Bridesmaid For Hire

She’s a professional bridesmaid…

Who’s suddenly reunited with her ex!

Gina Bongino was almost a bride—but she said no. Now she works as a professional bridesmaid, providing brides with whatever they need on their big day as discreetly as possible. Shane Callaghan, however, is anything but discreet. After ten years, he’s now raising his niece and making wedding cakes…for the exact same wedding Gina is working!

USA TODAY bestselling and RITA® Award–winning author MARIE FERRARELLA has written more than two hundred and fifty books for Mills & Boon, some under the name Marie Nicole. Her romances are beloved by fans worldwide. Visit her website, marieferrarella.com

Also by Marie Ferrarella

Dr. Forget-Me-NotTwice a Hero, Always Her ManMeant to Be MineA Second Chance for the Single DadChristmastime Courtship Engagementfor TwoAdding Up to Family

The Cowboy’s Lesson in LoveThe Lawman’s Romance Lesson

Texan Seeks Fortune

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Bridesmaid for Hire

Marie Ferrarella

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09166-4

BRIDESMAID FOR HIRE

© 2019 Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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To

Ellie Melgar,

Not Even Four Years Old Yet

And Already

An Endless Source Of

Inspiration

To Me.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Prologue

“You understand that I normally don’t like to interfere in my children’s lives,” Anna Bongino stated emphatically.

Animated, the silver-haired, well-dressed woman was perched on the edge of her chair in Maizie Sommers’s real estate office. Anna drew ever closer to the edge as she spoke.

Despite the declaration written in bold black letters on the outer door, the subject under discussion was definitely not about real estate.

“You’re a mother, Anna,” Maizie told the woman in the kind, understanding voice she often used when calming down nervous first-time buyers. “Interfering in our children’s lives is written in the bylaws. You’ll find it listed right after toilet training and staying up all night.”

Sitting back in her chair, Maizie smiled at her friend. She might have been in charge of a thriving real estate business that she’d started right after losing her husband, but the subject matter under discussion was just as near and dear to her heart. Maybe even more so. To her, matchmaking wasn’t just a hobby. Maizie felt it was her calling.

When approached for help, she and her lifelong best friends, Celia Parnell and Theresa Manetti, both successful small business owners in their own right, pooled their vast clientele and were able to hone in on just the right match. So far, they were batting a thousand.

Finding the perfect match had all begun innocently enough. They had decided to take matters into their own hands and find matches for their own children. That successful endeavor had slowly blossomed to the point that their services were sought out by desperate parents or relatives who wanted only the best for their loved ones. They wanted them to have a chance at the happiness that had, heretofore, been eluding them.

Which was why Anna Bongino was now sitting in her office, tripping over her own tongue and trying not to be overly embarrassed as she stated what had brought her here today.

“Gina is a bright, outgoing, beautiful girl,” Anna said almost insistently.

“I’ve seen her photograph,” Maizie replied, agreeing, at least for now, with the “beautiful” part of Anna’s assessment.

“But she’s turning thirty-two soon,” Anna practically wailed.

“That’s not exactly having one foot in the grave yet, Anna,” Maizie pointed out, doing her best to maintain a serious expression. This “advanced” age was clearly a sore point for Anna.

“Well, it might as well be,” Anna cried. She drew herself up. “Did I tell you what my unmarried daughter does for a living?”

“No, we haven’t gotten to that information yet,” Maizie replied.

“She’s a professional bridesmaid,” Anna all but cried. “Have you ever heard of such a thing? I certainly haven’t,” Anna declared distastefully, then sighed mightily. “You know that old saying, always a bridesmaid, never a bride?”

“I am familiar with it,” Maizie answered sympathetically.

“Well, Gina’s taken it to a new level. Professional bridesmaid,” she said with disdain. “She made the whole thing up.” It was obvious that Anna was not giving her daughter any points for creativity as she went on complaining. “It’s Gina’s job to make sure that the bride experiences her day without any drama. Gina makes sure to handle any and all emergencies on the ‘big’ day so that the bride and her bridesmaids don’t have to endure any of the hassle.”

“That’s rather a unique vocation,” Maizie commented. “What was Gina before she became this ‘professional bridesmaid?’” she asked, as calm as Anna was agitated. Maizie was trying to get to know her subject so that she and her friends could ultimately find the young woman’s match.

