Shocked murmurs rose from the guests, quieting to hushed whispers.
Offering reassurance, Nick grabbed Josh’s shoulder, which wasn’t nearly as tense as it had been moments ago. “God, man, I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice hoarse with emotion. He couldn’t imagine the emotions pummeling Josh but worried over the toll they’d take on his friend.
Nick glanced toward the other side of the altar, toward the bride’s sister. Despite his attraction to her, he would never put himself in Josh’s vulnerable position. He would never be anyone’s groom.
“The wedding is going to be slightly delayed,” Clayton said. “The bride is not quite ready yet, so we appreciate your patience. Thank you.”
Nick snorted, recognizing a load of bull when he heard it. Apparently, the blond bridesmaid thought so, too, as she took off at a run toward the back of the church. Clayton McClintock caught her, slowing her down, and the music began—again. The twins, probably thinking a game of tag was afoot, chased each other down the aisle.
The young flower girl, much better behaved than the twins, took the arm of the teenage boy who’d accompanied his sister, leaving the brunette to walk alone as the rest of the wedding party filed out. Nick fell into step beside her, his shoulder nearly brushing hers as they shared the narrow white runner. Sunlight painted her bare skin gold. His fingers ached to touch, to caress her delicate shoulders and arms. To be a proper escort, he crooked his elbow, extending his forearm to her.
She hesitated a moment before extending her hand. Her fingers clutched the sleeve of his jacket, the warmth of her touch penetrating the material. Nick tensed, his body reacting to her closeness. His lungs hurt from the pressure of holding his breath. He’d never been so instantly attracted to a woman. Why her? They’d barely spoken to each other. He didn’t even know her name.
And how could he think about anything but what Josh was going through? He was a terrible friend. He pulled his attention away from the bridesmaid to glance back over his shoulder. Poor Josh.
The redheaded maid of honor had the groom now, clutching his arm and just about dragging him down the aisle as she had Nick. Except now it was over and done with. No matter what the bride’s brother had told the guests, Nick doubted the wedding was just delayed.
What a mess. Anger surged, heating his blood. How dare the bride change her mind now and humiliate such a fine man. Despite Nick being the best man, Josh was the better man. He always treated people with kindness and respect. He didn’t deserve to be hurt like this. Again.
Just like Josh’s first wife, Molly McClintock had sought him out while she was volunteering at the hospital. Yeah, right. Setting a mantrap. That’s what she’d done. And she’d caught him, manipulating him into a marriage proposal after just a few short months of dating. She’d accepted Josh’s proposal and taken his ring. Then she’d stood him up? Her betrayal proved what Nick had known for a long time. Women were not to be trusted.
Sure, there were some honest ones—like his mother, for example—but how was a man to know which ones were after his heart and which ones his wallet?
Chapter Two
Colleen matched her steps to Nick’s as they walked down the aisle and crossed the hall with the rest of the wedding party except for Clayton and Abby, who already stood inside the bride’s dressing room, nose to nose, as they argued.
Of course Clayton would blame Abby. And of course he’d be furious. Feeling responsible, as always, for all his father’s duties, Clayton had taken it upon himself to pay for the wedding and give away the bride. He’d said he couldn’t wait to have one less responsibility. Poor Clayton.
He just didn’t get it. He actually loved being in charge of his younger siblings. Colleen worked for him at the insurance agency he’d taken over after their father died. Although Clayton had given her the title of office manager, he’d never really given her any responsibility. So she didn’t feel all that guilty for the two afternoons a week she spent volunteering at the hospital in Grand Rapids, where the best man and the groom were on staff.
The jilted groom.
The wedding dress hung from a hook on one of the white walls, almost blending in but for the lace and satin that stirred in the breeze blowing through the open window. Molly had run away? Colleen’s stomach churned. Molly was too smart and strong to run. When they were growing up, Colleen had been the one to constantly run away—although no one had ever noticed. So she’d always come home, and Molly would, too. Safe and sound. She had to.
Abby’s argument with Clayton subsided as she unfolded a crumpled note. Of course Molly would have left a note. She’d always been as responsible as their older brother.
“What does it say?” Clayton demanded, asking the question that was burning on everyone else’s lips. “Come on, I’m worried about her. I want to know what it says!”
“It’s a good thing that she ran off,” Abby said, “before making the biggest mistake of her life.”
The groom gasped in surprise, and the muscles in Nick’s left arm tightened beneath Colleen’s fingers. His pale green eyes darkened with anger and a muscle twitched in his jaw, as if he had clenched his teeth to hold in something he was dying to say.
“Josh, I’m sorry.” Clayton offered the apology first, used to assuming responsibility for everyone else. Even Abby?
Nick’s tension didn’t ease, not even when the kids chattered, the twins pulling petals off each other’s boutonnieres. Colleen pulled her hand from his arm and curled her fingers into her palm to quell the tingling. She should have let go of him long ago. Actually she never should have touched him in the first place. He’d made no secret of his disdain for long-term relationships; the other volunteers and the hospital staff had warned her not to develop a crush on the handsome doctor. Nothing would come of it but a broken heart.
“I’m sorry.” Abby offered her apology to Josh. “She doesn’t say that in the note…about making a mistake. She’s just really confused right now.”
“What’s going on?” Rory asked, tugging loose the knot of his bow tie. Colleen was surprised her kid brother had kept it tied as long as he had. “Did Molly really skip out?”
Clayton shrugged. “Ask Abby. She’s the one with the explanation.”
“Is she all right?” Josh asked. His handsome face held none of the anger that was darkening his friend’s eyes.
From her years of volunteering at the hospital, Colleen felt she knew him well. Unlike Dr. Jameson Josh had noticed her, although not the way he’d noticed her sister, who’d only volunteered when she’d had time around her med school classes and studying. Even if he and Molly hadn’t dated all that long, Colleen understood why her big sister had accepted his proposal. Besides being ridiculously handsome, with dark hair and bright blue eyes, Dr. Joshua Towers was a genuinely nice guy.
“She’s okay,” Abby assured him as she clutched the note.
Colleen wasn’t surprised that Molly had trusted Abby with her explanation. She could keep a secret and she would only share what Molly wanted everyone to know.
Abby continued, “She’s just confused right now. She needs some time alone to figure out what she really wants.”
“Maybe she should have figured that out
