by Lori Foster
“I don’t huff,” Ashley huffed, shocking May and making Jude smile despite the disturbing news of Elton’s disappearance. So Ashley had a love interest? Nice.
“Oh, dear, you do,” Zara told her. “You huff quite well, actually. I was very impressed.”
“Don’t be,” Ashley said through her teeth.
“But it really put Quinton in a tailspin. Very well done. You should give him another chance.”
Ashley pushed back her chair to stand. Jude still couldn’t get over seeing her in a dress. This one was glittery in shades of tangerine, lavender, and teal. She looked lovely, and with her hair up and back, she resembled May more than ever.
In two days, when the wedding took place, she’d looked even more like May in her maid of honor gown.
“Oh no.” May reached for her friend’s hand. “Where are you going?”
“To contact Quinton?” Zara asked hopefully.
Ashley’s fists landed on her slim hips. “No. I have no interest in contacting him.”
“You had interest before you saw me.” Zara preened, as if the idea of making someone jealous pleased her.
Ashley rolled her eyes, ready to spit. Or curse. She controlled herself with visible effort. “Wrong. I was temporarily misguided, that’s all.”
“Quinton was so upset.”
“Oh good grief.” Ashley’s face colored. “I was going to ask him to be my date for the wedding. That’s all. And that’s only because Denny was being a pain in the ass about me coming alone. Trust me, Quinton will be glad he missed it.”
“Gee, thanks,” May said, her tone dry.
“You know what I mean, May. Only for you would I wear a pale pink dress with lace.” She shuddered.
Tim perked up. He cleared his throat. “Hey, Ash. If you’re still dateless, I could—”
Jude said, “No,” horrified at the thought, given he suspected Tim and Ashley could be related.
At the same time, Ashley snorted a laugh. “Not in this lifetime, Timothy.”
Denny returned to the table. “They assured me they should have Elton soon. With more than one division alerted, he won’t be able to access his funds, visit anyone he knows, or go any place where he’s recognized. A marshmallow like him won’t last long on the street.”
“Great.” Ashley scooped up her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder. “Glad that’s settled.” She bent to hug May, grabbed Jude next, and then headed for Denny.
May jumped out of her seat to follow her, protests coming fast and furious.
Stuart caught Ashley as she started to pass. “May listens to you. Tell her that Tim should be the best man, not this other fellow.” He gestured as if Denny didn’t stand right there, listening. Idiot.
Ashley paused on one side of Stuart, with May on the other. They debated the issue, and to Jude’s amusement, the two women looked like bookends. Granted, one bookend was a little taller and slimmer, and one had enough cleavage for two females, but other than that…
“Oh, shit,” Denny whispered, drawing Jude’s attention away from his soon-to-be wife. Denny looked between May, Ashley, and Stuart.
Jude knew the moment he put it together. Leaning close, he whispered, “Not a word.”
“But they’re…”
“Yeah, I know.”
More rattled than Jude had ever seen him, Denny asked, “Do they know?”
“I don’t think so.” May understood that her father had a lot of shortcomings. She accepted them, just as she accepted so much in her life.
But what would she think if she found out that Ashley was her half-sister, not just a best friend? Given Ashley’s upbringing, would May be able to forgive her father? It amazed Jude that May hadn’t noticed the similarity on her own. Sure, she and Ashley shared a close resemblance.
But most of all, they each looked like Stuart.
Jude couldn’t prove it, so it seemed wise to let it go for now.
“That son of a bitch,” Denny growled low.
May glanced up. “Don’t you worry, Denny. You’re the best man, and that’s that.”
Denny smiled. “Thanks, hon.”
“We were talking about Elton,” Jude lied. “I doubt he’s any real threat right now, but until he’s found, I intend to keep a very close eye on you.”
“Is that a joke?” Olympia lit another cigarette, then eyed Jude through the smoke. “As if you aren’t already. You look so lovesick it’s enough to turn my stomach.”
May went bright red, but her father jumped on the topic with calculating eagerness. “Tim should stay at your place, too. God knows you can afford the security. Now that he’ll be your brother-in-law, you owe him some protection. After all, if it wasn’t for you, none of us would be on the shit list with this Elton person.”
Denny took an aggressive step toward Ashley. “You need a little watching too, missy.”
She frowned. “From what?”
“Elton,” Denny said, exasperated. “Maybe he knows you’re the one who first identified him in the restaurant. Maybe he knows you’re May’s… best friend.”
Maybe, Jude thought, he even knew they were sisters. Anyone with eyes could see it, and Elton wasn’t above using it.
“Good God. Why don’t we all just move in with Jude?” Olympia snatched up May’s half-empty glass. “You know, it could be this Elton bozo is totally innocent in all this.”
“He’s not,” Jude said.
“I recall that lots of people considered you guilty of stuff, too. I should think you’d want solid proof before persecuting some other poor guy.”
Jude kept his calm with an effort. “We can’t get solid proof until Elton is apprehended, and the fact that he ran says a lot. But thanks to Vic’s confessions, we know he was responsible.”
Ashley acted the smartass as usual. “Hey, as G.I. Joe would say, knowing is half the battle.” And with a wink, she took off, balls to the walls as usual.
Jude strode over to put his arm around May and spoke close to her ear so only she could hear. “Don’t worry. I’ll call in some men to keep an eye on her.”
“Ashley won’t like it if she finds out she’s being watched.”
“I know.” He bent and kissed her, unmindful of the way her mother complained, oblivious to anyone else in their vicinity. “But will my fiancée like it?”
The worry disappeared as May bloomed beneath a smile. “Your fiancée will love you all the more for it. Ashley is very important to me.”
Jude nodded. “Like a sister.”
“Closer than a sister.”
“Then I won’t let anything happen to her.” He kissed her again. “Keeping you happy is the most important thing to me.”
May laughed. “Then your life should be easy. Because as long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”