Читать книгу Her Best Man - Christine Scott - Страница 11

Chapter Two

Two hours later, the birthday boy finally ran out of steam. The guests, watching Jamie fall asleep as he ate his birthday cake and ice cream, took this as their cue to leave. Lindsey was exhausted by the time the last of Jamie’s guests had said their goodbyes. Alex, Rick, and Sandy Martin, Lindsey’s good friend and next door neighbor, lingered behind.

Sandy glanced around the messy kitchen and said, “Thank goodness my husband’s already taken my kids home. I’ll help you clean up before I leave.”

“You don’t have to,” Lindsey said, stifling a yawn. “I can handle it myself.”

“Right.” Sandy chuckled. “And I’ll be tucking you into bed right next to Jamie, if I don’t. Goodness, Lindsey. I’ve never seen you looking so tired. You’ve got enough bags under your eyes for an entire set of luggage.”

Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Really. Sandy—”

“Have you lost more weight?” Sandy narrowed a shrewd glance. “You look so thin.”

Lindsey blushed. “Sandy, I’m fine.”

“Fine, ha!” her friend snorted. “I bet dollars to doughnuts you’ve been spending more hours in your workroom making tassels than you have in your bed sleeping at night.”

“Not you, too,” Lindsey moaned.

Sandy frowned. “Me, too, what?”

“First, Alex. Now, you.” She sighed. “Why’s everyone so worried about my beauty sleep?”

“Maybe we wouldn’t be so concerned if you weren’t sleeping alone,” Sandy said.

Trouble was brewing; Lindsey could see it as clearly as the devilish glint in her friend’s eye. “Sandy—”

“Come on, Lindsey. You know I’ve been dying to ask you all night long ... did you say yes?”

“Yes to what?” Alex asked as he walked into the kitchen carrying an armload of soiled napkins and paper plates.

“It—it’s nothing,” Lindsey said quickly, glaring at her friend.

“Nothing, ha! Lindsey’s got a beau,” Sandy announced. “He’s asked her out on a date.”

The paper plates clattered to the floor.

Rick stepped into the kitchen. “Jeez, Alex. You’re making more of a mess than the kids did.”

Alex shot him a prohibitive glance as he squatted to clean up the clutter.

“I think she should go for it,” Sandy continued, oblivious to the dirty looks Lindsey was sending her way.

“Go for what?” Rick asked.

“A date, silly,” Sandy said. “Don’t you think it’s time Lindsey got back into the real world and started seeing men again?”

Rick shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“Why not?” Lindsey gaped at her brother. He was the last person she expected to encourage her to start dating again. “I can think of a million reasons ... Danny, being just one.”

“Lindsey, you’re a widow, not a nun. No one expects you to live like one,” Rick said, slinging himself into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “Danny’s been gone for two years. If you’re ready to start dating again, then do it.”

Lindsey shut out the words of encouragement. They believed her to be a lonely widow, loyal to her husband’s memory. They didn’t know the truth. That it was guilt, not just loneliness that kept her awake at night.

“I don’t know,” Alex said slowly, breaking into her troubled thoughts. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea for her to rush into any hasty decisions.”

Heads turned, focusing curious gazes upon him.

He shifted uncomfortably beneath the attention. “Well? Does anybody know anything about this guy? For all we know he’s a gigolo, preying on a vulnerable widow.”

“He’s not a gigolo, Alex,” Sandy said with an amused smile. “He’s an antique dealer. He owns two highly successful stores, one in Clayton and the other in Chesterfield. And he’s a real dish to boot.”

Lindsey closed her eyes and counted to ten, struggling to hold on to her temper. She couldn’t believe that her brother and her friends were discussing her private life as though she weren’t even in the room.

“Yeah, well, I still don’t think she should rush things,” Alex groused.

Eyebrows were raised in speculation.

Alex glanced around the room, scowling. “Hey, all I’m saying is, I know how it feels to be railroaded into a date by well-intentioned relatives.”

Rick chuckled. “Sounds to me like Mama Trent’s been putting a little pressure on the last of her unmarried children to settle down.”

“A little pressure?” Alex shook his head. “The woman has the determination of a bulldog. She’s been calling me every day with an updated list of single female guests who’ll be attending my sister’s wedding.”

“So bring a date,” Rick said.

“To a wedding? No, thank you. Do you have any idea how sentimental women get at weddings? They get all mushy and starry-eyed.” Alex gave an exaggerated shudder. “The last thing I need to worry about is a matchmaking mother and a date who’s under the influence of love, romance and a rose-colored view of marriage.”

“Alex, really. You’re incorrigible,” Sandy said, her tone disgusted.

