Her Best Man

“Do you think we could change the subject?” Alex asked, drawing her out of her troubled thoughts. “It’s Lindsey’s personal life we were talking about, not mine. Maybe Lindsey isn’t ready to start dating. Did anyone think to ask her?”

Heads turned again, this time focusing on Lindsey.

“Well?” Sandy demanded. “Are you ready to start dating, or not?”

Lindsey’s cheeks warmed with embarrassment. “I think...” she stammered. “I think that I’d rather not have this conversation.”

“Why not? Too afraid to admit you need more in life than coming home to an empty bed?” Sandy asked, smiling sweetly. “What’s wrong with admitting you’re a healthy adult, with normal, healthy needs and fantasies?”

“Fantasies?” Lindsey laughed out loud. “Who has the time? The closest thing I’ve come to having a fantasy is imagining myself alone on a tropical beach, with absolutely nothing to do except soak up some sun and drink an entire pitcher of margaritas.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rick quipped.

“You’re missing the point, Rick,” Lindsey growled.

Her brother frowned. “Which is?”

“The point is, that while I appreciate all of your concerns, I just don’t have the time or the desire to pursue a relationship with a man.” She gave a ragged sigh. “I’m just too darned tired to even consider it.”

A thoughtful silence descended upon the room.

Sandy was the first to break it. “You know what I think?”

“No,” Lindsey muttered. “But I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

Sandy continued, undaunted by her grumpy tone. “I think what you really need is a vacation.”

“A vacation?”

“That’s right. And I have the perfect solution. You can go to Florida with Alex for his sister’s wedding.” She smiled, looking very pleased with the idea.

“Florida?” Lindsey repeated, staring dumbly at her friend. “I can’t go to Florida with Alex.”

“Why not?” Sandy demanded. “It’ll solve both of your problems. Alex needs a date to keep his mother off his back. You need some R and R. It’ll be perfect.”

Lindsey felt the prickling unease of Alex watching her. Panic filled her chest, making it hard to breathe. While she considered Alex a good friend, whenever she saw him it was usually in the accompaniment of her brother, or with Jamie at her side. The thought of spending time alone with him unnerved her more than she cared to admit.

“It’s out of the question,” Lindsey insisted, refusing to meet Alex’s gaze. “I have to work. You know...classes to teach, tassels to make.”

“Next week is Thanksgiving. Doesn’t your school go on break?” Sandy observed calmly.

“Thanksgiving!” Lindsey nearly shouted with relief. “I can’t leave town on Thanksgiving. If I do, Rick won’t have anywhere to go for his turkey dinner.”

“Gee, thanks, brat,” Rick drawled, looking amused. “But I don’t think it’ll kill me if I miss one Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Fine, Rick may not need me. But my son does.” Lindsey raised her chin, a picture of indignation. “What would I do with Jamie? I couldn’t possibly leave him home all alone.”

“Rick, you’re welcome to join us for dinner, and Jamie can stay with me,” Sandy offered. “You know he loves it at my house. He’ll hardly notice you’re gone.”

“Thanks a lot,” Lindsey said.

Alex, who’d been noticeably silent during the interchange, startled her by saying, “Lindsey, maybe you should give it some thought. Sandy’s right. It’d be a solution to both of our problems. You need a break. And I definitely need someone to save me from my mother’s good intentions.” His warm smile melted her defenses. “So what do you say? November in Florida may not be a tropical paradise, but it’s the best I can offer on short notice.”

“Alex, I’m not sure...” she said, wanting to kick herself for the vague-sounding answer.

“Come on, Lindsey,” Alex persisted. “You know I won’t give up until you say yes.”

His blue eyes sparkled with a familiar determination. Work or play, Alex was a man who was used to getting his way. Lindsey knew she might as well give up the fight. Arguing with him would be pointless.

Besides, did she really want to argue with him?

Going away with Alex meant time away from all of her responsibilities. Time to relax. Time to do nothing but enjoy herself for an entire weekend.

She’d be crazy to say no.

Lindsey looked at Alex, taking in his handsome, determined face and his strong, supple body.

She’d be crazy to say yes.

She recalled the moment alone with Alex in the hallway, the temptation she’d felt when he had held her hand. Friend or not, Alex was an attractive man. Lately, she’d become more aware of this fact than ever before.

A new surge of panic tightened her chest, making it hard to breathe. The last thing she needed was to become entangled in an intimate relationship. Her marriage to Danny hadn’t been a bed of roses. They had had their problems. She wasn’t anxious to repeat her mistakes of the past.

“Lindsey,” Alex said, his gentle tone softly persuading her to face him. “We’re friends, right?”

Friends—the word soothed her. Perhaps she was overreacting. She’d known Alex for a long time. Not once in their relationship had he ever indicated he wanted more from her than friendship. Spending time alone with him would be as harmless as spending time alone with her brother. Right?

“Right,” she said.

Encouraged, Alex continued. “Then, as friends, what’s the harm in spending a few days together?”

What’s the harm? She was sure there had to be at least a dozen potential dangers. But for the life of her, at the moment, she couldn’t think of one of them. She sighed. “All right, Alex. I’ll go with you to your sister’s wedding.”

“You won’t regret this, Lindsey,” he said.

Lindsey’s heart thumped a warning beat as he blessed her with another irresistible smile.

She already did.

“I can’t do this,” Lindsey said, stopping midway to the doors of the airplane’s loading gate.

Five days had passed since Jamie’s birthday party. Five of the most trying days of his life. Alex bit-back a groan. Getting Lindsey to agree to join him for his sister’s wedding had been tough enough. Getting her on the plane was proving darned near impossible.

They were among the last to board. Fellow passengers skirted around them, sending them curious glances. Time was running out, and Lindsey was giving every indication of jumping ship.

“Now what’s wrong,” he said, not bothering to hide his impatience.

“Jamie,” she said, her brown eyes wide and glistening. The tears looked ready to spill at any moment. “I’ve never left him before. He’ll be devastated if I abandon him now. It will probably cause who knows what kind of damage to his psyche.”