Sister of the Bride

"You're nervous about getting married," Jackson said firmly. "It happens. You need to focus on what you love about Courtney, how you felt when you proposed. Back then you knew you'd be happy together forever. Remember that now."

Alex blinked several times. "That's deep, man."

"I'm a trained professional," Jackson said, comfortable with the lie. "You need to get up and go back to the hotel. Shower, shave and have a lot of coffee. Then you're going to find Courtney and tell her how much you love her. After that, you'll have to deal with your mother. It's possible that your father slept with Aunt Tully."

Alex's stare turned glassy. "My father what?"

Jackson helped Alex to his feet. "Your mother will fill in the details. Now do you remember what you're supposed to do?"

"Shower, shave, coffee, Courtney, Mom. Got it."

"Excellent."

"So you're a shrink?" Alex asked, leading the way out of the small building.

"Something like that."

"Katie's lucky to have you. She deserves someone really great."

"I know."

"It wasn't me."

"Apparently not."

Alex sighed. "I miss her, too."

"She's not on your list."

"I know."

Jackson watched Alex trudge toward the hotel. When the other man disappeared inside, Jackson stayed where he was and wondered how big a disaster this wedding was going to be.

Eight

"Why does Alex think you're a psychiatrist?" Katie asked later that afternoon as she and Jackson walked toward the room where the rehearsal would be held.

"I gave him advice and he assumed."

"Makes sense." She smiled. "He's not going to be happy when he finds out the truth."

"If the wedding goes as planned, it shouldn't matter one way or the other."

Jackson sounded confident and he looked yummy. Or maybe it was the fact that due to all the stress and trauma, she'd missed lunch.

She eyed him, taking in the tailored pants, the long-sleeved shirt and sports jacket. He looked good. Good enough to make her forget the growling in her stomach.

Danger, she reminded herself. Falling for Jackson wasn't smart. Not until she knew a little more about him. But they hadn't had much time alone and now that they were by themselves, she couldn't think of a single normal opening line. "So tell me about yourself" didn't exactly meet the subtle requirement.

"Did you get any sleep?" Jackson whispered in her ear, his hand at the small of her back.

Something warm and liquid flowed through her. "I tried, but there were too many interruptions."

"Should I apologize?"

"You weren't the one interrupting me."

He grinned at her. "You know what I mean."

Their gazes locked. She felt the crackle of awareness, of need. "No," she whispered. "Don't apologize."

"Good."

They'd stopped just outside the open door. Katie could hear conversation and knew they should take that last couple of steps and go inside. But staring into Jackson's eyes was the best part of her day. Well, kissing him was better and when he touched her...

"I read science fiction," he blurted.

"What?"

"I read science fiction. I like spy movies and thrillers. I can sit through a romantic comedy if it's important to you. I like relaxed vacations, preferably by the beach, but I can do the mountain thing, too."

He cupped her face. "Tell me what you like."

"Um, I read romances and mysteries. I like most movies, as long as they're not too violent or gory. I can't remember the last vacation I took, but a beach would be nice."

"I fell out of a tree when I was eight and broke my arm."

"I have a tattoo on my butt that says Buddy."

He dropped his hands and stared at her. "Buddy."

She laughed and kissed him. "Kidding. No tattoo."

"I didn't think so. I would have seen it last night." He grabbed her in his arms and spun her around. "We wasted way too much time, Katie. My mom's going to love hearing that."

Her heart pounded hard and fast. What exactly was he saying? Could she hope that he was as crazy about her as she was about him? Was it possible that she was going to get that lucky?

She opened her mouth, prepared to ask, when a soft voice spoke his name.

"Jackson, do you have a second?"

He put her down and they both turned to find a very beautiful, worried-looking Ariel standing behind them.

"I have to go to the wedding rehearsal," he said, his hand still on Katie's waist.

"This shouldn't take long. Please?"

Katie thought about how much Jackson had come to mean to her and how, when compared with the tall, leggy beauty, she was perfectly average. Before falling for him, she would have instantly gone to the bad place. While she was flirting with heading in that direction, there was a part of her that felt strong.

"You should talk to her," she told him.

"Why? I know the rehearsal won't be fun."

"I'll survive, and you won't be that long."

At least she hoped he wouldn't be. Besides, if he was the kind of guy to sleep with her and then want to get back together with an ex, better she know that now. When there was still a chance of getting out with her heart intact. Or at the very least only slightly shattered.

"I'll be right back," he promised, then walked toward Ariel.

Katie didn't want to see the two beautiful people together, so she hurried into the rehearsal room.

She would be fine, she told herself as she raised her chin and strode forward purposefully. Then promptly fell over a handbag, stumbled, twisted, felt an ugly pop and crumpled to the floor.

Katie really wanted to stay where she was. If she could lie on the floor and have everyone pretend they couldn't see her, she would be perfectly happy. Instead, they all gathered around, hovering, asking questions and offering advice.

Alex reached her first and helped her into a chair. "Where does it hurt?" he asked, rubbing his hands up and down her legs.

She pushed him away. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

Her mother reached her next. "Are you all right?"

"I think I pulled something. I'm sure I'll be okay in a second."

Her mother squeezed her hand. "If you're going to try and get out of the wedding, you'll have to do better than this," she whispered.

Katie managed a smile through the growing pain in her knee. "The window was too far."

