Just Between Friends (O'Rourke Family 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

thing you’ve forgotten how to do.”
    A frown creased Dylan’s forehead, but his mother continued before he could say anything.
    “Only I shan’t worry overmuch,” she said. “Your Katydid is a darling child. She’ll help you to listen to your heart, as well as your head.”
    “She’s a child, all right,” Dylan agreed without thinking, then winced. He hardly sounded like an adoring groom. “That is, she’s still so young.”
    A smile curved his mother’s lips, reminding him of a cat with cream on its whiskers. “You’ve never wanted to see her as grown up, but she’s old enough to know what she wants. Katrina has a woman’s needs. I don’t think she’ll be lettin’ you forget that.”
    He got a peculiar feeling, rather like the ground was moving beneath him in an earthquake. The whole conversation was making him uneasy—much like his recent discussions with Kate. She was honest and straightforward about everything, and yet he kept sensing currents of unspoken emotions. He supposed it wasnatural, she’d once had dreams of love and happily-ever-after, and here she was, forced to get married because of her battle-ax of a grandmother. Or rather, because of the battle-ax’s last will and testament.
    He’d had his own lawyer look at the will, and Jane Douglas had indeed tied up her estate in language as stern and unbreakable as she’d once been herself.
    The stubborn old bat.
    “Is it time to go downstairs?” he asked gruffly.
    “I’ll send one of the boys up when Kate is ready,” Pegeen assured. She kissed him, then paused at the door.
    “ ’Tis bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”
    Dylan closed his eyes and restrained his groan. What would his mother say about “luck” when he ended up with a divorce in a little over a year? He couldn’t tell anyone it was really like an annulment since they wouldn’t be intimate. One thing was clear from the will, it had to appear to be a real marriage, even if it wasn’t.
    Maybe they could just say they’d mistaken friendship for love and had decided to end things before they made each other miserable. It sounded okay but Dylan still didn’t feel right about it.
    Lord, Katydid had gotten him into some messes before, but this one was a doozy.
    The strains of the wedding march spilled through the garden and Kate held her breath. Her heart was pounding so hard she was shaking from her white satin shoes to the miniature roses pinned in her hair.
    She knew Dylan wasn’t happy about how the quiet courthouse ceremony had become a romantic garden affair, but it was the wedding she’d always dreamed ofhaving. And, since she expected it to be her one and only wedding, it was fine with her, even if he was upset about it.
    “Ready?” asked Kane O’Rourke. He smiled and extended his arm. “I’m sorry your parents couldn’t be here, but I’m honored to fill in as ‘father of the bride.’”
    “I’m the one who’s honored,” Kate said sincerely, yet a stab of guilt went through her. She hadn’t wanted to hear her parents disparage Dylan, so she’d waited until the last minute before calling them in London to say she was getting married. Her father had missed so many of the important events in her life, it never occurred to her that he’d be disappointed not to walk her down the aisle.
    It had never occurred to her that they’d want to come at all.
    She searched Kane’s face, wondering if he disapproved of the hasty way his brother was getting married. If he did, he hadn’t said so. The O’Rourkes had been so supportive it made her want to cry. Was love supposed to be this difficult?
    “It’s time to go,” he said. “Ready?”
    “As ready as I’ll ever be.” But they hadn’t taken three steps before her feet faltered. “You know how much I love Dylan, don’t you?”
    “I think the whole family knows that.”
    Everyone except Dylan, Kate thought to herself. She forced herself to breathe. “I’ll do everything possible to make