Branna: Fleur de Lis Brides

By Linda Joyce

Perfectionistic Branna Lind has found true love with James Newbern, but the winds of Hurricane Katrina push their wedding date into an uncertain future. She can’t wait on Fleur de Lis to be restored to marry James. They need to wed pronto, before she reveals news sure to shock her family. James is determined to protect Branna. Since their engagement, his gun toting ex-fiancée has been dipping into crazy. He’s certain she’ll settle down after the wedding, but when she steals Branna’s heirloom pearls—her something old for the wedding—James takes matters into his own hands. And despite Branna’s ranting, he’s not agreeing to a quickie Vegas wedding. His fiancée will be a Fleur de Lis bride, just as tradition dictates. Or he’ll die trying. The path to “I do” is more challenging than Branna and James ever imagined, but they’re determined to get their happily ever after.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Dec 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781509211494

Linda Joyce

MY GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER TOLD ME STORIES AS I WAS GROWING UP IN TEXAS NOW IM THE GRANDMOTHER TELLING STORIES. I LIKE TELLING STORIES THAT ARE USUALLY FANTASY, CONCEPTUAL AND EDUCATIONAL AND USUALLY HAVE A MORAL TO THE STORY. I LOVE ANIMALS AND USUALLY TELL A STORY THROUGH AN ANIMAL'S VIEW POINT .

Book preview

Inc.

Who would do this? she wailed.

Bed linens, scooped from the bed, were piled in a heap on the floor. The mattress, ruined by a large X from corner to corner, looked naked and raw. A bedside lamp had been smashed against the wall. A gaping hole in the drywall sprouted pink insulation.

Miss Lind, do you have any enemies? This appears to be a threat or a message rather than a burglary. Can you identify anything taken?

My pearls?

James stepped away. She ran to her dresser, her heart thudding faster than racecar pistons. She yanked on the top dresser drawer. A moment of hope shot through her as she reached for the dark blue velvet box.

The string of perfectly matched, white pearls was gone. Her wedding would be incomplete without that special something old. The thief had robbed her unborn child of a precious family heirloom. Oh, God.

Praise for Linda Joyce

Southern writers have their own unique vibe; Linda Joyce conveys that oh-so-genteel, tradition-bound warmth and familiarity with her Fleur de Lis romance series, while maintaining the fiercely independent fervor of the Southern lass in star-crossed love.

~Susan Coryell, author of A Red, Red Rose

~*~

When I read Linda’s books, I am swept away. I don’t follow along with her characters, instead I become those people. Linda writes with such emotion and clarity, you can’t help but fall in love. Dedicated, goal oriented, overcomes struggles, hope, joy, love. These are just a few of the words I would use to describe her people. They are real individuals. Her books are a refreshing escape!

~Taylor Anne, author of Smoke and Mirrors

Branna

by

Linda Joyce

Fleur de Lis Brides, Book 1

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Branna

COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Linda Joyce

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Diana Carlile

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Mainstream Women’s Fiction Edition, 2016

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1149-4

Fleur de Lis Brides, Book 1

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all who dare to reach

for what makes their heart sing,

just as Branna does in this story.

Prologue

Who said hurricanes are romantic because they come with pretty names? Branna stepped out on the front gallery of Fleur de Lis to join her cousin, Biloxi, and her younger sister, Camilla. Sweat dripped from her temples. She shoved her hair back. What she needed was a break from cleaning up the damage left days ago by Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane naming. Had to be a man, Biloxi quipped. "Anyway, I’m so tired. But thankful at the same time."

Damn that man to hell and back, Branna said. We’re all about to drop, nearly sleeping on our feet. All of us.

I never imagined coming home to this. Camilla swept her arms with a flourish. The house on the outside isn’t too bad. Water damage inside—a catastrophe. The gardens are unrecognizable.

The list of required repairs to the house and grounds grew longer the more they worked. Fixing one problem, like removing damaged plaster from the walls, brought to light the need for additional repairs. The constant barrage numbed Branna’s mind. She’d taken to carrying a notebook with her everywhere, just to remember details needing attention.

Reaching into a large cooler, she pulled out bottles of water. Hydration is important. She handed them out. Taking a big gulp, she lifted her chin and allowed the water to slowly slide down her throat. The coolness of the thirst-quenching beverage tempted her to pour it over her head in hopes of cooling off her growing frustrations.

Humidity clung to her skin like liquid air. She mopped her face with the bottom edge of her t-shirt and heaved a deep sigh. The stress of her secret weighed heavily on her mind. Everything had changed in less than a day once Katrina made landfall. The monstrous storm snatched away her hope of a double wedding with Biloxi, her cousin, and sent life into a whirlwind with no obvious end in sight. The blessing in it all—everyone in the family had survived. Yet each person she encountered, family or friend, wore the same expression of shell shock as they traversed their devastated town picking through pieces of their life. Some days, bad news about losses came in waves. Sadly, some of their friends remained unaccounted for still. Never before had she experienced the depth of grief she carried now.

I never imagined the likes of Katrina. Camilla plopped onto one of the rocking chairs. Branna had them moved to the front gallery the minute she returned to Fleur de Lis. They provided one tiny bit of familiarity in the midst of chaos. She grieved for the normal that had been her life. However, surviving a catastrophic storm, postponing her wedding, and now being pregnant described her new normal.

It didn’t mean she had to like it.

The shock and awe of the aftermath makes me feel as though I’m living in an alternate reality. Biloxi straddled the railing and drank from her bottle. Camilla, you’ve just recently returned, so you haven’t had time for the situation to truly sink in.

I’m sure you’re right, Camilla said. And I was gone for a long time before that. However, this place is in my DNA. Every detail is etched in my mind. Every scent recorded. Every sound memorized. Despite my absences, I am bound to Fleur de Lis, just like you.

Branna leaned against the railing and fanned herself with pages of papers itemizing all the necessary repairs. I’m glad you’re home, she told Camilla. I’m going to need a lot of help.

Excuse me? Biloxi snapped. You’re still in the pop-in-and-out mode. You haven’t moved home yet. I’m the one dealing with all the issues, living in a trailer in the driveway, and stressing about where to find all the craftsmen to restore this antebellum to its historical glory.

You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be selfish.

I’m here to help. Camilla raised her hand.

I am grateful you are, Branna said. Biloxi and I couldn’t do this without you. I admit my focus is on the wedding. I can’t stop to think about the magnitude of the property damage for long. It overwhelms me. So I do what I can as I’m able. And to avoid embarrassing this family, I do need to get married. Quick. It’s not like I’m growing tomatoes.

Camilla chuckled. "She’s always the good girl."

If I don’t make this wedding happen, Branna said, "then I’ll devastate this family almost as much as Katrina. I do not want to be present if the Old Aunts ever learn of my

Reviews for Branna

[pelusa41-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Given an ARC for voluntary review for netgalley. Branna and James were a great couple. Weddings are a hassle to begin with, just imagine having to deal with one after a storm hits! The poor couple have to deal with a crazy ex, her over bearing mother, it's enough to just want to elope, but James wants Branna to have her wedding, because he knows eventually that is what she will want, so he is determined to make it happen. True love at its finest.