The Unlikely Groom
Wendy Douglas
His Dreams Had DiedAnd Lucas Templeton often wished he'd gone to the grave with them. Instead he went to Alaska, opened a saloon and closed off his heart. But Ashlynne MacKenzie, a newcomer full of pluck and passion, could very well hold the key to unlocking his secret sorrow….Her Brother Had Been MurderedAshlynne MacKenzie had nowhere to go–until the enigmatic Lucas Templeton offered her the rough-and-ready haven of his saloon–and the unexpected comfort of his arms. But could she trust a man who represented everything she wanted to escape?
“I knew you’d come,” she said with soft satisfaction.
“Were you waiting for me?” His voice cracked with a husky edge.
“No. But I knew you’d come.”
“Why?”
“You couldn’t resist the music.”
That haunting melody. “It…called to me.”
“I called to you.”
It remained dark all around them, but Lucas could see her eyes sparkle in the darkness. How was it that he could see her as clearly as though every chandelier in the room was lit, and yet shadow shrouded everything else?
Ashlynne—no, Ashe—smiled again, a sultry, knowing expression, and she scooted around to face him. “Why did you come down here, Lucas?” she asked, and he blinked. She looked—and sounded—so…patient.
“I heard you playing.”
“And that’s all?”
“No.” He reached for her, drew her upward. “Because of this.”
He hauled her tight against him and caught her mouth with his….
Praise for Wendy Douglas’s debut
Shades of Gray
“A heartwarming voice and a story
about the power of love.”
—New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Greene
“Secrets, lies and revenge rule the day in this graphic
western drama. Danger mounts, passion flares, and lies
unfold as this stirring historical plays out
and characters evolve.”
—Affaire de Coeur
The Unlikely Groom
Wendy Douglas
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
With much love for my mom, Lenore Romey, who never
told me I should be outside playing instead of reading
a book, and in memory of my father, Wendell Romey,
the most patient man I’ve ever known.
And, as always, for Doug, who loves me despite
all the trouble I cause, who makes everything work—
somehow—and who has been known to offer that
special endearment only a writer can appreciate:
“Aren’t you supposed to be writing?” I couldn’t do it without you, darlin’.
I love you all.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks must go to Willie and Candy Seltenrich
for their willing participation in this book. Legs all
the way to heaven, Candy, and not one broken bone!
Also to Heather Mase for filling in as the
Paperwork Queen so I could finish this book and
to Kathy Hafer for last-minute proofreading.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four