Her Surprise Hometown Match, page 1
“Putting aside my rodeo days was hard at first,” Ty admitted, “but being here on the ranch? It’s vastly fulfilling.”
He hadn’t expected to love this place, didn’t want to, but all the same, it was part of him now.
“Then what’s wrong?” Juliette asked.
“My dad is always on me about my old reputation.” He chuckled. “He wasn’t happy when you and I got into trouble with the police chief.”
“I have to admit, that day was unexpected.”
“But fun?”
She went serious as she met his gaze. “More fun than I’ve had in a long time.”
There was a truth to her words he related to. But as much as he wanted what was happening between them to grow, he had to put his duty to his family first.
“We do tend to bring out that side of each other,” he said instead of revealing his true feelings, like how she’d become as vital to him as breathing.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Golden. It’s autumn in the mountains, my favorite time of year in my favorite place on earth. I love the leaves in their full glory of reds, yellows, oranges and browns. There’s a chill in the air that means it’s time for sweaters and boots. When you step outside, woodsmoke scents the air. Can you tell I really love this season?
In this book, you’ll get a glimpse of Golden at its fall best. Horseback riding in the woods with the fall foliage all around. Standing on the edge of a fast-moving creek to view a cascading waterfall on the opposite side. Festivals and a very special farmers market. Apple cider and pumpkin spice coffee.
For the Golden Matchmakers Club, this is a great time to pair their next couple. Neither Ty nor Juliette is looking for love, but sometimes it sneaks up and surprises you. In life, the road to happily-ever-after is not always straight or easy. But the thing about matchmakers? They see the possibilities and go for it, sure in their hearts that the couple will feel the same.
I hope you enjoy Ty and Juliette’s story. The matchmakers are going to take a step back, but you never know where they might pop up in the future.
Tara
Her Surprise Hometown Match
Tara Randel
Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA TODAY bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the west coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets and beautiful weather inspire the creation of heartwarming stories. This is her tenth book for Harlequin Heartwarming. Visit Tara at tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at Tara Randel Books.
Books by Tara Randel
Harlequin Heartwarming
The Golden Matchmakers Club
Stealing Her Best Friend’s Heart
Her Christmastime Family
His Small Town Dream
Meet Me at the Altar
Always the One
Trusting Her Heart
His Honor, Her Family
The Lawman’s Secret Vow
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
To all our wonderful Harlequin Heartwarming readers who look forward to pumpkin spice season every year!
Contents
PROLOGUE
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
EPILOGUE
EXCERPT FROM THE NAVY DAD’S RETURN BY JULIANNA MORRIS
PROLOGUE
“C’MON, IVY, we’re going to be late.”
Juliette Bishop glanced over her shoulder at her little sister, lagging behind as usual. Staring at that dog, most likely. The day had started out rough when Ivy wouldn’t listen to Juliette’s suggestion that she dress warmly to venture to Gold Dust Park. Just another ordeal when it came to caring for her sister. Not that Juliette minded, she understood why both of her parents worked hard. But some days, Juliette wanted to be a normal fifteen-year-old and hang out with her friends, tossing responsibility to the wayside for a few hours. Then she’d glimpse Ivy’s adorable face and feel guilty.
Today was no exception. They’d come to the park for the Veterans Day parade and to listen to Mayor Danielson’s speech. At least that’s what Juliette told her mom. Really, she was to meet up with a boy from math class. She’d been excited, dressing up in her favorite outfit and making sure her makeup was perfect. Only, once they arrived, Brian Barnes never showed. She’d been disappointed and a little humiliated. But she’d stayed so Ivy could take her time on the play set, perched on the outside swing on the right side of the playground. Always the same seat. Juliette had become accustomed to her sister’s methodical choices. Having been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, Ivy tended to be pretty regimented in her ways.
But the parade of veterans who lived in Golden had ended, the mayor had spoken, and Juliette wanted to go home and hide in her bedroom. Under the covers, preferably. Ivy, it seemed, had other plans.
Juliette stopped and turned to discover her sister standing in the same spot she’d left her. With a huff, she stomped over to take Ivy’s hand. The crowd had thinned, but the mayor and his wife were still greeting the townsfolk, the stroller with their toddler daughter inside just a few feet away. The toddler tried to get her parents’ attention, but they were too busy schmoozing to notice. As Juliette passed, the mayor waved. She distractedly waved back, more intent on finding out what had caught her sister’s attention.
“Ivy, what’s going on?”
Ivy pointed across the open space. “There’s the dog. I’ve seen him here three times now.”
Juliette squinted her eyes. Sure enough, a scraggly looking mutt, probably a stray, sat at the rim of the park, staring back at them.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s someone to take care of him.”
