The Best Man in Texas by Tanya Michaels

embarrass you? Is that how you see your own mother, as an embarrassment? ”
    The open bar was sounding better and better.
    Thankfully Brooke was spared answering—she couldn’t think of anything that was both tactful and honest—because Grace had opened the door.
    “Brooke!” Grace was a combination of girlish enthusiasm and dignified elegance in her royal blue dressand pearls. “And this must be your sister and mother, although, goodness gracious, all three of you could be mistaken for sisters, couldn’t you?”
    Didi beamed. “Didi Nichols, pleased to meet you. You’ve raised a wonderful son.”
    Grace hugged each of them and ushered them into a high-ceilinged foyer furnished with a grandfather clock, antique side table and several decorative mirrors.
    “The caterers and band are all set up in the backyard,” Grace said, “but Giff’s in the study.”
    She indicated the spacious room to her left, and Brooke saw Giff pouring Scotch for a business contact Brooke vaguely recognized, a tall man Grace identified as a second cousin and Jake McBride.
    Meg’s gaze zeroed in on Jake. Out of the corner of her mouth, she whispered, “ Whoa. Who is that?”
    “He’s the best man.”
    “I’ll say!”
    “If I go in there and introduce the two of you, do you promise to behave?”
    Meg was already headed for the foursome of well-dressed men, moving with admirable grace in her stiletto heels. “Not even a little.”
    Since Grace had just offered to give Didi a tour of the house, Brooke hurried after her sister. After all, this was Brooke’s engagement party and she’d yet to greet her fiancé.
    Jake spotted her first and smiled warmly. But as his gaze swept over her, his expression changed. He looked puzzled.
    Without being too obvious, Brooke did a quickdouble-check of her appearance. Did she have a run in her hose, a missing button? She hadn’t had anything to eat yet, so she wasn’t worried that she had food smudged on her face.
    Finding nothing amiss, she gave up wondering why he was nearly frowning at her and said hello to everyone. Giff kissed both her and Meg on the cheeks and took over the introductions.
    When Meg shook Jake’s hand, she tilted her head to the side, studying him. “Have we met before? There’s something familiar about you…”
    Jake glanced over her shoulder and winked at Brooke, who couldn’t hold back a laugh as she recalled their first meeting at Comida Buena and her instant recognition of him.
    “I have some good news,” Jake said abruptly, his gaze still tangled with Brooke’s. “That little girl? They stabilized her enough to begin her numerous operations, and it looks as if she’ll pull through. She has a long road of physical rehab ahead of her, of course, but—”
    “That’s wonderful! ” Brooke said, at the same time Giff and Meg both asked, “What little girl?”
    As Jake was giving them a brief update on the accident earlier this week, downplaying his role as hero of the day, Brooke noticed that a tuxedoed member of the hired staff had just opened the front door to Everett Nichols.
    “There’s Dad,” she said. “Meg, we should go say hi to him.”
    Meg didn’t look thrilled about tearing herselfaway from Jake’s side, but she dutifully accompanied Brooke.
    “Jake is Mr. July,” Brooke said under her breath. “Your fireman calendar? That’s where you know him from.”
    Meg sucked in a breath. “You’re close personal friends with one of the hunks from that calendar and never bothered to mention it? Or introduce me!”
    “You met some of his colleagues and deemed them hunky, too, as I recall. How many hot guys do you need to know?” What Brooke had meant as a joke came out almost waspish. Was she suddenly feeling possessive of Jake?
    Ridiculous.
    “Little sister,” Meg said as they reached the foyer, “a woman can never know too many hot guys.”
    “Well, sorry I forgot to mention it before now. I’ve had other things on my mind.” Case in point.