I Do? I Don't?

The thought came out of nowhere, unbidden and unwelcomed, taking his breath away. A shiver of trepidation traveled down his spine. Slowly, he shook off the disconcerting thought. He’d been listening to his mother for too long. Her crazy matchmaking machinations were beginning to rub off on him.

Marriage—to any woman—was the last thing he needed to consider. He had more important things to concentrate on…like remedying his stagnant social life. It was time for him to enjoy life, not tie himself down to an eternity of commitment and responsibility.

Niki was a big girl now. If she wanted to ruin her life and marry Greg Lawton, so be it.

He frowned. The advice sounded reasonable. So why did it feel as though he were making the biggest mistake of his life?

Seeing Jack Sinclair again had been the biggest mistake of her life!

Late-day sunlight dappled her arms as Niki stepped out of her mother’s house and strode to her car. Her heels clicked an agitated beat against the concrete driveway. A soft breeze lifted her hair, but did nothing to cool the hot spill of anger that coursed through her veins.

Niki climbed into her red compact car and inserted the key into the ignition. Yet she didn’t start the motor. Instead, she glared at Jack Sinclair’s house, fuming over what had happened.

Just when her life seemed to be gliding along on an even keel, Jack had to drop back into it. Forcing her, once again, to bump across choppy waters. All it took was a single look into those big brown eyes of his and she felt as though the years apart had never happened.

He’d made her feel like a kid again.

With an angry flick of her wrist, the car roared to life. Shifting gears into reverse, she peeled out of the driveway, leaving Jack and her troubling memories behind. Slowing to a safer pace, she drove through the quiet, treelined streets of Webster Groves.

For as long as she could remember she’d had a crush on Jack Sinclair. A silly schoolgirl crush that had become a lifelong obsession. Jack was all the cliches come to life: The boy next door. Tall, dark and handsome. A dream come true. A young girl’s fantasy beau.

He’d been her fantasy.

But to Jack, she would always be the pesky little girl who lived next door. Her face warmed at the memory of all the crazy stunts she’d pulled just to get his attention. It wasn’t any wonder that Jack was unable to see her as a grown, desirable woman. That he would never share the passion she’d secretly harbored for him all these years.

Absently, Niki touched the gold, heart-shaped locket that fell lightly between her breasts. The necklace had been a present to her from Jack. He’d given it to her the Christmas she’d turned eighteen.

Now it served as a constant reminder of the folly of loving Jack Sinclair.

Beneath the glittering lights of her parent’s Christmas tree, he’d looked at her with those big brown eyes and had told her, “I wanted to be the first man to give you the gift of jewelry. Now that you’re all grown up, I’m sure I won’t be the last.”

Her heart had done a series of flip-flops in her chest at his tender words. Finally, she’d thought, her dream had come true. Jack had noticed her as a woman.

Then the inconsiderate lout had ruffled her hair, told her to behave, and had abandoned her to spend the rest of his Christmas vacation with Patsy Stillwell, who was a junior in college and who’d been much more endowed than Niki ever hoped to be.

Niki coasted to stop as a signal light turned red, and she sighed at the memory. In one fell swoop, Jack had lifted her hopes, only to crush them soundly. It wasn’t the first time he’d disappointed her. And she was sure it wouldn’t be the last.

Tonight was just another example of how easily he could get under her skin. His reaction to her marriage plans had hurt more than she would ever admit to anyone. She’d seen the incredulity in Jack’s eye. What was it he’d said?

You can’t be getting married. You’re. too young.

Unwanted tears stung her eyes. She blinked hard, refusing to allow him to upset her further. Jack was her past. Greg was her future. The sooner she accepted that fact the better.

She couldn’t spend the rest of her life longing for something that would never happen. Niki released a slow resigned breath. It was time she gave Greg her much awaited answer to his marriage proposal.

A car honked its horn behind her, alerting her to the fact she’d been daydreaming through the better part of a green light. Niki pressed her foot on the accelerator, barely making it through the intersection before the light changed to yellow. She glanced in her rearview mirror, wincing as she caught the inventive hand signals of the driver she’d left behind.

Her thoughts drifted back to more pressing matters, like Greg’s marriage proposal. She didn’t understand why she’d had such a hard time arriving at a decision. Perhaps it was because she and Greg hadn’t been dating all that long. Only six months, though steadily for the last three. Greg’s proposal had come out of the blue, taking her breath away with its unexpectedness.

