The Bride's Best Man

Shelby wrenched her hand from Pete’s the moment they were out of sight. She continued. “I need to protect Aunt Kay from Dan’s plan—whatever it is.”

“He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Kay. It’s just some harmless flirting.” Pete pulled her close to him. “But I believe a man should make his own decisions.” Then he leaned down and dropped a kiss on her lips.

“Don’t do that!” She pushed him away.

“Why not? We can find out more if Dan thinks we’re interested in each other.”

“You can just say we are. After all, we went for a walk on the beach in the moonlight.”

Pete smiled slyly. “Give me another kiss so I can tell him it was fun.”

To his surprise, Shelby slid her arms around his neck and kissed him…then she bolted for the hotel lobby.

Pete shook his head. He didn’t know what that was all about. But he sure liked it.…

Dear Reader,

July might be a month for kicking back and spending time with family at outdoor barbecues, beach cottages and family reunions. But it’s an especially busy month for the romance industry as we prepare for our annual conference. This is a time in which the romance authors gather to hone their skills at workshops, share their experiences and recognize the year’s best books. Of course, to me, this month’s selection in Silhouette Romance represents some of the best elements of the genre.

Cara Colter concludes her poignant A FATHER’S WISH trilogy this month with Priceless Gifts (#1822). Accustomed to people loving her for her beauty and wealth, the young heiress is caught off guard when her dutiful bodyguard sees beyond her facade…and gives her a most precious gift. Judy Christenberry never disappoints, and The Bride’s Best Man (#1823) will delight loyal readers as a pretend dating scheme goes deliciously awry. Susan Meier continues THE CUPID CAMPAIGN with One Man and a Baby, (#1824) in which adversaries unite to raise a motherless child. Finally, Holly Jacobs concludes the month with Here with Me (#1825). A heroine who thought she craved the quiet life finds her life invaded by her suddenly meddlesome parents and a man she’s never forgotten and his adorable toddler.

Be sure to return next month when Susan Meier concludes her CUPID CAMPAIGN trilogy and reader-favorite Patricia Thayer returns to the line to launch the exciting new BRIDES OF BELLA LUCIA miniseries.

Happy reading!

Ann Leslie Tuttle

Associate Senior Editor

The Bride’s Best Man

Judy Christenberry

Books by Judy Christenberry

Silhouette Romance

The Nine-Month Bride #1324

*Marry Me, Kate #1344

*Baby in Her Arms #1350

*A Ring for Cinderella #1356

†Never Let You Go #1453

†The Borrowed Groom #1457

†Cherish the Boss #1463

**Snowbound Sweetheart #1476

Newborn Daddy #1511

When the Lights Went Out…#1547

**Least Likely To Wed #1570

Daddy on the Doorstep #1654

**Beauty & the Beastly Rancher #1678

**The Last Crawford Bachelor #1715

Finding a Family #1762

††The Texan’s Reluctant Bride #1778

††The Texan’s Tiny Dilemma #1782

††The Texan’s Suite Romance #1787

Honeymoon Hunt #1803

The Bride’s Best Man #1823

Silhouette Books

The Coltons

The Doctor Delivers

A Colton Family Christmas

“The Diplomat’s Daughter”

Lone Star Country Club

The Last Bachelor

JUDY CHRISTENBERRY

has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. She’s a bestselling author for Harlequin American Romance, but she has a long love of traditional romances and is delighted to tell a story that brings those elements to the reader. A former high school French teacher, Judy devotes her time to writing. She hopes readers have as much fun reading her stories as she does writing them. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two adult daughters.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Prologue

“There’s a fine line between right and wrong. I hope we’re coming in on the right side,” Shelby Cook said, navigating through an Internet travel site. “Do you think it looks bad for us to go on a vacation so soon after we buried my mother?”

“She hasn’t actually been your mother for the past ten years, honey, and you know that. Even so, you did what was necessary for her.” Kay leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping to stop any further questions from her niece and soon-to-be traveling companion.

Though she was an honest person by nature, Kay Cook was participating in a deceit that she hoped would not ruin everything. She’d had this plan for some time now, and she simply had to follow her heart and head, in synch on this issue.

