His Sister's Wedding (2 page)

“Twenty-six years doesn’t constitute having lived a long and wise life,” Lillie protested,
laughing.

“Please, Lillie. You have to help me. Luke’s so against us marrying that he almost
refused to come to this party.” Mel’s small hand grasped hers. “I think if Luke spent
time with you, he’d see how level-headed you are and then you could talk to him. You
know, convince him that we have the right to choose to get married.”

“Whoa!” Just the thought of “spending time” with Luke Morgan sent a shiver of chill
bumps along her skin. “I’m not exactly sure what you have in mind, but—“

“I want Luke and you to plan our wedding,” Mel declared. “When Scott and I go back
to school on Monday, we won’t be in town to see to all the details.”

“Well, I had thought that I’d work with you long distance,” Lillie started.

“Not with me. With Luke.” Mel’s face was triumphant. “That way he’d have to spend
time with you and get to know you and trust your opinion.”

“I don’t think….” Lillie’s voice trailed off as she caught sight of the tears glistening
in Mel’s eyes.

“I know he’s only my brother,” the other girl said sadly, “but Luke has always
been
my family. After the divorce, we just sort of clung together. He looked after me,
and I took care of him. When we were young, my dad worked all the time. Dad wasn’t
very good at the emotional part of fathering, but since he died, Luke’s all I’ve had.”

Lillie felt her resistance melting like a puddle around her feet. She knew only too
well how important a brother could become when one’s parents weren’t there. But she
couldn’t keep from protesting again. “I’m not sure Luke would listen to anything I
have to say.”

“We have to try. I’m afraid if I marry Scott while Luke’s still so disapproving that
there will always be a breach between us and I couldn’t bear that.”

“I understand,” Lillie said slowly.

“You do?” Mel’s face cleared like a spring morning. “Then you’ll go along with my
plan? Have Luke plan the wedding with you as if I’m incommunicado?”

“Are you so sure that Luke will go along with this?” Lillie asked skeptically. “I
can’t really see him picking out flower arrangements.”

“He’ll do it.” Mel giggled. “I already told him that I have a killer semester ahead
of me and I’ll need his help with this. Luke will do almost anything to keep me from
being distracted from my school work.”

Lillie stared at her future sister-in-law, a new sort of respect dawning. “Okay. If
you’re willing to give up planning your own wedding, I’ll go along with it.”

“Oh, thank you.” Mel hugged her tightly. “I really appreciate this. And you’ll be
surprised. Luke owns his own landscaping business, so picking out the flowers won’t
be hard at all.”

Lillie sighed. It would take all her emotional resources to work so closely with a
man who scoffed at all the things she held dearest. Particularly when he had Luke
Morgan’s magnetism.

* * *

Lillie looped the last floral window garland into the plastic bag. The community hall
was empty except for the janitor and a few last guests making their way to the door.

Clean-up was her least favorite part of being a wedding consultant, so she’d learned
to do it with a maximum of efficiency. Fortunately, there wasn’t much food clean-up
and most of the flowers had been taken by friends and family. That still left Lillie
with a hundred small details.

She’d sent Scott and Mel on their way earlier, declining their offers to help. Her
brother was a hard worker, taking part-time jobs to help put himself through school.
He deserved a little pampering from his sister every now and then.

Of course, her agreeing to plan the wedding with Luke Morgan might be going beyond
the call of sisterly duty. What on earth had she gotten herself into? She’d always
avoided cocky, opinionated, too-sexy-to-cope-with men. Even ones with the excuse of
having been hurt in the past.

There’d been a gleam in Luke’s eyes when he wasn’t glowering about his sister’s marriage,
an intentness no less dangerous for its mocking humor. Lillie felt like she was being
sized up for dinner.

Hoisting the bag of garlands and the one large floral arrangement, Lillie grabbed
her keys to the van and made her way out into the darkness.

The smell of rain hung in the air, as fresh and urgent as pure oxygen when she descended
the steps to the parking lot. The humid blanket that had covered the day was now gone,
lifted and flung aside by a brisk wind that teased and tossed the treetops.

Her van was at the opposite end of the parking lot from the main door, closer to the
kitchen entrance.

Unlocking the van’s side door, she gently settled the flower arrangement in front
of the passenger seat. The darkness and wind snatched at her skirt and swirled around
her with a rough playfulness. Lillie struggled to lift the heavy plastic bag into
its position among the other party paraphernalia, leaning awkwardly to one side as
she made sure the arrangement was steady.

Straightening, she let out a muffled shriek as her elbow collided with the open van
door. Nursing the injured arm, Lillie slammed the van door shut, muttering her frustration
under her breath.

The community center’s poorly-lit parking lot was nearly empty now, only three other
cars there beside her own. As she crossed the pavement to the hall, a masculine shout
of laughter drew Lillie’s attention to the last cluster of guests.

Luke Morgan stood beside a car, talking with a man and woman. Their voices rose in
the dark, damp night air, laughter mingling with their goodbyes.

Lillie’s steps quickened. Avoidance was cowardly, but she really didn’t need additional
exposure to Mel’s disturbingly attractive brother tonight.

She climbed the shallow steps to the hall. Inside, the room was nearly set to rights.
The janitor collected the last of the trash as Lillie headed down the dark hall to
gather her things from the small room off the kitchen.

As a matter of habit, she had brought her usual emergency supplies, most of which
weren’t necessary at an engagement party, but often came in handy during her weddings.
Scooping up nail polish, hair spray, scotch tape, a sewing kit, spare pantyhose and
several curling irons, Lillie dumped everything into her box and flicked off the light.
Juggling the box and her purse, she tried the kitchen exit, only to find it locked
already. The only way out was through the main hall doors.

