His Sister's Wedding (3 page)

“Could be worse,” he said. “Could be a hurricane.”

Lillie glared at him, droplets of rain trickling down her face.

He’d managed to insert the straightened coat hanger, hook first, between the window
and the weather-stripping, when the rain began to pour in earnest. Luke heard Lillie’s
gasp as the first heavy wave hit her. Quickly maneuvering the wire, he managed to
catch the lock mechanism the first time.

Stepping back, he opened the door for her.

“Oh, thank goodness.” The words burst out of Lillie as she hurriedly leapt toward
the open door, her soggy box teetering on the brink of failure.

In her haste, the toe of her shoe caught against Luke’s foot, sending her forward
off-balance. The box tipped, spilling its contents on the front seat before collapsing
in her hands like a wet tissue.

There on the top of the pile in the seat, brilliantly illuminated by the van’s interior
lights, was an extra-large box of reservoir-tipped condoms.

Lillie froze, her face a picture of horror.

Standing in the pouring rain, holding open the door, Luke’s sense of humor got the
better of him. She was so obviously appalled, so harassed by the whole situation,
that he couldn’t resist.

“I, uh, I guess you were planning on getting really lucky tonight,” he commented,
barely managing to keep his face straight.

She straightened up as though stung, her eyes like ice crystals.

“No, I wasn’t planning on ‘getting lucky’ as you so crudely put it,” Lillie sputtered.
“I keep my wedding supplies in this box, things people sometimes need at a party or
wedding reception. It’s my job to assist my couples in every way. Not every couple
remember the practical details.”

Luke choked back a shout of laughter. “Really? I’d give more thought to the honeymoon
than to the wedding.”

“I’m sure you would,” Lillie said in a withering tone. “If we needed any proof of
your lack of gentlemanly behavior, your comment just now supplied it.”

“Probably so,” Luke agreed, enjoying the way her agitated breathing stirred the front
of her soaked dress.

“A man with any sensitivity would have ignored the whole incident,” she declared indignantly.

“No doubt.” He’d bet that she had a whole list of grievances against “insensitive”
men.

Lillie threw the wet cardboard box onto the floorboard of the van and punched the
automatic lock button. Without another word, she stalked around to the driver’s side,
leaving Luke standing beside the door he’d opened.

After rummaging around the van floor for a moment, she came up with her keys.

“Thank you, Mr. Morgan, for all your help,” declared Lillie, her voice arctic. “Now
if you’ll please close the door, I’ll be on my way.”

“My pleasure,” Luke said softly, knowing that the only thing in her mind was getting
away from him.

“I’m sure.” The words seemed pried from between gritted teeth. Her glare would have
singed his skin if he hadn’t been standing in the pouring rain. “I’m just grateful
that after this wedding, I’ll never have to speak to you again.”

“Really? My reaction is just the opposite,” Luke said, closing the van door with a
smirk. “Now that I know you’re so prepared, I can hardly wait to get to know you better.”

CHAPTER TWO

"What?" Lillie exclaimed, her face startled.

"I want you to help me stop Melanie from marrying your brother," he repeated, emphasizing
each word.

"But Melanie told me you'd agreed to help plan the wedding," Lillie protested. "I
know you have some reservations, but--"

"Yeah," he laughed shortly. "They're too young, they've only known each other six
months, and love is a damned poor foundation for a marriage."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Lillie's chin rose. "I disagree. And besides, I don't
feel like I have a right to interfere in their lives."

"Don't give me that," Luke growled. "They're kids, babies. They need someone to tell
them what to do."

"Scott and Melanie are old enough to vote, old enough to direct their lives. They're
in
love
. You can't just expect them to walk away from each other because they fell in love
at a bad time."

The passion in her voice reverberated in Luke's ears. She really believed in the myth,
really thought love made the world go round. He wondered how she made sense of all
the ugly things done in the name of love.

"Scott may only be twenty-one, but he's had the advantage of excellent role models
when it comes to being in love." Lillie took a deep breath. "When I was twelve, my
mother was diagnosed with Hodgkin's. She was very sick for a long time and she probably
only survived because of my father. He willed her to survive."

Lillie's blue eyes shone through a haze of moisture, a passionate conviction radiating
from her angel-pale face. "No matter how bad she got, my father wouldn't let go. He
pushed her, babied her, held her when she cried and made her laugh when her hair fell
out. Their love pulled my mother through." She brushed at a tear with an impatient
hand.

Luke felt his stomach tense up. It was a susceptibility he hated, but women's tears
got to him.

"Scott and I never doubted that our parents loved each other intensely," Lillie said
more calmly. "I guess that made it a little easier when they were both killed in a
car accident two years ago. It would have been so hard for one without the other."

Looking at her, Luke almost wished he could share her romantic illusions. At the least,
he'd be curious to have parents who did something other than scream at each other.
Something other than walking out. Unfortunately, Lillie's perceptions of her parents
didn't change Luke's experience. He knew personally how empty words of love could
be.

But still he found something in him stirring as he stared at Lillie, her blue eyes
brilliant, the front of her shirt moving with each agitated breath. A woman so passionate,
so emotionally-driven was dangerous. She could draw a man into betraying himself just
to get close to the fire. The flame drew him, he admitted to himself, but he knew
the burn it left.

Desire was safer. Logical, rational compatibility made a stronger foundation for a
family.

Luke couldn't hold back a short, sardonic laugh. "Look, you may be a Pollyanna about
marriage, but the last thing I want to do is argue with you. You're beautiful and
sexy as hell, and I'd let you eat crackers in my bed anytime. But we're talking about
my sister here. My only sister. All her life she's dreamed of being a doctor, and
if I have to work night and day, I'm gonna get her there."

