Table Of ContentAlways A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
The Wild Rose Press
www.thewildrosepress.com
Copyright ©2009
First published in 2010
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
CONTENTS
Dedication
Praise for Elaine Hopper
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
About the Author
* * * *
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
"So this is how the worldly Breanna behaves in her off-
duty hours?" Troy righted Breanna, his hands lingering on her
arms.
She stepped back, quelling the desire to rub away his
prints. She chafed that Sierra was getting a big head start
and she was left alone with Troy. "What are you doing in my
house? Daddy's not home."
"Is that how you greet your boss? Or your old flame?"
Fire smoldered in Troy's eyes as mischief danced in his
voice. Knowing Sierra was way ahead, she sighed. "What do
you want? More memos copied? Someone to pour you a
coffee?" she said with saccharine sweetness, vowing to return
to college and upgrade her career.
"I stop by periodically to make sure everything's okay. This
is my last stop of the day." He didn't move to leave.
"Everything okay here?"
Was he daring her to make him leave? She scowled. "Only
if you call having a crazed sister okay. Or having my boss
intrude on my personal space."
He didn't blink, just advanced a step. "Is being around me
really that bad? You didn't used to think so."
Before she realized his intentions, Troy backed her against
the wall and crushed close. He captured her lips in a searing
kiss that left her weak-kneed and breathless. Soft hands
cupped her face, stilling her head. His hips pinned her to the
wall so she couldn't do more than squirm against his solid
frame.
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
How long they kissed in the hall, she didn't know. She was
powerless to break the kiss—as if she'd been starved for it for
years. Shirt balled in her hands, she molded her body to his.
He drew back a short distance. "You can kiss me like that
and still say you hate me?"
ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID
by
Elaine Hopper
* * * *
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or
are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons
living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is
entirely coincidental.
ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID
COPYRIGHT (C) 2009 by Elaine Hopper
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Kim Mendoza
The Wild Rose Press
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Sweetheart Rose Edition, 2010
* * * *
Published in the United States of America
* * * *
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Dedication
To my cousins whom I don't sometimes see for years, but
whom I love very much: Debbie, Charlie, Suzie, Jerry, Jan,
Marty, and all their kids, especially Daniel and his new bride
Jen. I wish I could see them more often. Like the heroine in
this story, I need to visit home and family much more.
[Back to Table of Contents]
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Praise for Elaine Hopper
* * * *
This story earned Second Place in the Lories contest, From
the Heart (FTH) RWA Chapter
[Back to Table of Contents]
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Chapter One
"Well, well...Hell finally froze over," Troy Youngwolf
drawled as he blocked Breanna's way.
An emotion that was almost relief washed over Breanna
Parker, chasing away a flutter of panic as her ex-fiance's
shadow mingled with hers. Tendrils of unwelcome awareness
skimmed down her spine.
By sheer force, she willed her body to relax but couldn't
stop the smile that painfully stretched her lips. From the
moment her older sister Sierra commanded her to return
home to Coconut Springs to be her maid of honor, Breanna
had dreaded running into this man. Now after eight long
years the moment was here, and the dread could finally end.
In a perverse way, she rejoiced.
Pivoting on her heel, she came face to face with the dream
of her youth who had turned into the nightmare of her
adulthood. Troy Youngwolf was the only man she had ever
truly loved—or truly hated.
Early evening sun glinted off his blue-black hair, no longer
long and flowing about his shoulders or caught at his nape
with a leather thong like his Native American ancestors, but
cut in a short, neat military style. A black muscle shirt
strained over his strong chest, tapering into tight black jeans
that gloved even more powerful thighs. Despite his new
hairstyle, danger still radiated from his tensed muscles and
flared nostrils.
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Had the town bad boy grown up into a career criminal?
She was glad she wouldn't be sticking around long enough to
find out. She had given up dangerous men when she'd left
town and gone to work for the Fort Lauderdale Police
Department. Still, the weeks ahead loomed like an eternity
and she cursed her stupidity for returning, even for her
sister's wedding.
What had Sierra gotten her into?
Determined not to reveal the depth of her dismay at
seeing him again, she hoped her smile dazzled like the sun.
She had a lot of practice presenting a happy front when she
was dying inside, mostly because of him. She turned up the
wattage of her smile before aiming her dart. "Youngwolf? I
didn't think you'd still be here. Daddy and Sierra never
mention you."
Troy's sharp gaze cut into her as he hooked his thumbs
through the empty belt loops of his jeans. A smile tugged at
the corner of his chiseled lips. "Why didn't you come home for
Meg's funeral?"
Meg's name stole the breath from her lungs, paralyzing
her, almost as much as his disapproving smile. She had loved
Meg. She had hated her...almost as much as she had loved
and hated the man who married her. Troy deserved the most
blame for breaking her heart, however, much more than Meg.
He had been her fiance before marrying her ex-best friend.
She gazed down at her toes, anywhere but into his eyes,
unable to meet his accusing gaze. "I couldn't," she mumbled
around the lump in her throat and squeezed back fresh tears
stinging her eyes.
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