Outside, the wind had picked up. Lillie could hear it howling as it tugged at the
church building. Turning the corner into the foyer outside the darkened hall, she
saw the elderly janitor standing by the door, rattling his keys.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Stanley.” She scooted through the door he held
open.

“No problem,” the caretaker said shortly. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” she called, negotiating the steps as he disappeared into the night with
all the speed of a teenager headed for a hot date. She’d hardly taken three steps
before his car engine leapt to life and roared out of the parking lot with a flash
of red tail lights.

A scattering of heavy droplets of rain speckled the concrete, hitting Lillie like
tiny bombs as she crossed the parking lot. Across the expanse of pavement, Luke Morgan
slapped a hand on his friends’ car and waved as they, too, drove off.

Lillie quickened her steps, hurrying toward the refuge of her van, her arms beginning
to ache from the load.

Reaching the van, she balanced the box against it and groped for the handle.

It didn’t give.

Lillie frowned as she reached for the front passenger door handle and tugged.

Locked.

She let out a muffled groan as her mind searched to remember where she’d put her car
keys. No. Maybe she’d brought them back in with her after her last trip.

She awkwardly patted the side pockets of her dress and fumbled in her purse. Nothing
. How had the van gotten locked? She never locked it when she was cleaning up after
an event.

Then she remembered the sharp pain of her elbow coming into contact with the automatic
door lock.

“Arrrgh!!” Lillie leaned her head against the van’s sprinkled window, mindless now
of the shower of drops. What an idiot! She’d locked her keys in the van.

Her mind ticked over the important facts. She was locked out of her van, outside a
deserted church in a residential neighborhood at midnight. No pay phones nearby. No
janitor to help her. Everyone was gone.

Everyone that is, except Luke Morgan.

Luke watched Lillie Parker from across the parking lot, the windshield of his car
streaked with the increasing rain. Even in this dim light, he could see her outline
clearly. The thin, yellow material of her dress clung wetly to her curvaceous body
as she leaned her head against her van.

What in the hell was the woman doing?

He’d come tonight prepared to rip into Scott Parker’s older sister. How anyone could
think those two were rational enough to get married was beyond him. Marriage was a
fine institution if one approached it right. It was the ideal situation in which to
have and raise children. But bells and bows and hearts and flowers all too frequently
led to heartbreak and broken promises.

Reality was apparently lost on Lillie Parker.

Without effort, he conjured up the memory of her soft voice and the startling blue
of her eyes. Her fair, delicate face surrounded by that absurd mass of curly, blond
hair. She looked like a model for angel art.

Of course, Luke doubted that angels sent men killing glances the way Lillie did. No
question about it, he’d stepped on her toes big time. Declaring himself to be romance-avoidant
was not a way to make points with a wedding consultant.

It was really too bad, mused Luke, because no sooner than he’d laid eyes on Lillie
than lust had hit him square in the gut. He wondered how her lips would feel beneath
his, wondered if she cried out when she made love. Just the hint of her fragrance
left him thinking carnal thoughts. But the lady clearly didn’t want to reciprocate.

His opposition to Mel marrying her brother was probably the biggest mark against him.
And while he could understand that, he still found himself fantasizing about kissing
Lillie Parker’s small pink mouth till she moaned.

Lillie still hadn’t gotten into her van. Luke jerked his keys out of the ignition
with a muffled curse. Shrugging out of his suit jacket, he grabbed a baseball cap
from the seat and got out. If he’d had an umbrella, his conscience would have insisted
on offering it. The woman was getting soaked.

The rain fell in a steady sheet now, still holding back its full force, but heavy
enough to plaster Luke’s shirt to his body and give him a clear idea of how Lillie
Parker’s backside would look buck naked.

Um, looked good, he decided, as he walked over to her, his steps quickening as the
rain fell harder.

She didn’t turn around as he approached, but he knew she had to have heard the slam
of his door and his footsteps on the wet parking lot. That was the only explanation
for the sudden tensing of her body underneath the wet dress.

“I don’t suppose,” he raised his voice just above the hush of the rain, “you need
any help or anything.”

Lillie didn’t turn around immediately. She just sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging
a little.

“Lost your keys?” Luke suggested, wavering between his urge to help her out and his
equally strong desire to tease her in retribution for encouraging two kids to throw
their lives away.

“I….” Her voice trailed off in a mumble.

“You what?”

“I locked them in the van,” she repeated, her voice at a frustrated pitch as she swung
around to face him. The wet tangle of her hair fell around her shoulders.

Luke felt a
clang!
of interest reverberate in his body as his gaze collided with hers. She blazed blue
fire at him. Her chin jutted out in defiance and her tender mouth trembled in agitation.

“I could try to open the door,” he offered gently before adding, “unless you’re one
of those women who resent needing a man’s help.”

Outrage spread over her face like sunlight over the water, fairly sparkling under
his gaze.

“I’ll let you open the door,” she retorted with energy, “unless you’re one of those
men who expects a woman to grovel every time you do them a favor.”

“Ouch.” Luke grinned at her without repentance, ignoring the increasing splatter of
rain on his face. “Why don’t you set that box down while I look for something to open
your van.”

“No, thank you,” she replied with great dignity. “These are the tools of my trade.
I don’t want them spilling out of a wet box, scattered all over the parking lot.”

“Suit yourself,” Luke said, turning toward his car. “But it looks to me like you might
not have a choice about that.”

He thought he could hear her teeth grinding as he walked away. Hurriedly grabbing
the hanger that had held his suit coat, Luke jogged back to Lillie, who stood dejectedly
beside her van, still clutching the disintegrating box.