Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston then moved to Miami. Eventually, found that writing is her passion.She always wrote stories to entertain herself. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, but when she sat down to see what she enjoyed doing, writing became obvious.
Also she’s the Vice President for the Florida Romance Writers. Her website is http://www.victoriapinder.com
Table of Contents
Secret Bet (The House of Morgan)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Secret Bet The House of Morgan
Victoria Pinder
Secret Bet
Copyright?2016
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemble to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Published in the United States of America.
Copyright ? 2016 Victoria Pinder Love in a Book All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1539534419
ISBN: 1539534413 (Love in a Book)
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my friend and amazing author, Kristin Wallace. If you’ve not read her books, she’s great. She always makes me think ‘how would you act out the scene and get into the character’s heads.’ Her advice always makes me grow as a writer.
Chapter One
"Belle Jordan?" A young man's voice echoed with a crack in it.
Belle stood from her desk by the window, which overlooked the Capitol Building as the door opened. Perhaps it was orders from her old military base or she was still in this habit, but she straightened her spine. "Yeah, who's this?"
Again a boy's voice squeaked. "I'm from FTL. I have a letter to deliver."
Civilians didn't stand at attention for delivery people. She forced herself to sit and fixed her long, brown braid behind her head. "Come in."
A boy, no more than eighteen years old in a bright yellow shirt appeared. The tension in her spine dissipated as the messenger held out a package and an electronic box. "I need you to sign here."
She scribbled her name and then stared at the letter. It was white, and the calligraphy was tasteful. The date December 23rd echoed in her brain. Someone knew she worked late. It might be some new lobbyist business party that doubled as training for the just-out-of-the-military group she was hired with. It was not like she had anymore friends who would send her new wedding invitations. She shook the letter. It certainly looked like an invitation.
She glanced at her desk and pushed the contract with the US Marines and Century Arms to the side as she opened the white linen envelope. A moment later, white confetti in the shape of butterflies spilled onto her mahogany desk. She unfolded the crisp linen invitation from wrapping paper and read, Victoria Morgan and Colt Collins cordially invite you to their Christmas Eve wedding in Miami.
Again. This was the second invitation, not that she had responded to the first. Belle covered her lips and sat. She'd never go to this. Her heart beat a mile a minute. Her ex-fiancé and the mother of his child were not exactly her favorite people.
She dropped the invitation but then noticed a second sheet of paper in the envelope. She tucked the paper in to hide it and picked up the contract. She needed to finish and get her work in the mail and over to the Pentagon. She picked up her pen, signed the last of the pages and, and dropped the papers in the 'to be copied' stack for her secretary in the morning.
She had earned another bonus. The night sky still had the whiteness of this morning's snow flurry. The postcards of Washington, DC at Christmas could be snapped from her office, not that she'd ever care.
It was time to go home. She sighed. No one else was still here on the floor. As she stood, she peeked at the second piece of paper that had come with the invitation. She blinked. It was Colt's handwriting.
Her heart had a pang. Her father had loved the idea of her and Colt. So had her stepmother. They had said they finally had a daughter because she intended to get married and wear a white dress.
Clothes did not make her feminine.
She closed her eyes and hoped the zap in her heartbeat stopped. They had never been proud of her, ever, and they certainly weren't now. Her father had said he couldn't wait to dance with his daughter at her wedding. A piece of her hair fell in front of her eyes. As she gazed at the letter, she tucked the wayward strand behind her ear.
Belle,
Please come to the wedding. We were always friends first. You saved my life in the desert and kept me alive. Victoria wants you here too. We both want you to be happy. We included an airplane ticket. Please come.
Colt
She rubbed her throat and then dropped the letter. There was no way she'd go. This was insane. Ex fiancées did not go to the new fiancée's wedding. Victoria and she hardly even knew each other. All she knew about Colt's new bride was that Colt had thought the other woman dead the entire time he had dated her.
She fumbled through her desk and found her pocketbook. At the door, she wrapped herself in her scarf, warm woolen jacket, and thick hat. Four years of dating one guy had left her utterly alone this winter.
She closed her office door, strode through the empty office with gray cubicles, and locked the department front door. She'd return in eight short hours. Christmas Eve was for other people who cared.
On the empty street, the brightest light on the horizon was still the Capitol Building. She wrapped her scarf tighter and quickened her steps to get to her apartment faster. The cold air numbed her nose, but she trekked forward. She'd be home soon.
People's cheers from the local bars she passed were loud with ‘Merry Christmas.' She hugged her waist and rushed. Then her new stepmother's smiling face flashed on her caller ID.
She answered, "Hello?"