Undercover Pursuit Read Online Free Page B

to stand next to when the lights dimmed. Yes, they could work together.
    And she didn’t want to make trouble, not again. So yes, she would pretend, for Bridgett’s sake.
    She’d simply ignore the fact that for a second—a long second—after he’d picked up her bag and carried it all the way to the top deck, after he’d settled on the bench beside her and the sea breeze had carried his strong and spicy scent, after he’d spoken to her in soft, almost gentle tones, she’d wanted him to really be her date.
    Thankfully, she wasn’t so foolish to think he was actually interested.
    After all, she had learned her lesson with Duncan. A smart girl would have realized that in the two years Duncan spent being her friend, meeting her for coffee and learning to ballroom dance with her, he’d never once looked at her the way he looked at Bridgett, her beautiful sister, when she walked through the doors of the church.
    Fresh off the runways of Milan, burnt out and needing a vacation.
    In fact, no one ever looked at Scarlett the way they looked at Bridgett—not even their parents—but she thought she’d become used to that.
    Until Duncan did it.
    Yes, she knew what it felt like to be an afterthought, to disappear. So maybe she’d even enjoy having a man as handsome as Luke on her arm, even if it wasn’t for real. Bridgett would be thrilled if Scarlett showed upon Luke’s arm, her smile tucked into place. And this weekend was all about Bridgett, right? Besides, she could enjoy pretending, as long as she knew it was just a game. She’d been a theater major, after all.
    Thankfully, the charade didn’t have to start until tomorrow, according to the note her sister had left in her room inviting her to the dinner cruise, which she’d already missed. Scarlett left her a voice mail message in case her absence worried Bridgett.
    She wouldn’t hold her breath.
    She stood on the balcony of her cottage, watching the sea hit the reef, break into a thousand shimmering pieces and crash onto the rocks.
    She knew how that felt, to shatter into so many pieces you couldn’t find them all. It happened the day Bridgett showed up on Duncan’s arm to the church singles group. And the day she told Scarlett that she “just might stick around Rochester.”
    Duncan is a dentist! Scarlett wanted to scream as Bridgett climbed into her BMW, leaving her standing in the parking lot beside her rusty Sunbird. But Bridgett probably already knew that, because she introduced him to their Aunt Gretchen as Dr. Browne.
    And then came the day when Bridgett moved off Scarlett’s sofa and found her own condo.
    Just over six months later, she and Duncan announced their engagement.
    A seagull cried, dipping into the ocean for a morsel.
    Scarlett should probably breathe in these few moments of peace before Bridgett and her bridal party—the ones who the bride really wanted to attend—returned.
    If she’d had Bridgett’s wedding dress in her possession, she might be tempted to simply hang it on hersister’s door and take the midnight ferry back to the mainland. Bridgett didn’t really want her anyway—just her organizational services. Scarlett replayed the voice mail in her mind. Scarlett, my new maid of honor broke her leg in Vail. She can’t attend the wedding. Is there any way you could fill in?
    Her new maid of honor. Scarlett had been the old maid of honor—with the big mouth.
    There is so much left to do—organize the bachelorette day and bring my dress and the maid-of-honor dress, not to mention work with the wedding planner at the resort. Besides, I’m sorry. Really, I want you there. Please come.
    Really. Scarlett must have been some sort of chump to call her back for details, let alone say yes.
    Sure, Bridgett, I’ll be glad to help. Let me just board my cat, take a leave of absence, drive to Minneapolis in a blizzard to pick up