The Best Man in Texas

by Tanya Michaels

  Jake spotted her first and smiled warmly. But as his gaze swept over her, his expression changed. He looked puzzled.

  Without being too obvious, Brooke did a quick double-check of her appearance. Did she have a run in her hose, a missing button? She hadn’t had anything to eat yet, so she wasn’t worried that she had food smudged on her face.

  Finding nothing amiss, she gave up wondering why he was nearly frowning at her and said hello to everyone. Giff kissed both her and Meg on the cheeks and took over the introductions.

  When Meg shook Jake’s hand, she tilted her head to the side, studying him. “Have we met before? There’s something familiar about you…”

  Jake glanced over her shoulder and winked at Brooke, who couldn’t hold back a laugh as she recalled their first meeting at Comida Buena and her instant recognition of him.

  “I have some good news,” Jake said abruptly, his gaze still tangled with Brooke’s. “That little girl? They stabilized her enough to begin her numerous operations, and it looks as if she’ll pull through. She has a long road of physical rehab ahead of her, of course, but—”

  “That’s wonderful!” Brooke said, at the same time Giff and Meg both asked, “What little girl?”

  As Jake was giving them a brief update on the accident earlier this week, downplaying his role as hero of the day, Brooke noticed that a tuxedoed member of the hired staff had just opened the front door to Everett Nichols.

  “There’s Dad,” she said. “Meg, we should go say hi to him.”

  Meg didn’t look thrilled about tearing herself away from Jake’s side, but she dutifully accompanied Brooke.

  “Jake is Mr. July,” Brooke said under her breath. “Your fireman calendar? That’s where you know him from.”

  Meg sucked in a breath. “You’re close personal friends with one of the hunks from that calendar and never bothered to mention it? Or introduce me!”

  “You met some of his colleagues and deemed them hunky, too, as I recall. How many hot guys do you need to know?” What Brooke had meant as a joke came out almost waspish. Was she suddenly feeling possessive of Jake?

  Ridiculous.

  “Little sister,” Meg said as they reached the foyer, “a woman can never know too many hot guys.”

  “Well, sorry I forgot to mention it before now. I’ve had other things on my mind.” Case in point. Brooke smiled in welcome. “Hi, Daddy.”

  Everett beamed at them. “If it isn’t the two most beautiful young ladies in Texas.”

  Meg laughed. “Not that young.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Brooke protested. “Can we get you something to drink, Dad?”

  “The person who let me in is bringing me back a beer.”

  “That sounds good. I think I’ll go see about one of those, too.” Meg disappeared down the hall in the direction of the backyard. The live band hadn’t started playing yet, but it sounded as if they were running a final sound check.

  “You must’ve made great time,” Brooke told her father. “I wasn’t expecting you for another fifteen or twenty minutes.”

  “I dismissed class a few minutes early. I wanted you to know how important you are to me. Plus, I wanted to make a good first impression on your future mother-in-law,” he added with a grin.

  “I appreciate that. Grace will be back down soon. She’s showing Mom the house.”

  Everett’s jaw tightened.

  “Dad? Everything all right?”

  “Other than your mother being pathologically unable to handle any constructive criticism and running off in a tantrum instead of owning up to her mistakes, everything is right as rain.”

  Brooke stifled a groan. “Dad, I know you and Mom are in the midst of a disagreement right now, but tonight is very—”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about me making a scene, pumpkin.” He ruffled her hair. “I’m a mature adult.”

  Here we go.

  “YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD USE this,” Giff said near her ear.

  Brooke turned to a reminder of just how lucky she was—an incredibly handsome man in dark suit, his smile illuminated by overhead twinkle lights, holding out a glass of chilled white wine. What woman wouldn’t be delighted by that tableau?

  She’d just torn herself away from a few Junior League ladies. They’d expressed thinly veiled curiosity over why Giff hadn’t chosen his prospective bride from among their ranks, then issued invitations for Brooke to get involved in local volunteer efforts once she was married. Thinking about what it would be like to spend more time with those women than Kresley, who’d be almost an hour away with traffic, was a little depressing. So she’d been standing on the bottom steps of the deck scanning the crowd for her friend and editor when Giff approached.

