A foundling, raised by two old maids, Emiline Anastasia
Gray wants to make a name for her self. Since sewing is
her only skill, Ellie enters a contest to study in New York
with a famous designer. Her resemblance to an heiress
has Ellie playing the part of SUBSTITUTE BRIDE in a fake
wedding planned by the heiress’s billionaire father. But
Ellie’s instant attraction to the stand-in groom puts her goal
at risk.
Samuel Clay Oglethorpe agrees to stand-in for his movie
star cousin in a staged wedding, after the star promises to
sell him land that is rightfully his. But Sam soon finds the
SUBSTITUTE BRIDE distracting him. Can he regain his
rightful heritage and win a bride?
Gray wants to make a name for her self. Since sewing is
her only skill, Ellie enters a contest to study in New York
with a famous designer. Her resemblance to an heiress
has Ellie playing the part of SUBSTITUTE BRIDE in a fake
wedding planned by the heiress’s billionaire father. But
Ellie’s instant attraction to the stand-in groom puts her goal
at risk.
Samuel Clay Oglethorpe agrees to stand-in for his movie
star cousin in a staged wedding, after the star promises to
sell him land that is rightfully his. But Sam soon finds the
SUBSTITUTE BRIDE distracting him. Can he regain his
rightful heritage and win a bride?
ORDER NOW AT Amazon.com ISBN O-8034-9793-8
Barnes and Noble book stores or at
Barnes and Noble.com
Barnes and Noble book stores or at
Barnes and Noble.com
See Photo page for
some of the setting
and Quilts in Ellie's
shop.
some of the setting
and Quilts in Ellie's
shop.
Read an excerpt...
CHAPTER ONE
“It’s kind of you to give me a lift. I’d planned to take the bus—“
“With that bag?” He snorted as he slammed the driver’s side door.
“Okay, it’s not far, if you’ll just drop me off, I’d appreciate it.” No sense in needling
him. He looked ready to burst a seam, as it was. She didn’t blame him. They’d spent
the past hour acting their heads off in front of hundreds of guests expecting to see
the latest media darlings get married. This wedding had made news headlines for
months.
“Where are you staying?”
“Two blocks down from Main Street.” Ellie reached to fasten her seat belt as the
engine roared to life. “Do you know your way around the city?”
“Sorta,” he said as he glanced to be sure the street was clear before pulling out of
the parking lot. Once they turned on the side street, it was easy to see the traffic
congestion all around the front of the massive church. “Good thing I asked about
alternate routes before the ceremony.” He turned left, just missing the traffic jam.
“Give me directions when we get close.”
“I really appreciate this—” Her words trailed off as she twisted toward him. “I don’t
even know your name!”
“Samuel Clay Oglethorpe.” He held out a large that felt rough when she took it in
hers. “Sam to my friends.”
“Emiline Anastasia Gray, Ellie to my husbands.” Ellie laughed, but her insides
quivered as heat from his touch raced up her arm. What was happening here? His
responding chuckle eased her tension. But he’d let go of her hand, too.
“Do you have many husbands?”
“You wore contacts,” she blurted as she noticed the teasing green glint in the hazel
eyes watching her. “Oh, that reminds me.” She started pulling out pins until her
hair fell to her shoulders. “That feels better. Your eyes aren’t as dark as Shawn’s.”
“No.” Sam glanced in her direction, noticing the way the light glistened in her sandy
colored locks. “Your hair isn’t as dark as Dawn’s, either. How did they expect to keep
the guests from noticing the difference?”
Ellie leaned over her lap.
“No one saw me without the veil. With all the hair gook my natural color was dark
enough.” She settled back in the seat and grinned.
“So, you wore contacts too!”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“Green eyes would be a dead give-away. Dawn’s eyes are dark brown.” He glanced
away from the street. “The difference in your appearance is amazing!”
“You mean you don’t see an heiress when you look at the real me?” Ellie teased as
he eased the vehicle through traffic. With ever fiber of control she’d learned over the
years, she tried to ignore the tension that ripped through her. Why did it matter what
this man thought? Her attraction to him made no sense. There wasn’t room in her life
for a man. With his looks and charm, a man like Sam spelled trouble. A girl couldn’t
keep her mind on her work with him around.
Still, she wondered what he saw when he looked at her as Ellie, not as the bride. “Oh,
slow down. I recognize that tall building—“
Sam motioned toward all the skyscrapers along the street and grunted.
Ellie’s tension escaped on a giggle as she read his expression. “Okay, I know, all the
buildings in New York are tall. But the red one, well the darkest one that’s red, beside
the gray…there in the next block. Do you see it?”
Sam’s laugh came from deep in his chest and filled the truck. Ellie tilted her chin in
pretended offence. But with humor illuminating his face, Sam was so handsome he
took her breath away, and she couldn’t hold a straight face. So she rolled her eyes
and laughed.
“It’s a good thing you aren’t driving. Where are you from anyway?”
“North Carolina,” Ellie said as she tossed her hair back, then stared at the numerous
lanes of traffic. “I don’t think it’s odd that I don’t know my way around a strange
city…oops, that’s the turn.”
It was a good thing Sam’s driving was better than her directions. Horns tooted, brakes
squealed, but he made the turn as Ellie watched her building entrance appear.
“There, two buildings up on the right.”
“You’re staying at the Y?” The incredulous note in his voice revealed his reaction to
the run-down building that was all Ellie could afford.
Okay, so she had played the part of the bride in a big society wedding. That wasn’t
her world, far from it in fact. “Thank you for the lift,” her tone would have left frost on a
pumpkin, but she wasn’t about to explain her situation.
His cousin was a famous movie star. Did that make Sam rich, too? Ellie didn’t know,
but as far as she was concerned, Sam was twice the man the guy in the movies was,
so there. If money made the man, then she’d just voted for the wrong guy. But in her
book, good manners and a sense of humor went a long way. Sam had both, and
good looks to boot…well he’d had good manners until that last comment.
She unbuckled the seatbelt with a loud snap. “Thanks, I can manage from here.”
“Whoa…what’s the rush? How long are you staying in town?” Sam’s glance held her
frozen in place. “I’m from North Carolina, too. Maybe we could go out to eat and talk
about home?”
“Oh!” Her heart leaped to her throat. Despite his reaction to her lodging, she liked
him. He made the stress of the role-playing easier. But the wedding was over. This
feeling digging in her ribs was probably tension. No way could she feel attached to a
man she’d known for a couple of hours, even if she had married him.
There was no use dragging this out. She hated good-byes. Always had, always
would—that’s how her life had started—with a good-bye she couldn’t even remember.
“It’s been fun, Sam, but I have to go.” A great exit line. Too bad she had to turn back
when she couldn’t move the seat. “Umh, would you help me get this bag out?”
“How about dinner? I don’t know about you, but now that the show’s over, I’m hungry
enough to eat the legs off a chair.”
Ellie’s good humor returned as she heard the familiar phrase. “I know. I skipped
breakfast.” Her gaze roamed over his face one last time. “But I have to pack. I’m
taking the bus home tonight.”
Page Title
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Page Title
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Carol Hutchens
Romance Author
Love, Dreams & Happily-Ever-After
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