#MFRWhooks Blog Hop - An Excerpt from CHILD OF MINE - With This Ring

Happy Book Hooks Wednesday! Today I have an excerpt from CHILD OF MINE. After discovering that Lauren is pregnant with his child, Cole asks her to marry him. Lauren thinks their wedding ceremony is going to be small and quick, with only their families in attendance. But she's surprised to discover that Cole has created a real wedding for them. She's hopeful their marriage of convenience can be something more.

Excerpt:

The first thing Lauren saw as she entered the living room on her father’s arm were the flowers. The room was filled with red and white and pink poinsettias. The strains of the wedding march played in the background. The room was filled with people. She saw Audrey and Evelyn, Dr. Waverly and his wife, and Jamie Garven from the clinic. Ella and her sister were there, as were several neighbors, friends, and relatives.

Then she saw Cole standing next to the fireplace, and she didn’t see anyone else. He was her beacon, her lighthouse, and she made her way toward him like a ship to safe harbor.

Finally, she reached him. Her father tenderly kissed her cheek before handing her to Cole and stepping back to stand with her mother. Cole clasped her hands in his, and she drew strength from him. Why had she never before realized how handsome he was? His dark hair gleamed with vitality and his brown eyes smiled warmly into hers. His dark gray suit fit his tall frame perfectly, showing off his broad shoulders and narrow hips.

The judge recited the words of the marriage ceremony, and Lauren responded, staring into Cole’s eyes. He looked so happy. She silently vowed to do everything in her power to make sure he stayed that way.

Charlotte handed Cole’s ring to her, and she slipped it on his third finger, left hand.

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

Cole turned to Garrett, and he passed him her ring. Lauren’s hands shook a little as he placed it on her finger. She’d expected something simple, but this wedding band, yellow gold encircled by diamonds, was exquisite. Her breath caught in her throat. She looked up into Cole’s face, but he only smiled, his expression calm.

“With this ring, I thee wed,” he said.

The gold band sparkled on her hand, a symbol of his commitment.

Of his love?

Lauren brushed the thought aside. She was getting carried away by the romance of the ceremony. Their marriage was based on friendship and mutual respect. Love didn’t enter into the equation.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Cole leaned forward and kissed her. His lips were warm and soft, his kiss tender. She was instantly transported to the last time Cole had kissed her, the night their child was conceived. Memories of warm, wet kisses blew through her head with the power of a hurricane. He’d caressed her, touched her, loved her with a passion and fervor that woke her in the middle of the night wanting more.

Too soon he pulled away. He leaned forward again to whisper in her ear.

“You look beautiful.”

“So do you,” she whispered back.

The judge addressed the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Cole Walsh.”

The crowd cheered and clapped. Garrett whistled. Charlotte came forward to hug and kiss them.

“I’m so happy for both of you,” she said, her eyes shiny with tears.

Lauren’s parents wished them well, her mother dabbing tears from her eyes. She hugged her and whispered in her ear. “It’ll work this time.”

Lauren nodded. Dear God, I hope she’s right. She couldn’t bear another unhappy marriage, especially since this time there’d be a child involved, a child who needed a stable, happy family to grow up in.

But standing beside Cole, with his arm around her shoulders, hope filled her heart.

Blurb:

Lauren didn't intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband's funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she's not sorry. Cole's given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He's been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she's afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn't his.

Cole's been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother's. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren's heart ever be his?

Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/Child-of-Mine

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