  “Thank you.” She accepted the wine gratefully. Showing great restraint, she opted not to down it like a lush and instead smiled at Giff. “And might I add, nice to see you again, stranger. I feel like we’ve been pulled in different directions all night.”

  He nodded. “Dozens of people here wanting to speak to us and offer their congrats. It’s demanding work, being the guests of honor.”

  “Especially when one of us has been busy babysitting her so-called parents,” Brooke added darkly.

  His expression was sympathetic. “They’re still not getting along?”

  “No, but at least they’re showing the good sense to avoid each other rather than fight.” She pointed to Meg and Didi, talking to other guests at one of the tables. Everett, meanwhile, was waltzing with Grace near the bandstand. Brooke smiled impishly. “You know, I have an idea of how you could take my mind off my family woes.”

  He followed her gaze to the dance floor. “I have been eager to dance with you all night,” he lied unabashedly. “I’ve just been waiting for the band to play something appropriately romantic.”

  “By which you mean something so slow that we barely have to move, and you can just put your arms around me and sway?”

  He grinned. “You say it like that’s a bad thing.”

  The current song ended and was replaced with a feisty, up-tempo number. Giff winced.

  “Don’t worry,” Brooke said laughingly. “I wouldn’t—Uh-oh.” Everett had released Grace and was now dancing with someone else, a brunette. An extremely pretty brunette. Across the lawn Didi had shot to her feet, a stormy expression on her face.

  Meg stood too, placing a hand on their mother’s shoulder. Thank you, Megan, I take back every single uncharitable thing I ever thought about you. Relieved that potential disaster had been averted, Brooke turned back to Giff but didn’t get a chance to say anything before she was interrupted by Grace.

  “Giff, darling, the Petersens are leaving. I thought you might like to see them out?” she suggested. Her smile at Brooke was conspiratorial. “As I’m sure you know, Dermott Petersen is a major shareholder in two large corporations and Giff has been campaigning for their business for several years now.”

  “Right.” Giff started up the steps, then hesitated when he saw Jake coming out of the house. “Perfect timing.”

  Jake raised his eyebrows in question. “For?”

  “Brooke was just saying how much she wanted to dance, but unfortunately, duty calls.”

  “Unfortunately,” Brooke echoed, shooting Giff an amused but pointed look.

  “No one ever had to twist my arm to get me to dance with a beautiful woman,” Jake said. He held out a hand. “Shall we?”

  “I’ll be back soon,” Giff promised over his shoulder, taking the stairs two at a time.

  Jake shook his head. “Work, work, work. Even at his own party.”

  “He has an admirable work ethic,” Brooke said tolerantly. “And a gut-level aversion to the dance floor.”

  Jake laughed with her as they cut through the crowd. She experienced an odd jolt when he put a hand on her waist—this wasn’t like the freestyle club dancing they’d done at the concert. This was actual hold-your-partner-in-your-arms contact, and it made her pulse a little flutte
ry.

  Trying to mask her sudden shyness over their proximity, she stared up at him. “You look good. B-better, I mean. Than when I saw you the other day. I’m so glad to hear that little girl’s prognosis has improved.”

  Jake nodded, his eyes somber for a second, before brightening. “You look good, too. Different but good.”

  “Different?” Exhilaration pulsed through her when he spun her out in a quick circle.

  “Darker,” he clarified with a glance down at her black cocktail dress. “I’ve seen you in vivid yellow, red and that pink sweater you were wearing the other day at the station.”

  Brooke chuckled. “You hadn’t struck me as a guy who paid so much attention to women’s clothes.”

  “I’m not.”

  Unsure how to respond, she was relieved when he began speaking again instead of letting them lapse into an awkward silence.

  “You look great tonight,” he said. “I was trying, somewhere in there, to pay you a compliment. I guess I’m just more used to seeing you as bright and colorful.”

