Last Chance Bride

Book 0: Last Chance

by Hope Ramsay

Genres: Small Town & Rural; Clean & Wholesome Romance; Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Dear Reader, My boy Stone has always been the quiet one in the family, but now he's got the whole town talking. He and his long-time sweetheart Sharon are crazy about each other, but suddenly they can't see eye-to-eye on their future. Sharon thought they were going to go to college, then get married. But Stone had other plans--plans he didn't share with anyone. So it looks like our resident matchmaker Miriam is going to be wrong for the first time ever. She swears Sharon and Stone are true soul mates. Well, I think between the broken promises and Sharon's meddling mother, these two kids are going to need a miracle to make it down the aisle. . . There's Arlene-I just need to finish her trim and then I can head over to the Watermelon Festival. Be sure to stop back by the Cut 'n' Curl for hot rollers, free coffee-and the best gossip in town. See you real soon, Ruby Rhodes

Release date: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Forever Yours

Print pages: 57

Sample

Wednesday, August 1, 1990

“Sharon Anne McKee, you quit your wiggling now, you hear?” Mother looked up at Sharon with a gleam in her dark eyes. “I’m not about to let my daughter show up as this year’s Watermelon Queen with an uneven hem.”

Sharon redoubled her efforts to stand still as Mother fussed with the yards of pink and green tulle that comprised her Watermelon Queen dress. She didn’t need Mother going ballistic today of all days. Sharon had too much to do. And besides, when Mother got upset, the world tipped over on its side. It was easier to suck it up and do what Mother wanted.

Sharon stood there for five minutes, until she couldn’t stand still anymore. She put on her sweetest voice: “Mother, I really appreciate your helping with the dress, but please remember that I’m chairing the bake sale and blood drive for Crystal Murphy this afternoon at city hall.”

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Mother huffed.

Which wasn’t fast enough to suit Sharon. But she held her tongue, because if she said anything else, Mother would purposefully slow down. Sharon anxiously watched the minutes tick away on the kitchen clock. Mother always made her late.

Finally Sharon’s patience broke. “Mother, you pinned that section already. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you know. It’s not like it’s my wedding dress.”

Mother’s head came up with a glower. “This dress most certainly isn’t a wedding dress,” she said. “And when you get married, you’ll be wearing white and marrying a man with a college degree. Is that clear?” Mother’s eyebrows arched.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And I expect you to marry a young man from a quality family, like the people you come from. Why, when I was a girl in Charleston, I had at least a dozen beaux, and all of them were from the best families in town.”

Oh boy, that was a bold-faced fib if Sharon had ever heard one. Unfortunately, Mother had been fibbing about her background for so long that she no longer remembered the truth. She may have been born in Charleston, but Sharon’s granddaddy was a dockworker. And Sharon’s daddy wasn’t from a rich family either, even if he had gone to college and become a bank manager. Daddy had died from a heart attack two years ago, and Mother had never been quite the same. She lived her life in a kind of dream world in which Sharon was the next best thing to a debutante. Being selected this year’s Watermelon Queen didn’t help any when it came to Mother’s delusions.

Sharon squared her shoulders and fixed her gaze on the wall. There was no point in trying to get Mother to see the world as it truly was. Besides, Sharon was in no hurry to get married. Not even to Stony Rhodes, her boyfriend, who would also be a freshman at Carolina this fall.

“And another thing,” Mother said through the pins clenched in her teeth. “When you get to college, you will remember that you are a refined southern lady. There will be boys up there who just want to take advantage of you. Don’t let them lead you down a garden path, if you know what I mean.”

Sharon knew exactly what Mother meant. She had plans to encourage Stony to do a little bit of that sort of thing. Sharon had even made a secret appointment with Planned Parenthood and was now in possession of a diaphragm for the moment when she and Stony finally did the deed. But that wouldn’t be until they got up to Columbia together.

Mother would have apoplexy if Sharon ever went to the Peach Blossom Motor Court, like other kids did on prom night. That was too risky, what with Lillian Bray always checking out the parking lot. Since Daddy had died, Sharon had avoided conflicts with Mother. So waiting was the wisest choice all the way around. There would be plenty of time up at Carolina.

The back screen door creaked open and slammed shut, and Stony’s eight-year-old sister, Rocky, waltzed into Mother’s kitchen like she owned the place.

“Hey, Miz McKee,” Rocky said as she skidded to a stop. As usual, the little girl’s dark, curly hair was in complete disarray, and her knees were so gr. . .