A Man of Honor by Miranda Liasson Page B

focus. He had to stop dreaming and fantasizing about fairy tales and work to protect her from himself.

Chapter Nine
    “So we have a little problem,” Cat said to her sister Maddie as she stepped into Maddie’s office at their family’s shoe company the next afternoon. She’d finished up work at the grade school and had offered to pick up Preston for his PT appointment.
    Maddie looked up from the pile of multicolored square leather samples, ribbons, tape measures, and drawings in front of her on her worktable and smiled.
    She’d been doing a lot of that lately. Smiling. Cat couldn’t blame her, considering she was about to be married to the love of her life in just a few days, even if it was just a little annoying. Not that she would ever begrudge her sister her hard-won happiness. But still.
    “Come in, sit down. Want some coffee? I just made a fresh pot.” Maddie got up and cleared a bunch of drawings of shoes off a nearby chair. “What’s the problem?”
    Cat placed a long cardboard box on the worktable. “Open it.”
    Puzzled, Maddie opened the box. She pulled out something long, lacy, and delicate attached to a crown of glittering rhinestones.
    Maddie folded it back into the box and sat down. “I am not wearing Grandmeel’s veil.”
    Cat threw her hands up in defense. “I’m the messenger. But just to let you know, she’s regarding it as a gift. To refuse is to create problems.”
    “Cat. Please. Tell her I cannot wear that. Faux diamond tiara is not my style. And refusal or not, everything I do creates problems with Grandmeel.”
    “You’ll have to tell her yourself. Because if you don’t wear it, I’ll have to. If I ever meet a guy I could marry.”
    “You’re Grandmeel’s favorite. So it’s only natural she’d expect you to wear it. Which is also why you should tell her I am not wearing it because she won’t hold a grudge against you if you refuse, but she definitely will toward me. And of course you’re going to meet a great guy. Maybe even today, because there’s someone here I want you to meet.”
    Cat wandered over to the window, which overlooked a tributary of the lake as it wound its way toward downtown. She was surprised to see Preston half leaning against a picnic table, cell phone to his ear. He was wearing form-fitting dress pants and a white dress shirt that fit elegantly over his muscular chest. A chest, she reminded herself, that she’d seen up close that fateful night a week ago. The memory of his hungry, all-consuming kisses made her bring her fingers to her lips as if those kisses were still imprinted there. The great time they’d had yesterday was such a contrast to anything they’d done before—it had been so much fun to just do something normal together, without the threat of war in the background or the tragedy of everything being different. In fact, they’d had so much fun they’d completely forgotten about buying a wedding gift.
    “Cat?”
    “Oh, sorry, Maddie. I was just—”
    Suddenly her sister was behind her. “Staring at Preston.” Maddie took hold of her sister’s shoulders and shook. “This guy just might make you forget him.”
    Oh, right. She was losing track of her goal. “What guy?” she said, trying to sound interested.
    Maddie pointed out the window. As they watched, another man strode up to Preston. Preston tucked his phone in his pocket and pushed up from the table. Cat saw the slightest wince as he straightened, one that was quickly masked by a smile. He heartily shook the guy’s hand then drew him into a hug.
    “Behold Brady Cosgrove, one of Nick’s close friends from college. He’s here for the wedding…but he came early to interview for the CEO job. He’s coming for dinner tonight at Mom and Dad’s. Grandmeel’s really excited. She’s got high hopes that you two will hit it off. And so do I.”
    Oh God. A group matchmaking effort. How pathetic was she, anyway?
    Cat looked at the two men below. Both tall, strapping guys. Brady