The Groom's Stand-In (Special Edition)

by Gina Wilkins

She wanted Donovan. She wanted to be back there with him right now, finding out how he was, holding his hand instead of Bryan’s. She couldn’t say any of those things, of course. She settled for a wan smile. “I’m okay now. But thank you.”

  Bryan frowned a little, as if he sensed that something had changed between them. He probably thought she blamed him for what she had been through. She would have to convince him that she didn’t blame him in any way, even as she tried to come up with a way to let him know that there was no future for them now.

  Some instinct made her look toward the doorway. Braced by a set of metal crutches, Donovan stood there with no expression at all on his face as he looked at her lying there between Grace and Bryan—with Bryan holding her hand.

  She pulled her hand quickly from Bryan’s. Bryan didn’t seem to notice as he stood and moved quickly toward his friend.

  “How are you, Donovan?” he asked, and his voice was much warmer now than it had been when he’d spoken of the kidnappers.

  “Can’t complain,” Donovan drawled in response.

  Even Chloe had to smile at that. If anyone had a right to complain, it was Donovan. His face was hollow and pale, bruised at the temple and the corner of his mouth. The clothes he’d found at the trailer had been replaced by a set of pale green hospital scrubs, and assorted scrapes and bruises were visible in the V-neckline and beneath the short sleeves. His right leg was encased in a temporary cast from the knee down.

  She hadn’t seen much of his sense of humor during the past few days, though she’d known from things Bryan had said about him that he had one. According to Bryan, a dry and clever one. She wished she could have gotten to know that side of him better. Not that it would have made her love him any more than she already did. She simply wanted to know every aspect of Donovan.

  “They didn’t want to hook you up to any tubes and pumps?” Bryan asked him.

  Donovan shrugged. “They wanted to. I didn’t want them to. I won.”

  “Big surprise.”

  Chloe couldn’t believe he was just planning to walk out of the hospital—even on crutches. “Aren’t you even going to stay overnight?” she fretted. “Surely you need more treatment than a brace and a pair of crutches. Is your leg broken?”

  The faint smile he’d worn for Bryan disappeared when he glanced her way. “They gave me some shots. Some pills to take for a few days. I’ve cracked a bone in my leg, as we suspected. The local doc patched it up until I can get to an orthopedic specialist.”

  Bryan nodded. “You’ll have the best, of course, as soon as we get you back home.”

  Chloe remembered Donovan’s assertion that he didn’t have a home. She hadn’t believed him then, nor did she now. He had ties he simply didn’t choose to acknowledge. She wondered again if it was apprehension or preference that kept him from doing so.

  “You’re sure you don’t want to spend the night here?” Bryan asked Donovan. “It wouldn’t hurt you to let someone else take care of you for a few hours.”

  Donovan shook his head fiercely. “I’ve already had this argument with a couple dozen hospital personnel. I’m not staying. I have things to do. I’ll see a doctor in Little Rock tomorrow about the leg.”

  “Thick-headed,” Grace murmured.

  Chloe shot her sister a frown. “Don’t start, Grace. Donovan saved my life more times than I can count during the past few days. You should be thanking him.”

  Grace studied Chloe’s face for a moment, then glanced at Donovan, whose frown had only deepened in response to Chloe’s defense. “In that case, I will thank you. With all my heart.”

  “Not necessary,” he said gruffly. “Just doing my job.”

  If he’d been trying to hurt her, he couldn’t have done it any better, Chloe thought.

  Bryan shook his head. “I’d say you definitely went beyond the call of duty this time, pal. And now you’re exhausted. We’d better get on our way. Jason’s waiting in the lobby. Grace…?”

  “I’d like to stay here with Chloe tonight,” Grace answered quickly. “I’ll sleep in that recliner.”

  “That isn’t necessary, Grace,” Chloe assured her.

  Her twin shook her head. “I’m not letting you out of my sight for a couple of days. Besides, you know I don’t trust hospitals. Someone has to stay here to make sure you get the proper care.”

