The Best Man (Jasper Falls 2)

He spotted Julie’s car the instant they turned onto Jo’s street. It was probably the only Mercedes within a fifty mile radius of Jasper Falls, and while he liked the idea of Julie living a luxurious life, he hated the idea of a guy like Lance supplying it. Last he heard, she gave up her job, which was a shame because Julie had always been sharp as hell.

He parked the car and took a moment to catch his breath. Why was he breathing so heavily?

“You gonna be okay?”

“I’m fine,” he snapped. “Sorry.”

The judgement in Jo’s stare shifted to sympathy. “My sister would have been the luckiest girl in the world, if she could have just given you a chance.”

He grinned, understanding her meaning. No one would ever love Julie as deeply as him. He saw her imperfections but found them so innocent and human, they only added to her beauty. He loved her vulnerability, her determination, her empathy for others, and the way she could solve almost any problem, if she set her mind to it. The only unforgivable flaw she had was her atrocious taste in men. But he couldn’t blame her for being devoted to Lance. She was loyal to a fault.

“Ready?”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

Jo was right, this was a form of masochism. He took no pleasure from seeing Julie with Lance, yet he suffered through it every chance he got.

They walked up the path, as if traversing to the gallows. Every faded, plastic goose judging him harshly along the way.

“Hello?”

“Josephine? Where have you been?” her mother called from the back room. He could hear the morning church service playing on the television.

“I slept at Pat’s.”

They entered the back den, and his heart spiked and plummeted. Julie sat cross-legged on the love seat, in a faded Bears sweatshirt and plaid pajama pants. Her face was scrubbed clean, looking not a day past sixteen, and her pale blonde hair was twisted up in a messy knot on her head. Although she and Jo were twins, they were far from identical. Jo was dark and devious, but Julie was light and softness, a fresh fallen bed of snow on a perfect winter day.

“Patrick,” she said affectionately with a delicate smile, and his heartbeat tripled at the sound of his name on her lips.

“Julie.”

Her gaze shifted to Jo and her smile bloomed. Only then did he notice the bags under her eyes, the fragility of her posture, and the way her nails were bitten down to nubs. Something wasn’t right. Where was Lance?

Jo joined her sister on the sofa and hugged her.

“You said you weren’t coming.” Julie brushed her fingers through Jo’s dark hair. “I love this. And…” She frowned, her hand lifting Jo’s so she could examine the ring. “So, it’s true?” His stomach cramped as Julie glanced at him and back to Jo. “I’m so happy for you two.”

What had they done? “Where’s Lance?” The words burst out of him almost accusingly, and Julie’s smile faltered.

“He, um, had to stay home. He has a lot on his schedule with work.”

Something in her eyes gave him pause. “Is he coming for the wedding?”

“No, but he said to tell everyone hello.”

Like he gave a shit what Lance said. Something was definitely off. She didn’t seem her usual put-together self. There was an energy of sadness about her. He couldn’t bear it.

“Well, I gotta run. I told Ryan I’d help him out with wedding stuff today.” And now came the pain, the reality of knowing he could have made her happy, if he’d had the courage to approach her first. But he didn’t and he lost his chance with her, because she’d never leave Lance.

Jo was right. Seeing Julie only made him sad.

Chapter 6

“Are we going to talk about your mood?” Ryan’s stare focused on the teensy ribbon he was trying to work into a bow, but Pat still felt like he was under a microscope lens.

He grabbed another lace sash thing and stuffed it full of Jordan almonds. “I’m not in a mood.”

It was a lie. He’d been pissy since leaving Jo’s and learning that Julie was marrying that douchebag. His brain couldn’t stop repeating her words.

Lance said to tell everyone hello… He made me drive home alone and doesn’t appreciate me, but I love him and we’re so happy…

Okay, maybe his brain went slightly off script, but her blind devotion drove him insane sometimes. And what the hell was Jo thinking, hiding Julie’s engagement from him? That was crucial information that should have been brought to his immediate attention.

He shoved another handful of candy coated nuts into a dainty satchel, but this wasn’t a job that could be rushed, nor was it a job for big hands. The damn candies went pinging everywhere.

“Yeah, you’re just a ray of freaking sunshine,” his brother commented dryly.