Always The Best Man. Michelle Major

was why, she realized, as tears pricked the backs of her eyes. Emily hadn’t had a real friend in years. The women who were part of her social circle in Boston had quickly turned on her when her marriage imploded, making her an outcast in their community. She’d burned most of her bridges with her Colorado friends when she’d dropped out of college to follow her ex-husband as he started his law career. Other than her mom and Noah, she had no one in her life she could count on. Until now.

      She shrugged out of Katie’s grasp and drew in a calming breath. “Who else is in the bridal party?”

      “We’re not having any other attendants,” Katie told her. “I’ll try on this one, too.” She scooped up the dress and took a step toward the back of the store. “Just you and Jase. He’s Noah’s best man.”

      Emily stifled a groan and muttered, “Great.” Jase Crenshaw had been her brother’s best friend for years so she should have expected he’d be part of the wedding. Still, Crimson’s favorite son was the last person she wanted to spend time with. He was the exact opposite of Emily—warm, friendly, easy-to-like. Around him her skin itched, her stomach clenched and she was generally made more aware of her long list of shortcomings. A real prince among men.

      Katie turned suddenly and hugged Emily again. “I feel so much better knowing you’re with me on this. For the first time I believe my wedding is going to be perfect.”

      Emily took another breath and returned the hug. She could do this, even with Jase working alongside her. Katie and Noah deserved it. “Perfect is my specialty,” she told her friend with confidence. Behind her back, she kept her fingers crossed.

      * * *

      “What the hell was that?” Noah Crawford held out a hand to Jason Crenshaw, who was sprawled across the Crimson High School football field, head pounding and ears ringing.

      Jase hadn’t seen the hit coming until he was flat on his back in the grass. He should have been paying more attention, but in the moment before the ball was snapped, Emily Whitaker appeared in the stands. Jase had done his best to ignore the tall, willowy blond with the sad eyes and acid tongue since she’d returned to town.

      Easier said than done since she was his best friend’s sister and...well, since he’d had a crush on her for as long as he could remember. Since the first time she’d come after Jase and Noah for ripping the head from her favorite Barbie.

      Emily’d packed quite a wallop back in the day.

      Just not as much as Aaron Thompson, the opposing team’s player who’d sacked Jase before running the ball downfield. Jase brushed away Noah’s outstretched hand and stood, rubbing his aching ribs as he did. “I thought this was flag football,” he muttered as he turned to watch Aaron do an elaborate victory dance in the end zone.

      “Looks like Thompson forgot,” Noah said, pulling off his own flag belt, then Jase’s as they walked toward the sidelines.

      “We’ll get ’em next time.” Liam Donovan, another teammate and good friend, gave Jase’s shoulder a friendly shove. “If our quarterback can stay on his feet.”

      “This is a preseason game anyway,” Logan Travers added. “Doesn’t count.”

      “It counts that we whipped your butts,” Aaron yelled, sprinting back up the field. He launched the game ball at Jase’s head before Logan stepped forward and caught it.

      “Back off, Thompson,” Logan said softly, but it was hard to miss the steel in his tone. Logan was as tall as Jase’s own six feet three inches but had the muscled build befitting the construction work he did. Jase was in shape, he ran and rock climbed in his free time. He also spent hours in front of his computer and in the courtroom for his law practice, so he couldn’t compete with Logan’s bulk.

      He also wasn’t much for physical intimidation. Not that Aaron would be intimidated by Jase. The Thompson family held a long-standing grudge against the Crenshaws, and hotheaded Aaron hadn’t missed a chance to poke at him since they’d been in high school. Aaron’s father, Charles, had been the town’s sheriff back when Jase’s dad was doing most of his hell raising and had made it clear he was waiting for Jase to carry on his family’s reputation in Crimson.

      Jase took a good measure of both pride and comfort in living in his hometown, but there were times he wished for some anonymity. They weren’t kids anymore, and Jase had long ago given up his identity as the studious band geek who’d let bullies push him around to keep the peace.

      He stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down his nose at the brutish deputy. “Talk is cheap, Aaron,” he said. “And so are your potshots at me. We’ll see you back on the field next month.”

      “Can’t wait,” Aaron said with a smirk Jase wanted to smack right off his face.

      The feeling only intensified when Aaron jogged over to talk to Emily, who was standing with Katie and the other team wives and girlfriends on the sidelines.

      “Let it go.” Noah hung back as their friends approached the group of women. “She wouldn’t give him the time of day in high school, and now is no different.”

      “Nice,” Jase mumbled under his breath. “Aaron and I actually have something in common.”

      Noah laughed. “Katie’s asked Emily to be the maid of honor. You’ll have plenty of excuses to moon over her in the next few weeks.”

      Jase stiffened. “I don’t moon.”

      “You keep telling yourself that,” Noah said as he gave him a shove. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Emily has her hands too full with Davey and starting over even if she wanted a man.” He gave Jase a pointed, big-brother look. “Which she doesn’t.”

      “I’m no threat,” Jase said, holding up his hands. “Nothing has changed from when we were twelve. Your sister can’t stand me.”

      “I get that but you’ll both have to make an effort for the wedding. Katie doesn’t need any extra stress right now.”

      “Got it,” Jase agreed and glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to check in at the office before I head home.”

      “How’s the campaign going?”

      “Not much to report. It seems anticlimactic to run for mayor unopposed. Not much work to do except getting out the vote.”

      “You’re more qualified for the position than anyone else in Crimson,” Noah told him, “although I’m still not sure why city council and all the other volunteer work you do isn’t enough?”

      “I love this town, and I think I can help it move forward.”

      Noah smiled. “Emily calls you Saint Jase.”

      Jase felt his jaw tighten. “How flattering.”

      “She might have a point. What are your plans for the weekend? Katie and I are going out to Mom’s place for a barbecue tomorrow night. Want to join us?”

      Jase rarely had plans for the weekend. Juggling both his law practice and taking care of his dad left little free time. But Emily would be there and while the rational part of him knew he shouldn’t go out of his way to see her, the rest of him didn’t seem to care. If he could get his father settled early tomorrow...

      “Sounds good. What can I bring?”

      “Really?” Noah’s brows lifted. “You’re venturing out on a Saturday night? Big time. We’ve got it covered. Come out around six.”

      “See you tomorrow,” he said and headed over to his gym bag at the far side of the stands. He stripped off his sweaty T-shirt and pulled a clean one from the bag. As he straightened, Emily walked around the side of the metal bleachers, eyes glued to her cell phone screen as her thumbs tapped away. He didn’t have time to voice a warning before she bumped into him.

      As the tip of her nose brushed his bare chest, she yelped and