It seemed clear that she had brought up a sore point. Anna’s face fell as she responded, “Gina was an accountant with a Fortune 500 company. She was going places, Maizie. But she said it wasn’t ‘fulfilling enough’ for her. So she gave all that up to help brides have a wonderful day—as if becoming a bride wasn’t wonderful enough.”

“Is that why she gave up accounting?” Maizie asked, trying to get as complete and rounded a picture of the young woman as possible. “Because it wasn’t fulfilling enough for her?”

Anna huffed. “That’s what she said. It also wasn’t ‘hands on’ enough for her. Gina had been a bridesmaid so many times—six,” Anna emphasized almost grudgingly, “that she felt she could take this so-called ‘knowledge’ and parlay it into this ‘creative’ vocation.” Anna shook her head in complete despair.

“Now she’s so busy getting other people married off that she doesn’t have any time to look around for a suitable man herself.” Almost completely off her seat by now, Anna leaned forward over Maizie’s desk, her hand reaching for Maizie’s. “I need help, Maizie. I need you to throw a sack over my daughter’s head and whisk her away to some wonderful hideaway where she can meet the man of her dreams—or barring that, anything close to it,” Anna stressed.

The image amused Maizie. “And what’s ‘he’ like, or don’t you know?”

“Oh, I know. Or I thought I did. Gina was going out with Shane Callaghan about ten years ago. It looked as if that match was getting serious. I had such high hopes for it. And then, just like that, it stopped being serious.” It pained Anna to talk about it, even after ten years. “They broke up.”

“Why?”

Anna frowned, frustrated. “Damned if I know. Gina wouldn’t talk about it. I suspect that she got cold feet, but because I couldn’t get her to talk about it, I don’t know if I’m right or not.”

“Shane Callaghan,” Maizie repeated. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but for the life of her, Maizie didn’t know why or where she had heard it before. “Do you know where this Shane Callaghan is now?”

Anna shook her heard. “I haven’t a clue. If I did, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be going right up to him and doing everything I could to bring him and Gina together. According to Gina, he vanished right after college graduation.”

Maizie smiled, knowing how frustrating it could be, sitting on the sidelines. That was obviously not Anna Bongino’s style. “There are laws against kidnapping in this state.”

Anna shrugged. “It would be worth it if it meant that Gina finally had the right man in her life.”

“And you think that this Shane Callaghan is the right one?” Maizie questioned.

“Oh absolutely. I’d bet my soul on it,” she declared with conviction. “So, will you help, Maizie?” Anna asked eagerly, searching Maizie’s face. “Will you help my daughter find the right man and get married?”

“I can certainly try,” Maizie promised the attractive woman, shaking her hand.

“‘Try’?” Anna asked, a touch of disappointment in her voice.

“Only God gives guarantees, but if it helps, our track record is a hundred percent so far,” Maizie assured her friend.

Anna received the news and beamed. “It helps a great deal.”

Chapter One

Eight-year-old Adelyn Loren nodded her approval as she watched, mesmerized, as her aunt adjusted a light blue, floor-length bridesmaid dress. There was a touch of wonder in the little girl’s soft brown eyes.

“Aunt Gina?” the little girl, known to her family as Addie, asked hesitantly.

The dark-haired little girl jumped off the bed. She had followed Gina into the room when her aunt had asked her if she wanted to see what the dress looked like on her. A fashion buff, even at the tender age of eight, the girl came in eagerly.

She finally had the dress right, Gina thought, looking herself over in her sister’s full-length mirror. “What, baby?” Gina asked absently.

Encouraged, Addie’s voice sounded a little more confident as she asked, “How many times do you have to do it?”

Gina turned away from the mirror. The dress her latest client had initially picked out had been dowdy and downright awful. With a little bit of subtle hinting, Gina had managed to convince the young woman that being backed up by an attractive-looking bridal party would only serve to highlight her own gown on her big day. That succeeded in making everyone happy.

Satisfied, Gina gave her niece her full attention. The little girl had a very serious expression on her face. “How many times do I have to do what, sweetie?” Gina asked.

“How many times do you have to be a bridesmaid before you get to be the bride?” Addie asked.

Gina laughed softly. She knew where this was coming from. “You’ve been talking to your grandmother, haven’t you?”

Addie shook her head vigorously, sending her long, coal black hair bouncing from side to side.

