The Wedding Wish (Summer Grooms Series) Read online

  THE WEDDING WISH

  By

  Ginny Baird

  Published by

  Winter Wedding Press

  Copyright 2013

  Ginny Baird

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN 978-0-9886953-8-2

  All Rights Reserved

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient, unless this book is a participant in a qualified lending program. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to export portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].

  Characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  Edited by Linda Ingmanson

  Cover by Dar Albert

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  From the time that she could talk, romance author Ginny Baird was making up stories, much to the delight—and consternation—of her family and friends. By grade school, she’d turned that inclination into a talent, whereby her teacher allowed her to write and produce plays, rather than write boring book reports. Ginny continued writing throughout college, where she contributed articles to her literary campus weekly, then later pursued a career managing international projects with the US State Department.

  Ginny has held an assortment of jobs, including school teacher, freelance fashion model, and greeting card writer, and has published more than ten works of fiction and optioned nine screenplays. She has additionally published short stories, nonfiction and poetry, and admits to being a true romantic at heart.

  Ginny is the author of several bestselling romantic comedies, including novellas in her Holiday Brides Series. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), the RWA Published Authors Network (PAN), and Virginia Romance Writers (VRW).

  When she’s not writing, Ginny enjoys cooking, biking and spending time with her family in Tidewater, Virginia. She loves hearing from her readers and welcomes visitors to her website at http://www.ginnybairdromance.com.

  Books by Ginny Baird

  Summer Grooms Series

  Must-Have Husband

  My Lucky Groom

  The Wedding Wish

  Holiday Brides Series

  The Christmas Catch

  The Holiday Bride

  Mistletoe in Maine

  Beach Blanket Santa

  The Holiday Brides Collection

  (Books 1 - 4)

  Other Titles

  Real Romance

  The Sometime Bride

  Santa Fe Fortune

  How to Marry a Matador

  Real Romance and The Sometime Bride

  (Gemini Edition)

  Santa Fe Fortune and How to Marry a Matador

  (Gemini Edition)

  THE WEDDING WISH

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  Chapter One

  Isabel strolled quickly through central campus, a backpack slung over her shoulder. The backpack bounced as she scurried along, rushing to make her eleven o’clock class. The day was bright and sunny with Frisbee players dotting the green stretch of lawn. Soon spring semester would end, and a lazy summer ambiance would settle in amid the blossoming dogwoods and magnolia trees. She was studying for her Masters in Art so was determined to go straight through her program. Being a year-round student wasn’t so bad, and her job in the art library helped her afford it. The grant money didn’t hurt either. She’d never really planned to go to school in the same town where her parents lived, but when the financial packages came in, this had been the best offer she’d gotten.

  Wham! Isabel felt something slam into her shoulder, and her backpack slid to the ground.

  “Oh man! I’m so sorr—”

  She looked up into gorgeous brown eyes. He stood about six feet tall, with extra-broad shoulders and honey-blond hair.

  His expression lit up. “Isabel? Isabel Miller?”

  She paused a moment to study him; then her lips turned up in a grin. It couldn’t be, but it was. The one man who’d completely broken her heart. Of course, that had been at age twelve, but still… “Robert?”

  His face warmed all over as he held her gaze. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

  “Ditto.”

  He bent quickly to the ground and picked up her backpack, then handed it over. “I totally apologize for running into you. Are you all right?”

  “I think so,” she said, still dumbstruck. “I mean, yeah. Of course.” Robert Reed, after all this time. Since he’d morphed into a man, she was surprised she’d recognized him. Then again, she could never forget those chocolate-colored eyes.

  “I hope I didn’t leave a bruise.”

  Oh, he’d left a bruise all right. Way down deep in her heart. But that hadn’t really been his fault. “I’m sure I’ll live,” she said, sliding the backpack onto her shoulder.

  “I can’t believe you’re at Eastern,” he said. “Are you a student?”

  “Who says you can’t go home again?” she asked with a grin. “How about you?”

  “I did the same,” he told her. “I’m in med school, second year.”

  She tilted her head to the side, springy curls bouncing. “As I recall, you always had the inclination.”

  His handsome face colored from the neck up. No doubt, he remembered too. All those late afternoons in the den playing doctor. Mostly what got examined was her mouth—with his tongue. Not that she’d minded. Isabel had actually suggested the game.

  Robert stared down into pretty blue eyes, feeling his temperature spike. While he’d believed Isabel to be pretty as a kid, she was one smoking knockout now. Her golden hair still fell in ringlets past her shoulders, but those shoulders now framed an awesomely female body. “Isabel, let me explain…”

  She laughed sweetly, the sound recalling a song from long ago. “No explanations needed. Whatever you remember, I had a part in it too.”

  He fell into her eyes, the sky and trees swirling around him. How could she still do this to him after so much time? “Yes. I mean…” He stammered slightly. “We both did. Want to.”

