Christmas Comes to Main Street (29 page)

Her mind raced with the implications of this problem as her eyes latched on to the briefcase sitting quietly at his feet. She could take him shopping or direct him to a few appropriate stores… but if a man were this helpless when it came to proper clothing, chances were she'd have to guide him through it. If she switched around a few appointments the day after next, she could squeeze it in. Or they might find something suitable at the best man fitting. She chewed on her thumbnail, trying to think through the tight schedule.

“I'm kidding!” His voice boomed and Kate lifted her eyes to see Alec laughing and shaking his head. His smile was wide, his teeth perfect, and his eyes glimmered with pure mischief. “The bellhop is taking my luggage upstairs. I checked in a couple minutes ago and thought I'd stroll the grounds.” He gestured to his briefcase. “This is just full of files. Business stuff.”

“
Business
?” This week was supposed to be about the bride and groom. Her pulse began a slow and steady drum as her inner alarm bells tolled. “What do you mean,
business
?”

Alec shrugged. “I can't be expected to put my life on hold simply because my brother's getting hitched, can I?”

“It's only for a few days,” Kate said archly. She was starting to see what Elizabeth meant about this man.

“A few days too many,” he continued with a sigh. “I'm a busy man. And all this little wedding planning stuff is an inconvenience I really can't afford right now.”

An inconvenience. Little wedding planning stuff.

Narrowing her gaze, she stared at him with sudden contempt, disgusted with herself for even briefly falling for his earlier charm. Honestly, one would think she would know better by now!

“This wedding may not be important to you, but I can assure you it is very important to your brother and Elizabeth.”
And to me
, she thought. “If you have a few minutes, I thought we could quickly go over the plans for the rehearsal dinner.”

Alec looked at her in surprise. “Right now? I thought my father was taking care of this.”

“He hasn't arrived yet and I need some last-minute input. Since your family is hosting, I thought you might have a few personal things to contribute.”

Alec glanced at his watch with a look of impatience. “What time is the bachelor party tonight?”

“Eight,” she replied, pleased to have been able to answer so quickly. She'd memorized the entire week's schedule of events, but she still carried a hard copy with her, just in case.

“Who the heck plans a bachelor party for a weeknight, anyway? Isn't this usually a weekend activity?”

“It was the only way all the guests would be able to attend,” she said. “Most are from out of town.”

Alec shrugged, seeming to accept this. “Well, I don't have time to go over plans for the rehearsal dinner right now.”

Kate took the opportunity to flash her biggest grin. Guilt was always a last resort, but one she fell back on all too often in heated situations like this. “I know it means
so
much to William that your family is hosting the rehearsal dinner.” She didn't bother to add that it was also, typically, tradition.

Alec frowned at her. “And how do you know that? You're just—”

Kate interrupted before he could say something that would cement her displeasure with him. “Elizabeth's best friend,” she said warningly, her eyes wide with meaning.

Alec's brow creased and he clamped his mouth shut as he studied her. “I thought you were just the wedding planner.”

Just
the wedding planner. “I am. And I'm also Elizabeth's best friend. And the maid of honor,” she added with a smile. “So as best man, you should expect to be seeing a lot of me for the next few days.”

And that, she realized, was something she didn't know what to make of anymore. That this man was about to cause her an inexplicable amount of grief, she was certain. But in just how many ways, she was yet to find out.

MERRY CHRISTMAS COWBOY

By Carolyn Brown

No one tells a cowboy story like
New York Times
bestselling author Carolyn Brown. So grab your hot chocolate and settle in because this Christmas, Santa's wearing a Stetson. Fiona Logan is everything Jud Dawson thought he'd never find. But with wild weather, nosy neighbors, and a new baby in the family, getting her to admit that she's falling in love might just take a Christmas miracle.

A CHRISTMAS BRIDE

By Hope Ramsay

USA Today
bestselling author Hope Ramsay's new contemporary romance series is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Robyn Carr, and Sherryl Woods. Haunted by regrets and grief, widower David Lyndon has a bah-humbug approach to the holidays—until he's shown the spirit of the season by his daughter and her godmother Willow. Paired up to plan a Christmas wedding for friends, David and Willow will discover that the best gift is the promise of a future spent together…

CHRISTMAS COMES TO MAIN STREET

By Olivia Miles

It's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas… or so Kara Hasting hopes. Her new cookie business is off to a promising start, until a sexy stranger makes her doubt herself. Fans of Jill Shalvis, RaeAnne Thayne, and Susan Mallery will love this sweet holiday read.

A HIGHLANDER'S CHRISTMAS KISS

By Paula Quinn

In the tradition of Karen Hawkins and Monica McCarty comes the next in Paula Quinn's sinfully sexy MacGregor family series. Temperance Menzie is starting to fall for the mysterious, wounded highlander she's been nursing back to health. But Cailean Grant has a dark secret, and only a Christmas miracle can keep them together.

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