A Promise So Sweet

By Andrea Boyd

After ten years of silence, Bruce Colletto shows up at Lydia's door asking her to marry him, and he just expects her to go along with it? Wildest idea ever, right? Yet, she finds herself agreeing to his crazy scheme. Will this end up being her greatest blessing or the worst decision of her life?

A Promise so Sweet is the conclusion to the Something Borrowed collection. You can read Hanady and Keenan's story in Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver, Leilah and Reggie's relationship begins with All The Moore by Toni Shiloh, Chahna and Maguire work through their wedding troubles in A Holly Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn, and so do Cate and Noah in Somehow This Christmas.

If you love this type of story, you may also be interested in the following books by Andrea Boyd.

Upon A Dream- Sleeping Beauty Reimagined

A New Beginning- Rapunzel Reimagined

Heart's Desire

Mistletoe Kiss

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrea Boyd
• Release date: Aug 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223756231

Book preview

One

Lydia Osborn had never been so glad to be at a funeral.

Not for morbid reasons, of course. It was just...

Well, for one thing, as funerals went, this one wasn’t that bad. More like a celebration, actually.

Miss Edwina Watkins had lived life to the fullest, never missing the opportunity for adventure. She’d traveled the world, serving as a missionary for most of her lifetime and then spent the last part preparing others to go out into the field.

She used to say she wanted to live until God had squeezed out everything she had to give, and she wanted to die just before her one hundredth birthday because the thought of having a triple digit birthday made her feel old. It seemed the Good Lord had seen fit to oblige. Miss Watkins died in her sleep just hours before she would have turned one hundred.

Lydia had enjoyed playing turn of the century hymns in her honor while the congregation sang along. Hopefully, the old tunes would drown out the earworm that had been drumming through her head for the last several weeks—The Wedding March—the second reason she was glad to play at a funeral for a change.

It seemed that every previously unattached couple in Snow Village had decided this was the year to tie the knot, and she hadn’t gotten the memo. It was bad enough that all her friends from college had gone down the aisle before her, but now her best friend and roommate, Tawny, was planning her wedding as well.

Lydia really would be the odd woman out after that blessed event. She hadn’t even been on a date in five years. It would be just her and her poodle, Fifi. Together, forever. Maybe she should start collecting cats now, because she was surely meant to be that woman.

It would be fine if she could walk around with blinders on, completely oblivious to the wedded bliss all around her, but she had been pulled in from every angle. Bridesmaid requests, orders from The Chocolate Shoppe where she worked to be served to wedding guests, and if she had to play The Wedding March one more time...

With a sigh, Lydia stacked the music books she’d brought with her and shoved them into her tote. Now wasn’t the time to cry over the ending of an unfulfilled dream. With the funeral over she was free to go home to her dog, a bowl of Cherry Garcia ice cream, and a Netflix movie marathon.

Lydia slid the straps of her purse and her tote over her shoulder and was just about to step around the wall that the piano hid behind when she heard the unmistakable voice of Mrs. Gina Colletto—the one person in Snow Village, Colorado Lydia knew for certain didn’t like her, though she had no idea why.

You are coming to the wedding, aren’t you, dear? Bruce will be there. I’m sure you two would like to catch up.

Lydia sat down hard on the piano bench.

Bruce Colletto. The only serious relationship she’d ever had with a man. The one she’d thought she would end up marrying. The one she’d loved. Had even thought he’d loved her too until he broke up with her and moved to North Carolina. No warning. No signs. Just tossed aside for seminary studies.

How is Bruce? I haven’t seen him in years.

Lydia didn’t need to be able to see past the partition hiding her from view to know who that voice belonged to, either. Calista Fisher was the type of woman who had every other Christian woman praying forgiveness for the cruelest of sins—jealousy. Tall, blond, and a sweet personality to boot. No wonder Mrs. Colletto had spent years trying to reel Calista in for one of her three boys—and it hadn’t seemed to matter which one. It may also answer to why she found a petite brunette like Lydia lacking.

Well, Mrs. Colletto, Bruce is your last hope for landing Calista as a daughter-in-law, you’d better freshen your bait.

The aforementioned wedding was for Mrs. Colletto’s middle son, and her eldest had already tied the knot two years ago.

Mrs. Colletto lowered her voice, and even though she knew she shouldn’t, Lydia leaned closer to the partition to capture what was said.

He’s about to move up from youth pastor to senior pastor at the church where he works. It’s just another step toward a bigger church. Maybe even one of those mega-churches in Denver. You know, where they telecast all over the world.

Is that what he’s hoping for?

Good question.

Oh, you know, he hasn’t said exactly what his plans for the future are. If you ever heard him preach though, you couldn’t doubt that he is meant for something big. He’ll be officiating Jason and Irina’s wedding, so please say you’ll come. I know he’d love to see you. And I know for a fact that he isn’t bringing a date. He and his girlfriend broke up a couple of months ago. Just between you and me, I knew the first time I met her that she wasn’t the one.

Probably the same thing she thought about me.

Lydia could just imagine the Cheshire grin Mrs. Colletto must be wearing. How would Calista respond to this obvious set up? And what would Bruce think about his mom trying to find him a date?

Oh, I’m definitely going to the wedding. I’ll be sure to speak to Bruce too. It’ll be good to catch up on everything that’s happened since high school.

So, she took the bait.

Thankfully, Lydia wouldn’t be there to witness the reunion. It was possibly the one wedding in all of Snow Village that she hadn’t been invited to. No doubt the reason for it stood on the opposite side of the partition. Or it could be because of Bruce. She had to admit, it would be awkward seeing him again.

That’s wonderful! Well, I need to get home and walk the dog, though I dread it. Can you believe how cold it’s been? And November just started.

Mrs. Colletto’s voice faded with each word letting Lydia know she was finally walking away. She’d give it a few minutes before leaving to make sure the woman was really gone. She turned the volume back up on her phone and noticed a text from her sister, Mari.

Come by the house.

I made Mom’s soup.

Mom’s Zuppa Toscana. The epitome of Lydia’s best memories of their mother—both their parents, actually. Her mom would make what she considered the best of her Italian family’s recipes, including this soup, and their non-Italian dad would always joke that her cooking was the sole reason he married her.

They both died in a plane crash when she was sixteen. The soup would make her miss them all over again, but it would be a comfort all the same.

Lydia gripped the straps of her purse and tote, then peeked around the partition before making a beeline for the door. If someone saw her and realized she’d been eavesdropping, so be it. Nothing was going to stand between her and that soup.

Less than five minutes later, she stepped through her sister’s front door. Warmth, along with the smell of Italian sausage, enveloped her. The bare Christmas tree in the corner of the living room caught her eye as she shed her boots and wool coat.

She grinned at Mari. Now I know why you lured me here with Mom’s soup. You want me to drag the decorations down from the attic. You know it’s only the second day of November, don’t you? This is early, even for you.

Mari rubbed her bulging belly. "I wanted to get it done before the baby gets here. And I’ll have you know I’ve