Team Bride (3 page)

“My pleasure.”

He didn’t even bother following her up the stairs. She reached for the handle, but there wasn’t one. The door was securely shut. She whirled. “You knew this would happen.”

“Knew what?”

“You don’t need to sound so smug. You know what I mean.”

“It’s shut? I stuck a sandal in it to keep it open.”

Sarah glared down the metal steps. “Sure you did. The door’s locked.”

Corbin lifted a sandaled foot then a bare one. “Promise.”

“Great.” Sarah glanced at her watch. Already ten-thirty, and she was due for hair and makeup at seven in the morning. “Well, wave your magic wand then. This isn’t funny.”

He tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at it. “Oops. Dead.”

And hers was in her purse in the ready room. How much better could this night get? She looked out at the huge field behind the church. Likely no one lived within yelling distance, and the escape stopped a story above the ground. If she sprained her ankle jumping, she’d be hobbling at the wedding.

“Kidding.”

Sarah stared down at him. “What do you mean?”

He flashed her a grin. “It’s not dead. I was just messing with you.” He punched some buttons. “I’ll give Nick a call. I’d rather bug him than Pastor Davis, and I’m not sure who else has a key to the building.”

Even from half a flight of stairs away, Sarah heard Nick laughing through the cell. Corbin swiped the phone back off. “He’s still in his office and will rescue us in a minute.”

Sarah narrowed her gaze and tapped her foot. “Sounds suspicious. Do you think he took your shoe out of the door?”

“Oh, now you believe that I wasn’t that thoughtless?”

She was thankful the darkness covered the burn on her face. “Um, I guess. You’re stranded, too.”

“But I admit to not minding being stranded with a pretty woman.”

“Stop flirting. Just turn it off already.” A metallic click came from behind her and she whirled as the door opened.

“Everything all right out here?” Nick’s head poked around.

“Fine now, thank you.” Sarah brushed past him and down the corridor.

“Dude,” came Nick’s voice. “I give you a golden opportunity and you can’t even keep her from getting mad at you?”

Great. All she needed was to be ganged up on. She jogged down the stairs to get her stuff and go home. Knight in shining armor indeed. He’d needed someone else to rescue him.

Chapter 3

Somehow Corbin got through the ceremony. Sarah avoided eye contact while she strolled down the aisle looking like a million bucks in that burnt orange knee-length dress. She’d given him enough space to herd a dozen chickens through while watching him sign the register as a witness to the marriage. When he’d rested his hand on the back of the chair while she was writing her name in a neat script, she’d leaned forward, well out of easy reach.

But Nick and Lindsey had just spent five minutes kissing at the front of the church and been declared married. They faced the audience, beaming and waving. The recessional march began, and the newlyweds strode toward the back of the church.

This was the moment Corbin had been waiting for. He marched the three steps toward the center aisle and held out his bent elbow for Sarah. She took it without meeting his gaze. He tightened his arm against his side and leaned over. “You look great.”

Sarah’s chin came up slightly. “Thank you.”
 

The musical cue came and they stepped off the platform toward the back of the church. The rustle of fabric and muffled footsteps behind him assured him that the other two couples were right behind them. As acting leader of Team Groom, he needed to know that.

They swished through into the foyer where Nick and Lindsey had resumed kissing. Corbin glanced at Sarah, who seemed to be watching the newlyweds. “Aren’t you going to tell me I clean up good?”

Her jaw clenched. “Well. You clean up
well
.”

He chuckled. “Good to know. You should be a teacher.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, wait. You are.”

She whirled to face him, her dress flaring around her knees, and pulled her hand away from his tightened hold. “Can you please stop this right now? How many times, in how many ways, do I need to tell you I am not interested? Can we simply be here for Lindsey and Nick today and then forget we ever met each other?”

Was he really that annoying? On the other hand, was she really such a spoilsport? “Can’t you simply play along and have a good time for a few hours? Is that too much to ask?”

“If you mean, will I pretend an attraction to you, the answer is
no
. That’s not in my skill set.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Meet me in the middle?”

“Hey, everyone, get in line. The ushers are letting the guests out now. Time to play nice and pretend not to hate each other.” Lindsey glared daggers at him.

