frustration. “Uh…”
“Because if it’s not, you and the boys can stay with us,” she offered. “Rory can sleep in the family room. It’s really not a problem. If not for the superstition, my mother would have had you stay with us anyway.”
“Maybe she was right to be superstitious,” he admitted. But even if they hadn’t broken tradition, he doubted the wedding would have happened.
“So, you saw Molly before the wedding.”
Thinking of her maid of honor and not Molly, his face flushed. He’d put Brenna in an impossible position. He had to tell her that he hadn’t proposed to Molly out of love. That he’d…what? Proposed out of friendship, selfishness? Hell, maybe it was better if she thought love had motivated his proposal. “Uh…”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry,” Colleen said, her voice even softer with the apology.
She’d been volunteering at the hospital for years, in the pediatric cancer ward. She was a sweet girl, and while she was shy with adults she was wonderfully animated with children. He had an uneasy feeling that she was the bridesmaid Nick intended to work on with that picnic lunch.
“She’s your sister. You’re not prying. Really,” he insisted, not wanting her to feel badly about asking questions, when she had every right to do so.
Her face flushed pink. “She is my sister. I thought I knew her pretty well. It isn’t like Molly to take off the way she did, without any warning.”
“She didn’t,” Josh assured her, recognizing the worship of her older sister. Nick had felt the same way about his big brother, and so Josh understood even though he had no siblings of his own. “I mean, I had some warning.”
“You knew she might change her mind?”
Footsteps sounded overhead and a door closed. Brenna had fled the kitchen, fled him and rushed upstairs the minute Colleen had called out. Did she know now that it was not Molly, but Colleen, who sounded similar to her older sister?
He lifted his chin. Staring at the ceiling, he admitted, “I knew.”
“Then why…”
Hadn’t he cancelled the wedding? He shrugged. They should have, the night before the ceremony. Molly had admitted to having doubts, to being scared, and he’d known after meeting Brenna that he never would have fallen in love with Molly.
“You don’t want to talk about it,” she guessed. “I understand.”
“That makes one person.”
“What? Is someone pressuring you?” She nodded as she answered her own question. “Oh. Nick.”
“Yes. Nick.” Josh pushed a hand through his hair. The bump had gone down some, but fortunately the hit had been hard enough to knock some sense into his head. “He doesn’t understand.”
“I’m sorry. I know he’s your best friend, but…”
“He means well,” Josh defended him. “He may not understand me, but I think I understand him. We go back a long way. He loves me like a brother.” Josh sighed. “That’s why he’s pressuring me to leave Cloverville. He’s worried that I might do something crazy.”
And like always, Nick had been damn smart to worry. Damn, Josh hated when his friend was right.
“I thought he considered staying in Cloverville crazy.”
“Oh, God,” Josh said with a groan. “I’m not the only one he’s pressuring. I saw the two of you on the dance floor last night. I should have known what he was up to.”
“That he only asked me to dance to find out where my sister is?”
“I didn’t mean that. ” He shook his head, disgusted with his tactlessness.
Colleen was a sweet girl, a beautiful girl. Nick had every reason to be interested in her, but knowing Nick, he probably had only one thing in mind—finding her sister. His best friend was under the mistaken assumption that Josh would leave Cloverville if he talked to Molly. And even though Josh probably should, he couldn’t break his promise to the boys.
“That didn’t sound right,” he corrected himself. “But you have to know Nick. He’s really
“Because if it’s not, you and the boys can stay with us,” she offered. “Rory can sleep in the family room. It’s really not a problem. If not for the superstition, my mother would have had you stay with us anyway.”
“Maybe she was right to be superstitious,” he admitted. But even if they hadn’t broken tradition, he doubted the wedding would have happened.
“So, you saw Molly before the wedding.”
Thinking of her maid of honor and not Molly, his face flushed. He’d put Brenna in an impossible position. He had to tell her that he hadn’t proposed to Molly out of love. That he’d…what? Proposed out of friendship, selfishness? Hell, maybe it was better if she thought love had motivated his proposal. “Uh…”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry,” Colleen said, her voice even softer with the apology.
She’d been volunteering at the hospital for years, in the pediatric cancer ward. She was a sweet girl, and while she was shy with adults she was wonderfully animated with children. He had an uneasy feeling that she was the bridesmaid Nick intended to work on with that picnic lunch.
“She’s your sister. You’re not prying. Really,” he insisted, not wanting her to feel badly about asking questions, when she had every right to do so.
Her face flushed pink. “She is my sister. I thought I knew her pretty well. It isn’t like Molly to take off the way she did, without any warning.”
“She didn’t,” Josh assured her, recognizing the worship of her older sister. Nick had felt the same way about his big brother, and so Josh understood even though he had no siblings of his own. “I mean, I had some warning.”
“You knew she might change her mind?”
Footsteps sounded overhead and a door closed. Brenna had fled the kitchen, fled him and rushed upstairs the minute Colleen had called out. Did she know now that it was not Molly, but Colleen, who sounded similar to her older sister?
He lifted his chin. Staring at the ceiling, he admitted, “I knew.”
“Then why…”
Hadn’t he cancelled the wedding? He shrugged. They should have, the night before the ceremony. Molly had admitted to having doubts, to being scared, and he’d known after meeting Brenna that he never would have fallen in love with Molly.
“You don’t want to talk about it,” she guessed. “I understand.”
“That makes one person.”
“What? Is someone pressuring you?” She nodded as she answered her own question. “Oh. Nick.”
“Yes. Nick.” Josh pushed a hand through his hair. The bump had gone down some, but fortunately the hit had been hard enough to knock some sense into his head. “He doesn’t understand.”
“I’m sorry. I know he’s your best friend, but…”
“He means well,” Josh defended him. “He may not understand me, but I think I understand him. We go back a long way. He loves me like a brother.” Josh sighed. “That’s why he’s pressuring me to leave Cloverville. He’s worried that I might do something crazy.”
And like always, Nick had been damn smart to worry. Damn, Josh hated when his friend was right.
“I thought he considered staying in Cloverville crazy.”
“Oh, God,” Josh said with a groan. “I’m not the only one he’s pressuring. I saw the two of you on the dance floor last night. I should have known what he was up to.”
“That he only asked me to dance to find out where my sister is?”
“I didn’t mean that. ” He shook his head, disgusted with his tactlessness.
Colleen was a sweet girl, a beautiful girl. Nick had every reason to be interested in her, but knowing Nick, he probably had only one thing in mind—finding her sister. His best friend was under the mistaken assumption that Josh would leave Cloverville if he talked to Molly. And even though Josh probably should, he couldn’t break his promise to the boys.
“That didn’t sound right,” he corrected himself. “But you have to know Nick. He’s really
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