| IN AN INSTANT |
June 2002 BET Books ISBN: 1-58314-352-1 |
 A Broken Dream...
Travel consultant Tara Montgomery has plotted out her ideal future, complete with white picket fence and two-point-five perfect children, and of course, her long-time beau Harris Seeman. But when Harris relocates to a distant city and then gets engaged to someone else, Tara is devastated. She throws herself into her career and gives up on men altogether. But tell that to Darren Burkeen, a new client who claims he's smitten the instant he lays eyes on her.
... A Second Chance
If Tara isn't going to reciprocate his sudden passion, Darren's going to prove just how serious he is...the old-fashioned way. He'll court her with flowers and romance until she realizes that he's her Mr. Right. But when Tara's old flame reappears and says he wants Tara back, the real challenge begins. Now he and Tara must discover if their new love is strong enough to overcome the past...and tender enough to create a future that lasts a lifetime.
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Chapter One
Six months later . . .
"So, which one do you prefer?" Tara gently fingered the silky material samples on the bed beside her, then held them up. "The pale pink, or the mauve?"
The pink was definitely nice, but so was the mauve. But matching flowers might be easier to do if the bridesmaids dresses were pink. "Hmm, Diamond?" Tara prompted.
Her question was met with silence, and no longer absorbed in the moment of planning her happy event, Tara looked across the room at her cousin and best friend. The sparkle in her eyes, for which she'd earned the nickname Diamond years ago, was gone.
Tara instantly realized that something was wrong. She placed the samples on her lap. "Diamond? What is it? What's wrong?"
Diamond let out a weary breath as she raised her eyes to meet her cousin's. "Oh, Tara."
"What?" The tone of her cousin's voice made her back go rigid with fear. "It's not Paul, is it?" Diamond's relationship with her current live-in boyfriend had been more off than on in the past few months.
"No. Paul and I are working things out. Things are cool on that front."
"Okay," Tara said, somewhat warily. "Then what is it?"
"You . . . there's nothing you want to tell me?"
Tara gave Diamond a dumbfounded look. "You're the one who seems to have something to say. Ever since you came over, you've been distant, quiet. It's not because I'm talking about the wedding plans, is it? You're not thinking of Tyrone, are you?"
Diamond dismissed the idea with a wave of the hand. "No, no. I am definitely over Tyrone. I'm better off without him, and can only be thankful we didn't end up walking down the aisle."
"Okay, sweetie. Then I'm confused."
Diamond began pacing the floor beside the bedroom window. "I guess I keep hoping that I'm wrong. That if you haven't heard-"
Tara stood abruptly, and Diamond stopped her pacing. "Please just tell me what's going on."
Diamond closed her eyes, as if painfully, then re-opened them. "Sweetie, I wouldn't even mention anything if what I heard didn't come from a reliable source. Harris-" She paused. "Oh, there's no other way to say this than to just say this. Harris is apparently engaged."
For three long seconds, Tara stared at her cousin, trying to digest her words. Finally, she said, "Well, we're not officially engaged, but yes, he's going to marry me."
"From what I heard, he is officially engaged-to someone else."
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