The Best Man's Baby(14)

Jake finally shook his head and then looked away. Of course his brothers would know that was exactly what he did, and how could he possibly justify that?

“No wonder she didn’t tell me. She was probably humiliated. How could you do that? And then you showed up with Amanda groping you. I mean, of all people, Amanda?” Holly covered her face with her hands, shaking her head as though he had shown up with an escaped convict.

“She hitched a ride. I didn’t invite her. I didn’t lead her on. Wait, what’s with Amanda?” Jake asked, remembering the way Claire had said her name last night too. Holly promptly lowered her hands from her face, composing herself, and snatched up her mug of coffee.

“Nothing, nothing,” she mumbled into her cup, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Spill it, Holly. If I’m going to make this work with Claire I need to know some of this stuff.”

She slowly looked up at him. He could tell she was trying to decide whether or not to tell him whatever it was she was hiding. Finally she shook her head. “Nothing.”

He took a deep breath even though his chest hurt. So much for coming here to feel better. “Holly—”

“I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, and Claire would so kill me right now, but because of the extenuating circumstances, I feel it’s in her best interest to tell you Claire is not a one-night-stand kind of girl.”

“Don’t you think I know?” He felt as though he ripped those words from his gut. His torment must have gotten through to her, because suddenly Holly looked sympathetic.

“Gee,” Evan interjected sarcastically, “what would have given that away? The fact that she is Reverend Holbrook’s daughter? Were you running out of women in Red River? I mean of all people—”

“Back off, Evan,” Jake growled. His brother was right, and he was angry at himself. What had he been thinking?

“How did you even manage this whole seduction, anyway? We were the last ones to leave. I remember standing with you on the balcony.” He stopped talking for a second and then scowled at him. “You told me you were exhausted and going to bed, and then ditched me while I was still speaking.”

“You were boring.”

“So you decided to hit on Claire?”

“Better than spending the night listening to you.”

“Can we get this conversation back on track, guys? Jake, listen up, you need my help.”

Jake nodded seriously.

“As you may or may not know, I am a firm believer in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason.”

Jake looked at Quinn, expecting his brother to be rolling his eyes, but it was much worse than that—his brother had a small smile on his lips, and his expression as he stared at his wife was…sappy.

Evan sighed loudly. “Holly, you know that sounds really sweet—”

“Evan,” she said, effectively cutting off his brother with the tone of her voice. “I’m not prepared to hear some logical explanation of what really happened in your opinion. What I’m here to do is help two very deserving people find happiness together.”

Jake ignored Evan’s snort and instead focused on whatever his sister-in-law was about to tell him. She obviously had pity for him. And he’d take it.

She clasped her hands together. “Okay. So now we have to fix this.”

Finally, someone was willing to help him. “Thanks, Holly.”

“Did you see Claire last night?”

He nodded and averted his eyes. “She kicked me out of her house.”

Quinn and Evan laughed. Holly glared both of them into silence. “What happened?”

“I proposed marriage and she told me to get out.” He ignored Quinn as he spit his coffee out of his mouth, and then he fought the urge to step on Evan’s BlackBerry as it clanked to the ground.

“You proposed marriage? This is years too early for you,” Quinn said, approaching the island again.

“What are you talking about?”

Quinn was tapping his chin. “Well, according to your life plan, you’re not due to be getting married for at least another decade. What was it you said about ruining the best years of your life?”

Jake glared at his older brother, recalling the exact conversation in which he’d proudly declared that he wasn’t getting married until he was forty-five. “That was then. This is now. Obviously things have changed.”

“You asked her to marry you?” Holly repeated, her skin suddenly going a few shades paler.

Jake gave a nod.

“And she said no?”

Jake nodded affirmatively.

“Not good,” Holly mumbled, leaning back against the counter.