He did—he loved her.
She broke the kiss and said, “But you were just going on about how you wanted uncomplicated …”
“You didn’t want love, you wanted to be boink-buddies.”
“No, I didn’t. I thought that’s what you wanted. I realized the other day that what I feel for you went further than I ever expected it to. I came to the pharmacy to tell you.”
“But you ran out on me,” he said with a frown.
“You were tired and rattling on about needing things uncomplicated, and I knew saying those words would complicate everything, so I didn’t.”
“Shannon, nothing in my life has been uncomplicated since I met you. As a matter of fact, this is the most complicated, convoluted relationship I’ve ever been in … and I couldn’t be happier. Or rather, I could be if you did one little thing.”
“What’s that?” she asked. She’d do anything for him—for the man she loved.
“Say the words. You still haven’t said them, you know.”
“Really? How negligent of me. Nathan Bull Calder, I love you. I think I loved you from that first time we talked at Mick’s.”
Suddenly she was wrapped in Nate, her face pressed to a fuzzy pink bathrobe. She felt as if she could burst, she was so happy.
“So, you know what this means?” he asked.
“What?”
“Your mom’s won her bet.”
“No, no she hasn’t. The bet was that I’d get married …” She looked up and saw his intent in his eyes. “Oh.”
“One more word, that’s all I need from you.”
“Yes.”
“Should we go call our moms? They’re probably still in the driveway trying to decide what to do next.”
“Later,” Shannon said. Her mom would be absolutely beside herself with excitement—and totally unbearable to live with as she tried to plan the wedding.
Shannon remembered how bad it had been when her mom tried to plan Kate’s.
“My mom will just have to wait a while longer. There’s something we have to do first.”
“What would that be?” He ran a finger along her cheek.
It was the slightest touch, but left Shannon decidedly weak in the knees and more than a bit breathless.
“Have I ever mentioned I find men who wear pink very sexy?” she asked, her voice a soft whisper.
“Is that so?”
“Almost as sexy as bikers named Bull.”
Laughing, they forgot their moms.
They forgot all about complications.
All they remembered was love.
After all, that was all that really mattered.
Epilogue
“May I present, the brides and grooms,” Father Murphy boomed as two couples walked into Sabella’s for the reception.
“Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss,” the crowd chanted.
Brigit O’Malley watched as her daughter—her beautiful, talented daughter—kissed her brand new husband.
She sniffed. It was a dainty sniff … quiet and refined.
Not at all like the big honking sniffs Cecilia was making as Cara and her Texan kissed as well.
Cecilia had called weeks ago and told her Cara was getting married. She’d rattled on and on about her wedding plans … plans that never came to fruition.
A part of Brigit had felt bad when Cara and her Texan eloped. She’d almost resigned herself to paying for that woman’s trip to the Catskills. After all, even without a big wedding, Cecilia won.
And when a daughter ruined all her mother’s wedding dreams, a trip was the least of what a mother deserved.
Brigit remembered how she felt when Mary Kathryn had eloped, but when Cecilia starting lording it over Brigit’s head, her sympathy ran short.
But Nathan was brilliant. Truly a genius. He pointed out that Cecilia hadn’t truly won because a Catholic wasn’t truly married without a priest.
No. A civil service didn’t count.
She was so lucky he was now her son-in-law.
Of course, she hadn’t counted on her traitor daughter.
For some reason, Shannon felt a bond to Cara, although to the best of her knowledge the two had never met. Kate and Cara had become friends, and through her, Shannon and Cara formed a bond. They ended up talking and coming up with this diabolical plan.
Cara and her Rex had shared today’s ceremony, having their civil marriage blessed at the same time she and Nate married.
The girls suggested they felt drawn to each other because both their mothers were meddlers.
A meddler?
No way.
Brigit knew she was just a loving, concerned mother.
As was her good friend, Cecilia.
Brigit sighed as the couples moved onto the dance floor. She spotted Kate and Tony. And there was that delightful wedding planner, Desi and Seth. Everyone was here.
She sighed again.
“We did good, didn’t we?” Cecilia asked.
Brigit loped her arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders. “Yes, we did. They all look so happy.”
“Speaking of happy, about the bet …”
Brigit nodded. “Yes, I know it’s a draw. The girls planned it that way. Our children are trickier than I ever gave them credit for.”
“They take after their mamas.”
Brigit smiled. “Yes, I guess they do.”
“But I was thinking, maybe we should go.”
“Go?”
“To the Catskills together. I talked to Rachel and Jessica-Marie. Rachel’s going to be away on business, but Jessica-Marie would love to come. And I thought maybe we’d ask your son-in-law’s mama, that Judy Calder, to fill in for our fourth.”
“Fourth?”
“Well, we need someone for Pinochle. A long weekend. Think of the games we could have.”
“The four of us in the Catskills?” Brigit hugged her friend.
Her best friend.
The kind of friend that only came along once in a lifetime. “Oh, Cecilia, that would be lovely. We’ll have so much fun. And we deserve a vacation, after all the work the girls put us through.”
