Miss Match by Lindzee Armstrong, Lydia Winters Page A

the back of her little VW Bug.
    “I ended up selling all but three pieces at the show last night, and was commissioned for twelve more. And I signed an exclusive contract with a gallery for my landscapes.”
    “Antonio, that’s fantastic.”
    “I know. And the money is fantastic. Enough that I could buy you this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. He opened it and handed it to Brooke.
    She gasped. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” A white gold chain held a gemstone-encrusted pendant—a painter’s palette and brush. He took the necklace from the box, and she lifted her hair so he could clasp it around her neck.
    “Now we’ll never be parted again,” he whispered into her ear, then leaned down to kiss her neck.
    She shivered, and turned around to kiss him on the lips. “Thank you. I love it.”
    “I knew you would. Now let’s go home.”
    Brooke nodded, getting in the passenger side of her car. Antonio always drove when they were together. “Tell me more about your trip. How’s your family?”
    Antonio started the car and pulled out of the parking space. “Doing well. They miss me, and are anxious to meet you in September.” He paid the attendant at the booth, then pulled out of the parking garage. “What I really want to talk about, mia dolcezza, is how, just days after our conversation, you managed to end up plastered across the Internet.”
    Brooke’s mouth fell open. Shoot. And she thought she was doing so well. “How did you find out?”
    “Twitter. ‘Nathan Kendall is Thankful for Health Insurance After Luke Ryder Punches Him at a Charity Gala.’ Nice headline. I especially loved the photos of you in the article.”
    “I’m sorry,” Brooke said. Maybe if she downplayed the situation, he wouldn’t get too mad. “Everything was going so well, and then . . .” She sighed.
    “I’m not interested in what went wrong. What I’m interested in is why you were in the middle of it. Again. I understand supporting your best friend, but this is getting ridiculous.”
    “I wasn’t in the middle of it. I was trying to keep Luke from getting arrested. He punched Nathan while I was off talking to some guy who didn’t want to hire me as a matchmaker.”
    Antonio glanced over. “I’m not even going to ask about that. What I am going to ask is why my fiancée can’t respect even the simplest of my wishes.”
    Brooke clenched her teeth together. He was right. She knew her relationship with Luke was unusual, and Antonio was more understanding than most men would be. He had asked one thing of her—one simple request—and she had failed. “I’m sorry. I was trying to help out a friend. Rule #9 and all that. You know Luke’s going through a hard time.”
    “And it seems like our relationship is always what suffers.” Antonio shook his head, causing curls to wave around his face. “It’s like Luke is your fiancé, and I’m your best friend.”
    “You know that’s not true.” Brooke’s voice shook. “It’s you I’m in love with. It’s you I plan on spending the rest of my life with.”
    “Yes. With Luke always in the wings.”
    “He’s only affecting our relationship because you make such a big deal over our friendship. Luke kept me sane during my parents’ divorce. He’s been there for me every time I needed him the past eight years. I’m trying to return the favor.”
    “ I need you now, Brooklyn. I need you to put me before him.” His words were sharp, angry.
    Brooke drew back, stunned. “I do.”
    “Then why do you keep doing exactly what I ask you not to?”
    Brooke put a weary hand to her forehead. He hadn’t even been home an hour, and already they were fighting. It was the same conversation they’d had a thousand times before, and she was sick of it. Luke never attacked her about her relationship with Antonio. Sure, he wasn’t a fan of the engagement. But he didn’t make demands of her like this.
    Just put Antonio first, a voice in her head insisted. Then this