The Best Man

by Carol Hutchens

  THE BEST MAN

  A Romance Novel

  By

  Carol Hutchens

  Title: The Best Man

  Author: Carol Hutchens

  Published by: Carol Hutchens

  Copyright: March 12, 2013

  Cover Art: www.istockphotos.com

  Kindle Edition

  Kindle Edition

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it wasn’t purchased for your use only, please discard and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  THE BEST MAN

  By Carol Hutchens

  Dedicated

  To Larry, for all you are, I love you.

  Chapter 1

  The heavy wood doors clattered shut, trapping Kate Sommers in the vestibule of one of Raleigh’s oldest churches. After the melting heat of the September sun, dim coolness of the entryway made her shiver.

  Kate’s knees trembled. This was her first chance to confront the man who left her for dead after the tsunami. Facing Joel was the first obstacle on her return, and the first step toward gaining control of her life.

  The heavy odor of flowers assaulted her senses the instant she stepped into the sanctuary. The beauty of the church’s stained glass windows glowed with color in the September sunlight. Recorded music provided backup for the vocalist singing a popular wedding song at the front of the church.

  Taking tentative steps down the side aisle, Kate caught a rear view of a bride swathed in oceans of white, standing beside a groom dressed in an elegant light gray tuxedo. The happy couple stared into each other’s eyes as the vocalist sang.

  Visions of that same groom...at her own wedding flashed through Kate’s head as she moved closer to the couple standing in front of the minister.

  Guests craned their necks to see who was intruding on the ceremony. Mouths dropped open as people recognized her, adding to Kate’s regret and adding her reluctant to follow through with her plan.

  She stifled the urge to shout, “It’s just me.”

  If she had another option, she wouldn’t be here. But Joel needed to know she was alive before he married another woman.

  He’d made his choices. Now she was making hers.

  Finally reaching the altar, Kate opened her mouth, but words died in her throat as she spotted the best man.

  Luke!

  Recognition washed over her with the swiftness of a tidal wave. Luke Sterling was the best man from her wedding. Before Joel appeared out of Luke’s past, they had been close. If...if Joel hadn’t swept her into a relationship, things might have progressed to more.

  Kate sucked in a shuddering breath. She should have realized Joel would ask Luke to be his best man again. Twisting screws and finding an opponent’s weak spot was Joel’s greatest talent.

  Seeing Luke brought back all her doubts. Thoughts jumbled in her head as his blue eyes widened in recognition. An expression of joy crossed his face, holding her motionless. His reaction gave life to a tiny ray of hope. She had a friend.

  For the first time in eighteen months, warmth crashed against her heart instead of pain. Luke’s expression proved that at least one person from her past was happy to see her return alive. For the moment, that was all she needed. She would focus on how her father would react later.

  Fighting to control emotions churning inside her, Kate reached out her hand. Her lips moved and she finally forced a whisper. “Luke!”

  Luke stepped past the groom and moved toward her. He looked taller in the elegant tuxedo. His dark hair gleamed against the pale gray fabric of his jacket. His eyes sparkled bright as the stained glass windows as he smiled.

  “Kate!” His voice rumbled against the side of her head as he wrapped her to his chest in a crushing embrace. The vocalist’s version of The Wedding Song echoed in the large sanctuary as Luke held her tight and whispered. “Kate! Thank God you’re alive.”

  “I’m so glad to see you, Luke,” she gasped. For eighteen long months, she’d lived among the survivors of the distant island where she landed after the tsunami hit and felt unloved, unwanted. Luke’s greeting erased some of the pain holding her heart hostage. But a gaping hole ate at her heart, knowing her own husband left the country after only three days.

  Three days. She had searched for lost pets longer than three days.

  Luke glanced back at the wedding couple as if suddenly remembering his duty as best man. “Kate, we need to get out of here. Go where we can talk.”

