His Brother's Bride
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Amy Vastine
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CHAPTER ONE
“MARRY ME.”
Sadie Chapman stared down at the ring nestled in the black ring box. That emerald-cut diamond had to be at least three carats and was surrounded by a halo of diamonds. It was gorgeous and exactly what she’d dreamed of being offered someday by the man she loved.
Owen Bradley was charming and sweet, but they had been dating barely two months. Sadie wouldn’t commit long term to a movie-streaming service without spending a couple of weeks carefully evaluating her usage during her free trial month. How could she possibly answer this kind of question without some time to think about it?
Time was in short supply, however. At least according to Sadie’s mom. Her mother loved to mention how at Sadie’s age, she’d been happily married for years and already had both of her children.
“I know it seems sudden,” he said, kneeling in front of her on his kitchen floor. He had invited her over for a relaxing night in and had even cooked her dinner. She was ready to do dishes, not accept a proposal. She had on black leggings and an oversize Goodman Elementary School T-shirt for Pete’s sake! This was not engagement-night attire. She had expected him to pop open a bottle of wine, not pop the question.
“We haven’t been together long,” he continued. “But I can’t remember ever feeling this way about anyone. I think about you when we aren’t together. I hate saying good-night when our dates are over. You’re an amazing woman and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Well, he seemed quite certain. The thumping in her chest was distracting. Sadie needed her brain to work as hard as her heart. What did she want in a husband, and did Owen meet those requirements? Owen was a professional golfer and successful enough to afford this big house, his fancy car and that enormous diamond ring. He was funny and had never been anything but respectful. He had good taste in food, fashion and diamond rings. Based on the little she knew about him, he certainly had the potential to be a good husband.
“Marry me, Sadie.”
As she stared into his big blue eyes, she heard the door open behind her.
“Do you know one of your garage doors is open?” someone shouted from the mudroom. “Riley, hit the button to close the garage.”
Sadie turned her head and watched as a man in a Boston College sweatshirt and a face that hadn’t seen a razor in a few days set a large blue duffel bag down. He made eye contact with Sadie first before turning his gaze on Owen.
“Oh my gosh. I didn’t... I know I said we’d be here tomorrow, but we decided to drive straight through. Are you? You are. I am so sorry.” He spun around with the horror of his embarrassment written all over his face. “Back to the car, Riley.”
“I’m tired!” a little voice whined from the mudroom.
“Uncle Owen needs a minute.”
“Uncle Owen only needs an answer.” Owen touched Sadie’s hand to regain her attention.
Sadie had so many questions that she had forgotten her answer. She closed her eyes. Why were his brother and niece here? Did he have any other siblings? She knew he was close to his parents, but she had never met them. Shouldn’t they have at least met each other’s families before they got engaged?
A thousand thoughts zipped through her head in a few seconds. There was only one that mattered, though. Did she want to marry Owen?
Sadie had hoped to be married before she was thirty, but thirty had come and gone. Teaching was her passion and she’d thrown herself into her work instead of searching for a life partner. She loved her students but dreamed of raising a family of her own someday. She’d been a bridesmaid in so many weddings and had been a guest at plenty of baby showers. Maybe it was her turn to be the guest of honor at one of those things.
Owen was exactly the kind of man she pictured herself falling in love with. Successful. Charismatic. Good-looking. Getting engaged would also get her mom off her back. That was perhaps the cherry on top of this diamond sundae.
“Yes,” she answered, opening her eyes. The grin on his face made her feel like she’d won the lottery. Owen hopped up and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her feet off the ground.
“She said yes! Did you hear that, Riley? Jonathan?”
“Congratulations.” A chagrined Jonathan came back into the kitchen hand in hand with a little girl with dark hair and a bright pink backpack.
“I’m tired,” Riley repeated, leaning against her dad.
Owen set Sadie back down. “Sadie, this is my brother, Jonathan, and his daughter, Riley. Jonathan and Riley, this is my fiancée, Sadie.”
Jonathan had eyes the same shade of blue as Owen’s. “Nice to meet you, Sadie. We’re really sorry about interrupting the big moment.”
“No apology needed. It’s nice to meet both of you. You look about the same age as the students in my third-grade class,” she said to Riley.
The little girl pressed against her dad’s side and said nothing.
