Grady's Promise (Welcome To Chance)
by Elsa KurtContemporary Romance New Adult Romance Romance Women's Fiction Literary Fiction Book Overview
Bruce Grady, Chance's All-American good guy hasn't had it easy. After his father's crippling fall, he's forced to return home to take over the family business, giving up his own dreams. But he's a man of honor... and his word.The woman he's secretly loved for years has married another man. He's moved on to a new love, but life in a small town means your past is always around every corner.When temptation and opportunity come hand in hand, can Bruce fight one while chasing the other? Can he keep the promises he's made to those he loves and still get what he wants?Excerpt:“You have your doubts. Listen, it’s all good, man. I’m not ready for anything heavy, anyhow. I’m focusing on work and nothing—”In his ear, a sultry voice said, “All work, and no play makes Bruce a dull boy.” He turned his face almost into Ophelia—Effie—Torres’ generous cleavage, then quickly up to her face. She grinned wickedly and sat beside him, close enough that their legs touched. Bruce’s brain said move away, but his body disagreed. Logic reminded him that Effie was barely twenty-four, and he just turned thirty. They belonged to different decades. Probably had little in common.Illogic made him watch her lips against the wineglass. The way she threw her head back when she laughed, exposing her slender throat. When the music started up again, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her body as it swayed to the beat. He downed his beer and ordered another. Normally, he was a two and done kind of guy. Not tonight.“Effie, why aren’t you going up there to sing?” Marisol chided Ophelia. To Bruce, she said, “My sister has a beautiful voice.” Her pride in her younger sister showed plainly.“Okay, okay. But only if my cuñado sings with me,” answered Ophelia.“What if your brother-in-law doesn’t feel like singing?” Pedro had the sound of a man who knew he had no chance of winning his argument. When he chugged his beer and pushed his chair back, it confirmed what Bruce suspected—he wanted to sing; he just couldn’t act like it.“What are we singing, cuñada?”Effie tapped a long coral painted nail on her full bottom lip and glanced up. She clapped her hands together and said, “How about we do—”“Don’t say—” began Pedro.“Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, Senorita,” said Effie.Pedro dropped his chin to his chest and groaned while Marisol teased. “Go on, now. Sing a sexy song with my sister.”Effie grabbed Pedro’s wrist and dragged him to the corner of the café where the band had set up. She leaned close to the guitar player’s ear, and he nodded as she spoke. As he switched out the electric for an acoustic guitar, the bass player pushed two mic stands to the front and the house band’s singer placed a music stand in front of them. Effie tapped on her cell phone, then set it on the stand. Bruce watched all this, mesmerized. He even failed to notice Mae, Rosabelle, and Lotus pull up chairs to their table until Mae nudged his arm and said, “Wow, is she gorgeous, or what?”Bruce’s jaw snapped close, and he asked, “Who?” He fooled no one.Lotus’s laughter bubbled as she said, “Um, the Cuban goddess on the stage, maybe?”Rosabelle chimed in, “Yeah, the one you haven’t taken your eyes off of since she got up there?”He met Marisol’s amused gaze. She shrugged as if to say, “What can I say? My sister is beautiful.”
