The MacBrides
Page 16
Having completed winding the lavender into the bouquet she hurried back to the main house. The women would be using it as their primary location to get ready and wait for the ceremony while the men would be over at Clay’s. The house was alive with activity as the caterers took control of the kitchen. She grabbed a muffin that they’d had for breakfast off the counter before taking the bouquet up to the room Sandy was using.
Two hours later, they were dressed and waiting for the men to arrive. RJ wanted to do what she called reveal pictures privately with Clay and Sandy. She had chosen the area to the side of the house where a rock staircase went down to a little pond. When Clay was at the bottom of the steps, RJ stood before him with her camera as Sandy came walking down the steps. Hannah watched with her sister, and the mothers from the bedroom window.
When RJ was ready, and had Sandy in the perfect spot, she told Clay to turn around. The look on her brother’s face made Hannah want to cry. He was so happy. She wanted that happiness for him. And knowing that Logan found the same happiness with RJ filled her heart. Her little pity party earlier couldn’t diminish the love she knew she would have from her family. Smiling, she turned and got ready for the signal to get everyone moving. The ceremony would be starting soon.
The back yard was set up beautifully with a small arbor covered in wildflowers at the front of the rows of white chairs. A white runner was laid up the aisle. Hannah watched as her brothers stepped up to the arbor flanking their brother, Clay, who had just sat both their mother and Sandy’s mother. Sarah was to go first, then it was her turn before RJ walked Sandy down the aisle. Doug Farley, the photographer RJ had hired, was roaming and taking pictures. Before she knew it, it was her turn to walk down the aisle.
Hannah smiled at the faces of friends seated along the aisle as she made her way to the front. She got about halfway there when she felt goosebumps cover her arms and a chill go down her spine. A little thrown off by the feeling she quickly regrouped and focused on Clay. Smiling, at him she took her place next to Sarah and waited for RJ and Sandy to come down the aisle.
The music changed to the wedding march and everyone stood. Hannah smiled as Clay and Logan watched the women they loved come down the aisle. If she were a betting person she’d bet Logan wasn’t going to want a long engagement. Soon Clay took Sandy’s hand and they turned towards the minister. Everyone sat. Hannah felt as if someone was staring holes in her and subtly scanned the crowd. Nothing seemed off until….no! How could he be here? Panic gripped her and she wanted to flee. Trying to calm down she focused on Clay and Sandy’s vows. But her mind kept racing. How had he found her? Why did he find her?
Sarah poked her in the ribs to get her attention. “Go!” she hissed.
Hannah realized the ceremony was over and she needed to take Brand’s arm to walk back up the aisle. Stepping forward, she latched onto him with a death grip, trying to avoid looking at the corner of the house where he stood.
“Hey, you trying to kill the circulation in my arm?” Brand teased.
Flustered, she could only say, “Sorry.”
“You okay?” He asked when he saw her face.
Hannah looked up at Brand. Wanting to tell him to hide her. “Yeah, just the excitement.”
“Well, let’s go party. We’ve got a lot to celebrate.”
“You go ahead. I’ll need to freshen up a little.”
Patting her hand before he released her, he unexpectedly leaned down and gave her cheek a kiss. “I love you, sis.”
Hannah hurried towards the front of the house to catch a private moment on the front porch. Her mind was still reeling. She didn’t know what to do.
“Hello, Hannah.”
Turning, she came face to face with the man who’d crushed her heart. “Ash,” she said, just before she fainted.
Meet The Author
J.L. Petersen is a contemporary romance novelist. Her recent Mile High Romance Series was well received. In her new series, The MacBrides, she takes us on the journey of MacBride siblings as they find their unique place in the vast MacBride land operation as well as finding their own special love.
Ms. Petersen believes love is the strongest, most powerful of emotions. It allows us to trust, believe, forgive and have hope. Her stories bring those emotions to her characters
We hope that you liked this release of
The MacBrides : Logan and RJ
from J.L. Petersen and 5 Prince Publishing, LLC.
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Please enjoy the following excerpt from 5 Prince Publishing author Bernadette Marie, also available at 5PrinceBooks.com
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AMELIA
book 1 in the Three Mrs. Monroes Trilogy
by Bernadette Marie
Amelia Chapter 1
God she was miserable
Amelia Monroe rolled up the window on her Ford Blazer as she turned down the dirt road which led to the small church. She’d only been to Parson’s Gulch, Oklahoma once, and she certainly hadn’t been privy to its back roads.
No, her husband Adam didn’t want anything to do with the small town—and now she knew why.
She pulled into the lot of the small church and her heart began to race and a pain in her chest forced her to suck in a deep breath. She’d filed for divorce three months ago. Adam Monroe had lied to her for two years. There had been so much more to him and she’d failed to see it.
Now she sat in her truck, the heat suffocating her, as she watched his other wife and their two children climb from the black limousine and walk into the church.
The bastard had been married, with a family, long before he and Amelia had met. That was the end of her marriage. In that moment, she’d even contemplated killing him, but that wasn’t how she did things—she was just angry.
Amelia Monroe had been raised to think calmly and use her words to fight, not her hands—though she could. She was plenty capable of killing the man. She was a trained martial artist. There were hundreds of ways she could have taken him down.
There had been no need to do that though. A land mine in Iraq had ended his life.
She sucked back tears as she thought about it. Damn it, he might have been a bastard, but she’d loved him. His death wasn’t what she’d wanted—not really anyway.
