by Karina Bliss
Another glance at his watch: still 4:09 p.m. But how long would she wait?
“Look!” Tom pointed over his shoulder. A break in the cloud revealed the slash of narrow football field like a green flag.
“Door!” Dan hollered. A blast of wind buffeted them as Tom acted. No time for thanks, already the cloud was closing. Hanging his feet outside the aircraft, Dan launched, stomach swooping in the brief plummet before his parachute deployed, jerking his body up and back. Legs swinging, he grasped the toggles on the end of the steering lines, using them to line up the field, then slow him down as it rushed toward him.
He was going to land hard.
* * *
At 4:29 p.m. Jo’s heart leaped as the church door banged open, the sound echoing around the interior. A few people stood in the pews stretching their legs, most still sat, but every head turned. Delwyn burst in, wearing her midnight-blue bridesmaid dress—apparently Dan had balked at slimming black—and hauling Wayne behind her.
“Sorry…sorry I’m so late. Have you been waiting forever?” Pushing Wayne into one of the pews she flew up the aisle, her shoes clattering on the wooden floor, and holding up her ring finger to Jo. After giving her an excited hug, she glanced around puzzled. “Where’s the groom?”
Disappointment crushed the last of Jo’s courage. Dropping her bag, she sank down on the altar step, her gown spreading around her. “Okay,” she said to Ross. “Call for reinforcements.”
The best man retrieved his cell, hesitated and then repocketed it. “Or we could give him ten more minutes?”
No way could she let Ross Coltrane win this game of chicken. Jo held out her hands and let him pull her to her feet. For a moment she tightened her grip. “Thanks.”
“It’s only because I don’t want to be the stand-in.” They smiled at each other.
Incredulous, Pat glanced from Ross to Jo. “This has gone far enough. Dan could be lying unconscious somewhere…hurt…bleeding. I won’t allow it.”
Herman put an arm around Jo’s shoulder. “Ten more minutes,” he said to Pat.
“No, this is ridiculous.” Pat appealed to the congregation. “Who’s on my side?”
Debate broke out, growing in volume as contrary opinions were aired. Jo nearly missed the chime of her cell phone. She dived for her bag. “Hello?”
“Why did you do it?” Dan asked.
Throat tight she turned away from the congregation, which hushed as people realized she was on a call.
“I thought,” she croaked, started again. “I thought you needed this.” Her next words came in a rush. “Tell me you’re okay. Please…you can dump me after that. I just need to know you’re safe.”
“I’m okay,” he called from somewhere behind her. Spinning around, Jo saw him standing at the church entrance. She gulped as she took in his appearance.
“My suit,” Barry said faintly, from the end of one pew.
Dan shrugged. “I told you taupe wasn’t my color.”
The single-breasted black jacket and trousers were rumpled and muddy, there was a rip on one knee and the shiny waistcoat and tie were stained with brown watermarks.
The white shirt had seen better days and the silk kerchief was a limp rag in the breast pocket. His hair was tangled, his jaw unshaven. A cut across the bridge of his nose was blooming into a bruise that suggested he’d have a black eye tomorrow.
He looked terrible.
He looked wonderful.
Under all the dirt and bruises Jo saw the kid who’d laughed when she’d punched him, who refused to be scared off from being her friend, her sidekick, her childhood rival. The soul mate who would shelter her when she needed refuge and spur her on when she faced challenges. A man as solid as a rock.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ross’s shoulders slump in relief.
“You’re back,” she whispered.
Dan tossed the cell to the usher and grinned, his teeth very white against his tanned face. “You don’t get rid of me that easy…I’d have been here earlier but I missed a jump across a ditch and twisted my ankle. I had to hobble the last half mile. So—” he raised an eyebrow “—we getting married or what?”
With a small cry, Jo flew down the aisle and hurled herself into his waiting arms, heedless of her dress. Only when she went to kiss him did he hold her away. “If you ever,” he said sternly, “ever do anything as crazy as that again I’ll—”
Jo closed the distance and pressed her mouth fervently to his. It was a kiss that tasted of river water and dust, a kiss that promised a future.
“Shep, what the hell took you so long?” Ross said when they finally broke apart. “Incidentally, I couldn’t find Jo’s ring anywhere. I hope you have it.”
She laughed. He hadn’t told her that. Maybe the Iceman had some cool in him after all.
Draping an arm around her, Dan shook his head. “You’re fired, Coltrane. I need a best man I can trust. Lewis Davis, get up here.”
In one of the front pews, Lewis stood up, shooting a nervous look at Ross, who winked at him. Lewis grinned. Beside him, Claire reached for a hanky.
“Obviously we can’t get married now—not without a ring,” Jo said provocatively.
Dan’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, ye of little faith. Your ring’s at the jewelers but I found this in the trash can outside. Thought it would be perfect, given our initial contract.”
He reached in his pocket, then opened a dirty hand. A beer can tab glinted in the light streaming through the stained-glass window.
Jo inspected it. “Perfect,” she agreed and turned toward the altar. Paused. “The chicken dance won’t really be playing at our reception, will it?”
