Kathleen Creighton - Eve’s Wedding Knight

The fourth book in the Sisters Waskowitz series, 1999

Dear Reader,

What is there to say about a month with a new Nora Roberts title except Hurry up and get to the store! Enchanted is a mysterious, romantic and utterly irresistible follow-up to THE DONOVAN LEGACY trilogy, which appeared several years ago and is currently being reissued. Its the kind of story only Nora can tell-and boy, will you be glad she did!

The rest of our month is pretty special, too, so pick up a few more books to keep you warm. Try The Admirals Bride, by Suzanne Brockmann, the latest TALL, DARK amp; DANGEROUS title. These navy SEAL heroes are fast staking claim to readers hearts all over the world. Read about the last of THE SISTERS WASKOWTTZ in Kathleen Creightons Eves Wedding Knight Youll love it-and youll join me in hoping we revisit these fascinating women-and their irresistible heroes-someday. Rio Grande Wedding is the latest from multiaward-winning Ruth Wind, a part of her MEN OF THE LAND miniseries, featuring the kind of Southwestern men no self-respecting heroine can resist. Take a look at Vickie Taylors Virgin Without a Memory, a book youll remember for a long time. And finally, welcome Harlequin Historical author Mary McBride to the contemporary romance lineup. Just One Look will demand more than just one look from you, and it will have you counting the days until she sets another story in the present day.

And, of course, mark your calendar and come back next month, when Silhouette Intimate Moments will once again bring you six of the most excitingly romantic novels youll ever find.

Enjoy!

Leslie J. Wainger

Executive Senior Editor

Jake Redfield stood in the early morning fog and watched the uniformed sheriffs deputy stride toward him. Behind him on the banks of the river, other men, some wearing diving gear, were gathered around the shrouded body of a man.

Fingerprints will have to confirm it, the deputy said as he drew near. But its Robey, all right. Everything matches.

Did he have anything on him? Redfield asked. Like a computer disk, maybe?

The deputy shook his head. Wallet, several different IDs, a little cash, not much. Sorry

Redfield turned without a word and walked back to his car.

It was true that Mirabella Waskowitz Starrs sister Eve had always been a maverick, and never much of one to stand on ceremony. So naturally it had come as a big surprise to everyone when she decided to get married, for the first time at the ripe age of forty-three, in a traditional church wedding with white satin and all the trimmings.

It was equally natural that Eve herself could see nothing contradictory in this.

Its tradition, she told Mirabella in a superior tone. Mirabella had just finished buttoning the last of the long row of tiny satin-covered buttons that ran down the back of her sisters bridal gown from nape to coccyx, and was now gazing with exasperation at her reflection in the mirror. Ive never had anything against tradition. Traditions are what hold us together, as a family or as a society. Offsetting the oratorical tone, her lips turned up at the corners in a maddeningly demure smile as she set the pearl pillbox with veil attached at a more jaunty angle atop her short, straw-colored hair. And I get to pick which traditions I choose to honor.

Mirabella replied with a snort, which caused Eves eyes to widen as they met hers in the mirror. Hey-why not? Some traditions are just plain silly. And some are downright insulting. That garter thing? Theres just no way in hell Im doing that. Like Im going to let Sonny peel it off me in front of everybody while the band plays bumps and grinds, and then hurl it into a pack of rabid male animals like some damn trophy? Tell me you dont think thats a bunch of sexist-

She turned from the mirror with a swish of her white satin skirts to ask, breathless as a teenager dressing for a dance, How do I look? But the sparkle in her eyes and the color in her cheeks said plainly enough that there wasnt anything Mirabella could tell her she didnt already know.

Gorgeous, Mirabella dutifully supplied anyway. Not grudgingly. Not really.

Of course she thought her sister was beautiful-breathtakingly so. How could she not? Both her sisters-Evie, the oldest, and their baby sister, Summer, whod just gotten married herself this past summer in a private civil ceremony, were drop-dead gorgeous in the classic tall, tan and blond California tradition. And at five feet one on a good day, Mirabella had had forty-plus years to get used to being the little round 0 between their two willowy letter ls. On a good day. Which this, in her sixth month of pregnancy, definitely wasnt. In fact, in the loose-fitting floor-length royal blue gown Eve had chosen for her to wear as co-matron of honor, her greatest fear was that someone would mistake her for a mailbox.

It wasnt the dress or the pregnancy or her lack of stature that was making Mirabella grumpy and out of sorts on what should have been a joyous occasion. Those things had stopped having the ability to influence her happiness and well-being the day shed fallen in love with Jimmy Joe Starr, the most wonderful man whod ever been born, and who, miracle of miracles, loved and adored her exactly as she was. She wished she felt certain her sister was going to be as lucky in her choice of mates. Not that she had anything against her soon-to-be brother-in-law. Nothing she could put a finger on anyway. Just a feeling.

Mirabella would admit to herself-and to no one else-that maybe she wasnt being entirely fair. For one thing, the man couldnt help but suffer by comparison to Riley Grogan, the wealthy and prominent-not to mention gorgeous-Charleston attorney Summer had stunned everyone by marrying barely two months ago, in August.

Mirabella hadnt quite forgiven Summer for going to Riley for help during that difficult and scary time, and for being afraid to reveal, even to the closest members of her family, what had been going on in her life. Finding out only afterward just what dire financial straits Summers no-good compulsive gambler ex-husband, Hal Robey, had left her in when hed deserted her and their two children had been bad enough. But then to discover how she and the kids had been harassed and threatened-even had their mobile home burned-by mob thugs trying to track down Hal and some stolen financial records, and how Riley had taken them all in, including that menagerie of theirs

The best thing about it was, a person had only to look at Riley to see that he utterly adored Summer. And, amazingly, he seemed fond of her kids, as well-which really did make him a hero in Mirabellas book.

But this fianc of Evies Well, that was another story.

Hes too slick, shed said to Jimmy Joe, the husband she adored. I dont trust him.

Naturally, Jimmy Joe, who seldom had a bad word to say about anybody, had hedged. Aw, hell, honey, thats probably just the Las Vegas glitter thats rubbed off on him, is all. Hes probably no different from anybody else, once you get to know him. Maybe we all just need to give him a chance.

As if she wouldnt! Just because she was opinionated didnt mean she was unreasonable.

And Jimmy Joe did have a point about Las Vegas, which was where Eve had met the man she was about to marry, while filming a documentary on the Strips new megacasinos, one of which Sonny Cisneros happened to own. Mirabella wouldnt have thought it possible for anyone to sweep Eve Waskowitz off her feet, but apparently Sonny had managed it, and in short order. In fact, if Eve had gone along with the quickie Vegas ceremony Sonny had wanted, shed have been married months ago. But before that could happen, Evie had come to Savannah with her production crew to film the arrival of Hurricane Angela and had fallen in love with that citys beautiful squares and historic old churches. Then and there shed decided, in typical Evie fashion, that nothing else would do; she had to get married in one of them, with all the traditional bells and whistles. According to Evie, Sonny hadnt been at all happy about having to wait for an opening in the churchs wedding calendar.