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, she clutched the paper bouquet tightly in her hands and took a few hesitant steps forward.
“No, no, no,” the woman said, shaking her head, marching up the aisle toward her. “You’re not trudging through mud. Try and smooth it out a little, dear. Nice and easy.”
Kristin watched as the wedding planner demonstrated, then on stiff, wooden legs, Kristin tried again. She didn’t think her awkward, wobbling gait was any better, but she did the best she could. She felt ridiculous and terribly self-conscious, and without having to look, she could feel Jake’s gaze burning through her, turning the narrow aisle into an endless corridor of embarrassment. It wasn’t until she’d finally reached the end and slipped into her spot alongside the altar that she actually dared to glance up. Almost instantly, Jake’s gaze caught hers and he gave her a broad smile. She nodded stiffly in response, a move that only made her cringe even more.
“Pull yourself together,” she muttered. She was acting as though she’d never been around a man before, clumsy and ungainly.
But when she looked up and caught sight of Cindy as she started down the aisle, she suddenly forgot about being embarrassed or uncomfortable. It was only the wedding rehearsal but her sister looked radiant and Kristin felt her eyes sting with tears. This was Cindy’s time to shine and she was determined nothing was going to get in the way of that—not her problems, not her inhibitions….
Her gaze slid to Jake Hayes.
And certainly not her trouble with strangers.
Jake watched the wedding planner and waited for his cue. It would be all downhill from here on out. The mock ceremony was over and all he had to do now was follow Ted and Cindy back up the aisle and out of the church. Piece of cake. Although with Kristin on his arm he wasn’t expecting it to be particularly pleasant. But she would only have to tolerate him just long enough to make it out of the church. After that, he would be more than happy to stay out of her way.
For the life of him he couldn’t figure out why she seemed to dislike him so much. After all, they were virtually strangers—at least he thought so. She didn’t know him well enough to dislike him. Granted, he wasn’t the most charming guy in the world, but it usually took a woman a little longer to find him annoying.
Of course, his paranoia made him wonder if Kristin’s attitude toward him had anything to do with what had happened three years ago, either with the shootings, the task force or his resignation from the police department. Had someone said something to her about any of it? But common sense told him that wasn’t the case. For whatever reason, the woman had taken an instant dislike to him and he just had to accept it.
When the signal came, he was ready and moved slowly into the aisle. Looking at Kristin as he offered her his arm, he expected to see nothing but ice in those clear brown eyes of hers, so he was taken aback when he didn’t. In fact, her face was full of emotion. Could it be the Ice Queen wasn’t so icy after all?
Her hand on his arm felt warm as they moved together and he could feel the slight brush of her body along his as they walked. He wasn’t sure what had brought about the change in her, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Emotion had a way of softening her beautiful features and frankly he liked the effect.
Still, he had to admit, her transformation had left him feeling a bit unsettled. He wouldn’t have pegged her as the sentimental type. Weddings had a way of getting to people, though. Even he had felt a tug of emotion and this had only been the rehearsal. And it was probably that same sentimentality that had him turning to Kristin and giving conversation another try.
“That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” he whispered as they made their way up the aisle. “And the good news is that we only have to do it one more time.”
“But the bad news is, the next time we’ll be doing it in front of a church full of people,” she pointed out darkly.
“You have a point there,” he acknowledged. Since she hadn’t snapped his head off, he boldly pushed on. “Feeling a little anxious?”
“Only about tripping, fainting or throwing up,” she groaned. “Or any combination of those three.”
“That could be a little embarrassing,” he agreed with good humor. “But you did great this time. There’s no reason to think tomorrow will be any different.”
“No?” She released his arm as they reached the large double doors leading outside and tossed the paper bouquet aside. “Maybe you’d like to try it in four-inch heels and carrying a handful of flowers.”
Just like that it was back—that hard edge, the sharp words—and he was surprised at how disappointed he felt. “Somehow I don’t think they’d go too well with my tux.”
She didn’t so much as blink, let alone crack a smile. She simply turned and left.
He stood in the open doorway and watched as she ran down the steps and across the drive toward Ted and Cindy. He felt strangely winded, as if he’d just taken a punch in the stomach. What was her problem? Was there something actually wrong with her or was she simply incapable of being civil to him?
“You win some, you lose some,” he muttered, doing his best to remain philosophical as he started down the steps.
He really shouldn’t let her attitude bother him. After all, it wasn’t necessary that they like each other. It just would have made the next couple of days a little more pleasant, that’s all. It wasn’t a big deal, certainly nothing he was going to lose any sleep over. It was just that there was something so…what? Familiar? How was that possible? He was certain he had never seen her before today. So why did he have this ridiculous feeling that he knew her, that there was a connection between them?
“You’re frowning.”
Jake glanced up at the sound of Cindy’s voice. She’d broken away from the rest of the wedding party, who had gathered outside the church, and her expression was full of concern. “Was I?”
“Yes, is everything okay? Was there something about the rehearsal you didn’t like?”
“Absolutely not,” he insisted, slipping a reassuring arm around her shoulders. The gesture was unusual for him but there was something vulnerable and soft about Cindy that made it okay.
He thought of Kristin’s hand on his arm, how it had almost felt natural for a moment—but only for a moment. She hadn’t welcomed his touch. In fact, she’d been able to stand it only long enough to get out of the church. How could two sisters be so different?
“Are you sure?”
