The Best Man Read online

  “Wait,” the woman called out behind me. I turned and saw that she had opened the screen door with a tentative smile in place. She was even prettier without the mesh layer between us. “You’re...Emelia. Right?”

  I was taken aback by her suddenly friendly attitude. Maybe the initial chill I felt at her greeting was because she was unsure whom she was speaking to. Still, it felt odd that she knew me, but I didn’t know her. Only one person I knew ever used my full name.

  “Yes. That’s me,” I trapped my fingertips under the hard edge of my back pockets and then turned to look at her. The woman looked curious and maybe even slightly amused. “I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “If we’ve met, I honestly don’t remember.”

  “Oh no,” the blonde smiled. “We haven’t met. I’ve just heard a lot about you. I’m Patricia...Samuel’s girlfriend.” She put her elegantly polished and manicured hand forward as if to shake mine. I stared at it in horror as her movements came in slow motion, and her words echoed in my head. Samuel’s girlfriend...Samuel’s girlfriend...

  Samuel’s girl...

  My own hand had remained stubbornly behind my back as my shock at her words slowed my ability to function. An hour or a heartbeat later, I snapped out of it and licked my lips, mortified by my own rudeness and stunned reaction. I held my hand up in a limp apology, showing her the blue and green paint layered beneath black grease and dirt as an explanation for my not taking her hand in mine.

  “Sorry, I...”

  “Patty? Who’s at the door?” My head snapped up, and my eyes flew beyond the woman’s shoulder as Samuel’s voice came from the inner recesses of the house. He moved into view. My chest rose and fell heavily as I tried to control the emotions that felt as though they might overwhelm me at any moment. That breakdown I was worried about? Yeah, this might have been it.

  “Emelia,” Samuel breathed. He stopped to stand behind the tall blonde, pushing his wet hair away from his face nervously.

  “The little girl from next door, right?” Patricia asked him while grinning over her shoulder. “She’s just as you described her. I would have known her anywhere. We were just introducing ourselves.”

  I winced. Had he described me so horribly that my current hellish appearance would make me recognizable to her?

  “Oh...um...” Samuel looked between us quickly. “Patty...this is Emelia. Emelia? This is Patty. She...surprised me by flying in for the party with a couple of my other friends from school.”

  I was staring at the porch under my feet and imagining her flying in on a broom as he spoke. My gaze quickly bounced back up to meet his. He had said “other friends.” Maybe it was his way of letting me know that their relationship wasn’t serious? Still, she had introduced herself as his girlfriend.

  “Speaking of,” Patricia murmured, “we promised we would meet them for lunch after I got settled in here.” Her hand wrapped protectively over his forearm as she spoke. She wanted me to know that while his other friends were staying in town at the local inn, she was a guest right here in the Daltons’ house. Her message came through loud and clear.

  “Well,” I offered with a shaky voice. “It was very nice to meet you.” Liar, my brain screamed. I sort of wanted to jump on top of her and rip her shiny blond hair out by the roots. I backed up quickly while I spoke to prevent myself from doing just that. I turned to flee before I had a complete meltdown over this new turn of events.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw the sign I had painted. The words “Congratulations, Samuel” were turned sideways, and the large arrow seemed to be pointing at the beautiful couple behind me while I ran to the safety of my own house.

  Once in my living room, I turned a slow circle. I was at a complete loss. I didn’t know if I wanted to scream or cry or laugh. Samuel being unavailable made perfect sense. Laughter won the coin toss, and I stalked through the lower level of my house chuckling darkly at my own stupidity. In the kitchen, I located my weapon for getting even. A bottle of wine had my name written all over it. Quick work with a corkscrew got the bottle open. I didn’t even bother getting a glass.

  A half a bottle of wine later, I lay upside down on my couch. My feet rested on the wall, and my head hung backward over the seat cushions while I tried to watch television from this new and interesting angle. I also tried my damnedest to ignore the knocking at my front door.

