Three Little Words (Fool's Gold, 16) - Softcover

Mallery, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0373777787 ISBN 13: 9780373777785

Verlag: HQN, 2013

Inhaltsangabe

Can first love turn into the real deal? Anything can happen in a sizzling new Fool's Gold story from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery. 

Isabel Beebe thinks she's cursed in the romance department. Her teenage crush, Ford Hendrix, ignored all her letters. Her husband left her for another…man. So Isabel has come home to dust off her passion for fashion and run the family bridal shop until her parents are ready to sell it. Then she'll pursue her real dreams. At least, that's the plan, until sexy, charming Ford returns and leaves her feeling fourteen all over again….. 

Seeing Isabel all grown-up hits bodyguard trainer Ford like a sucker punch. Back when heartbreak made him join the military, her sweet letters kept him sane. Now he can't take his eyes—or his lips—off her. The man who gave up on love has a reason to stay in Fool's Gold forever—if three little words can convince Isabel to do the same.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that shape women's lives―family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree―40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. She’s passionate about animal welfare, which shows in the many quirky animal characters she has created.Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and adorable poodle. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

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Three Little Words

By Susan Mallery

Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Copyright © 2013 Harlequin Enterprises Limited
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-373-77778-5

CHAPTER 1

"Death by lace and tulle," Isabel Beebe said as she waved the nozzle of thesteamer.

"I'm so sorry," Madeline told her, then winced as she studied the front of thewedding gown.

"Brides-to-be are determined." Isabel lifted up the front layers of the whitedress and carefully clipped them to the portable clothesline in the back room ofthe boutique. With a dress like this—multiple layers of flowing chiffon—shewould start on the inside and work her way out.

Isabel focused the steam on the wrinkles. An excited bride had wanted to findout if her potential wedding dress was comfortable to sit in. So she'd sat. Forhalf an hour while on the phone with a girlfriend. Now the sample had to besteamed back into perfection for the next interested customer.

"Should I stop them next time?" Madeline asked.

Isabel shook her head. "Would that we could. But no. Brides are fragile andemotional. As long as they're not tossing paint on the dresses or reaching forscissors, let them sit, twirl and dance away. We are here to serve."

She showed Madeline how to hold the chiffon so the steam flowed through evenlyand then explained about the layers and the time to let the dress cool and drybefore being put back with the other sample dresses.

"It helps if you think of each wedding gown as a very delicate princess," Isabelsaid with a grin. "From a family with a lot of inbreeding. At any second, therecould be disaster. We're here to keep that from happening."

Madeline had only been working at Paper Moon Wedding Gowns for three weeks, butIsabel already liked her. She showed up early for her shift and was endlesslypatient with the brides and their mothers.

Isabel passed over the steamer. "Your turn."

She watched until she was sure Madeline knew what she was doing, then returnedto the front of the store. She replaced sample shoes, straightened a couple ofveils, then gave in to the inevitable and admitted she was stalling. What had tobe done had to be done. Putting it off wouldn't change reality. Oh, but how shewanted it to.

After sucking in a breath for strength, she went into the small office, grabbedher purse and stepped into the workroom and smiled at Madeline. "I'll be back inan hour."

"Okay. See you then."

Isabel left the shop and walked purposefully to her car. Fool's Gold was smallenough that she generally walked everywhere, but her current destination wasjust far enough to warrant a car. That and the fact that driving meant a fasterand cleaner getaway. If things went badly, she didn't want to have to run like afrightened bunny. Not that she could in her four-inch heels, but still. With acar, there might be a spray of gravel and she could disappear in a cloud ofdust, like in the movies.

"Things are not going to go badly," she told herself. "Things are going to gogreat. I'm visualizing greatness." She nearly closed her eyes, then rememberedshe was driving. "I'm wearing my tiara of greatness even as I turn."

She went left on Eighth Street, then right, and before she was ready, she foundherself driving into the parking lot of CDS.

