Marrying Marcus. Laurey Bright

at Mangere.

      He stood a little aside from the rest of the tightly knit group, taller than any of them, including his father. Dark hair was ruthlessly combed back from his angular, intelligent face; his hands were thrust into the pockets of gray-green trousers, which he wore with a cream shirt.

      He turned his head a fraction and caught Jenna looking at him. One black brow lifted slightly, and then a corner of his long, firm mouth. His storm-cloud eyes were disconcertingly penetrating.

      Jenna gave him a nervous smile, flicked a strand of fine, light-brown hair from her cheek to behind her ear and looked away, searching the next wave of arrivals.

      Marcus was older than Katie and Dean, the twins who were born when he was nearly six and Jane five.

      Katie and Jenna had agreed that although they’d miss Dean like crazy, the scholarship that had taken him away for four years to America would give him the chance to move out of Marcus’s formidable shadow. But the waiting had been hard.

      Marcus saw him first. “Here he comes.”

      Katie broke away from the group, shrieking Dean’s name before her arms circled his neck and he caught her, swinging her off her feet.

      The children, suddenly shy of this stranger, hung about Jane, impeding her and her husband as they too pressed forward.

      Jenna couldn’t help a smile of pure joy, bubbles of it bursting inside her like champagne, but she made herself wait. As soon as the family greetings were over, Dean would look for her. And she enjoyed just drinking in the sight of him.

      He was not as tall as his brother, but his hair was nearly as dark and had a nice wave. His features were regular and his eyes a warm blue. Film-star looks. And when he saw his family, his face showed unashamed affection that to Jenna’s eyes made him even more handsome.

      Mr. Crossan gave him a quick hug, Mrs. Crossan wiped a tear after hugging him in her turn, the three children clustered around Jane as she kissed her younger brother’s cheek, and her husband clapped him on the shoulder.

      Jenna took a step forward, then halted when the tall, tanned blonde behind Dean, whom she had assumed was another passenger patiently waiting for the family to move out of the way, went to his side. Unbelievably he turned to put an arm about her.

      It was like a slow-motion movie. Jenna’s mouth dried, her blood froze. She was almost suffocating, standing immovable as a puzzled hush settled on the group just yards away.

      Dean smiled down at the girl and said happily to his family, “This is Callie—we’re getting married.”

      Chapter Two

      The world stopped for Jenna, although all about her people were moving, calling out to others, hugging and kissing, helping to push carts piled high with luggage.

      The family came to life. Katie squealed, punched Dean’s chest. “You didn’t tell us!” His mother gave Dean another hug, embraced the girl and kissed her cheek. His father shook her hand, then Dean’s.

      Dean hadn’t even looked at Jenna.

      Everything around her faded and turned gray, and the jumble of sounds became muffled. She was numb.

      A hard hand closed about her arm, so tight that it hurt. And she was glad, because she needed something to persuade her she could still feel. Marcus’s deep voice next to her ear said, “Do you want me to get you out of here?”

      Yes, she thought, but said thinly, when her woolly tongue found itself, “No.” He couldn’t abandon his family. “Of course not. You…h-haven’t said hello to your brother.”

      She dragged her eyes from Dean and saw that Marcus was looking extremely grim, his gaze on his brother’s face not welcoming at all. He returned his attention to her. “Neither have you. Are you up to it?”

      Overwhelming embarrassment and panic gripped her. Maybe she was going to be sick. Afraid to open her mouth again, she tried to nod.

      “You look as though you’re about to fall over,” Marcus said bluntly.

      Jenna gritted her teeth, forcing out words. “I won’t.” She held her breath, hoping to bring some color into her cheeks.

      The group around Dean was surging toward her and Marcus. He didn’t let go of her arm as Dean saw them and bounded over, abandoning the baggage cart.

      Jenna molded her lips into something approximating a smile and instructed herself to breathe again. Marcus had moved ahead of her, his free hand outstretched so that Dean had to stop and take it, giving Jenna a little more time.

      Marcus said unemotionally, “Hi, Dean. Congratulations. And welcome home.”

      “Thanks.” Dean’s other hand gripped his arm. “You haven’t changed a bit, Marc.”

      Behind him, Katie shot Jenna an anxious look. Then Dean turned to Jenna and held his arms wide, eclipsing his sister. “Hi, Jen! Sweet of you to turn out at this time of the morning. How are you?”

      He hugged her, not seeming to notice that her own arms hung lifelessly at her sides. “You have to meet Callie,” he said.

      She supposed she did.

      Stepping back, she almost collided with Marcus, her shoulder touching his chest, but he didn’t move. And neither did she, buttressed by the solid feel of him right behind her.

      She turned the hurting smile to the girl’s face. “How nice to meet you.”

      “You too.” Callie had a warm American accent, a genuine smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

      What? her mind asked frantically. What did Dean say about me? Did he tell you I’ve been stupidly in love with him since we were children? That I thought he would come back and marry me? That next to Katie and his mother I thought I was the person he was closest to in all the world?

      “Katie’s best friend,” Callie said, “and roommate—except here you call it a flatmate.” She screwed up her nose and laughed. “Isn’t that right?”

      “Yes.” Jenna couldn’t say any more. She wanted to scream, cry—run. Pride kept her upright, smiling.

      Callie looked at Marcus. “And you’re Marcus,” she said. “The big brother.” She gave him a frank, open look, her eyes wide and candid, and the smile turned from friendly to appreciative. “He’s told me all about his family.”

      “And yet he hasn’t told us a thing about you,” Marcus said.

      Callie laughed again. “He wanted to surprise you.”

      “You are certainly a surprise.” Marcus paused. “A welcome one, of course. I hope you’ll enjoy New Zealand.”

      “I’m looking forward to it, and to getting to know you all. Oh—and Jenna too.”

      The afterthought was kindly meant, Jenna knew, but it made her conscious that she wasn’t really family, she didn’t belong.

      Jane’s children had commandeered the baggage cart, and one of the bags slipped. While Callie helped to reorganize the luggage, Jenna blindly turned away, following an instinct to flee.

      Marcus was in her way. His fingers circled her arm again for a second. “Just stay here.” His voice held a note of command.

      She stood there while he exchanged a few quick words with his parents and Katie, who threw her friend another worried glance.

      Then Marcus was back at her side, his hand on her elbow. “Come on.”

      She didn’t ask where they were going, so relieved that he was taking her away from this nightmare that she didn’t care. “Katie…?” she said feebly as he whisked her across the polished floor.

      “There’s room for her in Mum and Dad’s car, and she won’t want to be separated