“Uh-uh. Mama said you’ve been in a lot of weddings and that you were always a bridesmaid so I was just wondering when you get to stop being a bridesmaid and get to be a bride.”

Judging by her expression, Gina could tell that it seemed like a logical progression of events to Addie.

Wiggling out of the bridesmaid dress, she draped it on the side of the bed as she threw on an old T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Dressed, Gina sat down on the bed and put her arm around her niece, pulling the little girl to her.

“That’s not quite the way it works, sweetie,” Gina said, managing not to laugh.

“You mean you’re always going to be a bridesmaid?” Addie asked, her eyes opening so wide that she resembled one of her favorite stuffed animals. “Doesn’t that make you sad?”

“No,” Gina assured the little girl, rather touched that the girl was concerned about her. She hugged Addie closer. “It makes me happy.”

The small, animated face scrunched up in confusion. “How come?”

She did her best to put it in terms that Addie could understand. “Being a bridesmaid is my job.”

But it was obvious that this just confused Addie even more. “Being a bridesmaid is a job?”

“It is for me,” Gina answered cheerfully. “The truth of it is, baby, for some people weddings can be very confusing and stressful.”

Addie’s smooth forehead was still wrinkled in consternation. “What’s stressful?”

Gina thought for a moment. She didn’t want to frighten the girl, but she did want to get the image across. “You know how when you play your video game and if you’re not fast enough, suddenly the words game over can come on your screen and your tummy feels all knotted up and disappointed?”

“Uh-huh.” Addie solemnly nodded her head.

“Well, that’s what stressful is,” Gina told her. “Organizing a wedding can be like that.”

Addie looked at her uncertainly, doing her best to understand. “Weddings are like video games?”

A warm feeling came over Gina’s heart and she grinned. “Sometimes. Your mom almost called off the wedding when she was marrying your dad. Everything suddenly felt as if it was just too much for her.”

That had been the first time she had found herself coming to a bride’s rescue. In that case it had been her older sister, Tiffany, who needed help. And that had been the beginning of an idea for a career.

“Really?” Addie asked in wonder.

“Really.” Gina didn’t emphasize how much of an emotional mess her normally level-headed older sister had been a few days before the wedding. “I saw what your mom was going through so I took over and helped her out. It was just a matter of untangling the order to the florist and maybe threatening the caterer,” she added as more facts came back to her.

That really caught the little girl’s attention. “Did you say you’d beat him up?” Addie asked in an impressed, hushed tone.

Gina laughed. “Worse. I threatened him with bad publicity.”

Addie looked up at her in confusion. “What’s bad pub-lis-ity?” she asked.

“Something everyone lives in fear of,” Gina answered with a smile. “Anyway,” she continued matter-of-factly, “I realized that I was pretty good at organizing things and that I could help brides like your mom really enjoy their day and not get caught up in the hassle.” She decided that Addie didn’t need to know anything beyond that. “And that’s how your aunt Gina got the idea to became a professional bridesmaid.”

“Can I become a professional bridesmaid?” Addie asked eagerly. It was obvious that her aunt’s story had completely won her over.

“You have to get to be a little taller first,” Gina told her, kissing the top of the girl’s head. “But I don’t see why you can’t be one when you’re grown up if you want to.”

“Will you show me what to do once I get tall enough?” Addie asked seriously.

Gina inclined her head as if she was bowing to the little girl. “I’d be honored.”

“Just what is it that you’re going to show my daughter how to do once she gets tall enough?” Tiffany Loren asked as she came into the guest bedroom.

Addie swung around on the bed and looked up at her mother. “Aunt Gina’s going to show me how to become a professional bridesmaid,” she declared gleefully.

Tiffany looked more than a little dismayed. “Just what kind of ideas are you putting into my little girl’s head?” she asked.

“I had nothing to do with it,” Gina said, disavowing her culpability in the matter. “This was all Addie’s idea.”

“An idea she got from watching you come over here, parading around in all those bridesmaid dresses,” Tiffany said pointedly.

“She could do worse,” Gina answered defensively. “I get paid for making people happy and they get to enjoy their big day. Plus I get to eat cake on top of that. Not a bad gig if you ask me.”

Tiffany looked at her daughter. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted the little girl to hear. “Addie, why don’t you go find your cousins? I want to talk to your aunt Gina for a minute.”