She’d just wanted him to suffer for his lies and his deceptions. She didn’t want him to be taken from his children—now that she knew he had them.
But here she was at the funeral of her husband and she’d opted to not be singled out. There would be no front pew in the church. She didn’t want a flag or a limo. It would be better off if no one knew she was here.
She’d made the trek for peace of mind and, well, he was her husband. The fact that the attorney wanted to meet with her and Adam’s other wife after the funeral also had pushed her to attend. After all, there was a lot to sort out.
Well, Amelia wasn’t one to run. She’d hold her chin high and she’d face the woman Adam had lied to first. The children were only four and two. She wouldn’t do anything to upset them. There wasn’t a need for it. Besides, she knew one thing that the other woman didn’t. The day was only going to get worse.
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In the front pew of the church sat Adam’s first wife, her children and what Amelia would assume were her parents. On the other side were his parents.
She’d never met them, but she recognized them from pictures. In fact, only until five months ago she was under the impression they were both dead.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she sat down in the back pew of the church.
A man in a gray tailored suit stood at the end of the pew. “Are you Amelia?”
She held her breath. This wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want anyone to know who she was. With a slow nod she acknowledged that she was indeed Amelia.
“Sam Jackson, Adam’s attorney.”
The man extended his hand and she shook it. The tension in her shoulders began to slide away. At least this man carried as many sec
rets with him as she did.
“Do you mind if I sit with you? I don’t know anyone else.”
Amelia moved over and Sam sat down next to her. “You don’t know Vivian?” she whispered and nodded toward Adam’s other wife.
“No. My business with Adam was mostly done in Oklahoma City. I never met his wife. Wives.” He gritted his teeth. “Sorry.”
Amelia clasped her hands in her lap. “Not as sorry as I am.”
The small church had filled. The mourners were obviously from the community and had probably known Adam since he was a child. Many had gone to the front and hugged his mother and Vivian. The children, one on each side, stayed close to her.
As the pastor spoke to the congregation, Amelia’s eyes were glued to the casket draped with an American flag. She hadn’t seen Adam in months. The last time they’d spoken, they’d fought. She’d told him she’d wanted a divorce and he argued with her over it. He said it had all been a big mistake, but she knew that was a lie.
Oh, she’d hoped he’d pay for what he did. This, however, wasn’t what she’d had in mind.
She lowered her head and wiped her hand across her forehead.
Sam bent his head down. “Are you alright?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just a bit warm in here.”
The funeral was almost over when another woman walked through the door. She looked frazzled as if she’d taken that first dirt road and not the second, which Amelia had been warned about.
She’d been crying—a lot. Sam nodded to Amelia to scoot down and then signaled to the woman to sit next to him. She finally did so.
Amelia looked over at the woman who now was sobbing uncontrollably. She’d like to have cried over him like that too. Wasn’t the widow of a man supposed to be in the front row of the church? Wasn’t the widow of a U.S. solider supposed to know that she’d married an honorable man? Wasn’t…
She let out a long breath as the pastor walked toward Adam’s other wife and gave her a hug.
There was no reason to cause a scene. Sam was Adam’s attorney. He was the only reason Amelia had made the trip. Obviously, Adam thought enough to have left her something and that’s why she was here.
She wasn’t one to point fingers and make others mad, that was why she’d asked for a divorce. She wasn’t the kind of woman to show up on Vivian Monroe’s doorstep and tell her that her husband of ten years had been married to her for two years. What good would that have done for his children?
Amelia watched as Vivian’s daughter clung to her and her other daughter was held by her grandfather. Anger was quickly creeping into the areas that mourning hadn’t filled. How could Adam have done this to his children?
The pall bearers stood as the pastor began to walk down the aisle. They carried the casket in a procession and his wife, children, and family followed.
As Vivian reached the back of the church she turned her head and gave Amelia a very knowing glance. One that said you don’t belong here.
Sam touched her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I wish you wouldn’t have asked me to be here.”
“I appreciate it,” he said as the woman next to him began to sob even harder.
Sam turned to her. “Ma’am, are you going to be okay?”
The woman, with her blonde curls bouncing every time she tried to suck in a breath, shook her head. “Was that his wife? His other wife?”
Amelia felt a pain shoot through her chest. She leaned across, in front of Sam as the other mourners left the church, and looked the woman in her bloodshot eyes.
“Are you Penelope?” she asked through gritted teeth and the woman slowly nodded.
Amelia sat back against the pew as the church emptied out and crossed her arms over her chest.
The first Mrs. Monroe had escorted her husband out of the church.
The second Mrs. Monroe was hidden in the back, as if she hadn’t existed.
And the third Mrs. Monroe had walked in late.
Other Titles from 5 Prince Publishing
www.5princebooks.com
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Chasing Shadows Bernadette Marie
The MacBrides: Logan and RJ J. L. Petersen
Never Saw It Coming Bernadette Marie
Blissful Disaster Amy L. Gale
Victory Bernadette Marie
Chasing Her Heart J. L. Petersen
Alone M.J. Kane
Hope in the Rain Sandy Sinnett
The Deja Vu House Doug Simpson
We Are From Atlantis Doug Simpson
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The Train Robbers James P Hanley
Walker Revenge Bernadette Marie
Lest We Aren’t Forgiven Railyn Stone
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Goodnight Kisses Wilhelmina Stolen
The Three Stones of Bethany April Marcom
Wanderlust Bernadette Marie
Holiday Past Jessica Dall
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A Christmas for Chloe Susan Lohrer
Restored Hearts Railyn Stone
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