Lindsey watched the exchange in bemused silence, feeling an unsettling sense of disappointment. Alex’s aversion to marriage shouldn’t surprise her, she chided herself. For as long as she’d known him, he’d never shown any sign of being ready to settle down.

Why would she expect him to change now?

“Do you think we could change the subject?” Alex asked, drawing her out of her troubled thoughts. “It’s Lindsey’s personal life we were talking about, not mine. Maybe Lindsey isn’t ready to start dating. Did anyone think to ask her?”

Heads turned again, this time focusing on Lindsey.

“Well?” Sandy demanded. “Are you ready to start dating, or not?”

Lindsey’s cheeks warmed with embarrassment. “I think...” she stammered. “I think that I’d rather not have this conversation.”

“Why not? Too afraid to admit you need more in life than coming home to an empty bed?” Sandy asked, smiling sweetly. “What’s wrong with admitting you’re a healthy adult, with normal, healthy needs and fantasies?”

“Fantasies?” Lindsey laughed out loud. “Who has the time? The closest thing I’ve come to having a fantasy is imagining myself alone on a tropical beach, with absolutely nothing to do except soak up some sun and drink an entire pitcher of margaritas.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rick quipped.

“You’re missing the point, Rick,” Lindsey growled.

Her brother frowned. “Which is?”

“The point is, that while I appreciate all of your concerns, I just don’t have the time or the desire to pursue a relationship with a man.” She gave a ragged sigh. “I’m just too darned tired to even consider it.”

A thoughtful silence descended upon the room.

Sandy was the first to break it. “You know what I think?”

“No,” Lindsey muttered. “But I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

Sandy continued, undaunted by her grumpy tone. “I think what you really need is a vacation.”

“A vacation?”

“That’s right. And I have the perfect solution. You can go to Florida with Alex for his sister’s wedding.” She smiled, looking very pleased with the idea.

“Florida?” Lindsey repeated, staring dumbly at her friend. “I can’t go to Florida with Alex.”

“Why not?” Sandy demanded. “It’ll solve both of your problems. Alex needs a date to keep his mother off his back. You need some R and R. It’ll be perfect.”

Lindsey felt the prickling unease of Alex watching her. Panic filled her chest, making it hard to breathe. While she considered Alex a good friend, whenever she saw him it was usually in the accompaniment of her brother, or with Jamie at her side. The thought of spending time alone with him unnerved her more than she cared to admit.

“It’s out of the question,” Lindsey insisted, refusing to meet Alex’s gaze. “I have to work. You know...classes to teach, tassels to make.”

“Next week is Thanksgiving. Doesn’t your school go on break?” Sandy observed calmly.

“Thanksgiving!” Lindsey nearly shouted with relief. “I can’t leave town on Thanksgiving. If I do, Rick won’t have anywhere to go for his turkey dinner.”

“Gee, thanks, brat,” Rick drawled, looking amused. “But I don’t think it’ll kill me if I miss one Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Fine, Rick may not need me. But my son does.” Lindsey raised her chin, a picture of indignation. “What would I do with Jamie? I couldn’t possibly leave him home all alone.”

“Rick, you’re welcome to join us for dinner, and Jamie can stay with me,” Sandy offered. “You know he loves it at my house. He’ll hardly notice you’re gone.”

“Thanks a lot,” Lindsey said.

Alex, who’d been noticeably silent during the interchange, startled her by saying, “Lindsey, maybe you should give it some thought. Sandy’s right. It’d be a solution to both of our problems. You need a break. And I definitely need someone to save me from my mother’s good intentions.” His warm smile melted her defenses. “So what do you say? November in Florida may not be a tropical paradise, but it’s the best I can offer on short notice.”

“Alex, I’m not sure...” she said, wanting to kick herself for the vague-sounding answer.

“Come on, Lindsey,” Alex persisted. “You know I won’t give up until you say yes.”

His blue eyes sparkled with a familiar determination. Work or play, Alex was a man who was used to getting his way. Lindsey knew she might as well give up the fight. Arguing with him would be pointless.

Besides, did she really want to argue with him?

Going away with Alex meant time away from all of her responsibilities. Time to relax. Time to do nothing but enjoy herself for an entire weekend.

She’d be crazy to say no.

Lindsey looked at Alex, taking in his handsome, determined face and his strong, supple body.

She’d be crazy to say yes.

She recalled the moment alone with Alex in the hallway, the temptation she’d felt when he had held her hand. Friend or not, Alex was an attractive man. Lately, she’d become more aware of this fact than ever before.

A new surge of panic tightened her chest, making it hard to breathe. The last thing she needed was to become entangled in an intimate relationship. Her marriage to Danny hadn’t been a bed of roses. They had had their problems. She wasn’t anxious to repeat her mistakes of the past.

