Page 137 of Jack

“I’ll tell you why. Because you were secretly in love withHarper. And that horrified you.”

“I barely knew she existed until that spring break.”

“And then you really knew, until you told yourself she was off-limits.”

“She was.”

A beat.

“Okay, yes. I knew she had a little hero worship going when she was young. And I might have liked it—but she was a child, so . . .” He lifted a shoulder. “And then she showed up, and yes, I didn’t realize it was her . . . Bee. Pigtails. Whatever. I fell for her. Hard. She was fun and smart and easy to be around, and she listened to me, and I felt brilliant and like maybe I hung the moon in her eyes—because I did.And then I kissed her—and found out who she was—and all I could think was . . . I took advantage of her and that hero worship, and yes, I was ashamed of myself.”

“But you never forgot her.”

“Ishouldhave forgotten her.”

“You did nothing wrong, bro.”

Jack ran a hand behind his head. “But don’t you see—I’m still that guy. The guy she crushed on—Mr. Hero Worship. And she’s writing a novel—and now I’m Mr. Romance!”

“Novel, or memoir. Sounded pretty real.”

Jack looked away.It was.Oh.He turned back to Conrad. “Yes, I’m embarrassed. But I’m also pretty sure that she’s in love with a version of me that is not me.”

“Despite your efforts to clue her in to the truth?”

“Yes.”

Conrad laughed. Full-out laughed. “Seriously? Mr. I Promise I’ll Find Your Friend? And Save Your Life Along the Way? Yeah, you’re doing a bang-up job of making her see the truth.”

Jack shook his head, made to push past Conrad, but his brother stopped him, his hand on his arm.

Jack stiffened.

“So what?” Conrad said.

Jack frowned.

“So what that the whole world knows you love her. And so what that she finds out that you’re not really Big Jack. Or that you are but you are also Sometimes I Get It Wrong Jack. This woman loves you. And that is a rare and beautiful thing, bro.” He let Jack go.

“I feel naked.”

“You can choose how you feel. You might consider feeling honored, Fabio.” Conrad winked and walked away.

Fabio?

Whatever.Jack followed him out to the parlor. The photographer had already finished taking shots of the ladies, and now she directed them to stand with their processional partners. He walked up to Harper.

She smelled good. Like flowers or something. And frankly, looked downright stunning in that V-necked dress, the fabric soft under his hand as he put it on her shoulder, as directed.

She stiffened.

Aw.“This woman loves you.”

Maybe not so much.

Boo and Oaken took their spots, and Jack forced a smile, holding it for about twenty more minutes as the photographer repositioned them.

“We need to talk,” he said to Harper at one point, bending down to whisper in her ear.