The Reluctant Fiancée (The Taylor Triplets Book 3) Read online

  She’s finally getting married—

  Or not?

  When Brynne Taylor breaks off her engagement to Paul Capriati, she knows her life is going to change. But when two women who claim to be triplets to her show up in her small Utah town, it’s a lot more change than she ever expected. Now she’s digging up long-buried family secrets and navigating her relationship with her ex-fiancé. Does she actually want to get married? And what’s this introverted only child going to do with two brand-new sisters?

  USA TODAY Bestselling Author Lynne Marshall

  “I can’t marry you now. Consider the engagement over,” she said, then rushed through the door.

  Stunned, it took a moment or two for her words to sink in. The engagement was over? His plan had completely backfired. He lunged toward the door, but a big youthful waiter grabbed his arm.

  “You haven’t paid, sir,” he said, voice deep to match his size and the strength of his grip.

  Paul dug in his pockets to find his wallet, grabbed a wad of cash and pushed it at him, then sprinted for the door. “Brynne!” he yelled as he took two steps down at a time, and she backed out of her parking spot. “Brynne!” he called again as he ran toward the car that pushed on the gas and nearly fishtailed out of the driveway.

  * * *

  THE TAYLOR TRIPLETS:

  Once lost, now found!

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever wondered why some people are reluctant to tie the knot? Usually it’s the guy putting on the brakes, but in The Reluctant Fiancée it’s Brynne Taylor, the bride-to-be. She’s a woman with a lot on her plate since becoming engaged. Just when her fiancé, Paul Capriati, decides to do something drastic to get his stalled-out wedding plans back on track, the unimaginable happens.

  When I proposed the Taylor sisters to my editor, I had twins in mind...until there was room for one more. That set my brain on fire with ideas. So picture a certain bride-to-be having enough trouble dealing with her future husband, who is beginning to worry he’ll never be a husband at all, and add to that hot mess not one, but two identical sisters. Sisters who suddenly show up wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery of why they’d been separated at birth. Then I ask, do you hear wedding bells in Brynne’s future?

  Hopefully you’ll read The Reluctant Fiancée and see how it all works out.

  Happy reading,

  Lynne

  The Reluctant Fiancée

  Lynne Marshall

  Lynne Marshall used to worry she had a serious problem with daydreaming, and then she discovered she was supposed to write those stories down! A late bloomer, she came to fiction writing after her children were nearly grown. Now she battles the empty nest by writing romantic stories about life, love and happy endings. She’s a proud mother and grandmother who loves babies, dogs, books, music and traveling.

  Books by Lynne Marshall

  Harlequin Special Edition

  The Taylor Triplets

  Cooking Up Romance

  Date of a Lifetime

  The Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach

  Forever a Father

  Soldier, Handyman, Family Man

  Reunited with the Sheriff

  Her Perfect Proposal

  A Doctor for Keeps

  The Medic’s Homecoming

  Courting His Favorite Nurse

  Harlequin Medical Romance

  Summer Brides

  Wedding Date with the Army Doc

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  To surrogate mothers who help others fulfill their dream of having a family.

  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

  Excerpt from The Nanny’s Family Wish by Helen Lacey

  Chapter One

  Brynne Taylor sat across from her fiancé, Paul Capriati, on a late-afternoon Saturday date at the Rusty Nail. The restaurant was located out of town, off the highway, nestled against the copper-colored hills accentuated by the amber hues of early September and the pine green of cedars. The golden-colored knotty pine–paneled walls were decorated with buffalo, mountain goat and assorted deer heads, and there wasn’t a single cozy booth to relax in, yet Brynne and Paul continued to go back time and again. It wasn’t the most romantic place in the world, or convenient, but it was where they could depend on a good steak and a decent grilled salmon meal.

  This part of Utah wasn’t a sophisticated hub, its ancestors being rugged ironworkers who built log cabins and learned to survive tough winters. But being the entryway to the state’s great national parks, the scenery was nothing short of gorgeous and the air pristine. And Cedars in the City, population thirty thousand, prided itself on being a festival city, Shakespeare being their number-one event. It began in June and continued through September at the local university, where Paul worked. A festival of plays and a championship rodeo helped round out the continual tourist appeal.

  “How’s the steak?” Brynne asked, sensing something more than food was on Paul’s mind.

  “As always. Good.” Yet he put his fork down, and stared kindly at her with his large hazel-brown eyes.

  “What?”

  One side of his mouth lifted, creating a look about her passionate professor of history she’d come to adore over the past two years. “It’s been six months.”

  Ah, but this topic, she did not adore. “Since my mother died,” she finished his sentence. Mom was the only relative she’d ever known, having never been told about or met her maternal grandparents. A father had never been discussed beyond where she’d gotten her copper hair, even when Brynne had asked straight out. She likewise put down her fork, knowing the topic of conversation would soon change and would require her undivided attention. Because she also knew what he wanted.

