Her Best Man

The attendant left them then, pushing her cart down the aisle.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Lindsey shifted in her seat, tugging at the hem of her rust-colored skirt. Alex watched as she scooted herself as far away from him as the narrow seats would allow. New lines of tension etched her face. All of the progress he’d made toward easing her worries were for naught. She looked as uncomfortable now as she had before she’d boarded the plane. Lindsey glanced at her watch and feigned a yawn.

“Would you look at the time. It’s already three o’clock. I had to get up early this morning to pack, then off to school...well, I’m just exhausted. You don’t mind if I take a nap, do you?”

“No, of course not,” he said quickly.

Without another word, she folded her jacket into a pillow, curled her body away from him, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Alex felt like an idiot.

An unexpected anger simmered deep inside him, threatening to bubble out of control. Not an anger directed at Lindsey, for she’d done nothing wrong, but at himself. He was the one who’d broken the terms of their friendship. Holding her close, comforting her was an indulgence he should never have allowed.

He’d had no right.

The only man who had that right was his best friend. A man who’d been dead for nearly two years. A man Lindsey had, obviously, never stopped loving.

Chapter Three

“Lindsey,” a familiar, teasing voice whispered, rousing her from her nap. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead. We’re ready to land.”

She took her time waking up. With a purr of contentment, she allowed herself a luxuriant stretch—at least, as luxuriant as possible in the tiny seat—working the kinks out of her body. Her arm brushed against a masculine shoulder, sending goose bumps of awareness skittering up her limb.

Her eyes flew open.

Tentatively, Alex met her gaze.

In a heartbeat, the reason for her escape into slumberland came back to her with the force of a blow. She’d practically thrown herself into Alex’s arms. The flight attendant had believed them to be married. The mistake had embarrassed Alex. She’d seen that as clearly as the blush on his cheeks.

Now, he was looking at her with such uncertainty it made her heart ache with regret.

The plane bumped to a stop, throwing her off kilter. Passengers stood, gathering their belongings. Alex rose to his feet. Lindsey followed at a slower pace, giving herself a moment to recover her balance.

He stepped into the aisle, waiting for her to join him. His hand pressed lightly against the small of her back, guiding her as she moved into the aisle. The gesture sent tingles along her spine. It felt too intimate, reminding her too clearly of the stirring sensation that being close to him earlier had caused in the pit of her stomach.

Lindsey bit back a moan. Agreeing to this vacation with Alex had been a mistake. She felt unbalanced. Her emotions were too close to the surface. Who knew what might happen when she was in such a confused state?

An hour passed by the time they gathered their bags and paid for a rental car. It was dark when they stepped outside. The air felt warm, moist against her skin. In St. Louis, it had been thirty degrees. Here, in Florida, the temperature hovered in the sixties. Her sweater and wool skirt felt heavy and uncomfortable. She longed to change into something cooler.

Obviously, Alex felt the same way. He loaded their bags into the trunk. Then, with a grunt of satisfaction, he stripped out of his suit jacket, tossing it onto the back seat before he started the car. His tie quickly followed.

“Comfy?” she asked with an amused smile.

He grinned.

“Hey, it’s a vacation, remember?”

Lindsey relaxed at his teasing tone, feeling as though they were regaining the footing of their old friendship.

Alex drove confidently through the night-darkened streets. It was seven o‘clock, St. Louis time—eight o’clock in Florida. The traffic was light, the streets dark and glistening from an earlier rain. Lindsey sat back and enjoyed the ride.

His parents lived in a beachside estate on Whisper Key, one of the many islands that dappled the Gulf coastline of Florida. Their white stucco house was large and luxurious. As soon as they pulled into the circle drive, Lindsey was struck with a sharp reminder of the differences between her and Alex’s backgrounds.

She’d grown up the daughter of a St. Louis policeman. Until her marriage to Danny, she’d lived with her father in a two-family flat in south St. Louis. By no stretch of the imagination could she have considered her family wealthy. But they were rich in other ways, love being just one of those.

Alex, on the other hand, grew up in a palatial home in Ladue. It was only after his graduation from college that his parents had moved to Florida. He was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, never wanting for anything. Despite his family’s affluence, he was the most unassuming man she’d ever met.

Alex and his brother worked hard building their own company. For them, money was an afterthought, not a constant worry. Success seemed to be their main goal. Sometimes it was easy for her to forget that they came from such differing backgrounds.

“Relax,” he said as he helped her from the car. “My parents know you’re coming. They’ve promised to be on their best behavior.”

“Your parents,” Lindsey murmured thoughtfully.

Alex disappeared around the back of the car to unload their bags from the trunk.

Frowning, she followed him, asking, “Alex, exactly what did you tell them about... well, about my coming with you?”

He shrugged. “Just that you were looking forward to some time away from St. Louis.”

“Yes, but—”

She never had a chance to finish. The front door flew open and a tawny-haired young woman raced down the stairs toward them. Before Alex could say hello, she threw herself into his arms.

“Alex! I can’t believe you’re finally here.”

“Hey, sis,” Alex chuckled as he hauled the woman into a bear hug. “It’s good to see you, too.”

“Why didn’t you call when you got in?” she demanded when her toes were once again touching the ground. Graceful and fit, blond and beautiful, she reminded Lindsey of a feminine version of Alex. The Trent family resemblance was unmistakable. “I would have picked you up at the airport.”

He tugged on a strand of blond hair. “I didn’t want to bother you. Besides, I’ll need a car while I’m here.” He caught Lindsey’s curious gaze. “Lindsey, I don’t know if you’ve ever met my sister. Stephanie, this is Lindsey, Rick’s sister.”

“Rick’s sister, eh?” Stephanie raised a brow. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she extended a hand and said, “I promise not to hold it against you.”

Lindsey stared at her, uncertain what to say.

“Ignore her, Lindsey,” Alex said, looking amused.

“She remembers Rick from when she was in junior high. He used to pull her ponytail and call her brat.”

“Well, in that case, you have my fullest empathy. He calls me by that awful nickname, too,” Lindsey said, accepting the proffered hand.

“Stephanie, Alex, where are your manners? Stop chattering and bring our guest inside,” an older woman scolded from the doorway.

“Yes, Mother,” Alex and Stephanie chorused, chagrined looks on their faces.

Alex slammed the trunk lid, startling her. Lindsey jumped, uncertain why she should suddenly feel ill at ease. It wasn’t until Alex rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder that she forced herself to move.

His mother was a petite woman. Her silvery-blond hair had faded slightly with age. Her face was kind and beautiful. It was easy to see where Alex had gotten his good looks. After giving her son a hug and a fond buss on the cheek, she turned her attention to Lindsey. She seemed inordinately pleased by her presence.