A Bride For Mr. Right (Redbud Romance Book 2) Read online

  A BRIDE FOR MR. RIGHT

  Carol Hutchens

  A

  REDBUD ROMANCE

  http://www.carolhutchens.com

  Book Name: A BRIDE FOR MR. RIGHT

  Published by: Carol Hutchens

  Copyright: 2011 Carol Hutchens

  Cover Art copyright: iStock.com/ Zoran Ivanovich Photo

  Cover Design: Carol Hutchens

  Tech support: Aaron Hutchens/Stan Hutchens

  Kindle Edition

  Dedication: My husband and two sons for their love and encouragement.

  In Memory: of my parents.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Pausing on her way to lunch at Redbud diner, Edee Cutt stared at the spring blooms along the sidewalks in courthouse square and recalled how much her grandmother had loved flowers and gardening. A puff of wind tickled her nose with the lavender scent of the dress she had borrowed from her grandmother’s closet and moisture rushed to her eyes.

  Hugging her arms across her chest, she watched the flag flap in the May breeze like all the plans they had made for her to move in with her grandmother after college graduation. But her grandmother had died suddenly, and after hours of sorting through the accounts of the bookkeeping service, she faced the truth. Plans for her to join the business and add website design to their services had been a pipe dream.

  There were hardly any clients left.

  Pushing up the black framed drugstore glasses, she wore to look more mature, she mulled over the facts. Why hadn’t she seen through their plans? Why hadn’t she asked her grandmother the same questions she would have ask any prospective employer?

  Turning her back on the flowers, she mentally ticked off facts as she walked to the diner. She had inherited a house and a rent-free office for a year, but all she had to add to the dwindling business was a shiny new college diploma. How was she going to save her grandmother’s business in a small town like Redbud?

  A sense of longing filled her as she stepped through the door of the diner. The aroma of good food and happy chatter made the diner smell like home. Choosing a booth at the back, she dropped in the seat with a sigh. Everything about Redbud made her long for roots so deep she could never break away. Even knowing her father had run from those ties, she loved her grandmother’s hometown and wanted to claim it for her own.

  “Sakes alive! What are you wearing, hon?” Gum popping, Stella Curtis stared at Edee’s hat and dress as she slid in the booth. “I know you’re clearing out your grandmother’s closet, but why are you wearing her clothes?”

  Edee’s attempt at laugher mingled with sounds of clicking silverware and chattering customers filling the room. Brushing a hand over the blue and white fabric of the dress, she turned a wobbly grin on the waitress. “Don’t you like the dress on me? It’s perfect with my grandmother’s hat, don’t you think?”

  Studying Edee for long seconds, Stella’s mascara laden lashes fluttered over her blue eyes as her gum popped. “Why are you wearing Emma Margaret’s clothes, hon? That hat makes you look like Miss Marple.”

  Slumping against the booth, Edee gave in to the emotions twisting her insides. “I feel cheated, you know?” Pulling in a quivering breath, she let her thoughts tumble out. “I thought I’d have a chance to spend time with grandmother after graduation. I was looking forward to getting to learning about my family’s history.”

  “You can’t control things that happen, hon.” Stella’s voice softened so it was barely audible over the clatter of silverware and cups clanking against saucers.

  The kindness of Stella’s tone made the knot in Edee’s stomach tighten. “I was so happy when grandmother asked me to come live with her.” Breath quivering, she blinked. “I took a double major so I could work in the bookkeeping service and web designs. “Fighting the moisture forming in her eyes, she swallowed. “I’ve decided to keep the business going.”

  Stella rolled her eyes. “Hon, you can’t tie yourself down to a bookkeeping business that’s out of date. Even in Redbud, people are switching to computers. You need to rethink your decision.” Stella slid out of the booth. “You’d be better off closing that office and—”

  “She had paid the rent for a year. I have to try to get new clients.” Edee swallowed the numbness in her throat. “It’s what grandmother wanted.”

