Shotgun Bridegroom

by Day Leclaire

  “What are you doing?” Annie asked drowsily

  Letter to Reader

  Title Page

  Chapter PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  EPILOGUE

  Copyright

  “What are you doing?” Annie asked drowsily

  “Taking off my shirt.” Sam settled back down beside her again, pulling her close. She felt him fumbling with the front of her dress, slipping buttons through holes.

  “You promised you wouldn’t do that anymore,” she managed to say.

  “I lied.” He kissed her once more, a tender, almost apologetic caress, filled with frightening finality. “I’m sorry, Annie It’s out of my hands now.”

  “What do you mean?” And then she heard it. Heard the angry voices and the stomp of feet. “Oh, no!” The door to the boathouse crashed inward.

  “Annie! Annie, are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Bertie. But could you—?”

  “She’s here!” the deputy shouted to those behind him. “And so’s Sam. He’s finally done it, boys. He’s compromised Annie. Get the preacher. There’s gonna be a wedding!”

  True love is worth waiting for...

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to a wonderful, brand-new miniseries, WHITE WEDDINGS. Everyone loves a wedding, with all the excitement of the big day: bedecked bridesmaids, festive flowers, champagne and all the emotions of the happy couple exchanging vows....

  Some of your favorite authors will be bringing you all this and more in a special selection of Harlequin Romance® novels. You’ll meet blushing brides and gorgeous grooms, all with one thing in common: for better or worse, they are determined the bride should wear white on her wedding day...which means keeping passions in check!

  Happy Reading!

  The Editors

  Look out for our next WHITE WEDDING

  A Wedding Worth Waiting For

  by Jessica Steele (#3569)

  Shotgun Bridegroom

  Day Leclaire

  TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON

  AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG

  STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID

  PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

  PROLOGUE

  EVEN after a seven-year absence, Sam Beaumont could still make the residents of Delacorte Island nervous. Year after year, he hung offshore like a distant hurricane, growing ever larger and stronger, while edging relentlessly closer. It wasn’t entirely unexpected that one day he’d come roaring off the local ferry on the back of his black Harley and into the town of Beaumont—a town that had been named after his pirating ancestors by the colonial mayor. Of course, the fact that the poor mayor had a gun to his head may have had something to do with his impromptu decision.

  Nor was it unexpected that on a bright and sunny July morning, Sam Beaumont would demand to see the three men responsible for running him off the island—especially since it, too, had been at gunpoint. After all, the small North Carolina island was well accustomed to the destructive force of hurricanes. Whenever they struck, the townsfolk battened down and prepared to ride out the storm. And this promised to be quite a storm.

  “He’s come to ruin us, now that he’s rich,” Mayor Jeffrey Pike announced gloomily. “We never should have run him out of town, Rolly.”

  Sheriff Rawling glowered. “He could have turned right around and ridden back in. I wasn’t planning on stoppin’ the boy. Were you?”

  “Stop a Beaumont? Not likely,” the third member of their group, Ben Drake, piped up. “I have a business to consider. Wouldn’t do to get a reputation for running people off, now would it? Not when I want them buying their groceries and fishing tackle from me.”

  Rolly chuckled. “No fear there, Ben. Ever’body in these parts knows you’re a sucker for a hard-luck story. Why you’ve offered your hand in friendship to so many people, it’s a wonder it hasn’t been shook clean off.”

  “Except for Beaumont,” Ben retorted.

  “Well, now. That’s a different story altogether. Young Beaumont wasn’t interested in no hand of friendship.”

  “Yes sirree, that hand was a mite busy with other things,” Mayor Pike offered with a hearty chuckle. “Like seeing how many women he could—”

  “Exactly,” Ben interrupted. “And what with our Annie next on his list, we had to do something, didn’t we?”

  Rolly nodded. “Absolutely. We had no choice in the matter. She asked for help and we give it to her. Runnin’ that boy out of town was the least we could do. No harm came of it. Why, Sam made a name for himself, right? If anything, we did him a favor.”

