The Bride's Best Man

When she opened the door on the ground floor, she found Pete leaning against the wall beside it.

“Whoa! Shelby, stop running.” He caught her arm to ensure she did as he ordered.

“Let me go!”

“Why? You’re supposed to join us for dinner.”

She glared at him. “I’ve changed my mind!”

“Why?”

Shelby tried to twist her arm free of his hold, but he wouldn’t allow it. “Because I don’t like the idea of Dan’s plan!”

Pete studied the young woman he was holding. Last night he hadn’t been at all attracted. Her sharp tongue had cut him with one too many sassy retorts. At times she’d been aloof, at others, downright surly, and always uninterested. In everything except Dan.

Today, though, her blue eyes flared to life, her red locks flamed in the sunshine pouring through the lobby doors. She looked like another person. A very attractive person.

Last night he’d had a name for her. Not one he could repeat in mixed company. Right now he was tempted to call her a looker.

He felt a tug deep within him, both surprised and delighted at the same time. Relishing the feel of her, he had to force his concentration onto the topic at hand.

“You know what Dan’s plan is?” he asked in surprise.

“Don’t you?”

“No, Dan didn’t explain it to me.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re helping him, aren’t you?” Shelby demanded. “Why would you do that if you don’t know what the plan is?”

Why? Because Dan Jackson had saved him once upon a time. Pete feared thinking what he’d be, where he’d be, if he hadn’t been lucky enough to meet Dan. Raised on Oahu by a single mother who worked two jobs, Pete had no family around him. Dan had become his family, especially when his mother died while Pete was in college.

He looked Shelby right in the eye and said, “Because Dan is more than my boss. He’s my best friend. Because Dan became my Big Brother when I was a teenager, replacing my father, whom I hadn’t seen since I was a little boy. Because Dan kept me from going down the wrong road and showed me the right way. Because I trust him.”

“Even if what he wants involves spending the evening with a stiff, unfriendly, unattractive woman?” Shelby asked. So apparently she’d overheard part of his conversation with Dan back in the office. He’d hoped not.

He shot her a grin. “Even if.” Then he began walking toward the elevator, pulling her with him.

She yanked on her arm again. “Let me go. You couldn’t pay me to have dinner with you, or Dan!”

He stopped and she looked at him expectantly. “Do you want to disappoint Kay? She’s spent all day talking about you.”

“Oh, that’s what’s wrong. She bored you to death today.”

“No, she didn’t. Now, come on, let’s go join them.”

“Where is Kay? She wasn’t in the office.”

“She excused herself to freshen up.” He gazed down at her, thinking how good she looked, like a spitfire, with her eyes squinting at him in suspicion. His voice lowered and he stepped a bit closer. “Come on, Shelby. You can convince me my description was off base.”

She seemed taken aback, but held her ground. “I’ll do no such thing!”

“So you are stiff, unfriendly and unattractive?” He smiled at her.

“Stop being silly!” She tried again to get loose. “I need to know what Dan’s plan is.”

“But I told you I don’t know what his plan is.”

“Will you help me find out?”

Pete stared at her. “You’re asking me to betray my friend and boss? Why would I do that?” Unbelievably enough, he wanted to get on her good side, which he knew helping her would do. But how could he go against Dan?

“Because Kay is my only family. Because she took care of me and loved me when I needed it. Because she deserves to be treated fairly!” Shelby stood taller, daring him to say differently.

Pete couldn’t. “I won’t argue with that. And she’s quite charming.”

“Then you’ll help me?”

“I won’t do anything to hurt Dan.”

“But will you help me protect Kay?”

Pete assessed her relaxed posture, how she seemed to soften right before his eyes. “You’re certainly not stiff and unfriendly now, are you? And of course you were always attractive.”

She ignored him. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“I promise I’ll try to help you protect Kay, because I don’t want her hurt. But I don’t believe that is Dan’s intention.”

“All right. Then I’ll go to dinner,” she finally conceded.

He let his hand slide down her arm until it reached hers. He lifted it to his lips. “I salute your wisdom. Let’s go. They’re waiting for us,” he said as he pushed the button for the elevator. This time it opened at once.

“Now it comes,” Shelby muttered.

“It’s all in the wrist,” Pete said with a grin.

Pete watched Shelby as she answered one of Dan’s questions over dinner. Now that he’d seen the fire and the loyalty in her, he saw her differently. She was gradually relaxing, becoming the woman that matched her beautiful russet hair.

“Kay, what did you think of the stores you saw today?” Shelby asked.

Kay smiled. “Well, needless to say I think my store is more organized and takes in a better quality of furniture. But the stores today seemed to be doing a remarkable business.”

“Really?” Dan asked, smiling at her.

“Yes, Dan. It was quite impressive,” Kay assured him. “I think I could move my business here and make a good living.”

“Aunt Kay! You aren’t thinking of doing that, are you?” Shelby demanded.

“Of course not! I was just thinking—”