to start?”
He’d admit to having been rebuffed by a woman a time or two in his life, but never quite as resoundingly as that. “According to Minnie Mouse over there,” he said, nodding to the wedding planner, “in five minutes.”
“Minnie Mouse?”
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Just a joke.” But from the look on her face, she obviously didn’t think it a very funny one.
“Cin,” she said, pushing past him and calling to the woman in Ted’s arms. “I think the wedding planner is trying to get your attention.”
But Ted was already pulling his bride-to-be in their direction.
“Here she is, Jake,” he announced. “This is Cindy.”
“Cindy,” Jake said in a low, formal voice.
Reeling a bit from the rather rude encounter with the icy blonde, he wasn’t sure what kind of reception to expect from Cindy. Should he try to shake her hand, bow or just stand there like a dope? But Cindy didn’t seem to have any doubts. She completely surprised him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Jake, at last!” she gasped, her blue eyes bright and sparkling. “I can’t believe I’m actually talking to Jake! Ted talks about you so much I feel like we’re already friends.”
“Just promise to give me a chance to defend myself,” he said, liking her immediately. “There’s no telling what this guy’s been saying.”
“Oh, it’s all been very complimentary,” Cindy assured him. She slipped an arm through his, shooting Ted a wink. “But I’m depending on you to fill me in on all the secrets.”
“I keep telling her there are no secrets,” Ted insisted. “I’m really a dull guy.”
Jake turned to Cindy. “Well, he is right about that. He is dull—really dull. Which makes me wonder, what do you see in him anyway?”
Cindy laughed. “Anyone who knows me knows I love a challenge. Right, Kristin?”
“The bigger the better.”
There it was again, that curious tickle in the back of his brain. Did he know this woman? Is that why she’d given him the cold shoulder? Only he couldn’t imagine forgetting someone who looked like her. Ms. Kristin Carey may be a bit frosty around the edges, but the fact remained that the tall, slender blonde was probably one of the most striking women he’d ever seen. If they had ever met before, he was sure he would have remembered.
“Jake,” Cindy said then. “This is Kristin, my sister.”
Jake nodded. “Actually, we just introduced ourselves.”
“That’s great,” Cindy said, reaching a hand out to her sister. “Because as best man and maid of honor, you two are going to be spending a lot of time together the next couple of days.”
Jake felt something in the pit of his stomach go tight. “Wonderful.”
“Okay, everyone inside. Time to get started.” They all turned in unison as the wedding planner approached, clapping loudly. “There will be plenty of time for chitchat later. Everybody into the church.”
“It seems the wedding Nazi has spoken,” Ted grumbled, pulling Cindy to him. “And my advice to you is to do what she says.”
Jake watched as Ted and Cindy started arm in arm up the walk. Turning slowly, he gave Kristin a hesitant look. “Shall we?”
“We probably better,” she said as she passed. “Wouldn’t want to keep Minnie Mouse waiting.”
Chapter 2
Kristin stood in the church foyer waiting for her cue. She glanced down at the gaudy tissue-paper bouquet in her hand and steeled herself against a wave of nausea. Of course, tomorrow she would be holding the real thing—a spray of pale pink roses and baby’s breath—and probably feeling even worse.
Her gaze shifted to the long center aisle leading to the altar and she felt her stomach turn again. How was she ever going to make it down that walkway without tripping, fainting or throwing up?
“Just breathe,” she reminded herself aloud, drawing in a deep breath. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t a nervous, fidgety person. She’d always prided herself on the ability to keep a cool head and steady hand. But a stranger had come into her life and changed all that, a stranger who had her edgy and uneasy and seeing danger around every corner.
Wasn’t it supposed to be the bride who got the jitters and the maid of honor who calmed her down?
Kristin turned around, watching her sister as she talked with Ted’s father. With her sparkling eyes and radiant smile, Cindy looked anything but nervous. In fact, Kristin couldn’t remember seeing her sister looking more beautiful, or more serene.
Which was only the way it should be. If there was one person on this planet who deserved to be happy, it was Cindy.
Cindy had barely been out of high school when their parents had died. Not many young women would have welcomed the responsibility of a thirteen-year-old sister, but Cindy had been determined that the two of them stay together. She had worked hard to make a home for them, and later, when Kristin had considered foregoing college because of the financial hardship it represented, Cindy wouldn’t hear of it. She’d insisted Kristin apply for every scholarship available, and what they didn’t cover, the money Cindy earned waiting tables in the evenings after a full day at her job with the Los Angeles Probation Department did.
Which was why Kristin didn’t want to do anything to spoil Cindy’s wedding. One way or another she was going to do this, she had to—for Cindy.
“For Cindy,” she whispered, taking courage from the words.
Her gaze shifted to Jake Hayes as he stood in his position to the left of Ted. Thinking about how rude she’d been to him made her feel queasy all over again. He’d been friendly and pleasant and she’d practically cut him off at the knees.
He was watching the wedding planner, listening to her instructions and moving as she prompted him. He really did seem nice—not that she was surprised. Ted had described him as a good guy. Under normal circumstances she probably would have enjoyed getting to know him. The problem was, these weren’t normal circumstances. Things hadn’t been normal in her life for a very long time. Still, she hadn’t intended to be impolite. It was just that despite all that Ted had said about him, to her he was a stranger, and the grim fact of her life was that strangers terrified her.
“That’s your cue, dear.”
The loud clapping sound had her looking up.
“Hello? Are you listening?”
“Oh, uh, y-yes,” she stammered, feeling her cheeks flush red.
“That’s your cue,” the wedding planner said again. “Start walking now.”
“Y-yes,” she stuttered again. “I’m…I’m sorry.”
Flustered and embarrassed,
