FallingforHerFiancé

CindiMadsen

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the
author ’simaginationorareusedfictitiously.Anyresemblancetoactualevents,locales,orpersons,
livingordead,iscoincidental.

Copyright©2013byCindiMadsen.Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproduce,distribute,
ortransmitinanyformorbyanymeans.Forinformationregardingsubsidiaryrights,pleasecontact
thePublisher.

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EditedbyStacyAbrams
CoverdesignbyJessicaCantor

ISBN978-1-62266-815-1

ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

FirstEditionJanuary2013

The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the
following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Barbie, Indiana Jones, Bank of America
Stadium,Panthers,AmericanIdol,Coke,Audi,GibsonFirebird,LordoftheRings,ESPN,DietCoke,
Sexyback,MyLifeWouldSuckWithoutYou,Cardinals.

Toeveryoneouttheretakingachanceonlove.

ChapterOne

Apparently,evenspammerswereboundanddeterminedtoshoveherlackofalovelifeinherface
today.Datingsitesfilledherjunkfolder.ShecouldViewBeautifulSinglesorWINKatsinglesnow—
free for three whole days! Did winking usually cost more? Dating a millionaire would probably be
nice,buttheBeoneofourcougars!fromCougarDating.comstung.Hello?Shewasn’tthatold.

There was also an exclamation-marked e-mail about increasing the size of something she didn’t

have.Butapparently,itwasaverypressingmatter.

Daniclickedtheboxtoselectthemall,hitthedeletebutton,andwatchedthemdisappear.Ifonlyshe

coulddothesametoherworkinbox.Therewereapproximatelythirtye-mailsabouttheupcoming
retreat now that more details had been announced, most of them in screaming caps and containing
multipleexclamationpoints,becauseonejustdidn’tconveyenoughfreakin’excitement.

Ofcoursethey’reexcited.Theyallgettotaketheirsignificantothersandgetingoodwiththeboss.
While the company would never call the retreat couples exclusive, the one they’d had two years

agoprovedthatbeingpartofaduomeantmoreone-on-onetimewiththebossandhiswife.Wayne
BridgesalwaysbraggedabouthowBridgesMarketing,Inc.wasafamily-friendlybusiness—healso
had this whole competition-makes-you-stronger stance—and she knew one very pompous jerk had
beenpromotedoverherasaresult,evenifWaynewoulddenyit.

AndmaybeMr.Pompous’smarketingdegreehadedgedhimin,too,butDanihaddonemostofthe

workforeveryaccountthey’dtakenontogether.Alltheworkandnoneofthecredit.Butwithanew
senior exec position opening up, she was going to change that, no matter what it took. Because
medicalbillswereexpensive,andunlessshewonthelotterysoon,theonlywaytogetextramoney
wastomoveup,preferablyASAP.MamawasnowlivinginFloridawithAbuelaMorales,takingover
the physical care as well as working long hours to try to pay for everything. Dani was helping
financially as much as she could, and between the two of them, they were still barely squeaking by
every month. Mama told her not to stress, that it wasn’t her responsibility, yet she felt the constant
burdenweighingherdown.Whenshe’dgottenallthescholarshipsshecouldforcollege—bothfor
academicsandbasketball—andstillcameupshort,herfamilyhadpooledtheirmoneysoshecould
go.AbuelaMorales,hermaternalgrandmother,wastheonewho’dgivenherthemost.

Danidrummedherfingersonthedesk,tryingtofigureouthowshewouldpushpastthefactthat

shecouldn’tparticipateinmostofthephysicalcompetitionsattheretreatwithoutapartnerandstill
getthepromotionanyway.Nottomentionthefactthatshetendedtofreezeuparoundherboss,like
hispresencecutoffthepartofherbrainwherefullsentenceswerestored.

Hercellphonerang,JustinTimberlake’s“SexyBack”fillingtheair.Thatsongmeantherdaywas

abouttogetbetter,anditevenhadhercrackingasmilewhensheanswered.

“Tell me I don’t have to go,” Wes said. He was the one who’d programmed JT’s song as his

assignedringtonethelasttimetheyweretogether,claimingthetunewas“some.”

“Youdon’thavetogo,”Danisaid.
“Thanks.Andthanksfornotaskingwhatyou’regivingmepermissiontomiss.”
Danistoodandleanedagainstthewallofhergraycubicle.Fromthisviewpoint,shecouldseethe

settingsunthroughthewindowoftheofficeshehopedtosoonmakehers.“You’retalkingaboutyour

sister ’s wedding. And like I said, you don’t have to go, but you should, and we both know you’re
goingto.”

Wes’s sigh came over the line. “If you ask me, she let me off the hook when she picked my ex-

fiancéeas her bridesmaid.Today when Iwas home, Audrey andmy mom bothgave me these pity-
filledlookseverytimetheymentionedhername.LikeI’mnotoverher.AndIam.”

“Of course you’re over that self-centered princess.” Okay, so her description might be a little

harsh,butsheknewWesneededtoberemindedwhyheshouldbeoverhisex,Sophie,eventhough
Daniwasn’tsureheactuallywas.Infact,shesometimesworriedheneverwouldbe,andthatwasa
shame,becauseshe’dneverbeengoodenoughforhiminthefirstplace.Thegirlwaswaytoohigh
maintenanceforWes,alldemandwithnocompromise.

“Enoughaboutallthatboringcrap.How’slifeonyourend?”heasked.
Danitoldhimabouttheretreatandhowshefeltallthispressuretostandoutbutdidn’tknowhow

shewasgoingtocompeteinboatraceswheneveryoneelsehadapartner.“Nottomentionallthesad
looksI’llget—afewofmycoworkers’wivesalwayswanttosetmeup,too.AcoupleofmonthsagoI
toldeveryoneIwasdatingsomeonejusttogetthemoffmyback.IfonlyIhadanactualguytogo
withme.”Sheusedherthumbnailtoscrapeawaytheremnantsofherlastmanicure.“Guessyoudon’t
happentobefreeattheendofthismonth.”

She’dthrownitoutasajoke,butthetinglingofanideawasworkingitswaythroughherhead,and

shestartedtowonderifitmightbebrilliant.Shesnuckbackinsidehercubicalandloweredhervoice,
eventhoughmosteveryonehadalreadyleftfortheday.“Wes,flyoverhereandgowithme.I’lltell
them… I’ll tell them you’re my fiancé or something. We’d rule all the physical competitions, I
wouldn’tbesonervouswithyouthere,andI’llfinallygetWayne’sattention.”

The other end of the line was dead silent. She glanced at the display to make sure they were still

connectedandthenputthephonebacktoherear.“Iknowit’skindofextreme,butIhaven’tseenyou
inforeverand—”

“I’llbeyourfiancéfortheretreatifyou’llbemineforAudrey’swedding,”Wessaid.“Iwasgoing

totrytofindadate,butthiswouldbesomuchbetter.It’llstopthepity-filledlooks,andyouknowme
wellenoughtopullitoff—pluseveryone’salwayssuspectedweweremorethanfriendsanyway.It’s
theperfectwaytoshowSophieI’vemovedonsinceshedumpedme.”

Danibitherlip.“I’mnotsuretakingoffworkrightbeforeIgoupforapromotionis—”
“Younevertaketimeoff.Comeon,Dani.Ineedyouhere.”
ShewasalsothinkingaboutthecostfortheflighttoNorthCarolina,butWeshadsaidheneeded

her, so how could she skip it now? Not to mention, it’d been way too long since they’d seen each
other—callsandtextsjustweren’tenoughwithherbestfriend.

Themoreshethoughtaboutit,themorethisseemedliketheperfectsolutionforbothofthem.She

couldpictureshowingupattheweddingwithWestoseeSophie’slipstwistingupinthattight-assway
they always did. She imagined sitting behind the desk in the office across from her cubical, giving
instructionsinsteadofdoingallthegruntwork.Andevenbetter,shepicturedtheextrazerosbehind
herpaycheckeverymonthandfinallybeingabletohelpherfamilywithoutbarelyscrapingby.

“I’mgettingdownononekneerightnow,”Wessaid,butshecouldalsohearthecrunchofchips,

meaninghewasmostlikelysittingonhiscouch,spillingcrumbsalloverhimself.“DanielleI-forget-
your-middle-nameVega—”

“Youdon’tknowmymiddlename?”
“You’vegot,like,threeofthem,andthey’reallinSpanish.”
“I’veonlygottwo,andnamesarenames.”
“Oh,likeyouremembermine.”
“Jonathan.”

“Okay, fine, you win this round. Now if you’d stop busting my chops, I’m trying to ask you

something here.” The sound of more crunching chips came over the line. “So like I was saying…
Danielle two-middle-names Vega, will you do me the honor of pretending you’re going to marry
me?”

She laughed, a lightness filling her chest. Of all the stunts they’d pulled, this one would take the

cake.Firsttheweddingcake,andthenthatawfulbakerykindtheypassedaroundtheofficewhenever
oneofhercoworkershadabirthdayor,youknow,blinkedright.EventhoughWescouldn’tseeher,
shewent all out,throwing a handto her chest, battingher eyes, anddoing her best over-the-moon-
with-a-side-of-ditzyvoice.“Yes!Yes!Athousandtimes,yes!”

AstheplanedescendedtowardCharlotte,NorthCarolina,excitementdancedthroughDani’sstomach.
Sheleanedforwardinherseatandpeeredoutthetinywindow.She’dgrownupafewhoursawayin
Greensboro and had gone to Wingate University, which was about forty minutes south. The green
trees,allthehistoricsites,andthefactthatWeswashere—itfeltlikecominghome.

TheflightattendantdidthelastcheckthroughthecabinandDanistartedbouncingherleg—until

her seatmate, a crabby older woman, glared. She probably doesn’t have a best friend, period, much
lessoneshe’sdyingtosee.

Or should I say fiancé? Dani shook her head. Being engaged to Wes was an odd thing to think

about.Whenthey’dmetfreshmanyearovertheirnerdyloveofhistory,they’dbecomeinstantfriends.
They studied together, hung out most weekends, and occasionally crashed at each other ’s places if
theyweretootiredortootipsytomakeithome.

Peoplealwaysassumedtheywereacouple.Nooneseemedtogetthattheysimplylovedeachother

withoutbeinginlove,andthatWeswasstilltheonefriendwhomadeeverythingbetter,whowasby
hersidewhensheneededhimmost.

Finallythewheelstoucheddownandtheytaxiedtowardthegate.Anticipationtingledthroughher

veins,anditwasallshecoulddotopatientlywaitforherturntoexit.Whateverhappenedwiththeir
fake engagement and his sister ’s wedding, this was going to be the vacation she so desperately
needed.Alreadyherbodyfeltlighter,herheadclearer.

Assoonasshegotofftheplane,shezippedpasttheotherpeople,weavinginandout,practically

runningnow.Shewalkedpastsecurityandscannedthefaces.Nope.Nope.Nope.

“Dani!”
She turned toward the voice, her feet already propelling her forward. Wes met her halfway,

scooping her up in a giant hug. She squeezed him so tightly the brim of her baseball cap ended up
crooked.Shetookastepbacktogetabetterlookathim.Hiswavy,dirty-blondhairwaslongerthan
usual,andfromthelooksofit,hehadn’tshavedinweeks.Hegrinnedandhispaleblueeyeslitup—
goodtoknowhewasasexcitedtoseeherasshewastoseehim.

“Ialmostdidn’trecognizeyouwithallthescruff.Youlooklikeyoushouldhaveanaxoveryour

shoulder and a big blue ox for a pet.” She ran her hand down his face and his whiskers tickled her
palm.“Dogirlsgoforthatthesedays?”

“Not many, unfortunately,” he said, but she knew that wasn’t true. Although Wes hadn’t had a

seriousrelationshipsinceSophie,therewasneverashortageofgirlsafterhim.

He took her suitcase from her. “Audrey and my mom are both on me to shave and get a haircut

beforethewedding.”

They started toward the exit and he eyed her get-up of T-shirt, yoga pants, and neon yellow

sneakers.“IfI’mPaulBunyan,youmustbeWorkoutBarbie.”

Sheelbowedhiminthegut.“Hey,Iwasflyingandbloated.Givemeabreak.”
Heflashedheragrinanddrapedhisarmoverhershoulders.“I’msogladyou’rehere.Ifigured

we’ddoalittlehiking,andthenI’vegotsomethingspecialplannedfortonight.”

Somethingspecialusuallymeantsomethingshe’dendupregrettinglater.“Haveyoutalkedtoyour

familyyet?DotheyevenknowI’mcomingtothewedding?”

His grin widened. Wes loved to be the center of attention, loved a good prank, and this was a

mixtureofboth.Ofcoursehehadn’twarnedthem.“They’regoingtoflip.Butwedon’thavetodeal
withanyoneuntiltonightafterdinner,sowe’llworryaboutthatlater.”

Overthephonethishadseemedliketheperfectsolution,somethingthatwouldbesimple.Butnow

thatshewashere,thinkingofmeetingWes’sentirefamily,aballofnerveswasforminginhergut.
Sinceshewasn’tactuallygoingtomarryhim,itshouldn’tmatterwhetherhisfamilylikedherornot,
shouldit?

She pressed down all her worries the best she could and shot him a smile. “Actually, I’m more

worriedthatmyfiancélookslikeahobo.”

…

Over the past few weeks, all the stupid wedding stuff had been throwing Wes off, leaving him
constantlyonedge.Okay,soifhewerebeinghonest,itwasmostlytheSophiething.Hestillcouldn’t
believe Audrey had made his ex a bridesmaid. Yes, the reason he’d met her was because she and
Audrey were friends, but it felt like choosing sides, and since he was the one dumped on his ass
withoutanymoreexplanationthan“It’sjustnotgoingtowork,”Audreyshould’vechosenhis.Toadd
insulttoinjury,aboutamonthafterbreakingofftheengagement,Sophiehadshownupatthebarhe
frequentedwithsomedudehangingalloverher.

ButtheinstantheandDaniwerehikingupthetrail,noneofthatmatteredanymore.Especiallynow

thattheywerenearingtheBuzzardRockoutcropping,wheretheycouldsitinthesunandgetaview
oftheentirearea.

Daniblewoutabreath.“Thisisyourideaofasmallhike?”
“Anythingnotrequiringrappellinggearissmall.”
She shook her head, but she was smiling. He knew she’d be down for however big or small he

decidedtogo,whichwaswhyshewashisfavoritepersontojusthangoutwith.Itwashardtoexplain
theirrelationshiptopeople—especiallytohisguyfriends,whocouldn’tbelievehe’dnever“hitthat.”
Itwasn’tlikehe’dfailedtonoticethatDaniwasnaturallypretty,herMexicanethnicitygivingheran
exotic look he’d seen plenty of dudes drool over. A fact that Sophie had definitely noticed. They’d
arguedabouthisrelationshipwithDaniallthetime.

Whatpeopledidn’tget,though,wasthatbeingwithherwaseffortless.Theylikedthesamethings,

laughedatthesamejokes—shejustgothiminawaynooneelsedid.Whensomethinggoodorbad
happened,shewasthefirstpersonhewantedtocall,andithadbeenlikethatprettymuchsincetheday
he’dmether.

Atthetop,hepulledouttwowaterbottlesandhandedonetoDani.Shetookaswigandlookedover

thevalley.Hershouldersrelaxedandsheclosedhereyes,tippingherheadtothesun.Heknewshe’d
likethisplaceasmuchashedid.

“Imissthis,”shesaid.“IshouldfindtrailsinArkansas,butittakessolongtogetoutofthecity,I

neverhaveanyonetogowith,andIjustdon’tthinkit’lleverfeellikehomethewayNorthCarolina
does.”

“Somoveback.”
Shelookedathim,headtilted.“Ohsure,justleavemyjobandmoveback.Easyforyoutosay.”
“What’skeepingyou?YoumovedouttherebecauseofSteve,andnowthathe’soutofthepicture,

youmightaswellcomebackhome.”Sheturnedaway,sohecouldn’tseeherexpression.Heknewthe
idiot she’d followed to Arkansas had hurt her, and he hoped she wasn’t staying to try to get back
togetherwithhim.Weshadfelttheurgetopunchtheguyfromdayone,buthe’dtriedtogetalong

withhimforDani’ssake.IfheeversawSteveagain,hewasgoingtoenjoytellinghimexactlyhow
muchofaloserhewas,though.

“Myjob’sinLittleRock.”Sheploppeddown,andWessatnexttoher.Shepickedupahandfulof

dirt and let it drift through her fingers. “How about you? Still glad you left your desk job to fly
helicopters?”

“Hellyeah.”Whenhe’dfirstconsideredquittinghisperfectlygoodsoftwaresalesjobtotrainfor

hispilot’slicense,hisfamilyhadflipped.Daniwastheonlyonewho’dtoldhimtogoforitifthat
was what he wanted. She also said that if everyone else disowned him and he ended up broke, he’d
alwayshaveaspotonhercouchtosleepandherfridgetoraid.

“Ilovemyjob,”hesaid.“Lovebeingupintheair,flyingoverthecityinamatterofminutes.And

now that I’ve got more piloting experience, I’m thinking of starting my own tour company.
Something a little more exciting—all the places in North Carolina people don’t normally see with
historical facts made more interesting by yours truly.” He grinned at her to drive the point home.
“Maybe even places where people can cliff dive or go white water rafting—spots that are nearly
impossibletogettoanyotherway.”

He’d been thinking about it for a while, but he’d kept it in, not wanting to hear how crazy or

unrealistic the idea was. Buying a couple of helicopters and opening up your own company wasn’t
exactlycheap.Danitwistedthelidonherwaterbottleandnodded,onecornerofhermouthturnedup.
“Soundsperfectforyou.”

Hisheartswelled,excitementleapinguptotaketheplaceofallhisdoubts.“Yeah?”
“I can totally see it.” She tucked her leg up, twisting toward him. “Remember that first night we

studiedatyourapartmentinsteadofthelibrary?Whenweplannedoutourfutures?Youtoldmeyou
were going to be the next Indiana Jones—not an actor, but the real thing. Who played guitar in a
famous band on the side. And after talking for hours without managing to actually get any of our
assignment done, I knew we were destined to be more than just study partners. Even though I was
prettysureyouwerehalfcrazy.”

“Iwascrazy?Yousaidyouwantedtoteachhistoryatahighschoolandcoachbasketball.”
Her lips curved into a smile, nostalgia filling her features. “You promised you’d bring all the

archeologicalitemsyouduguptomyclassroomsoI’dbeabletogetapeekandsharethemwithmy
studentsbeforethemuseumsfoughtoverthem.”

“I might’ve had a few too many beers that night.” What he didn’t confess was how nervous he’d

beentohaveherathisplacethatfirsttime,backwhenhewastryingtoimpressherforotherreasons.