“I think the endless hours in the car have taken a toll on this one.” He smiled down at his daughter. “She just finished third grade and is usually much more talkative than this.”
Owen took Sadie by the hand. “Can we get this ring on before you change your mind?” His nerves caused him to shake. Sadie found that endearing. Owen placed the engagement ring on her finger.
An engagement ring.
Sadie was not expecting to leave tonight wearing an engagement ring. Her mother would be ecstatic. Her friends at school would never believe it. They had heard about Owen, but no one would believe he had proposed already. They all had said he sounded like a catch. Sadie decided to add that to the list of reasons why saying yes was the right thing to do.
“You two are in the middle of something and we weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. I can get a hotel room for the night if—”
“No, you two are staying here,” Owen said, cutting his brother off.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to interfere any more than I have.”
Owen nodded his head. “You’re staying.”
Jonathan tried to let go of his daughter but she clung to him. He picked up his bag with one hand and kept his grip on Riley. “We are both exhausted and ready for bed. You won’t even know we’re here.”
Owen gave Sadie a kiss on the cheek. “Let me help them get settled and I’ll be back down before you can miss me.”
He was generous and helpful. Two more traits that boded well for Sadie in the future. She had made the right decision to say yes. She would continue to tell herself that.
Owen showed his brother upstairs and she gave her new ring—her engagement ring—a closer look. The ring fit her perfectly. He was observant or a really good guesser. Either way, it was a plus. She wouldn’t regret this.
“Owen sure knows how to pick ’em.”
Sadie startled. Jonathan walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Was he talking about her?
She bristled. “Excuse me?”
He closed the fridge and uncapped a bottle of water. “I’m sure the ring is pretty amazing.” He took a drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Owen doesn’t do anything halfway. He only goes all out.”
The ring. Of course he was talking about the ring.
Sadie glanced back down at the diamond on her finger. “It’s beyond amazing.”
“I know we just met, but I feel like it’s my duty to warn you about something.”
Sadie bit down on her bottom lip. Anxiety tightened her shoulders. Was he about to tell her all the things she didn’t know about Owen? She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it. Of course, if it was bad, she needed to hear it.
“My brother believes in love. He believes in happy-ever-after. But he’s had his heart broken before and I don’t want to see that happen to him again.”
Sadie relaxed and a smile spread across her face. Thankfully, she hadn’t misjudged Owen. “Is this your if-you-hurt-my-brother speech?” she asked.
“I guess it is.”
“I’m no heartbreaker,” she assured him.
He gave a sharp nod. “Good to know.” Jonathan gulped some more water. “I mean no offense, but Owen didn’t even mention you guys were in a serious relationship. I’m sort of shocked he was ready to take things to the next level.”
An uneasy feeling churned in her stomach. It was alarming that Owen hadn’t mentioned to his brother that he was proposing. Jonathan also didn’t need to tell her how fast things were moving. “I might be just as shocked as you are. I hadn’t been thinking about marriage until he asked me.”
Jonathan set his empty water bottle down on the white granite countertop. “You didn’t know he was going to propose?”
“No idea,” she admitted.
He scratched the back of his head, his expression perplexed. For some reason that made Sadie nervous.
Owen appeared. “Your daughter needs you to tuck her in. I don’t do it right.” He narrowed his eyes at his brother. “You aren’t down here trying to steal my girl away, are you?”
Jonathan threw his hands up. “Don’t worry, little brother. Riley is the only girl I want in my life. I’m going to get out of here, so you two can enjoy the rest of your evening together.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Sadie called after him.
He nodded and took off. Owen gently placed his hands on her upper arms. “What do you say we get out of here and get some dessert at Chez Louis to celebrate?”
As much as Sadie loved dessert, she was not dressed appropriately to walk into Chez Louis.
“I can’t go out like this.”
Owen wouldn’t be deterred. “Then we’ll go to my favorite ice-cream place. I’ve seen a woman in pajama pants there before.”
Ice cream was Sadie’s favorite thing in the whole world. Owen knew exactly what she needed. There was no doubt. Agreeing to marry him was the smartest thing she’d done in a long time.
GETTING ENGAGED TO someone he barely knew was the dumbest thing Owen had ever done. Jonathan could not wrap his head around it. What was his brother thinking?
