The Weekday Brides 04 - Single by Saturday (2 page)

“Looks like my timing is bad.”

It would have been easy for her to suggest that unexpected and unannounced visits had a way of having
bad
timing, but she refrained. “Not at all.” Since they’d never met in person, and she had no way of knowing if Zach knew her name, she presented her hand. “I’m Karen, by the way.”

Zach took her hand in his and an unexpected hot current shot up her arm. Now
that
was
bad
timing!

A zip of chemistry was just fine, thank you very much, but not with her temporary husband’s brother. Oh, no, that wasn’t fine at all!

Surprise passed over Zach’s eyes before he pulled his hand away rather abruptly. “And I feel as if I owe you an apology.”

“What for?”
For coming off as an abrasive, albeit sexy, ass?
Oh, yeah…maybe he did.

“I’m a little shocked to find a real person behind the pictures we’ve all seen.”

“A real person as opposed to what?”

Zach shrugged. “My brother is seen with someone new at every film premiere. I think we assumed you weren’t real…but I can see now that you are. Doesn’t excuse my rudeness. My beef is with my brother, not you.”

Karen felt a warm smile fill her face and something in Zach’s eyes softened. “Was that an apology?”

“Half-assed, but yes.”

Seemed Zach and Michael had that in common, the ability to apologize without actually saying the words. Though Michael was getting better.

“Apology accepted. Now c’mon, Zach, let’s go find your brother.” She didn’t leave any room for discussion as she walked around him and into the house.

A couple of heads turned as the two of them walked into the kitchen. She couldn’t help but wonder if the help thought the man beside her was Michael’s twin, or stunt double, which Zach could easily pull off. If Karen remembered right, Zach was Michael’s older brother by at least a year. There was an older sister and two younger sisters. All of whom still lived in the small town in Utah Michael had grown up in and moved away from shortly after high school.

Samantha, Karen’s friend and sometimes colleague, intercepted the path to Michael’s side. “There you are. Michael’s looking for you.” Samantha eyed Zach with a slight smile.

“We’re looking for him, too. Samantha Harrison, this is Zach Gardner, Michael’s brother.”

“Of course. The family resemblance is hard to miss.” Samantha shook Zach’s hand.

“A pleasure.” His words were dry, as if he’d like nothing better than to disappear.

“Where did you see Michael last?”

“In the courtyard. C’mon, I’ll show you.”

Thankful for Samantha’s presence, Karen offered her practiced smile to Zach and led him through the house and out the massive doors to the courtyard where even more guests mingled and eyed the new guest.

Michael stood with his back to them.

Karen tapped his shoulder and caught his eyes before he looked beyond her. “Michael. Look who I found.”

In a split second, confusion mixed into recognition, and then the most surprising thing happened. Michael lost some of his polish. “Jesus, Zach.”

Karen stood aside and watched the two brothers offer smiles, handshakes, and man hugs.

“It’s been too long,” Zach said.

“Too damn long.”

Both men smiled at each other as if they’d never shared a cross word or years apart.

Samantha tucked beside Karen and whispered in her ear, “He’s crashing the party?”

Karen kept smiling. “Just showed up.”

“Well this is going to be interesting.”

That was what Karen worried about.

Michael turned toward the small crowd. “Everyone, this is my brother, Zach.” Michael took a moment to offer a few names to Zach, but it became quickly apparent the man wasn’t going to remember most of them. Or if he did, it was because of their fame and not the brief introduction. “And you’ve met Karen.”

Zach once again took her in with his blue gaze. “I’ve met your
wife
.”

Zach allowed Mike to lead him around and introduce him to his friends, though Zach didn’t think there were many people in the house his brother could actually count on. He wasn’t sure what he thought it would be like walking into his brother’s world. He knew the level of success his brother had achieved, but he’d never experienced it. The plastic Hollywood scene was light-years away from the life they’d grown up in. Maybe that was the appeal. Lord knew growing up in a small town in Utah had its drawbacks.

Like never finding a woman as stunning as the one Mike called his wife. Zach had seen pictures, right before their mother went on a tear about having never met Karen. None of the pictures did the woman justice.

Her eyes were the shade of blue seldom seen outside of an ocean. Her blonde hair was too pure to come from a bottle, and despite all the activity around her, she didn’t seem to let any of it affect her. Zach understood his brother’s attraction and that had happened exactly never. Not once could Zach remember them both having the same girl in their thoughts.

He pushed Mike’s wife out of his mind and remembered why he took this little trip to his brother’s.

It was their youngest sister, Hannah, who prompted Zach to jump on the back of his motorcycle and take the road trip to LA. Mike could be Mr. Hollywood with everyone else, but his family missed him. Their mother was pissed, their father ready to disown the youngest male in the Gardner line, and the girls were convinced that Michael Wolfe wasn’t blood related after all. But Hannah had practically begged Zach to drag Mike home.

“Hon?” Karen captured Mike’s attention. “The caterers are ready to serve.”

Michael placed his arm over Karen’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks.”

Zach had seen the move from Michael before. It certainly appeared as if Karen and Mike’s marriage was happy.

“Can you excuse us for a second, Zach?”

“It’s your party, I’m just crashing.”

Mike waved at the disc jockey, who turned down the volume on the music playing in the background.

Zach had found a beer and sipped it now as he watched his brother welcome his guests and thank them all for coming. When he drew Karen next to his side and thanked her for being his wife, Zach found himself looking away. He noticed Samantha, Karen’s friend, watching him before she diverted her gaze.

