Love Reunited

Prologue

“Don’t marry him, Georgiana.”

Georgiana Sanders stood alone in the center aisle of the Claremont Community Church and bit back the tremor of anxiety that rippled through her as she viewed the heart-shaped arch that would be covered in white roses in merely two days. Two days until she would be pronounced Georgiana Sanders Watson.

Cold feet. Every bride experienced the sensation, surely. She was no different. She swallowed hard. That had to be it.

Faint voices echoed through the empty church, the sounds of Brother Henry’s wife and Georgiana’s mother in the fellowship hall. But in spite of the fact that Brother Henry was in his office and the two women weren’t far away, Georgiana felt very alone.

“Don’t marry him, Georgie.”

This time the voice was louder, stronger and extremely masculine. Definitely not imagined and undeniably familiar. She turned to see Landon Cutter, tall and muscled and beautiful, her neighbor and best friend since they were toddlers, standing merely a few feet away in the aisle.

Had he actually said the very thing that’d been haunting her heart?

“Landon?”

He stepped closer, and she caught a hint of the crisp woodsy scent of a guy that loved the outdoors. “I know you think he’s changed,” he said, “and I’ve prayed that he has, for you.”

Georgiana blinked. Pete had changed. Everyone had seen the difference. He’d left his partying, bad-boy ways and had become a new person...for Georgiana. The whole town agreed. Everyone knew they’d get married. Everyone expected this wedding. “You don’t believe he’s changed?”

Landon’s strong jaw flexed, as though he was trying to decide how much to say, but he was her best friend. He’d always told her the truth, and she didn’t want him to stop now, not when it involved the most important decision of her life.

“Tell me, Landon.”

“I don’t know,” he said, glancing at the front of the church and clenching that jaw again. His head subtly shook, and he continued, “Maybe he has, and maybe I shouldn’t make this about Pete.”

“Make what about Pete?” Her heart raced.

He moved even closer, looked at her with those amber eyes that she adored. Her best friend. Her confidant. The one who understood her better than anyone else, even better than the man she would marry in two days.

“I don’t think you should marry him. Not just because I’m not a hundred percent certain that he’s changed, but because...”

She looked into his eyes, focused on his words. “Because—what?”

“Because I want you. I love you. I believe I’ve loved you for years, but I never wanted to risk our friendship. And I could tell you had fallen for Pete. But...” He took a deep breath. “This was my last chance to tell you, and I decided I didn’t want the chance to pass. I love you, and I wonder if you don’t love me too.” He eased his hands to her face, brushed calloused fingers along her jaw. “I want to be the one to kiss you in this church.”

She knew what he was about to do. He moved closer, his mouth tenderly touching hers, hesitant at first, then exploring, and Georgiana found herself reveling in the feel of his arms circling around her, of the closeness they’d shared for the majority of their lives enveloping this embrace, this perfect kiss. For a moment, she simply lost herself in the amazing realization that she was kissing Landon.

A hint of voices in the distance reminded her of where they were and of the truth that her wedding was to take place in this church in merely two days.

The cake had been ordered. The church had been decorated. They’d had three wedding showers and had another scheduled for tonight. Pete’s family had started arriving from out of town. Everyone in Claremont thought they should get married and had been anxiously waiting for this wedding.

She broke the kiss, tamped down on the emotion bristling through her very being. Landon. She had feelings for Landon. But she did love Pete. She did. And yet...

“I have to go.” She turned from his embrace and ran from the church.

* * *

Landon watched her leave, strawberry-blond curls bouncing against her back as she retreated from his kiss...and ran closer to her wedding day. She was marrying Pete Watson, and Landon had now not only made a fool of himself in this church; he’d probably lost his best friend and the only girl he’d ever loved.

“God, please help me.”

He took a deep breath, then heard the sound of a horn and the telltale sound of screeching tires that followed. Landon darted toward the door. “No!”

And then, as though the next sound was inevitable, it overtook the quiet with a deafening crunch of metal against metal in a loud crash.

