The Best Man Read online

  Andy finished the rest of his meal, chatting with me and the others at the party. But I could tell some of his spark was missing. He wasn’t his usual, animated self. I had a feeling Samuel’s continued absence had something to do with his mood. By the time Joy started slicing pie to put on plates for dessert, I decided I needed to do something to try to save the evening.

  “Joy?” I asked, walking up to the dessert table. “Did Samuel say if he plans to come back out?”

  “He didn’t.” She frowned. “He’s probably studying.”

  “Yeah. That’s what Andy said.” I looked up at the house. Perhaps a peace offering would help. If Samuel and I could somehow get on the same page, it would make things easier for Andy. I’d told him Samuel needed to lighten up. Maybe I needed to try to do the same. “I could try to lure him out with some dessert.”

  “That would be lovely, dear. Thank you.” Joy placed a thick slice of apple pie on a small plate and handed it to me with a smile.

  I mumbled under my breath as I left the party and went indoors. I wasn’t even sure what to say to Samuel. “Here’s some pie. Maybe dessert will sweeten your disposition, you asshat.”

  No. That wouldn’t do. If I truly wanted to help Andy enjoy his summer break, I was going to have to figure out a way to bridge the gap between Samuel and me. I lowered my brow, trying to play out the possible conversation in my mind. Focused on trying to figure out what I would say to Samuel, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Distracted by my thoughts, I walked through the house, up the stairs, and hurried around the corner, just as Samuel was exiting the bathroom.

  “Umpf!” he grunted and quickly grabbed for the towel he’d tied around his waist, just as I awkwardly slammed into his chest. I, on the other hand, froze. The plate I’d held was turned between us. That gap I’d mentioned that needed to be bridged? There was no gap. The absolute only thing between Samuel Dalton and me was a thin plate, and a forcefully broken and smashed slice of apple pie I’d somehow managed to squish against his naked chest.

  Oh...damn. Samuel Dalton’s naked chest.

  My eyes widened in horror as I stumbled back a little to inspect the mess I’d made. I was stunned and embarrassed, and my eyes traveled from the small water drops still glistening on his broad shoulders, down the light smattering of hair that covered his chest and tapered to a distinct V right where his white bath towel was held against his narrow waist. When did Samuel grow chest hair? Very nice, very manly chest hair? Chest hair which was, right now, matted and sticky with broken pieces of pie stuck just above his navel on his flat abdomen. And damn it, I realized too late I’d been staring with my mouth hanging open. I felt my cheeks flush instantly.

  “Oh my God, Samuel! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there.” I ineffectively tried to scrape the sticky dessert away from his body with the edge of the plate. I don’t think I was doing much good. His stomach muscles tightened, rippling a little and causing my hands to shake, making me nearly drop the dish to the floor. One of the largest chunks of pie slid down his stomach, caught the edge of his towel and plopped down to land on the top of his foot. I watched the piece fall in slow motion, embarrassed all over again when my eyes passed over the front of Samuel’s towel and I realized how very, very naked he was under the thin covering. I reached down to retrieve the errant piece of pastry at the same time Samuel moved for it, causing me to knock my forehead into his chin.

  “Fucking hell!” Samuel groaned, stumbling back a little, cupping his jaw.

  “I’m sorry!” Mortified, I rubbed my forehead and began blindly backing away until I almost lost my footing on the top of the stairs. I would have fallen backward if Samuel hadn’t thrown his arm out and caught my shoulder, tugging me until I remained upright in front of him once more. We were both breathing heavily, and I closed my eyes, wishing the floor would open up and suck me under. Finally, finally, I heard Samuel chuckle. The sound made me peek up at him.

  “You’re still a walking calamity,” Samuel laughed.

  “Am not!”

  “Really?” He pulled one eyebrow up, looking down at me with a strange sort of affectionate expression.

  “I was bringing you dessert.” I bit my lip and looked away.

  “I can see that,” he replied.

  “I thought maybe you left because of me. Because we argued.”

