The Wedding Secret

“Do you believe in wedding magic?” Cecile asked

Luke frowned. “Define what you mean.”

“The feeling that there’s something in the air at weddings. Something that makes people do things they shouldn’t.”

He nodded. “I know what you’re talking about. From the first moment I saw you, I wasn’t settling for anything less. Why else would I leave when you did?” He’d moved toward her, almost as close as he’d been during their first slow dance.

She’d been seduced before, but never like this. Luke was out of her league. Her body hummed. “You don’t make anything easy, do you?”

“Never.” He ran a finger down her bare arm. “I get what I want, Cecile. Always have, always will.”

“And what do you want?” she said, her breath lodging in her throat as she waited for his reply.

“You.” His tone was forceful and determined. A thrill shot through her. “And I definitely want this.”

With that, he lowered his mouth and kissed her.

Dear Reader,

I love weddings and wedding magic. This past April and July, I had a chance to attend two weddings, each for one of my work colleagues. Watching them say their vows and seeing how much love existed between them gave me such a happy feeling. Weddings are that one moment in time when everything is magic, when the future is unlimited. I have no doubt that each of my colleagues will live happily ever after.

For Cecile, though, weddings are a reminder that her future hasn’t quite turned out as she envisioned it. When her best friend announces her own impending nuptials, Cecile worries that life might be passing her by. Determined to at least have a grand passion, Cecile lets the magic sweep her into the arms of Luke Shaw. There’s just one little problem. When she begins her new dream job, Cecile learns that Luke is her boss—and her company has a “no fraternization” policy. So what’s a girl going to do to win her man? Turn the pages and find out!

I hope you enjoy The Wedding Secret, the second book in my AMERICAN BEAUTIES miniseries. Please join me when Tori’s story, Nine Months' Notice, concludes the series in April 2007.

Until then, enjoy the romance and feel free to drop me an e-mail at [e-mail]. Happy reading.

All the best,

The Wedding Secret

Michele Dunaway

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In first grade, Michele Dunaway wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, and by second grade she wanted to be an author. By third grade, she was determined to be both, and before her high school class reunion, she’d succeeded. In addition to writing romance, Michele is a nationally recognized high school English and journalism educator. Born and raised in a west county suburb of St. Louis, Michele has traveled extensively, with the cities and places she’s visited often becoming settings for her stories. Described as a woman who does too much but doesn’t know how to stop, Michele gardens five acres in her spare time and shares her life with two young daughters, six lazy house cats, one dwarf rabbit and two tankfuls of fish.

Michele loves to hear from readers. You can reach her via her Web site, www.micheledunaway.com.

Books by Michele Dunaway

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

988—THE PLAYBOY’S PROTÉGÉE

1008—ABOUT LAST NIGHT…

1044—UNWRAPPING MR. WRIGHT

1056—EMERGENCY ENGAGEMENT

1100—LEGALLY TENDER

1116—CAPTURING THE COP

1127—THE MARRIAGE CAMPAIGN*

For Oprah Winfrey, thanks for being a voice of the people. You have made a positive difference in the lives of so many. And to Jennifer Green, thanks for being such a terrific editor who’s willing to push me where I need it.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

He was the man she was fated to walk down the aisle with, a man she barely knew. As Cecile Duletsky took a steadying breath, she told herself she would not kill her sister.

At least not today, her wedding day.

Okay, if Cecile were honest, it wasn’t exactly her younger sister’s fault that in less than one hour Cecile would march down the long, white-runner-covered aisle of St. Donovan’s Church on the arm of Luke Shaw, a man hotter than a summer day. A man who, when Cecile had first spoken to him last night during the rehearsal dinner, had made her feel undressed with just the twinkle of his blue eyes.

The way Cecile figured it, she should have been allowed to walk down the aisle by herself, as she had at any other wedding she’d been in. But no, someone higher up on her sister’s wedding party chain of command had overruled Cecile in the interest of making the exceedingly long July ceremony all of two tiny minutes shorter.