Shelaughed.“Probablyanotherreasonwedidn’tgetanyworkdonethatnight.”Hersmileslowly

faded. “I can’t believe I ended up working for a marketing firm of all things.” There was an
inexplicable look in her eye that he thought might be regret. “Sometimes I want to go back to our
collegedays,whenitseemedlikeallitwouldtaketogetwherewewantedtobewasapieceofpaper
thatsaidwehadadegree.Imissthatkindofsunnyoptimism.”

“Whatifyougetthatpromotionyou’vebeentalkingabout?Willyouloveyourjobthen?”
“I’llbeabletopaymybillseverymonth,andIlovetheideaofthat.”Shepulledherkneestoher

chest and folded her arms over the top. “It might not be my dream job, but I’m good at it, and I
deservetobepromoted.”

“I’msureyoudo.”Hetookinherprofile,feelingatwingeofregrethimself.“Ijustwishyoudidn’t

livesofaraway.”

“Me,too.ButmaybewhenI’mmakingmoremoney,I’llbeabletovisitmoreoften.Andyoubeing

apilotandall,I’msureyoucouldswingafewtrips?Whenyou’renottoobusyflyingpeopletonew
adventuresandbeingarockstar,ofcourse.”

“Oh, yes. In the one venue that the band regularly plays in because we know the owner, we’re

marginally more popular than the jukebox that plays hits from the seventies. My rock-star status is
rightaroundthecorner.”Heleanedbackonhishands,thetinystonesdiggingintohispalms.“We’re
actuallyperformingSaturdaynight—Audreydoesn’tknowI’mplayingthenightofherweddingor
she’dkillme,butit’ssuperlate,soshe’llneverhavetoknow.”

“Finally,ashowIcangoto.Ihaven’theardyouplaywithabandinyears.”
“Bepreparedtobecompletelyunderwhelmed.”
Shelaughed.Shehadthekindofinfectiouslaughthatmadehimlighterandhappier,evenwhenhe

wasfeelinglikecrap.Andforthefirsttimeinalongtime,hedidn’thavetoworryaboutthefactthat
hisgirlfriendwouldbepissedoverhishangingoutwithDani.

Beingfakeengagedtoherwasgoingtobeablast.

ChapterTwo

DanirolledhersuitcaseintoWes’sapartment.Agianttelevisionlinedonewall,therewasabookcase
filledwithvideogames,movies,andthickvolumesonvariouswars,andhehadoneofthosecouches
withthereclinersandcupholdersbuiltin.Butshecouldn’tbelievehowcleanandorganizedtheplace
was. His apartment in college had been a total hazard area, and the last time she’d visited here, the
booksandmovieshadbeeninstacksaroundtheroomalongwithhalftheclothesheowned.

“Idoknowhowtoclean,”Wessaid.Apparentlyhecouldreadhermind.Ormaybehermouthwas

hangingopen.

“UntilnowIreallywasn’tsure.”
“Ha-ha.” He stripped off his shirt, wadded it up, and shot it into the hallway. For a moment, she

staredathisbarechestandabs.Hemust’vebeendoingalotofhiking.Andab-ing—’causedamn,you
couldwashlaundryonthatsix-pack.

Then she felt weird about checking out his body. It wasn’t like she’d never seen him shirtless

before. They’d gone swimming, plus he sometimes took off his shirt while they hiked or played
basketball.Thefacthewasinshapeorgoodlookingwasn’tnews.Butdamn,washealwaysinthat
goodofshape?

Sheturnedaround,actinglikeshewasstillsurveyingtheplace.It’sjustbecauseI’vebeensinglefor

solongwithoutsomuchasadate.Andtheguysintheofficeallhavelargegutsandthinninghair.

Certain her random hormone surge was under control now, she completed the circle she’d been

slowlyspinning,facingWesagain.He’dgrabbedabagofpotatochipsandasodaandfloppeddown
onthecouch.“Youcanshowerfirst.Therearefreshtowelsinthehallclosetandmybodywashwill
makeyousmelllikeadude,butyou’rewelcometoit.Anythingelseyouneed?”

“Nope.AndI’vegotmyowngirly-smellingproducts,soI’mgood.”Sherolledhersuitcasetothe

bathroom,findingitascleanastherestoftheapartment.

MaybesomegoodcamefromhisdatingSophie.Ofcourse,hismessinessneverreallybotheredher

tobeginwith.

Afterhershower,asshewasblowingoutherhair,shegaveherselfapeptalk.Ifshewasbecoming

so desperate she was ogling her best friend, it was time for her to jump back into the dating scene.
The pitiful part of her had been holding back, waiting for Steve to realize he missed her. But then
moreandmoreweekspassed,andthelasttimeshe’dsenthimapathetichow-are-thingse-mail,he’d
sentbackoneword:fine.

Twoyearstogether,arelocationforhisjob—thatheendedupquittingtogobacktocollegewhile

sheworkedandpaidallthebills—andintheend,shegotdumpedandone-worde-mailreplies.

WhenIgetback,I’mputtingmyselfoutthere.
Sheloweredherhairdryerandfrownedatherreflection.HowdoIputmyselfouttherewhenIhave

nofriendstogooutwith?She’dstartedworkingsomuchthatshedidn’thavetimetogoout,andall
thewomenatworkweremarried.Shejustdidn’thavemanyotheropportunitiestomeetpeople.

Well,howevershehadtodoit,evenifitmeantputtingupanonlineprofilewithoneofthosedating

sitesthatwouldn’tstope-mailingher—notthecougarone,ofcourse—sheneededtodosomething.

Shefinishedswipingherlasheswithmascara,tossedthetubeintoherbagtopunctuatethethought,

andexitedthebathroom.“WhereshouldItuckmysuitcase?Youcareifit’soutbythecouch?I’dhate
toruinyourchi.”

“Oh,yeah.I’mbigonmychi.”Wessteppedintoview,stillshirtless,andpointedtowardtheclosed

doorattheendofthehall.“You’restayinginmybed.”

Hisbed.Allthosemuscles.Heatrosetohercheeksandshecouldfeelherpulsesteadilyclimbing.

Shecouldn’tseemtolookawayfromthetattooonhisside.Thethickblackinkformedatribalsun
thatmorphedintoaswirledshapewithhintsofabeakandwings,likeabirdsoaringawayfromthe
sun.She’dseenitbefore—she’devenbeenwithhimforoneofthetwosessionsit’dtakentogetit—
yetherpulsewasstillclimbingasshetookinthewayitcutoffrightwheretheVofhisobliquesled
tohislow-slungjeans.Seriously,what’swrongwithme?Sheswallowedandittookwaymoreeffort
thanitshould.“Iloveyouandall,butI’mnotsureI’mreadytobeelbowedallnight.”

“I cleaned my room and even put fresh sheets on the bed so you could sleep there. I’ll take the

couch.”

Whatwasupwiththesqueezeofdisappointmentinherchest?Shewasjustlonely;thathadtobeit.

Shemissedhavingsomeonetocuddleuptoatnight.“Youdon’thavetodothat.”

“Alreadydone.Letmejustgrabmyclothes.”Hetookhersuitcasehandlebutdidn’tmovepasther

likeshe’dexpectedhimto.Heflickedtheendsofherhairwithhisfreehand.“Iforgothowniceyou
lookwithyourhairdown.”

If her mouth were working, she would’ve told him thanks. Offering her his bedroom and a

complimentaboutherlooks?ThiswasasideofWesshe’dneverseen.Andshewasn’t100percent
surehowtohandleit.

Whatshedidknowwasshe’dhadmorefuninthefewhoursshe’dbeenintownthanshe’dhadin

thelastfewmonthscombined.

…

The orange lights inside Whisky River illuminated Dani’s dark hair. She turned to Wes, eyebrows
drawnlow.“Whatarewedoinghere?Didyougocountryandforgettotellme?”

“It’s a fun place. And we’re meeting Paul. Apparently Rob canceled—family emergency or

something, although my guess is that his wife didn’t want to come once she found out we were
hangingoutatthisbarandgrill.”

A couple of guys walked by, running their eyes over Dani, and Wes found himself automatically

doing the same. Years of basketball had toned her legs and arms, something her shorts and strappy
top showed off. She was doing something different with her hair, too. A section of it hung halfway
over her eye in this sexy way that had caught him a bit off guard when she’d stepped out of the
bathroomearlier.HewassureevenPaul,who’drecentlyswornoffwomenthankstofindingouthis
girlfriendwascheatingonhim,wouldreconsiderhisanti-womanstancewhenhemetDani.

Shedidn’tseemtonoticetheguys,butshedefinitelynoticedthemechanicalbullatthefrontofthe

room.Agirlwasholdingon,screechingasitbucked.

“Nowit’sallstartingtomakesense,”Danisaid.
Thegirlflewoffthe“bull,”intothepadding,herbleached-blondhairhangingoverherface.
Wes worked to put on his most innocent expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I

comeherefortheonionringsandhotwings.”Henudgedhertowardatablefrontandcenterwhere
Paulwasseated.

WesintroducedthemasheandDanislidintothecow-printbooth.“Paul’sgoingtohelpuspulloff

ourscheme.Hewasabouttoproposetohisgirlfriendwhentheybrokeup,sohejustsohappensto
haveanextradiamondringhe’snotusing.”

Paulhunghisheadandstaredataspotinthemiddleofthetable.“Ifoundoutshewascheatingon

me,so…IkeeptellingmyselfI’mbetteroff,but…”

Danireachedoverandcoveredhishandwithhers.“I’msosorry.”Whenitcametootherpeople

hurting,Daniwasatotalsoftie,thefirsttoreachoutandcomfortsomeone,regardlessofhowwell
sheknewhimorher.“Badbreakupshavehappenedtothebestofus.EvenWes.”

Okay, maybe not that soft. Her words jabbed him in the chest, leaving that annoying sting of

rejection. If he were superstitious, he might’ve thought he and the band were cursed in love or
something.ButRob’smarriageseemedtobeworkingjustfine.Heandhiswifecouldn’tstophaving
babies,anyway.

Dani glanced down. “My last boyfriend left me. Not even for another woman, which is almost

worsebecauseitmeanshe’dratherbealonethanbewithme.”

It baffled Wes how hurt she sounded. Not because he didn’t understand how that felt, but because

shecoulddosomuchbetter.

“I was shocked by it, too,” she said, shaking her head. “I think that makes it harder to get over. I

guesswhenitcomestolove,we’reallkindofidiots,seeingtheworldwithblinders.”

“Lovedefinitelymademestupid.”PaullookedDanioveragain.“Who’ddumpyou?”
“Atotalprick,that’swho.”Wesdrapedhisarmoverhershoulders.“You’rebetteroffwithouthim.”
Sheliftedherhead.“I’mdonewithcaringaboutSteve.Idecidedtomoveon.”
Wes wished he felt ready to make that decision. He’d thought Sophie was the one, regardless of

theirdifferences,andtheideaofstartingoverwithsomeonenewandgoingthroughalltheinevitable
relationshipdramaexhaustedhim.Hedidn’tthinkPaulwasready,either—it’dbeentwomonthssince
he and Jennifer broke up, and it was still what he talked about more than not. All his “what if”
questionsmadeitharderforWestonotthinkaboutthesamethingwithSophie.

So back to the plan. Step one to getting over her included selling him and Dani as a legitimate

couple.“Didyoubringthering?”

“I’vebeenmeaningtohawkit—atleasttrytogetsomethingbackforit,butI…”Paulshrugged.He

dugintohispocket,slowlypulleditout,andswallowed.“Anyway,hereitis.Justbecarefulwithit,
dude.”

Westooktheboxfromhim.“Iwill.Justacoupleofweeks,thenI’llgowithyoutosellthedamn

thing.” He was tempted to open up the box and look at the ring, but Paul was staring at it like an
appendagehe’djustlost.

Maybethiswasabadidea.Honestly,he’dhopedoncePaulcouldseehewasokaywithoutthering

sittingthereremindinghimofwhatcould’vebeen,he’dfeelbetter.Weshadcertainlyfeltbetterwhen
he’dgottenridofSophie’s.Itwasagoodfirststeptoclosure,anyway.Theirfoodcame,distracting
them from their talk of stupid exes. Dani excused herself and Paul watched her head toward the
bathroom.

“Youguysarejustpretendingtobeengaged,right?”
“Right,”Wessaid.
“Buthaveyouever…?Imean,she’sprettyandsheseemsnice…”
Asmugsatisfactionwoundthroughhim.“Ithoughtallwomenwerethedevil.Wasn’tthatwhatyou

weresayingearlierthisweek?”

“Well,mostwomen.I’mnotsureI’mreadytomoveon,butifIwere…”Pauldidn’tsaytherest.He

didn’t have to. What Wes was trying to figure out was if Dani and Paul would be good together.
Honestly,hewantedhertofindaniceguy,andhisbandmatewasagoodguy.Shemightgetalittle
boredwithhimbutthenagain,obviouslyhehadnocluehowshechoseguys.Butthethoughtofher
beingwithanyguybotheredhim—alwayshad.Nooneeverappreciatedherenough,andtheytookup
hertime,leavinglessforhim.Selfish,buttrue.

Of course, the hypothetical possibility of her and Paul didn’t matter, because she didn’t live here

anymore.Unfortunately.Lifewouldbesomuchbetterifhisbestfrienddidn’tlivesofaraway.

DanicamebacktothetableandstoleacoupleofonionringsfromhisplateasWesglancedtoward

themechanicalbullnoonehadriddensincethey’dgottentheirfood.“So,Paulthinksyoushouldride
thebull.”

Shearchedaneyebrow,anohreallyexpressiononherface.
Paulhelduphishands.“Ididn’tsaythat.”
“Buthe’sthinkingit,”Wessaid.“AndsoamI.You’vegottatryitatleastonceinyourlife.”
Sherolledhereyes.“Why?Soalltheguyscanseemystuffbouncingaround?Nothanks.”
“It’saboutthechallengeofstayingon.”
“Mmm-hmm.I’msure.”
“Ifyouride,I’llride.Thenallthegirlscanwatchmystuffbouncingaround.”
Thecornersofhermouthquivered,butshewasworkinghardtokeepthesmileoffherface.“You

andallofyourchallenges.I’mtoooldforthisstuffnow.”

“You’retwenty-seven,notseventy.”
She glared at him. “I have to pay for my hospital bills and insurance deductibles myself. If I get

hurt,I’mscrewed.”

“Soyou’resayingyoudon’thaveenoughskillstonotgethurt?Theentirering’spadded.”
She glanced at Paul, like he would be the voice of reason. Wes wouldn’t have even known about

thisplaceifitweren’tforhim,soheknewshewasn’tgoingtofindit.

Paulshrugged.“Notsayingyouhavetoride,butI’ddefinitelyputmymoneyonyou.”
Westossedanonionringinhismouthandleanedbackinhisseat.“FivebucksIcanridelonger

thanyou.”

Shelookedfromhimtothebullandthenbackathim.“Yougofirst.”
Challenge accepted—he knew she’d cave. Excitement zipping through his stomach, he stood. He

tippedanimaginarycowboyhatather.“Inallfairness,darlin’,Ishouldprobablywarnyouthatthis
ain’tmyfirstrodeo.”

Shelaughedandswipedherhandthroughtheair.“Lesstalk,morewalk,cowboy.”
Heleanedoverher,tookonelastswigofhisdrink,andchargedtowardthefront.Yes,he’dbeento

arodeobefore,whenhewasreallylittle.Atonepoint,he’deventoldhismomhewantedtobeabull
rider—she’dbeenquicktostompthatoneout.Buthe’dnevercomeclosetoactuallyridingabull.At
leastthisonewouldn’tchargeafterhimortramplehimwhenhefell.

Hekickedoffhisshoes,liketheguyworkingthebulltoldhimto,andaloudwhistlecamefromthe

audience.Danididthisfingers-in-the-mouthwhistlethingthatcouldpracticallydeafenanyoneinnear
proximity.Hebowedandthenclimbedon.Acoupleofotherwomenhadlineduptowatchandheshot
themabiggrin.Oneblondewaskindofcute.Maybeifhedidn’tmakeafoolofhimself,he’dgochat
herup.

Wes gripped the rope and the rocking started. The thing bounced more than bucked. Usually it

startedoutslow,buttheguymust’vecrankeditup.Itstartedspinningfasterandfaster,goingupand
downharder,whippinghimbackandforth.Makinghisbackcrack.

IjustgottaholdonlongerthanDanican.
Hisfingersslipped,andthenhewasonhisbuttonthepaddedmat.Therednumbersabovethering

readforty-sevenseconds.Bythetimehegothisshoesbackon,Daniwasslippinghersoff,getting
readytogo.

“Ican’tbelieveI’mdoingthis,”shemuttered.
“Wouldnowbeabadtimetoadmitthatthebouncingismostoftheallure?”Hewinkedbecausehe

knew it would make her crazy. On cue, two bright spots of red showed on her cheeks and her jaw
clenched.

Thenhereyeslitupandsomethingdeepinsidehisgutstirred.“Youmustbescaredifyou’retrying

togetmetochangemymind,”shesaid.

Hetookastepcloserandechoedherwordsfromearlier.“Lesstalk,morewalk,cowgirl.”
Hermouthdroppedandthenshechargedpasthimintothering.Wesleanedagainsttheedgeofthe

railing,chucklingtohimself.

Thetwogirls,includingthecuteblonde,scootedclosertohim.
“It’ssocoolthatyourodeit.Theguysusuallydon’t.”
Aboutaminuteago,he’dwantedtotalktothegirlwhowassmilingathimandtwirlingherhair

aroundherfinger.NowhewasfocusedonDani,thinkinghehadn’thadthismuchfuninmonths.He’d
forgotten how fired up she got when he implied she couldn’t do something. As she climbed on the
bull, though, he noticed all the guys in the place leaning forward, pervy looks on their faces, and
startedwonderingifgettingheruptherewasamistake.

Keepyoureyestoyourself,hewantedtogrowlatthemall.Butthentheguyworkingthebullasked

ifshewasready,andhecouldn’treallytalk,becausehewasstaringrightalongwiththerestofthem.

…

NowthatDaniwasstraddlingthemechanicalbull,herpalmsweresweatingandshewasquestioning
herdecisiontotelltheguytoputitonthesamelevelhe’dusedforWes.

Allshehadtodowasrockwithitinsteadoffightagainstit.Right?Shefocusedallherthoughts

towardholdingon,squeezingherthighsaroundthecontraptionandtryinginvainnottothinkabout
howherboobswouldbejigglingforeveryonetosee.

