Malorie Meyers has a wedding dress in her closet. The cleaners did an amazing job, considering the condition it was in on Malorie’s wedding day. The other guests at the B&B where Malorie takes her honeymoon keep asking why she’s there alone. It’s a long story, she tells them, then she makes an excuse to not tell it.

Now, there’s a new man in Malorie’s life. He’s perfect. Even his dog is perfect. There’s just one problem. He thinks the wedding dress in the closet belongs to Malorie’s best friend.

What’s he going to do when he finds out Malorie lied? And what’s Malorie going to do when she finds out his big secret?

There are plenty of LOLs and exciting moments to swoon over on Malorie Meyers’ bumpy journey toward love.

Coming March 2021, from USA Today best-selling author Angela Pepper, writing under her romance name Angie Pepper.

Note: This is a new full-length novel based on a short story originally published in 2014 under the pen name Mimi Strong.

Chapter one:

Malorie Meyers sat alone in her rented room, gazing longingly out the window. The rain that had been pouring down for five days had finally cleared, and people were out enjoying the sun in groups of two, three, four, five, and more. There wasn't a single person walking solo on the busy sidewalk below the quaint bed-and-breakfast.

Lonely people knew better than to subject others to their loneliness. They stayed holed up in their rooms where they belonged, with the television on and three abandoned paperbacks on the bedside table.

It was a good thing that Malorie would be flying back home tomorrow. At home, the kids who worked at the coffee shop had learned how to spell Malorie's name. That was basically the same as having friends. Also, back home in the city, she didn't have to answer pesky questions about why she was all alone in the honeymoon suite at the extremely romantic Half-Moon B and B.

Malorie tore her gaze away from the window and surveyed the room. The bed, covered in sumptuous red linens, beckoned her to sleep. She could slumber until this terrible idea of a vacation could finally end. Great idea, but it was only two o' clock. Even with the prescription pills her doctor had provided the week before, she wouldn't be able to sleep straight through until checkout time.

Malorie checked her phone for the one millionth time.

There were no new message from Lars.

She sent him a text: You should see this room! Wish you were here.

She didn't send a photo of herself wrapped in the red silky sheets. Malorie did have some dignity. Plus, she had already sent one the day before, to no response.

There was a scratch at the door.

"Just a sec," she called out, frantically removing her wrinkled and food-stained shirt. She replaced it with another shirt that was merely wrinkled.

Malorie opened to door to find her new buddy, a basset hound named Bingo, staring up at her with his adorable saggy face. Standing behind Bingo was the human known as Albert, one of the owners of Half-Moon B and B.

Albert, a flamboyant man of 62, said, "Bingo needs to get outside for some fresh air. And so do you, honey." He handed Malorie the leash. "The sun is shining. I know your stay here didn't work out the way you'd hoped, but you are not going to waste your last day with us. When people stay at the Half-Moon B and B, a good time is guaranteed. Do not make me force you to have a good time."

Malorie accepted the leash. "I guess I can take Bingo for a walk," she said, her voice monotone.

"He'd better come back smiling," Albert said.