  Chloe was sure the hospital staff would not appreciate Grace’s close supervision. Still, she was glad her sister was staying. She didn’t want to be left alone with her thoughts tonight.

  “We need to get you off your feet,” Bryan said to Donovan. “You look like you could fall over in a strong wind.”

  He approached the bed again and leaned over to press a kiss to Chloe’s forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning. Have Grace call me if you need anything at all, okay?”

  She forced another smile for him. “I will. Thank you, Bryan.”

  He studied her for another moment, his expression a bit quizzical. And then he turned back to his friend. “Let’s go, D.C. You can tell me all about your adventures in the car.”

  Chloe looked quickly toward Donovan, growing a little panicky at the thought of him walking out that door. She had grown so accustomed to being with him. Their eyes met—and, for only a moment, she thought she saw a similar emotion there, a reluctance to leave her.

  And then he turned his head away, speaking to Bryan in a low voice that she couldn’t quite hear as they moved out into the hallway together.

  He hadn’t said goodbye, but Chloe heard it, anyway. As far as Donovan was concerned, it was over between them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Surrounded by mirrors of every shape and style, Chloe tried not to pay much attention to her reflection. Her short, artfully choppy hairstyle was flattering, but she’d worn the longer bob so long it still startled her occasionally to catch a glimpse of the new cut. It made her seem like a different person than she had been four weeks ago—but then, she was a different person. She’d figured she might as well look it.

  Noting that it was ten minutes after closing time, she politely ushered the last browser out of her shop and locked the door behind her. It had been a long, busy day. Good for business, but it had left her tired.

  But, then, she was tired a lot these days. She’d found it very difficult to shake the depression that had gripped her since Donovan had walked out of her hospital room.

  She had neither seen him nor heard from him since.

  Carrying a box of bubble-wrapped pottery candlesticks, Grace entered from the storeroom and crossed to the shelf where they would be displayed. “Did Mrs. Purvis finally leave?”

  “Yeah. I sort of herded her out.”

  “For someone who spends so much time in here, you would think she’d buy something occasionally.”

  “She bought that bag of potpourri last month,” Chloe reminded her ironically.

  “Oh, right. We’ve made a whole fifty cents off her.”

  “She’s a sweet lady. Just lonely. She likes us, and she loves our mirrors. She just can’t bring herself to spend the money for one.”

  Grace muttered something beneath her breath and set a candlestick on the shelf with a thump.

  If Chloe had been depressed during the past month, Grace had been more temperamental than usual. Chloe had chalked it up to lingering anxiety; Grace tended to get snappy when she was stressed or worried, and she had been worried sick about Chloe. But now she was beginning to wonder if there was more to it than that. After all, Chloe had been safe for weeks.

  Nor should Grace have to fret any longer about the possibility of Chloe entering an amiable marriage of convenience with Bryan. That was over. Chloe had politely informed Bryan only days after she was rescued that she’d given his offer a great deal of thought and had decided to decline. She had assured him that he shouldn’t take the rejection personally; she was very fond of him and thought he would make a wonderful husband and father. Just not with her.

  He’d taken the news well,
without any sign of disappointment. Either he’d been prepared for her decision or he’d come to the same conclusion. Assuring her that they would remain friends, he had made a polite exit. He’d called two or three times since to check on her and Grace, but their conversations were growing shorter each time.

  She didn’t think she would be seeing either Bryan or Donovan again.

  She had not mentioned her feelings for Donovan to Bryan. Hadn’t mentioned Donovan at all, actually, except to politely inquire about his leg, which she had been told was healing satisfactorily. She wouldn’t risk causing any problems between Bryan and Donovan, especially since she didn’t know whether Donovan had even given her a second thought since he’d brought her out of those woods.

  She’d thought he would have at least called her.

  “So are you going to stand there gazing out the door the rest of the night, or are you going to help me set out this new shipment?”

  Grace’s acerbic question brought her attention back to the present. “Sorry. I was distracted.”