Withascreech,thebeastlunged,bouncinginawayshedoubtedarealbullwould.Shegrittedher

teeth and closed her eyes; it was easier to feel the movements that way. Moving the way she’d seen
cowboysonTVridebulls—well,allofonetimeever,whenshe’dbeenstaringmoreathowcutethe
guyswerethantheriding—shethoughtthiswasn’tsobad.

Thenthemovementsgotfaster.Morebouncing.Wishingforasportsbra.Fingersslipping.
Shit.
Shetumbledoffthesideontoherback.Althoughridingthethingcouldn’tbemuchcardio,shewas

breathingheavilylikeshe’djustrun,herheartthumpingfast.Shequicklyrolledovertoseehertime.

Happinessbubbledupinher.Forty-nineseconds.
She’dtakeit.
As she made her way to where Wes was standing, it felt like the ground under her feet was still

moving.“Okay,thatwasfun.AndI’mnotjustsayingthatbecauseIbeatyou,whichIdid,incaseyou
hadn’tnoticed.”

IttookWesafewsecondslongerthanusualtosmile.
“Everythingcool?”sheasked.
He ran a hand through his hair and swallowed, his Adam’s apple slowly moving up and down.

“Supercool.”

ShenoticedtwogirlsjustdownfromWesandleanedin.“Thosegirlsarecheckingyouout.”
“TheyweretotallyobjectifyingmewhileIwasridingthebull,too.”Herubbedahandacrosshis

chest.“Ifeelsoviolated.”

Danirolledhereyesbutcouldn’thelpsmiling.“Yeah,I’msureyouweren’teatingupeverysecond

of the attention.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “The blonde even looks like your type. Why don’t
yougethernumber?”

“I seem to remember you being annoyed in college when I got a girl’s number and didn’t call.

Falsehopeorsomething.”

“Socallher.”
He glanced at the blonde and she beamed at him. Dani should probably be offended the girl was

flirtingsoblatantlywithhimwhen,forallsheknew,Danicouldbehisgirlfriend.Hegavethechicka

smallsmile,thenturnedbacktoher.“I’mgood.”

Hejerkedhisheadtowardthetableandtheystartedback.“SohowlongamIgoingtohavetohear

abouthowyoubeatmytime?”

“Oh,probablyforever.”
“DoIneedtoremindyouwhowonthedance-offincollege?”
“A video-game dance-off, and I still think my machine wasn’t reading my stomps right. I rule at

dancing.”

Theysettledbackatthetable.
“Sowhataboutyou,Paul?”Daniasked.“YougoingtoseeifyoucanbeatmyorWes’stime?”She

liftedahandandstage-whispered,“Minewasbetter,incaseyoudidn’tsee.”

Paulshookhishead.“IthinkI’llsitthisoneout.Probablyalltheotherones,too,actually.”
Danismiledathim,andhereturnedit.SheglancedatWes,andheofferedherthelastonionring

without her even having to ask. She took it and leaned back, soaking in the buzz from riding the
“bull”andbeingoutactuallydoingsomething.Itmadeherthinkthathernewgoalofgettingbackout
there—backintothedatinggame—wasagoodone.She’dbeenjustfloatingthroughlifeforfartoo
long,andbeingaroundPaulandWesgaveherhopethatmaybetherewerestillgoodguysoutthere.
She’d doubted it recently, but it was good to know. The question was, were there any in Arkansas?
Andhowwasshegoingtomeetthemiftherewere?

Wesglancedathisphone.“Hey,ifwe’regoingtopulloffthisengagementthing,webettergodrop

thebombonmyfamily.”

ChapterThree

Wes’s phone chirped as he and Dani pushed out of the restaurant. It was a text from Audrey,
recommending a good hairdresser. He rolled his eyes. Audrey was the girlier one of his sisters by
far, and she was crazy bossy over all the wedding stuff. In the end he’d shave and get his hair
trimmed,justsohedidn’thavetohearhowhe’druinedherspecialday—andokay,becauseit’dmake
herhappy—buthewasgoingtotortureherbynotgivinginquiteyet.

Sheimmediatelysentafollow-uptextaskingifhe’dhadhissuitdrycleanedyetandwhenhewas

goingtobeatMomandDad’s,becausetheywereallwaitingforhim,andsheneededeveryonethere
soshecouldgooverthepre-weddingscheduleforthenextfewdays.

Weddings.Whatapainintheass.Andtothinkifthingshadgonedifferently,heandSophiewould

begettingmarriedinamonth.Astrangemixtureofregretandreliefrolledthroughhim.

Heshookoffthosethoughts,turningthemtowhatheandDaniwereabouttoannounce.He’dtalked

aboutherenoughthathisfamilyallknewwhoshewas,andAudreyhadevenmetherbefore,afew
yearsback.Ifitweren’tforthat,they’dprobablytellhimitwastoofasttobeengagedagain.Justlike
they’dbeentellinghimforthelastthreemonthsthatheshouldtrytomoveon.

AsWesroundedthehoodofhiscar,hesentatextbacksayingthathewasonhisway,purposely

leavingoutthathewasbringingsomeone.

“Readyforthecraziness?”heaskedashesettledbehindthewheel.
Daniswipedherhairbehindherearanditimmediatelyfellforwardagain.“Well,whenyouputit

likethat…”

“You’llbefine.Myfamily’sgoingtoloveyou.”Nowtoputthefinaltouchonhisplan.Hetookthe

ringboxPaulhadgivenhimoutofhispocket.ThestreetlightcaughtthediamondasWesliftedthe
ring.Itwasmuchbiggerthantheonehe’dgivenSophie,andhewassurewhenshesawit,she’dtake
note.

“Talk about a rock,” Dani said. “Five bucks your family notices it before we can officially

announceanything.”

Westossedtheboxintohiscenterconsole,keepingtheringpinchedbetweenhisfingers.“You’re

on.Butnoflashingitoritdoesn’tcount.”Notthatmoneyeverexchangedhandsanymore.Theybet
fivedollarsovereverything,buttheybothwonandlostsooften,itwasjustassumedtheybrokeeven.

Dani extended her hand, and he was pretty sure it was trembling a bit. His fingers were shaking,

too,andhisthroatwassuddenlydry.Maybeitwasbecausehe’ddonethisbeforeandit’dgonetohell,
ormaybehe’dturnedintomoreofacommitmentphobethanhewantedtoadmit.Ifhefeltnervous
slippingitonDani’sfinger,hedidn’twanttothinkofhowbaditwouldbeifthiswereforreal.

Theringtookalittleworktogetoverherknuckle,butthensheliftedherhandinfrontofherface

andstaredatthediamond,scrunchinguphernose.

“What?”heasked.
“I don’t know. It’s just…odd. To have it on my finger. This whole thing.” She looked at him

throughthefringeofhairhangingoveroneofhereyes.“Areyousurethisisn’tcrazy?”

“Oh,I’msureitiscrazy.Butisn’tthatourthing?Orhaveyougottenboringnow?”
Thatdefiantexpressionthatmeantshe’dnotonlygoalongbutalsogoalloutcrossedherface—

man, he loved goading her. “You better strap yourself in, Wes Turner. I’m not sure you can handle
beingengagedtome.”

Alreadythiswaswaymorefunthanitshouldbe.“Bringiton,sweetheart.Butremember,youhave

toactlikeyou’reinlovewithme.”

She raised an eyebrow. “If you think I’m the doting kind of girlfriend, you’ve got another thing

coming.”

“AndwhentheyaskwhyIfellforyou,that’sexactlywhatI’llsay.”Heliftedhischin.“Well,you

see, she’s kind of mean and tells me I look like Paul Bunyan and a hobo. How could I not fall for
that?”

“Then I’ll say, but despite all those things, once I learned he was a pilot and heard him play

guitar”—she threw a hand over her heart and gave a dramatic sigh—“I was a goner. That and his
crystalclearblueeyes,ofcourse.”

Wesstartedthecarandreadjustedhisrearviewmirror.“Don’tforgetmyrock-hardbody.”
“Andyourhumility.”
Helaughed.Overthephonetheyalwaysjokedaround,buthavingherhereinpersonwasahundred

timesbetter.Iftherehadbeenanyromanticchemistrybetweenthematall,he’dproposeforreal,just
sotheywouldn’thavetolivesofarapartanymore.

Hismindflashedtotheimageofherridingthatbull,movingagainstit.He’dbeenunabletolook

away the entire forty-nine seconds, his heart pounding in his chest like it was about to explode,
thinkingaboutthingshesoshouldn’tbethinkingabout.

Suppressthatimage,Turner.Neverhappening.Whiletherewasnodenyingit’dbeenmuchhotter

watching his best friend ride that bull than he’d expected, there was a difference between attraction
andromanticchemistry.

And as he and Dani had learned one hazy mistake of a night, that was a line they were better off

stayingfar,farawayfrom.

Ashortdrivelater,theypulleduptohisparents’houseinHuntersville.

“Whoa,”Danisaid,peeringupatthethree-storystoneandbrickhouse,eyeswide.He’dgrownup

ontheothersideoftowninamuchsmallerhome,sohestillwasn’tfullyusedtoit,either.

“Aftermydadsoldhisbusiness,theyboughtthisplace.”Ifshethoughtthefrontwasimpressive,

she’d be floored when she saw the grounds out back, especially after all the wedding preparations.
Honestly,itstruckhimasridiculoustodosomuchlandscapingforaceremonyandcelebrationthat
wouldlastacoupleofhours,butvoicingthattoMomorAudreywouldearnhimtheLookofDeath.

WesgotoutofthecarandmetDaniinfrontofthehood.“So,doweholdhandswhenwegoup

or…?”

Sheshrugged.“You’retheonewho’sdonethisbefore,notme.”
“Well,atleastyoudon’trubitinoranything.”
“I’msureit’soneofourbiggestfightsnowthatwe’reengaged.”Herdarkeyebrowsdrewtogether.

“Girlspickfightsoverthatstuff,right?”

ThereasonwhyDanihadalwaysbeenpracticallyoneoftheguyswasthatshedidn’tactlikemost

girls.Notonlydidshelikethesamethingsheliked,shealsotoldhimexactlyhowshefelt—bluntto
thepointofbeingharshsometimes.Infact,ifhedidn’tclarifythatshewasagirlwhenhetalkedabout
her,peopleassumedshewasDanny,aguy.“Girlscanpickfightsoveranything,I’vefound.”

Shegaveonesharpnod.“Gotit.Picklittlefightstoshoweveryonewe’relegit.”Shecrackedher

knuckles and neck. That noise always made his own joints hurt. They just weren’t supposed to pop
likethat.“Nowholdmyfreakin’handandlet’sdothis.”

“Geez,youwanttothrowourhandstogetherandyellout,‘Goteam!’too?Relivetheglorydays

playingcollegebasketball?”

“Ahyes,theglorydayswhenIworkedmybuttoffandconstantlygotyelledatbymycoach.Good

times,goodtimes.”

Thecurtainsmoved,andWeshadafeelinghisarrival—andthefactthathewaswithsomeone—

was being announced throughout the house. His family was the nosy type, always in one another ’s
business,expressingtheiropinionsevenwhenyoudidn’task.Butthatwaswhytheyweresoclose,
too,withfrequentfamilyget-togethersfilledwithstoriesandgood-naturedteasing.

Introducing his entire family to Dani was long overdue, something he would’ve done for sure if

shehadn’tmovedtoArkansas.He’dneverplannedforittogodownquitelikethis,though.

HegrabbedDani’shand.Theystumbledforasecond,notsurewhethertogowiththesimplehand

clasporfingersintertwined.“Shit,we’rebadatthis.”

Shelaughed.“I’mrusty,butIexpectedyoutobesmootherafterallyourexperiencewiththeband

groupies.”

“I do not go for groupies, thank you very much.” Wes clamped onto her hand, forgetting about

trying to lace their fingers, and dragged her toward the front door. His heart beat faster and he
couldn’thelpbutsmileathowcrazythisnightwasgoingtobe.Heprobablyshould’vepreppedDani
forthefactthathisextendedfamilywasgoingtobehere,too,butit’dbesomuchmorefunthisway.

“Five bucks my mom offers you a guest room after she finds out about the engagement, so that

we’renotsleepinginmyapartmenttogether.”

“I’lljusttellherwe’rewaiting,”Danisaid.“Fivebucksshelikesmemorethanyoubytheendof

thenight.”

Wesopenedthedoor,grinningwhenpeoplescurriedawaylikecockroachesfromalight,tryingto

pretend they hadn’t just been hovering around the door watching him and Dani. All but his nephew
andniece.Theycharged.

“UncleWes!”theycriedout,wrappingthemselvesaroundhislegs.
HeletgoofDani’shandtohugthemashissisterscameintotheroomwiththeirsignificantothers.

GrandmaTurnerenteredthefoyer,hisuncles,aunts,andcousinsclosebehindher.Momcameoutof
thekitchen,wipingherhandsonherapron,thesweetscentofwhatevershewasbakingfollowingher.

AlleyesslowlymovedtoDani.
She reached for his hand, and he felt a little guilty for not warning her just how huge his family

was.Thedeerintheheadlightslookremindedhimthatshewasanonlychild.

He squeezed her hand. “Hope nobody minds, but I brought along a guest for dinner.” Audrey

steppedforward.“Dani,hi!Ialmostdidn’trecognizeyou.”

Murmurswentthroughhisentirefamily,avarietyof“Who’sDani?”and“That’sher?”
Audrey’s eyes shot to the ring on Dani’s finger and her mouth dropped. Wes meant to wait—but

Danihadbeenrightaboutthemnoticingthediamond.Nowayhewasgoingtolethissisterblurtit
out,likehecouldseeshewasaboutto.

“Everyone,I’dlikeyoutomeetDanielleVega.Myfiancée.”

…

Dani inched closer to Wes. So much for waiting until she’d met everyone before announcing their
engagement.Sheshould’veknownhecouldn’twait—impulsivewashismiddlename.Usuallyitwas
whatshelovedabouthim,butnowshehad…shedidn’tevenknowhowmanypeoplestaringather,
liketheyexpectedanexplanation.Atleastnoneofthemlookedappalled.

“You’reengaged?”Audreyshookherhead,turnedaround,andstormedoutoftheroom.
Okay,soapparentlyshe’sappalled.
The lady wearing an apron looked from Wes to Dani. Then she threw her hands over her mouth

andtearsgatheredinhereyes.

Danipulledback,readytoboltbackoutthedoor.
Ahigh-pitchedsquealcamefromthewomanandthenshewasrushingforwardandhuggingWes.

SheslungonearmaroundDani,too—thewomanwassurprisinglystrong.Thatseemedtobesome
kindofsignalforeveryoneelsetodothesame,andsoonDaniwasbeinghuggedandcongratulated
bypeoplewhosenamesshestilldidn’tknow.

Wesstartedpointingandtellinghernamesshedesperatelytriedtoassigntofaces.Thiswasn’tthe

intimatedinnerwithhisparentsandsiblingsshe’denvisionedwhenhe’dbroughtupthisplan.

Assoonasshehadacoupleofinchesofpersonalspaceback,sheleanedintoWesandwhispered,

“Idon’tknowhowyet,butI’msogoingtogetyoubackforthis.”

Wesgrinned.“Aw,thanks,hon.Iloveyousomuch,too.”
I’mgoingtokillhim.I’mactuallygoingtokillhim.
Wes’smother—KathyorKathleen,Danicouldn’tremember—pattedWesontheshoulder.“Could

yougohelpyourdadandunclessetupthetableandchairsoutside?”

DanitightenedhergriponWes’shand.“I’llhelp,too.”
His mother grabbed her other hand. “It’s okay, dear. The boys will get it. You come chat with us

girls.I’verecentlybecomeanexpertonweddings,andweshouldstarttalkingaboutyoursassoonas
possible.” She tugged Dani toward the kitchen. After one quick glance at Wes, who had an amused
smileonhisface,shereluctantlyfollowed.

A moment later, she found herself in a room full of girls. Wes’s older sister, Jill, and some

nameless aunts and cousins were huddled around Audrey. As soon as she looked up, though, she
stoodandgaveDaniatightsmile.“I’msorry;Iwasjustsoshocked.It’sgoodtoseeyouagain.”She
ran her French-manicured nails through her perfectly highlighted blond hair. “So how’d this
happen?”

Heat crawled up Dani’s neck into her cheeks. When it came to being out on the gym floor, she

lovedthespotlight.Withoutaballinherhandandonlyherconversationalskillstorelyon,though,
shecouldn’thelpbutsquirmunderthescrutiny.“How’dwhathappen?”

“Hello?YouandWesareengaged!ForyearsI’veheardoverandoveragain,‘We’rejustfriends.’”
Theotherwomenintheroomnodded.
Crap.SheandWesshould’vediscussedthis.Whyhadn’ttheythoughtupagoodstory?Thatwasthe

problemwiththembothjumpinginwithoutfullythinkingthingsthrough.Shefiguredthemoretruth
shecouldweavein,thebetter.“Well,I’vealwayslovedWes.”

Acollectivesighwentthroughtheroom.
“Butwerecentlyrealizedweneededeachother,andthingssortofprogressedfromthere.”
“Tellusabouthowheproposed,”Jillsaid,scootingforwardinherchair.
Yetanotherstoryweshould’vecomeupwith.Somethingtoldhertheyweren’tlookingforHegave

me an almost-used ring in his car after bull riding at Whiskey River. “Um, we went for a hike. We
stoppedtolookoverthevalley,andWespulledouttheringandaskedme.”Yeah.Thatsoundedokay.
Andthey’dbeenonahikerecently,sothatworked—notthatshethoughtanyonewouldbedemanding
evidence.

Shehoped.
“Whatwerehisexactwords?”Kathy—no,Kathleen,shewasalmostsure—asked.
“Just,um,‘Willyoumarryme?’”
Moresighs.
Kathleenpattedherhand.“And,honey,whereareyoustayingrightnow?Becausewehaveplenty

ofroomhere,andwe’dbehappytohaveyou.Icouldfixyouupaguestroomtonight.”

IfWesasked,shewasdenyingthiseverhappened.Allbetswereofftheinstantheshovedherinto

this craziness. When Kathleen raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, Dani said, “Thank you so
much for the offer, but I’m staying with Wes.” Before his mom could insist she stay here and her
supposed-to-be-relaxingvacationwenttohell,sheturnedtoAudrey.“So,you’regettingmarriedin

threedays!That’ssoexciting.”

Prettysoontheconversationwasaboutflowersanddressesandeverythingtheystillneededtoget

donebeforeSaturday.

