The last chorus. His tongue stumbled over the familiar words while his pulse galloped unsteadily. A few more moments and they would meet face-to-face. He’d be with her, in the same place, in person, and the prospect made his palms sweat. The woman who’d caught his attention with her funny remarks on Good Books. The woman who typed with him back and forth during a chat on a bestseller they’d both loved and it took more than an hour before either of them realized they were the only ones left in the chat room. It had ended and everyone else had left and they hadn’t even noticed.
He hadn’t noticed because he’d been smitten. Instantly. When he’d known nothing about her but her sense of humor and her opinion on a book. Her personality had shone through the words she’d typed, and he’d been interested. Not that he wanted her to know. It wouldn’t be wise to get involved with a woman who wouldn’t be sticking around and who, in no way, felt the same. How many times had she called him a friend?
He’d learned the hard way that was the hint women used when they liked you, but didn’t see you as boyfriend material and never would.
“Luke?” Someone nudged him in the ribs. Colbie, this time, and laughter danced in her eyes. “Earth to Luke. Come back to the planet.”
“I wonder what has his attention?” Brooke asked from his other side, laughing, already knowing the answer. “Or who?”
Couldn’t a guy keep one little crush a secret? He shook his head. This was the downside of a big family. Everyone was in your business. He did his best grimace. “For your information, I’m concentrating. I’m a very pious man. This is church, Colbie.”
“Right.” Laughter bubbled out of her. “Your scowl doesn’t come close to scaring me.”
“Not at all,” Brooke agreed. “Hunter has a much better one.”
“Thank you,” came a gruff acknowledgement from the pew behind them. Older brother, Hunter, cracked a rare smile. “I’m proud of it. I do my best.”
“It shows,” Lil quipped from her chair. Multiple sclerosis may have slowed her body, but her spirit was as bright as ever. “That’s why you don’t have a single pretty lady coming to see you.”
“She’s coming for the wedding,” he corrected for the tenth time that morning. “She’s a friend. Nothing more.”
“Sure, you don’t want to put that kind of pressure on it.” Middle-aged and with a sleek cap of dark hair, Lil was a substitute mom and a good one. “You just let it happen naturally.”
“How many times?” he asked, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “Friend, not girlfriend.”
“I certainly hope not,” laughed a melodic alto as warm as a summer morning.
He’d know that voice anywhere. Honor. She swept up the aisle in a pretty summer dress, looking amazing. His crazy pulse lurched to a stop. He turned, not daring to breathe but her nearness stuck him, anyway, like a punch to the gut.
“I’m not ready for anything that serious. I’m a free bird these days.” Honor’s warm, flawless smile made it impossible not to like her. “Hi, Luke. This is Jerrod. Sorry we were late.”
“No problem. You never know what is going to delay you on a Montana highway.”
“That’s the truth! We got behind this huge semi carrying the biggest concrete tube thing I’ve ever seen. It must have been for a water or irrigation system or something, but it went twenty-six miles an hour and was nearly impossible to pass.”
“She’s a California driver, too,” the teenager added with an eye roll. “Fearless. She tried passing like six times. Good thing she decided against it or we’d be in a ditch.”
“He spent the whole way giving me advice. We don’t have big concrete tube things in L.A. At least not one I’ve met on the road.” She stopped to take a breath, clearly nervous, too. “I was afraid we’d be late for the wedding. I bought a gift, but it’s in the car. I didn’t want to bring it in for the service.”
“I told you it wouldn’t matter,” Jerrod added in a friendly way. He looked like a good kid.
“I know, but I was worried about all the crackling. You know, the wrapping paper? Luke knows because I told him that I tend to be a klutz.”
“I think you exaggerate.” After seeing her grace and charm, he didn’t believe for one moment her funny stories she’d typed at him were true. “You’ve been misleading me all this time, haven’t you?”
“Me, mislead you? No way. I’ve been totally honest.” She hesitated, bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes heavenward, perhaps aware God was watching her especially close in church. “Uh, I’ve been mostly really honest,” she corrected.
Making them all laugh. Making him like her more.
“I’m Colbie,” his sister spoke up, apparently eager to start the introductions.
Sure, he thought, nodding. Easy to read the hope on his sister’s faces. He stepped up, finishing the introductions. “Meet the twins, Brianna and Brandilyn.”
“Hi,” Bree and Brandi chorused identically.
“My brother, Hunter. And Brooke, the bride.”
“Good to meet you, Honor.” Brooke was the only one in the group who knew about his correspondence with Honor and, he suspected, understood his feelings about her. Brooke gave a toss of her dark hair, smiled and grabbed the arm of the man beside her. “This is Liam, who is about to become my husband in thirty minutes.”
“And you’re not even dressed yet.” Honor looked concerned. “Do you need help? I come with experience. I’ve pitched in at all my sisters’ weddings.”
“I’ll take you up on that.” Brooke nodded, looking as if she liked Honor very much.
In fact, all his family did. Not hard to figure why. They had hopes for him—marital hopes—except for Hunter who stood in the back, practicing his scowl.
“You’d best come with us, dear.” Lil reached out her hand.
“I saved the best for last.” Luke cleared his throat. “Lil is a gem.”
“So I see. So good to meet you.” Honor took Lil’s hand with a warm squeeze as she addressed the woman in the wheelchair. “Luke has told me about you all, but especially you, Lil. It’s easy to see why he has such a soft spot for you.”
Lil beamed at the compliment. “He’s the special one. Luke is always there when we need him.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.” She shot a glance at the tall, sandy-haired man blushing a little from the compliment.
“She exaggerates,” he confessed.
“So I see.” Now she had something else to like about Luke. He was humble. Wouldn’t that be a change for the better? She thought of her dad—always extolling his superiority in the boardroom, on the golf course or at the dinner table. Her brother was a chip off the old block. And Kip? She winced at the memory of her rocky year dating a man who turned out to be exactly
