Sister of the Bride (Fool's Gold #2.5)(18)

"How's Ariel?"

"Fine. What happened?"

"Ariel first."

"You first."

She huffed out a breath. "I fell over a purse and twisted my knee."

"She thinks we should get back together. I told her no."

Katie had already known what he was going to say, but it was still a punch in the gut to hear the words.

"Can you be more specific?" she asked cautiously.

He crossed to her. "Do you need ice or something?"

"Ice, elevation, rest and ibuprofen."

"In that order?"

"All at once is better."

"That's what I thought."

Before she could figure out what he was doing, he bent over, gathered her in his arms and picked her up. She shrieked as she left the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking you to your room."

The door her father had closed opened again and her mother stood there, wide-eyed. "I heard screaming and..." She took in her daughter in Jackson's arms, then sighed. "That's so romantic."

"It's not," Katie insisted, hanging on to his neck. "I'm not a cat. Put me down."

"I'm taking you to your room. You need to take care of your knee." He walked easily, as if she wasn't solidly built. "Janis, if you could get Katie's purse?"

"Of course."

They moved through the rehearsal room where everyone gathered around. Everyone except Courtney, who stared at Katie with unconcealed anger in her eyes. Katie buried her face in Jackson's shoulder.

"Don't worry about the rehearsal," her mother was saying. "You walk down the aisle and wait for the bride. How hard could it be? Jackson, you take good care of my girl."

"I will," he promised and stepped onto the waiting elevator.

Nine

"Better?" Jackson asked an hour later.

Katie lay on the bed, her leg propped up on a couple of pillows, ice held in place with one of his T-shirts.

"I'm dealing more with a sense of the ridiculous rather than pain," she admitted. "I can't believe I did that."

Talk about embarrassing. So far nearly everyone in the wedding party had been by to check on her. Not Courtney, but her sister would assume Katie had tripped on purpose--to ruin Courtney's day.

"I was distracted," she admitted, looking at Jackson, who was stretched out next to her.

He rolled onto his side, his head resting on his hand. "Ariel?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"We're not together. We haven't been for a long time."

"She wants to change that."

"I want to cover you in champagne and lick you dry, but that's not going to happen." He grinned. "At least not tonight."

He leaned toward her and kissed her. "I'm not interested in Ariel."

"She's beautiful."

He shrugged. "I'm over her. I was ten minutes after she left."

Which was both reassuring and concerning. "You don't believe in second chances?"

"Sure, but why would I want her when you're around?"

She felt her mouth drop open. That seemed to happen a lot around Jackson. She closed it. "Nice answer."

"Any more questions?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Good." He kissed her again, this time more slowly. "Think your family is done checking up on you?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I hope so."

"Me, too."

The next morning, Jackson eased himself out of Katie's bed. She was still asleep, her short blond hair spiky against the pillowcase.

She'd spent most of the night on her back, her leg draped over a pillow, to elevate her knee. Now, he saw the swelling had gone down. She would be stiff when she got up, but would heal quickly. His gaze lingered on the painted toenails. Something he'd never cared about one way or the other, but on Katie, they were oddly erotic.

Her skin was soft, he thought as he pulled on clothes. Her body warm, her responses irresistible. There was something about her--something special and unique. Something that drew him in and made him want to stay.

Instead he crossed the room and quietly let himself out into the hall. He would shower in his own room. Today was the wedding. Katie would need to be rested.

But before he could pull the door shut, Courtney stepped out of the elevator and headed for him.

"Is she up?" the bride-to-be demanded. "I have to talk to her."

"She's still--"

Courtney didn't bother to listen to the rest of it. She pushed past him and burst into the room.

"You're not up? You have to get up. There's something going on with Alex. He doesn't love m-me."

The last word was accompanied by wild sobbing.

Jackson hesitated, not sure if he wanted to go back inside and be supportive or run for the hills. As the mountains were mere feet away, the latter was tempting. Still, he sucked it up and went into Katie's room.

She'd sat up in bed, drawing the sheets up to her shoulders. Their eyes met and she smiled at him.

"Morning," she said, her voice low and sexy.

"Morning."