She didn’t answer. In fact, she didn’t even look at him. Her seemingly quiet acceptance of his angry outburst unnerved him more than if she’d stood up and spit in his eye. Niki never did anything quietly.

She untucked her legs, slid her feet back into the discarded pumps, then stood. Pulling herself to her full fivefoot-seven height, she faced him. “I want to thank you, Jack.”

“Thank me?” He winced as his voice broke. He swallowed hard. His throat felt dry, as though it were about to close up on him.

“Yes, I’m very grateful to you.” She crossed her arms at her waist and hugged herself tightly. Emotion—anger mixed with pain?—glimmered in her eyes. “You’ve cleared up a lot of my doubts.”

“I have?”

“Yes, you have,” she said, chuckling softly as though remembering a private joke. The hollow-sounding laughter left him feeling cold inside. “You’ve opened my eyes to a lot of things. Things that should have been obvious years ago.”

Jack frowned, his discomfort growing. He didn’t understand what was going on here. But he had no doubt she was talking about more than his giving a little friendly advice. “Niki—”

She held up a quieting hand. “Let me finish. I want you to understand something, Jack. I am not a child. I am a clear-thinking, rational woman who is more than capable of making life’s important decisions.”

“Niki, listen. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you were immature—”

“Of course, you did,” she snapped, her temper finally kicking in. “You’ve been implying it since you walked onto this gazebo.”

He couldn’t help himself. He pointed a finger at her nose. “You know, Niki, losing your temper isn’t a sign of maturity. It’s just one more example to support of my theory that you aren’t ready for marriage.”

She growled her frustration. “Get this through your thick head, Jack. Butt out of my life. I’m not the little kid who used to follow you around. I’ve got a life of my own. A life that doesn’t involve you anymore.”

The words had a stinging affect. The thought of her not needing him hurt more than any physical blow possibly could.

“You don’t mean, that,” he said slowly.

“Yes, I do.” Tears filled her eyes. Niki looked as upset as he felt. She blinked hard, then held up her left hand. A diamond the size of a small boulder glittered in the moonlight. “For your information, this entire conversation has been pointless. I’ve, already accepted Greg’s marriage proposal. Now, if I can’t count on your support, then I suggest you stay the hell out of my way.”

With that she stormed off the gazebo, leaving him reeling in the wake of her unfounded anger. His intentions had been good. He’d never expected her to be so upset. Didn’t she understand? He cared about her. He wanted to protect her. But all he seemed to have done was to offend her.

A dull pain throbbed in his chest. Niki had walked away from him. She said to stay out of her life. Thanks to him and his big mouth he might have destroyed their friendship.

The dull pain grew into a pounding ache. Losing Niki, he felt as though he’d lost a part of himself.

The next morning, the phone rang.

Martha Sinclair hurried to answer the insistent peal. “Hello,” she trilled in a pleasant singsong voice.

“Martha, what in the Sam Hill is the matter with that boy of yours?”

Martha recognized the caller. It was her good friend and next-door neighbor, Helen Adams. All traces of Helen’s usual friendly demeanor were gone. Her obvious agitation proved contagious. Martha drew in a sharp breath. “What’s wrong, Helen?”

“Niki just told me she’s decided to marry Greg Lawton!”

“What?” Martha gasped, though the news didn’t surprise her. When Jack had stayed late last night to talk to Niki, she’d taken it as a good sign. But it didn’t take a genius to figure out the meeting hadn’t gone as she and Helen had hoped. The conversation had lasted only a few minutes, ending with Niki storming into her house and slamming the door behind her, and Jack slinging himself into his car and careening out of the driveway. The scowl he wore on his face could have stopped a bear in his tracks.

Martha sighed. “Oh, Helen, this is terrible.”

“Now, don’t get me wrong. Greg is a nice enough boy. I’m sure he’ll make some girl a wonderful husband. But he’s not the right man for Niki.” Helen’s voice grew wistful. “When I see them together there’s no spark, no passion…Niki just isn’t acting like someone who’s truly in love.” Her tone changed abruptly, becoming sharp, almost accusing. “I thought you were going to light a firecracker under that boy of yours. Get him to talk her out of this wedding.”

Martha gave her head a miserable shake. “I tried, Helen. I really did try.”

A strained silence filled the phone line.

“Well, I’m not giving up,” Helen said finally.

“Neither am I,” Martha agreed.

“Looks like these children of ours are going to need a little push to get them headed in the right direction.”

Martha smiled for the first time. “Being pushy is a mother’s God-given right.”

Helen chuckled. “Between the two of us, they won’t know what hit them.”

“At least, not until they’re married and have given us a couple of grandchildren.”

“Amen,” Martha seconded.

“Niki, the caterer’s looking for you,” Cassie Andrews, a tall, leggy blonde, informed her. “Something about cheese puffs that won’t puff.”

Her friend’s announcement sounded like a death knell for a party that was headed for a certain demise. Niki closed her eyes and counted to ten, trying to shut out the din made by fifty guests. The party, like her engagement, seemed ill-fated from the start.

Nothing was going right.

First, the caterers arrived an hour late, swearing they’d been given the wrong time. Niki didn’t understand the mix-up. Her mother had been in charge of ordering the food. It wasn’t like her to allow such a mistake. Then, moments before the party was to begin, the heavens opened up and let loose with a torrent of rain. Guests were arriving soaked to the skin, shaking off the raindrops like puppies emerging from an unwanted bath. To add to the chaos, Greg was called out on an emergency, making him late for his own engagement party.

But that wasn’t the worst of her troubles.

Her biggest problem stood not two feet away, looking smug and irritatingly cheerful. Niki opened her eyes and gave a silent growl of frustration. Life wasn’t fair. Her fiancé was pulling a no-show, but Jack Sinclair had the nerve to show up for her engagement party.

“Something wrong, Niki?” Cassie, her best friend and soon-to-be maid of honor, shot her a concerned look.

“Nothing a good housecleaning wouldn’t solve,” Niki muttered to herself. She stole a glance in Jack’s direction. His thick, chestnut brown hair was neatly combed. His dark good looks stood out against a crisp white shirt, contrasting nicely with his navy jacket and charcoal gray pants. He was cool, confident and a fraud. Tonight, he stood in her living room, along with dozens of her closest family and friends, waiting to toast the formal announcement of her and Greg’s engagement. Knowing full well that less than two weeks ago he’d tried to talk her out of this very marriage.

The man had no shame. He feigned support on one hand while back-stabbing a friend with the other. Niki chewed on her lower lip. Not that she could really consider Jack and Greg to be friends.

The feud between the two men seemed to have gone on forever, its roots stretching back into childhood. For some reason, they brought out the worst in each other. They were two grown, intelligent men who acted like children whenever the other was near.

A new wave of anger washed over her. Because of this silly feud, Jack had ruined what should have been the happiest day of her life. He’d objected to her choice of husband solely on the basis of an adolescent rivalry.