Last-Minute Marriage

Last-Minute Marriage
Marisa Carroll

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING RIVERBEND, INDIANARiverbend…home of the River Rats–a group of small-town sons and daughters who've been friends since high school. The River Rats are all grown up now. Living their lives and learning that some days are good and some days aren't–and that you can get through anything as long as you have your friends.Mitch Sterling has a lot on his plate. He owns a hardware store that's competing with a big national chain. He's taking care of his elderly grandfather–though Granddad might argue about that–and he's a single father to a young child. On top of that, he's just met a very pregnant, very stranded, very single woman who needs a friend. And if Mitch is honest with himself, he'll admit that he wants to be more than her friend.…

#942 LAST-MINUTE MARRIAGE

Riverbend

Marisa Carroll

#943 BECCA’S BABY

Shelter Valley Stories

Tara Taylor Quinn

#944 THE DAUGHTER MERGER

Janice Kay Johnson

#945 OBSESSION

Kay David

#946 THE HOUSE AT

BRIAR LAKE

Roxanne Rustand

#947 THE MAN BEHIND

THE BADGE

Count on a Cop

Dawn Stewardson

Dad, can I stay up late tonight?”

“Not on a school night,” Mitch said. “Now, why don’t you go show Granddad your drawing, then get to your homework?”

Sam grumbled something unintelligible and went inside with his head hanging. By the time he’d greeted their yellow Lab and shown his grandfather his drawing, he was in a better mood.

Mitch watched the two most important people in his world for a moment. But a part of his brain refused to focus on the scene. Instead, it kept pestering him to check out the car in the lot near the park’s rose bed. Unless he missed his guess, it was a red compact. And as far as he knew, there had only been one red car there today.

But Tessa Masterson was supposed to be safely ensconced in her room at the River View, not sitting in a dark parking lot on a wet October night.

“I’m going out for a quick run,” he informed Sam and his grandfather.

“It’s raining,” Sam observed.

“Your dad’s losing his marbles, going out for a run on a night like this,” Caleb said, drawing circles on his temple with his index finger.

Maybe he was crazy, Mitch thought. Crazy enough to have to see for himself if the car in the parking lot had California plates and a pregnant, sad-eyed woman inside.

*

Dear Reader,

Over the past year and a half, Riverbend, Indiana, has become very real to us. It has come to life in a manner we would have never thought possible when we were first asked to help create this wonderful little town and the people who inhabit it. And along the way, we’ve gained new friends of our own—the other authors in the series.

We’ve come together from across the country to find that even though none of us has ever been to Riverbend, our visions of what we wanted it to be were very much alike. No matter where we grew up, north or south, city or country, we all hold a place much like it in our hearts.

We hope you enjoy reading Tessa and Mitch’s story as much as we enjoyed writing it, and that all the Riverbend stories will find a permanent place in your hearts.

Sincerely,

Carol and Marian (writing as Marisa Carroll)

Last-Minute Marriage

Marisa Carroll

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Mitch Sterling: Single father, owner/operator of Sterling Hardware and River Rat

Tessa Masterson: Unmarried, seven months pregnant, stranded in Riverbend

Sam Sterling: Mitch’s ten-year-old son

Caleb Sterling: Mitch’s grandfather, lifelong Riverbend resident

Brian Delaney: Father of Tessa’s child

Tom Baines: Prize-winning journalist, estranged father and River Rat

Lynn Kendall: Minister and newcomer to Riverbend

Ruth and Rachel Steele: Tom’s twin maiden aunts, operators of Steele’s Books

Kate McMann: Manager of Steele’s Books and Lynn’s best friend

Charlie Callahan: Contractor, temporary guardian and River Rat

Beth Pennington: Physician’s assistant, athletic trainer and Charlie’s ex-wife