  Paul surprised her, reaching across the table for her hand, squeezing. “You look beautiful today.”

  He always liked when, instead of her usual single braid down the back, she wore her hair up in a twist, allowing him the pleasure of undoing it later, when they made love. Though today he’d have to wait until much later, due to a reading at the bookstore.

  She smiled coyly. “Thank you. And...?” Knowing without a doubt what he’d bring up next.

  “And I want to marry you. You know that.”

  “We are engaged.” For a year and a half! She lifted her left hand to show the beautifully set diamond, the ring that waited for its mate.

  “But not married.” He let go of her hand. “Look, I know it’s been hard for you, losing your mom. I understood why we needed to cancel the wedding. But glance outside. Fall is practically here, and who wants a winter wedding in Utah?”

  Spring had been their first choice, and the plans had been put into action last January for mid-March, but then her mother contracted a virulent, fluke virus that wound up killing her within two weeks. Shocked and devastated, they’d canceled the wedding. She’d had to quit the job she loved at the hospital and dive into helping Rory, her mother’s business partner and closest companion, run the bookstore. From as far back as she remembered she’d wanted to b
e a nurse. Never a businesswoman. But since Mom died, that obligation had to come first.

  Brynne had been flailing on all levels since. Especially where Paul was concerned. Of course she loved him, but he had expectations about marriage and family that sometimes sent shivers through her. If she said I do, she’d be obligated to give him the family he’d always wanted. One big like his, not like the old saying she preferred, “and baby makes three.” They’d supposedly worked out their differences before their originally scheduled wedding, but since her mother died, for the life of her, Brynne couldn’t remember how or why she’d agreed to his wishes. Her foot pressed against the wood planked floor as though it was a car brake.

  “We could wait for next spring?” She’d try the hopeful route, one that bought her more time. His long Roman nose twitched, a sure sign he didn’t like her answer.

  “I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  “You can move in with me?” How many times would they have this conversation?

  “We already discussed this. Sleeping over was one thing, but moving in wouldn’t be at either your house or mine, but ours. A new place. A place we’d make our home. Together.”

  She shook her head, her stomach beginning a familiar pinch whenever this conversation got rehashed. “I don’t have time to house hunt now. It’s taking every single minute to figure out the bookstore business.”

  “Rory knows how things work, doesn’t she?” His expressive eyes revealed he didn’t understand. Would he ever?

  “You know how Mom was—a total control freak, and private as all get-out.”

  So private that sometimes it almost felt like her mother was running from something, and hiding, as though looking over her shoulder. She picked at her paper napkin with the Rusty Nail restaurant logo on it. “You’d think Rory would know the biz inside and out, but... Not to mention the fact she took Mom’s death worse than me. You know how tight they were. She’s been depressed and forgetful, and so, so sad, since. I think she’s completely forgotten how to smile.”

  “But she’d worked there for, what twenty years?”

  “It’s not the same, and that leaves me grappling to keep things going. For Rory’s sake, and all of Mom’s hard work.”

  “You sure you’re not just being nitpicky, like your mother was?”

  “You think this is a case of fruit not falling far from the tree, huh?”

  “You do have your control tendencies.”

  It irritated her when he was right, and she couldn’t deny her being extra hard on Rory had something to do with wanting to run the bookstore by the book, like a nurse would, when Rory had a more laid-back style, as in completely unorganized. “You think so? Why?”

  “Because you’re your mother’s daughter, and you’re meant to be a nurse, delivering babies, not running a bookstore.”

  “Yes, well, I’m on my sixth month of leave of absence now. I think they may fill my position.”

  “They’d take you back in a heartbeat.” He sighed, clearly frustrated as he often was when talking about rescheduling their wedding. “And you are doing a fantastic job of keeping the only indie bookstore in the city open. Though I do wonder at what price.” There was never any doubt that he believed in her, just not in waiting until she felt ready to walk down the aisle.

  She’d been thrilled about their wedding plans, couldn’t wait to tie the knot, but then Mom died, and she couldn’t disconnect those sad thoughts from her wedding. It’s that her death is still too fresh in my mind. I’d be walking down that aisle thinking of her instead of you. And on our day, I only want you in my thoughts, she’d told him the day they’d canceled without rescheduling their wedding. The day she’d officially begun her sabbatical from nursing—and marriage.

  “I’ve taken on the bookstore in honor of my mother’s memory.” How many times did she have to say it before she’d believe this was what she was meant to do? Her appetite took a hike.

  “I understand. She deserves it.”

  “The city needs it.”

  “True, but I also know how close you two were. I can only imagine how much loss you feel.”

  Then why, on so many levels right down to her gut, did she question if she knew her mother at all? There were so many unanswered questions about her life before Brynne had been born. Questions that would never get answered because she didn’t have any relatives to ask. Though Mom and Rory were closer than close—a hunch Brynne had never had the nerve to verify—even Rory didn’t know the answers. She focused back in on Paul, who was watching her in all earnestness. She could practically read his mind.