  “Go away!” I yelled. I was not in the mood to talk to anyone, but the person assaulting my front door with a barrage of knocks walked in anyway. I moved my eyes from the T.V screen and slowly scanned them up the legs in front of me, until I saw the upside-down face of Lily. She frowned while she looked down at me. Whoever said that a frown is an upside-down smile lied. It was still a frown. She didn’t look happy.

  “Get up,” she huffed. I rolled until I could sit upright and held my head in my hands while the blood rushed back to the rest of my body.

  “If you are quite done marinating in merlot, we have work to do,” Lily insisted. She held out her hand, and I took it, cringing at the way my dirty, paint-smeared fingers looked against her pale skin. “How drunk are you?”

  “I’m not.” I shook my head. “Maybe a little buzzed. Definitely not drunk.”

  “Good. Let’s get you some water anyway.” I let the little dictator drag me to the kitchen where she got us each a bottle of water from the refrigerator. I wanted to ask her why she seemed so familiar with a house she had never been inside before. But that was just Lily for you. I shrugged and went with it. “Upstairs. You need a shower badly,” Lily ordered. She pushed at my back while I led the way up the stairs.

  “Don’t tell me you brought your emergency Barbie kit, and you plan to do my hair and makeup for me?” I asked over my shoulder. Lily winced.

  “Hell no. I’m missing a gene for that kind of thing. But I will dig through your closet while you’re getting yourself less funky, and I’ll find something that will make you look fantastic at this party tonight.”

  “Thanks,” I whispered. I went into the bathroom with no further argument and turned on the water for the shower that I desperately needed. When my eyes caught my own reflection in the mirror, I had to stifle a gasp. My hair was a wild mess. I had blue paint smeared across my jaw and a rather large smudge of engine grease on the side of my nose. I groaned and let my head fall forward. It was great to know I had looked my best when I met Samuel’s girlfriend. Cursing under my breath, I undressed and stepped under the stinging spray of the water.

  Ten minutes later, I trudged back into my bedroom wrapped in a towel and sat heavily on the edge of my bed.

  “So, I take it you met Miss Goldilocks,” Lily said with the top half of her body buried in my closet.

  “Yeah,” I muttered. Lily emerged holding a black strapless dress with a flouncy skirt and tossed it on the bed beside me. I couldn’t even remember having bought the thing.

  “I don’t like her,” Lily continued. “She’s cold. I don’t get a good vibe from her.”

  “She seemed pleasant enough,” I argued lightly. I could hardly fault her taste in men.

  “She’s stuck-up,” Lily said while digging through my top dresser drawer. “You should see her over there. It’s sickening. ‘Mrs. Dalton’ this, and ‘Mr. Dalton’ that...‘Gee, Andrew, your girlfriend is a living doll!’ She’s trying way too hard.”

  She turned and held up a black strapless bra in front of her chest and frowned while looking down. I stood to grab the undergarment from her hands while she continued to rant. “You should see Samuel. I’m telling you- you could cut the tension with a knife over there!”

  “How...does he act around her?” I asked quietly.

  “Really freaking weird, that’s how,” Lily said conspiratorially. “Like, right after Andy and I got here and she introduced herself, Samuel looked pissed. Then they went upstairs for a super long time.”

  “Ew.” I cringed. “I don’t want to hear about it.” It hurt to imagine Samuel and her together that way.

  “But that
’s just it,” Lily said excitedly. “It’s not like they were up there doing the nasty! She’s sleeping in Andy’s room.”

  “What?” I asked. That bit of news certainly did surprise me. Lily nodded. “Andy is driving me back home tonight. I work tomorrow anyway. I barely got my boss to arrange the schedule so I could come to the party. Anyway, that’s not important. What I’m trying to say is, Patty has her things in Andy’s room.”

  “Hmm...” What did that mean? It seemed odd that a grown man would have his girlfriend sleeping down the hall. Unless...they weren’t as close as she would have had me believe? Lily saw the small spark of hope in my eyes the second I felt it in my heart. I hated the idea of setting myself up for another round of heartache. But if Samuel wasn’t totally sure about this woman, then maybe he wasn’t as unavailable as I thought.