Shelby wasn’t deterred. “I’m glad you helped me to keep a relationship with Mom. I realized she was a sad person, especially after her second marriage failed.”

“You were the one bright spot in her life. That’s why I encouraged her to come see you. As long as there was no man involved, she was fine.”

“Is that why my father left?”

Shelby’s question took her by surprise. Kay turned to face her and tried not to let the emotion show on her face. “Y-your father? You haven’t ever mentioned him.”

“I know. Mom always got hysterical if I asked about him when I was little.” She looked down and shrugged. “It was only as I got older and saw her with a man in her life that I thought the problem might not have only been my father’s, as she’d told me.”

“So you wanted to meet him?”

“No, not really. After all, I’ve managed for most of my life without him. And, obviously, he hasn’t suffered any pangs of regret or he would’ve contacted me.”

“I see.” Kay reached across her and clicked on a beachfront hotel. “Who knows? Maybe that’ll change.”

Chapter One

Sunshine greeted the two women as they got off the plane in Honolulu. Shelby drew a deep breath and sighed in delight as she released her pent-up breath. “Oh, this is heavenly.”

Aunt Kay raised her face to the tropical sun and smiled. “See, I was right. You needed to get away from all that…that mess. Now you’ll be able to relax and, if you insist, you can even study on the beach.”

“Yes, you’re right. After three years of law school, I needed a break.” But that wasn’t the only reason they’d settled on Hawaii. Her aunt Kay was there to meet the man she’d been corresponding with for fifteen years. “I bet you’re excited to see your man.”

“He’s not mine, Shelby,” she demurred. “But he is wonderful. I haven’t seen him since I was a teenager, but when I told him I was coming, he offered to show us Hawaii.”

“I’m sure that’ll be nice,” Shelby said, silently promising herself that if the man disappointed Kay, she’d make sure they only saw him once. She owed Kay that much at least.

After they reached their hotel room, Shelby suggested, “Let’s get unpacked and then we can look around. And tonight we can open the lanai door and have a cool breeze sing us to sleep.”

“Yes, it is so lovely here.”

Not much unpacking got done before the phone rang. Her aunt snatched it up at once.

“Oh, hi, Dan. We’re here.”

Shelby recognized the name. Dan Jackson. Kay had told her he’d lived in her neighborhood back in Cleveland, before he’d relocated to Oahu, but the two had maintained a sweet, old-fashioned correspondence ever since. Dan’s letters were the closest Kay had come to male companionship. She had seldom dated in the ten years Shelby had lived with her. Sometimes Shelby feared she was the reason. After all, she’d been only fourteen when she’d moved in with Kay, still in need of supervision.

Her mother, Cordelia, had been more interested in her own happiness than Shelby’s. Even when her second husband had tried to rape Shelby, her mother had blamed Shelby for flirting with him.

Shelby had been shocked by her mother’s words. She hated the man. Luckily for Shelby, her aunt had been with her mother when they discovered her fighting her stepfather. He had torn Shelby’s blouse and was trying to rid her of her bra. She fought him as hard as she could, biting his hand, which earned her a slap in the face, and she screamed loudly.

Kay heard her screams and hit her brother-in-law on the head with a lamp. When Cordelia slapped Shelby, Kay insisted Cordelia leave Shelby alone. Then she told Shelby to pack her belongings. She was going home with Kay.

Shelby didn’t protest. She was pleased to move to Kay’s home. There she thrived, seeing a psychologist for a couple of years to be sure she recovered from the attack and her mother’s rejection. Thanks to the doctor and Kay, she even learned to accept her mother as she was, as long as their visits occurred at Kay’s.

After all she’d done, when Kay wanted to go to Hawaii, Shelby couldn’t say no. Still, she worried about her aunt’s attraction to a man she hadn’t seen in a long time. Shelby was determined to protect Kay the way her aunt had once protected her.

She had always been told she was a good judge of character. She would utilize that judgment to do her best to gauge Dan Jackson’s intentions toward her aunt.

From her aunt’s response, she figured she’d be getting her chance tonight.

When Kay hung up the phone, Shelby asked, “So what did he say?”