  That caught her so unawares she accidentally squashed his toes beneath her feet. Bright and colorful? Me? She’d grown up feeling staid, if not downright stuffy, compared to the rest of her family. The only person who’d ever called her “bright” had been a college professor who’d been referring solely to her academic potential.

  “Brooke?”

  “Sorry. You just surprised me. You have a knack for that,” she added wryly.

  “Oh.” He hesitated. “That’s not a good thing, is it? As I recall, you hate surprises.”

  She bit her lip. “I’m discovering that I like some more than others.”

  Their gazes met, and she was struck anew by how gorgeous his eyes were. Was it inappropriate to notice that? She quickly glanced away, looking past his shoulder.

  “Hey!” Relief bubbled up within her. “There’s Kres.”

  Kresley and Dane Flynn were only a few feet away on the dance floor, moving slower than the beat but both smiling.

  “A friend, I take it?”

  Brooke nodded. “Good friend. Also my editor. I was looking for her just before Giff and I ran into you.” This gave her an excellent excuse to extricate herself from Jake’s embrace. Despite how much she’d enjoyed dancing with him— Well, that was the problem, wasn’t it? How much she’d enjoyed dancing with him.

  She pulled away abruptly. “Kresley!”

  The Flynns waved and left the dance floor, meeting up with her along the side. Kresley was gorgeous tonight in a deep green maternity dress; standing next to her, Brooke recalled Jake’s words and wondered if perhaps she did look a bit drab. Tonight she was supposed to celebrating. Maybe something more festive—

  “You must be Jake?” Kresley tilted her head, regarding him with a puckish smile. “Kresley Flynn. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Brooke shot Kresley a warning glance that didn’t entirely match her friendly tone. “Kres, Dane, this is Jake McBride, Giff’s friend and our best man.”

  “Nice to meet you.” As he was shaking hands with both of them, Brooke heard her name being called.

  Meg was barreling down on them. “Brooke! Hey, Kresley, Dane.” She paused, her voice becoming a purr. “Jake. I don’t mean to interrupt, but can I borrow my sister for a moment?”

  “I’ll be right back,” Brooke said, hoping that was true and whatever emergency Meg was telegraphing with her eyes would be quickly settled. “Will you guys let Giff know, in case he comes looking for me?”

  She barely waited for their nods before trailing Meg toward the house and up the deck stairs.

  “Mom’s in meltdown mode,” Meg said. “I took her glass of Riesling away and suggested she go inside to freshen up.”

  If they hadn’t arrived together—a decision Brooke was seriously rethinking in retrospect—she might suggest that Meg take their mother home. Or, if Didi and Everett would act like adults who hadn’t spent Brooke’s entire life creating drama, they could go home together.

  The sniffling coming from behind the closed door let Brooke know which first-floor guest bathroom her mother occupied. She took a deep breath and knocked. “Mom?”

  Didi opened the door and peered out with reddened eyes. Streaks of mascara were beginning to smudge the tops of her cheeks. “It’s a l-lovely party, Brooke. And Grace is every bit as wonderful as you’ve described her.”

  Brooke sighed. “You don’t look like you’re having a ‘lovely’ time. Maybe you and Dad just need to talk, then you’ll feel better. I could go find him. You two could go home and—”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of ruining your father’s fun,” Didi said tightly. “Haven’t you seen him out there, flirting up women half his age? After I gave him the best years of my life! Do you know how hard it is for a middle-aged woman to start over again?”

  Throughout their youth, Meg and Brooke had been warned multiple times that their parents might be separating. Should Brooke actually worry that this time there might be a grain of truth in the sentiment? Figures. They split up the night of my engagement party. Maybe they can find a way to get divorce papers served during my wedding.

  Brooke was instantly appalled at herself. Was she really becoming so cynical?