Cecile figured the same higher-up had to have picked out the horrifying purple bridesmaid dress she was wearing. Her sister, Elizabeth, couldn’t have become this tasteless in the eleven years the two sisters had been apart. Even the most uneducated fashionista would have known better.

But the hideously oversize bow settling directly over Cecile’s bosom proved otherwise, especially as it smashed all of her assets into oblivion instead of enhancing them. The dress added ten pounds to Cecile’s figure—the same ten that a daily workout regime assured never touched her slim hips.

The reality was that Elizabeth Duletsky’s bridal party looked like grapes gone sour.

At least Cecile’s long strawberry-blond hair was up, lifted and twisted just this morning into a high chignon that gave her the appearance of a long swanlike neck.

She’d refused to let the makeup artist hired for the occasion touch her face, opting instead to do her own makeup. Considering the blatant amount of kohl eyeliner on some of the bridesmaids, Cecile knew she’d made a wise choice. Her skin was pale and creamy, a blessing of Irish genetics somewhere in her very mixed lineage. She had green eyes—toss a green costume on her and she could pass for a cute leprechaun. She often had, twice a year—once for St. Patrick’s Day and the other for Halloween.

“So are you nervous?” some silly bridesmaid tittered at Cecile’s sister. The dark-headed one in the family, Elizabeth sipped her mimosa before shaking her head and replying, “No.”

Cecile stood and stepped back from the scene unfolding in the church’s anteroom. Unlike the rest of the bridesmaids, who were also all married, Cecile wasn’t partaking in the champagne-and-orange-juice concoction the wedding coordinator had provided to settle any last-minute bridal party jitters. Besides, Cecile had always thought it wiser to drink after the event. Speaking of said event…

She glanced at her bare left wrist and sighed. No matter how pretty, she’d been told her Cartier watch didn’t fit the wedding’s dress code and so her favorite accessory was tucked away in her purse. Hopefully it was almost time for the evening nuptials to begin.

The bridal party had been secluded for the last hour, left to the mimosas and their own devices. Of course, the mother of the bride, the mother of the groom and the wedding coordinator and her army of assistants had kept popping in to make final adjustments to some imaginary something.

Cecile’s parents, especially her mother, Clarann, were in heaven. Even the groom’s family was thrilled. And each family had spent a small fortune for the nuptials to be absolutely perfect.

As for Cecile, she would have been satisfied watching the blessed event from a safe spot in a pew. But the wedding coordinator had insisted on Cecile’s presence in the wedding party, saying it would be a major faux pas if the elder sister were left out.

So Cecile had been tossed into the proverbial mix, fitted for a purple dress and surrounded by five additional attendants, all friends of Elizabeth from her college days at Northwestern University. Elizabeth’s best friend had garnered maid of honor duties, but Cecile really hadn’t minded.

Heck, given her choice, if Cecile ever found the right guy, she’d take the money her parents were spending, elope and buy a sports car. Something cherry-red with a convertible top.

Cecile paced the small room, sending perfunctory smiles to anyone who happened to glance her way. All this money for one day seemed so…overblown.

Deep down she was happy for her sister, and Cecile berated herself as guilt crept in. Twenty-nine was too young to be this cynical, but she’d resigned herself.

She’d long ago pledged to have it all—she and her three friends Lisa, Tori and Joann had made a champagne pact upon graduation. But Cecile had quickly thrown off the naiveté and blinders of college. Over eight years later, Cecile hadn’t reached the top and hadn’t found the man of her dreams—most of them had been duds.

Her sister’s nuptials were showing how flawed Cecile was, and she didn’t like the exposure. Despite their not being close, Elizabeth was her sister, and today of all days Cecile should be consumed with overwhelming joy. But instead she was morbidly considering how her own life had gone astray.