“No hate here.” Corbin touched the small of Sarah’s back to direct her to her spot in the receiving line.
 

Sarah stumbled into Lindsey’s arms and they hugged for a minute, rocking back and forth. Lindsey’s narrowed gaze met Corbin’s over Sarah’s shoulder. “Be nice,” she mouthed.

He shrugged. He was doing the best he could.

Nick’s parents and Lindsey’s step dad joined them, and the group spread into a line as they’d practiced last night. Soon Corbin had been hugged by at least forty middle-aged women, many of them smelling extravagantly floral and having exceedingly large bosoms.
 

He leaned closer to Sarah when there was a gap. “Remind me to elope.”

“Have fun with that.” She shifted away.

“What do you mean? You can’t seriously want a big hoopla like this. Think of all the perfume that could have been poured on Jesus’ feet instead of worn here.”

She actually met his gaze for a split second. “You haven’t been sneezing.”

“No, I took a double dose of allergy meds to forestall the worst of it.”

“Good thinking.”

He allowed a slow grin to spread across his face. “That sounded suspiciously like a compliment.”

 
“Get over it.” She rolled her eyes. “Look, the crowd seems to have thinned out. Now I guess we have two hours of photos before the reception.”

Two hours of posing beside Sarah for posterity. How tragic. He could stick a photo in a frame on the wall for a while, then the batch would go in his Team Groom box where mementoes from weddings gone by resided. Twice a ring bearer, twice a groomsman, now twice a best man.

Oh come on, Morrissey. Shove the dark thoughts aside. One of these days you’ll meet the one, and you’ll both know it.

Too bad it wasn’t Sarah, though. She had plenty of spunk when she chose to show it. How had he gotten off on the wrong foot with her again?

* * *

The photo shoot and sit-down reception dragged. At least during the meal Sarah sat between Lindsey and her teenage sister, Madison, who was totally thrilled to be a bridesmaid even though she’d really wanted a pink dress, not deep orange. Sarah heard about the drama of it all. And the bride, of course, was understandably distracted by the dashing man seated on the other side of her.

Just a few more hours, and it would all be over. So far it hadn’t been as horrible as she’d feared. The zipper on her dress hadn’t split open. She hadn’t tripped in the aisle and fallen. She hadn’t dropped the bouquets or Nick’s wedding ring. No one had had any reason to stare at her. Or laugh.

So why couldn’t Sarah enjoy the result of all the hard work she’d done with Lindsey? It was all Corbin Morrissey’s fault. But even that was silly. She barely knew him, and it wasn’t even his fault they’d been locked out on the fire escape last night.

No, they’d gotten off on the wrong foot when she’d been late for rehearsal and had to listen to his cheerfully grating prattle while she waited half of forever on the bridge. He really wasn’t that awful. Just a little full of himself. Confidence wasn’t a bad trait in a guy, was it?

So that made it all
her
fault.

Lindsey leaned over. “You okay?”

Sarah dredged up a smile and pressed her shoulder against Lindsey’s. “I’m fine. Sorry for making you worry about me.”

“Thanks so much for standing up for me. I really appreciate it.”

“That’s what best friends are for.”

“Once you get used to Corbin, he’s a great guy. A lot of fun. I thought you’d really like him.”

Sarah fixed the smile in place. What positive thing could she say? “He’s really cute.” Because that was no lie. Tall, dark, and handsome was the tip of the iceberg. Twinkling blue eyes, athletic frame, a quick smile. Easy to look at, for sure.

“He is, isn’t he? You guys are adorable together.”

“Don’t even start, Linds.”

“Oh, humor me.” The bride lowered her voice a little and leaned closer, shoulder pressing against Sarah’s. “Promise me something?”

Sarah narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“If he asks you out, accept? Just once is all I ask. I bet that will be enough.”

There was no way he’d ask, not after she’d pushed him aside a dozen or two times today. But it was remotely possible a decent guy lived inside that hunky body, well hidden behind the annoying mannerisms.

“Please? I’ll text you every day and ask you if he asked you for a date yet.”

“On your honeymoon?” Sarah raised her eyebrows. “I think you’ll have other things to think about.”

“So you wouldn’t want to be responsible for distracting me.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Promise. Then I won’t have to be distracted.”

