The Best Man's Bride by LISA CHILDS

really remembered her first name. He’d met so many people the day before.
    She arched a brow, obviously skeptical of his claim. Then she turned away from him. “I’ll get Josh for you.”
    “No!”
    Her gaze unflinching, she stared him down, through the screen, like his third-grade teacher. If not for Josh, he surely wouldn’t have passed that class. Mrs. Hoolihan hadn’t bought any of his excuses for not finishing his homework or for the spitballs on the chalkboard and in Sally Kruger’s hair.
    “I’d like to talk to you.” He swallowed. “Brenna.”
    She pushed open the screen door and stepped out to join him on the porch. Then she crossed her arms over her ample bosom and waited for him to say more. Despite walking down the aisle together yesterday, they hadn’t exchanged more than a few words.
    Nick wasn’t sure which approach might work with her, but he doubted she’d appreciate his limited charm. Since she seemed straightforward, he opted for being blunt. “You need to tell your friend to come home.”
    “What?”
    “You know where the runaway bride is.”
    “She asked for some time alone,” she said, reminding him of the note that Molly had left. Not for the groom she’d hurt and humiliated, but for one of her bridesmaids, Abby Hamilton. He’d advised Clayton to work on Abby, to make her tell him where Molly had gone.
    He appreciated that Brenna hadn’t lied to him and denied knowing where her friend was. He was right—she was straightforward. “Don’t you think that’s pretty damned selfish of her?”
    Her voice sharpened. “You obviously don’t know Molly. She is probably the least selfish person I know.”
    “I don’t know her,” he admitted. “She was supposed to marry my best friend, and I barely know her name.”
    “Well, you’re bad with names.”
    He laughed to realize she was aware of one of his quirks.
    “Josh has been talking to you.”
    She nodded.
    “That’s good.” That meant he wasn’t shutting himself down; he wasn’t hiding out alone and drinking himself into oblivion. But then Josh was nothing like Nick’s brother. He was stronger than that—he had the boys depending on him. He was their only parent.
    If something happened to him, Nick would get custody of the boys. He was their godfather, and because he was younger and more energetic than their grandparents he would become their legal guardian if anything happened to Josh. Nothing could happen to Josh.
    The boys deserved better than Nick. They deserved their father—someone who could protect them from all harm.
    Her husky voice softened as she acknowledged, “You’re worried about him.”
    “Yes, I am,” he admitted. Probably more worried than he had reason to be. “He’s determined to talk to her and work things out.”
    Even though Josh hadn’t accepted the fact, Nick was certain they couldn’t work out anything. If the woman loved him, she wouldn’t have deserted him at the altar. “So you need to tell your friend to come home.”
    “Molly. Her name is Molly.”
    “I know her name.” He wasn’t likely to forget it since she’d hurt his best friend. He remembered Josh’s first wife, too, but he didn’t often say her name or even think it. “I wish Josh would forget. I wish he’d forget all about her.”
    Brenna drew in a quick breath, as if startled. “Then I don’t understand why you want her to come home.”
    “ He can’t forget her until he talks to her.”
    Brenna’s lips curved into a rueful smile. “You really don’t know Molly. Men don’t forget Molly. Seeing her again isn’t going to get him to change his mind about moving here or about opening the office that I know you were against opening here. Bringing Molly back won’t get you what you want.”
    “This isn’t about what I want.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “No, it is. I want my friend to be happy. If moving to Cloverville makes him happy, I’ll go along with it. I just I want Josh to be happy.