The Man You'll Marry by Debbie Macomber Read Free Book Online Page A

Mark was practically engaged.
    Yes, she should be dancing in the streets, singing in the aisles…Instead she’d been struggling with a strange melancholy ever since their last encounter. She seemed to have lost her usual vitality, her sense of fun.
    Now it was Saturday, and for once she had no looming deadlines, no appointments, no pressing errands. Remembering the exhilaration and solace she’d felt when she recorded an ocean storm sequence recently, Shelly decided to see if she could recapture some of those feelings. She headed over to Long Beach, a resort town on the Washington coastline. The sky was clear and almost cloudless; the sun was bright and pleasantly warm—a perfect spring day. Once she drove onto the freeway, the miles sped past and two hours later shewas standing on the sandy beach with the breeze riffling her long hair.
    She walked around for a while, enjoying the sights and sounds—the chirping of the sea gulls, the salty spray of the Pacific Ocean and the scent of wind and sea. She was satisfied with her beach DVD and started to work out plans for a whole series—the ocean in different seasons, different moods. That would be something special, she thought, something unique.
    She wandered down the beach, kicking at the sand with the toes of her running shoes. Tucking her fingertips in the pockets of her jeans, she breathed in the vivid freshness around her. After an hour or so, she made her way back to the concession stands, where she bought a hot dog and a cold drink.
    Then, just because it looked like fun, she rented a moped.
    She sped along the shore, thrilled with the sensation of freedom, reveling in the solitude and the roar of pounding surf.
    The wind tossed her hair about her face until it was a confusion of curls. Shelly laughed aloud and listened as the galloping breeze carried off the sound.
    Her motorized bike rushed forward, spitting sand in its wake. She felt reckless with exhilaration, as though there was nothing she couldn’t do. It was that kind of afternoon. That kind of day.
    When she least expected it, someone else on a moped raced past her. Shelly hadn’t encountered anyone during her ride and this person took her by surprise. She glanced quickly over her shoulder, astonished by how far she’d traveled. The only other person she could see was the one who’d passed her.
    To her surprise, the rider did an abrupt turnaround and headed back in her direction. With the sun in her eyes and the wind pelting her, Shelly slowed to a crawl and shaded her eyes with one hand.
    It wasn’t until he was nearly beside her that Shelly recognized the other rider.
    Mark Brady.
    She was so shocked that she allowed the engine to die, her feet dropping to the sand to maintain her balance. Mark appeared equally shocked. He braked abruptly.
    “Shelly?” He seemed not to believe it was her.
    Shelly shook her head and blinked a couple of times just to make sure she wasn’t fantasizing. She certainly hadn’t expected to encounter Mark Brady on a beach two hours out of Seattle. Mr. Conservative riding a moped! This time, though, he wasn’t wearing a dark suit. He didn’t have his briefcase with him, either. And he looked even handsomer than usual in worn jeans and a University of Washington sweatshirt.
    “Mark?” She couldn’t prevent the astonishment from creeping into her voice.
    “What are you doing here?”
    She heard the hostility in his tone and answered him coolly. “The same thing as you, apparently.” She pushed the hair from her face, and the wind promptly blew it back.
    Mark’s blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You didn’t happen to follow me, did you?”
    “Follow you?” she repeated indignantly. She’d rarely been more insulted. “Follow you!” she said again, starting her moped and revving the engine. “May I remind you that I was on the beach first? If anyone was doing any following, it was you following me.” She was breathless by the time she finished. “In fact,