Read Online By Invitation Only by Lori Wilde, Wendy Etherington, Jillian Burns - Free Book Online Page A
Ads: Link
party and we’re about to leave for the rehearsal dinner.”
“You’re in the wedding party? Damn, but this is going to be good. Send me the article before you leave for rehearsal.”
“I’m doing it now.” With Ross’s praise ringing in her ears, she logged onto the internet, attached the article to her email and pressed Send.
“S O REALLY ,” N ICK SAID TO J.D. as they were getting their tuxes tailored for the wedding. “Why Holly, why now?”
J.D. looked at Nick as if he was a lost soul. “Are you having doubts about your relationship with Honey? Because if you are, don’t go through with the wedding. If she’s not the one—”
“It’s not Honey,” Nick surprised himself by saying. “She’s a wonderful woman.”
“But?” J.D. asked, giving a tug at his sleeves as he examined the tailored tux in the mirror.
“It’s me.”
“Ah,” J.D. said. “You are madly in love with her.”
Nick startled. He couldn’t deny that he was in love with Olivia because J.D. thought she was Honey. He needed this interview. He needed job security. He needed that hefty contract his publisher promised if he could deliver on an interview with J. D. Maynard Jr. on the eve of his wedding. “Yeah,” he said, surprised that instead of feeling like a lying fraud, a warm, gentle sensation wrapped around him.
“You’re where I was about six months ago.”
“So you did have doubts!”
“Not about my feelings for Holly,” J.D. said, stepping down off the wooden stool and shrugging out of the jacket. He handed it to his tailor, while Nick’s tailor was still busily pinning the hem of his high-dollar tuxedo pants. “But about my abilities to make her a good husband. She’s a wonderful woman and she deserves the best.”
“You were afraid you couldn’t be loyal to her,” Nick guessed.
“Not at all.” J.D. smiled.
“But you went out every night. Had women hanging from both arms,” Nick said.
“Gold diggers, celebrity chasers…no one real.”
“And Holly’s the real deal?”
“You better know it. Just like Honey is the real deal for you. Let me ask you something, Nick.”
“Yeah?”
“What do you want most in life?”
This interview. Nick shrugged. “To be happy.”
J.D. laughed. “But what does that look like?”
“A Ferrari in the garage?”
“That’s not real happiness and you know it.”
“Dude, you’re dangerously close to sounding like a Hallmark commercial.”
“It is the day before my wedding. I’m allowed.”
“True.”
J.D. cocked his head. “Do you want to hear my read on you?”
Might as well. Get some besotted love advice from J. D. Maynard Jr. “Sure.”
“You’re like me, an intensely loyal person.”
He was? Nick squirmed.
“Don’t move!” the tailor admonished fiercely.
Nick thought about his loyalties. He was loyal to his family. He went to dinner at his parents’ house every Sunday evening without fail, unless he was out of town. He’d never missed his nieces’ and nephews’ birthdays. If any of his sisters ever called him, night or day, he was there. He loved them with an intensity that scared him. He thought of the friendships he’d had in his life. He tended to keep those light. In grade school, he’d had a best friend who was like a brother, and then Peter’s family had moved away and Nick remembered feeling true grief at the loss.
And then there was Max. He remembered the old coonhound who’d dogged his every step from when he’d gotten him on Christmas the year he turned six until the day Max had died on Nick’s high school graduation. Now that had been pain. It had hurt so much losing his best buddy in the whole world. Even now, just thinking about that dog made him tear up and he had the strongest urge to run out of the tuxedo shop and go do something to distract himself. Parasailing, hang gliding, making love to Olivia.
“Yes,” J.D. went on, “you’re so loyal that when you make a commitment to someone, it’s
“You’re in the wedding party? Damn, but this is going to be good. Send me the article before you leave for rehearsal.”
“I’m doing it now.” With Ross’s praise ringing in her ears, she logged onto the internet, attached the article to her email and pressed Send.
“S O REALLY ,” N ICK SAID TO J.D. as they were getting their tuxes tailored for the wedding. “Why Holly, why now?”
J.D. looked at Nick as if he was a lost soul. “Are you having doubts about your relationship with Honey? Because if you are, don’t go through with the wedding. If she’s not the one—”
“It’s not Honey,” Nick surprised himself by saying. “She’s a wonderful woman.”
“But?” J.D. asked, giving a tug at his sleeves as he examined the tailored tux in the mirror.
“It’s me.”
“Ah,” J.D. said. “You are madly in love with her.”
Nick startled. He couldn’t deny that he was in love with Olivia because J.D. thought she was Honey. He needed this interview. He needed job security. He needed that hefty contract his publisher promised if he could deliver on an interview with J. D. Maynard Jr. on the eve of his wedding. “Yeah,” he said, surprised that instead of feeling like a lying fraud, a warm, gentle sensation wrapped around him.
“You’re where I was about six months ago.”
“So you did have doubts!”
“Not about my feelings for Holly,” J.D. said, stepping down off the wooden stool and shrugging out of the jacket. He handed it to his tailor, while Nick’s tailor was still busily pinning the hem of his high-dollar tuxedo pants. “But about my abilities to make her a good husband. She’s a wonderful woman and she deserves the best.”
“You were afraid you couldn’t be loyal to her,” Nick guessed.
“Not at all.” J.D. smiled.
“But you went out every night. Had women hanging from both arms,” Nick said.
“Gold diggers, celebrity chasers…no one real.”
“And Holly’s the real deal?”
“You better know it. Just like Honey is the real deal for you. Let me ask you something, Nick.”
“Yeah?”
“What do you want most in life?”
This interview. Nick shrugged. “To be happy.”
J.D. laughed. “But what does that look like?”
“A Ferrari in the garage?”
“That’s not real happiness and you know it.”
“Dude, you’re dangerously close to sounding like a Hallmark commercial.”
“It is the day before my wedding. I’m allowed.”
“True.”
J.D. cocked his head. “Do you want to hear my read on you?”
Might as well. Get some besotted love advice from J. D. Maynard Jr. “Sure.”
“You’re like me, an intensely loyal person.”
He was? Nick squirmed.
“Don’t move!” the tailor admonished fiercely.
Nick thought about his loyalties. He was loyal to his family. He went to dinner at his parents’ house every Sunday evening without fail, unless he was out of town. He’d never missed his nieces’ and nephews’ birthdays. If any of his sisters ever called him, night or day, he was there. He loved them with an intensity that scared him. He thought of the friendships he’d had in his life. He tended to keep those light. In grade school, he’d had a best friend who was like a brother, and then Peter’s family had moved away and Nick remembered feeling true grief at the loss.
And then there was Max. He remembered the old coonhound who’d dogged his every step from when he’d gotten him on Christmas the year he turned six until the day Max had died on Nick’s high school graduation. Now that had been pain. It had hurt so much losing his best buddy in the whole world. Even now, just thinking about that dog made him tear up and he had the strongest urge to run out of the tuxedo shop and go do something to distract himself. Parasailing, hang gliding, making love to Olivia.
“Yes,” J.D. went on, “you’re so loyal that when you make a commitment to someone, it’s
Similar Books