Cerberus Defense Sector was the new security firm in town. They trainedbodyguards and offered classes in self-defense and other manly things. Isabelwasn't clear on the details. She found that she and exercise had a much betterrelationship if they avoided each other.

She parked next to a wicked-looking muscle car from maybe the 1960s, a largeblack Jeep tragically painted with flames and a monster Harley. Her Prius lookeddesperately out of place. Not to mention small.

Now that she wasn't driving, it was safe for her to close her eyes. She did andtried to visualize, but her stomach was churning too much for her to do muchmore than worry about throwing up.

"This is stupid!" she announced and opened her eyes. "I can do it. I can have areasonable conversation with an old friend."

Only Ford Hendrix wasn't an old friend and the talk was going to be about how,despite her vow to love him forever, the ten years she'd spent writing him, notto mention the pictures she'd sent, he had no reason to be afraid of her.Because she thought that he might be. Just a little.

She doubted it was anything he would admit. The man had been a SEAL. She knewthat, in addition, he'd been part of a special joint task force that had beeneven more dangerous. She also knew he'd returned to Fool's Gold nearly threemonths ago, and in all that time, they'd managed to avoid each other. But thatwasn't possible anymore.

"I am not a stalker," she said, then groaned. Bad way to start a conversation.And not one designed to get him to believe her.

"Whatever," she muttered and got out of her car.

She paused to smooth the front of her black dress. It was fitted without beingtight and skimmed all the lumpy bits. As much as she loved clothes, a reasonableperson might assume she would be obsessed with working out to fit into designersamples. But for Isabel, the call of the cookie was hard to ignore. So she wasreally good at draping her curves and still looking stylish. Or so she toldherself.

She adjusted her sleeves, paused to brush off a bit of dust from her shoes andthen prepared to face the lion in his den. Or warrior in his cave. Whichever.

She walked into CDS. No one sat at the reception desk, so she started down thehall toward the sound of music and a weird thumping noise. She saw double doorsstanding open and stepped through them into the biggest workout room she'd everseen.

The ceiling had to be thirty feet high. Ropes hung from beams at one end of theroom. There were all kinds of scary-looking exercise machines, boxing bags andother weights and equipment she couldn't name. In the center of the room apetite woman with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail was fighting a muchlarger man. Fighting him and maybe even winning.

They both wore protective headgear and had tape around their hands. It took hera second to recognize her friend Consuelo Ly as the woman.

Isabel watched as Consuelo swung out her leg. The guy moved, but not quickenough. Her heel caught him behind the knee and down he went. Isabel winced, butthen the guy was up faster than she would have thought possible and he had thewoman in a headlock. Consuelo flailed around, trying to kick him or punch him.Her elbow connected with his midsection. He grunted but didn't let go.

"You two know what you're doing, right?" Isabel asked. "Is someone going to gethurt? Should I call nine-one-one?"

The man turned toward her. Consuelo didn't. One second he was standing, thennext he was flat on his back and she had her foot pressed against his throat.

"Sucker," the woman said and pulled off her protective headgear. She glared ather victim. "Are you that stupid on a mission?"

"Not usually."

She held out her hand. The guy took it and she pulled him to his feet. Consueloturned to Isabel. "Thanks. I owe you."

"I didn't mean to be a distraction," Isabel said. "You're so small and he's so ..."

The man removed his headgear and turned to her. Isabel felt her mouth go dry,which was a much better reaction than the sudden flipping going on in herstomach. She had a feeling she'd gone either pale or red and kind of hoped forthe former. It would be less embarrassing.

The man—all six feet of muscles in a T-shirt and sweatpants—was just as handsomeas she remembered. His eyes were just as dark, his hair as thick. Fourteen...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: HQN
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2013
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0373777787
• ISBN 13: 9780373777785
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 336
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: HarperCollins Publishers Ireland; enquiries@harpercollins.ie; ; Mayor Street Upper 39/40; Dublin; D01 C9W8; Irland