that lay dormant most of the time.
She braced herself, not sure whether the comment warranted a lift of the eyebrow or a blistering set down or a… smile .
A real smile. A smile that stripped the breath from Kate’s lungs and sent her heart flopping around in her chest like a freshly caught trout.
A smile that suddenly had Kate wondering if it wasn’t just her sanity that was at risk for the next two weeks.
If she were smart, she’d better keep a close eye on her heart, as well.
Chapter Six
“Y ou can’t go in there. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”
Alex scowled at the woman blocking his path. “I thought that was for the groom.”
“It’s whoever I say it is.” Faye McAllister crossed her arms over her chest and didn’t budge from her post in front of the bedroom door.
Alex struggled to keep a tight rein on his patience. When he’d climbed the stairs to Abby’s third floor suite of rooms, he hadn’t expected to find Quinn’s receptionist standing guard like a Doberman in raspberry satin.
“I’m her brother.”
“And I’m her bridesmaid,” Faye retorted.
“I have to talk to her—” Alex bit off the rest of the sentence as the door opened and a familiar face, dominated by a pair of shamrock-green eyes, peeked out.
“I should have known.”
Kate slipped into the hallway and pulled the door shut firmly behind her. Unless she planned to wear jean shorts and a bright yellow tank top for the ceremony, she hadn’t taken time to change for the wedding yet.
“What’s going on?”
Alex opened his mouth to speak, but Faye cut him off.
“He wants to talk to Abby.”
Alex decided the woman might have been a little more intimidating had she not been wearing sequined tennis shoes.
Kate gave Faye’s arm a reassuring pat. “It’s all right. I can handle this one.”
“All right, but holler if you need me.” Faye swept past them, leaving a trail of Chanel Nº 5 in her wake as she marched down the stairs.
Kate moved into position.
“You’re replacing her as the bouncer?” Alex asked. “If this is what O’Halloran considers security, his business is in more trouble than I thought.”
His gaze lingered for a moment on the tiny, heart-shaped charm dangling from the gold chain around Kate’s ankle.
Her bare toes curled into the plush carpet and her cheeks turned the same shade of pearl pink as the nail polish she wore. “Faye is one of the reasons Quinn’s business is successful.”
“I’m surprised she doesn’t scare away the customers,” Alex muttered. “I couldn’t sweet-talk my way past her.”
“Is that what you were trying to do.” Kate tipped her head. “On the other side of the door, it sounded like you were trying to pull rank.”
“I need to talk to Abby.”
“That’s why Faye wouldn’t let you in.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Kate simply looked at him until it did.
Alex blew out a sigh. “I wasn’t going to talk Abby out of getting married.”
“Really.” Kate didn’t sound too convinced, either.
“No.” Alex wasn’t used to having to explain himself but it was clear that Kate wasn’t going to let him pass until he did. “I have…something for Abby. Something I need to give her before the ceremony.”
“A prenup?”
“You are so…” Alex struggled to find the right word, something that he never struggled with.
“Insightful?” Kate supplied. “Wise beyond my years?”
Alex felt a smile coming on. And it was about as welcome as a case of the flu. Kate Nichols didn’t seem to be the least bit intimidated by him. It left Alex feeling a little off balance.
Maybe he was coming down with the flu.
“It’s not a prenup. It’s a gift.” Alex thrust his hand in the pocket of his tux and produced a small velvet jeweler’s box as evidence. “You know that old poem.”
“Poem?”
She was going to make him say it.
“Something old, something new…” Alex couldn’t remember the rest so he opened
She braced herself, not sure whether the comment warranted a lift of the eyebrow or a blistering set down or a… smile .
A real smile. A smile that stripped the breath from Kate’s lungs and sent her heart flopping around in her chest like a freshly caught trout.
A smile that suddenly had Kate wondering if it wasn’t just her sanity that was at risk for the next two weeks.
If she were smart, she’d better keep a close eye on her heart, as well.
Chapter Six
“Y ou can’t go in there. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”
Alex scowled at the woman blocking his path. “I thought that was for the groom.”
“It’s whoever I say it is.” Faye McAllister crossed her arms over her chest and didn’t budge from her post in front of the bedroom door.
Alex struggled to keep a tight rein on his patience. When he’d climbed the stairs to Abby’s third floor suite of rooms, he hadn’t expected to find Quinn’s receptionist standing guard like a Doberman in raspberry satin.
“I’m her brother.”
“And I’m her bridesmaid,” Faye retorted.
“I have to talk to her—” Alex bit off the rest of the sentence as the door opened and a familiar face, dominated by a pair of shamrock-green eyes, peeked out.
“I should have known.”
Kate slipped into the hallway and pulled the door shut firmly behind her. Unless she planned to wear jean shorts and a bright yellow tank top for the ceremony, she hadn’t taken time to change for the wedding yet.
“What’s going on?”
Alex opened his mouth to speak, but Faye cut him off.
“He wants to talk to Abby.”
Alex decided the woman might have been a little more intimidating had she not been wearing sequined tennis shoes.
Kate gave Faye’s arm a reassuring pat. “It’s all right. I can handle this one.”
“All right, but holler if you need me.” Faye swept past them, leaving a trail of Chanel Nº 5 in her wake as she marched down the stairs.
Kate moved into position.
“You’re replacing her as the bouncer?” Alex asked. “If this is what O’Halloran considers security, his business is in more trouble than I thought.”
His gaze lingered for a moment on the tiny, heart-shaped charm dangling from the gold chain around Kate’s ankle.
Her bare toes curled into the plush carpet and her cheeks turned the same shade of pearl pink as the nail polish she wore. “Faye is one of the reasons Quinn’s business is successful.”
“I’m surprised she doesn’t scare away the customers,” Alex muttered. “I couldn’t sweet-talk my way past her.”
“Is that what you were trying to do.” Kate tipped her head. “On the other side of the door, it sounded like you were trying to pull rank.”
“I need to talk to Abby.”
“That’s why Faye wouldn’t let you in.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Kate simply looked at him until it did.
Alex blew out a sigh. “I wasn’t going to talk Abby out of getting married.”
“Really.” Kate didn’t sound too convinced, either.
“No.” Alex wasn’t used to having to explain himself but it was clear that Kate wasn’t going to let him pass until he did. “I have…something for Abby. Something I need to give her before the ceremony.”
“A prenup?”
“You are so…” Alex struggled to find the right word, something that he never struggled with.
“Insightful?” Kate supplied. “Wise beyond my years?”
Alex felt a smile coming on. And it was about as welcome as a case of the flu. Kate Nichols didn’t seem to be the least bit intimidated by him. It left Alex feeling a little off balance.
Maybe he was coming down with the flu.
“It’s not a prenup. It’s a gift.” Alex thrust his hand in the pocket of his tux and produced a small velvet jeweler’s box as evidence. “You know that old poem.”
“Poem?”
She was going to make him say it.
“Something old, something new…” Alex couldn’t remember the rest so he opened
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