  “I sure did,” she said, her pretty face aglow.

  Robert suddenly remembered his mission. “It’s been so great seeing you, but I’ve got to get somewhere.”

  Isabel checked the time on her cell. “Me too.”

  “Where are you headed?”

  “To the Art Center. And you?”

  His face flamed. “I’m uh…” He glanced quickly around the quad. “Going that way,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction. “Say, Isabel,” he said before she could turn to go. “Do you think we could meet up later? It would be great to grab a cup of coffee and hear what you’ve been up to.”

  Her face brightened in a smile. “Coffee later sounds great.”

  “Meet me at the Student Center? Three o’clock?”

  “Three it is,” she said, dashing off.

  Isabel took a seat before an easel and pulled a stash of pastel pencils from her backpack.

  “You know what I hate about these life drawing classes?” Cindy asked from beside her. “It’s the models they get. We’re supposed to be talking body form here. Think Michelangelo’s David. But all we ever get are these little skinny dudes. Waiflike, if you can even app
ly that term to guys.”

  “All bodies are beautiful in their own way.” She was glad she’d finally gotten a class with her best friend. This had been the first one all year. During the last session, they’d studied the female figure. Today’s focus was the male anatomy. She adjusted her newsprint on the board before her, feeling Cindy grab her arm.

  “Hang on,” Cindy said under her breath. “I think we’ve just been blessed.”

  Isabel slowly raised her eyes to spy the back of their tall, blond model as he slid the robe from his frame. Musculature rippled across his well-toned back and taut derriere. “O. M. G.”

  “Yeah. Right,” Cindy whispered. “I’m almost scared to have him turn around.”

  As he did, Isabel gasped. When she and Robert had played doctor as kids, they’d teased each other with slight glimpses of each other’s bodies, but she’d never seen as much of him as all that. Even if she had, it certainly couldn’t have competed with the way he looked now. All grown up and gorgeous.

  Robert set his robe on a nearby table, then took his place on the stool at the front of the room, bathed in the spotlights’ glow. He was…absolutely…perfect. From his head down to his toes then… Oh! All the way back up again—past his buff six-pack and broad, muscled chest and that hot-as-sin sexy face that, in and of itself, could make most women moan. Isabel swallowed hard, not at all sure she could do this.

  “What’s the matter?” Cindy asked, hastily beginning to sketch. “Why aren’t you starting?”

  Isabel was grateful she sat at the back of the room and that the glare from the lights was in his eyes. She felt her grip on her pencil slide as her palms went moist.

  “I just never thought I’d have this opportunity.”

  “You and me both,” Cindy said, giving Isabel’s hand holding the pencil a nudge. “And neither of us is going to waste it.”

  “No,” Isabel said, striving to remain professional. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Robert sat as still as possible, trying to distract himself from the fact that he was sitting naked before a crowded room. If he hadn’t made that deal with his buddy Alan, he’d never be here. As it was, he was stuck upholding his end of the bargain. When he’d been suddenly called out of town to New York, he’d needed someone to pick up his shift at the lab quickly. The sole volunteer in sight had been Alan—although Alan’s offer of help had come with a price. He had a freelance job he needed Robert’s help with later. Robert had easily agreed, thinking maybe Alan did part-time landscaping or something. He had no clue he’d wind up here, like Adam in need of a fig leaf.

  Robert’s only sense of relief lay in believing nobody in the class knew him. He’d just caught a glimpse of their faces as he’d entered the studio, and, gratefully, none had looked familiar. Now all he had to do was stay put for the next ninety minutes, ignoring the fact that his…uh…personal attributes were on open display. The fact was, there was nothing personal about this. This was a centuries’ old practice concerning the rendering of art and creative portrayals of the human body. That it was his body in particular didn’t matter one iota to any of the artists in the room. And Robert knew he’d do well to remember that.

  Robert approached the Student Center, spying a beautiful blonde seated in a booth beside the plate-glass window. A backpack was parked beside her on the bench as she busily tapped at the laptop positioned before her on the table. She worked with fierce concentration, oblivious to the swirl of commotion around her. The Student Center was always a busy place, with people bustling in and out, chatting loudly and carrying coffee. The young woman was wholesome-looking yet refined. There was something so familiar about the curve of her cheek… Robert reached for the door, and she turned toward him and smiled. His heart leapt in his chest. Isabel. She was even prettier than he’d recalled her being on the lawn. And his memory should still be sharp. That was only four hours ago.

  Blue eyes met his and twinkled. “I was beginning to think you’d stood me up,” she said in a soft Southern twang that made the back of his neck flash hot. Isabel and her family had moved here from Atlanta when she was just ten. She’d never fully lost the accent. Even as a kid, Robert had found the sweet cadence of her words intoxicating. He took a seat across from her in the booth, noting he still wasn’t immune to her charms. “I’m a man of my word,” he assured her, settling his own backpack in place. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”

  “Just a few minutes. But that’s okay. Been checking my new class schedule.”

