Page 1 of A Lesson for Laurel

PROLOGUE

“Are you excited to be getting married in five days?” Philip Taylor asked Laurel Glasgow.

She smiled at her fiancé. “I am,” she said. “It’s hard to believe it’s finally here.”

“Well,” Philip said. “It’s felt like a whirlwind romance to me.”

He always was on the romantic side. Not anything she’d ever been drawn to before, but it was sweet on Philip. And he loved her. She knew that.

Wasn’t that what it was all about? Someone to love and care for you?

Something she got from her father and aunt, but never the mother who left when she was a child.

Maybe she was craving that normal family life that she didn’t get growing up.

Though her father damn sure tried to give her everything he could and teach her to not depend on anyone.

“It’s been barely a year since we’ve met,” she said.

Her father thought she was rushing, but Philip’s parents adored her and were ready to welcome her to the family.

Surprising, considering in looks she met the image of Philip’s high-profile family, but in her actions and career, she’d been talked down to and prepped on how to behave.

It wasn’t her problem she looked like a lady but acted like a man in their eyes. But she was willing to compromise around their social network when she had to.

She loved what she did and, as her father had told her, those were the important things in life.

“When you know, you do,” Philip said. He reached his hand over and laid it on hers, his finger running over the two-carat diamond he’d placed on her hand five months ago. A little over six months of dating and then the engagement and a fast wedding.

She’d been willing to wait a year or so to marry but decided it wasn’t that big of a deal, and Philip’s family pulled some strings to get the venue they wanted. More like what Philip’s mother wanted and this was the only opening.

“Yes, you do,” she said, even though she wasn’t so sure what she was supposed to be feeling and sometimes wondered if her tough-minded logical personality was the reason she’d never felt that romantic kind of love some women talked about.

The waitress came over to get their drink order. They’d been sitting there for ten minutes waiting and that wasn’t normal. When the young woman stopped, Laurel noticed the eye contact between Philip and the petite blonde, then the forced smile sent her fiancé’s way.

“What can I get you to drink?”

Not friendly here, she thought. “I’ll have seltzer with lemon.”

“The same,” Philip said.

The server, who hadn’t given her name, walked away without another word.

“She was rude,” Laurel said. “I hope she’s not working the day of our wedding.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Philip said, putting his head down. “People come and go here.”

Philip was squirming in his chair as if his ass was on fire and he was trying to extinguish it without water in sight.

This wasn’t the first time she’d noticed that move from him and it always sent alarm bells ringing like a tornado warning to take cover.

Normally she’d push it off, but this time, she just couldn’t.

She was marrying the guy in five days. Her gut said to address it.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “You’re acting nervous. Do you know that woman? Maybe someone you dated in the past?”

He glanced up. “Nope.” His head went down again.

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