“Lindsey,” Alex said, his gentle tone softly persuading her to face him. “We’re friends, right?”

Friends—the word soothed her. Perhaps she was overreacting. She’d known Alex for a long time. Not once in their relationship had he ever indicated he wanted more from her than friendship. Spending time alone with him would be as harmless as spending time alone with her brother. Right?

“Right,” she said.

Encouraged, Alex continued. “Then, as friends, what’s the harm in spending a few days together?”

What’s the harm? She was sure there had to be at least a dozen potential dangers. But for the life of her, at the moment, she couldn’t think of one of them. She sighed. “All right, Alex. I’ll go with you to your sister’s wedding.”

“You won’t regret this, Lindsey,” he said.

Lindsey’s heart thumped a warning beat as he blessed her with another irresistible smile.

She already did.

“I can’t do this,” Lindsey said, stopping midway to the doors of the airplane’s loading gate.

Five days had passed since Jamie’s birthday party. Five of the most trying days of his life. Alex bit-back a groan. Getting Lindsey to agree to join him for his sister’s wedding had been tough enough. Getting her on the plane was proving darned near impossible.

They were among the last to board. Fellow passengers skirted around them, sending them curious glances. Time was running out, and Lindsey was giving every indication of jumping ship.

“Now what’s wrong,” he said, not bothering to hide his impatience.

“Jamie,” she said, her brown eyes wide and glistening. The tears looked ready to spill at any moment. “I’ve never left him before. He’ll be devastated if I abandon him now. It will probably cause who knows what kind of damage to his psyche.”

They both glanced at the covey of plastic airport lounge chairs where they’d left Jamie in the care of Lindsey’s friend, Sandy. The boy with the “damaged psyche” was busy pretending to be an airplane in flight, obviously not giving the departing adults a second thought.

“Yeah, he really looks like he’s ready for the psychiatrist’s chair,” Alex mused.

Lindsey frowned. “He’s just trying to be brave.”

Jamie chose that moment to look at them. With a wave of his hand and a grin on his cherubic face, he sped off to join Sandy’s oldest son, who had his nose pressed against the airport’s glass-paneled walls, intent on watching a plane land on the runway.

A tear trickled down Lindsey’s cheek. “I knew it. He’s going to forget all about me.”

“Lindsey,” Alex said gently, whisking the tear away with the tips of his fingers. “Jamie’s not going to forget about you. He’s going to be fine.”

She bit her lip to stop the trembling. “How can you be sure?”

“Because I just am.” He captured her hand and led her toward the plane. “Now listen to me, Lindsey. Do you have any idea how lucky we were to get these tickets? It’s the day before Thanksgiving. The busiest traveling day of the year. We’ll never be able to get another flight”

She dragged her pump-clad feet, apparently not impressed by their good fortune.

“Just remember,” he continued in his most soothing voice. “This is a vacation. You’re not supposed to think about anything but relaxing. No Jamie. No Rick. No work.” He gave a silent cheer of victory as they stepped onto the plane. “Nothing but the sand and the sea and taking it easy with me.”

She stopped midaisle. “Rick? What am I thinking? He’s going through an emotionally traumatic experience. He could lose his job. He shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. He needs me.”

A lesser man might have been miffed at the ease with which she’d brushed off the prospect of spending time alone with him on a tropical beach. Alex kept a firm grip on her hand, and his bruised ego.

“Lindsey, you’re not going to help your brother if you’re on the verge of burnout. You need this vacation. I’m not going to let you change your mind.” He glanced over his shoulder at the doors being slammed shut “Besides, it’s too late. The plane’s ready to take off.”

“Take your seats, please,” a flight attendant, a perky young blonde, said with a smile. “We’re ready to depart.”

“Oh, no,” Lindsey moaned.

“Oh, yes,” Alex said with a sigh of relief. He half led, half dragged her to their seats, giving her the window seat in hopes the view would take her mind off her misgivings.

He might have been hoping for a miracle.

“Do you have any idea how much work will be waiting for me when I get home?” she asked as she buckled her seat belt. A rhetorical question, obviously. She didn’t bother waiting for an answer. “I’ll be working twice as hard trying to fill all the orders before Christmas.”

A new spill of tears threatened.

Alex sighed, again, feeling like hell for forcing her to go on this trip...even if it was for her own good. Getting her away from life’s pressures—not to mention, the antique dealer who’d been hounding her for a date—was his top priority. It was the least he could do for the wife ... that is, the widow, of his best friend, he assured himself.

He took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be okay, Lindsey. Everything will be fine once we’re in Florida.”