  “Mom, I love you. You know I do. But—”

  “But I’m being a dark cloud, aren’t I? Everyone is so happy for you and Giff. The guests have been talking about what a cute couple you are all night. People told me how pretty the wedding invitations were, and it made me realize—I never had any of that, the fuss, the big day. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that Everett and I have had so many problems. He never even thought I was worth all that effort. Our wedding was so…expedient.”

  “Is it possible your mood is coloring your memory of the event? You’ve always told me how passionate and romantic it was to be caught up in the moment,” Brooke pointed out.

  “Yes, well.” Didi gave her a bitter little smile. “I guess we should just be glad you learned from my mistakes and won’t let yourself get caught up in romance.”

  Brooke blinked. She has a point. But what did it say about a bride-to-be who, at her own engagement party, was feeling grateful not to succumb to romance?

  Chapter Ten

  Brooke found Giff at the bottom of the steps in the backyard and flashed him a wan smile. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

  He took her hand. “I was just coming to find you. Thought maybe you’d been kicking up your heels on the dance floor this whole time.”

  “No, but it looks like Jake and the Flynns are still over in that area. We should visit with them before Kresley gets tired and has to bail. Actually, I might not be able to stay too much later myself. Meg and I probably need to take Mom home.” She tried to keep the weariness out of her voice, but could tell by the gentle concern in Giff’s expression that she hadn’t succeeded.

  “I’m so sorry your parents are arguing,” he told her. “It must be difficult for you. But I’m sure they’ll have everything smoothed over soon.”

  “You’re probably right.” Brooke bit her lip. “To hear Mom tell it, this fight is the big one, but then, that’s how she always sees them. Thank God we’ll never have to worry about this kind of angst and drama in our marriage! You’re so…stable.”

  “Wow. I sound very dashing,” he said wryly.

  Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry. I meant it as high praise.”

  “Brooke, you’re back!” Kresley had kicked off her shoes and was sitting at a table with her husband and Jake. “Jake was just telling us about how he got inspired to do his road trips.”

  Taking a seat, Brooke glanced questioningly at Jake. He’d claimed before that he liked to go wherever the spirit moved him—she hadn’t known there was a specific inspiration behind it.

  “When I was in the Middle East, I met a kid from Kentucky,” Jake explained for Brooke’s benefit. “He was from a town of about three hundred, had never been away from home before and was scared. Told me once that it wo
uld be ironic if he died for his country because he’d never seen any of it. We both made it back in one piece, and once I got home to Texas, I realized I was a lot like him.

  “I’ve lived my entire life here, and while I’m in no rush to change that, I do want to visit all fifty states, make an effort to see the country I served. My next trip is to Tennessee. I have four consecutive days off starting Thursday, and a buddy of mine is flying me to Chattanooga. There’s a tourist spot there where you’re supposed to be able to see seven different states.”

  “He’s already been to Alaska,” Kresley told Brooke.

  “The military made that part easy,” he interjected. “I was on a base there for six months.”

  “And he plans to go to Hawaii soon,” Kresley added. “With those two out of the way, the other forty-eight seem comparatively simple.”

  Jake laughed. “Comparatively. People forget just how big this country is.”

  “They do,” Kresley said, sitting straighter in her chair. “Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, you can know exactly what people a thousand miles away are doing every minute. You know, I think this would make an excellent human-interest piece for the lifestyles section! Local man, a community hero, no less—”

  “Oh, boy, she’s on a roll now,” Dane said affectionately.

  Ignoring her husband’s interjection, Kresley continued, “A former soldier, trying to get to know America.”

  Jake’s eyes widened and he fidgeted uncomfortably, eliciting a laugh from Brooke. The man willingly walked into infernos but seemed nervous about having a story done on him.

  He scowled in her direction. “You think it’s silly, don’t you? An article about me?”

  “Not at all,” she hastily clarified. “I was laughing at…something else. I think the story could turn out really well.”

  Giff was nodding his agreement. “Maybe you could even write it, Brooke. You’re always saying you love the opportunities to do more than weddings.”

  Jake raised an eyebrow. “The woman about to get married doesn’t like weddings?”