  What about you? Don’t you deserve your own life? With me? She waited for Paul to repeat his usual comeback whenever this stalled out marriage topic came up. He was a great guy, and understanding, but how could she explain this to him? Now that she was an orphan, she just wasn’t ready. Not yet. The thought of starting a family without her mother’s support and backup, seemed overwhelming. After a beat, surprised that he hadn’t said his usual spiel, she pushed some steamed vegetables around her plate before peeking at him again.

  At first Brynne was distracted when he tilted his head and a wave of his thick brown hair fell over his forehead. Then, without a thought, he brushed it back. He really did take her breath away. He deserved some kind of response. “And you’re the most wonderful man I could ever hope for. I love you, Paul, but that bookstore is a mess.” It’s not just my responsibility to the bookstore that’s holding me back. It’s also partly you...and me...and all those babies you want. How could they discuss such a topic in a public restaurant?

  Had she said bookstore out loud? Oops, wrong strategy with a man who lived to solve problems. One who’d thought they’d already worked out the first part about babies before they’d scheduled their wedding.

  “You employ young, bright minds from the university,” he continued, “who could probably step up and help you. You’re underutilizing them. Why not make Nate, the business major, a manager, put his passion for success to work in your favor?”

  “It all sounds lovely, but who has time to train anyone?”

  “Which is why I’m suggesting we elope.”

  What? “That came out of nowhere.”

  His hand was back squeezing hers. “We could go to Vegas, get hitched and be back in time for my Monday classes and your normal business hours.”

  “And face the wrath of your family?” His big fat Italian family who always found a reason to throw a party? She’d never hear the end of it if they eloped, and who wanted to get off on such a wrong foot with future in-laws?

  “Under the circumstances, they’d understand.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “They wouldn’t.” She stared at him, seeing disappointment in the slant of his mouth. Would he give up on her if she kept coming up with excuses to postpone their wedding? “Just give me a little more time, please. I can’t leave town right now—there’s too much going on with the store.” I’m still grieving. This time she squeezed his hand. “A winter wedding could be an adventure.” If she gave him a crumb, would he leave this topic for now?

  “What would change between now and then?” He sat back in his chair, their hands only connected by fingertips now. “What’s the real reason you don’t want to marry me?”

  Her neck stiffened, and her brows crashed down. “Do I need another reason than mourning my mother and trying to keep her lifelong business afloat?”

  “Neither of which have to do with me.”

  He knew her too well. Knew her private history, except for one part—who her father was. As soon as she found out, she’d fill him in; it was an unspoken promise. He knew how Jessica Taylor had raised Brynne alone and taught her never to be dependent on anyone. Especially men. That was a topic Mom had never wanted to discuss on a personal level, leaving much to Brynne’s imagination. Was it because of experience or preference? The question
she’d never have the chance to ask.

  Truth was, the thought of marrying Paul, a man who wasn’t afraid of emotions and who wanted a lot of kids, scared the daylights out of her. They’d floated the idea of children before their planned wedding, and she’d been willing to make a go of it. One baby at a time. Then her mother died, and the thought of handling a family without her mother’s backup along with Paul’s seemed overwhelming.

  Paul knew she had every intention of continuing to work at the hospital, how could she do it all? Not to mention how he was an extrovert and loved his big gregarious family, and she was a wallflower by nature and had always been used to a quiet life with just her mother and her. As an introvert, the thought of constantly having to be around people, his people, drained her to near empty. Since “her people” only consisted of her mother and Rory, she was ill-prepared to go big in every way. These issues had become clearer since her mother died. It seemed, since then, she’d lost all of her confidence.

  Could she handle a busy life with Paul?

  “I love you, Paul, I swear I do. You’re the most caring person I’ve ever met, and you’re sexy and attentive. I couldn’t ask for more.” Yet there was something else she couldn’t put her finger on. Brynne twisted the engagement ring around and around her finger. The fact she’d had zero experience with marriage of any kind was a major reason. Her mother had stayed single. She didn’t have a clue how marriages worked. Fear of the unknown, like a sick metastasis over not having what it took to make a relationship last, invaded Brynne’s mind. Failing at marriage would be too much to deal with. The fact she’d only had a handful of boyfriends before Paul, all short term and forgettable, kind of proved her lack of expertise.

  But he was different. So different. What if she hadn’t been floated to the emergency department two years ago on the night he’d come in with food poisoning? Talk about an unglamorous way to meet. Still, even sick as a dog he was such a gentleman and he’d captured her interest. “I just don’t think it would be wise to jump into marriage right now.” Her being in deep mourning, frazzled over the bookstore, and missing her old job, could start them off on the wrong foot, and would they ever recover?