Forever His Bride by LISA CHILDS

surgery. He wanted to take care of people—most of all his sons.
    They sat on stools at the huge kitchen island, their faces covered in icing and the cinnamon rolls clutched tightly in their hands. As he smiled at them, he caught Nick’s shoulder with his hand and squeezed out a warning. “There’s no room here.” Then he pitched his voice lower, and added, “And no reason for you to stay.”
    “Then let’s go back to Grand Rapids,” Nick said.
    Josh shook his head. “There’s no reason for you to stay.” But he had one. Actually he had two reasons, his boys. They loved Cloverville. And the Kellys.
     
    “S O THERE’S REALLY NO ROOM for me stay?” Nick asked Brenna as she walked him to the door.
    She smiled at his persistence. “I’m sorry. No.” Her parents would have found room, though, if not for the subtle shake of Josh’s head when they’d opened their mouths to offer. He obviously didn’t want his friend staying with them. “There aren’t any hotels or motels in Cloverville, either. I’m really sorry.”
    But she wasn’t. To protect her friend she couldn’t have Nick around looking for Molly, stealing from her that time she’d asked for—that time she’d never taken for herself. Everything she’d focused on since her dad had died had been connected to getting the medical degree she’d promised him.
    Poor Molly. She deserved some happiness in her life; she deserved a man like Josh.
    “Clayton McClintock offered me his spare room,” Nick admitted. “I think he feels guilty about the way his sister’s treated Josh.”
    “Molly has a good reason for doing what she did.” She had to, or maybe she’d cracked under the pressure she’d put on herself. Last night at the reception Brenna had been ready to disregard her friend’s request for time alone, and Eric had been right to point out her selfishness. She shouldn’t have called and left the late-night voice mail, either, because that had been to relieve her own guilt. A good friend gave a person what she wanted—including time.
    “Josh is fine,” she assured Nick, pitching her voice low so that he wouldn’t overhear them from the powder room off the hall, where he was cleaning up the twins. The hall which had once been wide, was narrow with the antique desks and wall tables that lined it.
    Brenna wanted a house that was wide open for herself. And she wanted nothing breakable in her home, in her life—especially not her heart. She couldn’t let herself fall for Josh or his sons. She didn’t have that right.
    “I’d like to believe Josh is fine,” Nick said, “but I’ve made that mistake before.”
    About Josh? “I don’t understand…”
    The tall man stepped closer. “Just keep an eye on him for me. And if he starts acting crazy, call me.” He pressed a card into her hand. “My cell number’s on there.”
    “What do you mean, crazy?” Like kissing her in the moonlight? That had been crazy.
    “Just, you know, depressed or…”
    “Good, you’re still here,” Josh said as he stepped through the pocket doors of the powder room and joined them. With his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, he hardly looked happy.
    Brenna curled her hand around Nick’s card, as if to hide it from Josh. Somehow, she doubted he’d be pleased his friend was so worried about him. His pride had already taken enough of a beating.
    With a hand on each of his son’s shoulders, Josh nudged them forward. “Have fun with Uncle Nick,” he told them.
    “What?” Nick asked, his eyes widening in surprise. “You’re not going on your honeymoon, so why would I take Buzz and TJ?”
    “You’re taking them to the park,” Josh said, a wicked grin illuminating his face.
    “We wanna go to the park, Uncle Nick,” TJ said, reaching for the surgeon’s hand.
    “Yeah, the park,” Buzz chimed in.
    “They have to burn off some of that sugar,” Josh explained, as he held open the screen door that led to the front porch.
    Nick groaned, and then