Dan grinned and offered his arm. “Let’s get married so you can find out.”
If you enjoyed Here Comes the Groom, read the next book in my Special Forces series…
Stand-In Wife
(Special Forces #2)
Playing with dynamite, a girl could get burned…
Given his aversion to love and marriage, Ross Coltrane—a special forces elite soldier and demolitions expert—has no idea how he ended up playing middleman to his kid brother and his estranged wife.
More terrifying is suddenly noticing how sexy his sister-in-law is. He’s never been attracted to his brother’s wife before…
…But he’s always had a spark with her twin.
The identical sisters have pulled a swap and duped everyone around them. Furious much? Oh yeah. About to rain down retribution, Ross hesitates. Something about Vivienne Jansen’s gutsiness and misplaced do-gooding gets to him.
Except, he’s not a guy who has feelings. Everyone calls him the Iceman.
He doesn’t know how to be anything else. Being melted by a zany Tinkerbell? Not going to happen.
“Bliss might be my favorite contemporary romance author. Funny, earnest characters falling in love. This has kind of a madcap pace to it but I loved the vivacious Vivien and the wounded soldier, Ross. Perfect pairing.”
– Jane Litte, Dear Author
“Well drawn characters and a fun story make for a lively read…. And the attraction between Viv and Ross sparks.”
– Romantic Times
“Twins switching is an old theme, but Karina Bliss makes it refreshing with a zany madcap romance. The support cast is a delight as they add madness to the wild comedic New Zealander comedy. Still the bottom line is the romantic subplot as Ross and Viv fall in love in a wonderful example of chaos theory at work.”
– Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round
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Take a look at my Rock Solid Romances…
RISE
Acclaimed literary biographer Elizabeth Winston writes about long-dead heroes.
So bad-boy rock icon Zander Freedman couldn’t possibly tempt her to write his memoir.
Except the man is a mass of fascinating contradictions—manipulative, honest, gifted, charismatic and morally ambiguous. In short, everything she seeks in a biography subject. When in her life will she get another chance to work with a living legend?
But saying yes to one temptation soon leads to another. Suddenly she’s having heated fantasies about her subject, fantasies this blue-eyed devil is only too willing to stoke. She thought self-control was in her DNA; after all, she grew up a minister’s daughter.
She thought wrong.
Click here to read an excerpt and find buy links.
http://karinabliss.com/books/rock-stars-2/rise/
FALL
Keep Rage together at all costs…
Powerhouse PA Dimity Graham is off her game. Her career is everything to her and she never lets anything personal mess that up. So how can she explain getting busy between the sheets with Rage’s nice-guy drummer Seth Curran? She’s supposed to be keeping this band out of trouble, not getting into it.
But before she can put everything back where it belongs, Seth needs her help.
Click here to read an excerpt and find buy links.
http://karinabliss.com/books/rock-solid/fall/
PLAY
(A novella)
Rock star Jared Walker is within reach of career glory…but his marriage is in the pits. Determined to save it, he talks his wife into holiday dates with only one rule: they must pretend they are strangers. But when he discovers what Kayla really wants for Christmas, will he be able to give it to her?
Click here to read an excerpt and find buy links.
http://karinabliss.com/books/rock-stars-2/play/
And if you like cowboys…
WOO ME
Can true love overcome a bad hide day and a series of unfortunate events?
Disillusioned in love, Jen Tremaine is done with men. So when her best friends dare her to wear a cow costume to their reunion at an Outback Bachelor and Spinster Ball, she’s all over it. Who would have thought dressing as a heifer would make her irresistible to a bunch of lasso-twirling, drunken cowboys?
Maybe you should have thought this through, says the sexy security guard who keeps finding her at the center of trouble. Even though Jen’s always dismissed soul mates as a load of bull, the sizzle between them is making her wonder: What if you met The One while wandering lonely as a cow? Would you find the courage to become a believer?
When ex-Special Forces soldier Logan Turner is roped into helping out with security at the B&S ball, he isn’t expecting to find love—but after months in all-male company he sure is hoping for lust. He certainly isn’t expecting to fall for a feisty, funny, trouble-making Cowderella. Only problem is, she’s leaving Australia tomorrow. Convincing Jen they can still have a future together may wind up being the toughest mission of his life.
Click here to read an excerpt and find buy links.
http://karinabliss.com/books/novellas/
About the Author
New Zealander Karina Bliss’s debut won a Romantic Book of the Year award in Australia and in 2016 she finaled for the fourth time with RISE—the first of her Rock Solid series, which digs into the private and family lives of rock stars.
Her fifteen romance novels have also received numerous accolades (Desert Island Keeper, ‘Best Of’ lists, RT Top Pick, Sizzling Book Club Chat) on reader sites like Dear Author, Smart Bitches and All About Romance. She lives north of Auckland with her husband and son.
Copyright Information
Publisher: Karina Bliss
Copyright © July 2017 Karina Bliss
e-ISBN: 9780994145338
www.karinabliss.com
English World Rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. And any resemblence to events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book my be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please do so through your retailer’s approved lending program.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Editor: Victoria Curran
Formatter: Author E.M.S.