EventhoughWes’sfamilywashuge,andnothinglikehers,itmadehermissherownfamily.After

herfatherpassedawaywhenshewasten,sheandMamahadtopulltogetherandkeepgettingthrough
lifeonedayatatime.AbuelaMoraleshadvisitedoftentohelpout,andthey’dallkeptoneanother
goingthroughtheyears.WhenAbuela’shealthstartedslipping,Mamamovedinwithhertohelpout.
It’dbeenforeversinceDanihadvisited,andifMamaorAbuelaevengotwindofthisengagement,
fakeornot,she’dneverheartheendofit.

Ishouldcallandcheckin.SeeifAbuelaisstilltryingtotakeoffheroxygen,claimingshedoesn’t

needthestuff.Itwasexpensivetohaveitin-home,butbreathingwasvitaltolife,soitwasstaying,no
matterhowmuchAbuelafoughtit.It’dbesomucheasierifshe’dstopresistingthethingssheneeds
togetbetter.

“Dani?”
Shejerkedoutofherthoughts,lookingtowardthevoice.Kathleen.“Sorry,whatwasthat?”
“HaveyouandWespickedadateorlocation?”
Luckily,Weschosethatmomenttopokehisheadintotheroom.“Thebackyard’ssetupandDad

tookoutthedessertandwinealready,”hesaid.“Let’sallgohearwhatthebosswantsustodotherest
oftheweek.”HeflashedasmileatAudrey,whostuckhertongueoutathim.

Daniquicklystoodandmovedovertohim.Shewantedtostaymad,buthewinkedather,agoofy

grin on his face. As much as she teased him about the scruff, it did look pretty hot on him. She
wonderedifit’dbeweirdifsheranherfingersdownitagain—shecouldalwaysplayitoffaspartof
theengagedact,afterall.

Wesputhishandonthesmallofherback.“SodidDanitellyouabouthowIproposedtoheratmy

show,infrontofanentireaudience?”

Confusionflickeredacrossallthefacesintheroom.
She slid her arm around his waist. “I told them how you asked me after we took a hike. Out in

nature.”

“Right!Thefirstproposal.Thatwastherealone,ofcourse.ThenIcalledheroutoftheaudienceat

ourshowtoembarrassher.”

Noonesighed.Ha.Theylikemystorybetter.
Gradually, everyone got up and headed outside. At the top of the porch steps, Wes grabbed her

elbow, holding her back. “I didn’t plan on announcing it, but you were right about the ring being
noticeable.How’ditgowiththegirls?Audreydidn’tmakeyoufeelbad,didshe?She’sbeenmoody
forweeks,sowhateverherdealis,ithasnothingtodowithyou.”

“Nextthingyouknow,you’llbetellingmethatfailingtomentionyourentirefreakin’familywas

goingtobeherehadnothingtodowithyou.”

“Oh,thatwasallme.”Hisgrinwidened.“Thoughtit’dbemorefun.”
Shewasconsideringshovinghimdownthestepsforfun,butthenshenoticedallofhisfamilywas

suddenlywatchingthemwithweirdexpressionsontheirfaces.

“Um,why’severyone—”
“Dani?”sheheardfrombehindher,andWestensed.
She wouldn’t have recognized the voice, but from Wes’s reaction, she was pretty sure she knew

who’dbethere.Sureenough,Sophiestoodjustbehindthem.“IneededtoaskAudreyaquickquestion
abouttheshoes…”Sheheldupabag.“Ididn’trealize…Imean,Iknewyou’dbehere.”Sheglanced
atWes.“ButIdidn’texpect…Sorry.Hi,Dani.”

AbreezeblewDani’shairinherfaceandshereacheduptotuckitbehindherear.

Sophiegaspedandherfacepaled.HergazewasgluedtotheringonDani’sfinger.“Didyouand

Stevegetbacktogether?”Therewasasad,hopefulpinchtohervoice.

WesslidhisarmaroundDani’swaist.Shetriedtoremindherselfthiswaswhyshe’dcome,andthat

Sophiewastheonewho’ddumpedWes,buttherewasasick,heavyfeelinginhergutinsteadofthe
“sothere”victorioushighshe’dexpected.

“DaniandIare…engaged,”Wessaid.
“Oh.Well.”Sophie’ssmilewasmorelikeagrimace.“Congratulations.”Sheraisedhervoiceand

glanced at where everyone was sitting, watching the show. “Audrey, can I steal you away for a
second?”

Under normal circumstances, Dani would be mentally mocking her for saying, Can I steal you?

Butrightnowshewastoobusyfeelingsorryforher.

Shedoesn’thavearighttobehurt,though.IfshewantedWes,sheshouldn’thavecrushedhim.She

deservestofeelstupidforlettinghimgo.

Weswasputtingonacoolfront,butDanicouldfeelhisfingerstwitchingatherwaistandseethe

uncomfortablepinchtohisfeatures.Therewasawholelotofawkwardnesscomingatherfromthe
entire family, actually. And Dani wondered, once again, if Wes were actually as over his ex as he
claimed.

ChapterFour

WesglancedoverhisshoulderatDaniwhenheheardherfootsteps.Hegratedcheeseontotheeggs
andslidaplateacrossthecountertoher.

Hereyelidswerestillhalfclosedandshewasshufflingmorethanwalking—shewasn’tamorning

personandwouldactuallygetmadathimwhenhewashappyfirstthing,oftenaskingwhathisdeal
was. It was kind of cute, this messy hair, scrunched-together eyebrows, and lips-stuck-out-in-a-pout
sideofher.

“Youthinkbreakfastisallittakestomakemeforgetyouthrewmetothewolveslastnight?”she

asked.

“One,thosewolvesaremyfamily.Andtwo,youhaven’ttriedmyeggsyet.Thissuper-smartgirl

taughtmetoputgreenchiliesandcheeseinthem.”Heshotheranextra-sugarygrinandextendeda
fork.

Shestaredatitforamomentandthenswipeditoutofhishand.“You’reluckyI’mhungry.”
Hesatacrossfromheranddugintohisbreakfast.“Ithinklastnightwentprettywell,actually.Now

thatmyfamilyknowsabouttheengagement,thehardestpartisover.Hopefullythey’llleavemealone
fromhereonout.”

“No,they’regoingtowanttoknowwhenandwhereandahundredotherdetails.”Sheshookher

head.“Ishould’veknownyou’dmakeupanonstageproposal.”

“What’swrongwiththat?Asifaproposalafterahikereallysoundslikeme.”
“Hey,Iwasonthespotbecauseofyou.”Shepointedherforkathim,adangerouslookinhereye.

“Ifwe’regoingtoreallydothis,weneedtogetourstoriesstraight.”

Heleanedhisforearmsonthetable.“If?Onenightwithmyfamilywasenoughtoscareyouoff?”
“Notyourfamily.Sophie.Itseemedlike…”Shestirredhereggswithherfork,thescrapingnoise

againstherplateloudinthesuddenquiet.

Westensed.“Likewhat?”
“Liketherearesomeunresolvedissuesthere.”
He gripped the counter so that the edge dug into his palms, not wanting to get into this. “I’m

resolvingtheissue.I’mengagedtoyounow.”

Shetiltedherhead,givinghimthatno-nonsenselook.Heusuallylikedthatshecalledhimonhis

crap,butsometimes—likenow—itwasannoying.“Seemslikedelayingtheissuetome.Look,Iknow
you’reaguy—”

“Damnstraight.”
“Andthere’ssomemanrulethatyou’vegottobeallmacho—”
“Rulenumberthree,actually.”
Bothofhereyebrowsshotup.“WouldyoujustletmefinishbeforeImakeyoucryandbreakrule

numberthree?”

Heconsideredtellinghertogoaheadandtry,butclampedhislipsinstead.Whenshesethermind

tosomething,therewasn’tmuchchanceofchangingit,sohemightaswellrideitoutandbedone
withit.

“Don’tgivemethatface.I’mnotsayingweneedtohaveabigtalkaboutit,butassomeonewho

wasdumpedbytheguyIthoughtwastheone,Idounderstand,youknow.Youhatethepersonandstill
wanttogetbacktogethersomehow,eventhoughitmakesnologicalsense.Itsucksandithurtsand

you want to return the hurt right back. But are you sure this fake engagement thing isn’t going to
makethingsworse?”

Wes sighed. Time and time again, his sisters had asked him what went wrong, how he felt, a

hundredotherquestionsthathedidn’twanttoanswer.ButDaniwashereand,unlikehissisters,she
didgetit.Hewaspissedshewaspushinghim,yetgladatthesametime.Hewantedtogethowhe’d
feltthelastfewmonthsoffhischest.“Eversincewebrokeup,I’vefeltlost,tryingtofigureoutwhatI
reallywant.AndIstilldon’thaveadamnclue.ButIdoknowthatIneedtoprovetoher,tomyfamily,
andtomyselfthatIcanmoveon.”

HereachedacrossthecounterandgrabbedDani’shand.“Soyes,Istillwanttogothroughwithour

plan. It feels like finally closing that chapter in my life, and hopefully after this wedding everyone
willstopaskingmeaboutSophieandwhathappened,andIcanmoveonforreal.”

Shestaredbackathim,unblinkingforamoment,thensqueezedhishand.“Okay.Ifyouthinkit’ll

helpyou.Ijustdon’twanttobethethingthatgetsinbetweenyouandSophieresolvingwhatever…”
Shemadeavaguehandmotion,likeshedidn’tknowhowtofinish.

Itwasanicethought,butitdidn’tchangeanything.Besides,regardlessofwhateveryoneseemedto

think,hedidn’twanttobewithSophieanymore.Hetrulyjustwantedtogetonwithhislifeandlook
intothehelicoptertourideamoreseriously.

Hestoodtodumphisdishinthesink,andDanicameovertodothesame.Hefilledaglasswith

orangejuiceandhandedittoher.Whilehewasseriousaboutputtinghispastbehindhim,hewasn’t
sureDaniactuallywas,despitewhatshe’dsaidlastnight.“Sincewe’retalkingaboutthisstuff,what
areyoudoingtomoveonfromStevethePrick?”Whenshedidn’tsayanything,headded,“Notso
funnowthatyou’retheonehavingtotalkaboutyourex,isit?”

“I’mtrying,okay?Butit’snotlikeanyone’saskedmeout.”
“Ithinkyou’vegottogoplacesbesidesworkforthattohappen.”
Sheshothimaglare.
“Plus,youcanbekindofintimidating.”
Sheblewoutherbreath,makingapfftnoisewithherlips.“Me?Intimidating?That’sthestupidest

thingI’veeverheard.”

“SeewhatImean?Youdon’tsoftenanything.Itrytotellyousomething,andyoucallmestupid.”
“Well,you’vestuckthroughmynotsofteninganythingalltheseyears.”
“Yeah,butI’mnottryingtodateyou.”
SheleanedbackagainstthecounterandherT-shirtrodeupafewinches,showingoffastripeof

hertonedstomach.GuysinArkansasmustbeblindorstupid.“YesterdayIwasthinkingitwastimeto
getoutthereagain,buttodayI’mwonderingwhyIshouldbother.It’skindofnicetobeunattached.
Tovisityouwithouthavingtodefendmyselfthewholetime.”Sheliftedoneshoulder.“Maybebeing
singleforawhilewouldn’tbetheworstthingintheworld.”

Wes took a gulp of orange juice straight from the carton, something that used to drive Sophie

crazy,andwipedhismouthwiththebackofhishand.“Youmightbeontosomething.”

“And maybe we’ll know we’ve found the right person when we’re with people who are actually

coolenoughtoacceptusforwhoweare.”Shebumpedhershoulderagainsthis.“Andwhoourbest
friendhappenstobe.”

Hetappedthecartontoherglass.“Cheerstothat.Nowlet’sputallthisbehindusandhavesome

fun.”

“Whatdidyouhaveinmind?”

…

Danishould’veknownfromthesmileWeshadflashedherearlierthatshewasintrouble.Butshe’d

gone along with the “it’s a surprise” answer, foolishly thinking it’d be a fun adventure. Now her
throat was dry as she studied the red helicopter. She’d never told anyone, but she always hated that
moment before taking off in an airplane. And even worse, when the plane was heading toward the
groundandthebumpylandingshealwaysfearedwouldturnintoafierycrash.Thosewerethetimes
she’dmuttereddesperateprayers.

RidinginahelicopterwithWestheadrenalinejunkieatthecontrols?Shedidn’tknowiftherewasa

prayerbigenough.

Heputhishandonherarm.“IfIdidn’tknowanybetter,I’dthinkyouweresecond-guessinggoing

foraridewithme.”

“Youcan’tsecond-guessifyouneveronceguessed.”Shetookastepbackfromthemachine.“You

goflyaroundforafewminutesandI’llmeetupwithyoulater.”

Hecaughtherhandasshetriedtotakeanotherstepback.“You’retheonewhotoldmeI’dbegood

atthis.Don’tyoutrustme?”

Sheglancedfromhimtothehelicopterandswallowed,buttherewasstillabigknotinherthroat.
“ItwasbadenoughwhenyoutalkedmeintothatbungeejumpthingatCarowindsAmusementPark

rightaftergraduation.AndwhileIwasscreamingandmylifewasflashingbeforemyeyes,youtold
meyouthoughtmyharnesswasslipping.”

Heclampedhismouth,butshecouldtellhewasfightingasmile.“I’lltakeiteasy.”Hepulledher

toward the aircraft. She tried dragging her feet, but it wasn’t slowing him down like she hoped it
would.

When they got to the door of the helicopter, Wes gestured her inside. She looked at the seat but

didn’tmakeamovetogetin.

“DoIhavetothrowyouinsideandstrapyoudown?”heasked.
“Youwouldn’tdare.”
“Wannaputfivebucksonit?”Amusementflickeredthroughhiseyes.
“It’snotfunny,Wes.Ididn’twanttoadmitthis,butflyingfreaksmeout.”
“Dani.We’verockclimbed,riddendownintenserapids,gonescubadiving,andyou’rescaredof

flying?”

Shescuffedherfootonthelandingpad.“It’sbadenoughinabigairplane,whereIwouldn’treally

seethegroundcomingatmeiftheplanewentdown.Butthere’snotasmuchcrashroomandI’dbe
abletoseeeverything,andIneverwould’vedonethoseotherthingswithoutyoudaringmeto,butat
least the worst-case scenarios didn’t involve falling from the sky and dying a fiery death.” Her
stomachclenchedasgoryscenesflashedthroughhermind.

“I’mnotgoingtocrashus.Idothisseveraltimesaday.”
Shewaitedforthehard-to-resistdare—callingherawussoragirloralltheothertrickshe’dused

beforetoconvincehertoletgoofhercommonsenseanddosomethingstupid.Hisfingersgrazed
herchinandthenhegentlytippedherfaceuptohis.

“Theconstantlymovingrotormakesiteasierformetomaneuverthananyplane.Also,there’sno

windtoday,soit’sperfectweather,andIwanttoshowyouthemostamazingviewofCharlotte,one
you’ve never seen before. I promise you, we’ll come back safe and sound. But I won’t force you
inside.”

She looked into his pale blue eyes, and something twisted inside of her. She wasn’t sure exactly

whatitmeant,butsheknewshewasgettingintohisstupidhelicopterdespitehergut-wrenchingfear.

Sheletoutalongexhale.“Okay.”
“Iknewyou’dseereason,”hesaid,andthemaddeningtouchofarrogancemadeherreachoutand

flickhisshoulder.Hiscockygrinonlywidened.

She glanced up at the cloudless blue sky they were about to be flying into, took a deep breath of

humidair,andclimbedinside.Unabletorelax,shesatwithherbackstraightupandgnawedonher
lip.Herfingerstrembledassheputontheseatbelt,checkingtheclaspthreetimes.

Likeit’llsavemeifwegodownanyway.Herpulsespiked.Don’tthinkaboutthat,don’tthinkabout

that.

Wesgotinandflippedallkindsofswitches.Alowhumvibratedthecabinandthenthewhooshof

therotorsoverheadpickedupspeed,growinglouderandlouder.“Justdon’ttouchanyofthehandles
orbuttonsandkeepyourfeetawayfromthepedals.You’renotquitereadytoco-pilotyet.”Hesaidit
like a joke, but she so wasn’t finding it funny. He handed her earphones and practically had to yell
now.“Thesecutthenoisebutstillallowustotalktoeachother.”

Sheputthemon,feelinglikeadork.Theywereseriouslyhuge.
Wes slid on a pair of aviator shades. Even with the headphones, he managed to look cool. His

scruffwasn’tsolongthathisjawlinegotlostinit,he’dgelledhishairsothewaveswerestillmessy
butmoredefined,andthegraybutton-downheworehadthetopfewbuttonsundoneandthesleeves
casuallypushedupsothesunglintedofftheblondhaironhisforearms.Infact,therewassomething
abouthiswholelook,sittinginthepilot’sseat,shadeson,thatmadehimtentimeshotter,eventhough
shewasprettysurehewasabouttocrashthembothintothesideofamountain.

Firsttheeyes,nowI’mthinkingabouthishotnessagain?Shereallymustbeabouttodie,because

thosewerenotthekindofthoughtssheshouldbehavingrightnow.

“Ready?”heasked.
Shegrippedtheedgesofherseat.“Howlongdidyoutrainforthisagain?”
Helaughed,andshewasgoingtoaskifhewaspurposelyavoidinganswering,butthentheywere

lifting into the air and her stomach was rising, and, oh shit! What was she thinking getting into a
flying vehicle with an adrenaline junkie? It’d been a long time since she’d done anything more
dangerousthangoonblinddatessetupbyhercoworkers.

Her mom and abuela relied on her; she had a job, bills, and responsibilities to think about. She

didn’t have the luxury of being daring or living on the edge anymore—or more like being pushed
ontotheedgebyWes.Maybeitwasbetterthattheydidn’tliveclosetoeachotheranymore.

The buildings and trees got smaller and smaller and her heart beat faster and harder. Wes was

pushinghisfeetandmovinglevers.Thereweresomanydialsandgaugesthatsheclenchedherhands
intofistsjusttobesureshedidn’taccidentallybumpsomethingandmakethemcrash.

“Thebackrotormoveswiththefootpedals.”Hedemonstratedandtheyswayedfromsidetosidea

bit.“Pulluponthisandweclimbhigher.”

Herstomachclimbedhigherrightalongwiththem.
“Don’tforgettobreathe,”hesaid.
“Right.Breathing.”Easiersaidthandone.
“Seethecity?”
Thetalluptownbuildingsjuttedintotheskyline.ShecouldmakeouttheblueseatsintheBankof

America Stadium where the Panthers played. Her heart was jumping all over the place, her rushing
bloodthrummingthroughherhead.Iftheywentdown,shewasgoingtohaveafront-rowseattothe
groundcomingather.

Herstomachlurched,andshewasworriedshemightloseherbreakfast.It’ssuchalongfall.And

we’d definitely crash into something solid, the kind of fiery, parts-flying-everywhere crash in the
actionmovies.

