The First Man You Meet Read Free

being sensible about this.’’
    ‘‘No one bothered to ask me what I thought before shipping off a so-called magic wedding gown. I don’t want to marry just yet, so I certainly don’t need the dress. It was a nice gesture, but unnecessary.’’
    ‘‘Exactly,’’ Jill agreed.
    ‘‘I’m not interested in playing déjà voodoo.’’ She paused to laugh at her own joke.
    Jill chuckled, too. ‘‘I wouldn’t be, either.’’
    Shelly felt greatly relieved and sighed expressively. The tight muscles along the back of her neck began to relax. Jill was, as usual, full of sound, practical advice. Aunt Milly was a wonderful old lady, and the legend was a delightful bit of family lore, but it would be laughable to take any of this seriously.
    ‘‘How about meeting me for lunch tomorrow?’’ Jill suggested. ‘‘It’s been ages since we got together.’’
    ‘‘That sounds good to me,’’ Shelly said eagerly. Although they’d been good friends since college, it took some effort on both their parts these days to make time in their hectic lives to see each other. ‘‘When and where?’’
    ‘‘How about the mall?’’ Jill asked. ‘‘That would be easiest for me since I’m scheduled to work tomorrow. I can get off a few minutes before twelve.’’
    ‘‘Great. I’ll see you at noon at Patrick’s,’’ Shelly promised. Meeting her friend for lunch was just the antidote she needed after the terrible day she’d suffered through. But then what did she expect on Friday, April thirteenth?
    S HELLY OVERSLEPT , then got caught in a traffic jam on her way to meet Jill the following morning. She detested being late, although she often was. Rather than fight for a convenient parking spot in the vast lot that surrounded the mall, she took the first available space and rushed toward the nearest entrance. Patrick’s, a cozy, charming restaurant on the mall’s upper level, was deservedly popular for business lunches. Shelly had eaten there often and especially enjoyed the spinach-and-shrimp salad.
    A glance at her watch told her it was already after twelve, and not wanting to keep Jill waiting, she hurried toward the escalator. The shopping center was especially busy on weekends, she noted, as she weaved her way around several people.
    Her mind must have been on the salad she intended to order for lunch instead of the escalator because the moment she placed her foot on the first tread, she lost her balance.
    ‘‘Oh…oh!’’ Swinging her arms out at both sides in a futile effort to remain upright, she groped at thin air. She tried frantically to catch herself as she fell backward.
    Landing in someone’s arms shocked her as much as having lost her balance. Incredulous, she twisted around to thank her rescuer but this proved to be a mistake. Heraction caught the man off guard, and before he could prevent it, they both went crashing to the floor. Once again Shelly expected to experience pain. Instead, her waist was surrounded by arms that were surprisingly strong. His grip was firm but gentle, protective. As they fell, he maneuvered himself to take the brunt of the impact when they landed. Sprawled as she was above him, Shelly found herself staring down at the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Her heart thrummed. Her breath caught. Her body froze.
    For a moment neither of them spoke. A crowd had gathered around them before Shelly managed to speak. When she did, her voice was weak and breathless. ‘‘Are you all right? I’m so sorry…’’
    ‘‘I’m fine. What about you?’’
    ‘‘Fine. I think.’’
    She lay cushioned by his solid chest, their faces scant inches apart. Shelly’s long hair fell forward, framing his face. He smelled of mint and some clean-scented soap. Her gaze wandered curiously over his features; at such close range she could see the tiny lines that fanned out from the edges of his sapphire-blue eyes as well as deep grooves that bracketed his mouth. His nose was classically