  “Sure did, Rolly. We surely did.” Mayor Pike glanced uneasily from one to the other. “You suppose he’s come to get even for that favor we did him?”

  Ben Drake gave his friends a morose look. “Why else would he have asked to see the three of us? Can’t be any other reason.”

  Further discussion ended the minute Sam Beaumont strode into Mayor Pike’s office. Seven years had wrought changes in the man—though none that reassured the three. He was still tall, graceful and disgustingly handsome. But in the years since they’d last seen him, he’d added several impressive inches to his chest and shoulders. He’d been a force to reckon with before; now he exuded a power and determination far beyond their collective abilities to control.

  He commanded instant attention, despite his casual jeans and T-shirt. “Gentlemen,” he greeted them congenially enough as he tossed a black leather jacket onto the only vacant chair. “It’s been a while.”

  “Here for a brief visit?” Ben asked hopefully.

  Sam flashed the grin that had been the downfall of half the female population on Delacorte Island. “To be honest, I haven’t decided yet.”

  “Get it over with,” the sheriff requested abruptly. “There’s only one reason you could have asked us three here. It’s about that night.”

  Sam’s grin faded. “Yeah. It’s about that night.”

  The mayor stirred, his girth causing his chair to emit a humanlike groan. “Now, boy...”

  Sam moved faster than a cornered cottonmouth. One minute he was lounging across the room, the next he was leaning over the mayor’s desk, so close the gold skull-and-crossbones earring he wore sneered straight at Pike. “It’s Sam. Or Beaumont, if you prefer. But I won’t be called ‘boy’ by you, Mayor. Never again. We clear on that?”

  Pike held up his hands. “Sure, sure. Easy...er...Sam. Didn’t mean no offense.”

  “Good.” Sam nodded, straightening. “Very good. Shall we get down to business?”

  Ben cleared his throat. “We have business, Mr. Beaumont? Or is it Professor?”

  Sam’s black eyes flashed in genuine amusement. “Doctor. But let’s not stand on formalities. After all, it’s not a medical degree. My specialty is finances, as I’m sure you’ve heard.”

  “Shall we cut to the chase? What do you want from us, Beaumont?” Rolly demanded.

  “Just thought I’d clear up a few things so I can enjoy my visit.”

  The sheriff glared. “What sort of things?”

  “I thought I’d assure y’all that I don’t plan on starting any trouble while I’m here.”

  “That’s it?” Mayor Pike asked cautiously.

  Sam took a seat and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “Absolutely. I mean...getting even can cause so much trouble. It doesn’t involve just the responsible parties.” His gaze landed on the mayor. “It would invol
ve hurting wives and stirring up the sort of scandals that lose elections.”

  The color drained from the mayor’s face. “You wouldn’t!”

  Sam lifted a shoulder in an offhand manner. “I told you I wasn’t here for trouble.” He turned his attention to the sheriff. “Because then I’d have to talk to Mrs. Cross about that hit-and-run driver who put her in the hospital for all those weeks. Never did find the man responsible, did you, Rolly?”

  Sheriff Rawling’s jaw worked for a minute. “No,” he finally managed to say. “Never did.”

  “Strange. In a community this small, I’d have thought even you could have handled that.” Sam glanced at Ben. “Or handled your daughter’s problems. Laura, isn’t it?”

  It was Ben’s turn to choke. “How did you—”

  “I made it my business to know.” He hadn’t changed his position, but suddenly there was a dangerous quality to his posture. “I didn’t appreciate being on the business end of all those shotguns. But I understood why you chose such a drastic step. What upset me a tad was what happened afterward.”

  “What happened afterward?” Ben asked uneasily, glancing in confusion at his companions. “I...I don’t understand.”

  “I mean whichever one of you came after me. Whichever one hit me from behind and then beat the livin’ tar out of me. I have to admit, I do bear a bit of a grudge toward him.” A deadly light crept into Sam’s dark eyes. “Maybe more than a grudge.”