“He and a friend are coming to take us out to dinner.” She unpacked a couple more dresses before she looked at Shelby. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Shelby was sure she’d feel like the proverbial fifth wheel, but she eagerly anticipated meeting Kay’s mystery man. “No, I guess not, but I thought he’d want to have you to himself.”

Kay blushed. “I told you we’re just friends.”

But Shelby noted her red cheeks and the way she avoided looking at Shelby. With her aunt, they were sure signs she wasn’t being honest. Aunt Kay was easy to read. Shelby hoped Dan was just as obvious.

“What are you going to wear?”

Shelby’s head snapped up. “Me? I would think what you’re wearing is more important.”

“I want you to look nice. Wear your new sundress, okay?”

Shelby had resisted the urge to buy a new wardrobe, as Kay had suggested. But she’d acquiesced on one new sundress. In fact, they’d each bought a dress that showed up their particular charms. Shelby, with her auburn hair, had a green print, and Kay, her beautiful face framed by soft blond hair, had a blue print.

“I’ll wear mine if you’ll wear yours,” she suggested.

“It’s a deal!” Kay agreed with enthusiasm. “We’ll knock them dead!”

Such effusiveness from her normally calm and quiet aunt surprised Shelby. Concerned her, too.

Was Kay in love with this man? And why was Shelby so afraid of that? She wanted her aunt to have some happiness. She was only thirty-four, ten years older than Shelby. Certainly young enough to find love, have a family.

But with a man who’d written her for fifteen years without making an effort to see her?

Shelby’s inner sensors went on alert. Something was screwy.

When they were both dressed in their new sundresses, makeup on and hair fixed, they descended to the lobby. Shelby had braided her long hair, even though Kay wanted her to leave it loose, on her shoulders.

“We’re early. Want to go look in that shop? They have some pretty dresses,” Kay said. She loved shopping.

“No, I don’t think so. You go ahead, though.”

“Dan is tall with dark hair. Call me if you think you see him.”

“You don’t have a picture of him?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then maybe I can pick up more than one tall, dark-haired man, so you’ll have a choice,” Shelby said with a grin.

Kay looked shocked. “Oh! I…I don’t think I should go look.”

“I was teasing. You’ve got plenty of time before he arrives.”

Though Kay appeared uneasy, she moved to the dress shop, but she kept her gaze fixed on Shelby.

Shelby felt bad. Her teasing had upset Kay and spoiled her shopping. She relaxed in the chair she’d chosen and watched people enter the lobby.

A few minutes later a pair of men entered. Both were tall and handsome, but one was considerably older than the other. Too old for Kay.

Shelby stiffened as she noticed the older man staring at each person in the lobby. Could this be Dan? She got up and moved toward the shop to check with Kay.

Her aunt turned when Shelby called her name. She didn’t have to ask about the man because when Kay’s gaze moved past Shelby, her face lit up. She ran and hugged the man Shelby had wondered about.

“Dan! I’m so happy to see you!”

Dan replied in kind, then kissed Kay on the cheek. In Shelby’s judgment, Dan seemed a bit more intense than an old friend.

Then his gaze shifted to Shelby. Much to her surprise, he stepped closer, as if he was going to hug her, too. But she immediately held out her hand, stopping him in midstep.

“How do you do?” she said stiffly.

He took her hand with a rueful grin. “I’m fine. Sorry, but I knew you when you were very little. I’m pleased to say you’re just as pretty today as you were a little over twenty years ago.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”

“Not a problem.” He turned toward his dark-haired, brown-eyed companion. “Allow me to introduce Peter Campbell, a friend of mine and an officer in my company.”

Shelby nodded but said nothing.

Dan continued the introductions. “Pete, this is Shelby Cook, Kay’s niece. And, of course, this is Kay Cook.”

Shelby knew she hadn’t been gracious, but Pete barely returned her nod. He did, however, take Kay’s hand and kiss it with a big smile on his face. Was Pete the one Kay was interested in? Shelby estimated his age to be around thirty, a little younger than Kay. Still, Pete would be better for Kay than Dan who, with graying at the temples, looked about fifty.

“Shall we go, ladies?” Dan asked.