  “Emma was a fine lady, hon, but you’re young. You have a life—”

  “She was the only family I could count on.” Edee swallowed. “My parents took up caravanning after I left for college. I haven’t seen them since. Grandmother offered me a life I’ve never had. I-I want to keep things like she left them.”

  Learning her grandmother left the house to her touched Edee more than anyone could know. She wanted roots. Neighbors. Friends. A place to belong. Saving in the bookkeeping business would allow her to keep the house.

  Stella’s soft blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “We all miss Emma Margaret, hon. I’ll get you a Pepsi. That will make you feel better.”

  Watching Stella’s trim white figure twirl away, Edee wondered who she was trying to fool. The dusty files in her grandmother’s office proved Stella was right. The bookkeeping service didn’t have enough clients to support her. Even with the rent paid, she needed income for food and utilities.

  She felt connected to her grandmother when she was in the office where her grandmother spent most of her time. Admitting defeat would cut ties she wanted to keep.

  “Here, ya go, hon.” Stella plopped a tall frosted glass in front of Edee. “Now, what’ll you have? The usual?”

  Almost licking her lips at thoughts of one of Roy’s cheeseburgers, Edee sighed. “One more week, Stella, then I’m going to eat sensible food.”

  “Don’t you worry about that, hon.” Stella gave her arm a pat and whirled away, leaving Edee to enjoy the ice-cold drink. Bubbles tickled her nose as she sipped the drink but didn’t take her mind off problems.

  Her future depended on her success in Redbud. Establishing herself as a web designer wouldn’t happen overnight. She would need to advertise and hopefully she would pick up some local clients to get her started. The lack of competition in the dwindling businesses in town didn’t give her much hope. She doubted many of the local business owners bothered to advertise. But she had ask.

  Her parents leaving her on her own had her with one motto. Love hurts. She had learned that lesson the hard way.

  “Why did you twist your hair up in a bun like that, hon?” Gum popping, Stella slid in the booth again. “Makes you look older with those glasses.” Pop. Snap. She leaned toward Edee. “You don’t have a cat, do you?”

  Laughing, Edee nodded. “I’m taking care of grandmother’s cat, Prince Albert.”

  At the sound of the bell dinging over the door, Stella looked past Edee’s shoulder. Her eyes widened and then she darted out of the booth and rushed forward. “Well, bless my britches, if it’s not J.T. Knight back in town.”

  Glancing over her shoulder to see what startled Stella, Edee caught sight of the man standing inside the door. Her head jerking around for a second glance at the tall man talking to Stella, her heart gave a thump against her ribs. She couldn’t have moved a muscle if she had been in the path of a tanker truck.

  His easy laugh and wide smile fit perfectly with the people she had met in Redbud, but this man was different. Energy radiated from him in waves that reached out and tugged at her awareness. The sparkle in his eyes sent chills racing through her blood. The wide grin he focused on Stella sent tingles straight to Edee’s heart and left her feeling dizzy. Then she heard the honeyed drawl of his voice.

  “Stella, how are you?”

  The sound of his l
ow tone mixed with laughter rippled over Edee’s skin like a caress. Her insides turned gooey as marshmallows and one thought raced through her head. This couldn’t be happening. She needed to establish herself in business, not fall for the first good-looking man that made her heart shiver. Gulping, she struggled to breathe as Stella and the stranger moved nearer.

  “I can’t believe you’re back, J.T.” Stella smiled up at him with genuine warmth. Hands on her hips, she eyed him as if he were the hunk of the month.

  And she wouldn’t be wrong Edee admitted.

  Wind blown, sun bleached brown hair curled around a heart-stopping face with a slightly crooked nose. Green eyes sparkled bright as gems as he laughed at Stella, and the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes suggested he laughed a lot.

  Watching him, Edee’s heart skipped a beat. Something about his smile pulled at her while warnings went off in her head. His honey coated voice spelled trouble and she didn’t need more complications.

  “Stella, you haven’t changed a bit?”

  Despite the warnings, Edee couldn’t tear her eyes away from his smile.

