His Brother’s Bride

She’s found the perfect man…

…and it’s not her fiancé

Sadie Chapman isn’t sure she loves her boyfriend, Owen, but accepts his proposal nonetheless. Love will come later, she figures. But then she meets Jonathan, Owen’s brother: a kindhearted widower with a daughter who adores Sadie. As Sadie gets to know Jonathan, she feels guilty about how comfortable she is around him. She knows Owen is a good man—but is she marrying the wrong brother?

Sadie climbed off her stool. “Can I give you a hug? I feel like we both
need a hug right now.”

EXCERPT:

Jonathan knew he should say no because his emotions were all over the place at the moment, but something about her offer was undeniable. He stood up and let her wrap her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist. In her embrace, he felt understood. She made it okay to be not okay. She didn’t tell him not to be sad or that he should be over it by now.

She just held him. It was such a comfort.

“Dad?” Riley’s voice turned the comfort into guilt.

He jumped away from Sadie, and quickly tried to deflect. “You’re awake. Do you want a snack?”

“Were you sad?” Riley had always been in tune with Jonathan’s feelings.

“Was Sadie sad?”

“No one was sad,” Jonathan asserted. If Riley knew he was thinking about Mindy and it made him sad, she would dwell on it for days.

“Are you in love?”

Jonathan hadn’t thought about her going there. His brain froze and no words would come out of his mouth.

“I was sad,” Sadie blurted out. “I was sad about my mom and dad fighting and your dad gave me a hug.”

“What were your mom and dad fighting about?”

“What don’t they fight about?” Her joke went right over Riley’s head. “They fight about everything. That’s why I was sad.”

“I’m sorry,” Riley said, coming over and putting her arms around Sadie’s waist. “I’ll give you a hug, too. Two hugs are better than one.”

Sadie hugged Riley back and made eye contact with Jonathan. Are you in love? That was a question he didn’t dare answer because he was sure he might answer in a way that would ruin everything for everyone in this room right now and the one who wasn’t.