The Best Man's Bride

The Best Man's Bride
Lisa Childs

A Bride At Last?Her sister's wedding is the last place Colleen McClintock expects to fall in love. Especially when the object of her affection is a man who has never given her a second look at the hospital where they both work. Sexy, irresistible Dr. Nick Jameson may be everything a woman could want in a man. But he's definitely not husband material. Best man at his best friend's wedding is the closest Nick plans to come to marriage.Even if he can't stop thinking about sweet Colleen. When the bride suddenly bails, scandal starts brewing and the town is in upheaval. And Nick and Colleen have to decide whether to give Cloverville a wedding after all….

Dr. Nick Jameson

Colleen had known he would be at the wedding. Did he recognize her? She doubted it. How could he recognize someone he had never noticed before?

He saw her now, staring at her so intently that goose bumps rose on the bare skin of her shoulders and arms.

“Hi,” he said. “I missed the rehearsal. Any idea which bridesmaid I walk down the aisle?”

She blinked her eyes open and met his gaze. In his expression there was a flirtatious twinkle. All rational thought fled her mind.

Probably used to women’s tongue-tied reactions, he grinned, and a deep dimple pierced one lean cheek. “I’m the best man.”

“Then you’ll walk down the aisle with the maid of honor,” she informed him. The haughty tone of her voice surprised her.

“I hope that’s you,” he said, flashing the dimpled grin at her.

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to Cloverville, Michigan, for the second book in my THE WEDDING PARTY series for Harlequin American Romance. Even if you didn’t read Unexpected Bride, you’ll have no problem figuring out what’s going on now in the small town of Cloverville, because all four books in the series cover the same time frame. Since the stories occur simultaneously, you may recognize some scenes from Unexpected Bride, but from the interesting new perspectives of the best man, Dr. Nick Jameson, and bridesmaid and younger sister of the bride, Colleen McClintock.

Colleen has had a crush on Dr. Jameson forever, but Nick first notices Colleen at the wedding of her sister to his best friend. These two commitment-phobes have no intention of taking a trek down the aisle themselves. But Nick brings out the impulsive nature Colleen has long suppressed, and Colleen turns Nick’s world upside down. I hope you enjoy reading their story!

Happy reading!

Lisa Childs

The Best Man’s Bride

Lisa Childs

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bestselling, award-winning author Lisa Childs writes paranormal and contemporary romance for Harlequin/Silhouette Books. She lives on thirty acres in west Michigan with her husband, two daughters, a talkative Siamese and a long-haired Chihuahua who thinks she’s a rottweiler. Lisa loves hearing from readers, who can contact her through her Web site, www.lisachilds.com, or snail mail address, P.O. Box 139, Marne, MI 49435.

For my wonderful, supportive, talented friends:

Mary Gardner and Kimberly Duffy,

finalists in the Romance Writers of America 2007

Golden Heart writing contest—

ladies, you’re both winners with me!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Acknowledgments:

With great appreciation to Kathleen Scheibling

and my agent, Jenny Bent, for offering their

guidance and sharing their knowledge.

Chapter One

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Nick Jameson asked his best friend.

“I was going to ask you that,” Josh Towers said as he peered into the mirror on the wall of the groom’s dressing room, straightening a bow tie that was already perfectly straight. But then, nearly everything about Josh was perfect—apart from his taste in women.