  Lashes fluttering, Stella laughed. “Buried two husbands, looking for number four,” brows arched almost to her bottle blonde hair, she grinned wide, “you interested?”

  His laugh rumbled deep in a chest hugged by a snug white T-shirt. Edee frowned. By the looks of his tan and the strength of his well-shaped muscles, this man spent long hours working in the sun.

  The fact that he appeared capable of applying himself to hard work made him even more dangerous. Heart pounding so loud the noise from diners around her faded, Edee tried to tear her eyes away from the stranger, but his gaze locked with hers for long seconds before he turned back to Stella.

  Judging from the confidence of his casual stance as he stood in the busy diner with every eye turned on him, this man was used to getting his way. She had promised herself she would avoid men loaded with charm and short on perseverance. Those men were fun to read about in romance novels, but in real life, they let down the people who loved them.

  “You’re something else, you know that Stella?” Eyes glowing, the laughter in his voice hinted at his fondness for the waitress.

  Stella swatted at his arm. “J.T., you made me forget my manners.” Still grinning, she pulled him to Edee’s booth. “J.T., meet our newest business owner in Redbud. Miss Edee Cutt, this is the long lost Jacob Troy Knight.”

  Edee didn’t miss the emphasis Stella put on that ‘Miss’ and instinct warned she would be safer if this man had stayed lost, but she held out her hand. “Hello, Mr. Knight.”

  His grin flashed white as his calloused hand wrapped around hers. “Good to meet you, Edee Cutt.”

  His soft words and probing glance made something low in her stomach tightened. Losing the battle for control, her lips twitched in response to his grin. After all, she needed to be friendly if she wanted to make her business a success, didn’t she?

  Feeling light-headed under the intensity of his sparkling gaze, Edee voiced the only thought in her head. “How long have you been lost, Mr. Knight?”

  Sudden shadows dulled his gaze, but with a quick blink, his good humor returned. Grinning wide, his eyes shot mischievous sparks of enjoyment at their exchange. “Long enough, but I’m home, now.”

  The fizzling in her blood increased, causing her to babble. “I love your hometown, Mr. Knight.”

  “I love the way you say, Mr. Knight.” Twinkling eyes invited her to enjoy his teasing words.

  Heart tap dancing in her chest, panic rushed through Edee. She couldn’t respond to his charm. She wanted to make a success of the chance her grandmother had given her, not make the local gossip column because she had fallen for the town heartthrob.

  Clamping her lips, Edee controlled the urge to assure him there was nothing special about the way she said his name. She would not fall for Jacob Knight’s charm, even if being close to him made her insides tremble.

  “So, what brings you back to town, J.T.?” Stella’s gum popped. Her voice softened as she gave his arm a pat. “I hope you’re back to stay.”

  “I’m just checking around.” His expression changed as if someone had flicked off a switch as his eyes turned a dark turbulent green. “I’d better grab that last booth. Nice meeting you, ma’am, see you, Stella.”

  Cool reserve replaced his earlier teasing, making Edee curious. His sudden reserve hinted at deep emotions and that intrigued her. But she needed to focus on the bookkeeping business, and keep a level head. Any thoughts about the local heartthrob were off limits.

  He had called her ma’am! A good-looking thirty-something man had called her ma’am!

  A wide grin covered Edee’s face. Maybe she could impress future clients and make a success of the bookkeeping business, after all.

  ***

  “I don’t believe it!”

  At the sound of the familiar voice, a welcoming grin split J.T.’s face as he looked up from the menu. “Sam, you ole son of a gun. It’s good to see you! Take a seat.”

  “J.T., you old rascal, I heard you were in town.” Sam slipped in the opposite side of the booth. “How long are you staying?”

  J.T. opened his mouth to offer the safe answer, the one less threatening to his state of mind, but Sam had guarded his back on the football team, and fed him the ball under the basket for the State 2-A Basketball Championship senior year. Their friendship went back more years than he could remember.

  Sam deserved an honest answer.

  “Just between you and me?” He waited for Sam’s nod of agreement. “I’m back to stay.”