“Three times,” ten-year-old Ivy repeated. “He needs us.”
“We need to get home,” Juliette reminded her.
“It’ll just take a minute.”
Now that Ivy’s attention was on the dog, nothing else would sway her sister otherwise. Sure enough, Ivy ran in the direction of the mutt. He barked and suddenly made a dash for the park exit.
“Wait,” Ivy called, taking up the chase.
“Great,” Juliette muttered, following closely.
The dog zipped out of the park onto the crowded sidewalk along Main and crossed to the other side of the street. Juliette nearly crashed into her sister when they lost track of the animal.
“Where did it go?” Ivy asked, becoming agitated.
“Maybe he went home too?”
“But why? I saw him three times.”
“Maybe all these people spooked him. If we start walking, we may find him.”
This seemed to satisfy Ivy, so Juliette walked in the direction of their house. They weaved through folks making their way to their cars or stopping to browse in shop windows after the festivities. If Juliette could just keep her sister’s attention from the dog, they might get home without any other detours.
As Ivy dragged her feet, Juliette took her sister’s hand, hoping to steer her through the groups of people still chatting about the day’s celebration. The sidewalk in this area of town had a slight downward slope, tricky to navigate if you were in a hurry. Mayor Danielson and his family had joined the crowd, holding court as he and his wife discussed a town issue, the stroller left unattended again. As people passed by, they bumped the stroller and it moved farther from the parents.
Ivy caught sight of the toddler and started in that direction, but at the same time, the dog appeared across the street.
“Look,” her sister said, releasing Juliette’s grasp, stepping to the curb as if to run across the traffic.
“Ivy!” Juliette grabbed her sister’s arm before she ran into the road.
“Three times,” Ivy repeated. “He needs us.”
With a sigh, she debated what to do. When her sister’s face flushed, Juliette sensed an outburst coming and said with a soothing tone, “He’ll be fine.”
Ivy’s face grew redder. “He won’t.”
“What do you want me to do? We can’t cross the busy street.”
“Please?”
The cajoling tone from Ivy always did Juliette in.
From his post across the street, the dog watched, giving Ivy more reason to go after it. She made a motion to dart out again. Juliette was faster, reaching the curb to stop her. Ivy tugged to get away and Juliette lost her balance, staggering into the street. At the same time, the stroller rolled in their direction, jumping off the curb and smashing into Juliette. She reached out to stop the stroller’s movement—afraid it would run over her toe or bang into her shin—coming eye to eye with the panicked toddler.
As all of this was happening, a cry sounded from the crowd. People started pointing and suddenly the mayor was in the street, waving his arms in a panic to halt traffic. Once the cars screeched to a halt, he grabbed the stro
Juliette, afraid of losing sight of her sister in the throng, pulled away to reach Ivy’s side. Now Ivy watched her with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Let’s just go home.”
“But you saved the little girl.”
Actually, she hadn’t. They’d just crossed paths at the same time.
They took two steps to continue the trek when the mayor stopped them. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
Oh, no. Does he think I pushed the stroller into traffic?
Waiting to be disciplined, Juliette watched color make its way into the mayor’s ashen face while her stomach plummeted.
“I didn’t—”
“Juliette, you went after her.”
She blinked. Was he talking about the dog?
“You saved her.”
Confused, she glanced at her sister, who nodded her head.
“If it hadn’t been for you, the stroller would have rolled farther into the street. Who knows if the traffic would have stopped in time. We could have lost our daughter.”
“But I lost balance and—”
“You saved Ellie.”
In his relief, the mayor didn’t hear the start of her explanation. He unstrapped his daughter from the stroller and pulled her into his arms.
By then the mayor’s frantic wife had joined them. “What happened?”
“Juliette saved Ellie.”
“No, I was—”
“Oh, Juliette, how can we ever thank you?” Mrs. Danielson hugged her, enveloping Juliette in her heavy perfume. Juliette wrinkled her nose and tried to explain again, but the woman wouldn’t let go.
By this time others had gathered around them, murmurs advancing through the crowd. Juliette had saved the mayor’s daughter. How noble of her. She should receive a prize.
Juliette blinked. Why wasn’t anyone listening to her? She’d been after the dog, not stopping the stroller.
Mr. Danielson handed a whimpering Ellie to his wife and took Juliette by the shoulders, bending at the waist to meet her gaze head-on. “You’re a hero.”
“No, I was only—”
“Doing your civic duty.”
Ivy came up beside her, slipping her trembling hand into Juliette’s, refusing to make eye contact. Juliette needed to get her sister out of the crowd. Too much social interaction with this many people would overstimulate her.
“I need to get Ivy home.”
The mayor noticed Ivy and nodded. “Of course. We’ll talk later.”