“Tell me how Charlotte got its name,” Wes said. When she didn’t answer after a moment, he

nudgedher.“Dani.Tellme.”

Sheglancedathim.“Youknowhow.”
“Humorme.I’lldotheflying,youpretendyou’redoingthetour.”

Sheclosedhereyes,focusingonthefacts.“ItwasnamedforthequeenconsortofKingGeorgethe

third. Which is why it’s sometimes called the Queen City. It also used to be known as the city of
churches,butnowit’sknownasamajorUSfinancialcenter,thusthestadiumnamedafterabank.”

“Perfect.Ishouldhireyoutobemytourguide,soIdon’thavetodoallthetalking.You’vegota

bettervoiceforit.”Hepointed.“Youknowwhatthatbuildingis?”

She opened her eyes to see what he was referencing. “Is that the Levine Museum that we went to

whenwewerewritingourPostCivilWarpaper?”

“Yep.”
Her eyes moved past the museum to the other buildings, trying to place them. The scary details

faded away as she took in all the tiny little squares of different colors laid out in an intricate
patchwork of buildings, parking lots, the swirl of the freeway with all the tiny cars, and, off in the
distance,thecitydissolvingintoaseaofgreentrees.Thenshenoticedhowbluetheskywas,thetiny
cottoncloudsstretchedallaround.Herbreathactuallycaughtinherthroatathowbeautifultheview
trulywasfromuphere.

Thatwaswhensherealizedtheheavinessinherchesthadliftedandherheartratehadreturnedto

normal.ShesmiledatWes,whowaswatchinghertakeitallinwithabiggrinonhisface.Itwascrazy
howwellheknewher,howhealwaysfoundawaytopushhertodothingsyetmakeherseepastthe
fearandenjoyit.“Nicetrick.”

“You’renotthinkingaboutthefactyoumightplummettoyourdeathanymore,areyou?”
She’dsmackhimifshewasn’tworriedthatit’dcauseacrash.“Thanksforputtingthatimageback

inmymind,”shesaid,butthefearwascompletelygone,replacedbyalightness,likeshe’dleftallher
caresontheground.AndshefoundshedidtrustWestogetthemwherevertheyweregoingsafely.

Heflashedheranothersmileandthentheywereflyingacrossthecity,buildingsandstreetsablur

beneaththem.HebuzzedovertoWingateUniversity,wherethey’dmet.Shewonderedifanyofthe
barelyvisiblepeopledownthereweremeetingsomeoneforthefirsttime.Someonewhomightturn
intotheirbestfriend—someonewhowouldmakethemgooncrazyadventuresthey’dneverdaretry
alone.

Danileanedforward,warmthfillingherasshethoughtofherandWes’sdaysoncampus.“IfonlyI

could go back in time and warn my past self of all the trouble her charming new study buddy was
goingtogetherinto.”

“Youstillwouldn’thavebeenabletostayawayfromme,”Wessaid.“Admitit—Imakeyourlife

morefun.”

“Fun.Dangerous.Alloftheabove.”Truthfully,shealwayslikedwhoshewaswhenshewasaround

Wes. She laughed more and was more spontaneous and funnier and all the things she wished she
couldbewithouthimbutjustwasn’t.Andnowthatshewasupintheair,shewasgladhe’dtalkedher
intocoming.

“Isavedthebestforlast.”HeangledthehelicopterbacktowardCharlotteandtheybuzzedaround

theoutskirtsofthecity.UnderneaththemwasablurofgreentreesuntilLakeNormancameintoview.

He looked at her like he was waiting for her reaction. Funny enough, she always felt safer when

planeswereoveranoceanorlake,likethewaterwouldenvelopherifshefellinsteadoftenderizing
herbody.

The sun glittered off the lake’s surface. Tiny boats were leaving white trails in the water. “It’s

beautiful.”Beautifulinawaythatwrappedherinpeaceandgaveherthekindofspiritualcalmthat
peopletalkedaboutfeelinginchurch.Itwasapictureonthewall,oneofthosepaintingsthatyouwant
totakehomesoyouneverhavetoleavetheplace.Onlyitwasreal.

Ican’tbelieveIalmostmissedthis.
Wespattedherknee.“See?Notscaryatall,andItotallyknowwhatI’mdoing.Youfeelsafenow,

right?

“Yeah. I do,” she said, and she was surprised at how true it was. “I’m glad you talked me into

coming.” All her warm fuzzies disappeared as a wicked grin curved his lips. “Wes, no. Whatever
you’rethinkingaboutdoing,just—”

Thedon’twasleftsomewherebehindherasthehelicopterdovetowardthewater.

…

Afterthis,Danimightnotwanttoridewithhimeveragain,buthecouldn’thelphimself.Heaimed
down,towardthelake,watchinghereyesflywide.

“Wes…”Shegrabbedhisarm.Hergriptightenedastheygotclosertothesurface.“Wes!”
Last minute, he brought them back up, the landing skids grazing the water. She punched his

shoulder.“Jerk.”

“Comeon.Itwasalittlefun.”
Shetriedtoholdherdirtylook,butshenevercouldkeeponeforlong.“Ihopeitwasfunforyou,

becauseassoonaswe’reonsolidgroundagain,I’mgoingtokillyou.AndI’dfeelbadifyouhadn’t
enjoyedyourlastfewhoursonearth.”

He poked her in the side, knowing it drove her crazy. “If I had a dollar for every time you’d

threatenedtokillme,I’dbeabletobuymyownplanebynow.”

Shesmackedhishand,butthecornersofhermouthcouldn’tholdherseriousexpressionanymore.

A slight dimple he’d never noticed before came out in her cheek. “I hope you do get your own
helicopter someday to do your adventure tours, but the only way I’m going on one is if the Holy
Grail is at the end. And I’m making you drink out of it first to make sure it doesn’t melt skin off
bones.”

“Deal.”Hetippedthenoseofthehelicopterup,liftingthemhigherintheair.
Whenthey’dstartedtheflight,Danihadlookedsopaleheworriedshewasgoingtopassout,but

nowshewaspointingoutbuildingsastheyflewby,onlyoccasionallygrippingtheedgeofherseat
whenhechangeddirection.Ifheeverdiddoadventuretours,heknewhe’dfindawaytogethertogo
withhim.UnlikeSophie,she’dbreakeventually.Hisexhadbeenallforhimgoingoutonhisown,
butthefewtimeshesaidhe’dwaitforDanitovisitandgowithhim,he’dgottenadeathglareandthe
silent treatment. And just when he thought she’d let it go, they’d have to “talk it out,” which always
ended in an argument. It only got worse over time. Whenever the phone rang, Sophie would be
hovering, wanting to know who it was. And every time it was Dani, he’d wind up alone in his
apartmentinsteadofherstayingthenight.

AcoupleofweeksafterSophiehaddumpedhim,whenhefeltlikehellandmissedherlikecrazy,

he’dpickedupthephone,planningoncallingandtellingherhe’ddoanythingtofixthem.Evencut
Danioutofhislife—afterall,she’dpickedSteveandmovedwithhimtoLittleRock,evenafterWes
toldherhedidn’twanthertogo.

“DidyouandStevefightalotaboutusbeingsoclose?”
Danislowlytwistedtofacehim.“Itcameupalot,yeah.It’sonereasonIcouldn’tcomewhenyou

werecelebratinggettingyourpilot’slicense.NowIhatethatIlethimstopme.”

“You didn’t miss much. Sophie threw the party, so it was all champagne and plates of hard-to-

pronouncefood.”Daniwould’vemadethepartymorefun,butherbeingtherewould’veprobablyjust
causedafightbetweenhimandSophie,andthatwasbackwhenhewasstillconvincedthey’dwork
everythingoutbecausetheylovedeachother.

“I thought if I could show him I was devoted enough to move with him… But it seemed like we

only argued more in Arkansas—about really stupid things, too, nothing and everything. He was
stressed,Iwasstressed,andmoneystartedbeinganissue.Andthenhe’dbe,like,youdon’ttalktome,

but you’re on the phone all the time with Wes.” She shook her head and leaned back in her seat. “I
thinkhethoughtthefriendshipwouldn’tlastthemove.LikeI’dgiveyouupthateasily.”

A solid rock of guilt formed in Wes’s stomach. Now he felt even worse that he’d thought about

cuttingheroutofhislife.Evenwhenhe’dbeenconsideringit,though,heknewhe’dneverbeableto
gothroughwithit.Itwasn’teasytofindagirlwhomadeIndianaJonesreferences,hadakillerfade-
away shot, and was so easy to talk to. Hours trickled by whenever they spoke on the phone, even
thoughitonlyseemedlikeminutes.

“Idon’tunderstandwhypeoplecan’tgetoverthefactthatyouandIactuallyarejust friends,” he

said.“Thatwe’llalwaysbefriendsandnothingmore.Isitreallythathardtograsp?”

Daniglancedoutherwindow.Foramomenthethoughthe’dsaidsomethingwrong,butthenshe

lookedathimandshrugged.“Iguessitis.Notsureifthatmakesusluckyorscrewedup.”

“Probablyalittleofboth,”hesaid,andshelaughed.
Beingherewithhernow,trulyhappyforthefirsttimeinmonths,hewassurehe’dmadetheright

decision.HeneededDaniinhislife,nomatterwhat.

Wesfocusedhisattentiononlandingastheynearedthetouroffice.Heheldthehelicoptersteady

andthenslowlyloweredit,kissingthelandingskidsonthegroundandeasingofftheaccelerator.

Danireleasedthegripshehadonherseat.
“Youokay?”heasked.
Shenodded.“Iexpectedabumpierlanding.I’dsaysomethingaboutyoursmoothness,butI’msure

I’d end up regretting it.” Smiling, he took off his headphones and made sure everything was shut
down.

Hisphonebeeped.Hepulleditoutandstaredatthescreen,expectinganotherHaveyougottenyour

haircutyet?textfromAudrey.Butitwasn’thissister.

HelookedatDani.“When’sthelasttimeyouplayedball?”
Shehandedhimherheadphones.“Iplaytheoccasionalpickupgameatthegym.Why?”
“How’dyouliketomakeaneasyfiftybucks?”

ChapterFive

DanikickedoffhershoesbyWes’sfrontdoorandthenfloppedontohiscouch.Hermusclesburned
fromwhatshe’djustputthemthrough.“FYI,thatwasnotaseasyasyoumadeitsound.”

Wesplacedtheplasticbagontopofhiscoffeetableandsatnexttoher.“Butwepulleditoff.”
Backincollege,theyusedtogodowntothebasketballcourtsandhustleguysoutoftheirmoney

so they could eat something other than ramen. They’d simply go up to a couple of guys who were
playingballandchallengethemtoagame,winnergetstwentybucks.Theguyswouldalwayslookat
Dani,laugh,andinmostcases,say,“You’reon.”Then,betweenherspeedandabilitytosinkthree-
pointersandWes’sheightandcompetitivenature,they’dproceedtowipethefloorwiththem.

Of course, she wasn’t practicing several hours every day anymore, so in today’s game they’d

barelyscrapedby.Apparentlythebettingrateforagamewithcockybusinessmenwasfiftybucks.

“That half-court shot you made there at the end saved us.” Wes mimicked shooting the ball and

madeawhooshsound.

Shesankbackagainstthecushions.“Iwasn’tsureIwasgoingtomakeit.”
“Theirfaceswereworthmorethanthemoney.”Wespulledthewhite-and-redboxesoutofthebag.

Thescentofgarlicsauceandfriedchickenmadeherstomachgrowl.

In a lot of ways, it was like being transported back in time four years. Sitting on Wes’s couch—

though this couch was actually comfy and not made of scratchy fabric—celebrating winning a
basketballgameandeatingtake-out.

Hepickeduparemoteandturnedonhisstereo.KellyClarksonfilledtheroom.
Yep,justlikecollege.Whenshe’dfirstmethim,she’dexpecteddeathmetalorclassicrock.Buthe

mostlylistenedtopopmusic.He’dhadathingforKellyClarksoneversincethefirstAmericanIdol.

Heleanedback,halfaneggrollstickingoutofhismouth,andsaid,“Shecansingandshe’shot,so

don’tevengothere.”

“I wasn’t going to say a thing.” She grabbed her box of orange chicken and a pair of chopsticks

anddugintoherfood.Shetwisted,tuckingherfeetunderWes’slegs.

Hejerkedtotheside.“Holycrap,yourfeetarefreezing!Icanfeelthemthroughmyshorts.”
“WhichiswhyIneedyoutowarmthemup.”
“I’llneverunderstandhowitcanbeninetydegreesandyourfeetarestillcold.”
She caught a piece of chicken between her chopsticks, ignoring the cold comment in hopes he

wouldn’t make her move her feet. “Time to work out the details of our relationship. Guess we’re
stuckwiththestoryaboutyouproposingonahike,andthenre-proposingataconcert,sincethat’snot
weirdoranything.Whendowesaythisallhappened?Thetransitionfromfriendstomore.”

“HowaboutwhenIwenttohelpyououtafteryourkneesurgery?Thatwasthelasttimewewere

eveninthesamestate.”

“YouwerestillwithSophiethen,sothat’dprobablybebad.”
“Right…Ididn’tthinkaboutthetimeline.It’snotlikemyfamilywouldknowwhetherornotyou

werevisitingmeorIwasgoingoutthere,though.”

“Especially if we say we wanted to keep it on the down low, afraid it might mess up our

friendship.”

“Good,good.Thatsoundsbelievable.”HetookadrinkofhisCokeandrestedthecuponhisknee.

“SoifyouandStevebrokeup,like,what?Fourmonthsago?”

“Close enough. It was two weeks before my surgery. Just long enough for him to move out and

leavemewithoutaride.Untilyoushowedup.TotalKnightinShiningArmormove,bytheway,so
it’stoobadwecan’tusethat.WhendidyouandSophiebreakupexactly?”

“AcoupleofweeksafterIgotbackfromvisitingyou.Okay,sowe’llsaythatIstartedcallingyou

moreandmore,wekepttalking…”

“Icametovisitacoupleoftimes.”Thelemonadeshe’dgottenmust’vebeenlight,becauseittasted

like water with a disgusting lemony aftertaste. She reached across Wes, grabbed his Coke from his
hand,andtookalongpull,thengaveitback.“Andsuddenlywerealizedthatwewereperfectforeach
other.”

“Worksforme,”hesaid.
“So we’ll say we were a couple for two months and then we decided to get engaged. Is that too

fast?”

“Inreallife,maybe.Ithinkit’llbefineforourfakeengagement.”Heputhisemptycartononthe

coffeetableandsatback.

Shecaughtawhiffofcologne,muskyandwoodsy,withamixtureofoutdoorsandevensweat.It

shouldn’thavesmelledgoodtoher,butitmadeafluttergothroughherchest.Hergazetraveledup
hismuscledarms,well-builtpecs,andsettledonhisface.Shefoundherselfthinkingaboutallofhis
good qualities. How she’d never find a guy as good as him to date. How stupid Sophie was for
dumpinghim.

IguessI’mstupidfornotdatinghimmyself.
Then she remembered how their one attempt to move the slightest bit past friends had not only

crashedandburnedbutalsonearlyruinedtheirfriendship.

Hereallyisthewholepackage,though.
Wes’seyebrowsdrewtogether.“What?Whyareyoulookingatmelikethat?”
Sheglancedaway,heatrisinginhercheeks.“Justthinking.”
“Aboutwhat?”
Shemethiseyes,tellingherselfitdidn’tmeananythingthatherstomachlurched.“Justabouttoday.

Beingherewithyou.It’sthemostfunI’vehadinalongtime.”

Heputhishandonherbarelegandsqueezed.“Rightbackatyou.AndI’mgladyourkneesurgery

hasn’t slowed you down. When I first saw the cut, I thought you’d never be able to walk normally
again,muchlessplayball.”

All her blood seemed to rush to where his hand was warming her skin, and she suddenly had to

workatgettingwordstocomeoutofhermouth.“Well,ifIhadn’thadyoutheretohelpmerecover,I
probablywould’vepushedmyselftoohardandneverfullyhealed.”

Wesbrushedhisfingersacrossthescaronherknee,andherleginvoluntarilytwitchedathistouch.

Shehopedhedidn’tnotice.

Shewishedshedidn’t.Butherheartwasbeatingfaster,andthewayhewasrunninghisfingertips

alongherkneewassendinglittlezipsofheatacrossherskin.

Pullittogether,Dani.He’syourbestfriend.Don’tscrewitupnowbecauseyou’vegonewithoutso

muchasahugfromaguyinmonths.

Sheswungherfeettothegroundandstoodsofastsparksoflightdancedacrosshervision.“I’m

beat.I’mgonnagotobed.”

“Okay.I’llbeupforalittlewhile,butI’llturndownthemusic.”
“No worries. I sleep through anything, remember?” Most famously, she’d slept through a fire

alarm. Luckily, Wes had been passed out on her couch and had to basically carry her out of her
apartment.

She waved—cursing herself for the stupid, awkward gesture—and rushed back to the bedroom.

Closingthedoor,sheshookherhead.

Whatthehellwasthatallabout?Eventhoughsheknewshe’dneverbeabletosleep,shecrawled

intobed.Wes’sbed.

Earliertoday,she’dbeenrighttherewithhimwhenhe’dsaidtheywerefriendsandwouldneverbe

more.Sowhywasshenoticingthewayhesmelled,andwhywasherskinhummingunderhistouch?
WhywasshesuddenlysoawareofthefactthatWesusuallysleptwhereshewasnow?

I’vegottostopthinkingaboutallofhisgoodqualitiesandremindmyselfwhywe’rewrongforeach

other.

He was way too impulsive, which was great for a friend but not what she needed for a stable

relationship.Theylivedcompletelydifferentlivesincompletelydifferentstates.He’dmadeitclear
heonlythoughtofherasafriend.Shewasprettysurehewasstillhunguponhisex.

Andwedon’thaveanyromanticchemistry,anyway.
Itwashardtotellherselfthattheyhadnochemistrywhenshecouldstillfeeltheghostofhistouch

onherknee.Buthe’ddonemorethantouchherkneebefore,andithadbeenadisaster.

The air changed, heavy and pressing against her as she closed her eyes and relived a college

memory—oneshe’dtriedtopretendneverhappened.

DanistumbledintoWes’sapartment,trippingoverthebooksandclothespiledonthefloor.They’d

won sixty bucks playing ball over the weekend and that night, they’d used the money on pizza and
cheapbeer.Lotsandlotsofbeer.Itwasthefirsttimeshe’dseenWessodrunkhecouldhardlywalk.