Lillie gasped, obviously taken aback by his directness. "So you want her to just ignore
her feelings for Scott? Or would you like to have her engage in meaningless mutual
pleasure with my brother rather than getting married?" she asked scornfully, not responding
to his more personal comment.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"You think Melanie's living in a fantasy world now, right?" Lillie yanked a piece
of greenery free from the arch.

"Yes," he said reluctantly, knowing he was being led into some irrationally feminine
piece of logic.

"So I guess you want to convince her that what she feels for Scott is just lust?"

"Well...."

"So you want her to indulge herself in carnal pleasure--eat crackers in Scott's bed--outside
of marriage until their infatuation passes," Lillie concluded.

"She's my sister," Luke snapped. "She's too damn young to know anything. I don't want
her involved with anyone right now."

Lillie shook her head, her face a picture of righteous indignation. "I'm sure you
care for her very much. So does Scott. Melanie's very upset that you're so against
them. She doesn't want anything to come between you two."

"I can't let her make this kind of mistake," he repeated, keeping his tone firm, and
his gaze from straying to the slender length of Lillie's legs in her brief shorts.

"I don't want to argue about this, either. Melanie has her heart set on you and me
planning her wedding." Lillie fiddled with the sprig of green in her hand. "Can't
we put aside our personal differences and work together for Scott and Melanie's sake?"

"I'd rather put aside Scott and Melanie to pursue our personal differences," Luke
shot back. She might be an idealistic time bomb, but he couldn't help thinking about
all that passion in a more intimate arena. He wondered what the chances were that
he could cure Ms. Parker of her need for romantic illusion.

Lillie flushed.

"But Melanie comes first," he continued, reminding himself as much as her. "I'm determined
not to let her ruin her life. If you don't want to help me, I'll find another way."
With that, he turned and left, conscious of a strong regret that he and Lillie Parker
had to be on opposite sides of the situation. 

*   *   *

Elbowing the door shut behind her, Lillie bent to press the flashing red button on
her phone machine and then turned to thrust her dirty hands under the faucet.

Luke Morgan's grim voice filled the room.

"Lillie, hold off on making any wedding plans. Someone has to put a stop to this madness.
I'm flying up this morning to talk to our Romeo and Juliette. I've tried this the
nice way, and it didn't work. When I get through with them, they'll be glad to see
reason." The machine beeped and clicked into rewind.

Stunned, Lillie stared at the machine. The man just didn't get it. For some reason,
he thought he had the right to control his sister's life, to project his own twisted
values onto her.

Lillie turned off the water with a thump, anger doing a tap dance in her stomach.
What right did that arrogant, dictatorial bozo have trying to push Scott and Melanie
around?

Scott wouldn't be swayed, she knew. But Melanie adored her brother. Would she be able
to withstand his determined onslaught? And if she wavered and let herself be convinced
to end the engagement, what would Scott do?

Lillie just couldn't let that happen. He might be young, but Scott had found the love
of his life. It would devastate him if Melanie broke off the relationship now due
to her brother's meddling.

Catching sight of the clock, Lillie realized she'd only been outside an hour or so
pulling weeds from the flower beds. If she hurried, she might be able to make the
commuter flight to Miami.

She'd been a protective big sister too long to sit by while Luke Morgan ran amok in
her brother's love life. Lillie couldn't stop him from going to the university, but
if she went along, at least he couldn't browbeat them.

Racing into her office, she quickly made a phone call to reschedule an appointment
to the next day. Thank goodness, she was self-employed. Another call to the airline
verified the time of the flight and availability of a seat. That done, she headed
for the shower, flinging her clothes off as she went.

Luke Morgan wasn't going to throw his weight around. Not if she could help it.

Her drive to the airport was blessedly smooth and free of prowling police cars, but
parking took more time than she'd hoped. Lillie sprinted for the check-in desk only
to find she'd barely missed the flight.

Booking a seat on the next flight, Lillie first paced the waiting area and then slumped
on a bench to wait.

Luke Morgan set off all her bells. He was undeniably sexy and disturbing, but he kept
his emotions under tighter guard than the gold in Fort Knox. There were men who just
didn't know how to be sensitive. Then there were men like Luke. Everything about him
proclaimed his refusal to be vulnerable to anyone.

Maybe being rejected by his first love had scarred him for life. Lillie didn't know.
She could only wish he didn't have such a sparkle in his eye, a glint of humor that
tugged at her.

When her flight was called, Lillie leaped up, eager to get away from her own thoughts.
The short flight went smoothly and before she knew it, the wheels were touching down
in Miami.

She caught a cab and directed the driver to Scott's duplex. Luke hadn't said if he
was planning on confronting the couple together or not. Lillie could only hope she
got there before he caused too much damage.

Silently, Lillie urged the cab driver to hurry. Breathing a sigh of relief when he
pulled up in front of the duplex, she thrust some bills at him and jumped out.

Scott had been fortunate enough to lease half of a duplex that sat across the street
from the campus. Having been here many times, Lillie didn't spare the place a second
glance.

But as she turned away from the cab, she caught sight of Luke striding toward her
across the campus lawn. He looked like a man driven to the last edges of his patience.
Now she knew what it meant for someone to have an expression like a thundercloud.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

As greetings went, it lacked something. "I followed you," Lillie admitted. "But why
are you just getting here? Have you seen Melanie already?"

"I went to her dorm," he said, his eyes like ice. "Her roommate says she's moved out.
She suggested I look for her here."