The plane shimmied beneath their feet as it taxied along the runway.

She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Alex. I’m ruining your trip. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I just feel so guilty.”

“That’s okay. You’re a mom,” he offered in way of explanation.

He brushed his chin against the top of her head. Her hair felt soft, tickling his skin. He breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of lavender and springtime; Lindsey’s scent. The plane’s engine surged as it lifted from the ground. Alex attributed the light buoyant feeling in the pit of his stomach to the effects of takeoff.

“What does being a mom have to do with feeling guilty?” she asked, sounding almost amused.

“Guilt’s just part of the whole motherhood thing.” He stroked his thumb across the palm of her hand. It felt soft, smooth, and all so delicate. He cleared his throat, struggling with an ill-timed surge of awareness. “When you’re a mom, you feel as though you have to take care of everyone else. I speak from experience, mind you. My mother’s the world’s most notorious worrier. Your nurturing instincts kick into overdrive when you’re a mother. It’s going to take a while before they downshift into neutral.”

She sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am.” His grin was devilish. “Aren’t I always?”

She angled her face upward to look at him and, for the first time that day, she smiled. “Oh, Alex. What would I do without you?”

Emotion stuck in his throat, making it impossible to answer. Another rhetorical question, thank goodness. Because it was one question that she need not ever ask. They both knew he would always be there for her.

With a contented sigh, she snuggled against him, the tension melting from her body.

Alex, on the other hand, suddenly felt as taut as a drum.

One look into her trusting, innocent eyes and his protective instincts had been put on full alert. Yet the feel of her soft curves pressed against him had his blood pumping hot and thick. An undeniable awareness pulsed through his veins. To complicate matters further, guilt was stretching its icy fingers deep inside him, chilling him to the bone. He felt hot, cold and tense all at the same time. Alex gave a silent moan. Lindsey was slowly, ever so slowly, sending him into sensory overload.

What the hell was wrong with him? he chided himself. Lindsey needed a chance to relax, to unwind. She didn’t need to be lusted after by someone she trusted, someone she considered a friend.

But, then again, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he’d always thought of Lindsey as a beautiful woman. It felt so good, so right, holding her close, touching her. For just a moment he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if the circumstances were different, if she weren’t the widow of his best friend, if they were alone without another soul in sight...

Thump-thump-thump.

Alex nearly jumped out of his seat at the noise, sure the plane was about to crash. A just punishment for him and his prurient thoughts, he told himself.

The thumping noise stopped as the flight attendant rolled the drink cart up to their seats.

“First time flying?” she asked, glancing at Lindsey’s tear-stained face. She flashed a smile at Alex. “Perhaps your wife would like a drink to calm her nerves?”

“Wife?” Alex stiffened. Instant heat suffused his face.

Lindsey lifted her head off his shoulder so quick Alex feared she’d suffer from whiplash. She snatched her hand from his and blurted a hasty denial. “I’m not his wife.”

“No, of course not. We’re friends,” Alex said, feeling the totally inappropriate need to explain. “Just good friends.”

Lindsey brought a hand to her throat. Her wedding ring, the ring Danny had given her, glinted in the overhead light. “We’re traveling together.”

“To attend my sister’s wedding,” Alex added, speaking around the lump of guilt lodged in his throat.

“I see,” the attendant said, volleying a wary glance between the two of them. “Well, then, would your ‘friend’ care for a drink?”

Alex looked at Lindsey. Her face had turned about two shades pinker in the last few seconds. She shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze.

Alex cleared his throat. “No, thank you.”

The attendant nodded. “Perhaps later...”

Alex smiled wanly.

The attendant left them then, pushing her cart down the aisle.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Lindsey shifted in her seat, tugging at the hem of her rust-colored skirt. Alex watched as she scooted herself as far away from him as the narrow seats would allow. New lines of tension etched her face. All of the progress he’d made toward easing her worries were for naught. She looked as uncomfortable now as she had before she’d boarded the plane. Lindsey glanced at her watch and feigned a yawn.

“Would you look at the time. It’s already three o’clock. I had to get up early this morning to pack, then off to school...well, I’m just exhausted. You don’t mind if I take a nap, do you?”

“No, of course not,” he said quickly.

Without another word, she folded her jacket into a pillow, curled her body away from him, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Alex felt like an idiot.

An unexpected anger simmered deep inside him, threatening to bubble out of control. Not an anger directed at Lindsey, for she’d done nothing wrong, but at himself. He was the one who’d broken the terms of their friendship. Holding her close, comforting her was an indulgence he should never have allowed.

He’d had no right.

The only man who had that right was his best friend. A man who’d been dead for nearly two years. A man Lindsey had, obviously, never stopped loving.