She fell onto the barely padded couch, closing her eyes to keep the room from spinning. The

cushionssankwithWes’sweight.“Istillcan’tbelievewepulledoffthatlastgame,”hesaid,thewords
runningtogether.

When Dani opened her eyes, his face was close to hers. So close, his features were blurred. Or

maybe that was an effect of the alcohol. For some reason, she found this really funny and started
giggling.

Then Wes was laughing, and she didn’t think either of them had any idea why. Wes’s hand landed

highonherthigh,stiflingthelaughter.“Youknow,IpartneredwithyouinclassbecauseIthoughtyou
werehot.IfiguredIwassmartenoughtofloatus,evenifyouweredumb.”

Shefrowned,tryingtodecideifshe’djustbeeninsulted.
Heplacedhisotherhandonthesideofherface.“Butyou’resmartandfunny,andahellofaball

player.Whoknewit’dturnintothis.”

This? Her pulse skittered, and while everything had been blurry moments ago, things were

sharpening at the corners now, along with the realization that his words and touch were sending
butterfliesthroughherstomach.Whatwasthisturninginto?Sofar,it’dbeenafriendshipsoeasyand
fun, she’d actually turned down dates with perfectly good-looking guys to hang out with Wes. Yes,
she’d sometimes wondered what would happen if they crossed into more, but now she wasn’t sure it
wasagoodidea.

“Wes…?”Theotherwordsshemeanttosaycaughtinherthroat.Hewasleaningcloser.
Thenhislipswereonhers.Sheclosedhereyes,waitingforherheadtospinandforthedesireto

pullhimcloser.

Butitwasn’tthere.Infact,she’dfeelmoreofasparkifshelickedanoutlet.Shepulledaway,andhe

practicallyfellontopofher.Unsurewhatelsetodo,shepushedherselftoherfeet.

Wes held up his hands, like he was surrendering. “Shit, Dani. That wasn’t… I didn’t mean… I

thoughtthatmaybe…”Heshookhishead.“Thatwasawful,wasn’tit?”

Okay, so she hadn’t been into it, but “awful”? That was a little harsh. Maybe I suck at kissing.

Maybethat’swhyIrarelygoonseconddates.

Chestaching,shesaid,“Igottago.”

Then she was out the door, occasionally holding onto the wall for support as she stumbled away

fromhisapartmentandintothecoldnight.Asshewalkedhome,tearssliddownhercheeks.Because
sheknewnomatterhowgoodoffriendsthey’dbeen,thatkisshadruinedeverything.

Dani opened her eyes, the memory of that first—and only—kiss with Wes burned into her mind.

Afterthatday,theydidn’tsitbyeachotherinclass,didn’thangout.Didn’tdoanythingbutruninthe
otherdirectionwhentheysaweachother.Thedistancebetweenthemhadbeenpainful,andshe’dhurt
everytimeshe’dgotocallhimandrealizeshecouldn’tanymore.

Luckily,they’dfinallytalkedaboutwhathadhappened.Bothofthemagreeditwasjustadrunken

mistake, so they would pretend it never happened and go back to being friends. She worried they
wouldn’t be able to, and the first few hangouts were pretty awkward. But gradually, things between
themgotbacktonormal.Backtobeingfriendssoclosetheycouldreadeachother ’sthoughts,back
tocountingontheotherpersontobethereiftheyneededsomeonetotalktoatthreea.m.,andbackto
spendingmoretimetogetherthanapart.

That night all those years ago, they’d learned Friends With Benefits just wasn’t for them. The

benefit of their friendship was having someone to rely on without the drama that came along with
kissinganddatingandallthoseothercomplications.

Determinedtosquashanyattractionherstupidbodywastellinghershefelt,sherolledoverinthe

bed.Shecaughtawhiffofthesameamazingmuskyscentshe’dsmelledearlier,though…

Andshecouldn’thelpbutwonderifWeshadgottenbetteratkissingovertheyears.

ChapterSix

Dani had hoped she’d feel better after a good night’s sleep. Maybe it was because she’d tossed and
turnedinstead,butheremotionswerestillabigconfusingmess.Shewasalmostscaredtogooutand
seeWes,forfearshehadn’tsufficientlysnuffedouthersuddenattractiontohim.

Theknockonthebedroomdoormadeherjump.“Justgottagrabmyclothes,”Wessaid.
Daniranahanddownherhair.“Comeonin.”
He strolled in wearing a towel around his waist, his hair damp and extra wavy, and her heart

immediatelypickedupspeed.Nope,theattractionwasn’tgone.

Focusontheawfulkiss.Butthatdidn’twork,becausethenshewaslookingathislips.
Hepulledsomejeansoffahanger,loopingthemoverhisarm,andthenreachedinsidethecloset

again. “I don’t remember buying this.” He lifted the purple dress she’d brought to wear to the
wedding.

“Ihungitupsoitwouldn’tgetwrinkled,”Danisaid.
Two creases formed between his eyebrows, getting deeper as he twisted it one way and then the

other.“Why’sthezipperinthefront?Itlooksbackwards.”

“That’s because that’s not the front.” She’d bought the low-back dress shortly after Steve had

dumpedherandshewantedtofeelsexyandbold,whichwasalsohowshe’dfeltwhenshepackedit.
Nowshewasworrieditwasamistake.EspeciallywithWes’sinsightfulfashioncommentary.

“Maybeyou’vebeenwearingitwrong.”
Dani swiped it out of his hand and hung it back up. “I’m not taking fashion tips from someone

wearingatowel.”

“It’sdistracting,isn’tit,”hesaidwithagrin.
Sherolledhereyes,butinsideshewasscreaming,yes,yesitis.Especiallysincetherewasstilla

sheen of water from his shower across his skin, there was something intriguing about the way the
tattoohighlightedhismuscles,andthemasculinesoapscentwasfillingtheair,makingherwantto
leaninandtakeadeepbreathofit.

Whenhe’dbeenrantingyesterdayaboutpeoplenotunderstandinghowtheycouldonlybefriends,

he’dmadeitclearthatwasallhe’deverfeelforher.Itmadeherbouncebetweenscoldingherselffor
caringandwonderingwhyshedid.

Shegrabbedherclothesandlefthimtochange.Assheshoweredandgotreadyfortheday,shestill

feltlikehermoodwasonanup-and-downrollercoaster.ItwasareliefwhenWesfinallypulledupto
his parents’ house, simply because it’d give her a distraction from staring at him and feeling that
traitoroussqueezeofherheart.

Daniputherhandonhisarm,thenpulleditbackwhenshenoticedhowfirmitfelt.Andthenshe

wasthinkingonceagainabouthowgoodhelookedinonlyatowel.“Um,weneverdiscussedadate
oralocationfortheweddingorcolorsoranyofthat.”

“Ever since I found out the museum held weddings, I thought it would be cool to get married

there,”Wessaid.“ThatwayifIgotbored,Icouldwanderouttotheexhibitsinmytux.”

“Gladyouthinkourweddingisgoingtobesoboring,”shesaid,mockingoffense.“Okay,sothe

museum.I’msurethewaitinglistislong,sowe’llsaywe’reworkingonadate,butit’llprobablybe
about a year. Do we want to pick a color theme? Your mom and sisters were talking about that the
othernight,too.”

“Justnotcanary.”
She guessed from his tone that canary must’ve been Sophie’s pick. “Flamingo it is, then,” she

joked,andonecornerofhismouthkickedup.“How’boutwestickwithblueforourcollegecolor?”

“Worksforme.”
“Do you think your mom and sisters would have a heart attack if I said I also wanted bulldog

centerpieces?Afterall,IwasaBulldogforfouryears.Don’twanttoletmyalmamaterdown.”

Thatglowhegotwhenhewasabouttopulloffaprankorastunthithiseyes.“Fivebucksifyou

tellthemthat.Butyougottadoittotallystraight-faced.”

Man,shewantedtotakethatchallenge.“Maybeweshouldn’tgivehalfofyourfamilyheartattacks

beforeyoursister ’swedding.EspeciallysinceI’mnotsureAudreylikesmesomuch.”

“She’snotmadatyou;she’smadatme.I’mtellingyou,everythingoffendsherlately.Imean,can

youbelieveshewantsmetogetridofthis?”Heranahandacrosshiswhiskeredjaw.“Likeit’snot
refinedenoughforawedding.”

“Sorry,butI’mwithheronthat.I’mallforafiveo’clockshadow,butyou’repushingmorelike

nineorteno’clockandit’sstartingtolookmoremountainmanthangroomsman.”

He shook his head. “Man, no love for the beard.” They got out of the car and started up the

sidewalk.

“I guess we should…” He grabbed her hand, opened the door, and led them inside. “Anybody

home?Iwastoldtherewassomekindofpartytosetupfor.”

Kathleen came out of the kitchen and smiled at her son. “Just in time.” Her warm eyes moved to

Dani.“Sonicetoseeyouagain,Danielle.”

“ShegoesbyDani,actually,”Wessaid.
“IwasonlyevercalledDaniellewhenIwasintrouble,anditcamealongwithallofmynamesin

rapidsuccession,allDanielleCaridadMoralesVega!FollowedbyastreamofSpanishswearwords,
usually.” She clamped her lips, wondering why she’d just shared way too much information, but
Kathleen’ssmileonlywidened.

“CaridadMoralesVega,”Wesrepeatedasthoughhewerecommittingittomemory.“Whatdothey

meaninEnglish?”

Daniglancedathismomandthenbackathim.“CaridadmeanscharityandMoralesismymom’s

maidenname.That’showitworksinMexico.”

“Charity,”Wessaid.“Thatfits.”
Shethoughthewasteasingher,butwhenshemethiseyes,heseemedgenuine.Asurgeofaffection

forhimwentthroughher,andshegavehishandasqueeze.Timesloweddownforamoment,andshe
wasbacktothinkingofhowfunnyandsmartandsexyhewas.Thensherememberedhismomwas
standingrightthere.

Dani smiled at Kathleen, wanting Wes’s mom to like her, regardless of the fact that she wouldn’t

actuallybemarryingherson.“Sowhatdoyouneedhelpwith?”

“Centerpieces,”Kathleensaid.“Icoulduseafemaleopinion,andAudrey’snothereyet.AndWes,

your father ’s out back, hitching the trailer to the truck. He’s about to go pick up all the tables and
chairs. Apparently the last people who used them set them up by the lake and it was all rainy, so
they’recoveredwithmud.We’regoingtohavetocleaneachchair.”Sheranahandthroughhergray-
blondbob.“Somuchtodo.I’mnotsurehowwe’regoingtopulloffthisweddingtomorrow.”

“We’llmakeitwork,Ma.Don’tworry.”WesputhishandsonthesidesofDani’swaistandleaned

inclose,hiswarmbreathhittingherneck.“Willyoubeokayhereforalittlewhilewithoutme?”

Wherewasalltheair,becauseitfeltlikeit’dbeensuckedoutoftheroom.Herheartwasbeating

toofastandtooloud,andshewasterrifiedWeswouldnoticeandaskwhatherdealwas.Andsince
shedidn’tknowherself,shehadnoideawhatshe’dsay.Shemanagedtonodandpulloffabreathy,

“Yeah.”

Hislipsbrushedherearandheatpooledlowinherstomach.“Ifyougetnervous,juststartgoing

throughhistoryfactsinyourhead.Thatseemedtoworkprettywellyesterday.”Hepulledbackand
shotherasmile,andthenwentoutthebackdoor.

WhenDaniglancedbacktowardKathleen,shewasgrinningfromeartoear.
“He’ssomuchhappieraroundyou.Iwasworriedabouthimforawhile,andnow…Well,nowit

lookslikeIdon’thavetoworry.”Kathleenbeckonedherinsidethekitchen.Therewereflowersand
vasesandcandlescoveringeverysurface—itlookedlikeacraftstorehadexploded.

Shepickedupabagwithmulticoloredrocksthatrattledtogetherwhensheliftedit.“Ithoughtwe

had everything under control, but now I’m wondering what we were thinking not hiring a wedding
planner.Imean,Iknowwewerethinkingwecouldn’taffordoneandhowhardcoulditbetothrowa
wedding,right?Doyouthinkit’stoolate?”

DanistaredatKathleen,notsurewhattosay.
Kathleengrabbedherhandandpattedit.“Thatwasajoke.Therestofourhelpwillarrivesoon,

and it’ll all come together. It’s going to look worse before it gets better—just remember that as
you’repullingtogetheryourwedding.”Shekepttalking,movingtograbboxes.

AllDanicouldthinkwas,weirdfeelingsforherbestfriendaside,shewassonotreadytoplanor

putonawedding.

…

The first thing Wes noticed when Dad pulled up to the house was Sophie’s Audi sitting in the
driveway.TheAudihe’dgonewithhertobuy.He’dgottendistractedlookingatthesportscarsand
bigtrucksatthedealershipnextdoor,butshe’dhadherheartsetonthatmodelandactuallygotupset
hewasn’tmoreenthusiasticaboutitandallitsspecialfeatures.

He usually felt exhausted when he saw her car and realized that he’d have to be around her.

Conversationswerestrainedandalotofwork,andhisfamilyalwayslookedathimlikehewasgoing
tofallapart,whenreallyhejustdidn’twanttogothroughthemotionsofpretendingthey’dbefriends
someday.

Butit’dbedifferentnow,becausehe’dhaveDanitohelphimforgetaboutallthedrama.
After months of feeling like he was the underdog in this situation, showing his ex he was fine

withoutherwasgoingtobeawelcomechange.Hewalkedaroundthehousetotheback,wherehis
relatives were in wedding prep mode. He scanned the faces, looking for Dani, hoping the wedding
andhisfamilyhadn’toverwhelmedheryet.Theystillhadtwoheavilyscheduleddaysaheadofthem.

HefoundSophiefirst.Herpaleblondhairwaspulledup,hercheekswerepinkfromthesun,and

eventhoughthey’dbesettingupfortheweddingallday,shehadonalacywhitetopandjeanswith
rhinestonesonthepockets.Sheglancedupathimandgavehimaforcedsmileandatinywave.He
nodded.See?Awkward.

Thesoundoftheslidingpatiodoorcaughthisattention.Danisteppedout,herdarkhairpiledina

messybunontopofherhead.Knowingher,shewasprobablyregrettingnotbringingherbaseball
hat to block the sun. “While you were on your getting-chairs adventure, I learned how to make
centerpieces.Itwas…fun.”

“Anddidyoubringupthefactthatyouwantbulldogcenterpiecesatourwedding?”
Shewrinkledhernose.“Ourwedding.Thatstillsoundssoweird.”
“You’reavoidingthequestion.”
Shebitherlip.
“Guessyouowemefivebucks.”
“Ialmostbroughtituptwice,”Danisaid,“butyourmom’ssonice,andafterthelengthysermonon

floralarrangements,Ijustcouldn’tbringupbulldogs.”

“Chicken.”
Sheshovedhim.“IthinkI’mstillahead.Justtakeitoutofthetendollarsyouoweme.Besides,the

day’snotoveryet.”

Outofthecornerofhiseye,henoticedSophiestaring.HegrabbedDani’shand,pulledhernextto

him,andsweptherhairoutofherface.“We’vegotanaudience,soIfigurewemightaswellplaythis
up.”

Heexpectedasmile,butwhenhereyesmethis,shelookedalittlesad.
“What?Issomethingwrong?”
“Nope.Everything’sgreat,”shesaid,tooquickly.Thenshereachedupandtuggedonapieceofhis

hair.Herhanddroppeddowntohisshoulderandranalonghisarm.

“Ew,areyouguysgoingtokiss?”
Wes’s six-year-old nephew stared up at them, his lower lip jutting out and his nose wrinkled in

disgust.

“Mason. Let’s leave Uncle Wes alone.” Jill smiled at them. Then she stuck a hand on her hip and

tilted her head. Uh-oh. “You know, I’ve never seen any engaged couple who’s not permanently
attachedatthemouth.JustlookatAudreyandMatthew.Theykissbetweeneverywordtheyspeak.I
canhardlybearoundthem.”

Shegesturedtothecouple,andsureenough,theywerekissing.
It seemed easy enough to play off his and Dani’s engagement with the ring and the formal

announcement. He hadn’t thought about the kissing part. He wondered if everyone had noticed. If
Sophiehadnoticed.

HeglanceddownatDani.Timetotakethisacttothenextlevel.

…

AfteranentiredayofnotbeingabletostoplookingatWes,Danipurposelykepthergazeawayfrom
him. Especially now that his sister was talking about kissing. She fiddled with her belt loop. “Yeah,
we’renotreallybigonPD—”

Wesjerkedhertohimandsmashedhislipsontohers.Hisscratchywhiskersscrapedagainsther

skin, and her back cracked as he dramatically dipped her. Then she was yanked upright just as
roughly.Sheclungtohim,tryingtorecoverfromthewhiplashkissing.Alaughwasbubblingup,but
sheclenchedherjaw,notwantingtoblowtheircover.Shewidenedhereyesathim,silentlyasking
whatthehellthatwasabout,andhewinkedather.Obviouslyhewasjusthammingitup,playinghis
part.

Andwhiletherationalpartofherbrainknewitwasn’tarealkiss,andofcoursehewouldn’twant

toactuallykissher,sincehemadeitcleartheywereonlyfriends,shecouldn’thelpbutfeelapinchof
disappointment.Somanyofherguyproblemscouldbesolvedifshestartedarelationshipwiththe
oneshe’dmostliketospendallhertimewith.

“That’ssogross,”Masonsaid,hislipcurling.“You’regoingtohavegirlcooties.”
Wes’sarmtightenedaroundher.“You’llunderstandsomeday,littleman.”
Jillshookherhead,butshewasstaringatWesandDaniliketheywereadorable.“I’mgoingtosee

ifMomneedsmorehelpwiththecenterpieces.”

“WesandIarehavingbulldogcenterpiecesatourwedding,”Daniblurtedout.
Jill’smouthopened,closed.Thenshejustturnedaroundandwentintothehouse.
“Youowemefivedollars,”DanisaidtoWes.Sheranahandacrossherskin,whereshecouldstill

feeltheaftereffectsofhiswhiskersagainsthermouth.“Yourbeardisseriouslysoscratchy.”

Heburrowedhisheadinherneck,rubbinghisstubblethere.

Shetriedtoshovehimaway,buthewrappedhisarmstighteraroundherandmovedtheassaultto

hershoulder.Shelaughed,tryingtogetahandbetweenhisfaceandherskin.“Okay,that’senough.
I’mgoingtolooklikeImadeoutwithaporcupine.”

Apricklingwentacrossherskin,notfromthewhiskersbutfrombehindher.Sheglancedoverher

shoulder and felt the full impact of Sophie’s stare. It was heavy and laser-beam-like, with lots of
bitternessandloathingthrownin.