  Kate pushed back from his chest. “I need to—”

  “Kate!” Luke pulled her back to his chest and whispered. “You can’t do this. Not now. The firm’s future is at stake.”

  Kate lifted her chin, and putting both hands on his chest, she pushed back from his elegant attire. The borrowed dress she wore added a stark contrast to their situations, but Luke hadn’t been abandoned on his second honeymoon. “I have to tell Joel—”

  “Luke? What’s going on?” Joel’s voice sounded loud as he noticed them when the song ended. Joel’s attention had on his bride. Now his brow wrinkled as ruddy color rushed to his tanned cheeks.

  For half a second, Kate envied the bride. Then she recalled Joel’s betrayal and lifted her chin high.

  Joel stepped past the bride, approaching his best man. Long seconds later, Kate saw the exact moment he recognized her, but she couldn’t blame Joel for the delay. After existing on emergency rations for months, she’d lost weight. Her hair had grown to the middle of her back and lightened in the island sun.

  Joel’s tanned complexion drained of color. His mouth gapped open. His voice came out in a choked sound. “Kate?”

  With Joel’s fake charm exposed, she saw the weak man he really was and regretted her previous choices. But this was a new day, a new start for her. Facing her husband was a step in the right direction. She needed to distance herself from all ties. “Joel, I—”

  The bride whirled around in as sea of white taffeta, and swept forward, to grab her groom by the arm. The delicate sheer veil swished around her bare shoulders as she pulled Joel to her side. Staring at Kate with a mixture of concern and joy, she turned a sick green color that didn’t match any of the light rays coming from the multi-colored windows.

  Kate faced her friend and Joel’s secretary. “I’m sorry, Laurel. I had to come.” Kate turned to the man she vowed to love and cherish at their wedding in this same church six years ago. “Joel…I thought I should tell you—”

  “Kate, wait.” Luke wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and held her against his side. She felt safe for the first time since the tsunami hit, but his words added to tension curling her insides.

  Luke leaned close and whispered. “Don’t do this now. Let me explain what’s at stake.” His intent gaze held a warning. “Wait—”

  “I can’t.” Kate pulled out of his embrace. The warmth in Luke’s eyes reminded her of what she had missed because Joel pretended to love her. But Joel hadn’t acted like a loving husband when it mattered most. He deserted her, not knowing if she was alive or dead. She couldn’t forgive him for that. “I had to come—”

  “Why?” Joel demanded, staring at her as if he were seeing a ghost.

  Kate struggled to control her satisfaction as Joel’s composure slipped, leaving his pale features stamped with uncertainty. She was different now. The woman she was when she married Joel would never have confronted him in front of a crowd.

  He’d insisted on the second honeymoon, but his actions proved he had never loved her. Strengthened by her struggle to survive, she stayed fo
cused. “I wanted you to know I’m alive.”

  Joel’s expressions flickered like a play-by-play analyst watching a game. Kate could imagine the wheels of his brain turn as he searched for a way out of the awkward situation.

  And she had no doubt he would find an escape. Joel was a master of manipulation. But one point she could not forget. He left the country three days after the tsunami washed her out of their rented sailboat. He couldn’t put a positive spin on that.

  “Kate. You’re alive!” Color returned to his cheeks. “I can’t—”

  Clinging to dreams of her wedding, Laurel clutched his arm. “Joel—”

  A twinge of regret shot through Kate. If she were as cold as Joel was she could destroy the bride’s illusions in a second, but that was one of the problems of their marriage. They hadn’t wanted the same things. She wanted love and companionship. Joel wanted a perfect image and success. She wanted to let go the past and start over.

  Kate pushed away Luke’s restraining hand. “Luke, I have to—”

  “Kate!” Joel moved close, Laurel still clinging to his arm. “What are you doing here?” His head jerked up at the audible gasp from guests near enough to hear his words. Eyes flickering, he glanced at the crowded church. His face twisted as he turned to Kate and repeated. “Y-you’re alive!”