  “You’re always distracted these days,” Grace muttered.

  “And you’re always grumpy,” Chloe retorted.

  Rather than snapping back at her, Grace knelt in front of the display shelf in silence for several long moments, and then she looked up at Chloe with a grimace. “I am, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”

  Chloe could rarely hold a grudge against her twin. “It’s okay. I know you’ve been through a lot lately.”

  Grace groaned. “That’s hardly an excuse, especially since you went through so much more. I just—well, I’ve been worried about you.”

  “About me?” Chloe set a yellow-and-blue-patterned candlestick on a shelf, then fussed with its placement for a moment. “There’s no need. Bryan has repeatedly promised us that the kidnapping threat is over.”

  “From what I saw of the weasel Childers, I agree. I thought he was going to faint when Bryan and Jason faced him down in his apartment.”

  Chloe nodded. “Anyway, now that the publicity has died down and the press has turned its attention to other things, other misfortunate people, I can fade quietly and safely back into obscurity. I’m fine.”

  Her sister moved to stand beside her, studying her profile. “You’re unhappy.”

  Chloe didn’t meet her twin’s eyes as she shifted a marble egg into a more conspicuous position. “Of course I’m not un—”

  “Chloe.” Grace sounded irritated again now. “Please don’t try bluffing with me. You know you’ve never been able to fool me.”

  Chloe sighed heavily. “You’re right. I don’t know what’s been wrong with me lately. A mild case of post-traumatic stress syndrome, maybe. I’m sure I’ll get over it soon.”

  “I feel like it’s my fault.”

  That comment startled her into turning to stare at Grace. “Your fault? Why on earth would you think that?”

  Hanging her head a little, Grace replied, “I think you broke up with Bryan because I made such a fuss about it at the beginning. You had decided you wanted to marry a decent guy and have a family, and I had no right to interfere. I would still rather see you marry for love, but if friendship is more important to you, then that should be all that matters. Bryan’s a decent guy. I’m sure he would beef up his security for you if you start seeing him again, so you’d probably be safer than you are just driving to work in the morning now.”

  She shook her head impatiently, drew a deep breath and blurted, “What I’m trying to say is, I think you and Bryan should get back together if it would make you happy again. You should marry him and have those kids you both want so badly. I’ll support your decision whole-heartedly.”

  For the life of her, Chloe couldn’t have explained why tears suddenly gathered in her eyes. “That’s very considerate of you, Grace, but I don’t want to marry Bryan. As you have pointed out on numerous occasions, I don’t love him. I never will.”

  Grace looked startled. “You said yourself that you’re very fond of him.”

  “I am. Very. But that isn’t enough.”

  “Since when?”

  Since she had fallen passionately and permanently in love with another man, Chloe thought in despair. “I just changed my mind.”

  Grace studied her for a long time, then pushed a hand through her hair. “Sorry. I would have sworn you’ve been behaving like a woman with a broken heart.”

  Unable to come up with a good response, Chloe turned away.

  They worked in silence for a few minutes, with Chloe hoping Grace would change the subject, and Grace apparently lost in her thoughts. It was Grace who broke the silence again. “When did you talk to Bryan last?”

  “He called earlier this afternoon. He said to tell you hello, by the way.”

  Grace cleared her throat, then asked, “Did he mention how Donovan’s doing?”

  Just the sound of his name made her chest ache. “He’s fine. He’s off the crutches, but still in a walking cast.”

  “Donovan’s never called you himself?”

  “No.”

  “That seems a bit odd, doesn’t it?”

  “I’m sure he knows Bryan is keeping me updated.”

  “Mm. So I guess you and Donovan didn’t become fast friends during your ordeal?”

  “No, I suppose we didn’t.” Because this conversation was entirely too painful, she turned abruptly away. “You can finish this. I’ll go close out the register.”

  Lost in her own thoughts again, Grace didn’t reply.

  Donovan and Bryan were walking through the lobby of a St. Louis hotel when Donovan was nearly slammed to the floor. It was only Bryan’s lightning reflexes that save him from an ignominious fall.