Wesgrabbedherhand,apparentlynotnoticingthedirtylooks.“Comehelpmeunloadthechairs.

We’llcleanoffthemudandyouwon’thavetoheartalkofcenterpiecesorflowers.”

Onthewaytothetruck,shenoticedAudreywasalsoglaringatthem,lipspursed.
Lookslikewe’llhavepissedofftheentireweddingpartybytheendoftheday.Danididn’twantto

care, but why couldn’t Audrey accept their engagement? Did she think that Sophie was a better
choice?

Thethoughtsentatwisting,burningsensationthroughhergut.Shedidn’twanttoanalyzewhatthat

meant.SheneededtojustrelaxandenjoybeingaroundWeswithoutmakingacomplicatedmessout
ofeverything.Wesandhisdadunloadedthetablesandchairs,andDanigottoworkcleaningthemoff
withasoapybucketofwaterandasponge.EverytimeWespassed,hewouldbrushhisfaceacrossher
bareskin.Heevenplacedafewscratchykissesonhercheek.

Thenexttimehecamearound,sheliftedherdrippingsponge.“Stayback.”
“Orwhat?”
“Don’tyouseeI’marmed?”
“Asponge?You’regoingtohavetodobetterthanthat.”
Shetosseditathim,buthedodgeditandcameather.Shepickedupthebucketofsoapywaterand

launcheditathim.Thestreamhithimrightintheface,afullblastshehadn’texpectedtoland.

Foramoment,hestared,waterdrippingfromhishair.
Thenhelunged,wrappinghisarmsaroundherwaist.Theyfelltotheground,slidingonthewet

grass.Wesstraddledherandrubbedhiswethairinherface.

“Stop!Stopit!”shesquealed,butshewaslaughingtoohardforthewordstohavemuchpower.
“Wes!”yelledamuchangriervoice.Audreystoodabovethem,armscrossed.Wesglancedup,and

Danicouldseethewheelsturning,somekindofsmartassremarkformingonhistongue.

“Youmightwanttoreconsiderwhateveryou’replanningonsaying,”Daniwhispered.“Shelooks

prettypissed.”

Wespushedhimselfupandhelpedhertoherfeet.Hisgazedroppedtoherchest,andsherealized

thatthenecklineofhershirthadshifted,revealingquiteabitofherredbra.Hequicklylookedaway,
aguiltyexpressiononhisface.

Well, at least I know the reason we don’t have chemistry isn’t because he thinks I’m hideous, she

thoughtasshereadjustedherclothes.

“CanItalktoyou?”Audrey’seyesflickedtoDani,thenbacktoWes.“Alone.”
“Hinttaken.”Danibackedaway.Shewidenedhereyes,flashingWesthesamelookshegavehim

whentheyusedtogetbustedinclassfortalking,andshecouldseehewastryingnottolaugh.Then
shespunaroundtoleavethemalone.

AndcamefacetofacewithSophie.

ChapterSeven

“What are you thinking?” Audrey’s nostrils flared, something Wes wanted to tease her about, but
decidedhe’dbetternot—shewasalreadyangryenough.Itwasn’teasynottolaugh,though,especially
sinceDanihadbeenshootinghimafacethatsaid,You’resoscrewed,sucker.

“Comeon.Didgettingengagedruinyoursenseofhumor?”
“It certainly hasn’t ruined yours. In fact, I’d like you to take it down about a hundred notches.”

Audreypinchedthebridgeofhernose.“Whatareyouthinking,Wes?Youshowuptheothernight,
tellusyou’reengaged,andnowyou’realloverDanieverysecondwithnocareforwhatit’sdoingto
everyoneelse?”

Hefoldedhisarmsandleanedhishipagainstoneofthediningroomchairs.“Everyoneelse?Who

amIhurting?”

Audreytiltedherhead.“Likeyoudon’tknow.”
“WhatIknowisyoukepttellingmeIshouldmoveon.Ithoughtthiswaswhatyou,Jill,andMom

wanted.Hell,evenSophieapparentlywantsit.That’sthemessageIgot.”

“Sure.Wewantedyoutomoveon.Notgoandgetengageddaysbeforemywedding.Doyouknow

whatthismeans?”

“That I’m happy.” As he said the words, he realized it was true. He’d spent hours in the same

vicinityasSophie,andhewasstillhappy.Infact,he’dforgottenshewaseventhere.

Audreygaveanexasperatedsigh.“ItmeansmoredramabetweenyouandSophie.”
“Hey,you’retheonewhoinvitedhertobepartofyourwed—”
“Thisisn’taboutyou!”Audrey’svoicepitchedup,thewayitdidwhenshewasangryoraboutto

cry;Weswasn’tsurewhichonerightnow.Theweddingmesshadseemedtocausetensionbetween
himandhissisterlately,anditsucked.Itwaslikehewasalwayswalkingoneggshells,andhemissed
howthingsusedtobe.HeandAudreyhadalwaysbeenclose,alwaysteasingeachotherandjoking
around. Of course they’d fought plenty growing up. But they had each other ’s backs when it came
downtoit,andseeingherupsetwasapunchtohisgut.

Sheshookherhead.“That’swhatyou’venevergotten.Youcan’tjustletmehaveamomentinthe

spotlight,canyou?Noweveryone’sbuzzingaboutyouandDaniandthefactthatyou’reengagednow
and…Ugh!”Adeepcreaseformedbetweenhereyebrows.

Hehadn’tthoughtofhowhisfakeannouncementandfakefiancéewouldaffecthissister ’sbigday.

She’d definitely be even angrier if he admitted it was all a big sham. Maybe he hadn’t been as
supportivethroughalltheweddingstressasheshould’vebeen,herealized,andhedecidedthathe’d
dobetter,evenifhedidn’tunderstandwhythingslikeflowersanddecorationsweresuchabigdeal.

“Tellyouwhat.Tomakeupformystealingyourthunder,I’lltrytoholdbackthefartjokesatyour

wedding.I’mclassylikethat.”

Thecornersofhermouthquivered,butshelostthefightandbrokeintoasmile.Sheshovedhim,

andthechairhewasleaningagainstknockedintothetable.“Ihateyou,”shesaid.

“You’recrazyaboutme.I’myourfavoritebrother.”
She sighed, and the last of her anger faded. “I know you didn’t do this on purpose, because you

neverthinkthingsthrough.AndIamhappyyou’vemovedon.I’dfreakoutoverhowfastitwasifit
wereanyonebutDani,butyoutwohavebeendancingaroundthisforyearsanyway.”Sheliftedher
eyestohis.“Butcan’tyouguystoneitdownabit?It’slikeyou’rerubbingSophie’sfaceinyournew

love,andshe’sallbrokenupaboutit.”

He almost denied the “dancing around this for years” comment out of habit, but it was what had

helped sell the engagement ruse so easily. And lately he’d felt like they were doing some kind of
dance—one he didn’t know the steps to. He pushed those thoughts away and focused on the Sophie
issue. “I don’t know why she’d care.” Especially since she was the one who showed up with a guy
shortlyaftertheirbreakup,rubbinghowlittleshecaredinhisface.

Audrey tilted her head. “Of course she cares. You two might’ve broken up, but I don’t think she

quitegotoveryou,either.Ithoughtthatmaybeyoutwomighteventuallyworkitout,butnow…Well,
now you’re with Dani, and that’s fine, but just think how you’d feel if it were Sophie doing all the
kissingwithanotherguy.”

Weswaitedforthatimagetobotherhim,butitdidn’t.Hedidn’texactlywanttoseeit,buthecould

handleit.HisthoughtsbouncedbacktoDaniandhowsheshriekedeverytimeherubbedhiswhiskers
againstherbareskin.Thenhismindreplayedtheimageofherredbra.He’dtriednottostare,butit
washardnotto.Hewasn’timmunetobreastsjustbecauseshewashisbestfriend.

Whenhelookedup,Audrey’seyebrowswereraised,likeshewaswaitingforsomething.“Igetit.

LesskissingDani.”

“Andlessmakingamessofmyweddingdecorationswithyourwaterfights.”Sheeyedhim.
“Yougotit.Butremembertohavesomefun,too.Thisissupposedtobeacelebration,notacause

forananeurism.”Henudgedher.“Alittlefungoesalongwaytorelievesomestress.Oryoucould
goalloutanddosomethingreallyfunsoyouandMatthewdon’tturnintoaboringmarriedcouple.”

“Youdon’tthinkhe’sbored,doyou?”Audreyasked.
Wes bit back a laugh, afraid she’d take it as him thinking it was the case, when really he knew it

wasn’ttrueatall.“He’scrazyaboutyou.It’skindofdisgusting,actually.”

Shegrinned.
“Youknowyoucanstillcallme,whenever,forwhatever.Andifyouneedtogetawayforabit,I

happentohaveahelicopteratmydisposal.”

“Thanks,Wes.”Shegavehimaquickhugbeforegoingbackoutside.
Well,thatconversationwentmuchbetterthanhe’dexpected,especiallyafterhowroughitstarted

out. Kind of funny he was getting scolded for kissing Dani when he hadn’t kissed her—not really.
Wantingtoavoidanyweirdnessafter,he’dgivenhermoreofalip-smashingassault,allforshow.He
hadn’t wondered in years what it would be like to really kiss her. Not since that drunken night in
college.Allherememberedwasherleavingandalloftheawkwardnessthatcameafter.

“Pullittogether,”hemutteredtohimself,shakinghishead.Nokissingher.Notforreal.
Nomatterwhat.

…

“Iknewit.”Sophie’slipstwistedasshelookedDaniupanddown.ItwasthewayWes’sgirlfriend—
ex-girlfriendnow,thankgoodness—alwaysusedtolookather,evenwhenshewaspretendingtobe
nice.

Danifrozeinplace,wantingtoflee,yetneedingtostandfirm,nomatterwhatinsultsthisgirlwas

about to hurl at her. But then she saw something on her face that wasn’t normally there—a hint of
sorrowjustunderneaththeirritation.

“Hedenieditsomanytimes,butIknewhewasinlovewithyou.”Sophiesniffedand—oh,hell—

tearsweregatheringinhereyes.

Daniwasn’tsureiftalkingtoherwouldmakeitbetterorworse,butshefiguredthegirlshouldat

leastknowshehadn’tbeencheatedon.“Hewasn’tinlovewithmewhenhewasdatingyou,Sophie.
Wewerelivingindifferentstatesandneverevensaweachother.”Andyouweretakingupallof his

time.

Sophie shook her head so violently some of her hair came out of her updo. “You don’t have to

keepdenyingit.WhenhewenttoArkansastotakecareofyouafteryoursurgeryinsteadofcoming
tomyparents’withmefortheiranniversaryparty,Iknewhe’dalwayschooseyou.”

Danididn’trealizeWeshadcanceledplansinordertohelpherrecoverfromherkneesurgery.All

sheknewwashe’dshownupjustwhensheneededhimandstayedwithheruntilshewasbackonher
feet—orfoot,asitwere.She’dusedcrutchesforawhile.

“Thatwasn’tbecausehewasinlovewithme,”Danisaid.“ItoldhimI’dbefine,butheknewmy

momcouldn’tcomeandthatIdidn’thaveanyoneelsetohelpmeout.Ifhehadn’tdoneit,Ihonestly
don’tknowhowIwould’vesurvivedthoseawfuldaysafter,whenIcouldn’tevenmove.”

“Well,itdoesn’treallymatterwhen he fell in love with you, does it? You always came first, and

now he’s yours.” Her gaze moved to the diamond ring on Dani’s finger. “Actually, I’m glad this
happened.NowIdon’tfeelsostupidfordumpinghim.IknewIwasright,butit’snicetoreallyknow,
insteadofhavingtoquestionoverandoverifImadetherightdecision.”

Youstilllovehim,Danithought,butshedidn’tdaresayitoutloud,notsurewhatitwouldmeanfor

herorSophie.OrWes.

Sophie sniffed again, then turned away and strode to the house, no doubt going inside to have

herselfacry.

Dani’s mind whirred over everything she’d just discovered. She had told Wes he didn’t need to

comehelpherafterherkneesurgery,eventhoughshe’dknownshewasgoingtobescrewedwithno
help.Whenhe’dshownupintimetotakehertothehospital,she’dalmostturnedintoacryingmess.
Theselfishpartofherwasgladtoknowhe’dblownoffSophieandherfamilytobethere,because
shedidalwayswanttocomefirstinhislife.

ButnowthatsheknewheandSophiestillhadfeelingsforeachother,andthatherbeingtherewas

onlymakingtheirreconciliationmoreunlikely,shefeltlikesheshouldbackdown.

A hand on her shoulder made her turn. “So Audrey thinks we’re rubbing our love into Sophie’s

facetoomuch.”Wesgrinned.“Guesswe’rebetteractorsthanIthought.”

“Soundslikewe’vegoteverybodyfooled.”Herewasthepartwheresheshouldtellhimtogoget

thegirlhewasactuallyinlovewithandforgetaboutthisruse.

Butasmallvoicewhispered,He’ssupposedtobemine.
Herphonerang,andshesliditoutofherpocket.Yes,shewasstalling,butwhenshesawitwasthe

office,shewasgladshehadn’tignoredit.Sheheldupafingerandtookacoupleofstepsawayfrom
Wes.

“Mr.Halifaxjustsaidhewasn’tsureourmarketingplanwasthebestforhiscompany.ThisiswhyI

told you that you needed to be here for this!” Bill was the pompous jerk with the fancy-pants
marketingdegreewhohadgottenpromotedoverhertwoyearsago.Unfortunately,herjuniorexec
statusmeantshehadtotaketoomuchofhiscrap.

Sheworkedtokeepcalm.“Ialreadytookcareofeverything.Allyouhadtodowaspresentitto

him.Itshould’vebeenaneasysell.”

“Wellifthatwerethecase,hewould’vesignedthecontract,wouldn’the?”
Frustration was rising through her, bringing her blood pressure up with it. She rubbed her

forehead, trying to figure out the solution. “I’ll call him. I’ll fix it. I’ve just got to get back to my
computertoaccessthepresentation.I’llcallyoubackwhenI’mdonetalkingtohim.”

“YouknowWaynewillhavebothourjobsifthisdealfallsthrough.”
ShebitbackherYeah,asshole,Iknowcommentandhungup.SheturnedtoWes.“Workemergency.

I’vegottagetbacktotheapartment.”

Wesdugintohispocketandtookouthiskeys.“Takemycar.I’llgetaridehomefromsomeone.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sophie watching them. And she thought, whether or not

SophieandWeseventuallygotbacktogether,thegirlshouldatleasthavetosufferalittlelongerby
seeingwhatshemissedouton.SoshesteppedforwardandkissedWes’scheek.“Thanks.”

Danistaredatherphone,fingerhoveringoverthelastdigitsheneededtopush.She’dfoughthardto
beabletoworkonMr.Halifax’saccount,andifitfellthrough,shecouldforgetaboutapromotion,
nomatterwhathappenedatthecompanyretreat.

ButifIpullthisoff…Shewasalwayslookeddownonbecauseshehadadegreeinhistoryinstead

of marketing—like that really mattered. She’d had a crash course in real-world marketing, starting
out as an assistant and clawing her way up to junior account executive. And though it might sound
cocky,shewassmarterthanhalfthepeopleatthatoffice,andhersocialskillsweredefinitelybetter.

Icandothis.Icandothis.
Shemadethecall,herheartinherthroat.
Spendinganhouronthephonewiththeirclientwasslightlytorturous,butshemanagedtoremind

Mr.Halifaxofallthereasonswhyshewasrightabouthismarketingcampaign.Bytheendofthecall,
she’dconvincedhimtosignthecontractandfaxittotheoffice.

“From now on, I’m dealing solely with you,” Mr. Halifax said. “I don’t want to bother anymore

withthatidiotItalkedtoearliertoday.”

Danismiled.HearingBillcalledanidiotwasworththelongphonecallandgoingovereverydetail

twentytimes.Whichjustprovesadegreeinmarketingorthefacthe’snowmarrieddoesn’tmakehim
any better at this job than I am. But as much as she would love to bash him, it was important to
remain professional. “I took point on this account, and again, I’m sorry I wasn’t there to clarify
everything.Myfiancé’ssisterisgettingmarried,andI’mdowninNorthCarolinaforthewedding.”

The lie was getting easier to tell now, though the guilt was still there, hanging heavy in her

stomach.

“Well, family is important. You have fun, and tell that fiancé of yours he’s marrying one smart

cookie.”
Aftershehungup,shecalledBilltotellhimthenews,tryingtokeepthesmugnessoutofhervoice.
Of course he’d probably take credit, especially with her out of the office. All her life, she’d asked
Mamatorelaxandnottakeworksoseriously.Nowhereshewas,worryingsheshouldn’thavetaken
timeoff,understandingthepressurehermomhadbeenunderallthoseyears.Asshethoughtoverthe
lastfewdays,though,shewouldn’ttradethemfortheworld.

Daysshehadn’thadtothinkabouteverythingthat’dbeenstressingheroutformonths.
I should call and check in. The last thing she wanted was to get on the phone again, but she still

dialedhermom.ThesecondMamaanswered,shecouldheartheexhaustioninhervoice.

“Ihadn’tcalledinawhileandthoughtI’dsayhello.How’sAbueladoingtoday?”
“Oh,feistyasever.Herspirit’sthere.Ifonlyherbody…Shethinksshecanstilldoeverything,butI

seeherclutchingherchest.Wefoughtovertheoxygenlikewedoeveryday,andfinallyIgotherto
sitdownandbreathewithitonforawhile.Thedoctorwantstoputheronanewmedication.”

Newmedicationprobablymeantmoremoney.TalkingaboutitwouldonlystressoutMamamore,

though,soDaniasked,“Howareyoudoing?”

Mamanevercomplainedaboutherself.Shesaidshewashanginginthere,talkedalittlebitabout

work,andaskedhowshewas.Daniprobablyshould’vementionedshewasvisitingWes,butMama
wouldwanttoknowwhatwasgoingon,andshehadthiswayofpryinginformationoutofher.Notto
mentionthefactthatMamaalwaysaskedaboutWesinthatwaythatmadeitclearshewouldn’tmind
havinghimforason-in-law.Sotheymadeafewmoreminutesofsmalltalkandthensaidtheirgood-
byesandI-love-yous.

Stiflingayawn,DanigrabbedthebagofpotatochipsWeshadleftonthecoffeetableanddugin.

She punched on the television and sank onto the couch. After a little while, she closed her eyes,
thinkingshe’djusttakearest,soshe’dbeupforsomemorefunwithWeswhenhegothome.

