinner made a girl leery of wedding dreams.