Sure, this Sadie woman seemed lovely. She didn’t appear to be too high-maintenance. Her brown hair had been French braided down both sides like Mindy used to do to Riley’s hair. She definitely had a girl-next-door vibe going on. And she was a teacher? Goodness. How did Owen go from a socialite like Courtney to an elementary school teacher? There was no way he would be happy with someone so...normal.
It was a good thing Jonathan left Boston and came down to Florida when he did. Something was majorly off. Three months ago, Owen was completely devastated when Courtney broke things off with him after they had been together for three years. Jonathan had spent more than a few nights on the phone, trying to talk Owen down. Courtney was the one, he had said. He’d sworn he hadn’t realized how much he loved her until he lost her. He’d been willing to do anything to get her back.
Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose. How did Owen go from that to so in love with this Sadie woman that he wanted to marry her in the blink of an eye?
Something was amiss and Jonathan would find out what it was.
“Daddy, I’m thirsty,” Riley said from the bed. He had hoped she was asleep, but he had known better.
“I’ll get you a little bit of water. Hang on.” He didn’t want to go downstairs and risk interrupting the lovebirds again. He prayed there was a cup in the bathroom. No such luck.
He crept down the stairs only to find no one was there. Owen and Sadie had left. Relieved, he went into the kitchen to get a drinking glass. Unfortunately, the request for water would probably be only the first of many reasons his little girl wouldn’t get a good night’s rest.
Since losing her mom over two years ago, Riley struggled with going to sleep. Her bedtime routine had gone from being thirty minutes long to sometimes a two-to three-hour ordeal. Staying asleep was also a challenge. Nightmares used to wake them both more than Jonathan cared to admit. Now, Riley seemed programmed to get up multiple times in the night.
He hurried back upstairs. “Don’t drink too much,” he warned as he handed her the glass. Needing to use the bathroom would be the next excuse to stay up.
Riley took a sip and held out the cup for him. “Why was Uncle Owen so happy about that lady saying yes?”
“Good question,” he said under his breath. He sat on the edge of the bed and got Riley tucked back in. “Uncle Owen asked her to marry him and she said she would.”
“They’re going to have a wedding?”
“I think so.”
Riley rolled onto her side and slipped her hands between her pillow and her cheek. “Will I get to go to the wedding?”
“I would think so. You’re Uncle Owen’s favorite niece in the whole world.”
“I’m his only niece, Daddy.” She was sharp even though she was tired.
“True, but even if you weren’t the only one, you would still be his favorite.” He rubbed her back as her eyes began to flutter.
“I didn’t get to go to your wedding when you married Mommy because I wasn’t born yet.”
Jonathan snickered softly. “That’s usually how it works.”
Riley couldn’t hold her eyes open any longer. “I can go to your next wedding, though.”
Everything inside him ached at the same time. Jonathan would never get married again. That wasn’t the way he was built. He had ever been in love with only one woman. He’d married Mindy the same summer they graduated from college and couldn’t imagine ever being with anyone else.
Riley’s breathing slowed. Maybe the long trip had truly worn her out. Jonathan sat next to his daughter until he was sure she was asleep. Once he was certain, he headed back downstairs to get the rest of their stuff out of the car.
Owen had a nice house. Actually, Owen had nice everything. The open-floor plan made the downstairs feel even bigger than it already was. Owen had an enormous gourmet kitchen that opened up to a two-story living room with a fireplace—not that he really needed one of those in Jupiter, Florida. He had a formal dining room, which looked like no one had ever eaten in it, and a study that he seemed to use more as a trophy room than an office.
Jonathan’s little brother was doing quite well for himself. He had placed rather respectably in the last couple of tournaments he played in, which meant he’d earned plenty of money to afford to live like this. All their dad could talk about was how Owen had the potential to be one of the world’s best.
Jonathan golfed, but he wouldn’t consider himself much of a golfer. Owen, on the other hand, had shown potential at a young age and that meant Devin Bradley was gung ho about getting his son out on the links as much as possible. For Jonathan, playing golf was the only way to guarantee he’d get to spend time with his father and brother on the weekends when the boys were growing up.
