Wishing for a Cowboy

by James, Victoria

  To Hang Le…for creating another heartfelt and rich cover that makes the town of Wishing River and its characters seem so real.

  To Curtis Svehlak… Thank you SO much for always bringing a smile to my face when I open your email—even if you’re asking for work to be done on my part, LOL.

  To everyone at Macmillan for believing in my books and giving me the opportunity to write books true to my heart. You have all made so many dreams come true! Thank you!

  To the countless other talented people who have had a hand in making this book possible and I haven’t mentioned by name—thank you for everything you do and all your hard work.

  Last but never least, to my readers and book bloggers: your support, your reviews, your emails, and your loyalty are what make it possible for me to keep writing. I treasure and value all that you do. Knowing you’re reading always makes me want to give you the best story I can deliver. I hope this book leaves you with a smile…and maybe a few happy tears. I look forward to seeing you in Wishing River again soon!

  Victoria

  xo

  About the Author

  Victoria James is a romance writer living near Toronto. She is a mother to two young children, one very disorderly feline, and wife to her very own hero. Victoria attended Queen’s University and graduated with a degree in English literature. She then earned a degree in interior design. After the birth of her first child, she began pursuing her lifelong passion of writing. Her dream of being a published romance author was realized in 2012. Victoria would love to hear from her readers! You can visit her online at victoriajames.ca.

  Saying “I do” has never been this much fun!

  Turn the page and start reading a charming new romance from New York Times bestselling author Ginny Baird.

  Hope Webb can’t believe her twin sister, Jackie, is begging her to swap places and play fiancée at Jackie’s pre-wedding festivities. Sure, it’s only a business-deal sort of marriage, but Hope is a carb-loving teacher who enjoys curling up with a good book. Jackie is a workaholic whose idea of a good time is a brisk five-mile run at the crack of dawn. The two sisters couldn’t be more opposite.

  Now Hope is stuck in the middle of a warm, tight-knit family she can’t help but adore and a groom who turns out to be entirely wonderful...for her.

  Hotel magnate Brent Albright knows something is off about his fiancée, but he doesn’t care. Gone is the driven woman with similar career goals, and in her place is someone warm and funny who not only charms his family but him as well. She’s doing everything she can to avoid him, but that’s probably just nerves. Two people about to wed couldn’t know each other less.

  Now Brent is determined to woo his fiancée, for real this time, because the more he gets to know her, the more his sweet fiancée turns out to be entirely wonderful...for him.

  And that’s when things start to get really complicated...

  Chapter Two

  The voice on the GPS commanded Hope to turn left in fifty feet onto a gravel country road. For the past several miles, she’d driven across one-lane bridges, over inlets, and beside the stunning banks of Blue Hill Bay. Across the slow-rolling waves, she could just make out the hazy outline of Cadillac Mountain. Lobster boats trolled the glistening waters, and sailboats glided along, billowing winds caught in their colorful spinnakers.

  When she’d lived here as a teen, Hope had never really appreciated the beauty of Blue Hill. Then again, she and her family had lived in the more…modest part of town near the coffee shop where her mom had worked. Basically, nowhere near this ritzy stretch of private homes on secluded waterfront acreage.

  The audio directions announced that she was approaching her destination in another twenty feet. She searched the left-hand side of the road, but there were so many blueberry bushes between her and whatever lay on the other side.

  There. Up ahead. An ivory flag covered in four-leaf clovers hung proudly from the mailbox at the end of a driveway, sporting the name “Albright” in gold-bordered green letters.

  That was…fancy.

  She slowed to a stop and glanced down at her white slacks and sleeveless top, worried that she’d underdressed. She wasn’t exactly used to hanging with high society, but at least her outfit was coordinated. Her navy sandals matched her clutch purse, and her gold hoop earrings went with the small heart necklace that she always wore on a chain around her neck.

  Her hair, though…that was a mess. She’d straightened her dark waves with a flat iron before her flight, but the whipping winds in the convertible Jackie had rented had undone her effort.

  She twisted her hair up in a clip and frowned at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Still disheveled, but passable. She’d run a brush through it later when no one was looking.

  More blueberry bushes bordered the drive as Hope rounded a bend, tiny fruit clusters weighing down spindly branches. She’d always loved the color of ripe blueberries, but the season wouldn’t peak until later in the summer. Some of the small orbs were already deep blue, while others held a reddish tinge, bordering on purple—

  A figure appeared in front of her in the drive, and Hope slammed on her brakes. Tires squealed and rocks scattered as the convertible skidded to a halt.

  The woman spun toward her. A wicker basket dangled from the crook of her arm, and a long blond braid tumbled past one shoulder from beneath a floppy hat. She looked to be in her fifties. Could this be Brent’s mom?

  She shoved her gear stick into park and cut the engine, her pulse pounding.

