Two widows. One wedding dress. And a promise of forever in the next installment of the Wilder Brothers.
Moments for You, an all-new second chance, small town romance from New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan is now available!
A wedding dress is meant to be worn only once.
When a stranger finds herself in need of a miracle at the last minute, I do the unthinkable: I offer mine to her.
The same one I wore down the aisle for my late husband.
Now I’m invited to the wedding and finding myself wondering why I shut myself away from the world for so long.
I’m only meant to be at the Wilder Retreat for a single day except I go home with not only a job offer, but the promise of something more.
Ridge Wilder is hiding secrets of his own. And the undeniable chemistry between us burns before we even contemplate taking that first step.
Only I’ve already had my happy ever after. I never planned on finding another.
And Ridge is even far more broken than I am—with a past that might come back to haunt us both.
When a stranger finds herself in need of a miracle at the last minute, I do the unthinkable: I offer mine to her.
The same one I wore down the aisle for my late husband.
Now I’m invited to the wedding and finding myself wondering why I shut myself away from the world for so long.
I’m only meant to be at the Wilder Retreat for a single day except I go home with not only a job offer, but the promise of something more.
Ridge Wilder is hiding secrets of his own. And the undeniable chemistry between us burns before we even contemplate taking that first step.
Only I’ve already had my happy ever after. I never planned on finding another.
And Ridge is even far more broken than I am—with a past that might come back to haunt us both.
Moments for You is now available on ALL retailers in eBook, Paperback, Special Edition paperback, and audio with Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmoor. It's also on Kobo Plus and Libraries for those who love subscriptions! https://geni.us/MomentsYouChoice
Keep reading for a look inside Moments For You!
Keep reading for a look inside Moments For You!
Something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I turned to see the man I met the day before, Ridge. He was on the security team, and a Wilder if I remembered correctly. And the way he had stared at me made my stomach clench.
Not in a scary way, or perhaps that was a lie. Because something scared me.
I hadn’t felt that rush in so long that I had forgotten what it was.
Because that man, even with his harsh angles and growls, was beautiful. Those piercing eyes, that strong jaw. And those muscles? I hadn’t thought of muscles like that in a very long time.
I was a single woman after all, which was a very weird thing to think. There was nothing holding me back. Except perhaps today of all days wasn’t the time to think of it.
But when would the time be right?
He met my gaze and nodded but didn’t smile. He just turned and went back to whatever his job was for the day, leaving me feeling slightly bereft.
What was wrong with me?
Music began to play, and I sat back in the bench as the ceremony began.
A little girl with a beautiful lacy pink dress skipped down the aisle, making everyone laugh as she tossed petals into the air and twirled like she was a ballerina. Then she set the basket down and proceeded to do somersaults to the end.
A smile broke on my face, pushing through any nerves, and I laughed along with the others, shaking my head as the harried mother came back to pick up her daughter, as well as the basket.
The little girl waved at everyone over her mom’s shoulder, and I waved back, feeling lighter than I had in years.
The little boy was next with his ring pillow and was very serious. Left together. Right together. Left together. Right together. I hadn’t even realized he was saying that aloud until people were laughing again, and I knew this wedding was going to be full of laughter.
The bridesmaids followed, meeting up with their escorts at the end as they helped them onto the stage. When the groom’s eyes widened and a single tear fell down his cheek, I turned with the others, my breath catching.
There was Augusta, her eyes bright and wide and a smile so radiant on her face that she looked as if she were a goddess, coming to grace us with her presence and gift us with joy and love and happiness.
And her dress.
It was hers now. It wasn’t mine. I still felt a kick in the gut that reminded me of the promise I had made to William. A promise we had kept but fate had broken. I would love William until my dying days, but as my dress became hers and she walked down the aisle, I knew that this was me saying goodbye to what was and what could have been.
It was time to make new promises, it was time to breathe again.
I let my tears freely fall as I watched a woman who, just days ago, had been consumed by panic and loss, marry the man of her dreams in a dress that reflected promises and memories.
And as they said their I do’s, I wiped tears from my face and looked to the left again and met Ridge’s gaze. He studied my face as everyone cheered and clapped. I nodded back, telling him that I was okay.