  Sam’s grin widened. “That’s great news!”

  It was the sign J.T. needed, telling him he was doing the right thing. “I’m looking for a building to base my business.”

  “What kind of business?”

  Remembering all the empty buildings he had noticed around town, J.T. realized there was more than interest in Sam’s question. He wasn’t ready to reveal his plans to everyone, but he and Sam had passed the baton on more than one effort to win a race.

  “Construction. I’m a building contractor.”

  Sam whistled through his teeth. “No kidding! You could be just what this town needs.”

  J.T. barked a laugh. “That would be a switch.”

  Still, no one had twisted his arm to make him come back. It was his idea. Facing the past wouldn’t be easy, but he intended to make it work.

  “I always thought you would end up working with machines. Remember that old motorbike you rebuilt?”

  “That was a long time ago.” This time, J.T.’s laugh held amusement. “I worked construction to pay my way thought college.” He lifted a powerful shoulder in a shrug. “By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to be my own boss.”

  Sam’s gaze bored into him. “We need new business to open shop downtown.” He leaned against the back of the booth. The intensity of his expression eased as he grinned. “Do I sound like a member of the town council, or what?”

  “Sounds like you’re running for mayor.”

  “It sure is good to see you two together, again.” Stella appeared at the table and turned to Sam. “Ellie coming?”

  “She has a big order to finish before the sewing circle meets this afternoon. I’ll get her food to go.”

  “Hey, congratulations.” J.T. grinned. “I heard you got hitched.”

  Sam’s face flushed with pleasure. “You have to come out to see us.” He turned to the waitress, “Give me the burger and fries, Stella. Same for Ellie.”

  “Are the burgers still as good as they used to be?”

  Stella’s chest puffed up, hands on her hips, gum popping she glared at J.T. “They’re better and you’ll say the same when you’re finished, if you know what’s good for you.”

  J.T. laughed. “I can’t wait.” He closed the menu. “Give me a couple of cheeseburgers, no fries, and water, please.”

  Sam waited until Stella was out of earshot. “What are your plans?
”

  Slouching against the back of the booth, J.T. studied his old friend. “Start with a little carpentry work around town. Size up the area. When I find the right project, I’ll make a move.”

  “Ever thought about remodeling one of the buildings downtown?”

  “Hey, I’m—”

  “Hear me out. We’re trying to keep the town alive. Other towns in the area are spreading out and the center of town dies. We want to attract newcomers to Redbud. It would help if you remodeled one of the old buildings in this area.” Sam aimed his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m in the old bank building.”

  “No kidding? That’s a great place.” J.T. frowned. “I saw your logo on one of those tree trimming trucks. Where do you park your equipment?”

  “The parking lot behind the building is large enough for now. Ellie opened up a quilt shop in the other half of the building, so I can’t offer to share, but there are several choices. Check the realtor’s office.”

  “So, you got married, huh?” Grinning, J.T. shook his head.

  “What about you? Still the lovin’em and leavin’em type?”

  “Hey, I leave’em happy.”

  “Me, too!” Stella gave an exaggerated wink as she appeared to refill their glasses. “Buried two husbands,” she fluttered long lashes, “both with smiles on their face.”

  J.T. threw his head back and laughed. His sudden move knocked a fork off the table. Still laughing, he leaned over to pick it up and caught a flash of blue and white in his peripheral vision. Dainty high-heels clattered to a stop just before a pair of knees, covered by the by the blue and white dress, banged into his head. He jerked upright. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

  Brown eyes glittering with laughter looked down at him. “Sorry, Mr. Knight, I didn’t see you in time.” Edee Cutt turned to the waitress. “Bye, Stella.”

  “Oh, hon, wait.” Stella waved a hand. “Have you met Sam Oglethorpe? He runs the tree trimming service. He might need your services.”

  “Hello, Mr. Oglethorpe, I think we met at grandmother’s funeral?”

  Sam nodded. “Call me, Sam, please.” His glance skipped to the waitress, then back. “So you’re running the bookkeeping service?”