Название: Undercover Pursuit
Автор: Susan May Warren
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9781472023926
isbn:
For a second, the image of him leaning over a plate of sushi with her sister in some high-rise restaurant, the lights of New York City twinkling like starlight, shot into her brain.
Yes, perhaps he was simply reminding himself that normally his dates had a tan and wore less on their trips to Mexico.
She didn’t want to know.
I really do know what I’m doing.
She just bet he did. But not with her, thanks.
I’m not just here to watch.
She’d nearly run from the cab, screaming. Really, she didn’t even know where to start with her shakedown of Bridgett when she found her.
So much for calming down.
I’m here to do a job, same as you. A job? As if she was some sort of mission? Befriend the bride’s lumpy sister—someone has to do it.
It hurt more than she’d imagined, and frankly, he could have started out with a little charm, even if he’d had to fake it.
In fact, if he had led with something sweet, she might not have been so militant about going stag.
She shook Luke’s arrogant words away. It seemed she’d set him straight after her comments on the ferry, however. He’d behaved himself after that.
Still, a girl didn’t have to have it pointed out to her that Luke, her nondate, might have been a good catch in other circumstances, with his wind-tousled golden-brown hair, brown eyes, the hint of fresh sun bronzing his skin as he considered her this afternoon.
I don’t want to walk into any surprises. Is there anything you need to know about me?
Just what had Bridgett told him? My pitiful sister—she’s a temp, you know, has been for nearly ten years—needs a date for the wedding. Do you know she actually thought my fiancé was in love with her?
Scarlett winced as she imagined Bridgett’s voice. Nope, she didn’t care how dedicated the man was, didn’t care that Bridgett had flown him in. A girl had to stand up for herself, be her own hero. She didn’t need Mr. Plus-One, thank you very much.
In fact, given the chance, she might have just found a plus-one on her own.
But when Luke had said something about looking like an “actual couple,” it hit her.
It would be easier for everyone if she had a date. Her standing alone on the edge of the dance floor would only make everyone feel bad. If only her parents were alive, maybe it would be easier to be in Bridgett’s shadow again. But it was just her standing at the sidelines. And, she didn’t know what history Luke had, but he seemed to need to be her date.
Maybe he’d been in love with Bridgett. Wouldn’t that be fun? She and Luke could stand together in the shadows and watch the bride and groom dance.
Maybe he was just what she needed. A guy who didn’t expect anything, who just needed someone to stand next to when the lights dimmed. Yes, they could work together.
And she didn’t want to make trouble, not again. So yes, she would pretend, for Bridgett’s sake.
She’d simply ignore the fact that for a second—a long second—after he’d picked up her bag and carried it all the way to the top deck, after he’d settled on the bench beside her and the sea breeze had carried his strong and spicy scent, after he’d spoken to her in soft, almost gentle tones, she’d wanted him to really be her date.
Thankfully, she wasn’t so foolish to think he was actually interested.
After all, she had learned her lesson with Duncan. A smart girl would have realized that in the two years Duncan spent being her friend, meeting her for coffee and learning to ballroom dance with her, he’d never once looked at her the way he looked at Bridgett, her beautiful sister, when she walked through the doors of the church.
Fresh off the runways of Milan, burnt out and needing a vacation.
In fact, no one ever looked at Scarlett the way they looked at Bridgett—not even their parents—but she thought she’d become used to that.
Until Duncan did it.
Yes, she knew what it felt like to be an afterthought, to disappear. So maybe she’d even enjoy having a man as handsome as Luke on her arm, even if it wasn’t for real. Bridgett would be thrilled if Scarlett showed up on Luke’s arm, her smile tucked into place. And this weekend was all about Bridgett, right? Besides, she could enjoy pretending, as long as she knew it was just a game. She’d been a theater major, after all.
Thankfully, the charade didn’t have to start until tomorrow, according to the note her sister had left in her room inviting her to the dinner cruise, which she’d already missed. Scarlett left her a voice mail message in case her absence worried Bridgett.
She wouldn’t hold her breath.
She stood on the balcony of her cottage, watching the sea hit the reef, break into a thousand shimmering pieces and crash onto the rocks.
She knew how that felt, to shatter into so many pieces you couldn’t find them all. It happened the day Bridgett showed up on Duncan’s arm to the church singles group. And the day she told Scarlett that she “just might stick around Rochester.”
Duncan is a dentist! Scarlett wanted to scream as Bridgett climbed into her BMW, leaving her standing in the parking lot beside her rusty Sunbird. But Bridgett probably already knew that, because she introduced him to their Aunt Gretchen as Dr. Browne.
And then came the day when Bridgett moved off Scarlett’s sofa and found her own condo.
Just over six months later, she and Duncan announced their engagement.
A seagull cried, dipping into the ocean for a morsel.
Scarlett should probably breathe in these few moments of peace before Bridgett and her bridal party—the ones who the bride really wanted to attend—returned.
If she’d had Bridgett’s wedding dress in her possession, she might be tempted to simply hang it on her sister’s door and take the midnight ferry back to the mainland. Bridgett didn’t really want her anyway—just her organizational services. Scarlett replayed the voice mail in her mind. Scarlett, my new maid of honor broke her leg in Vail. She can’t attend the wedding. Is there any way you could fill in?
Her new maid of honor. Scarlett had been the old maid of honor—with the big mouth.
There is so much left to do—organize the bachelorette day and bring my dress and the maid-of-honor dress, not to mention work with the wedding planner at the resort. Besides, I’m sorry. Really, I want you there. Please come.
Really. Scarlett must have been some СКАЧАТЬ