Juliette tugged her sister down the sidewalk, away from the people who had eyes on her. Later, she’d tell the mayor it was a fluke. That she fell into the street the same time as the stroller. No heroics, only timing. Once she explained, it would get straightened out.
Ivy pulled to a stop and stared across Main Street. Juliette followed her gaze.
The dog, still seated in the same spot, cocked his head and met Juliette’s eyes, then trotted away.
CHAPTER ONE
Fifteen years later
“C’MON, C’MON, C’MON,” Juliette muttered under her breath as she circled the courthouse parking lot for the third time.
This morning, of all days, she hadn’t been able to find her keys. After searching for ten minutes, she’d realized they’d probably been moved when her sister visited the cottage yesterday afternoon. Once a week, Ivy arrived after work to have dinner with Juliette and then “tidy up.” It had started as a way to introduce Ivy to healthier foods. Her sister was a very picky eater and hated to have her diet changed. For some reason, she’d only eat food suggested by Juliette. So she’d made a deal with her parents to entertain Ivy, to get her to try at least one new item, and then let her clean up, a routine that brought Ivy pleasure.
It also meant that Ivy put things in places that made sense to her, but not Juliette.
“I am so going to be late.”
Trying not to let mounting frustration overwhelm her, she called her sister, popping a minty antacid while she listened to Ivy recite the entire list of things she’d put away, repeating each location before announcing where the keys were. Last, of course. Juliette rushed to the apple bowl on the kitchen counter and sure enough, the bright green four-leaf clover key ring that Ivy had made for her was inside. So far this morning, luck had not been on her side.
“And before you go, Mom said we could get a dog. I want a puppy who snuggles with me. Will you help me pick him out?”
Every few years, Ivy went on a puppy kick. They would go look, but Ivy couldn’t make up her mind and then overwhelmed and frustrated, they’d leave empty-handed. “Sure, we can look at the rescue shelter website so you can scroll through pictures and we’ll read the backstories.”
“Thanks. I picked out a name. Bruno. What do you think?”
“It’s very nice. Honey, I need to run but we’ll talk later.”
“Bye.”
Juliette finally ended the call and rushed out to her silver sedan, only to get stuck behind a school bus stopping to pick up students the entire way to her destination.
Cloud cover obscured the Friday morning sunlight. Chilly October weather had arrived. To ward off the nip in the air, she’d thrown a multicolored, crocheted sweater over her conservative green dress, paired with tan booties, just before leaving her cottage. She generally enjoyed this time of year, with the leaves changing color and the crisp temperatures that made hiking in the forest a delight. Usually she took time to appreciate the natural panorama of this Georgia mountain community, but this morning her mind was focused elsewhere.
Juliette was going to be late and Judge Murphy was not going to be happy. The stern woman was already miffed at Juliette for showing up in her courtroom for the second time in six months.
To say she had a reputation in Golden was an understatement. It wasn’t Juliette’s fault, really. If the town council hadn’t proposed a cut in funding for the city’s special needs program, she wouldn’t have had to block the meeting room door in town hall. Yes, attaching a rope through the handles and wrapping the remainder around her waist to prevent the council from entering made a statement, informing each and every member just what was at stake. But her actions also ticked people off. Although Police Chief Davis agreed with her and hadn’t liked the cut to funds, he had a job to do: remove her. Using hedge clippers to cut the thick rope, the chief then slapped on cuffs when she resisted arrest. In the end, she stood by her decision. The cause was too important, too near and dear to her heart, to not make waves.
So maybe she’d crossed a line. Maybe she shouldn’t have used those exact measures to get her point across. Drastic measures had been needed and once again she was in the spotlight.
If she didn’t speak out for those who had no voice or weren’t listened to, who would?
That was the problem with living in Golden. People knew her. Or at least they thought they did. She strived to live up to their expectations but would never attain that goal.
“Are they having a sale on building permits toady?” she wondered out loud. Why had everyone picked today to go to the courthouse?
The Federal style, redbrick courthouse, was built in 1840 after the population of Golden had grown significantly. It featured white doors and trim around the windows, black shutters, and a portico over the main entrance. Located two blocks east off Main Street, it served a dual purpose. Courtrooms and judge’s chambers were located on the first floor, the town business offices on the second.
As she moved slowly through the parking lot, Judge Harrison waved. She tried not to cringe. The retired judge had always been a champion in her corner, which was sweet, but unnecessary. She could take care of herself.
And you’re doing a bang-up job.
Hush, she censored herself.
Except for the years she went away to college and then grad school, Juliette had spent her entire life in Golden. Why, when she had the chance to escape completely she hadn’t done so, still amazed her. But as it had always been, she’d missed Ivy and her parents and couldn’t imagine living elsewhere.