  “Good girl,” Lily encouraged me when she saw my devious smile. “You get yourself dressed. You’ll feel better when you even the playing field.”

  I set out to dry and curl my hair, determined. Patricia might be staying at the Daltons’ house, but Samuel had kissed me. He wanted to talk to me, about us, at his party. I was going to try my hardest to make sure that could still happen. I just wanted to look my best to help me summon the confidence and the courage I would need. If he wanted Patricia, he could have her. But I had already bowed out of one competition this week. I wasn’t going to give up so easily this time. The stakes were too high.

  Sometime after I finished my hair and started applying careful makeup, Lily excused herself to go next door to get dressed. I told her I’d see her at the diner and then stepped into my own party dress. The zipper up the side cinched my curves in nicely. The strapless bra Lily had chosen gave me ample cleavage above the straight cut line of the top of my dress. I pulled a lacy pair of black thong underwear under my flirty skirt and smiled as I decided against wearing anything else beneath it. With strappy heels and simple jewelry, I felt ready to take on anything the night had to offer.

  I went downstairs and received a proud smile from my father. I grinned and spun a quick circle to let my skirt twist around my knees.

  “You look beautiful, honey,” he told me. I thanked him and straightened his collar before the two of us went out to his truck.

  “So, you only have to deal with me for a couple more days,” I said as we drove to the diner. Dad frowned.

  “You know I wish it were longer, kiddo,” he sighed. “Any thoughts about where you might end up after you graduate next year?”

  “Nothing definite,” I said. I turned my face to look at the darkened tree line at the side of the road. “Lately, I’ve been thinking about how nice it might be to come back home.”

  My father didn’t say a word, but I felt his hand when he warmly laid it on top of my own between us on the seat. The squeeze of his fingers probably told me more comfortably than his words could how much he liked that idea too.

  The low buzz of conversation, quiet music, and sporadic bursts of laughter greeted us as we followed the arrow on the sign I painted to park at the side of the diner. Dad opened my truck door for me, and I walked under his arm to meet family and friends who had come together to help congratulate Samuel on his graduation from law school. Try as I might, I couldn’t keep my eyes from scanning the crowd for the guest of honor. He didn’t seem to be in the diner when we arrived.

  The room was transformed completely. Booths and stools had been cleared out to make room for small round tables. The decorations my father had brought over this morning graced the pretty tables nicely. Candles flickered and provided soft light. I let Dad lead me to the bar and ordered a glass of red wine, remaining consistent with my earlier choice of drink. We were standing next to the bar chatting with the old high school coach when I finally caught a glimpse of Samuel. He was walking in through the back door, and his eyes caught mine immediately.

  A crooked smile pulled at his lips as his eyes traveled down my body slowly and back up to my face. He tilted his head and raised his eyebrows in a complimenting gesture, and I blushed and raised my glass slightly in reply. I couldn’t help the warmth that flooded me under his appreciative gaze. I wasn’t in the mood to hide my reaction to him. The night would be about truths.

  The smile dropped from my features, however, when I saw Patricia walk up behind Samuel, clearly following him indoors. That pointy-tipped claw of hers was on his arm again, and I took a deep swallow of wine to steel myself. They made a stunning pair. She wore a light blue pantsuit, and her hair was pulled tightly back into a very straight and severe ponytail. She looked like an ice princess and exactly like the type of a woman who would be held on the arm of a successful lawyer. Professional and perfect. She looked stunning standing beside Samuel, who wore dark pants and a white button-up dress shirt with a black tie. Except his tie and his shirt were loosened, which made me smile. She might be immaculately pressed, but he looked comfortable and happy. Maybe they weren’t so perfectly matched, after all.

  I straightened my shoulders where I stood and sized up the woman with the territorial grip on Samuel. She was tall and very thin. Angular and bony, like a model. I was her physical opposite, but I refused to be intimidated by the differences between us. I tossed my curled hair over my shoulder and used my curves to my advantage when I threw a sway to my hips and crossed the room to meet Andy and Lily, who had just walked through the door. I smirked when I saw that Samuel noticed. I could feel his eyes on my back when I stood in front of his brother.