  Kate saw the determination in his glare, like a cat staring at his prey. This wasn’t the first time she had watched Joel perform and try to sway public opinion in his favor. But she wasn’t a member of the jury, and she’d shaped her opinion on the long flight home.

  “I-I thought you were dead!” His voice wobbled with the perfect mix of shock and joy.

  With his words scrapping her nerves, Kate angled her chin high. Amusement took hold as he stared at her dress. Joel found her appearance as uncomfortable as she felt. But she couldn’t keep from saying. “And that’s why you’re getting married?”

  “It’s a commitment ceremony.” Joel frowned at Laurel’s gasp.

  Kate glanced at the massive flower arrangements at the altar and studied Laurel’s white dress, before turning back to Joel. When they first met, she had been attracted to his surfer boy good looks, but the past months flashed through her head and stiffened her spine.

  She had changed since Joel married her to push his career ahead. It was time he found out. “I came to—”

  “Kate, let me take you out of here.” Luke urged again, his low voice vibrating with urgency.

  She saw the serious expression on his face, then remembered Luke was Joel’s best man. Luke might be happy to see her, but he had a duty to the groom. She turned a sharp glance on each of the two men. Next to Luke’s dark good looks, Joel’s blond hair and gray eyes looked like a faded image in an old photo.

  She wasn’t being fair. Joel couldn’t be at his best. Her sudden appearance had shocked him. She remembered shock. When islanders rescued her from the top of that tree, she’d been in shock. Speaking softly, she said, “I need to—”

  “Why are you here, Kate? Why today of all days?” Expressions chased across Joel’s face as he fought to regain control. His glance darted toward the guests, then back to her, anger warring with the need to remain civil.

  Kate recognized the moment he reached a decision. Leave it to Joel to weigh the odds and try to turn things to his advantage.

  “I mean…it’s such a surprise to see you.” His voice had softened, though still loud enough for guests to hear. That was Joel’s specialty…talk the jury to his side. But Kate saw through his words. Recognized his phony act, and managed to feel sorry for him.

  His past actions…his swift departure from the island…earned her pity. She’d known he was ambitious. After they were married, she could never please him. Eventually, he admitted he married her to gain a partnership in her father’s law firm. Then, he recanted. Said he was sorry, insisted on the second honeymoon to patch things up.

  Stranded on the island after regaining her memory, she worked things out. She realized Joel never cared for her. Not when they married, and definitely not when he returned home, alone. “It’s okay, Joel. Obviously, you wouldn’t marry again if you thought I was alive.”

  Face as red as the carnation in his lapel, Joel clenched his teeth. “It’s not a wedding. It’s a commitment ceremony.”

  “Don’t worry, Joel. I’m not here to cause trouble.”

  “Kate, honey…I didn’t do anything wrong.” Voice dripping despair, he glanced to the guests, silently begging forgiveness. Mouth twisting in a boyish grin, reminding Kate how his practiced charm had lured her into marriage, he repeated. “This isn’t a wedding. It’s a commitment ceremony.”

  Clenching her fingers in the seams of the faded dress an islander had given her to wear on the flight, Kate kept her voice devoid of emotion. “I came to tell you I’m alive.”

  The anguish on Laurel’s face caused Kate a twinge of pity. The secretary couldn’t see past her adoration for her boss. Shoving away pangs of regret at losing Laurel’s friendship, Kate continued. “I came in person so you would know it isn’t a prank. I didn’t come to ruin your wedding.”

  “It’s not a wedding.” Joel hissed. His face-hardened, erasing all trace of his boyish charm. Voice low, whether in guilt or regret, he said. “I thought you were dead.”

  That’s it?

  “You left for home three days after the tsunami.” Kate couldn’t hold the accusation back. Disappointment and shock caused her voice crack. Luke moved close, but accusations spilled from her lips. “I was still clinging to the top of a palm tree when you boarded a flight home.”