Her father knelt in front of her and cupped her knee. "It's swelling, kid. I'm guessing a sprain. Let's go have a look."

He helped her hobble to the room next door. She pulled off her sandals and white jeans, then winced when she saw her knee. It was nearly double in size.

"That's attractive," she murmured.

Her dad, a family doctor, probed and squeezed. "You're the sports nut in the family. Want to guess?"

She'd seen enough knee strains to recite from memory. "Ice, elevation, rest, ibuprofen and wrap it when I'm standing."

"That's my girl. If it's not better in the next couple of days, we'll do an X-ray, but my guess is you'll be fine." He stood. "Trying to get out of walking down the aisle?"

"If only." She poked at her knee, then winced. "Talk about graceful."

He supported her as she stood, then helped her back into her clothes. "We love you anyway."

"I appreciate the lack of conditions on your affection," she said and hugged him.

He held her for a second. "This wedding is a disaster. You hear about Tully and Bruce?"

"It beats thinking about you and mom having sex."

"Don't go there."

"Believe me, I'm trying not to."

Her father straightened, then looked at her. "I know Alex hurt you when he dumped you for Courtney, but I was relieved. He was never the right one for you. I hope you know that."

"I do."

"Good."

The door opened and Jackson burst in. "I was gone fifteen minutes. What the hell happened?" He saw Katie's father and stopped. "Uh, sir," he added.

Bad enough that everyone in the wedding party had witnessed her clumsiness, but now she had to tell Jackson about it.

"This is why I only write about sports rather than actually participate in them," she said with a shrug. "I tripped."

"Are you hurt? I hear you broke something."

"A knee strain," her father said cheerfully. "She'll be fine." He hesitated, then glanced between them. "Should I let you lean on him?"

Katie nodded, and her father left. She turned to Jackson.

"How's Ariel?"

"Fine. What happened?"

"Ariel first."

"You first."

She huffed out a breath. "I fell over a purse and twisted my knee."

"She thinks we should get back together. I told her no."

Katie had already known what he was going to say, but it was still a punch in the gut to hear the words.

"Can you be more specific?" she asked cautiously.

He crossed to her. "Do you need ice or something?"

"Ice, elevation, rest and ibuprofen."

"In that order?"

"All at once is better."

"That's what I thought."

Before she could figure out what he was doing, he bent over, gathered her in his arms and picked her up. She shrieked as she left the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking you to your room."

The door her father had closed opened again and her mother stood there, wide-eyed. "I heard screaming and..." She took in her daughter in Jackson's arms, then sighed. "That's so romantic."

"It's not," Katie insisted, hanging on to his neck. "I'm not a cat. Put me down."

"I'm taking you to your room. You need to take care of your knee." He walked easily, as if she wasn't solidly built. "Janis, if you could get Katie's purse?"

"Of course."

They moved through the rehearsal room where everyone gathered around. Everyone except Courtney, who stared at Katie with unconcealed anger in her eyes. Katie buried her face in Jackson's shoulder.

"Don't worry about the rehearsal," her mother was saying. "You walk down the aisle and wait for the bride. How hard could it be? Jackson, you take good care of my girl."

"I will," he promised and stepped onto the waiting elevator.

Nine

"Better?" Jackson asked an hour later.

Katie lay on the bed, her leg propped up on a couple of pillows, ice held in place with one of his T-shirts.

"I'm dealing more with a sense of the ridiculous rather than pain," she admitted. "I can't believe I did that."

Talk about embarrassing. So far nearly everyone in the wedding party had been by to check on her. Not Courtney, but her sister would assume Katie had tripped on purpose--to ruin Courtney's day.

"I was distracted," she admitted, looking at Jackson, who was stretched out next to her.

He rolled onto his side, his head resting on his hand. "Ariel?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"We're not together. We haven't been for a long time."

"She wants to change that."

"I want to cover you in champagne and lick you dry, but that's not going to happen." He grinned. "At least not tonight."

He leaned toward her and kissed her. "I'm not interested in Ariel."

"She's beautiful."

He shrugged. "I'm over her. I was ten minutes after she left."

Which was both reassuring and concerning. "You don't believe in second chances?"

"Sure, but why would I want her when you're around?"

She felt her mouth drop open. That seemed to happen a lot around Jackson. She closed it. "Nice answer."

"Any more questions?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Good." He kissed her again, this time more slowly. "Think your family is done checking up on you?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I hope so."

"Me, too."

The next morning, Jackson eased himself out of Katie's bed. She was still asleep, her short blond hair spiky against the pillowcase.

She'd spent most of the night on her back, her leg draped over a pillow, to elevate her knee. Now, he saw the swelling had gone down. She would be stiff when she got up, but would heal quickly. His gaze lingered on the painted toenails. Something he'd never cared about one way or the other, but on Katie, they were oddly erotic.

Her skin was soft, he thought as he pulled on clothes. Her body warm, her responses irresistible. There was something about her--something special and unique. Something that drew him in and made him want to stay.

Instead he crossed the room and quietly let himself out into the hall. He would shower in his own room. Today was the wedding. Katie would need to be rested.

But before he could pull the door shut, Courtney stepped out of the elevator and headed for him.

"Is she up?" the bride-to-be demanded. "I have to talk to her."

"She's still--"

Courtney didn't bother to listen to the rest of it. She pushed past him and burst into the room.

"You're not up? You have to get up. There's something going on with Alex. He doesn't love m-me."