Three Brides, No Groom. Debbie Macomber

stood, her heart in her throat. The last thing she wanted was company.

      He pulled to a stop right in front of her. Lifting the helmet from his head, he studied her for a moment and then asked with surprising gentleness, “Gretchen, what happened?”

      She stiffened, shocked that he had read her so easily. “Nothing.”

      His smile was decidedly off center. “You should never lie, not when you do such a poor job of it.”

      She lowered her gaze and rubbed her palms together. “It’s something I’d rather not discuss.”

      He stepped off the Harley and lowered the kickstand. “Fair enough.”

      His size was intimidating. He was at least six-two, maybe even six-three, almost dwarfing her five foot eight. She crossed her arms over her chest, wondering at his intentions. As if he didn’t have a care in the world, he leaned over the fountain, scooped up a handful of water and drenched his face.

      He glanced toward her and chuckled, the sound low and teasing. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”

      “I’m not worried,” she lied.

      His soft snicker told her she hadn’t convinced him. “I don’t sacrifice virgins, either.”

      “I suggest you don’t start now. I’d crawl off the altar.”

      He laughed, but this time the sound was rich and deep. Ignoring her, he turned his face toward the sky, and his features glistened as the water dripped from his face. “Where’s lover boy this afternoon?” he asked.

      His question caught her off guard. From his tone, it was clear that Josh knew about Roger and Didi. How many others did? Her face filled with a rush of hot embarrassed color.

      “Who told you?” she asked, her voice low and trembling despite her effort to remain cool and calm. Between Didi and Roger’s so-called friends, the news must be everywhere by now.

      “Is it important?” he asked. His words were soft, quiet, as if he feared saying them would increase her pain.

      “No, I guess it isn’t.” Some students thought of Gretchen as privileged. While it was true her family had considerable wealth, when serving as the student-body president she’d crossed swords with any number who willingly tossed her background in her face. Her hard work as a communicator and volunteer, and her fervor for honesty and justice, often won them over. Until recently she preferred to think of her friends as many and her enemies as few. Now she wasn’t so sure.

      Josh’s gaze turned narrow and assessing, which increased her embarrassment tenfold. She inhaled a quivering breath.

      “Roger’s a first-class fool,” Josh said at last. “He deserves to have his teeth kicked in.”

      While in theory she agreed with him—she wanted to see Roger suffer for what he’d done—her sensibilities didn’t lean toward violence. Roger had allowed the blame to ricochet from Didi to Gretchen and then back to Didi. Gretchen wanted to scream and demand that Roger accept responsibility for his own actions. To own up to what he’d done, instead of listing excuses meant to absolve him of any guilt.

      “Gretchen!”

      As if her thoughts had conjured him up, Roger was striding across the lawn toward the fountain. “What the hell are you doing here, Morrow?” he asked, arriving breathless, his chest heaving.

      When Josh didn’t immediately answer, Roger faced Gretchen. “Is he pestering you?”

      “Of course not,” she replied, angered by both the question and the insinuation.

      “I told you to stay away from Gretchen,” Roger snarled at Josh. As though she needed his protection, he reached out and grabbed hold of her arm.

      “I suggest you let go of her,” Josh said, his voice deceptively calm.

      Roger ignored him. “Come on, Gretchen, let’s get out of here.”

      She jerked her arm free of his grasp and met his look squarely. “I haven’t finished thinking about you and me yet.”

      Anger flared in Roger’s dark eyes. “What’s Morrow doing here?”

      “What do you care?” Josh asked, his words a challenge.

      Roger glared at Josh and seemed to be weighing the odds of engaging in a fistfight, then decided against it. Wisely, she thought.

      “Gretchen, I think you’d better come with me,” he said, calmer this time.

      “I’m not ready to leave yet.” She wasn’t looking to defy Roger, but she needed time to deal with a multitude of pressing questions. Decisions had to be made, the consequences of which she would have to live with for the rest of her life.

      Again Roger’s eyes flared with anger.

      “You heard the lady,” Josh inserted smoothly, with that cocky grin of his.

      Gretchen whirled on him. “I can do my own talking, thank you.”

      “Fine.” Josh raised his right hand in a mocking gesture of peace.

      Tight-lipped, Roger said, “Either you get out of here, Morrow, or I’m calling security. Your kind isn’t welcome around here. Why don’t you go visit your daddy in prison? Have a good look around, since that’s where you’re headed yourself.”

      Josh looked unconcerned, which only served to anger Roger more. But Gretchen noticed the vein in Josh’s temple throb and knew Roger’s words had affected him.

      “You should have been expelled long ago,” Roger added, then doubled up his fist and took a wild swing at Josh, who didn’t so much as blink when the punch went wide.

      “Maybe Dean Williams is looking for a valid excuse to be rid of me,” Josh suggested casually. “What he really needs is a charge that’ll stick. How about assault?” As he spoke, his fist shot out and exploded against Roger’s nose.

      Stunned, Roger stumbled backward. His hand flew to his face, and blood oozed between his fingers. “I’m bleeding!” he cried in horror. “Now you’ve done it, Morrow,” he threatened. “You’re finished at this school. I’ll make sure of that.”

      “I can’t tell you how worried I am.” Josh reached for his helmet and climbed aboard his motorcycle. He started the engine and then, as though in afterthought, he turned and looked at Gretchen. His eyes locked with hers as he slowly extended his arm to her.

      She hesitated, unsure what to do.

      “Go with him and the engagement is off,” Roger threatened.

      It was all the incentive she needed. She slipped the diamond ring off her finger and tossed it to Roger, then leaped onto the motorcycle behind Josh.

      He revved the engine, spewing exhaust at Roger, then raced off in the direction of the sun.

      Chapter 2

      Gretchen had never ridden on a motorcycle before. She wrapped her arms tightly around Josh’s waist as they headed down the narrow asphalt pathway. When he changed gears, she could hear Roger shouting curses after them. Closing her eyes, she savored the look of shock and dismay on Roger’s face when she’d returned his ring and leaped onto the back of the Harley with Josh. In retrospect, her actions had been foolhardy, but also purely instinctual. As the wind whipped her hair around her face, she smiled. This one small act of rebellion had cheered her considerably.

      They sped across the school parking lot toward the busy four-lane street that bordered the university. Gretchen didn’t have a clue where Josh was taking her, and at the moment she didn’t care. She angled her face into the wind, letting it dry the tears from her cheeks. For the first time since Didi had confronted her, the oppressive tightness surrounding her heart lessened.

      Josh eased to a stop in a restaurant parking