Shelby wanted to say no. For some reason she wanted to hurry to the airport and get out of Hawaii in spite of the lovely sunshine and gentle breezes.

Kay, on the other hand, happily took Dan’s arm and sailed out of the hotel.

“Miss Cook?”

Shelby looked at the younger man who’d called her. He was offering her his arm, as Dan had done to Kay, albeit more reluctantly. She moved forward, but she didn’t take his arm.

Dan and Kay weren’t walking fast, so they caught up with them quickly.

“Where are we going?” Shelby asked.

“To the hotel next door. Its restaurant is known worldwide,” Dan answered. The man beside Shelby said nothing.

Shelby was wearing flats because she was five-nine, so walking to another hotel wasn’t a problem. Kay, though, had on high heels. Maybe it was good that she was clinging to Dan’s arm. Shelby supposed she wore heels because she knew Dan was so tall.

Pete was tall, also, which was nice for Shelby. She didn’t go out with short men. Of course, she seldom went out at all, so it wasn’t difficult to eliminate one segment of the male population.

Neither, she reminded herself, was she going out with Pete. He was simply tagging along with Dan, as she was with Kay.

In the restaurant, the maître d’ asked if they wanted to dine on the beach or in the dining room.

“On the beach? We can do that?” Kay asked.

Dan smiled. “I believe the lady has chosen.”

“Very well, sir. If you’ll follow me?”

Shelby wouldn’t deny Kay’s desire to eat on the beach, so she didn’t voice her doubts about an enjoyable dinner. Of course, she had doubts about the dinner for other reasons, too.

Once she stepped outside, however, she had to admit dining on the beach was a wonderful choice. Their table for four was set on a silken tarp, with the long tablecloth fluttering in the ocean breeze. Once they were seated, Shelby looked up and saw a moon rising in the sky over Pete’s shoulder.

“Look, Kay. Do you see the moon?” Shelby asked, gesturing toward Pete.

Pete looked at Shelby. “You don’t call her Aunt Kay?”

Shelby stared at the man before saying briefly, “No, not always. She’s only ten years older than me.”

“Really?” Pete asked, staring at Kay.

“Yes, really,” Shelby returned. She didn’t like the way the man was looking at Kay, as if sizing her up.

“Most people think I’m her mother,” Kay said with a chuckle.

“You are more my mother than my real mother ever was,” Shelby said softly, taking Kay’s hand.

Dan took her other hand. “She’s right, Kay, and we all know it.”

Shelby looked at Dan. “How do you know?”

“Kay wrote me about what happened.”

“You knew my mother?”

“We met,” he said briefly, shrugging his shoulders.

“And my father? Did you know him?”

“About as much as I knew your mother. I was more Kay’s friend.”

“So why did you move to Hawaii?” Shelby asked.

“I was in a bad situation and I needed to get away.”

Since Kay would’ve been only in her midteens, Shelby guessed she couldn’t blame him for leaving. “What does your company do, Dan?”

“Oh, a mixture of things. I import cars and sporting equipment, and I export Hawaiian items, such as macadamia nuts, leis, muumuus, most anything we think will sell on the mainland.”

“How interesting.” Shelby looked at Kay, to see if what he did was a surprise to her.

“Doesn’t that sound exciting, Shelby?” Kay asked.

“Yes, exciting,” Shelby agreed.

“What do you do, Shelby?” Dan asked.

“I just finished law school.” With a bright smile, she added, “But I guess you and Kay have more in common.”

Dan and Kay smiled at each other.

Pete needed more details. “Why do you say that?”

“They’re both in retail.”

Pete looked at Kay. “What do you sell?”

“Oh, I have a secondhand furniture store,” Kay said in a deprecating manner.

“Really,” Pete said. “Maybe we should start one of those here on the island. It certainly wouldn’t be worth shipping anything back to the mainland.”

Dan frowned. “I don’t know much about furniture, but it does sound like a good idea.”

“Maybe I should look into it. I’ll make some calls tomorrow and do some research to see if there are secondhand stores on the island.”

“Good idea, Pete. I bet Kay could give you advice.”

“Would you mind, Kay?” Pete asked.

“I would enjoy it.”