Chapter One

Landon Cutter had only been home three times over the past eight years, but even though he’d stayed away from Claremont, Alabama, the majority of his lengthy tour of duty, he still hadn’t been able to get Georgiana Sanders off his mind. The town reminded him of her. The farm reminded him of her. Ditto for the high school and the Claremont Community Church. Even the late August weather reminded him of Georgie. Because a decade ago, that’d been the time when the two of them spent so many hours talking about the new school year and all of their hopes and dreams while riding their horses through the Cutter fields and Lookout Mountain trails.

“What do you think, Sam? Reckon I can get used to this place again? Being back home?” he asked his best confidant and faithful companion, who didn’t seem to mind the fact that Landon had left her with his brother John when he joined the army.

Sam’s velvety lips brushed against his palm to scoop the molasses treat from his hand and then the stunning bay mare nudged his shirt pocket for more.

Landon grinned. Sam had always enjoyed her sweets, since the first day Landon’s father brought her home from the Stockville horse auction. Landon was in eighth grade and had been pretty ticked that he’d been told he was getting a stallion and his dad bought the mare instead. While Landon was still brooding, Georgiana had ridden her own mare over from the next farm to see the new arrival. She’d instantly fallen in love with Samantha, who eagerly licked treats from her petite hand. After seeing Georgiana’s approval, Landon decided that maybe his horse would do, but he was not calling her Samantha.

She’d been Sam ever since.

“Why don’t we go ride the ridge for old times?” He glanced out the barn and across the expanse of land that separated the Cutter and Sanders farms.

Sam nickered as though she completely understood every word and every memory flooding his soul.

He gave her another treat. “Let’s go, girl. It’s been way too long, and I’ve got to get someone off my mind.” He was finally back in Claremont, and Georgiana was still in Tampa, married to Pete Watson. It’d be good if he could remember that fact and would be even better if he could get his heart to do the same.

Ten minutes later, he and Sam were following the same route they’d taken every summer day back in high school and every fall evening after football practice. Georgiana never missed a ride, never missed a chance for the two of them to talk and grow closer. If Landon had a nickel for every time she told him that he was her best friend, he’d be rich. If he had a nickel for every time he wished she’d wanted more than friendship, he’d be filthy rich. And if Landon had one day to do over, it’d be that day he found her alone in the church and spilled his heart.

He shook his head, tried to stop thinking about the past and instead thought about the lyrics to a contemporary Christian song he’d heard on the radio today when John picked him up from the airport. “You are more than the sum of your past mistakes.” Landon did his best not to show any emotions to the song, but John didn’t miss a beat and wasted no time asking Landon if he was okay after the music ended.

Trademark answer. “I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t. He was still sick about the way he’d left Claremont before, about the way he’d left Georgiana before. But leave it to his brother to give him plenty to keep his mind off the past.

“Listen, I should tell you that the economy has taken its toll on the farm,” John said. “The demand and the price for beef has plummeted the past few years, and I haven’t been able to figure out how to make everything work.”

His brother’s words shocked Landon. The farm was in trouble?

“I didn’t want you to worry about it while you were serving,” John continued, “and I thought I’d get the loans caught up before you got back. But—” he shrugged “—things only got worse.”

“How bad is it?” Landon asked.

“Six months. That’s how long we have. The bank has given us till the spring to turn a profit and bring the mortgage current.”

John’s words still echoed through Landon’s mind as he and Sam made their way through the trails. They couldn’t lose the farm. With their parents gone, the farm was all they had of the past, all they had of the Cutter property, land their family had owned for generations. And this property was amazing. Beautiful and pristine.

Sighing, he focused on enjoying Sam’s smooth gait, the cool afternoon breeze against his face and the scents of hay, sweet feed, alfalfa and leather that blended around the farm, then the equally invigorating smells of cool crisp pine and damp earth as he made his way through the trails. The North Alabama surroundings were vastly different from the dry, dusty air and rancid odors from his time overseas.

But the tangible differences weren’t the biggest contrast to his life overseas and his life at home. His disposition created the biggest difference of all. There he’d felt a continual sense of duty, but here he felt something totally opposite. Freedom, what he’d worked so hard to help maintain over the past eight years. In spite of the financial problems with the farm, he felt free now in the open fields, towering mountains and natural trails, and the beauty of it touched his heart. However, the splendor also reminded him of how he’d hoped to experience this countryside again one day, with Georgiana by his side.