Intercepting Daisy (21 page)

Authors: Julie Brannagh

Grant had asked to choose the song she walked down the aisle to. “You'll love it,” he'd said.

“It's supposed to be some big, formal bridal thing.”

“We're getting married on the beach. I'm not wearing a tux. It's not going to be a big, formal thing.”

“Please tell me I'm not walking down the aisle to âAll About That Bass.' ”

“People wouldn't forget it, would they?”

She'd tried to find out what his plan was, but he was maddeningly silent. He even told the guitarist they'd hired for the ceremony music not to tell her.

He'd chosen “Here Comes the Sun,” the Beatles song she woke up to every morning. She'd been listening to it since she was a little girl. The words of the song fit them perfectly. For a couple who'd made their home in rainy Seattle, the return of the sun was always an event. They'd each lived a long, cold, lonely winter before meeting each other and falling in love. Even the warmth of the Hawaiian sunshine could never compare to the joy in her heart when she spotted Grant at the end of the aisle.

He wore a pale ivory long-sleeved linen shirt and linen pants and had an orchid pinned to his collar. His long, dark hair blew in the breeze. His smile was dazzling. He stepped forward and reached out his hand to her.

Her dad kissed her cheek and whispered, “Be happy, kitten. We love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” she said.

She felt her dad step away from her, but she didn't look back.

She took Grant's hand as the minister said, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to share in the happiness when two hearts are joined together in love. Please be seated.”

Grant turned to face her as she handed off her bouquet to Catherine so she could take both of his hands in hers. She looked up at him.

“You look so beautiful,” he whispered.

She felt overwhelmed. She clutched his hands and whispered, “You look beautiful too.”

“I can't wait to marry you,” he said.

“I can't wait to marry you, either.” She let out a sigh. “I'm such a dork. Maybe I'll be able to come up with something more original to say the next time we get married.”

The minister cleared his throat.

“ âI do' has worked well at every wedding I've performed so far, so let's start,” he teased Daisy. He turned the page of the small black book he held open.

“Daisy and Grant, you are about to enter into a relationship that will determine and shape the rest of your lives. None of us knows what lies ahead when we speak the promises in our wedding vows, but we step forward in faith, believing that our lives together will be full of happiness with our beloved. After today, you will belong to each other. You will be one according to the law and according to the love you share. You will start your life together with the self-sacrifice that comes from true love, the belief that you always want the best for each other. Your love will grow stronger and deeper as the years go by. If your actions are guided by unselfishness and love for each other, you can expect a happy, lasting marriage.” He paused for a moment. “No pressure.”

Daisy could hear Derrick Collins's deep voice from the back of the seated guests. “Amen, brother.”

Grant squeezed her hands in both of his. “I love you,” he whispered. “Have I told you how beautiful you are yet?”

“I love you too,” Daisy said.

“Do you, Grant Parker, take this woman, Daisy Spencer, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” Grant said.

“Do you, Daisy Spencer, take this man, Grant Parker, to be your lawfully weddedâ”

“I do,” she blurted out. “I do. I do.”

“Well, then,” the minister said through his laughter. “Let's try this again: your lawfully wedded husband.”

“Yes,” she said. “I do. For all of my life.”

Author's Note:

I
TOOK A
lot of liberties with my descriptions of what the life of a flight attendant is like. I hope the flight attendants (and other airline employees, past and present) who may read my book will forgive my artistic license, especially since you have a really tough job, and it wasn't my aim to add to this. I'm also pretty sure the nightmarish scenarios I dreamed up for poor Daisy pale in comparison to your stories. If you'd ever like to share them with me, I'd love to hear them! There's a contact form on my website, which is
http://www.juliebrannagh.com
.

Again, thank you for your hard work.

Go Sharks!

World of Love and Football:

Be sure to score a copy of every book in Julie Brannagh's
Love and Football series!

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All's fair in Love and Football . . .

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Every time Brandon calls her “Sugar,” Emily almost believes he's playing for keepsânot just to score. Can she let down her defenses and get her own happily ever after?

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It might be nice to find someone to share Forever with too, but right now she's working double overtime while she gets her flower shop off the ground. The last thing she needs or wants is a distraction . . . or help, for that matter. Especially in the form of gorgeous and aggravatingly arrogant ex-NFL star Matt Stephens.

Matt lives by a playbookâhis playbook. He never thought his toughest opponent would come in the form of a stunning florist with a stubborn streak to match his own. Since meeting her in the bar after her sister's wedding, he's known there's something between them. When she refuses, again and again, to go out with him, Matt will do anything to win her heart . . . But will Amy, who has everything to lose, let the clock run out on the one-yard line?

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But when Cameron comes face-to-face with the very man who shattered her heartâon camera, no lessâher world is upended for a second time by recklessly handsome Seattle Shark Zach Anderson.

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Drew McCoy should look familiar; he's a star player for her team's archrival, the Seattle Sharks. Which would basically make Drew and Kendall the Romeo and Juliet of professional football . . . well, without all the dying.

Not that it's an issue. They agree to pretend their encounter never happened. Nothing good can come of it anyway, right?

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HOLDING HOLLY
A Love and Football Novella

Holly Reynolds has a secret. Make that two. The first involves upholding her grandmother's hobby answering Dear Santa letters from dozens of local school children. The second . . . well, he just came strolling in the door.

For the last two years, Holly has not been able to stop thinking about gorgeous Seattle Shark Derrick Collins. His on-field exploits induce nightmares in quarterbacks across the NFL, but she knows he has a heart of gold.

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When he discovers her holiday letter writing, he is determined to play Santa too. And as the pair team up to bring joy to one little boy very much in need, they discover the most precious Christmas gift of all: love.

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Score a touchdown with Julie Brannagh's latest Love and Football novel about discovering who you are and finding love along the way.

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Star linebacker Seth Taylor had a bad dayâwell, a series of them recently. When he hits the Sharks' gym to work out his frustration, he's startled to find someone thereâand even more surprised that it's Jillian, the team owner's administrative assistant. When he learns of Jillian's mission to revamp her lifestyle, he finds himself volunteering to help. Something about Jillian's beautiful smile and quick wit makes him want to stick around. She may not be like the swimsuit models he usually has on his arm, but the more time Seth spends with Jillian the harder he falls.

And as Jillian discovers that the new her is about so much more than she sees in the mirror, can she discover that happiness and love are oh-so-much better than perfect?

GUARDING SOPHIE
A Love and Football Novella

Hearts beat and sparks fly when two people find shelter in each other.

Seattle Sharks wide receiver Kyle Carlson needs to escape and Noel, Washington is the perfect place for him to do it and figure out his next step. He likes the seclusion and predictability of the small town . . . until the biggest surprise of his life turns up in the local grocery store.

Sophie Hayes has her own reasons for disappearing without a trace and moving to Noel. This mountain town makes her feel safe for the first time in a long time. But her quiet routine is threatened when Kyle walks back into her life. Growing up in the same Florida town, she always had a little thing for the sexy football player. This tie to her old life, though, could mean she has to run again, even if her heart wants to stay.

When the reason she fled shows up in Noel, Kyle and Sophie, with a little extra help from his teammates, must decide to stay and fight for the life, and love, they've found together.

About the Author

JULIE BRANNAGH
has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a wonderful husband, two uncivilized Maine Coons, and a rambunctious chocolate Lab. When she's not writing, she's reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch.

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Also by Julie Brannagh

Guarding Sophie
(novella)

Chasing Jillian

Holding Holly
(novella)