Momentary Marriage(32)

Very puzzling, she thought, trailing off into the bedroom to get ready. For years now, she’d floated along on a fairly superficial level with most of the men she saw socially, even the ones she’d fallen in love with briefly. She was fun and friendly, pretty much always ready to go out with friends.

She wasn’t a bed-hopper, however. Not one man had ever tempted her to have sex in the hallway.

Jared Barrett certainly had a strange effect on her. One that didn’t bear too close an inspection, she decided. She was going to marry the man, regardless, because she owed it to Amy and Doug.

***

Doug walked up the stairs to Amy’s apartment, the large bouquet of spring flowers in his hand. This particular selection of blossoms had cost him a bundle, but he’d handed over his credit card without a thought.

He hated arguing with Amy and this was the second spat they’d had this week. Why he’d lost his temper with her again, he didn’t know. After he’d unintentionally offended her at the banquet, he’d gone to her place and apologized. They’d watched a movie together, ate popcorn, and tried to enjoy each other as much as usual. But Amy had been as jumpy as a cat for some reason. Things had gone downhill after the movie ended when Amy had volunteered that she thought Jared would be good for Kelsey.

Doug’s hand clenched on the bouquet. Turning to walk up the last flight of stairs, his steps slowed. He’d been pissed when Amy had said that about her sister. Jared was a shark. Who would know that better than he? He worked with the man day in and day out.

But he hadn’t intended for his apology to turn into an argument. A fruitless one, too. He and Amy had been still been arguing when Jared and Kelsey showed up at his apartment the next day. God, what was Kelsey thinking about? Getting engaged to Jared Barrett? He certainly wasn’t a knight in shining armor, wasn’t the man to make up for her terrible childhood.

Doug stopped at the top of the stairs, shifting his bouquet to his left hand and pausing to straighten his tie.

Normally, he didn’t worry about such things with Amy. He hadn’t had to, they were such good friends. But things had gone nuts this last week. Even when he’d thought he and Amy were getting back in their usual groove, when she’d come by his place to make up this latest tiff, it had all gone to hell again. They’d started arguing even before Kelsey and Jared had come by and dropped the engagement bombshell.

It wouldn’t last, he reminded himself. At this point in her life, Kelsey was constitutionally incapable of getting married.

But he was here to make it up with Amy. He and Kels had always been close, but Amy had always been his best friend! They laughed together, liked the same food, enjoyed arguing over movies and politics. She liked sappy romantic movies and dippy liberal elected officials. Sometimes, he wasn’t sure why he liked her so much. Kelsey made him dizzy, his heart pounding, his palms damp. Her sister, however, filled some part of him he hadn’t realized was empty till she wasn’t there for him.

Doug really hated arguing with her.

He lifted his hand and knocked on the door. She knew it was him because she’d buzzed him in, much to his relief.

The door swung open, revealing Amy standing there in her sweats, her brown hair pulled back in a casual ponytail. He’d given her the fuzzy slippers on her feet for Christmas, Doug remembered, a wave of affection sweeping through him.

“Peace?” He held out the flowers.

She stood there, her dark eyes seeming to weigh his sincerity. For a moment, her gaze clung to the bouquet in his hand, seeming to soften. “You brought me flowers?”

“Yes,” he said awkwardly.

“They’re beautiful,” she told him, reaching to receive his gift.

“I really am sorry, Amy,” he said, his voice suddenly rough. “I’m a complete fucking jerk and I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“You are a jerk,” she agreed with a sigh. “Okay. I forgive you. Come on in.”

“You’re a peach,” Doug told her with a rush of affection as he followed her into her snug space. “The kind of friend every guy should have.”





CHAPTER SEVEN

Kelsey sat in the patio chair, her startled gaze drawn again to Jared frolicking on the lawn. It was the first time she’d seen him in casual wear. He looked just as good in slacks and a polo shirt as he did in his expensive suits.

But the child draped over his back, now that was an unexpected touch.

Jared crawled around in the thick grass spread beneath tall shade trees. The baby clutched at his neck, squealing with glee as he lurched this way and that, causing her to nearly slide off with every move.

“He’s always been great with kids,” Mary Barrett said, a fond smile on her face as she, too, watched her eldest son.