Page 3 of The Runaway Bride's Vow

Don’t bother to look for me. I’m leaving town. I need some time alone to figure out my future.

I love you,

Brooke

She slipped off the diamond ring and left it with the note on the table. She threw her clothes, shoes, and necessary items in some bags and boxes. Before she rushed out the door, she grabbed a photo of her family that was held by a heart magnet to the front of her fridge. Just because she was leaving didn’t mean she didn’t love her family. She loved them very much. She just couldn’t spend the rest of her life in this town.

Her hatchback car waited in the parking lot. She threw her things inside and then jumped into the driver’s seat. She felt that if she slowed down, she’d never escape. And she just had to see what was outside of Iowa. She had a feeling her future was waiting for her—she just had to find it.

She stamped the gas pedal, accelerating over the twenty-five-mile-an-hour speed limit. She normally wasn’t a rule breaker, but today she didn’t care. As Monarch faded in her rearview mirror, her pulse slowed, and she let up on the accelerator. It was all going to work out; she just didn’t know how exactly.

She stared at the passing highway signs and realized she’d automatically turned west. A little smile tugged at the corner of her lips. California, here I come.

Chapter One

One year later…San Francisco, California

Today she was the boss.

Brooke Campbell smiled as she made her way along the sidewalk. Her boss had just stepped onto a plane that morning with her fiancé. They were headed for the east coast for the next couple of weeks to celebrate their engagement with her family. Clara had been estranged from them for quite some time, so this was a really big deal for them.

Brooke was happy for Clara, who was more than her boss. Since they’d been working together, they’d become good friends. Now, it left Brooke to oversee the office as well as the restoration of the Seabreeze Wedding Chapel. In fact, she had a meeting with the contractor this morning.

She lifted her face to the April sun, savoring the warmth of its rays upon her face. She loved this part of her job—getting out from behind her desk and enjoying the fresh air. She was never one to sit around for long. Maybe it stemmed from being raised on a farm, where sitting around hadn’t been an option.

Now that she was an assistant planner at the Perky Pink Wedding Company, she did more administrative work than she’d like; however, the owner, Clara Harrington, had slowly been increasing Brooke’s number of responsibilities.

Clara had recently hired a new person to work the reception desk. Brooke now occupied one of the available offices. It was still a small business but it was growing as word spread of each successful wedding.

Soon Brooke hoped to be promoted to a full-fledged wedding planner and be able to head out to various locations in San Francisco to meet with the wedding couples to plan their special day. That would be huge for her. She didn’t want to do anything to mess up her upward trajectory at the Perky Pink Wedding Company.

First things first, she needed a cup of coffee from Lacy’s Java ’N Tea. The pink and white umbrellas covering the two outside tables came into view. As she drew closer, she noticed a young couple at one of the tables. The young woman was blushing and smiling at the guy who was with her. Their fingers were entwined. Love was definitely in the air—at least for some people.

She had absolutely no interest in love or romance. After being stood up at the altar, so to speak, she’d written off men. Instead, she was focused on her career.

She looked past the couple to the two tall triple-ball topiaries with lush green foliage in large white pots, which sat on either side of the coffeehouse’s plate-glass window. In the center, gold lettering spelled out Lacy’s Java ’N Tea.

She moved to the white double doors with brass fixtures and pulled one open. Her nose was immediately greeted with the rich aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. She inhaled deeply. Mmm…

She stepped inside but couldn’t go far. People were lined up to the door. Her gaze moved between the two lines. They were both equally long. The checkouts were on either side of the long counter. In the center was where you went to pick up your coffee.

While she waited, she pulled her phone from her purse to check her messages. As she suspected, while she’d driven from her apartment to the coffee shop, her boss had sent her messages.

Clara

Our plane is delayed. Did you follow up with the Wilson wedding about the dress?

I forgot to drop off the book of invitations for Melody McCall. Could you do it for me? Thx!

Just wait until you meet the contractor. He’s *fire emoji*

Brooke

I took care of the Wilson wedding yesterday.

I will drop off the invitations later today.

Brooke reread Clara’s last message. Ever since her boss had reconnected with her ex-fiancé, who was now her future husband, Clara wanted everyone to be as happy as she was. It wasn’t going to happen. Brooke had almost gotten married once…

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