To her disgust, she’d become like one of the guests on the talk shows she produced: “My sister married before me and I’m miserable.” “My sister has it all and I don’t.” “My only consolation is that the dress is ugly!”

She did have to admit she was slightly jealous of Elizabeth and Devon, as well. Anyone could look at them and see how much they loved each other. Theirs was a marriage that everyone knew would last. Maybe that was what was putting Cecile into a slight funk, keeping her from being ecstatic that her little sister had found the man of her dreams.

Cecile couldn’t even keep her live-in boyfriend, Eric, from straying. She’d been traveling and producing morning-show segments and had come home early one day to find him and another woman in her bedroom. It still bothered her that she could have misjudged their relationship so much.

Weddings also reminded Cecile that life was passing her by—that while perhaps she would have the great career she’d vowed to have, she might not necessarily have a man to go with it. Jaded by a string of wrong turns, she’d preferred relationships with a bunch of temporary, superficial Mr. Right Nows. Surface emotions were easier to handle, and it hurt less when the relationship ended.

Besides, after producing several “My husband cheated with my best friend and she’s having his baby” shows, Cecile would rather be alone than become part of the half-the-marriages-fail statistic.

Cecile fingered the purple fabric that reflected the light worse than a cheap shower curtain liner. She and Elizabeth weren’t exactly buddies—the five-year age difference between them had meant that Cecile had left for college before her sister had even started high school.

Cecile really did love her sister and wanted to grow closer, perhaps eventually as close as Cecile was to her three best friends, Joann, Lisa and Tori. They’d shared confidences since pledging the same sorority together: Rho Sigma Gamma—the Roses.

Now that Cecile had returned to her hometown of Chicago, maybe she and her sister could forge a real friendship that didn’t just involve swapping obligatory Christmas and birthday presents. Maybe they could find some common ground.

Cecile had been gone a while. She’d left home at eighteen for the University of Missouri—Columbia’s fabled journalism school—and after graduation she’d been working at a variety of television jobs.

Now she was back home, ready to start her new job as an assistant producer for The Allegra Montana Show, meaning she’d be responsible for producing one to two shows per week. While her title read assistant, that only applied to her pay. Aside from the show runner who oversaw all the segment producers, Cecile had the same production responsibilities as everyone else.

Allegra’s talk show had been climbing in ratings and popularity for the past three years, especially after a former talk-show host had canceled his show to run for political office. Allegra, who served as executive producer and on-screen talent, had moved into both his vacant studios and his coveted afternoon time slot and never looked back. Her show covered everything from political commentary to celebrity cook-offs.

Chicago was home to many popular talk-show studios, and Cecile’s starting date had provided her with just enough time to finish her former job in New York City and cram in her sister’s wedding. She’d also managed to find time to rent a Cathedral District apartment which was undergoing some last-minute maintenance. While her stuff had been delivered, Cecile wouldn’t occupy the place until Sunday.

At the corner of State Street and Superior, the fifty-two-floor building came complete with a whole-foods store, a pool on the seventh floor and a health club. While Cecile’s unit didn’t have a lake view, she’d fallen in love with the location, which was only a few blocks west of the Water Tower. She was still almost in the heart of downtown.

Cecile returned her attention to her sister. They were so different, both in looks and temperament. Elizabeth worked for a charity, doing communications work. She planned to work only until her first child, which she would start trying for immediately. Her husband was turning thirty-four in September. An up-and-coming orthopedic surgeon in an already-established practice, Elizabeth and Devon had bought a big house in Barrington a block or two over from both “Grandmas” and started renovations for when the stork arrived.

That was one area of which Cecile wasn’t envious. Even though she’d be thirty August fifteenth, no biological clock ticked in her head. Women in their forties had children. Heck, women had children without men. She’d produced a show on the very subject only a few months ago.

“Whose phone is ringing?” someone suddenly asked, jarring Cecile’s reverie. The bridesmaids, happily buzzed on mimosas, chimed “Not mine” one after the other.