“And do we get any thanks?” Cecilia asked.
“No. Why all I asked for was a dignified service and just look at these cakes. They’re not what I would have chosen.”
Brigit personally thought that despite the fact they were not quite dignified, Shannon’s was ever so much nicer than Cara’s.
Why Cara had a bull on hers.
Brigit wasn’t sure she’d want a bull on top of a cake, but Cara said that it was a bull that brought her and Rex together and then laughed. Brigit didn’t get the joke.
But she did get Shannon’s cake toppers. A Harley Davidson with two Barbies that Desi and Seth had loaned them. The Ken doll was dressed in black and had a small tattoo on his forearm, and Barbie, she had on tight red leather pants.
Every time she looked at those pants, Shannon laughed, though she wouldn’t share the joke with her mother. But Brigit did understand the rest of it.
Instead of saying Shannon and Nate it said, Roxy and Bull.
The stripper and the biker.
Brigit hugged Cecilia. “Yes, after all the work we’ve gone to, making sure the kids were happily married, I think we need a break. The Catskills it is.”
“Great, because soon I won’t be able to get away.”
“Why?” Brigit asked.
“Because I’m sure my Cara and her Rex will be giving me a grandbaby soon.”
“Nate’s mother was just telling me that she plans to be a grandmother early next year, something about Nate owing her a baby since he almost killed her. She seemed positive, so I’m sure I’ll be a grandmother before you.”
“You want to bet?” Cecilia asked.
Brigit looked at the reception room full of people she loved. Now that both her girls were happily married, it was time to add to the family again.
She smiled. “You’re on …”
Dear Reader,
I hope you en
joyed this sequel to How to Catch a Groom. How to Hunt a Husband’s Shannon and Nate had a unique way of coping with meddling mothers. It was so much fun. I’ll confess, I love going to work every day because I get to spend my work-hours with characters like Roxy and Bull.
If you enjoyed the story, would you please go leave a review at your favorite online site? Those reviews help others find the book!
As always, thank you for all your support!
Holly
Award-winning author Holly Jacobs has over three million books in print worldwide. The first novel in her Everything But … series, Everything But a Groom, was named one of 2008’s Best Romances by Booklist, and her books have been honored with many other accolades. She lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with her husband and four children. You can visit her at www.HollyJacobs.com.
Other Holly Jacobs Books for Your Kindle
Romance and Romantic Comedy Single Titles
Briar Hill Road
The Moments (a short story sequel to Briar Hill Road
Just One Thing
Same Time Next Summer
Not Precisely Pregnant
Can’t Find NoBODY
Hung Up On You
I Waxed My Legs for This?
Her Second-Chance Family
Words of the Heart series
Book 1 Carry Her Heart
Book 2 These Three Words
Book 3 Hold Her Heart
Book4 Between the Words
PTA Moms Trilogy
Book 1 Once Upon a Thanksgiving
Books 2 Once Upon a Christmas
Book 3 Once Upon a Valentine’s
Cupid Falls series
Book 1 Christmas in Cupid Falls
Book 2 A Simple Heart: A Cupid Falls Novella
Dear Fairy Godmother … series
Book 1 Mad About Max
Book 2 Magic for Joy
Book 3 Miracles for Nick
Book 4 Fairly Human
Everything But … series
Book 1 Everything But a Groom
Book 2 Everything But a Bride
Book 3 Everything But a Wedding
Book 4 Everything But a Christmas Eve
Book 5 Everything But a Mother
Book 6 Everything But a Dog
Maid in L.A. Mystery series
Book 1 Steamed
Book 2 Dusted
Book 3 Spruced Up
Book 4 Swept Up
Perry Square series (A Holly Jacobs Classic)
Book 1 Do You Hear What I Hear?
Book 2 A Day Late and a Bride Short
Book 3 Dad Today, Groom Tomorrow
Book 4 Be My Baby
Book 5 Once Upon a Princess
Book 6 Once Upon a Prince
Book 7 Once Upon a King
Book 8 Here With Me
WLVH Series:
Book 1 Pickup Lines
Book 2 Lovehandles
Book 3 Night Calls
Book 4 Laugh Lines
Whedon Series
Book 1 Unexpected Gifts
Book 2 A One-of-a-Kind Family
Book 3 Homecoming Day
Book 4 A Father’s Name
Valley Ridge Series
Book 1 You Are Invited …
Book 2 April Showers
Book 3 A Walk Down the Aisle
Book 4 A Valley Ridge Christmas
Short Stories and Novellas
The Book
Labor Day
There He Was
13 Weeks
Bosom Buddies
Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes
Able to Love Again
Nothing But Series
Book 1 Nothing But Love
Book 2 Nothing But Heart
Book 3 Nothing But Luck
Love all the books? Try a bundle or boxset!
Short Stories for the Overworked and Under-Read Anthology
Maid in L.A. Mysteries Bundle
PTA Mom Collection
How to Hunt a Husband Page 12