Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
I never thought I’d be a runaway bride. But when it came down to it, I just couldn’t marry the wrong man.
So, I ran.
And somehow, I ended up in Star Falls, Colorado—stranded, no luggage, no plan—in a wedding dress with a past I’d rather forget.
Fate lands me in the only available rental in town, a cozy little cabin… right next door to Byron Miller, the brooding billionaire who wants nothing to do with me. Or this town.
Byron
I left Star Falls years ago, along with every mistake. Now I’m back, determined to build a luxury resort that might just rewrite my past.
The last thing I need is a distraction—especially not one like the runaway bride that moved in next door. She has too many secrets and a smile so wide, I just can’t look away.
But no matter how hard I try to keep my distance, there’s something about her, that refuses to be ignored.
Snow falls. Sparks fly. Late-night porch talks turn into something more, something neither of us expected. But Rosey’s past isn’t far behind, and my future here is hanging by a thread.
She’s just passing through. I’m trying not to put down roots. But Star Falls, Colorado has its own plan.
A standalone romance, perfect for fans of small-town romance, sizzling chemistry, and fresh starts
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
ONE
Rosey
The mirror reveals my three younger sisters in bias-cut, peacock-green satin, sucking in their cheeks and taking selfies. It also reveals a snow-white veil draping over my bared shoulders down to perfectly manicured fingertips. I should be the one giggling with excitement, unable to sit still for anticipation.
After all, this is my wedding day.
Frank might be older, and I might not exactly love him, but I’m grateful to him, and that’s almost love, isn’t it?
I take in a breath, the bones in my corset pressing against my rib cage. I’m so lucky, I remind myself. I’m never going to have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. I’m not going to have to tell my children not to make a sound when Mr. McAlister bangs on the door of the trailer, looking for rent. I get to live in a house with a yard and a top-loading washer. Frank says we’re traveling overseas for our honeymoon. He’s keeping the destination a secret. I’ve never even made it across the border into California. Never been on an airplane. Before Frank, I’d never been to the grocery store and not had to do mental arithmetic as I added every item to my cart to ensure I had enough money to cover the necessities. Marriage to Frank promises so much.
I. Am. So. Lucky.
Except, no matter how many times I say it to myself, how much I will myself to feel it, I can’t drown out the voices screaming at me, telling me I shouldn’t be walking down the aisle in thirty minutes.
“Are you going to get pregnant right away?” Lydia asks out of nowhere. “Cement the deal?”
The room tilts a little and I close my eyes. A child? The boning in my corset is going to leave bruises. Everything’s just so tight. I can’t breathe.
My sisters are happy to accept the niceties that come with me dating the co-owner of the second-biggest car dealership in Eugene, Oregon. They know this isn’t a love match. It doesn’t occur to them that it should be. Frank’s been generous with my family. When we started dating, he obviously felt he had to seduce the entire family. He gave Kitty a job and had a chat with the sheriff when she got caught up in an argument with her boyfriend. He took all five of us out for dinner after our fifth date, and bought everyone Christmas presents three months later, after he insisted everyone spend the holiday at his house.
And when he proposed, he also announced he’d bought the trailer we’d grown up in, and gave it to me as an early wedding present—his way of making sure my family was taken care of. Frank is kind. He’s generous. I could do a lot worse.
So why aren’t I looking forward to being married to him? Having a child with him?
My mother comes out of the bathroom. She’s wearing lipstick, which I’ve only witnessed two other times in my life. She’s wearing a long, pastel-blue dress that looks like it was meant for someone else. It’s just so formal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look so unlike themselves. I look down at my gown. Maybe the congregation will feel the same way when they see me dressed up like this.
She meets my eyes in the mirror and pulls back her shoulders, like she does when someone accuses her of something. “You look beautiful, Rosey. You always do. A smile would complete the picture.” It’s an accusation in disguise: Why aren’t you excited that you’ve landed a man like Frank Goad? You’re going to have a charmed life. It’s good for your whole family.