  “I’m used to you taking Andy’s side.”

  “I...”

  “I’m not mad. It’s fine. If anything, I’m relieved to know he still has you looking out for him. It’s not like I’ve been around.” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, looking thoughtful. “I was going to come outside after I finished my shower.”

  “Okay,” I whispered. “I guess...you’ll be needing another one of those?”

  “And another slice of pie,” he teased. “I can’t exactly enjoy this one.”

  His comment caused my face to burn even hotter. Because the truth of the matter was, I could very easily imagine how much I would enjoy licking what was left of that destroyed slice of pie off his stomach. Lord help me. Where had that thought come from?

  “Maybe I should let you get back to it then, huh?”

  “Probably a good idea,” he nodded. I turned to go and stopped when he called my name.

  “Emelia?”

  “Yes?”

  “You settled the score. I tackled you. You tackled me. We’re even now, right?”

  “Sure. We’re even.” I waved my hand behind me, trying to make a hasty escape. I felt like a complete idiot. I stopped midway down the stairs when I heard the bathroom door close once more. Feeling weak in the knees, I dropped to sit.

  Samuel Dalton had definitely not been built like that when he’d left for college. I shivered a little with awareness. What in the hell was I going to do? When I was a young girl, I had been over the moon for Samuel, but my thoughts of him had always been chaste and pure. It had been a little-girl crush. How I was feeling now was a far cry from those childish fantasies. There was nothing remotely innocent about the thoughts racing through my mind after seeing him dressed only in a towel, with sticky chunks of apple pie filling clinging to the wet skin of his chest and abdomen. Maybe it had been too long since I’d been out on a proper date, but damn if the mere recollection of the sugary mess I’d made wasn’t enough to make my mouth water. I decided it was time to just go home. I could use a shower myself. A cold one.

  “Dad? Can I drop you off today, so I can keep the truck? I was thinking of going to Warrenton. I need to get some art supplies.”

  “Promise to paint something for me, and it’s all yours.” He grinned. Drawing and painting had always been my favorite pastime. Once, when I was young, I found some sketches my mother had drawn, in an old trunk. I think knowing my love for art must have come from her made me feel somehow closer to the woman who had been taken from our lives while I was too young to have more than fuzzy memories of her. I’m pretty sure Dad enjoyed watching his wife’s talent emerge in me for the same reason.

  I was still out of sorts after dinner with the Daltons the evening before. Or, to be more specific, after dessert. I had gone over and over it all in my head, trying to rationalize the strange way I’d reacted to Samuel during our encounter with the slice of pie. It was only natural for me to notice the differences in him, physically. I mean...a lot had changed. And I’d changed too. I wasn’t a small child anymore. I would have had to have been made of ice not to notice how distractingly gorgeous Samuel had become.

  He’d always been a handsome boy. Now, he was a dangerously sexy man. But sexual attraction had never been part of the equation for me before. My dreams had let me revisit it all—in vivid detail. In fact, after the dreams I’d had, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to face him anytime soon. I needed to get out of town for a while, to clear my head.

  A few hours later, I sat at a small table thumbing through a worn travel book and sipping a strong coffee. My new block of paper, tubes of watercolor paints, and brushes
were safely stowed in my father’s truck. Not wanting to go home yet, I visited a quaint store that sold used books before stopping at the cafe.

  “Can I bring you anything else, honey?” a waitress asked. “I’d recommend a slice of pie. Made fresh just this morning. The apple is my favorite.”

  “Oh. Um...no thanks.” I quickly shook my head. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to eat apple pie ever again. Unfortunately, her suggestion brought me out of my book and back into reality. I couldn’t hide from Samuel forever. Andy would call me out on it quickly. And while the suggestion made by the waitress did remind me that I hadn’t yet eaten lunch, I declined the offer. “Just the check please.”

  Like he knew the exact moment I’d returned to earth, Andy’s ringtone began blaring from my purse. I smiled while I answered my cell phone.

  “Em? You still in Warrenton?”

  “How did you know where I was?”