A blush crept across her face as she recalled how she’d stared at him, unable to speak when he’d first popped the question. He’d looked so hurt when she told him she needed time to consider her answer.

She pushed the disconcerting memory from her mind. Greg was a wonderful man. She owed him so much. He’d been a godsend this past year, helping her through one of the most difficult times of her life. He’d offered her a strong shoulder to lean on after her father had died, and she’d gratefully done the leaning. She had never met a more confident, more self-assured man. With Greg-unlike another man whom she didn’t care to mention-she always knew exactly where she stood. She knew she could depend upon him.

Niki frowned. Not that he was perfect, mind you. He was a bit old-fashioned when it came to a woman’s place in a marriage. In fact, he wanted her to quit teaching once they were married. He’d told her a doctor’s wife didn’t need to work.

Her lips eased into a confident smile. The disagreement was minor. Something that easily could be resolved. What mattered was that they shared the same dreams and had the same wants. A happy marriage, a family, and a chance to grow old living in their hometown of Webster Groves. What more could she ask for in a prospective husband?

Except, perhaps, passion and romance?

Her confidence floundered as an unwanted picture of Jack Sinclair cropped up in her mind. Jack with his dark, wavy hair and soft brown eyes. Jack with the broad shoulders and the breath-stealing smile. Jack, the man who’d had more influence on her life than any one person had a right.

Niki sighed. Her mind might be telling her marrying Greg was the best thing to do. But why wasn’t her heart listening?

Chapter Two (#ulink_e4ada660-f63c-5405-9ba7-4d91e15a2110)

At ten o’clock that evening, Jack paced the flagstone patio in the backyard of his parent’s home, waiting for Niki to return home from her date.

The night was quiet. The neighborhood at peace, bringing back memories of an idyllic past. Webster Groves was still a small town, a town whose older homes were as unique as the people living in them. A place where the people were still friendly, and where kids could still be kids.

Jack gave a wry smile. Even Beaver Cleaver couldn’t have had a more perfect childhood. As an only child, he’d had the singular attention of doting parents. He’d never wanted for a thing, except perhaps a brother or two. The house had always been too quiet to suit his taste. But then again, with Niki living next door, life never was too tranquil.

Niki.

His smile faded as once again he was reminded of the task that lay ahead. He was waiting for Niki for a specific reason. To talk her out of a wedding.

He assured himself his decision to take matters into his own hands had nothing to do with his mother or her matchmaking tactics. Niki’s marrying Greg Lawton would be a catastrophic mistake. It wasn’t in his nature to allow any wrong to go unrighted.

He’d been watching out for Niki for the better part of twenty-three years. They might have spent the last few years in separate cities, but that hadn’t lessened his sense of obligation toward her. She needed a firm hand to guide her to a happy future.

He had that firm hand.

The purr of an approaching engine drew his attention. He watched as Niki pulled her car into the Adamses’ garage. He caught up with her as soon as she opened her door.

She turned, gasping. “You scared me half to death! What are you still doing here, Jack?”

Jack frowned. It wasn’t exactly the welcome he’d hoped for, but he wasn’t going to let her show of bad humor discourage him. “I wanted to talk to you.” He raised a questioning brow. “You got a minute?”

She bit her lip, looking uncertain. “Sure, come on inside.”

He hesitated, knowing Niki’s mother was bound to be underfoot. The conversation he intended to broach with Niki was of a private nature, one that promised to be difficult. He didn’t need an audience. “It’s too nice of an evening. What do you say we stay outside?”

She shrugged. “How about the gazebo?”

The gazebo had been a favorite meeting place of theirs when they were kids. Resting in a corner of Niki’s backyard, it was far enough away from the prying ears of overly protective parents, yet close enough for them to feel secure if the need arose for a little extra attention. Its white, Victorian-styled trim gave it a whimsical feel, making it a perfect playhouse.

Moonlight and a few strategically placed outdoor lights marked their way through the night-darkened yard. Jack followed her at a discreet distance, feeling unsettled by the fact that he was noticing the curving length of her legs and the saucy swing of her hips. He forced his thoughts to safer ground, remembering Niki as a kid.

His earliest memory of Niki was when he was five. It had been Christmas and the Adamses had brought home this crying, fidgeting little bundle. He’d peered at the baby everyone was cooing over and saw a bright, pink face and fluffy tufts of hair that were the color of a ripe pumpkin. One look at the kid and he knew she would be trouble. His parents had told him her name was Nicole, and that she was a very special Christmas present. Jack had liked the Adamses. He thought they’d deserved something better.