  “For the fall?”

  “Summer session, actually.”

  “No kidding? I’ll be here too.”

  Their eyes locked for a heated moment.

  Even though it was so long ago, the memory of their first kiss seemed like yesterday. Robert bringing his ineffectual mouth to hers. Of all things, wearing braces! He’d been so inept, she’d nearly bitten his tongue. Not that he’d blamed her entirely. Even then, he knew he’d probably deserved it, as awkward in his approach as he was.

  “It’s a little warm out for coffee,” she said. “I think I’ll grab a soda. Can I get one for you?”

  “Uh, yeah. I mean, no.” He felt his temperature spike again and wondered if there was something wrong with the AC in here. Robert shifted on the bench, extracting his wallet. “I’ll get both of ours. My treat.”

  She reached in her backpack and handed him her perma-refill tumbler. “I’ve got the enviro-friendly cup. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Very ecological of you,” he said, taking it from her.

  He quickly cleared his throat, thinking he must look like an idiot. Flustered by some ridiculous reverie more than a decade old. “I’ve got to tell you, Isabel, you look terrific. How long has it been?”

  “Oh gosh, has to have been at least…sixteen years!” She studied him a moment, then delicately arched an eyebrow. “And I mean it quite sincerely when I say you look fantastic too. Totally…buff.”

  “How was your class?” he asked, hearing his voice grow froggy.

  She pinned him in place with pretty blue eyes. “Revealing. And yours?”

  He stood so quickly, his knees knocked the table. “Uh, no, I wasn’t in class,” he said, starting to walk away.

  “Really?”

  He nearly stumbled over his own feet walking backward. “Let’s just say I had a debt to repay.” If Isabel hadn’t been in that studio, why was she eyeing him so suspiciously? Like she could see right through him, or at the very least clear down to his skin.

  “Are you okay?” she asked as he nearly collided with another student.

  He shot her a tight smile. “Fine. Just fine. Diet drink should help.”

  Isabel watched him walk away, thinking a man with his physique didn’t need to worry about diet anything. And she should know. She’d just studied him in incredible detail. He headed for the drink dispenser, glancing over his shoulder with a tense smile. Why was he on edge all of a sudden? He’d seemed just fine when they’d run into each other outdoors. Could it be he’d seen her sitting in the art studio? Practically drooling in the far recesses of the class? Isabel noted Robert had jammed her cup below the ice dispenser, but his eyes were still glued on hers. She watched wide-eyed as ice spewed forth and began to tumble over the rim of the cup.

  Robert stared down in horror at the cascading display. He yanked on the cup, but it wouldn’t budge, wedged somehow between the back of the machine and the lip of the dispenser. Something inside the ice machine started churning loudly as ice began to spit…spit…spit…past the jammed tumbler and onto the floor. Robert grabbed the cup with both hands and yanked hard, his face crimson from the neck up. Isabel glanced around the room and raced to his rescue, wrapping her hands around his on the icy cup. “I can’t move it,” he grated between clenched teeth as the machine whirred louder, burying his loafers in cascading ice.

  “I’ll help!” she called above the commotion as others in the Student Center gathered to stare. She tightened her fingers around his, leani
ng back to give herself leverage. “On go!”

  “Go?”

  “Ready… Set…”

  “Gotcha!

  “Go!”

  They pulled hard together, and the cup jerked free. Isabel fell back on her bottom as Robert slid to his knees beside her, and an icy avalanche ensued, pinging them both with constant fury. Robert grabbed a cafeteria tray from a nearby shelf, shielding them both from the onslaught. As he reached a hand toward Isabel to help her stand, a hefty woman pushed past them. “Excuse me!” The university worker in a hairnet with big, burly arms strode straight to the machine and hit the ice dispenser button—hard. The machine whined to a halt, and the ice assault stopped, finishing with three little spews of cubes near the end.

  “Are you okay?” Robert turned his eyes on Isabel as she stood on shaky knees, the ground beneath them crunching. She couldn’t help but see the absurdity of the moment, nor its irony either.

  “I was just thinking.” She gave a wry twist to her lips and surveyed him soundly. “Now that we’ve broken the ice between us, maybe we should have dinner?”

  He laughed lightly, his face awash with relief as he dabbed his damp clothing with napkins. He handed a stack to her, and she did the same. “Dinner sounds great. What did you have in mind?”

  “I was thinking of taking you home to see my parents,” she said, knowing as she did the idea seemed right. They’d invited her over this evening anyway. Naturally, they’d be happy to see an old family friend.

  “Are you sure? It’s kind of late notice.”

  “Don’t be silly,” she said, swatting his shoulder with the side of her cup. “My folks will welcome you with open arms.”

  Chapter Two

  Kip pulled back the door with a broad grin beneath his bushy moustache. “Baby,” he said in his deep Southern drawl. “Welcome home!”