  “Sully told me. Will you be there a while?”

  “I could be. Why?”

  “Samuel and I are driving that way. I need to talk to you. Do you know the Stagger Inn? It’s a local dive...north side of town?”

  I thought about the direction he mentioned, recalling the small tavern he was talking about. “Yeah. I know the place.”

  “Can you meet us there in about fifteen minutes?” Andy asked. “I’ll buy you a beer.”

  “Buy me something to eat too, and I’ll consider it,” I told him.

  “Fine,” Andy chuckled. “Food and beer, on me. Will you meet us?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be there,” I finally said.

  “Great. I’ll see you soon.”

  We said our goodbyes, and I dropped my phone back into my purse with a sigh.

  Maybe Andy’s presence would help to relieve the awkwardness I was sure to feel around Samuel.

  Apparently, I needn’t have worried. As soon as they entered the bar, Andy’s older brother took to teasing, which made me feel silly for even having worried about things being weird in the first place.

  “Do we want a table?” I asked them. “Or we could always order here at the bar and carry our food outside...”

  “Don’t give Emelia any food to carry,” Samuel laughed. “I don’t have a change of clothes with me.”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny,” I muttered.

  “Let’s just get a booth,” Andy suggested. “It looks like it might rain. Best stay inside.” We walked to a table in the corner of the bar, and Andy slid onto the bench seat beside me, while Samuel sat across from us. “Why do you keep coming to Warrenton for your art supplies? There are plenty of places in Astoria to buy that stuff.”

  “The owners of the store are nice people.” I shrugged. “They’ve always carried my favorite brushes, and I like giving them business.”

  “You’re nothing if not loyal,” Andy agreed, tugging at the end of my ponytail. When the waitress came by our table, Andy turned toward me and indicated I should order.

  “A pitcher of beer and some hot wings?” I asked.

  “Sounds good.” Andy nodded. Samuel just looked up and frowned in my direction.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I thought girls were supposed to eat things like salad with extra sprouts and drink fruity cocktails?”

  “Chauvinistic much?” I mumbled, feeling a hint of earlier irritation creep up again, despite my best intentions. He got a rise out of me so easily.

  “Mild, hot, or three-alarm?” The waitress ignored Samuel and me and asked about our order.

  “Three-alarm,” Andy told her. I was still bristling from Samuel’s comment.

  “Really, Samuel,” I huffed. “I don’t know what froufrou poodle-type girls you’re used to hanging out with at Columbia, but you should get used to the fact that I run with the big dogs.”

  Andy did his best Rottweiler impersonation by barking loudly twice before baring his teeth and sinking them playfully into my shoulder. “Down, boy!” I laughed and slapped him on the top of his head. Andy leaned back in the booth but threw one arm over the back of the seat behind me. Samuel just looked at us both with an expression that was so comically exasperated we both had to laugh at him.

  “This is the reason I wanted to talk with you both today,” Andy started. I turned slightly.

  “So your brother could insult me?”

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  “But you did.”

  “If you’re both finished?” He looked between the two of us pointedly before reaching to pour three glasses of beer from the pitcher the waitress brought to the table. “My engagement is what has called you both here.” Samuel and I looked at Andy, waiting for an explanation. Andy drank a few large gulps of beer and placed his glass back on the table. He looked a little nervous.

  “Sam? You’re my older brother. And, Em? You’re my best friend. The problem I’m having,” Andy said quietly, “is that I have no idea which one of you should be my best man.”

  Samuel and I both sat back in our seats. Then we both opened our mouths to speak at the same time.

  “I’m your brother,” Samuel restated.

  “We made a pinkie promise,” I reminded Andy.

  “Do I even want to know what that is?” Samuel asked.

  “It’s an agreement we made when we were seven.”

  I looked over at Samuel and saw him shooting me a dark look. I could understand his aggravation. They were related. But Andy and I agreed to be in each other’s weddings. We never broke promises we’d made to each other. And I knew him way better than his brother did.