Cecile blinked. By now everyone was staring at her, and she realized it was her cell phone loudly trilling “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” An avid sports fan, the jingle had been the perfect download.

All the bridesmaids had been given matching purple sequined purses, and Cecile squatted down to remove the phone from the bag resting at her feet. The custom ringtone meant one thing—the caller was one of her three best friends. She glanced at the number. Lisa. A very welcome intrusion.

“Excuse me,” Cecile said as she straightened, the floor-length fabric rustling. “I need to take this call. I’ll only be a moment.”

She ignored the group’s speculation and opened the heavy wooden door. The church hallway was cool, and as she stepped onto the marble floor, she could see guests arriving in the church’s narthex. Cecile pressed the talk button, catching her former roommate’s call before it rolled to voice mail.

“Hey, Lisa, what’s up?” Cecile said. “You just saved me from sitting any longer in a room full of tipsy bridesmaids. Please tell me we weren’t like that when we were twenty-four.”

“I don’t think so,” Lisa said. “At least not all the time. But you’re busy, so, Cecile, I’ll make this quick. You won’t believe it, but Mark and I are getting married!”

“Congrats,” Cecile said. Her brow wrinkled as the significance of the announcement dawned. Lisa—married? Cecile had to admit she was stunned. They’d always joked that Lisa would be the last one wed. Had she really said married? Was she…?

“And, no, I’m not pregnant,” Lisa said, laughing as if anticipating the question. “I’m in love.”

“Wow. That was fast.” Cecile said, catching her breath to hide her shock. Lisa wasn’t the impulsive type, and when Cecile had last seen Lisa a few weeks ago during Cecile’s layover in St. Louis, Lisa had been wrestling with starting one of those “friends with benefits” relationships with Mark.

So married. Already? No one should get married this fast, unless perhaps they were trying out for a Valentine’s Day talk show or a free wedding gown.

“It happens that way,” Lisa said as if reading Cecile’s thoughts again. “You know what this means, don’t you? I’m not going to be the last one married anymore. And since Tori’s too busy with Jeff to ever settle down, that means one thing. Cecile, the order’s changed. You, my friend, are next.”

Cecile frowned. She knew all about the “order.” On the night before their sorority initiation, the girls had been camped out in the common room. Dreaming of the future, they’d predicted the order of their marriages. They’d also selected who’d be the maid of honor for whom. Thus, Lisa had stood next to Joann, who’d married right out of college. Cecile would stand next to Lisa. Tori would stand next to Cecile. And Joann would stand next to Tori, making the circle complete.

“I’m hardly next,” Cecile said with a disbelieving snort, thrilled for her friend yet cynical about her prediction. “It would take a man for that, and I certainly don’t have one of those in the picture at this moment.”

“No one?” Lisa said, sounding like a woman in love who wants everyone to be as happy as she. “I guess we really didn’t get to talk much about your love life when you were here. But you always have a guy waiting in the wings somewhere. Surely there’s someone.”

There was always someone, just not the one. Cecile wanted that deep emotional connection and refused to settle until she found it. A noise sounded behind her, but Cecile dismissed it. “I wish I could tell you I’m dating someone, but I just relocated. I have a new career. No time.”

“I’d just relocated to St. Louis and look what happened to me,” Lisa said.

Cecile pointed her foot and touched the tip of her shoe to the floor, her body full of pent-up energy. “Lisa, you know I love you, but no boyfriends are on my radar. Besides, there’s always Bob. He’s much easier to deal with than love. Much simpler.”

“TMI!” Lisa shouted before she began laughing. “Oh, you kill me. I do not want to know if you have a battery-operated boyfriend.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t,” Cecile said, smiling. Talking to Lisa always chased away the doldrums, especially as she was easy to tease. “However, if I ever tell you I’m dating Bob, you’ll know that my life as I know it is over. Put me on a talk show. I will have given up on men.”