Jonathan wasn’t envious, though. He was proud of his brother and considered his own accomplishments just as important. Riley meant more to Jonathan than any trophy or accolade could. He had been married to the love of his life. He had a consulting job that allowed him to work from home so he could be with his daughter, which was especially helpful after the accident. Had it not been for that blasted accident, life would have been pretty perfect.
Jonathan heard the garage door first, then the laughter. His brother was home and he needed to make himself scarce. He headed for the stairs just as Owen and Sadie appeared.
“Everything okay?” Owen asked. “You guys need anything up there?”
“All good. Riley fell asleep faster than she has in forever.”
Owen chuckled. “I told you Florida was the place for you to be. I’m always right, brother.”
“Always right. That’s a good one.” Jonathan started up the stairs.
“Hey, before you go up, can you take a picture of us?” Owen held out his phone for his brother. “I need a good one for Instagram.”
Sadie laughed. “Great. All of your adoring fans can see you’re engaged to a woman who looks like she hung out with a bunch of eight-and nine-year-olds all day.”
“You did hang out with a bunch of eight-and nine-year-olds most of the day. It’s one of the things I love about you.” Owen gave her a kiss on the cheek. Jonathan had to admit, they were cute together. “And we have to get the word out since it’s going to be a short engagement.”
“What’s that mean?” Jonathan met this woman one hour ago. Owen had known her for only a couple of months. “How short are we talking?”
Owen threw his arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “We talked about it and we want to get married this summer. I was going to take off a couple weeks in August, which is perfect.”
“This summer? It’s the end of May, and you want to get married in August? This August?” That did not give Jonathan much time to figure out what was going on with his brother and to stop him from making a huge mistake.
“That’s the one,” Owen replied, staring back at his brother through narrowed eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t you think you two need a little more time to get to know each other and make the proper arrangements? Have Mom and Dad even met Sadie yet?”
Owen pressed his lips together and let out a frustrated huff from his nose. “Can you excuse me and my brother for one minute, sweetheart?”
Sadie looked like she was about to cry, which, in Jonathan’s defense, was not his intention. Owen grabbed Jonathan’s arm and led him into the foyer.
“Listen, I get that you weren’t expecting this—”
“Not expecting it?” Jonathan whisper-yelled. “I didn’t even know you were dating someone seriously, Owen. That’s a lot different than not expecting that you decided to take the plunge. I didn’t even know there was anyone to plunge with.”
“I know,” Owen defended. “I haven’t been broadcasting this relationship all over the place. I also know that’s sort of unusual for me, but I want this badly. So if you could lay off about time and how much of it we should take, I would really appreciate it.”
“What about Sadie? Women usually need a little more time to plan the biggest day of their lives. Are you rushing her a bit?”
“Why wait when you know it’s right? And Sadie will have plenty of help planning the wedding. I’m going to hire her the best wedding planner in all of Florida. Plus, she’s low maintenance. She just wants to get married. None of the other stuff matters.”
None of the other stuff mattered? Why was that? Maybe all of this was happening so fast because Sadie needed it to be happening that fast.
“This is a huge commitment, Owen. It’s not something you should rush into. That’s all I’m saying. You don’t want to think she’s an easygoing, low-maintenance person only to find out that she’s a lot needier than you imagined.”
Owen slapped his hand down on his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, Jon. I know what I’m doing. I love her. She loves me. What could go wrong?”
That was a loaded question that Jon couldn’t begin to answer. “If she’s pressuring you into making some big gesture—”
Owen cut him off. “No one is pressuring me. I am marrying Sadie in August. We’ll have a dinner at the club I can meet her family and she can meet ours. Don’t worry about this. I know what I’m doing.”
That was a familiar line Owen liked to use, but Jonathan had experienced too many instances where it was clear that Owen actually had no idea what he was doing. When the boys were teenagers and Owen still wasn’t old enough to drive, he convinced Jonathan to give him the keys to the Volvo their dad had handed down to Jonathan when he turned sixteen. He wanted to sneak out and impress Molly Unger, who was two years older and in Jonathan’s class, by showing up with wheels. He had sworn to Jonathan that he knew what he was doing. Needless to say, the younger Bradley brother ended up backing into another car in a convenience store parking lot and Jonathan was grounded by their dad for a month because he should have known better than to let Owen drive.
Jonathan wasn’t going to make that kind of mistake again. He would do whatever it took to stop his brother from getting his heart broken again.
