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"Oh." He backed off, thrusting his hands deep into his
pants pockets. But his gaze became black chips of ice freezing
her. "Who's Roger?"
"One of the policemen I work with in Ft. Lauderdale who's
come up for Sierra's wedding."
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"Another good friend?" He peered hard as he rocked back
and forth on his worn heels.
Late afternoon sun danced on his hair, making her long to
run her fingers through it. She squelched the desire, unsure
whether or not her action would be welcome. She paused to
ponder her answer and wrinkled her nose. "Just a friend."
She was dying to know what Troy had planned to ask but
wouldn't give him the satisfaction of asking him.
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Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Chapter Five
"I'm starving here! What took you so long, woman?" Tim
pounced on her as she strolled in the door at the family
home.
Jana rolled her eyes as she patted her rounded tummy.
"You'd think he was the one eating for two starved as he
always is."
"Just in sympathy, darlin'." Tim swept his wife into his
arms, love shining in his eyes. "I'm an expectant daddy. I see
how Roger's baby keeps him hopping, so I gotta keep up my
strength."
"Give me a chance to get spiffed up. I can't go out looking
like this." Breanna grabbed an apple from the table and sank
her teeth into it.
Everyone laughed, even Sierra who thumbed through a
clowning magazine. She was hanging out with them since her
fiance was out with his mother.
Breanna wondered how her sister could smile when she'd
been deserted. Did Sierra really want to marry the man? She
made a mental note to talk to her later about this, in private.
She had too many doubts about Sierra's upcoming wedding,
and she didn't like them any more than she liked her doubts
regarding Troy.
"You sure you don't mind babysitting?" Leann asked Jack,
worry creasing her forehead. "You got my cell phone number,
right? Call me if you have any problems. The baby just ate so
she shouldn't be hungry for at least two hours. But there's
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two bottles in the fridge just in case. Don't put them in the
microwave as that leaves hot spots..."
Roger dragged Leann outside, sending an apologetic smile
at Breanna's dad. "He raised two girls. I'm sure he can handle
one kid for one evening. Stop worrying. The baby will be
fine."
"We're ship shape and we'll be A-okay, won't we, Baby
Abby?" Jack hoisted the tiny giggling girl into his arms and set
her on his shoulders. "You'd best get going. Tim's afraid all
Riley's good grub'll be gone before you get there."
Breanna didn't take long to change but her friends were
revving the car's engine as they waited by the front door. She
crowded into the backseat and gave herself up to having a
good time.
When they arrived, Riley's bar and grill was smoky and
loud. Steaks sizzled on the grill, their rich aroma mingling
with that of yeasty beer and sharp nicotine.
"I see happy hour's alive and well." Not that it could rival a
beach-side bistro in Ft. Lauderdale, but for a small community
like this, the joint enjoyed good business. She lowered herself
into a chair in a darkened corner where she had a decent
view of the room. Leann and Sierra flanked her. Tim sat
straight across from her, his wife at his side. Roger had an
errand to run so he would meet them later.
Steepling her hands on the table, Breanna wondered why
the sight of Tim and his wife didn't cause her even a flicker of
pain or remorse. The only emotion they elicited was
happiness and joy. At most, she longed for what they had
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found, but she had no pangs of regret that Tim had married
someone else or that they were having a baby.
Then she spied Troy across the room, dark and brooding.
He nursed a dark brown bottle, his expression morose.
"Daddy's wrong," she muttered under her breath.
"Hmm?" Leann shifted closer. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing," Breanna lied, shredding her napkin. Had Troy
followed her? Or did he hang out at this bar often?
Leann followed her gaze. "That's a whole lot of hunky
nothing. Maybe you should sidle on over there and see if the
two of you can work things out."
When Troy twisted around, Breanna scooted back, placing
her friend in his line of vision so he wouldn't see her. An idea
began to formulate in her mind. "I don't know that I could
ever trust him again." Although she'd hoped her tests earlier
in the day would help, they hadn't totally set her mind at
ease. He'd not professed undying love or swept her off her
feet.
"I don't know how to help you there. Trust's a hard one."
Leann tapped her foot to the rhythm of the country-western
song pulsing around them.
"Well, I have an idea," Breanna spoke in a low tone so that
only Leann could hear. "Could you ask him to dance?"
"What?" Leann yelped, alarm flashing in her blue, quarter-
sized eyes.
"Shhhh!" Breanna motioned under the table for her friend
to pipe down. "Don't attract his attention over here."
"I thought that's what you wanted me to do." Confusion
twisted Leann's mouth.
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"She's testing him," Sierra said to Leann, resting an elbow
on the table. "She talked some of her other friends into trying
to torpedo him with their down-home cooking this afternoon."
"Whatever for?" Tim butted in, scowling, sympathy and
rebuke in his eyes.
"She wants to make sure he won't cheat on her again. So
far, so good. Obviously, she's not convinced he's true blue."
Sierra smiled up at the waiter who brought their drinks and
took a long sip of hers.
Breanna's grimace turned to a scowl. "Do you mind not
talking about me as if I'm not here? Maybe, he's just smart
enough not to go for my long-time friends. But if he doesn't
know the decoy..." She turned her gaze on Leann,
cataloguing her chic outfit and dynamite figure.
Horror sparked in her friend's eyes. "Oh no, no, no. I
learned my lesson about tricking men. If Roger caught me,
there'd be hell to pay."
Breanna cosied up to her idea as she watched Troy
covertly. "Roger will never have to know," she purred.
"Unless his best friend tells him." Tim grinned, his gaze
sparkling. He drummed his fingers menacingly on the table.
With such mixed signals, she wasn't sure how to read him.
"Tell me, should I be relieved or insulted that you didn't try
these femme fatale tricks on me? Should I be copasetic that
you're trying to trick a brother in blue?"
"I only asked Leann to dance with the man. And if you
weren't happily married to a wonderful woman, I'd say you
should be pining away for me and very upset I didn't pull any
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