Stepping
Stones
By
Elizabeth Morgan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Available
Now!
Synopsis
There's nothing like a wedding to bring the family together....
If not for her baby sister’s impending marriage, Margaret West
would never return home. But after six long years, she finds herself a maid of honor who
must answer to the people she left behind.
If her parents’ interrogation doesn’t drive her to drink, facing
her foster brother, Adrian, just might. To make matters worse, her ex-fiancé is
the vicar who will conduct her sister’s ceremony.
Everyone
demands to know why she ran off. But the more time she spends at home, the more
Margaret realizes even she doesn’t know the real reason.
Excerpt
“When
is Aidy getting here?” Jessica grabbed the large bowl of scrambled eggs and
brought it closer to her plate.
“I think his flight is due in at three.” My mother placed a dish of bacon on
the table and took a seat beside me. “He will be in time for the wedding
rehearsal; don’t worry.”
My stomach clenched. “Wedding rehearsal?” I coughed, trying to clear the chunk
of toast lodged in my throat. “What wedding rehearsal?”
“Today at four. We’re running through the service.” Jess scooped egg onto
her plate. “I told you.”
Nervous laughter bubbled in my throat and try as I may, I couldn’t stop shaking
my head. “No.” I patted my chest. “No, you never mentioned a rehearsal.”
“Oh.” She placed the bowl back in the middle of the table. “I could have sworn
I did.”
“Nope, you didn’t. Believe me, I would have remembered otherwise.” I grabbed my
mug and knocked the coffee back before finishing my piece of toast.
“Well, it’s no big deal.” Edward took the bowl of eggs and helped himself. “Just
a quick run-through.”
“Will everyone be there?” Forcing a smile on my face, I looked up at them both,
hoping like hell my question would pass as innocent and genuine curiosity.
“Anyone who is involved in the wedding itself will be.”
Great. So that meant Jessica, Edward, the parents, and the bridesmaids,
plus me. That left Adrian and…. “Will Vicar Taylor, be there?”
Oh God, did my voice just go higher?
“Yes, Margaret, William will be there. He is the one who is marrying Jessie and
Edward, so he needs to be there.” My father skewered some
bacon and tomatoes onto his fork.
Grimacing, I reached out and grabbed another piece of toast. “Just a
question, Pa.” A stupid one, but a question nevertheless….
“It is normal for people to have wedding rehearsals, Margaret. Just because
you—”
Jess picked up the coffeepot. “Does anyone want more coffee?”
I straightened, my focus fixed on Pa. “I’m aware of that.”
“Maggie?”
My father’s shoulders went rigid. He lifted his head and our gazes locked. I
didn’t miss the way the muscle in the side of his neck ticked. Arguing with my
father in front of Jessica and Edward was not an option, so I looked away.
“Please.” I held out my mug and Jess poured the dark liquid.
I could kick myself. A wedding rehearsal hadn’t even crossed my mind. Having to
stand at the altar before William on the actual wedding day would be hard
enough, but having to do it twice…my stomach churned.
“So, will Adrian come straight to the church?” Edward cut the awkward silence.
“Yes. He will get a taxi to the church, and then we will bring him and his
luggage back here.” My mother held her mug out to Jess.
“Adrian is staying here? Tonight?” I added sugar to my
coffee. “Won’t it be crowded? I thought—”
“No more crowded than it was in your childhood.” My father took a bite out of
his toast.
More and more good news. Of course he would be staying here; it was
his family home after all. I guess, it was stupid of me to hope that he
would go to a B&B, but my parents wouldn’t have allowed it even if he
did suggest it. I hadn’t seen him in six years, hadn’t spoken to him. And yet,
in a couple of hours I would be locked in the same house as him.
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