  “Jackie,” the woman said with a stunned smile. “Close call. You almost hit me!” Despite her casual jeans and checkered shirt, the woman’s enormous rock of an engagement ring glimmered in the bright light, and silver bangles jangled on her wrist. “I’m Elsa Albright.”

  So, she was Jackie’s future mother-in-law.

  Eeep.

  That’s all Hope needed—for the Albrights to think of the Webbs as reckless drivers. She hoisted herself up in the seat so she could speak over the top of the windshield. It was odd that Brent hadn’t told his mom about the change, but maybe he hadn’t had time.

  “I’m so, so sorry, Mrs. Albright. And, actually, I’m not Ja—”

  “Of course you aren’t.” Elsa skirted around the two-seater and popped open the passenger door, hopping right into the car. “Nobody’s used to navigating this narrow driveway.” She set her blueberry basket on the floor and leaned toward Hope.

  “And now a proper introduction and a hug.”

  Oomph. Elsa squeezed Hope so tightly a burst of air escaped from her lungs.

  “I’m so thrilled to finally meet you.”

  “Mrs. Albright—”

  “Elsa, please.” She tucked a lock of Hope’s hair behind her ear. Then, she latched on to Hope’s chin, turning it from side to side. “Aren’t you pretty? Every bit as pretty as Brent said.”

  Wait. “No—”

  Elsa stopped her by patting her cheek. “No false modesty, now. Haven’t you heard?” Her brown eyes twinkled. “Brides are supposed to be beautiful.”

  No. No, no, no. “I’m not—”

  “What’s all the commotion out here?” a woman’s voice demanded.

  Hope whipped her head around to see a stern older woman bulldozing her way toward them with her chin held high. From her haughty demeanor, Hope guessed she was the grandmother.

  She rammed a hand loaded with gemstone rings against the driver-side door and sneered. “I see you decided to join us.”

  Gah. This is what Jackie had to deal with for the rest of her life? “Actually, I—”

  Margaret’s blue gaze was as cool as ice. “I’m surprised you could work us in.”

  “Brent’s told us all about how busy you’ve been,” Elsa inserted nervously. “With that Maupin wedding?”

  “Martin,” Hope said, dazed. This was not going the way s
he’d expected. She was under siege from all sides. At least Brent’s mom seemed nice enough, but Grandmother Margaret definitely wasn’t the warm-and-fuzzy type.

  Far from it.

  Elsa gave a short laugh, trying to downplay the situation. “Believe it or not, Margaret here thought you’d prioritize that wedding over this one.” She rolled her eyes like the idea was absurd, and Hope wanted to melt through the floor.

  Jackie needed to show up and fix this.

  “Now we know that’s not true, hmm?” Elsa grinned at Hope. “Here you are!”

  “There she is.” A dark-haired guy in a black polo shirt and khakis ambled down the drive.

  Hope nearly swallowed her tongue. Brent Albright was gorgeous as a teen, but as a man? She couldn’t breathe. In addition to the rugged-yet-refined-man thing he now had going, he walked with an easy stride that implied he was in command of his completely flawless body.

  His smile, though…that’s what stole her breath away.

  “Hello, sweetheart,” he said, gently nudging past Grandmother Margaret.

  Hope’s breath hitched when she saw his unbelievably hot mouth dropping down toward hers. Wait. Was he going to kiss her?

  “Brent!” she gasped, abruptly turning away. She could not kiss her sister’s fiancé.

  No matter how exciting that had momentarily seemed.

  He stumbled forward, his lips landing awkwardly on her cheek while his hands grasped her shoulders.

  Hope’s world turned upside down, and her heart thundered as the pressure of his kiss lingered, his scent washing over her. He smelled like sand and sea and pine…and she had to resist wrapping her arms around his neck and yanking him into the car.

  She broke into a sweat. This is not happening. I am not attracted to Jackie’s future husband! This was so incredibly twisted.

  Not as twisted as Brent thinking she was Jackie, though. Shouldn’t he have some gut-level instinct about the woman he loved and was about to marry?

  “Sorry about the display.” His whisper tickled her ear, and tingles raced down her spine.

  Not good. Not good at all.

  He shot a glance over his shoulder, meant for only her, and Hope got his meaning. They were playing the loving couple for his grandmother’s benefit. But why was it an act anyway?

  She had to tell them she wasn’t Jackie now. Now, before it was too late. Her sister must not have gotten in touch with Brent, but Hope could explain things.

  “In truth, I’m…er, not…” She tried to speak, but she got caught up in Brent’s heady stare. He had very dark eyes, maybe the darkest she’d ever seen. And, ooh, how they sparkled in the sunshine. “What I mean is…”

  Desperate to regain her footing, she wrenched herself free of Brent’s gaze and turned to Elsa, who sat beside her in the passenger seat.

  Brent’s mom’s immediate acceptance of her—no, Jackie—made her heart pound harder.

  Elsa was trying so hard to be warm and welcoming, despite that fact that Hope had nearly flattened her in the driveway like a blueberry pancake.

  Hope was at a total loss over what to do.

