The Mistake (Bad Bridesmaids #1) - Noelle Adams Page 0,6

implode. He’d witnessed friend after friend go through relational heartbreak, and he had no interest in putting himself in that position too.

He had a perfectly fulfilling, comfortable life. He had a good job and plenty of money and could find a woman to have sex with whenever he wanted.

He didn’t need to fall in love.

He didn’t even want to.

So the way Amanda always drew his interest troubled him. A lot.

It wasn’t like she was all that special. She was beautiful. No doubt about that with her small, curvy figure, bright hair, and deep eyes. Her mouth was a little too wide for classic beauty, but her smile transformed her face.

Transformed everything.

But still... He’d known beautiful women before, and they hadn’t affected him like this. Maybe it was just because so much seemed to be going on beneath the surface of her. She was a mystery. A puzzle. And he simply wanted to solve it.

That was probably it. He’d always been stimulated by a challenge.

He comforted himself with the thought as he sipped his scotch (not bad, but not the best quality) and watched as Amanda made a circuit around the room, performing social duties like a master.

“You’re staring,” Taylor muttered beside him.

He blinked, turning toward his niece in surprise. He’d thought Taylor was wrapped up in the word game she’d been playing on her phone. “What?”

“You’re staring. It’s becoming obvious.”

A hot wave of discomfort started to rise inside him before he took control of it. With a wry smile, he replied, “Something seems off about her. I was trying to figure out what it is.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Taylor made a face as she glanced over toward Amanda. “It’s a hard day for her.”

“Why?” He normally wouldn’t have inquired into someone’s private life, but in this case he felt like he needed to know.

Taylor opened her mouth but then closed it again. “She had to plan this whole ridiculous circus in a month. It’s enough to wipe anyone out.”

Robert knew that wasn’t the real answer. Something else was wrong with Amanda, and his niece knew what it was.

But she clearly wasn’t going to tell him.

He wanted to pursue the matter, but he was smart enough to know it would give away far too much of his own interest.

He cared about Taylor a lot. Not just because she was his niece but also because she was an interesting, intelligent, and generous human being beneath her amusing pose of being a grump. But he didn’t have heart-to-hearts with her. Or with anyone. He’d spent his life protecting the deepest parts of himself from exposure to the world, and he wasn’t going to surrender that safety now.

So he simply nodded as if he took her reply at face value.

And he continued to discreetly observe Amanda.

It wasn’t until he saw her talking to Dave—the ridiculously happy new groom—that he figured it out.

AMANDA HAD FINISHED her route around the room when Dave stopped her in the far corner and gave her an expected hug.

She hugged him back. Of course she did. He’d been part of her life as far back as she could remember.

“Thanks for everything you did for the wedding,” he said in his rumble of a voice. “I know how hard you worked to make it go off without a hitch.”

“It was no problem.” She pulled away and grinned up at him. There was a lump in her throat, but she was convinced she was hiding it well. “I’d do a lot more than that for the two of you.”

“I know you would. You’re the best. You always were. And now you’re my sister.”

“Yep. I am.” Her lips hurt. Her jaw hurt. Her throat hurt. Her eyeballs hurt. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Me either.”

He hugged her again. He’d been a kind, sincere boy, and he’d become a warm, generous man. She should have known he’d be drawn to Stacey’s sweetness instead of her own sharp edges.

She was a little shaky when she pulled away, so she made a quick retreat. “Okay. Back to work. Someone’s got to make sure things keep running smoothly here.”

That was just an excuse. She didn’t go to check on anything as she walked away. Instead, she slipped out the french doors in the back of the room and onto the veranda.

It was a cool March evening in Virginia. Not too chilly, but the air was pleasantly crisp. Amanda walked to one of the sculpted railings and leaned over onto it, sucking in a few ragged breaths and