Alice Sharpe - Missing - One Bride

Cover Page

Excerpt “I never even knew you noticed me,” Thorn said. “I noticed you,” Alexandra admitted, laughing at the depth of the understatement. I love you. The thought came to her like words unspoken, filling her eyes with tears, blurring his features already heavily shadowed and indistinct. She lowered her head until their lips met again. It felt right to kiss him, to have his hands roam her body. She wanted to be part of his life and his future and she wanted him to love her in the same, passionate, devoted way he’d thought he’d loved Natalie, in the same way she was discovering she loved him. “This is wrong,” she said at last, pulling away. Thorn was still obsessed with Natalie. And she couldn’t make love with a man who didn’t love her. Much as part of her wished she could.

Dear Reader Dear Reader, In 1993 beloved, bestselling author Diana Palmer launched the FABULOUS FATHERS series with Emmett (SR#910), which was her 50th Silhouette book. Readers fell in love with that Long, Tall Texan who discovered the meaning of love and fatherhood, and ever since, the FABULOUS FATHERS series has been a favorite. And now, to celebrate the publication of the 50th FABULOUS FATHERS book, Silhouette Romance is very proud to present a brand-new novel by Diana Palmer, Mystery Man, and Fabulous Father Canton Rourke. Silhouette Romance is just chock-full of special books this month! We’ve got Miss Maxwell Becomes a Mom, book one of Donna Clayton’s new miniseries, THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB. And Alice Sharpe’s Missing: One Bride is book one of our SURPRISE BRIDES trio, three irresistible books by three wonderful authors about very unusual wedding situations. Rounding out the month is Jodi O’Donnell’s newest title, Real Marriage Material, in which a sexy man of the land gets tamed. Robin Wells’s Husband and Wife…Again tells the tale of a divorced couple reuniting in a delightful way. And finally, in Daddy for Hire by Joey Light, a hunk of a man becomes the most muscular nanny there ever was, all for love of his little girl. Enjoy Diana Palmer’s Mystery Man and all of our wonderful books this month. There’s just no better way to start off springtime than with six books bursting with love! Regards, Melissa Senate Senior Editor Silhouette Books Please address questions and book requests to: Silhouette Reader Service U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269 Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

Title Page Missing: One Bride Alice Sharpe www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication This Book is Dedicated to My Most Loyal and Supportive Fan, My Mother, Mary R. LeVelle A special thanks to Carolyn Deaton, Evelyn Lemon, Carolyn Moore and Pam Kreitzberg

Alice Sharpe ALICE SHARPE met her husband-to-be on a cold, foggy beach in Northern California. One year later they were married. Their union has survived the rearing of two children, a handful of earthquakes registering over 6.5, numerous cats and a few special dogs, the latest of which is a yellow Lab named Annie Rose. Alice and her husband now live in a small rural town in Oregon, where she devotes the majority of her time to pursuing her second love, writing.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Copyright

Thorn said.

“I noticed you,” Alexandra admitted, laughing at the depth of the understatement. I love you. The thought came to her like words unspoken, filling her eyes with tears, blurring his features already heavily shadowed and indistinct. She lowered her head until their lips met again.

It felt right to kiss him, to have his hands roam her body. She wanted to be part of his life and his future and she wanted him to love her in the same, passionate, devoted way he’d thought he’d loved Natalie, in the same way she was discovering she loved him.

“This is wrong,” she said at last, pulling away. Thorn was still obsessed with Natalie. And she couldn’t make love with a man who didn’t love her.

Much as part of her wished she could.

Dear Reader,

In 1993 beloved, bestselling author Diana Palmer launched the FABULOUS FATHERS series with Emmett (SR#910), which was her 50th Silhouette book. Readers fell in love with that Long, Tall Texan who discovered the meaning of love and fatherhood, and ever since, the FABULOUS FATHERS series has been a favorite. And now, to celebrate the publication of the 50th FABULOUS FATHERS book, Silhouette Romance is very proud to present a brand-new novel by Diana Palmer, Mystery Man, and Fabulous Father Canton Rourke.

Silhouette Romance is just chock-full of special books this month! We’ve got Miss Maxwell Becomes a Mom, book one of Donna Clayton’s new miniseries, THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB. And Alice Sharpe’s Missing: One Bride is book one of our SURPRISE BRIDES trio, three irresistible books by three wonderful authors about very unusual wedding situations.

Rounding out the month is Jodi O’Donnell’s newest title, Real Marriage Material, in which a sexy man of the land gets tamed. Robin Wells’s Husband and Wife…Again tells the tale of a divorced couple reuniting in a delightful way. And finally, in Daddy for Hire by Joey Light, a hunk of a man becomes the most muscular nanny there ever was, all for love of his little girl.

Enjoy Diana Palmer’s Mystery Man and all of our wonderful books this month. There’s just no better way to start off springtime than with six books bursting with love!

Regards,

Melissa Senate

Senior Editor

Silhouette Books

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This Book is Dedicated to My Most Loyal and

Supportive Fan, My Mother, Mary R. LeVelle

A special thanks to Carolyn Deaton, Evelyn Lemon,

Carolyn Moore and Pam Kreitzberg

met her husband-to-be on a cold, foggy beach in Northern California. One year later they were married. Their union has survived the rearing of two children, a handful of earthquakes registering over 6.5, numerous cats and a few special dogs, the latest of which is a yellow Lab named Annie Rose. Alice and her husband now live in a small rural town in Oregon, where she devotes the majority of her time to pursuing her second love, writing.

It was a perfect day for an outdoor wedding. Early-June roses climbed the high rock walls of the enclosed garden; the sky was watercolor blue, the air sweet and warm. Eighty-eight people sat expectantly in white wooden chairs that were laced with nosegays of orange blossoms, forget-me-nots and pale yellow ribbons. A string quartet stood beneath a white-and-mint-striped awning, their gentle music floating out over the heads of the invited guests.

A perfect day for a wedding except for the fact that the bride was a no-show.

Alexandra Williams stood off to one side, partly hidden by a row of potted rose trees. As the sole member of the bride’s wedding party, she was dressed in a pale yellow gown, a color so subtle, it almost didn’t exist. She held a small frilly umbrella, which to her mind made her look like an extra on the set of Gone With the Wind The handle of the worthless umbrella was encrusted with roses and ribbons. She’d done this herself; in fact, she’d created all the floral pieces that decorated the tables and chairs. She’d stayed late at the floral shop where she worked, up half the night as a favor for Natalie, the bride.