thought that a relationship built on friendship first would be stronger and last longer than one built on lust. Like his first marriage—although he’d been so infatuated with Amy that he’d thought it was love at the time. And that had ended with his becoming a single father.
After that fiasco, he should have known better than to rush into another relationship. Molly had been smart to leave him at the altar. He didn’t deserve the sympathetic looks the rest of the wedding party kept casting his way, especially the maid of honor. Her green eyes warm with sympathy, she seemed more upset for him than his best man did. But Nick was just pissed—probably as much at Josh as for him.
Josh had convinced Nick to open the private practice, which they’d talked about since they were premed, here in Cloverville. It hadn’t been easy to sell his friend, who’d only ever lived in cities, on starting a business in the small town of Cloverville. But because of their friendship, Nick finally had agreed, albeit begrudgingly.
“Maybe she should have figured that out before she accepted Josh’s proposal,” Nick griped, referring to Molly’s need to decide what she wanted. “It’s pretty damned flaky to back out at the altar.”
“Molly is not flaky,” the bride’s younger sister, Colleen, defended her.
Josh had to agree. “It’s my fault,” he admitted. “I rushed her into this, even though I knew she wasn’t ready.”
Nick squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t blame yourself. She could have told you no. This just goes to show you, they can’t be trusted.”
Once Nick calmed down, he would undoubtedly rub in that “I told you so.” Josh deserved it, too. It wasn’t the women who couldn’t be trusted, though—it was Josh’s judgment. He’d developed the unfortunate habit of picking the wrong ones. Or maybe he’d just never come across the right one. Until now?
He glanced sideways at Brenna Kelly, who’d been quiet since the bride had failed to walk down the aisle. She’d worked so hard on the wedding—far harder than Josh, who’d been busy with the boys and work, and harder than the bride, who’d been busy finishing up school—or putting it on hold and closing up her campus apartment. He wasn’t exactly sure what his bride had been doing. But he knew what Brenna had been doing—working her ass off to make this day special for her best friend. She had to be upset. Guilt, over being relieved that the bride had bailed, twisted his gut.
When Mrs. McClintock and the others began to squabble over whether or not they should cancel the reception, Josh agreed with the woman who’d almost been his mother-in-law. Her reasons for not canceling were that everything was paid for, so many people had worked hard on the preparations and she didn’t want to disappoint the townspeople who’d been anticipating a party.
Josh’s reason was Brenna. He didn’t want to disappoint her.
JOSH SQUINTED AGAINST the sunlight as he followed the boys outside the church, leaving everyone else inside. Clayton had taken it upon himself to make the announcement to the guests that the wedding was off, but Josh still had to make the announcement to his sons.
“Race you down the stairs,” TJ challenged his brother.
“Wait, boys,” he said as he settled on the top step of the stairs leading down to the sidewalk. “Sit with me a minute.”
The twins exchanged one of their glances, speaking to each other without words, and joined him. Perhaps they hadn’t been as oblivious to what had gone on in the church as he’d thought.
“Are you okay, Daddy?” Buzz asked, putting his hand on Josh’s shoulder much as Nick, his namesake, had in the church. Buzz had earned his nickname only a couple of years ago, after he’d gotten hold of Josh’s razor. His hair had been kept “buzzed” short ever since he’d given himself that first haircut. His real name was Nicholas James, after his godfather.
“Yeah, Daddy, you ’kay?” TJ asked, as he settled onto the step close to Josh’s side.
Josh breathed in a deep breath of fresh air as the sunlight warmed his face and a light June breeze rustled the trees. No bride could have had a better day for her wedding. But that was exactly what Josh had. No bride.
“I’m okay, guys,” he assured his boys. “I don’t know if you understand what happened in there.”
“Nothing happened,” TJ griped, tugging at his bow tie. “It was boring.”
“Boring,” Buzz agreed.
“Oh, it was a little bit exciting,” Josh countered. That flurry of nerves as he’d realized he was probably making a mistake, and then the flood of relief when he’d understood that Molly wasn’t coming down the aisle…“But you’re kind of right about nothing happening. Do you remember what was supposed to happen today?”
As if they were in their preschool classroom, Buzz raised his hand, but he burst out his answer before Josh could “call” on him. “We were s’posed to get married!”
“Stupid!” TJ reached around Josh to poke his brother’s back. “Daddy and Molly were s’pose to get married.”
“Dummy,” Buzz shot back at his brother, “Molly’s not here.”
Biting his lip to hold back a smile, Josh nodded. “No, she’s not. So I didn’t get married.” And he hadn’t gotten them the stepmother he’d promised them.
“That’s okay,” Buzz assured his father, patting his shoulder again.
“It’s better, just us guys,” TJ insisted, jumping to his feet.
Like a jack-in-the-box, Buzz popped up alongside him and declared, “No girls allowed!”
The brothers exchanged another glance, and then TJ asked, “We still gonna move here?”
Josh allowed the smile to take shape then as he stood, too. He wished he were as resilient as his sons. He crouched to their level and pulled them into a close hug. “Yes, we’re still moving here,” he assured them. Then he whispered, “I bought us a house.”
“Really?” Buzz asked, his blue eyes widening.
As he straightened up, Josh nodded. “But don’t tell Uncle Nick.” He’d deal with his best friend later. Being Nick, he’d probably have a lot to say, in addition to “I told you so,” and Josh didn’t have the energy to argue with him just then. He hadn’t slept at all last night.
“Don’t tell Uncle Nick what?” the best man asked as he stepped through the open church door, which Brenna Kelly had been holding with her back. Nick patted his pockets, probably checking to make sure the boys hadn’t pilfered any of his valuables.
Josh’s attention focused on Brenna, on the color flooding her round face as she was caught eavesdropping on his conversation with the boys. Why did he have the feeling that he might have to deal with her later, too? And why did the thought excite him?
“Nothing,” Josh finally said in response to his friend’s question.
“We want to ride in the big car, Daddy!” TJ demanded as he clutched Josh’s hand and tugged him down the church steps toward the idling black limo.
Buzz