Because okay can mean a lot of things.
Today wasn’t about me or my memories. Today was about the future.
And it was time to make that happen.
Not in a scary way, or perhaps that was a lie. Because something scared me.
I hadn’t felt that rush in so long that I had forgotten what it was.
Because that man, even with his harsh angles and growls, was beautiful. Those piercing eyes, that strong jaw. And those muscles? I hadn’t thought of muscles like that in a very long time.
I was a single woman after all, which was a very weird thing to think. There was nothing holding me back. Except perhaps today of all days wasn’t the time to think of it.
But when would the time be right?
He met my gaze and nodded but didn’t smile. He just turned and went back to whatever his job was for the day, leaving me feeling slightly bereft.
What was wrong with me?
Music began to play, and I sat back in the bench as the ceremony began.
A little girl with a beautiful lacy pink dress skipped down the aisle, making everyone laugh as she tossed petals into the air and twirled like she was a ballerina. Then she set the basket down and proceeded to do somersaults to the end.
A smile broke on my face, pushing through any nerves, and I laughed along with the others, shaking my head as the harried mother came back to pick up her daughter, as well as the basket.
The little girl waved at everyone over her mom’s shoulder, and I waved back, feeling lighter than I had in years.
The little boy was next with his ring pillow and was very serious. Left together. Right together. Left together. Right together. I hadn’t even realized he was saying that aloud until people were laughing again, and I knew this wedding was going to be full of laughter.
The bridesmaids followed, meeting up with their escorts at the end as they helped them onto the stage. When the groom’s eyes widened and a single tear fell down his cheek, I turned with the others, my breath catching.
There was Augusta, her eyes bright and wide and a smile so radiant on her face that she looked as if she were a goddess, coming to grace us with her presence and gift us with joy and love and happiness.
And her dress.
It was hers now. It wasn’t mine. I still felt a kick in the gut that reminded me of the promise I had made to William. A promise we had kept but fate had broken. I would love William until my dying days, but as my dress became hers and she walked down the aisle, I knew that this was me saying goodbye to what was and what could have been.
It was time to make new promises, it was time to breathe again.
I let my tears freely fall as I watched a woman who, just days ago, had been consumed by panic and loss, marry the man of her dreams in a dress that reflected promises and memories.
And as they said their I do’s, I wiped tears from my face and looked to the left again and met Ridge’s gaze. He studied my face as everyone cheered and clapped. I nodded back, telling him that I was okay.
Because okay can mean a lot of things.
Today wasn’t about me or my memories. Today was about the future.
And it was time to make that happen.
For more information about Carrie Ann Ryan and her books, visit her website:
https://carrieannryan.com
https://carrieannryan.com
MY REVIEW
After seeing a post of a woman needing a wedding gown after hers was stolen, Aurora decides to donate hers. It will be her way of starting to move on from the grief of losing her husband 5 years ago. Arriving at the bride's wedding, she's amazed to find a whole group of people welcoming her with open arms, a group who will become like family to her, especially Ridge Wilder. He's a man who sees the pain in her eyes because it mirrors his own. They haven't defined what they are, so there's no use in her letting her heart get involved. She's not even sure Ridge is capable of more, and when something horrible happens, it could be the thing to break them apart permanently.
Ridge has told very few people about his loss. They don't even know he had a girlfriend or that she was pregnant, let alone that she died. But he's come here to move on and be with his family. His heart is closed for business now, because failing to protect his love before means now he carries permanent guilt lodged inside. Until a woman comes along whose pain calls to his. Now he's smiling and acting like a completely different person, and his family is starting to notice. If he doesn't push her away at the worst time, this could be the start of forever.
It's true that like minds recognize each other. In Aurora and Ridge's case, their losses bonded them in the way only survivors can. Their story is heartbreaking, painful at times, but really beautiful, too. The Wilders welcomed Aurora with open arms, brought her into the fold, and never let her go, gave her the love she'd been missing for so long. If this is how all the Wilders are, I can't wait to read about more of them falling in love.
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