Groom of Fortune

Link Templeton had sworn he'd never marry, yet he was now carrying a bride across the threshold. But Isabelle Fortune wasn't his bride, and it was his duty to protect the violet-eyed beauty from her intended groom. Link was a man who valued duty above all things - including, apparently, his own sanity. Because sharing a remote cabin with this virginal seductress was testing his willpower. And he even seemed to be hallucinating, for he kept picturing wedding scenes with Isabelle as his radiant bride... and himself as her adoring groom! 5th in Fortune's Children - The Grooms series

Isabelle Fortune, sheltered heiress that she is, is not stupid. When she overhears two men at her wedding talking rather incriminatingly of her fiancé, she runs away fearing for her life. Link Templeton, the detective assigned to the murder of Mike Dodd was on his way to the church to stop Isabelle from marrying a suspected killer. When he witnesses the bride's escape, he follows her and eventually teams up with her, lying low in a remote cabin, to resolve the case and explore the strange attraction that lies between them. Peggy Moreland has written a conclusion to this Fortune mini-series that is filled with a surprising amount of depth where the plot is concerned. Because of the large age gap and social differences between Link and Isabelle, Moreland employs a plot involving Isabelle's past to join them together in a remarkable way. Isabelle is very young but the betrayal of her fiancé shakes her up in many ways. She is accustomed to doing as her family expects, including marrying a man she doesn't love, but in Link she finds a man she unexpectedly loves and is willing to fight for. It is hard not to admire her for this. Link is troubled by his persistent connection to this young woman and the fact that he can't seem to escape her. Link is admirable for both his love for Isabelle and the selflessness it develops in his character. I wish I could tell you more about the wonderful use of plot employed in this story but I wouldn't want to ruin this fine conclusion.