A few guests started mumbling to his right, catching Zach’s attention. “Wonder how long it can possibly last.”

“It’s hard to get sick of your spouse when he’s never home. Hasn’t he been on location nine of the past twelve months?”

Zach sipped his beer and continued to eavesdrop. “At least. And he’s headed out next month for another three.”

He spared a glance and recognized an anorexic actress he’d seen, but couldn’t name, talking with an older woman who appeared to love her Botox.

“I hear he’s scored over thirty million on his next film. I’d let my husband travel wherever the studio wanted him to for that.”

Disgusted, Zach forced his attention away from the gossiping movie stars and circled the edges of the courtyard.

Samantha caught his attention and brought him into her circle of friends, who were all chatting after Mike and Karen started the line at the buffet.

“Zach, I’d like you to meet some friends of Karen and Michael’s. My husband, Blake Harrison. His sister Gwen and her husband, Neil MacBain.” Zach shook the men’s hands, happy he didn’t recognize any of them.

“Are you actors?” he asked.

Gwen laughed. “Not everyone here is in the industry.” Gwen’s British accent laced her words.

“I’m in shipping,” Blake offered.

Samantha snuggled into her husband’s side, obviously very in love with the man. “He’s also a duke, but we refuse to call him Your Grace.”

Blake rolled his eyes.

“We do when he pisses us off,” Gwen said.

“A duke, seriously?”

Blake sipped his cocktail and shrugged. “Can’t pick your parents.”

Samantha indicated the linebacker that stood by Gwen’s side. “Neil is in private security.”

That, Zach could buy. The man was huge; his narrow gaze took in everyone around them, and Zach guessed he was armed to the teeth.

“There you are!” A voice rose behind them, twisting Zach around.

The couple coming at him didn’t need an introduction. He leaned toward Neil. “Is that the governor?”

“Yeah.”

“Damn, didn’t think Mike knew everyone in this state.”

“Actually, we’ve been friends with Karen longer than Michael. Hence the reason we’re huddled together talking about everyone around us.”

“Eliza, Carter, this is Michael’s brother, Zach.”

Zach shook the governor’s hand and offered the same to his wife. It would have been easy to feel out of place, but the group offered explanations to Zach as they talked among themselves.

“I didn’t know Michael had a brother,” Carter managed.

“One brother and three sisters,” Samantha blurted out.

Zach narrowed his eyes and noticed Gwen nudge the petite redhead.

“I think that’s what Michael said.” Samantha glanced at the ground. “Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Are we still on for the park tomorrow?” Eliza briskly changed the subject. “I haven’t seen Delanie since the christening.”

Samantha removed her cell phone from her purse and the women huddled around it in what Zach recognized as the ceremonial showing off of the baby pictures.

His older sister, Rena, had two of her own, and there was no escaping the latest digital photograph if Zach so much as missed a Sunday dinner with the family.

“Eliza! Carter! You guys made it.” Karen stepped into the growing circle and embraced her friends.

“Of course we made it.”

Karen offered a polite smile to Zach as she glanced between the ladies. “Why are you guys not eating? I slaved over the menu, and most of the women here are worried about gaining an ounce.”

“I’m going to eat, don’t worry,” Eliza said.

A waiter approached the party and offered flutes of champagne. The group took up a glass each and started to sip.

Beside Zach, Neil whisked the glass out of his wife’s hand. “Not for you, Princess.”

Gwen’s face lit up with shock. “Oh, my. I almost forgot.”

The group went quiet.

“Forgot what?”

Gwen bit her lower lip. “Ah, nothing. This is Karen and Michael’s party.”

Then, as if the women were all talking to each other in their heads, Karen let out a squeal. “Oh. My. God. You’re pregnant!”

When there wasn’t a quick denial, the group became overwhelmingly animated with the obviously shocking news.

“We were going to wait to say anything.” Gwen accepted a hug from Karen.

“That’s stupid.”

“But this is your anniversary party.”

Karen rolled her eyes. “Please, Gwen. It’s Michael and me.” Then, as if Karen remembered Zach was there, she abruptly stopped talking and let the others crowd in to offer their congratulations.

Zach, not knowing what to say other than the obvious, offered his congratulations to the father-to-be.

“You’re next.” Samantha pointed a finger at the first lady.

“Gee, thanks. Talk about pressure.”

Because something about this whole group was bothering him, Zach asked, “What about you, Karen? Are you and Mike going to have kids?”

Silence met his ears. For a brief moment, he wondered if maybe there was something terribly wrong with his question. Could she have kids? Could his brother? But there wasn’t pain in Karen’s face when she smiled at him, more of a resolve. “I don’t think anytime soon.”

With that, the group steered the conversation far away from Karen having children and on to other subjects.

The entire introduction to his brother’s wife was laced with more questions than answers.

Chapter Two

“This is going to get very sticky,” Gwen whispered in Karen’s ear as the party started to wind down, and many of the guests had left.

The two of them, along with Samantha and Eliza, were nestled in the far end of the courtyard sipping wine, coffee, or in Gwen’s case, tea, and watching the men as they talked around a fire pit.

“Why do you think he’s here?” Eliza asked.

“I have no idea. If there is one topic Michael and I don’t really discuss, it’s his family,” Karen said to her friends, who knew the situation between her and Michael.