his shoulder, effectively dislodging her hand. “Thanks. What’s next?”
“A few speeches. Cutting of the cake.” She pointed to the towering multi-colored confection on a side table. “Serving dessert. Clearing dishes and cleaning the kitchen while they start dancing.”
The maid of honor was going to dance with the best man. Great. But Seth didn’t have to watch. A quick glance at his boss revealed she was contemplating the same couple he was. That was weird. “Who is that?”
Hailey straightened and looked away. “Just the groom’s brother.”
Like he was eyeing the dude. “I meant the girl.”
“Oh.” Twin pink dots rose high on Hailey’s cheeks. “The groom’s cousin and best friend of the bride.”
Which made her the best man’s cousin, too. Seth had no right to feel the relief sliding down his spine.
“Marley works at the bistro, and so does Ava and one of the other bridesmaids. It’s why I needed to hire extras for tonight.”
Marley was the bride, which meant... “The maid of honor’s name is Ava?”
“Ava Santoro.” Her fingertips fluttered against his sleeve again. “Schmooze on your own time.”
Seth’s eyebrows shot up. “Like you’re doing?” Uh… he should have bit back those words. She was his boss for the evening.
Hailey snatched her hand away. “Looks like the far table is ready for clearing.”
“I’ll get their plates right now.” He didn’t even look to see who else was bussing that table. Probably not Hailey, since it was surrounded by folks middle-aged and up with nary a single guy in sight. Okay, maybe he wasn’t being fair to her. Maybe she was just a touchy-feely person, but all that attention made him uncomfortable. It made him feel he’d been hired mostly as a prop. Wasn’t that a laugh? Seth Donahue wasn’t the kind of guy who attracted women like Hailey North, thank the Lord.
And where that thought had once been a glib reminder of his churchy upbringing, these days, he meant it. He’d had his Prodigal Son moment, thankfully before his dad and stepmom’s accident, since he now had custody of his two half-sisters. What did a guy of twenty-eight who’d wasted most of a decade know about pre-teen girls? But at least he’d been able to step in before Beatrice and Peyton were sent into foster care. There was no one else. Just him.
Which made him super attractive to women. Not. Who wanted to date a guy with two kids who just might be young enough to be his offspring? The girls were with a sitter tonight, someone arranged by Hailey. She’d been fairly desperate to have him serve this event. He blocked his mind from that direction and got back to work.
An hour later, he was done with his cleanup assignments and stood in the kitchen doorway, watching as the wedding party danced. The best man and maid of honor swung closer, more gracefully than he’d have expected from someone as bumbling as she seemed to be.
Both of their gazes fastened on him in the same instant. The best man’s cool and calculating. The maid of honor’s desperate.
Seth took a step forward. Damsels in distress were his specialty. Then he stopped, because he was only waitstaff tonight, and she likely didn’t mean to signal for his attention the way it appeared.
And then Ava twirled elegantly out of the guy’s arms and straight into Seth’s like she did know what she was doing. “Dance with me? Please?”
“But…”
The best man glowered at him. But no, his gaze roved past Seth to Hailey, who pivoted away, her color heightened. Interesting. But that still left Seth with a raven-haired stunner who smelled of gardenias in his arms, looking up at him with pretty blue eyes.
Hailey’d never said he couldn’t dance — why would she have thought he’d be tempted? — and he was off the clock. Why not just go for it? One dance, a little extra bonus for his evening’s work?
He rested a palm on the woman’s waist, clasped her hand with his, and spun her back into the melee. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. I’m Seth Donahue, and you are…?”
Books by Valerie Comer
Urban Farm Fresh Romance Series
This series about a group of friends in the fictional neighborhood of Bridgeview in Spokane, Washington, explores what an urban community focused on local food might look like: raising goats, chickens, and bees in the heart of the city while sharing in food projects and engaging in each others’ lives. Oh, and definitely falling in love!
0. Promise of Peppermint
1. Secrets of Sunbeams (also in audio)
2. Butterflies on Breezes (also in audio)
3. Memories of Mist (also in audio)
4. Wishes on Wildflowers
5. Flavors of Forever
6. Raindrops on Radishes
7. Dancing at Daybreak
8. Glimpses of Gossamer
9. Lavished with Lavender
10. Cadence of Cranberries
11. Joys of Juniper
Save when buying Urban Farm Fresh Romance 1-3!
* * *
Cavanagh Cowboys Romance Series
Join the Cavanagh cowboys as they rope in romance in this Montana Ranches Christian romance series!
1. Marry Me for Real, Cowboy
2. Give Me Another Chance, Cowboy
* * *
Saddle Springs Romance Series
Meet the cowboys who ride the ranges, mend fences, and are lassoed by love on the ranches surrounding Saddle Springs, Montana, in this Montana Ranches collection.
1. The Cowboy’s Christmas Reunion
2. The Cowboy’s Mixed-Up Matchmaker
3. The Cowboy’s Romantic Dreamer
4. The Cowboy’s Convenient Marriage
5. The Cowboy’s Belated Discovery
6. The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride
Save when buying Saddle Springs Romance 1-3!
* * *
Garden Grown Romance Series
Welcome to Arcadia Valley in south-central Idaho, where a foodie culture and romance grow hand-in-hand.
1. Sown in Love
2. Sprouts of Love
3. Rooted in Love
4. Harvest of Love
Save on the Complete Collection!
* * *
Farm Fresh Romance Series
The series that started it all! This unique rural romance series follows the adventures, romantic and otherwise, of three college graduates and their friends who move onto a reclaimed farm where they plan to take the rural area by storm with their sustainable lifestyle and focus on local foods.
1. Raspberries and Vinegar (also in audio)
2. Wild Mint Tea (also in audio)
3. Sweetened with Honey (also in audio)
4. Dandelions for Dinner (also in audio)
5. Plum Upside Down (also in audio)
6. Berry on Top (also in audio)
Save when buying Farm Fresh Romance 1-3!
(also in audio)
* * *
Christmas in Montana Romance Series
Enjoy the rich heritage and innate charm of Helena, Montana, in this Christmas romance series celebrating all that winter and Christmas has to offer. A heart-warming series of love and second chances amid the glitz of beauty pageants. And, as always, local food.
1. More Than a Tiara
2. Other Than a Halo
3. Better Than a Crown
Save on the Complete Collection!
* * *
Riverbend Romance Novella Series
Riverbend, BC, is the quaint (fictional!) Canadian town you wish you were from, where everyone knows everyone, seasons are celebrated, and love is in the air. There's a novella for every season: winter, spring, summer, autumn, and Christmas.
1. Secretly Yours
2. Pinky Promise
3. Sweet Serenade
4. Team Bride
5. Merry Kisses
Save on the Complete Collection!
About Valerie Comer
Valerie Comer’s life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary Christian romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie grows much of her own food and is active in the local foods movement as well as her church. She only hopes her imaginary friends enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith into her green clean romances.
To find out more, visit her website at www.valeriecomer.com, where you can read her blog, explore her many links, and sign up for her email newsletter, where you will find news, giveaways, deals, book recommendations and more. You can also find Valerie blogging with other authors of Christian contemporary romance at Inspy Romance.