  “Silly promises made between children aren’t as important as family ties,” Samuel argued. “I’m sure Violet would agree.”

  “Ha!” I pointed my finger at Samuel, returning his dirty look. “You don’t even know his fiancée’s name! It’s Lily.”

  “Irrelevant.” Samuel folded his arms across his chest. “Easy mistake. I knew it was a flower name.”

  The hot wings arrived, and I picked up one of the spicy pieces of chicken, biting into it angrily. The hot sauce stung my lips immediately, and I picked up my beer to soothe my mouth. Samuel chose a wing too and took a large bite while scowling.

  I wasn’t willing to admit the wings were too hot. I stared right at Samuel and took a deliberately slow bite. God, it burned. I couldn’t even taste the chicken. My mouth was on fire. Samuel finished his wing quickly and reached for another. I raised my eyebrow when I noticed the telltale sheen of sweat on his upper lip.

  Andy picked up a bite of food but dropped it after the first taste. “Holy hell. Those are like Satan’s balls. I am not eating that.” Andy took a drink of beer and looked between Samuel and me with an amused expression.

  “They aren’t so bad,” I managed to say, surprised flames didn’t erupt from my throat while I talked.

  “I’ve had hotter,” Samuel murmured. Yet, he still raised his napkin toward his forehead. Andy watched us both a minute longer before he put his palms flat on the table and tipped his head back. His laughter rang loud and true across the tavern.

  “I knew this was going to be a good idea.” He shook his head and chuckled.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked. I pretended to be only mildly interested in the beer I sipped. In reality, I wished I could jump inside the entire glass to cool off.

  “Sam is the most competitive person I know. And, Emmy? I’ve never met anyone more stubborn than you are.”

  “So?” Samuel growled and finally placed his food on a napkin. I wondered if he noticed I’d only eaten one.

  “So, I was trying my hardest to figure out a way that we could all get along while we’re here for the summer. And I realized I can’t change who either of you are. I wouldn’t want to.”

  “The point?” I asked.

  “After everyone was gone last night, I went out and met up with the guys again. The ones I told you about, from school? And...I got an idea.” Andy smiled. “Since I couldn’t figure out who should be my best man, I’ve decided a little frien
dly competition might be in order.”

  “You want us...to compete for the title?” Samuel raised his eyebrows sharply. I pursed my lips together and glared at the man sitting across from me.

  “Pretty much, yeah.” Andy nodded, seeming pleased with himself.

  “That’s ridiculous.” Samuel scowled.

  “What’s the matter, Dalton?” I asked. “Afraid of getting your ass kicked by a girl...again?”

  “This isn’t a run on the beach,” he said snidely. Samuel leaned toward me over the table. “I won’t take it easy on you.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “I will win,” Samuel said slowly. His eyes drilled into mine.

  “We’ll see,” I replied just as smugly.

  We both leaned back in our seats again and turned our attention to Andy. His smile was as wide as ever.

  “This is going to be fun,” he said.

  “Just tell us about the damned competition,” Samuel muttered. Andy laced his fingers together and flipped his hands to press his palms toward Samuel until his knuckles popped loudly. The merriment in his eyes made me struggle to hide a responsive grin. He looked like he was up to something.

  “I want a bachelor party extravaganza. Three days of partying to be held next Memorial Day weekend. And since planning the bachelor party is one of the responsibilities of the best man, that is what you are going to do.”

  “I need more details, please.”

  Andy grinned over at me and continued. “Over the next two weeks, you will each be asked to plan one daytime event, one night out, and one epic adventure. We’ll go out and do the things that you have planned, and I’ll have my judges determine the winner of each round.”

  “Your judges?”

  “The guys I went out with last night have kindly offered to hang out with us and act as judges for the competition.”

  “Great.” Samuel snorted and rolled his eyes. “Exactly how drunk were you when you came up with this asinine plan?”

  “Three sheets to the wind, big bro,” Andy confirmed. “I still think it sounds like a wicked good time. And if I’m being honest, you were the one who got me thinking about all of this.”