Sarah couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out. “Okay, fine. One time. I promise. But don’t you dare plant the idea in his head.”

Across Lindsey and Nick, Corbin glanced at her, his smile warming when he caught her eye. Uh oh. She was in trouble now. But Lindsey was right. He couldn’t be that rotten a guy and still be Nick’s best friend and the man who led Nick to Jesus. Could he?

“Ready?” he mouthed.

For what? A date? No. It didn’t matter if she’d just promised Lindsey. She needed time to get used to the idea. Like a year or two.

Corbin pushed back his chair and approached the mike.

Oh. Ready for speeches and toasts. Yeah, as ready as she was going to get. If Corbin ever got done telling story after story about his and Nick’s days in Bible school together. The friends and family surrounding two dozen round tables lapped it all up, laughing in all the right places. Pretty much nonstop.

He was a hard act to follow. Well, she wouldn’t even try. She got through her sentimental speech about Lindsey and thanked Nick for coming into her best friend’s life. For the second time. But she didn’t talk about the jerk Nick had been in high school. Corbin would likely have found a way to spin that into a funny story. Too bad. Sarah proposed a toast and retreated to her seat.

Several other friends came up to the mike and shared stories. Finally the emcee decided it was time for the cake to be cut, and Sarah and the wedding party helped pass around slices to the guests.

Corbin sidled up beside her with a loaded tray. “How’s it going?”

“Fine.” She turned to the next table with a plate of cake in hand.
 

Soon the evening would be over, and she’d be back in her cozy apartment across the river curled up in her bathrobe with a mug of tea and a good book. Maybe she’d set aside the romance novel for now and start a whodunit. It might be easier on her nerves.

She held the comforting vision in mind as she smiled, nodded, and avoided Corbin.

A few minutes later, all the single women were invited to gather for the bouquet toss. Sarah slinked to the back of the room until Lindsey caught her eye and flicked her chin toward the group. Oh, man. Whatever. She’d stand behind someone who was eager to catch it. Not a problem.

“Me!” yelled Lindsey’s sister. “Throw it here!”

Like Madison. She’d be perfect. Except when the bouquet flew, someone’s elbow caught Madison’s side and the flowers thunked Sarah in the chest. Her hands automatically grabbed to prevent them from falling.

Great. Sarah had caught the bouquet.

“Yay, Sarah!” yelled Lindsey. “Your wedding will be next! Let me know the date and time, and don’t forget to ask me to be your maid — um, matron — of honor.”

Sarah narrowed her eyes as a few other people cheered and Madison glowered. But could Lindsey really have set this up?

Behind the bride, Nick and the groomsmen grinned. Corbin sent her a thumbs-up. Sarah buried her nose in the fragrant flowers. She might have no desire to get married any time soon, but that wouldn’t stop her from enjoying the gerbera daisies and white mums as long as they lasted.

The tide turned a few minutes later as Nick gallantly seated Lindsey on a chair while the unmarried men gathered behind him. Nick grinned at his bride as he slid her dress up over her knee and reached underneath to remove the garter. He tossed it over his shoulder without looking then bent to kiss Lindsey.

With growing horror, Sarah watched the blue-trimmed garter fly end over end and land directly in Corbin’s outstretched hand. The guys cheered. More than one pair of eyes swung over to her.

If only the floor would open up and swallow her on the spot. Instead, Corbin strolled over to her, waving the garter over his head like a lasso. He tucked an arm around her while clapping intensified.

“Looks like we’re destined to be together, fair lady,” he whispered into her hair. “What do you say we start with a first date tomorrow?”

Lindsey’s hopeful expression caught Sarah’s gaze.

She’d promised her stupid best friend. “Not tomorrow. I need some recuperation time,” she murmured.

“Friday then? I’ll get your phone number before we leave tonight.”

Sarah closed her eyes for one brief moment. If there was anything she hated worse than feeling manipulated, she couldn’t remember what it was at the moment.

Chapter 4

Sarah shouldn’t be this nervous. It wasn’t like she hadn’t gone on a date before. And frankly, every other time, she’d actually had a crush on the guy. Unlike Corbin Morrissey.

She was only doing this because she’d promised Lindsey. She’d do the obligatory date and then tell him
no thanks
for another one. Easy peasy, right?