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“I have accepted et ether I’ll see you out there”

“Final thoughts,” Scott repeated with air quotes and a goofy smile “Jesus, man—you make it sound like a funeral”

Scott shook his head as he headed for the door, still grinning

Jim watched the door close behind him

He still felt pretty bad about leaving the bachelor party Scott threw hi of dread

He doubted yrations of shapely half-naked girls and complimentary alcohol

Ji he would wait until the last possiblein place

He needed to spend his final ining he was somewhere else…

The door creaked open again

“Jesus, Scott, I said give me a minute!” he bellowed

He turned toward the door, cursing hi it behind Scott, but instead of his bestin, sharp dark eyes startled

“Shit, I’m sorry—come on in, sis What’s up?”

Guilt flooded him as he took in her familiar thin, dark-skinned frame

She had been so disappointed at being left out of the wedding party, but as usual, put on a good face about it

“Just checking on you Scott had this weird look on his face and sout”

Jirinned at her

“You mean the heart-shaped butterflies or…?”

She slapped hi away, looking embarrassed

She had to know he knew about her crush on Scott, right? Her eyes practically got stuck on him every time she saw him

That’s probably what bugged her thea chance to be escorted up the aisle by Scott

Scott probably hadn’t noticed the crush, and Jilad it looked like his sister wouldn’t make a move; Scott didn’t deserve her

Sure, she was a grooman now, but he still felt protective

He still reht ho held by his pale, blondwith joy

He forgot when exactly he stopped telling people Judy was adopted, his defenses raising immediately every time he was asked She was his sister, and how that came to be didn’t matter

Judy sobered up, wringing her elegant hands a little as she said, “It’s so weird, Jienuinely happy Well, besides Lucy’s parents, of course”

“Don’t feel bad for ht thing to do”

Judy shrugged disue this time

It was obviously too late for advice

You think mom would be pleased with your decision? she had asked hi had most of all

Didn’t she get it? It didn’t

No matter how many times Judy mentioned he had other options, he knew better

This was the only way

Jim took a final breath

He had reached a state of blankness—as if his body had finally shifted to auto-pilot

Nohim into social functions he couldn’t care less about No h with a sha reduced to a ellation

Duty called

He nodded at Scott as he closed the dressing room door behind him, and they headed for the lineup

It’s for the faood of the company It’s the least I can do for the

Maybe he and Lucy could grow into the e like his dad said

Ha! Fat chance

He took in the formally dressed crowd

Lucy had kept it s to her: a hundred people

Her dad happily let her do whatever she wanted, and Ji was mainly for the bride

He let her pick the venue, the entreés, the colors

He ith her idea of having just a best man and a maid of h

onor

The flowers, the centerpieces—all up to her

She got to pick everything—even her ideal groo

Why the heck had she picked an evening wedding, though? he’d wondered, because instead of getting it over with nice and early, he’d had all day to dread the ceremony

He should have put his foot down on that one aspect, but he had distanced hi, that he didn’t want to think about any single part of it

All he’d had to worry about was his tux

His eyes darted around the roo alive with horror once more

Oh god, was she going to try to get pregnant right away? To seal the deal with a kid?

That was one thing he’d put his foot down on—he definitely wasn’t ready for a child

He’d delay by playing on her vanity—she wouldn’t want to lose her figure just yet

As Lucy appeared, a huge solden head, her sli in Jim stilled

It was real It was happening right now

She looked beautiful, no doubt, but the bile finally rose from his stomach

He covered hisit out before the contents of his stomach came up

Then, before anyone could get their senses, he kept running, knowing there was no way in hell he was going back

Chapter 2

Maribel

“Of course it’s going to work out—everything alorks out for you,” Annie said, her curly, red-brown hair a halo

Maribel studied her best friend’s light brown face for signs of bitterness or jealousy, but found none