Whirlwind Read Free Page A

emphasized his broad shoulders and trim waist. The jacket didn’t have tails, but it was long enough to prevent me from checking out his ass. Beth was right: this guy was hot…and way out of my league.
     
    I waved another car by. I wasn’t in a hurry to make a fool of myself in front of Mr. Sexy-From-the-Back. I had to pace myself.
     
    As if he’d sensed me, the unknown groomsman dropped Chase’s tie. He fished something out of his pocket and peered at the small, shiny item in his hand. Giving Chase a chuck on the shoulder, he jogged up the stairs.
     
    “Hey, Chase!” I called after his companion disappeared.
     
    Chase squinted in the bright sun and waved halfheartedly, his hands twisting his bow tie into a floppy mess. “Hey, Mel,” he mumbled, continuing to fumble with his tie. Finally he gave up, leaving it hanging limply from his collar.
     
    “Would you like some help with that?”
     
    He brightened a bit. “Could you fix it? Linda tied it this morning, but it came apart.”
     
    “No problem.” He started to bend his lanky frame toward me, but I dragged him to the edge of the staircase instead. “This’ll work better if you stand up straight. Hold still a minute, okay?”
     
    It took me standing on the second step before I could look Chase in the eye, he was so tall. “You’ve been pulling on this, haven’t you?” The ends of the tie were way too long to make a bow at his neck.
     
    “Maybe just a little. Why?” One dimple peeked out of his guilty grin.
     
    “It’s too loose. Turn around.” Taking hold of his shoulders, I spun him so his back was to me.
     
    As I worked the slide and shortened the tie, Chase craned his head back. “So, did you drive all the way down here this morning from Santa Lucia?”
     
    What’s the big deal about my driving today? “Uh-huh.” I reached around and checked the length of his tie.
     
    “Oh.”
     
    Chase wasn’t the most loquacious person I knew, but his reply was uncharacteristically short.
     
    “Why? Is that a problem?” Satisfied with the first phase of bow tie repair, I tugged on his shoulders again. “Turn around.”
     
    I ignored the pensive squint Chase gave me and concentrated on his neck.
     
    “No, of course not. I was just wondering why you didn’t come earlier.”
     
    “I wasn’t really invited to anything else,” I said without thinking.
     
    “That’s not what I heard.”
     
    No way. There was no way Mitch told anyone I’d turned down his offer to be part of the wedding. Chase was guessing.
     
    I made the mistake of peeking at his slate-blue eyes. With burning cheeks, I worked on the tie, looping the butterfly-shaped ends around and through each other.
     
    “You heard wrong.”
     
    Taking my hands in his, Chase stopped me and waited until I looked up again. “Mitch asked you to be in the wedding, didn’t he?”
     
    I didn’t bother answering.
     
    “Why’d you say no?”
     
    I started to tell Chase what I’d told Mitch: I was too busy, I knew Ann wouldn’t appreciate me there, and I’d much rather see him from the front—not the back—while he made his vows. The disappointment in Chase’s face told me he wouldn’t believe that story either.
     
    “The truth?”
     
    Chase nodded. “Yeah, the truth.”
     
    I tried to swallow, but something…guilt, maybe…clogged my throat. “It’s stupid. I didn’t want to spoil his big day.”
     
    “Spoil it? How? He was more stressed because he didn’t think you’d come at all.” Anger leaked into his voice.
     
    I hadn’t realized Mitch thought I might bail on him. “I didn’t mean to worry him,” I whispered. “Look, today is about Mitch and Ann starting their new life together. Everyone is supposed to be all happy and excited—”
     
    “And you’re not.”
     
    “No.” Admitting my selfishness out loud hurt more than I’d anticipated.
     
    Chase let my hands go, and I started over on his tie, evening up the ends.
     
    He shoved his hands