First Comes Marriage

Another one for the keeper shelf! Enjoy again this classic romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Janine Hartman loved her grandfather dearly—but she balked at his plan to choose her a husband. Zach Thomas, the intended groom, didn't like it any better.

Zach had recently merged his business with the Hartman family firm, and that was the only Hartman-Thomas merger he wanted. But Grandfather had other ideas, ideas belonging to a different place, a different time, when marriages were arranged by families. “It would be a perfect match,” he insisted. “You two suit each other.”

Zach and Janine didn't agree. In fact, they agreed on only one thing—that Gramps was a stubborn, meddling old man. But…what if he was right?

Originally published in 1991

First Comes Marriage

Debbie Macomber

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER ONE

“You must be Zachary Thomas,” Janine said breathlessly as she whirled into the office. “Sorry I’m late, but I got hung up in traffic on Fourth Avenue. I didn’t realize they’d torn up the whole street.” Still a little winded, she unfastened her coat, tossed it over the back of the visitor’s chair and threw herself down, facing the large executive desk.

The man on the other side blinked twice as though he didn’t know quite what to think.

“I’m Janine Hartman.” She drew in a deep breath. “Gramps said if he wasn’t back from his appointment, I should introduce myself.”

“Yes,” Zachary said after a moment of strained silence. “But he didn’t tell me you’d be wearing—”

“Oh, the bandanna dress,” Janine said, smoothing one hand over her lap. The dress had been constructed of red and blue bandannas; it featured a knee-length zigzag hemline and closely hugged her hips. “It was a gift. And since I’m meeting the girl who made it later, I thought I should wear it.”

“And the necklace?”

Janine toyed with the colored Christmas-tree lights strung between large beads on a bootlace that dangled from her neck. “It’s a bit outrageous, isn’t it? That was a gift, too. I think it’s kind of cute, don’t you? Pamela is so clever.”

“Pamela?”

“A teenager from the Friendship Club.”

“I…see,” Zach said.

“I do volunteer work there and the two of us hit it off as soon as we met. Pam’s mother doesn’t live in the area and she’s at that awkward age and needs a friend. For some reason she took a liking to me, which was fine because I think she’s wonderful.”

“I see,” he said again.

Janine doubted he did.

“The necklace is different I’ll grant you,” Zach was saying—which wasn’t admitting to much. His dark eyes narrowed as he studied it.

Now that she’d met Zachary Thomas, Janine could understand why her grandfather was so impressed with him—if appearances were anything to judge by. In his well-tailored suit, he was the very picture of a high-powered executive, crisp, formal and in control. He was younger than she’d assumed, possibly in his early thirties, but it was difficult to tell. His facial features were attractive enough, but he wasn’t strikingly handsome. Still, she found herself fascinated by the strength of character she saw in the uneven planes of his face. His dark hair was cut military short. His jaw was strong, his cheekbones high and his mouth full. That was the way she’d describe him physically, but there was apparently much more to this man than met the eye. At least, her grandfather was convinced of it.