The Unlikely Groom

The Unlikely Groom
Wendy Douglas

His Dreams Had DiedAnd Lucas Templeton often wished he'd gone to the grave with them. Instead he went to Alaska, opened a saloon and closed off his heart. But Ashlynne MacKenzie, a newcomer full of pluck and passion, could very well hold the key to unlocking his secret sorrow….Her Brother Had Been MurderedAshlynne MacKenzie had nowhere to go–until the enigmatic Lucas Templeton offered her the rough-and-ready haven of his saloon–and the unexpected comfort of his arms. But could she trust a man who represented everything she wanted to escape?

“I knew you’d come,” she said with soft satisfaction.

“Were you waiting for me?” His voice cracked with a husky edge.

“No. But I knew you’d come.”

“Why?”

“You couldn’t resist the music.”

That haunting melody. “It…called to me.”

“I called to you.”

It remained dark all around them, but Lucas could see her eyes sparkle in the darkness. How was it that he could see her as clearly as though every chandelier in the room was lit, and yet shadow shrouded everything else?

Ashlynne—no, Ashe—smiled again, a sultry, knowing expression, and she scooted around to face him. “Why did you come down here, Lucas?” she asked, and he blinked. She looked—and sounded—so…patient.

“I heard you playing.”

“And that’s all?”

“No.” He reached for her, drew her upward. “Because of this.”

He hauled her tight against him and caught her mouth with his….

Praise for Wendy Douglas’s debut

Shades of Gray

“A heartwarming voice and a story

about the power of love.”

—New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Greene

“Secrets, lies and revenge rule the day in this graphic

western drama. Danger mounts, passion flares, and lies

unfold as this stirring historical plays out

and characters evolve.”

—Affaire de Coeur

The Unlikely Groom

Wendy Douglas

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

With much love for my mom, Lenore Romey, who never

told me I should be outside playing instead of reading

a book, and in memory of my father, Wendell Romey,

the most patient man I’ve ever known.

And, as always, for Doug, who loves me despite

all the trouble I cause, who makes everything work—

somehow—and who has been known to offer that

special endearment only a writer can appreciate:

“Aren’t you supposed to be writing?” I couldn’t do it without you, darlin’.

I love you all.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks must go to Willie and Candy Seltenrich

for their willing participation in this book. Legs all

the way to heaven, Candy, and not one broken bone!

Also to Heather Mase for filling in as the

Paperwork Queen so I could finish this book and

to Kathy Hafer for last-minute proofreading.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four