  She’d told Jackie that this was impossible.

  That she would no way in a million years impersonate her.

  It was unethical and wrong.

  And yet, she’d been helplessly cornered and suddenly had nowhere to turn…

  An unnerving silence filled the air. She bit her bottom lip and peeked at Grandmother Margaret.

  Sure enough, the older woman gave her the eye.

  Hope prickled with agitation. How dare Grandmother Margaret judge her sister as not being good enough for Brent? That’s pretty obviously what she’d thought when she’d first challenged Jackie not to show up here. Now, she was being just plain mean. Acting surprised that she’d make time for her own wedding.

  Jackie was making time; she was just running late.

  Through no real fault of her own.

  Hope didn’t like deception, but she hated the idea of some condescending snob dissing her family even more. Grandmother Margaret had cast really harsh aspersions on Hope’s own flesh and blood: her precious twin sister—her baby sister, if only by a few minutes. The sister who was always getting herself into messes and who relied on Hope to get her out of them.

  Jackie’s words came back to her like loudly blaring sound waves in her brain.

  Just for one day…for all the right reasons…

  Then there was Iris’s voice, topping everything off.

  Jackie’s lucky to have a sister like you.

  She tightened her fingers around the steering wheel, worrying that she was getting in over her head. But, if she could help Jackie by making inroads with Brent’s tricky family, she should, right? It still seemed wrong that Brent couldn’t tell her and her twin apart, though. That made her question his relationship with Jackie and what exactly was going on between them.

  But that was for the two of them to figure out, not her. All Hope had to do was serve as sort of a placeholder for the next twenty-four hours until Jackie got here. Maybe, during that time, she’d be able to make progress with the grandmother.

  A girl can dream.

  “Sweetheart?” Brent gave her another devastating smile, and, for an instant, she couldn’t think straight or even recall where she was. “I was saying that we should head back to the house.”

  “Right,” she answered, realizing she’d slipped away.

  She wanted to confront them all, she really did, but she was overwhelmingly outnumbered. Taking the easy way out sounded more and more tempting by the second.

  Besides that, it really was just for one day. Would kind of be like old times…

  And seriously, how much could go wrong?

  A lot, if she was being honest with herself.

  She grew lightheaded in the summer heat. A lie of omission was still a lie, but it could be a white lie if it was due to good intentions. Somewhere between Elsa’s startling welcome and Margaret’s evil eye, she’d lost her way. Then, when she looked at Brent again…she found it.

  Grandmother Margaret shot her one last snooty look, then made excuses about going to get the mail.

  Something snapped inside Hope, and that cinched the deal.

  Nobody got the best of the Webbs. She and her sister might not have been raised with money, but they’d grown up proud. The Albrights were lucky to have Jackie joining their family. Hope planned to make them aware of that.

  Yep. She was going to do this.

  Brent looked over the sports car she’d picked up at the airport in Boston. “Nice wheels.” A dimple deepened in his left cheek, and Hope’s stomach flipped. “Ready to come inside?”

  If he was half as great as he seemed, he’d make the very best husband for Jackie. It was her sisterly duty to make sure their wedding happened. This is what the Webb family did. They stood together when times were tough, and times probably couldn’t get any tougher than the ones Brent’s grandmother was prepared to dish out.

  Hope nodded and put the gear shift in drive, her hand trembling at the thought of what lay ahead. One full day of pretending to be Jackie.

  But she could do this.

  Of course she could.

  It would be just like opening night at The Sound of Music.

  All she needed to do was avoid getting too close to Brent.

  Because, even though he’d only kissed her on the cheek, that kiss had rocked her world.

  And that definitely wasn’t right.

  Not when he was six days away from marrying her sister.

  ★“Readers will be wowed.”—Publishers Weekly

  Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce. Now back home at her late great-grandmother’s estate, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, bestse
lling author, who’s just as arrogant in person as in interviews. She’ll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he’s the one to finish her grandmother’s final novel…even if the publisher swears he’s perfect.

  Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. There isn’t much the “golden boy” of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished, but he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century—the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.

  But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they realize why Scarlett never finished the book—it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s determined to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes—even if it means destroying Noah’s career.

  Fans of Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr will fall for this sweet, heartfelt novel that celebrates family in all its forms.

  Life for Felicity, and her teen children, is finally back on track. After her divorce, she wasn’t sure if her sweet family would ever be the same. But things are good––right up until her ex’s spirited toddler lands on Felicity’s doorstep. If the universe is going to throw lemons at her, thank God she has her best friend, Graham, to help her make lemonade out of them. How did she never notice how kind and sexy he is?

  Graham is still recovering from his wife’s death years ago and trying to help his teen daughter get her life together. Who is he kidding? His daughter hates him. Forget lemons––he’s got the entire lemon tree. So when Felicity suggests they join forces and help each other, he’s all in. And suddenly he can’t stop thinking about her as more than just friends. Too bad their timing couldn’t be worse…