“I just said I didn’t want to know. Now I know why I stopped being roommates with you. You are way too blunt with information.”

Cecile could hear the mirth in Lisa’s voice. Funny how she could just pick up and talk to Lisa as if it were yesterday. “Ha-ha. The real reason we split up was because I got a job in New York and had to move away.”

“Yeah, be technical,” Lisa said, her amusement obvious. “Anyway, I know you’re at your sister’s wedding so I’ll cut this short. Just like we planned all those years ago, I want you to be my maid of honor. It’s time.”

“Of course you can count on me,” Cecile said, warmth tingling her toes. While she might be a little shocked by the sudden turn of events, she knew Lisa better than she knew her own sister. If Lisa had decided Mark Smith was the one, then he was. “You know I’d be honored to stand by your side when you get married.” Even if it means enduring another wedding, another reminder that perhaps my Mr. Right doesn’t exist.

“Thank you. I know it’s sudden. But, Cecile, I love him. He’s always been the one, even after the fiasco at Joann’s reception. We’ve wasted eight years, and I refuse to wait anymore now that we’re finally together. I’ll tell you all the details next time I see you—or at least talk to you when you aren’t needed elsewhere.”

“You’d better,” Cecile said automatically. “I think I rate a scoop after everything we’ve been through.” They’d pledged the sorority together, shared initiation rituals, gossip and dreams. They’d even shared an apartment for a while.

But it was still a bit surreal to imagine Lisa getting married, especially to Mark Smith, a man she’d despised and labeled a playboy. There had to be a show in that: “I’m marrying the man I always thought I hated.”

“Look, my sister’s wedding is about to start,” Cecile told Lisa. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“That’s fine. I didn’t mean to disturb you, but I wanted you to know first. I still haven’t called Tori. She’s next.”

“Well, go call her. She’ll hate you if you don’t tell her within a few hours of calling me,” Cecile joked.

“I’ll call her the moment I hang up. And you go pick up some hunky groomsman. I’m sure he’d be better in bed than Bob any day.”

Cecile laughed at that. “I don’t know. Bob can be pretty low-maintenance.”

“You’ll never change. Find someone human. Someone sexy,” Lisa insisted.

“He’d have to be much better than that for me to consider it.”

“There has to be someone,” Lisa persisted. “You’re the one who’s always telling me to loosen up. Come on,” she cajoled, “surely there’s one person who might fit the bill?”

“There is. The guy I have to walk down the aisle with. Luke Shaw. Surfer-boy looks. Body to die for. Charisma and class.” And that dimple in his cheek had been so tempting, making any woman want to trace it after making love…

Luke was a real flesh-and-blood man, not a fantasy. Still, what would he be like?

“He sounds absolutely scrumptious. Go for it,” Lisa said, jolting Cecile back to the present.

“Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t,” Cecile said. She certainly didn’t need to be considering having sex with Luke Shaw, no matter how attractive the guy was. Her focus should be on saying goodbye and getting back to the wedding, not that she wanted to do either. “Right now forget my troubles and consider yourself getting a big hug through the phone. You are very lucky and I’m thrilled for you. Unlike me needing to get through today.”

“That bad?” Lisa said, prolonging the conversation one more minute, as they had so often done in the past.

“Oh, yes,” Cecile said with a nod. “So before I let you go, promise you’ll do me one favor.”

“What? You know I’ll do anything.”

Cecile used her free hand to finger the fabric of her gown. “That’s good, because I’m going to send you a photo of this dress. If you care about me, don’t make me wear anything this hideous again. I look like a fat purple grape.”

Lisa began to laugh, and Cecile realized how much she missed her friend. “I promise not to torture you,” Lisa said. “Go survive and be sure to have at least one drink for me. And don’t forget to hit on that guy.”

“As soon as this thing’s over, I’m having at least two. As for hitting on Luke? We’ll see. You know I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.”