Wrong Groom, Right Bride. Patricia Kay

brother! What in the world was he doing there?

      Smoothing down her knit shirt and khaki cargo pants, she opened the door.

      “Hello, Chloe.”

      “Hello, Simon.” Her heart was beating a little too fast, and it irritated her that just the sight of a member of Todd’s family could rattle her.

      “May I come in?”

      His gray eyes, which reminded her of the color of clouds on a rainy day, looked troubled. What was he worried about? He wasn’t the one who’d practically been stood up at the altar. He wasn’t the one who was pregnant—but of course he knew nothing about that. Did he think she might sue the family or something? She shrugged. “I suppose so.”

      “I’m sorry to bother you during the day. I know you work at home. But I really needed to see you.”

      By now he had stepped into the entryway.

      Grudgingly, she admitted to herself that Simon Hopewell seemed like a nice person. Unlike his mother, he’d certainly never been anything but kind to her.

      Resigned, she led him into her small living room. Indicating the sofa, she said, “Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Iced tea? Water? Coffee?”

      “Thank you, no. I’m fine.” He sat on the end of the sofa, and she sat in the bentwood rocking chair on the other side of the room.

      “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about everything that’s happened.”

      “Thank you.”

      “I also wanted you to know that my brother’s actions disgust me, and I’ve told him so.”

      Chloe could just imagine what Todd thought about that. He’d told her often enough how overbearing Simon was. “He thinks he knows everything,” he’d said more than once. “Always trying to tell me what to do.”

      “One of the things that worries me is I know you’ve incurred wedding expenses.”

      Chloe thought about the wedding gown hanging in her closet upstairs. The fact she’d bought it off the sale rack at Bloomingdale’s didn’t soften the reality that she’d paid more than eight hundred dollars for it. The veil had been another three hundred and fifty. Perhaps it could be returned. The dress couldn’t; it had been altered to fit her. Thank goodness she hadn’t paid the deposit on the country club. That had been Todd’s doing because he’s the one who had wanted to hold the reception there. Chloe would have been happy with a small reception in the church hall after the ceremony.

      And then there were the deposits for the church, the flowers, the cake, the material for Molly’s dress and the photographer. Oh, well. Thank goodness she hadn’t charged anything. Everything had been paid for in cash. So even though she was out the money, at least she wasn’t in debt.

      Simon reached into the pocket of his pale blue shirt, pulled out a folded check and placed it on the coffee table. “Five thousand should cover everything, I think. If you need more, just let me know.”

      “I don’t want your money.”

      “And I don’t want you paying for my brother’s bad behavior.”

      “I’ll just tear the check up.” No way she was taking his money. Hopewell money. Bad enough she was keeping the ring. She had no intention of being indebted to the Hopewells for anything else. “Look, this isn’t your problem. And the Hopewell family … your family … owes me nothing.”

      “I understand why you might feel that way. Frankly, if I were you, I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with my family, either. But why don’t I just leave the check? After thinking about it, you might change your mind. I hope you do.”

      She shook her head. “I won’t. But thank you for making the offer.”

      He leaned forward. Neither said anything. For a long moment, the only sound was a faraway siren outside. Finally, his thoughtful gaze met hers. “Are you doing okay?”

      She sat up straighter. “I’m just fine. In fact, I’m more than fine.” Her chin lifted. “This has all actually worked out better for me. Now I can do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m moving away from Riverton.”

      He stared at her. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”

      Why was he looking at her that way? His steady gaze was unsettling. She wished she knew what he was thinking. “Don’t be. I told you. I’ve wanted to make a change in my life, and this is the perfect time.”

      He nodded thoughtfully. Seemed about to say something else, but didn’t. Instead he rose. “Well, in that case, I won’t impose on you any longer. Thank you for seeing me. And again, please accept my apology for the way you’ve been treated. I hope you won’t judge our entire family by my brother’s immaturity and actions.”

      Something about the sincere manner in which he offered the apology touched Chloe in a way she wouldn’t have expected. Simon Hopewell really was a nice person. A good person. In fact, he was nothing like the way Todd had often described him. She realized Todd had probably always been jealous—and probably resentful—of his older brother.

      She walked Simon to the front door, and just before he walked outside, he turned back to her and said, “I meant what I said before. If you need anything—anything at all—just call me.”

      Chloe never would have believed she would feel both guilt and regret over her decision to keep her baby a secret from the Hopewell family. But seeing the sincerity and genuine concern for her welfare in Simon Hopewell’s eyes left her awash in both emotions as he walked away.

      Yet she knew she would not change her mind.

      And no matter what hardships faced her in the future, she would never pick up the phone and call Simon.

      She was finished with the Hopewell family.

       Chapter Three

      Simon was impressed by Chloe’s refusal to take the money he’d offered. He’d always suspected the Hopewell money had nothing to do with her engagement to Todd, even as his mother insisted the money had to be an influence.

      “After all, the girl comes from nothing,” she’d said more than once. “She couldn’t help but be dazzled by our money.”

      Well, she wasn’t dazzled. And it would give Simon a great deal of satisfaction to make sure his mother knew it. Not that knowing of Chloe’s integrity would change his mother’s mind about her. Simon actually understood where his mother was coming from, even as he abhorred her inability to rise above her own humble beginnings. Larissa would happily die rather than have her so-called friends know about the way she’d grown up. In her skewed way of thinking, she felt she had to avoid any contact with lesser mortals lest she be tarred by the same brush.

      It was sad, Simon thought, that even after all these years, his mother was still so basically insecure. Yet for all his understanding of its origins, Larissa’s continued snobbery exasperated him, especially when it was directed at someone like Chloe, who had overcome tougher circumstances than Larissa ever had to face.

      Simon had also been impressed by Chloe’s dignity. In her shoes, he’d be angry, maybe even vindictive. But if she felt either of those emotions, she had certainly hidden them well.

      Christ, his brother was a fool. If the lovely, green-eyed Chloe had belonged to him, Simon would have made sure he hung on to her. And his family be damned! Not that there was anything wrong with Meredith. She was a nice enough person, smart even—she’d been doing a good job as Todd’s assistant—but in Simon’s opinion she couldn’t hold a candle to Chloe. Of course, Meredith’s parents belonged to the Riverton Country Club, and Paul Belson, her father, was the town’s most prominent lawyer.

      As he drove to the office—Saturday or not, Simon had work to catch up on—he