  “Whoa, there, buddy.” Bryan scooped the runaway three-year-old into his arms only a moment before the child barreled into Donovan’s bum leg.

  Grateful for the quick save, Donovan glanced around for the kid’s parents. There were a lot of people around, but he didn’t see anyone who seemed to be looking for the boy.

  “Where’s your mom?” Bryan asked the child as he set him back on his feet.

  The red-haired tot waved an arm vaguely in the direction of the gift shop. “Over there.”

  “Let’s go find her, shall we?”

  The boy took Bryan’s outstretched hand and nodded obligingly. “’Kay.”

  It always amazed Donovan how quickly children took to Bryan. That notorious charm of his was as effective with the kids as it was with the ladies.

  “I’ll be right back if you want to wait here,” Bryan said over his shoulder as the boy led him away.

  Donovan nodded and moved to one of the deep sofas arranged invitingly around the big, airy lobby. He was sitting there when Bryan rejoined him a few minutes later.

  Bryan was still smiling. “Cute kid,” he said, taking a chair near Donovan’s sofa. “His mother was going nuts looking for him in the gift shop. She says he’s worse than Houdini when it comes to making dramatic escapes.”

  “She needs to put a leash on him. Anyone could have snatched him.” The thought of his own recent encounter with kidnappers was enough to make Donovan scowl.

  “She said she would watch him more carefully from now on. She seemed like a good mother. She just got distracted for a minute.”

  Donovan watched as Bryan looked toward the gift shop again, and something in his friend’s eyes made him ask, “You still want kids, don’t you?”

  Bryan seemed startled by the question—which, admittedly, was more personal than Donovan usually got—but he answered candidly, “Yeah. I’ve always thought I’d make a pretty good father, even though my own was hardly a role model.”

  “I think you would, too.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Donovan waited as long as he could before saying reluctantly, “Chloe would make a good mother.”

  Again, Bryan’s eyebrows shot up in an expression of surprise, probably because Donovan had hardly mentioned Chloe’s name in the past month. “Ye
s, I thought she would, too. That was one of the reasons why I decided she and I would make a good match. Obviously, I was wrong about that part.”

  “You didn’t fight for her very hard. When she broke it off, you just let her go.”

  “And what was I supposed to do?” Bryan asked dryly. “Lock her up?”

  “You should have been patient. You knew she was still suffering from shock when we came out of those woods, but you let her break it off only a few days later. If you’d hung in there, been there for her, comforted her, tried to make it all up to her, she would have come around.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Donovan didn’t know why he was pushing this—hell, he should be glad he wouldn’t have to deal with watching Bryan and Chloe together—but for some reason he felt he had to say it.

  He was very fond of both Bryan and Chloe, he told himself, feeling a bit noble for his unselfishness. He didn’t like the thought of either of them being alone, unsatisfied. “Maybe you should give it another try.”

  Bryan sighed. “To be honest, I’m not sure I want to give it another try. I like and admire Chloe a great deal. I think she’s amazing—brave, resourceful, intelligent. I just don’t think I want to marry her.”

  Donovan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Why the hell not?”

  “I don’t know,” Bryan answered, a bit defensively now. “Maybe Grace was right. I was thinking about marrying Chloe for the wrong reasons. Respect and admiration aren’t synonymous with love.”

  Shaking his head in disgust, Donovan muttered, “Grace is hardly one to be giving romantic advice. From what I saw, she’s a spitfire.”

  “Grace isn’t so bad. She just genuinely wants what’s best for Chloe. And so do I. Chloe deserves to find someone who’ll love her and treat her right.”

  “I can’t imagine she would find anyone who would treat her better than you would.”

  “I’m touched.”

  “I’m beginning to believe that you are,” Donovan muttered. “Look all you want for the perfect match, but you aren’t going to find anyone better than Chloe.”

  Bryan chuckled. “Hell, D.C., if you feel that way about her, why don’t you marry her?”