  Three jaws dropped open. Sheriff Rawling was the first to recover. “We never laid a hand on you!” Ben and the mayor nodded in adamant agreement. “We dumped you at the docks by the first ferry heading north. That’s it.”

  “Interesting, considering I woke up the next day in a gutter on the mainland. I was...” He shrugged. “Let’s just say I was a bit of a mess.”

  “How do you know it was one of us?”

  “There were only three of you determined to toss me off-island.” His mouth tilted at one corner. “Well...and Annie. But I don’t think she was the one whaling away on me. Not quite her style, is it?”

  “No, it isn’t!” Ben retorted. “So you’ve come back to get even with the one who beat you, is that it?”

  “Not quite.” Sam stood and snagged his jacket. “I came back for Annie. I’m just giving you three notice that you’re not to interfere again. Because this time I’ll fight you. And if that happens, somebody’ll get hurt.” He paused by the door and lifted a winged brow. “We clear?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer but walked out, leaving the three men to sit in stunned silence.

  Rolly muttered a vicious curse. “What do we do now?”

  “Was it you?” Pike demanded. “You always did hate the Beaumonts. Did you go after that boy once we’d gone home?”

  “Hell, no,” Rolly retorted. “Not to say I wasn’t tempted. But I didn’t do it.”

  Ben shot to his feet. “Well, you can’t think it’s me!”

  Pike held up his hands. “Gentlemen, please. This isn’t getting us anywhere. The question is...what do we do from here? As far as I’m concerned, it’s obvious why he’s returned.”

  “He’s returned to ruin us,” Ben said. A blush crept into his cheeks. “Well... and to ruin Annie, too.”

  Rolly sighed. “What we have to decide is...do we give him Annie or do we do the honorable thing and save her again?”

  Mayor Pike inclined his head. “That’s the question all right. An island this small... Hell, I don’t have to tell you boys. This place isn’t like any other. A reputation is everything. Years back, you were either a pirate or respectable.”

  The sheriff scowled. “Beaumonts were always pirates. Still are, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Ben nodded in reluctant agreement. “And Delacortes were always respectable. Why, Annie Delacorte must have the lily-whitest reputation on the whole island.”

  “Won’t stay that way for long. Not with Beaumont hanging around,” Rolly observed.

  There was a momentary silence. Then the mayor straightened in his chair, looking distinctly officious. “As far as I can see, we don’t have any choice in the matter, regardless of the consequences. Not only is Annie our kindergarten teacher and a shining example to the innocents of our community, but she also came to us for help seven years ago and we’re honor bound to help her again. It’s our job to keep her reputation intact.”

  The sheriff nodded glumly. “There’s no choice a’tall. Just wish we weren’t getting so blasted old. Playing the Three Musketeers gets downright exhausting.”

  Ben closed his eyes. “I wish it didn’t mean...”

  “Our secrets would have come out eventually,” Rolly attempted to console. “Best we do the right thing now.”

  “It’s decided, then?” Mayor Pike asked. “All for one?”

  “And one for all,” the others chorused.

  CHAPTER ONE

  ANNIE Delacorte pushed her cart down the spacious aisles of Drake’s Supermarket. There was an unusual buzz of conversation for a Wednesday, even though it was mid-July, and people were giving her strange looks. It perked her right up. Maybe she’d finally done something to shock the community. She’d certainly been trying hard enough for the past seven years.

  Not that she wanted to completely sully her reputation! Heavens, no. She just wanted to give it an attractive bit of tarnish. Tarnish like the streak of purple she’d added to her blond curls. That way, people wouldn’t think quite so badly of her when they found out her secret. Maybe it wouldn’t seem quite so shocking. Then they could say, “I wondered about all her crazy antics. Strange for a properly brought-up Delacorte, don’t you think? But this explains it. Imagine her father protecting the girl from the scandal all this time. I’m not sure I’d have been so noble.”