  “Why wait until today to come back?” Joel gave up any attempt at maintaining his composure, revealing the temper under his fake charm.

  Silence filled the sanctuary. Guests leaned forward, waiting for Kate to respond.

  Eyes wide, Kate noted Joel’s frustration, Laurel’s despair, the shock on Luke’s face and guests’ curiosity. Tremors shook her in her borrowed shoes, but she held her head high. For the first time since she met Joel, she was in control of her life.

  Seeing the pretended concern on his face, she was glad he left her behind. The woman he’d married, the old Kate, was as dead as the love he’d pretended. Strength gained from surviving her ordeal allowed her to meet Joel’s stare. She had courage and a new purpose in her life. She was in control. “My plane landed in New York this morning. I caught the first flight to Raleigh.”

  “You could have called.” Joel waved a hand dramatically.

  “Joel!”

  “I tried.” Kate ignored Luke’s harsh word of warning and watched Joel as avidly as everyone in the church. She hadn’t seen a movie in months, but she was watching an actor at his best.

  Joel dropped his arm to his side, and guests turned in Kate’s direction, making her feel she had joined him on a stage.

  This was all her fault.

  She shouldn’t have come to the church. But she hadn’t had choice. She needed to stop this wedding for all their sakes. “No one answered at any of the numbers I tried.” Kate gestured to the guests. “Now, I know why there was no answer at our...”

  Words dried on her tongue. Every fiber in her objected to calling the house she shared with Joel as home.

  Home.

  That one word summed up her dreams for as long as she could remember. She’d dreamed of having two parents and a real home all her childhood. Shoulders square, she said. “You changed your cell phone number.”

  Gasps from the guests filled the air like escaped balloons.

  Muscles worked in Joel’s neck, protruding as if he’d swallowed an ice cube. “I lost my phone in the tsunami.”

  The pasty color of his face and wilting voice pulled at Kate’s conscience. Her anger seeped away. “I know. The tsunami was bad.”

  “Why did you wait so long to come home?”

  Kate fought the memories his question brought back. “I had a lump on the back of my head and didn’t remember who I was.”

  She wasn�
�t going to reveal the rest. Joel didn’t care. A man who loved his wife would have torn piles of debris apart to find some sign of her…even if he expected to find her body.

  Kate forced the memories back. She’d learned her lesson. She would never give a man the power to hurt her again. Not the father who deserted her as a baby, and not the man she had married to gain her father’s good opinion.

  “It took this long to remember who you were?” Joel snarled like a wounded animal.

  Kate knew his pain came from losing control of the situation. Thinking of their marriage, she doubted Joel was capable of real emotion. “I had amnesia.”

  “Joel!” Luke’s reprimand sliced through the tension holding them captive. He put a restraining hand on Joel’s sleeve. “This isn’t the time or the place.”

  “I think it is.” Joel sent his best man a glance out of the corner of his eye. “I deserve an answer after she’s been gone all this time.”

  Kate noticed the way he tilted his head to make his face more visible to the church full of on-lookers. It was the confirmation she needed.

  Joel never loved her.

  She didn’t blame him for the days she’d been stranded in a tree without food and water, but she couldn’t forgive him for not caring about her when she’d trusted him with her heart.

  With her life.

  Now, she just wanted him out of her life. “It was a remote island.”

  “I found a way off, why couldn’t you?” The unfeeling words made Kate certain he’d never cared.

  Joel wanted a new wife.

  She wanted to forget past hurts and start a new life. They had both suffered fear and wanted to move on. “I didn’t come back to ruin your weddin—”

  “Commitment ceremony,” Joel gritted.

  “To ruin your life,” she continued in a firm voice. “I came to reclaim mine.”

  Joel looked stunned, but fast as flicking a light switch, he remembered the guests leaning forward so they wouldn’t miss a word of the exchange. “It’s okay, Kate. All that matters is that you’re safe.”