  “Em? You look dangerous,” Andy complimented me and raised a hand to pull one of my springy curls.

  “Blame your fiancée. She encouraged me.”

  “Only one of the many reasons I love her.” Andy grinned and wrapped his arms around Lily, who giggled.

  “Don’t look now. Frostbite warning,” Lily muttered. I tensed when I heard the voices behind me. Samuel brought a small group of people with him.

  “Andy? Lily...Emelia?” I turned to face Samuel and the three people who stood beside him. Patricia nearly glared at me, which made me smile. It was easy to ignore her for the other two. The man beside Samuel was built like a football player, and the strawberry blonde who held his hand might have graced a swimsuit calendar.

  “This is my old roommate, Terry, and his new wife, Kendra.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I reached forward to shake hands with Samuel’s friends. Kendra was even more attractive with the ready smile she sent forth. Her husband had dimples to die for. They made a very friendly contrast to the cold-looking woman who clung to Samuel’s arm. Andy and Lily apparently agreed with my assessment and greeted the couple pleasantly as well. I pressed my lips together and tried my best not to get freezer burn from standing too close to Patricia.

  “Um...if you’ll excuse me,” I said sweetly. “I am going to go check in with my date.” As I moved to step around Patricia, a warm hand clamped over my shoulder, and I stopped in my tracks. I could tell by the tingling sensation on my skin who the hand belonged to, without even looking.

  “I didn’t know you brought a date,” Samuel said in a rough, low voice near my ear. I turned and raised my eyebrows before shooting a glance at Patricia, who was watching us with avid interest.

  “I came with my dad.” I shrugged. “Turns out the term ‘date’ can be pretty subjective.”

  Samuel laughed lightly at my comment and stepped back. “I hope he doesn’t mind me stealing a dance later?” Samuel asked. I prayed my blush wouldn’t betray me, and I shrugged nonchalantly.

  “You’ll have to check with him. You know he’s the jealous type.”

  I stepped around the group that convened by the doorway and winked over at Lily, then moved farther into the diner to rejoin my father.

  Dad made for a wonderful dinner date. We enjoyed our meal and smiled and laughed. It was time we needed to share before another school year would separate us. I was mostly able to ignore the table at the head of the room where I knew Samuel was sitting with his parents, Andy, and Lily. An
d Patricia. Perfect Patricia. Perfect Princess Patricia. I stabbed my dessert a bit roughly, and Dad calmed me with fingers on my wrist.

  “She’s all wrong for him, you know,” he said around a mouthful of pie. He didn’t even glance up. I smiled. My father was more observant than I ever gave him credit for. I placed my fork on the side of my plate when Lily came up behind me and threw her arms around my shoulders in a hug. I raised my hands to rest on her crossed wrists below my chin.

  “News from enemy camp,” Lily whispered. “Samuel keeps looking over here, and I’m not the only one who has noticed.” Her voice was singsong, and it made me smile.

  “Why are you so good to me?” I laughed while turning my face up and to the side to look at her.

  “Because I love you. You’re gonna be my sister someday!” She kissed me playfully on the end of my nose, and we both laughed. Andy came over to us join us then and spoke to my father.

  “What do you think, Sully? Shall we go cut a rug with these beautiful ladies?”

  “Nah, you kids have fun. I see a few other guys over at the bar who I need to catch up with.”

  My father waved us off, and I ran, giggling, out to the back patio with Andy and Lily.

  Twilight. The sun had sunk beyond the horizon, and the darkening skies were the perfect backdrop for the bright-colored lanterns and small lights which flickered and shone above the designated dance area. Andy hurried to stand next to the hired DJ and rapidly tore through his music collection, determining what music was and was not worthy of being played. Lily and I moved to join him, laughing while tossing dance songs into the mix that made Andy grumble and complain. Even he had to admit that sometimes song integrity had to be ignored when people wanted to let loose on a dance floor.