The Bachelor’s Christmas Bride by Victoria Pade

to stand beside Wes, smile and say nothing, or had been left alone among strangers while Wes glad-handed and networked and basically scoured the crowd for votes or endorsements or funds. But still she appreciated that Dag kept her company. It was a nice change.
    And it came in particularly handy when Dag’s other brother and sisters headed their way.
    â€œOh, I’m not going to remember which of your sisters is which,” she said quietly to Dag as they approached the spot in front of the fire where Dag and Shannon stood.
    â€œWe just wanted to tell you how happy we are that Chase found family,” Tucker said as he and his sisters joined them.
    Tucker was easy—he was the only other McKendrick male. But even though Shannon had been introduced to the sisters earlier, she’d been introduced to so many people tonight that she couldn’t remember which was which.
    â€œI’m happy about it, too,” Shannon answered the third McKendrick brother.
    â€œI was just telling Shannon about our names,” Dag lied then. “About how with me and the girls, Mom filled in the birth certificates and chose the names when Dad wasn’t at the hospital so he wouldn’t have a say. How Dad knew the game by the time Tucker was born and made sure he got to pick Tucker’s name. But the rest of us—” Dag pointed to each sister as he explained “—Isadora, Theodora and Zeli—those were all Mom.”
    Shannon was so grateful to him for making that easy for her that she could have hugged him. Instead she justcast him a smile and went along with the ruse that they’d been discussing the names before. “I like unique names, and they give you all something to talk about right off the bat.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Zeli agreed with a wry laugh that insinuated that she never got away without talking about her name the minute it was mentioned.
    â€œWe all saw you on the news, Shannon,” Issa said then. “You looked so shocked—you must not have had any idea that you were going to be proposed to.”
    â€œIt was a surprise,” Shannon agreed, hating that Wes hadn’t yet taken her off this hot seat.
    â€œWhat about a ring, though? You don’t have one,” Tessa contributed.
    â€œI noticed that, too,” Dag commented.
    â€œI’m not a big jewelry person,” Shannon said as if the lack of an engagement ring were nothing. Then, desperate not to talk about this, she said, “Speaking of jewelry, Tucker, you did get your cuff links for tomorrow, right? I don’t know how they got mixed in with my wedding things, but Chase said he’d get them to you.”
    â€œGot ’em,” he confirmed. Then, to Dag, he said, “So there was a last-minute change and now I’m walking Tessa down the aisle tomorrow and you’re walking Shannon?”
    It was news to Shannon that Tucker had ever been set to walk with her and she glanced at Dag to find an expression on his face that said he wasn’t pleased that his brother had mentioned this.
    â€œYeah, I guess it was something to do with height or something,” Dag obviously hedged.
    â€œI’m half an inch shorter than you are—how much difference can that make?”
    Dag shrugged. “There must be a reason. Maybe for pictures or something. What do I know?”
    Shannon couldn’t help wondering if Dag had done some backstage rearranging in order to walk with her.
    Then with an enormous grin and in a tone that goaded his brother, Tucker said, “Is this another Dag-gets-a-dress-for-Christmas?”
    â€œOh, cheap shot!” Dag muttered with a laugh.
    But that was as far as the confusing exchange went because just then three waitresses bearing dessert trays came into the room and all eyes turned toward them.
    â€œChocolate Crème Brûlée,” Dag announced rather than saying any more to his brother. “Hadley says we’re all