The Producer's Unlikely Bride (The Blushing Brides Book 6) Read online

  “You gonna bust that one too?” His co-worker Brendan appeared by his side. Brendan was the opposite of Jesse in nearly every way. Where Jesse’s hair was a dark copper, Brendan’s was nearly black. Jesse sported paler skin and a dusting of freckles across his nose, but Brendan’s skin was naturally dark and freckle free.

  Jesse flashed a crooked grin, but kept his eyes on the small, swinging black bag. The speed bag was his way to release, but a few times he had started hitting while still too keyed up and he had ruptured the bag. Okay, five times, but who was counting really? Besides, it was a better way to calm his nerves than other things he could choose. Drinking, fights, gambling, women.

  “Nah, I think this one will last a little longer.” His shoulders began to burn, and he gave the bag another few punches for good measure before dropping his arms and letting it swing to a stop. “See? It lives to be hit at least another day.” Every once in a while, Jesse missed training the way he used to. Before he joined the force, he had been an amateur boxer, on his way to being a pro, but a shoulder injury had delayed his training and forced him to consider something else. It had eventually healed, but by then he had lost his edge.

  “Hey, why don’t you come drink with us?” Brendan clapped a hand on Jesse’s shoulder as they headed into the locker room.

  “You know I don’t drink.” Jesse often felt like the outsider of the team. While half of the six-man team was married, the other half found solace in empty bottles and meaningless relationships. Jesse understood that - their job was such that they never knew if they would come home night after night - but he still couldn’t partake.

  Brendan opened his locker and pulled out a clean shirt. He peeled off his current one and added deodorant before tugging on the new one. “You don’t have to drink. Look, I won’t drink either. Just come and hang out with us. You have no one waiting for you at home.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. Jesse had Bugsy, his Boston Terrier, but he understood Brendan’s point. Most days, Jesse went home, fed Bugsy, made dinner, and fell asleep watching TV on the couch. It wasn’t much of a life. “All right, I’ll go, but I’m not drinking.”

  Brendan’s lips pulled back to reveal his perfectly white teeth. He bragged about them, but Jesse knew they were veneers. “That’s the spirit. Hurry up and change. We don’t want to leave the rest of the team waiting.”

  “Is everyone coming?” Jesse pulled out his shower necessities. Brendan might feel comfortable going out with just a new application of deodorant, but Jesse needed to wash more than just dirt and sweat off. He needed to wash the sound of the bullets and the sight of lifeless bodies from his mind.

  “Yeah, Pat’s wife is pregnant again and demanding some crazy food concoctions. Pat agreed to pick them up if she let him have an hour. Cam and Jared’s wives are having a girls’ night, so the whole gang can be together. It will be nice to hang out when we aren’t worried about being shot at.”

  “Fine. Give me ten minutes. Unlike you, I like to clean up before I go out.”

  Brendan smirked. “I’ve never had any complaints. Besides, do you know how long it takes me to get my hair like this?”

  Jesse shook his head as he walked into the shower, but he knew it was true. Brendan had rugged good looks and muscles to match. He rarely had a hard time finding a woman. Jesse on the other hand hadn’t dated anyone in the last few months. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been looking, but he was quieter than his teammates. And he wasn’t looking for right now. He was looking for forever. He just hadn’t found it yet.

  Click here to continue reading The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet.

  The Story Doesn’t End!

  You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….

  I bet you’re wondering how you can meet everyone else.

  Star Lake Series:

  When Love Returns

  Once Upon a Star

  Love Conquers All

  Heartbeats Series:

  Where It All Began

  The Power of Prayer

  When Hearts Collide

  A Past Forgiven

  Sweet Billionaires Series:

  The Billionaire’s Secret

  Brush with a Billionaire

  The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle

  The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom

  The Lawkeepers series:

  Lawfully Matched

  Lawfully Justified

  The Scarlet Wedding

  Lawfully Redeemed

  Lawfully Pursued

  Stand alones:

  The Still Small Voice

  Love Renewed

  Blushing Brides Series:

  The Cowboy’s Reality Bride

  The Reality Bride’s Baby

  The Producer’s Unlikely Bride

  Ava’s Blessing in Disguise

  The Cop’s Fiery Bride

  Her children’s early reader chapter book series:

  The Wishing Stone #1: Dangerous Dinosaur

  The Wishing Stone #2: Dragon Dilemma

  The Wishing Stone #3: Mesmerizing Mermaids

  The Wishing Stone #4: Pyramid Puzzles

  The Wishing Stone Inspirations #1: Mary’s Miracle

  To see a list of all her books

  authorloranahoopes.com

  [email protected]

  Discussion Questions

  1. What was your favorite scene in the book? What made it your favorite?

  2. Did you have a favorite line in the book? What do you think made it so memorable?

  3. Who was your favorite character in the book and why?

  4. Ava turned away relationships searching for perfection. What perfect goal do you have that maybe needs to be thought out again?

  5. What do you think would be the hardest part about being on a reality dating show?

  6. What did you learn about God from reading this book?

  7. How can you use that knowledge in your life from now on?

  8. What can you take away from Ava’s and Justin’s relationship?

  9. What do you think would make the story even better?

  About The Author

  Lorana Hoopes is an inspirational author originally from Texas but now living in the PNW with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be seen kickboxing at the gym, singing, or acting on stage. One day, she hopes to retire from teaching and write full time.