“And I’ll take you to lunch, Shelby, so you won’t feel left out,” Dan said with an easy smile.

“That’s quite all right. I’ll be fine lying at the pool and studying. I’ve planned to do that, but I was worried about Kay being entertained. That will work out just fine.”

Kay protested. “But, Shelby—”

“You promised me I could study if I felt the urge, Kay, and I do.” She gave her aunt a serious look.

“I know I did, but I was hoping you wouldn’t want to.”

It was Dan who eased the situation. “Don’t worry about it, Kay. Let Shelby study all day. Then, tomorrow night, we’ll all four go out to dinner.”

“But, Dan, you bought dinner tonight. I can’t let you take us out again.”

“Actually, he hasn’t paid for dinner tonight yet,” Shelby said. “Maybe it would be better if we split the cost tonight.” Shelby caught the look of outrage on Pete’s face. Dan didn’t seem upset at all.

“Nice try, young lady,” Dan said with a chuckle, “but I extended the invitation, so I’ll pay the bill.”

“Then you’d better save your money tomorrow night.”

“Shelby!” Kay said in an admonishing tone. “There’s no need to insult Dan. He’s been a wonderful host.”

“I didn’t mean to insult him. But I don’t know him. If he wants to take you out, he shouldn’t feel he has to drag me along. You’re old enough. You don’t need a chaperone.”

Dan laughed. “You’re a straight shooter, aren’t you, Shelby?”

“I try to be.”

“Okay, we’ll negotiate. I feel I owe Kay another dinner if she works all day with Pete tomorrow. But my chances of repaying Kay while abandoning you are nil. You know her. Am I right?”

“Yes, Dan, you’re right. I didn’t know if you knew Kay that well.”

“Even when she was young, she kept her dolls all together because she didn’t want any of them to think she was the favorite.”

Kay blushed and looked away from the table.

“Kay! You never told me that!”

“That wasn’t anything you needed to know,” her aunt said sheepishly.

Dan smiled at her. “Sorry to spill the beans on you, sweetheart. But it was something that had stuck in my memory.”

Shelby was beginning to see why Kay had remembered him for so long.

Kay managed to change the subject back to Pete’s original suggestion. Shelby allowed the three-sided conversation to flow for the rest of dinner without interruption. When they’d finished their meal, Dan leaned over and whispered something in Kay’s ear. Shelby noticed Pete’s complete attention was on Kay’s face.

“Oh, I’d love to,” Kay exclaimed.

Dan looked at Shelby. “I suggested to Kay that we take off our shoes and walk back to your hotel along the beach, instead of the way we came.”

Shelby frowned, unsure what her answer should be. What did Kay want her to do?

“Oh, Shelby, let’s! We can even wade a little bit. That would be heavenly,” Kay enthused.

“Of course, if that’s what you want.”

“Good!” Kay jumped up from her chair and stepped out of one shoe, then the other. Shelby did the same.

“You might as well sit down, ladies. Our shoes don’t come off as easily as yours,” Dan said with a smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Kay apologized. “I’m just so excited!”

“I don’t mind your excitement. It makes me feel young again.”

“You are young, Dan,” Kay said.

Dan grinned and shook his head. “Maybe you need your eyesight checked, sweetheart.” Then he stood with his shoes in one hand and offered his other hand to Kay. “Ready to go?”

“Oh, yes!” Kay exclaimed, seizing his hand.

Before Shelby could even think of moving, they were walking along the beach.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Pete. “I didn’t mean to hold you up.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Shelby stared at the young man. “I beg your pardon?”

“I haven’t been able to decide if you approve of Dan for Kay. You want to clue me in?”

Shelby gave him a look. “And I was trying to decide if you wanted Kay for Dan or for yourself! Want to clue me in?” she said, echoing his words.

“Lady, I don’t want to tell you anything!”

“Same here!”

With each retort they stepped closer to each other, until they were a foot apart. When she realized it, Shelby turned away, giving him her back in a wordless gesture that spoke volumes.

Neither said anything for a few moments, until Pete broke the icy silence. “Come on. We’re losing sight of them.”

He didn’t bother offering his hand, which was good because Shelby wouldn’t have accepted anything from him.