  A clutch of women cackled softly over bins of onions and potatoes, and ever so casually Annie wheeled her cart in that direction. She paused, pretending to study an attractive pyramid of ruby-red grapefruit. Not that she was eavesdropping. Goodness, no! Saint Annie would never commit such a transgression. Her mouth curved downward. If they only knew!

  She inched closer.

  “...back. My Bertie saw it with his own two eyes,” Rosie Hinkle was saying. “And Sheriff Rolly confirmed it.”

  “No! Not after all these years.” A delighted twitter escaped one woman in the clutch. “The nerve of the boy.”

  The nerve of what boy? Who? One of her students? Annie sighed in frustration. If only she’d gotten here a few minutes earlier, she’d know.

  “He’s back, I tell you. My Bertie doesn’t lie.”

  “Well...not since he was eleven,” said another. “He’s been a good boy ever since Sheriff Rolly gave him that talking-to. But if Bertie says it’s so, that’s good enough for me.”

  Dam it all! Who’s back? What he? If only she’d hustled right over. She could have looked desperate to lay hands on a grapefruit instead of interested in the latest gossip. She leaned closer under the pretext of snatching up a particularly plump fruit in desperate need of a thorough examination. Though what there was to examine on a grapefruit was a bit hard to imagine. One pretty much looked like the next. She gave it a squeeze and a sniff anyway.

  “Well, what does he want? Why has he come?”

  Bertie’s mother glanced left and right. “I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to let another living soul know what I’m about to say.” The hens, as they were affectionately called by the islanders, all nodded eagerly. “My Bertie had it straight from Sheriff Rolly. And the sheriff had it straight from the devil himself. Can you imagine the gall of the man?”

  There was a significant pause, and Annie reached for another grapefruit that was a bit closer to the huddle of women, allowing her to sidle nearer.

  “Sam Beaumont’s come back for revenge. He told Rolly, Ben and the mayor that he’s going to ruin our sweet Annie for what she did to him. Can you imagine? It would be the first time a Delacorte ever had her reputation destroyed. And at the hands of a Beaum
ont, no less.”

  Annie jerked in surprise, bumping the bottom of the pyramid. The pile wobbled precariously, then a grapefruit popped loose. A waterfall of ruby reds cascaded onto the floor, bouncing in every direction like bright yellow beach balls. She stood stock-still and ankle-deep in grapefruit, the focus of all eyes.

  “Oh, my,” Rosie Hinkle said. “Annie, dear, I didn’t mean for you to hear about—”

  Gracefully plowing through the mess, Annie announced in her best schoolteacher’s voice, “Cleanup on aisle two, Tommy. Ladies,” she said with a gracious nod as she swept past, kicking citrus from her path.

  Before she could make good her escape, Ben Drake gave chase. “Annie! Annie, I need to speak to you right away.”

  “I heard. Sam Beaumont’s in town.” She edged toward the exit, fighting the urge to break and run. “Don’t worry. Despite what some may think—” she gave the hens her most intimidating scowl, which wasn’t terribly intimidating when a body was only five foot four and looked like one of those sugar-sweet princesses in a Disney movie—at least, that was how her kindergartners had described her “—he’s not after me.”

  “I think we should discuss this in private,” Ben insisted. “There are things you don’t know.”

  Discuss Sam Beaumont privately? Had Ben lost his ever blessed mind? Not a chance. She had to get out of Drake’s while she could still hide the wild exhilaration humming through her veins—an exhilaration coupled with sheer panic. “No need. I have to run. Aunt Myrtle is waiting.”

  “Annie...”

  Lifting a hand in farewell, she darted from the store. In the parking lot, she hastened over to her Harley and climbed aboard, kicking it into gear. Tucking her skirt carefully around her legs and plopping a helmet on top of her blond curls—after all, one couldn’t be too outrageous—she zipped out of the lot and turned toward home.