Addie leaned in and told her aunt in a stage whisper, “Don’t let her get you stressed, Aunt Gina.”

Tiffany looked after her departing daughter, dumbfounded. “Where did that come from?” she asked her younger sister.

“I’d say she was just extrapolating on what I told her I did as a professional bridesmaid.” Tiffany looked at her quizzically. “I told her that I made sure the bride didn’t get stressed. I also might have told her that you were stressed on your wedding day—you were, you know,” Gina reminded her sister before Tiffany could deny the fact or get annoyed with her.

Gina grinned as she thought about her niece. “I can’t wait to hear how this is going to play itself out by the time Addie gets to tell her father about it.” She flashed Tiffany a sympathetic smile.

“Terrific.” Tiffany looked momentarily worried. “You know how Eddie jumps to conclusions.”

“But you know how to get him to jump back and that’s all that counts,” Gina reminded her older sister. Her brother-in-law had a short fuse, but his outbursts never lasted too long.

Tiffany smiled to herself. “That I do. Can’t wait until you get married so that I can pass along that wisdom and knowledge to you, little sister.”

“About that, I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you,” Gina advised. She saw the doubtful expression on Tiffany’s face. “I’m perfectly happy with my life just the way it is.”

Tiffany looked at her skeptically. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“That, dear Tiffany, is your prerogative. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare to hold a bride’s hand and get her through what she’ll remember as ‘the happiest day of her life,’ otherwise known as tomorrow.”

“Do you have any more weddings lined up after that?” Tiffany asked her innocently.

“Not yet,” Gina replied honestly. “But I will,” she added with the confidence that she had managed to build up with this new career of hers.

Tiffany began to ease herself out of the bedroom. “By the way,” she added, nodding at the dress on the bed, “you performed a miracle with that bridesmaid dress.” She had seen the dress before its transformation. It had been absolutely ugly in her opinion.

“I know.” There was no conceit in Gina’s answer. There was just sheer pleasure in the knowledge that she was good at her chosen vocation.

Tiffany left the room, walking quickly. She waited until there was a room between her sister and her before she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Making sure that she was alone, she pressed auto-dial 8.

The line on the other end was picked up almost immediately.

“Mom?” Tiffany asked just to be sure she’d gotten the right person. When her mother answered in the affirmative, Tiffany declared, “All systems are ‘go.’ Gina’s got nothing scheduled after she’s done with this wedding.”

“Perfect.” The line went instantly dead.

Anna Bongino wasn’t about to lose any time in calling her friend with the news.

“Gina has nothing immediately scheduled,” Anna breathlessly told Maizie the moment the other woman answered her phone. “Whatever you’re going to do, now would be the right time.”

“I’ll get back to you on this as soon as I can,” Maizie promised.

Maizie had already gathered her best friends and comrades-in-arms together to tell them about Anna’s daughter and her dissatisfaction that Gina was a perpetual professional bridesmaid. Intrigued, Celia Parnell and Theresa Manetti had gotten to work on the so-called “problem.”

Maizie wasn’t surprised that they already had a plan ready to go when she called Theresa with the news. A widow like Maizie and Celia, Theresa had built up a thriving catering service and she had found the perfect solution using that service.

“As luck would have it, the young bride whose reception I’m catering in three weeks is about to have a nervous breakdown,” Theresa announced, sounding far happier than the news should have warranted.

“Why?” Maizie asked.

“It seems that her photographer somehow accidentally double-booked two ceremonies at the same time, one of them being my bride’s. In addition, her cousin dropped out of the wedding at the last minute because her cousin’s boyfriend of five years just broke up with her,” Theresa explained.

“And we have just the young woman who can handle that for her and smooth out all the bumps,” Maizie replied happily.

“Yes, we do,” Theresa agreed.

“I admit that this does give us a reason to call Gina so she feels that her particular ‘talents’ are being utilized, but as far as I know, we still don’t have any suitable candidates to play the potential groom to her potential bride-to-be—or do we?” Maizie asked when Theresa didn’t immediately respond to her question.

“Hold on to your hat, Maizie. This is about to get even better,” Theresa promised.

“All right, consider my hat held. How does this get even better?” Maizie asked.

She could almost hear Theresa smiling from ear to ear as she asked, “You know that young man Anna felt was so perfect for her daughter?”