It was good to have time to think over everything rationally. They were friends who had a blast

together,theirrelationshipblissfullyuncomplicated.Iftherewereanythingmorebetweenthem,she
would’ve at least felt a little something with that kiss today. In fact, her sudden attraction to him
seemed silly now. And with it under control, she could just relax and enjoy hanging with her best
friend.

Shedidn’twanttothinkaboutthefactthatagoodbestfriendwouldtellWesthatthegirlhewasstill

inlovewithlovedhimback.

…

Wes opened the door to his apartment, eager to kick back with Dani, maybe watch a movie or play
somevideogames.Shewasonthecouch,curledintoaball.Herlaptopwasopenonthecoffeetable,
butthescreenwasblack,soheassumedit’dbeenawhilesinceshe’dtypedanything.

“Dani?”
Shedidn’tliftherhead.Hetossedhiskeysofftotheside.Somuchforaskingherabouthishaircut.

He was sure he hadn’t gone as short as Audrey would’ve preferred, but he’d lost several inches.
Withouthisfaceshaved,helookedespeciallyodd,likehisfaceandhairnolongermatched.

Ican’tbelieveshecanfallasleeplikethat.She’sgoingtohaveakillerkinkinherneckandbackif

shestayslikethisallnight.

He decided he’d better move her to the bed. It seemed kind of weird to pick her up, but he knew

better than to try to wake her. Not only would she sleep through it, she often swung her arms and
kicked when anyone tried to interrupt her sleep. She claimed she had no memory of it the next
morning, but he wondered if it weren’t just a good excuse to beat up on him a bit without
consequences.

WesmovedthebagofpotatochipsnexttoDaniofftothesideandscoopedherup.Atinymoan

escaped her lips and his throat went dry. He readjusted his hold on her. She felt smaller than he
expected in his arms, her skin was so soft, and she wasn’t kidding about having stuff to make her
smellgirlie.Hewasn’tsureifitwerehershampooorherperfume,buthewantedtoburyhisheadin
herneckandtakeinthesubtlesweetscent.Helaidherinhisbedandsheimmediatelyrolledontoher
side,tuckingahandunderherface.

Wessatdownontheedgeofthemattress.Shelookedsopeaceful.Notthatsheusuallydidn’t,but

she’dalwaysstruckhimassomeonewhocouldholdherown.WhereashissistersandSophiecried
often,he’donlyseenDanikindofcryonce.He’dheardthehintofitinhervoicewhenshe’dtoldWes
thatStevehaddumpedher,buttherewasnofloodoftearsorsobs.

But when it came down to helping people, she was the first to volunteer. And if someone was

hurting,sheknewjustwhattosaytomakehimorherfeelbetter.Herealizedhewasalreadysadabout
her having to go back home, his chest aching at the thought, even though they still had a full day
together tomorrow. They wouldn’t really have the day, though, he thought. It would be filled with
weddingstuff.

Heranhisgazeupthelengthofher.He’dalwaysknownshewasbeautiful,butitstruckhimnow

stronger than ever, even stronger than the night he’d kissed her back in college. It was why he’d
kissedher.Butithadnearlyruinedtheirfriendship.

Thatwaswhyhedefinitelyshouldn’tbethinkingaboutrunninghisfingersalonghercurvesnow.

Hisbreathgrewshallow.

Youjusthaven’tbeenwithanyoneinalongtime.She’shereandshe’sfunandamazing.
Andsexy.

He pushed himself off the bed, needing to put distance between them before he did something

stupid.Ashelefttheroom,hecastonelastglanceoverhisshoulderather.

Inhisbed.
Hegulped.Hecouldfeelthepulseatthebaseofhisnecksteadilypickingupspeed.
Don’teventhinkaboutit.She’snotanoption.
So he took one more moment to acknowledge that, yes, she was sexy, and there was something

insideofhimwhisperingthatmaybethingswouldbedifferentifhereallykissedher.Butshewashis
best friend, and even if she didn’t freak out about him wanting more, they lived in different places.
Liveddifferentlives.

Lives that didn’t involve him curling up next to her in bed and kissing every inch of her like he

wantedto.

ChapterEight

Dani woke up disoriented. She blinked against the bright stripe of sunlight coming through the
window,thenglancedatthealarmclockonthesidetable.Whenhadnightcomeandgone,andwhy
didn’tsherememberanyofit?

Fuzzydetailsfromyesterdayslowlycamebacktoher.Helpingsetupfortheweddingandmessing

around with Wes until they got in trouble. The work call with Mr. Halifax. Lying down on Wes’s
couch…Andthatwasit.Shemust’vefallenasleep.Whichsucked.Shehadn’twantedtowastethelittle
bitoftimeshehadleftwithWesbysleeping.

Howdidshegethere,though?
Shevaguelyrecalledthesensationofbeingcarried.Wesmust’vebroughtmeinhere.Shewondered

whyhehadn’tjustleftheronthecouchandtakenthebed.Shekickedoffthecoversandgotup.As
shepaddeddownthehall,shepulledhertangledhairintoaponytail.“Wes?”

Hewasn’tonthecouch.Shenoticedasheetofpaperandkeysonthecoffeetable.

Hadtohelpoutwithsomelast-minuteweddingstuffanddidn’twanttowakeyou.Leftyoumycarso

youcantakeyourtime.Goaheadandenjoyyourmorningoff,hanginthecityorwhatever,andthen
youcanmeetmeatthehouselater.

Wes

She wondered why he wouldn’t want her help with the wedding errands. Maybe he needed space.

Normally, she could understand that—she certainly smothered easily, though not when it came to
spendingtimewithWes.

WhatifhefindsoutSophiestillloveshimwhilethey’regettingreadyforthewedding?Eventhough

she’dplannedontellinghim,thethoughtofthemtogethermadeherstomachknot.Shehadtoremind
herselfagainthatshedidn’twantWes,notlikethat.

Right?
But now she was remembering things she hadn’t taken into account yesterday when she’d been

drifting off to sleep. Like how, yes, his whiskers were scratchy, but there had been a tiny thrill that
shotthroughhereverytimehe’dbrushedthemagainstherskin.Andthewayhe’dlookedatherafter
thewaterfight…

That’sjustbecausehe’saguyandIhadawholelotofcleavageondisplay.Ofcourse,thathadn’t

stoppedherheartfromskippingacoupleofbeats.Itwasdoingitnow,too.Sheputherhandoverher
chest,asifthatwouldstopit.

Crap.IthoughtI’dgottenridofthisoddcrush-thingyesterday.Whywasn’therbrainlisteningto

allthereasonssheandWeswerebetteroffasfriendsandnothingmore?

Shesighed.Itwasgoingtobealongday,especiallywithalltheextracrazinessandemotionsofthe

wedding.SomaybeshewouldtakethemorningtogotoherfavoriteplacesinCharlotte—whoknew
whenshe’dgetanotherchance.

Anotherdepressingthought.
Formonthsshe’dtoldherselfArkansaswasherhomenow.Itwaswheresheworked.Whereher

apartmentandallherearthlypossessionswere.ButitwasfunnyhowWes’splacesuddenlyfeltmore
likehomethanherownplacedid.Eventhoughhiscleaninghadslippedoverthelastfewdaysandit
lookedmorelikeshe’dfirstexpecteditto,withclotheshangingonthefurnitureandemptyCokecans

leftallaround.Ormaybeitwasn’tsomuchhisplaceasitwashim.

Herchesttightened.Ihaveafeelingit’sgoingtobehardtogobacktomynormallifeafterthis.

…

WessatacrossfromMom,eatingthebreakfastshe’dwhippedupandsippingcoffee.

“Youlooksohandsome,”Momsaid,pushingtheplateofbacontowardhim.“WhatdidDanisay

aboutthenewlook?Shelikeit?”

Wesranhishandacrosshissmoothcheek.Afteracouplemonthsofnotshaving,hisfacefeltnaked

andexposed.“Shehasn’tseenityet.”

ConfusionflickeredacrossMom’sfeatures.
“ShewasasleepwhenIgotinlastnight,”hesaid.“Thinkshehadsomeworkemergencyandwith

allthetravelingandeverything…”

“Well,she’sadeargirl.Iseewhyyoulikehersomuch.”
Yeah, he saw why he liked her so much, too. Now he needed to stop. It was like last night he’d

gottenthisideathatheandDaniwereperfectforeachother,andhecouldn’tshakeit,nomatterhow
muchhetoldhimselfitwouldneverendwell.Theyworkedbecausetheydidn’thavedramaorallthe
fights that came with romantic relationships. Everything he kept telling himself didn’t stop this
naggingWhatifitworkedthoughtfromcomingupagainandagain,though.

Kissingherincollegehadbeenadisaster—ortheaftereffectshadbeen,anyway.Honestly,heonly

rememberedsnippetsfromthatnight.He’dbeendrunkandthinkingshewashotandhe’ddecidedto
tryitjustonce.Thensheleftandthingswereweirdandhefeltlikeanidiotforweeksafterward.

“Wes?”
Helookedupfromhisfood.“She’samazing.”
“So when is she moving here?” Mom frowned. “You’re not leaving, are you? You just got all

settledintoyournewjob,andIdon’twantyoulivingsofaraway.”

“Notsure.”Wesstoodtorefillhiscoffee.“Wehaven’treallytalkedaboutit.”
“Haven’ttalkedaboutit?Wes,thosearethingsyouneedtodiscussrightaway.Danisaidyouwere

gettingmarriedatthemuseum,soIthoughtthatmeantshewantedtobehereinNorthCarolina.What
wasitshesaidshedid?Somethinginmarketing?”

Momwasremindinghimofallthereasonshecouldn’tcrosstheline.Becauseifhedidandsheleft

forArkansas,shemightnevercomeback.Theawkwardnesswouldstretchacrossseveralstates,and
without face-to-face time together, he’d lose her for good. That thought made his insides turn cold
andhard.

HegaveMomaside-hug.“Let’sjustworryaboutoneweddingatatime,okay?”

…

Daniturnedontothebusydowntownstreets,squintingattheroadsigns.Shehadn’tbeenhereinyears,
andWeshadbeendoingthedrivingbackthen.

Sheneededtogosomewheretothinkbutstillhavesomethingelsetofocusonifherthoughtsgot

too overwhelming. Even now, she was noticing how Wes’s car smelled like him, and then she was
thinkingabouthisclearblueeyesandtheimageofhiminatowel,allthosemusclesondisplay.This
couldn’tbehealthy.

Thestreetcameupsoonerthanexpectedandshemadeaquickturnthatmadethetiressqueal.Wes

would’vebeenproud—ifitweren’thiscar.

ShepulledintotheparkinggarageoftheplacewheresheandWesweresupposedtogetmarried.In

theory,obviously.Afterallthecrazinessofyesterday,shewasstartingtothinkelopingwasthewayto
go.Nobird-namedcolorsorcenterpiecesthattookhourstoarrangeandplacejustso.

Ofcourse,therewasachanceherfiancéwascurrentlyintheprocessofgettingbacktogetherwith

his ex-fiancée, which could really put a damper on wedding plans, big ceremony or Vegas chapel.
How was she ever going to be okay with that? What if Wes and Sophie got re-engaged? Could she
reallygototheirweddingandnotstandupandobject?Herinsidesclenchedmorewitheachthought,
untiltensionstretchedtightacrossherneckandshoulders.

Sheshovedoutofthecarandwalkedtowardthemuseum’sentrance,tellingherselfshecoulddoit

ifbeingmarriedtoSophiemadeWeshappy.

Yes,shecoulddoit,butitwouldbreakherheart,knowinghewaslegallysomeoneelse’s,tilldeath

dotheypart.

Daniblinked.Shewouldnotcryoverahypotheticalsituation—thatwasjuststupid.
The scent of old meeting new filled the air of the museum: part cleaner, part items from long

beforeshewasborn.Hermusclesrelaxedandeverythinginsidehercalmed.Nomorestressingover
whatwasorwasn’thappeningwithWes.Thistimewasabouther.Whoshewas.Whoshewantedto
be.Whatshewanted.

Shepaidandthenwanderedfromexhibittoexhibit,takinghertimetoperusetheplaques,eventhe

ones she’d read years before. Steve wasn’t one for museums—his eyes went blank whenever she
started going on about what she thought were perfectly interesting historical facts. Her passion had
always been early America and post–Civil War America. The country had gone through so many
changesinsuchashortamountoftime.

Andfreedomwasattheheartofitall.Herskintingledwiththatthought.Itwaswhatgoodstories

werebasedon,andit’dhappenedrighthereinherhomecountry,hundredsofyearsago.

Even though she was trying to be all “I’m discovering myself and fine on my own,” she missed

having Wes along. He never rushed her, and they could talk on and on about history, mixing
speculationwithfactandoccasionallydebatingminordiscrepancies.

ShewalkeddowntherecreatedmainstreetwiththeAfricanAmericanbarbershopandstoppedin

front of the Good Samaritan Hospital Chapel, one of the first African-American hospitals in the
South.Eventhoughtheplacewaseventuallytorndownandreplacedbyabig-assfootballstadium,
someone had saved the wood, pews, stained glass, and other objects. The museum reassembled it
here.

Dani walked to the front and studied the wood with the word holy in it three times, separated by

crosses.Anelderlycouplecameover,holdinghands,theirsimplegoldenbandscontrastingagainst
theirdarkskin.Asshemovedacrosstheroom,shenoticedthewaytheysmiledateachother;how
eventhoughthemanlimped,hekeptholdofhiswife,lookingatherlikeshewastheonlythingthat
matteredintheworld.

The intimacy between them made her feel like she was intruding on a private moment, yet she

couldn’tlookaway.Shesmiledwhenthewomancaughthereye.Andthenshefoundherselfwalking
towardthemforreasonsshedidn’tcompletelyunderstand.

“Hi,”shesaid.“Youtwojustlooksohappy,I…Well,Idon’tknow,really.Justwantedtosaykeep

ondoingwhateveryou’redoing.”Thewordssoundedstupid,andshewantedtorewindtimeandhang
backinsteadofdisturbingthem.

But then the woman’s eyes found hers. “We met here. Well, when the place wasn’t here. This is

wherewefellinlove…”

Anhourlater,Danihesitatedinfrontoftheexitofthemuseum,notwantingtoleave,eventhough

sheneededtogetreadyforthewedding.Sheglancedatthepeopleattheinformationdesk,temptedto
ask them about their wedding ceremony options and how far in advance they were booked. After
hearingMr.andMrs.Clark’slovestory,shereallydidwanttogetmarriedhere,soclosetowhere
they’d met and where the world was progressing, people slowly changing their minds about

segregation.

WoulditbeweirdtopickadateinabouttwoyearsandjusthopethatI’llfindsomeonebythen?
One thing was for sure: she was done bobbing through life, having it happen to her more than

makingithappen.

I’mtakingcontrol.Firststep:promotion.Thenshecouldfocusontherestofherlife.Putherself

outthere,meetsomefriends,possiblyevenaguy.Atleaststarttrying.

Nomorebeingscaredofmovingon.

ChapterNine

All the setting up had been done. Audrey had even come out with her hair in curlers and approved
everything—includinghisfreshlyshavenfaceandshorterhair.Nowhewasjustkillingtime,waiting
forDanitoshow.

Wes’sbrother-in-law-to-becameoutside.“ThebridesmaidskickedmeoutsoIdon’taccidentally

seemybrideandjinxthewholewedding,”Matthewsaid.“Man,Iloveyoursisterandall,butI’llbe
gladwhenthewedding’sover.Don’tgetscaredwhenDanigoesnutsooverdecorations—it’snormal
andthentheychangeback.OrsoI’veheard.Fingerscrossed,”headded,raisinghisownfingers.

“Daniwon’tbelikethat,”Wessaid.
Matthewraisedhiseyebrows,hisskepticismclear.
Wesfiguredtherewasn’tanypointinarguing.Someguestsstartedtoshowup,andhesatdown,

tappinghisfingersonhisthighs,anxiousforDanitohurryandgetthere.

Whatifshedecidedshedoesn’twanttokeepupthisfakeengagementanymore?IfAudreythought

hisannouncinghewasgettingmarriedagaincreatedtoomuchdrama,hedidn’twanttothinkabout
howmadshe’dbeatDanibeingano-show.Orathisfamilylearningthetruth.

Hestood,nowworriedshemight’vegottenintoawreckorsomething.
Whatifshe’sonherwaytothehospitalrightnow?
Heranahandthroughhishair.Heneededtocalmdown.
Itwouldreallyhelpifhispulsewasn’tthumpingthroughhisheadandhistiewasn’tchokinghim,

andhehadn’tworntheseshoesinforeverandnowhewasrememberingwhy.

He pulled out his phone. No messages. Twenty minutes until the ceremony started. He should

probably be inside, asking Mom if she needed any last-minute help, but he remained rooted to the
spot,watchingtheguestsarrive.WaitingforDanitoarrive.

“Youokay?”
Westurnedback.Jillwasdressedinthejadebridesmaiddress—notgreen,ashe’dbeentoldagain

andagain—withabigwhiteflowerinherhair.

“Yeah.Fine.How’sAudrey?”
“Alternativelygiddyandweepy.”
Wesglancedbacktowardtheentrance.Thendidadoubletake.
Danihadthreatenedtokillhim.Thismustbethewaysheplannedtodoit.
Her dark hair was down around her shoulders and she was wearing earrings that glittered in the

sunlight.Thepurpledressshehadonshowedoffhertonedlegsandhuggedhercurves.

Thesupplyofoxygentohisbraincutoff,andhewasprettysurehishearthadstoppedacoupleof

beatsago.

“Dude,you’repracticallydrooling.”Jillpattedhisback.“Youcangosayhi,youknow.”
Sure.Ifhecouldrememberhowtowalk.Danihadalwaysbeenpretty,butnowshewasthekindof

beautifulthatpracticallyhurttolookat.Thatpeptalkhe’dgivenhimselfearlieraboutnotthinkingof
Daniinanywaythatinvolvedherbodyorhiswastotallyineffectivenow.

Somehow he managed to make his feet work. He swallowed when he reached her, unable to say

anythingmorethan,“Wow.”

“Wow for the backwards dress?” She twisted so he could see the draping that showed off lots of

bronzeskin.

Hispulsecrankedupacouplemorenotches.“Iunderestimatedthebackwardsdress.Notamistake

I’llmakeagain.”

“Andlookatyou.”Shereachedupandranherhanddownhisface.Hefelthertouchallthewayto

histoes.“Youshaved.”

Heclearedhisthroat.“FiguredI’dmakemysisterhappyonherspecial,over-hypedday.”
Dani’sredder-than-normallipscurvedintoasmile.“Makesmehappy,too.Youcan’tuseyourface

asaweaponanymore.Howwillyoutorturemenow?”

“I’msureI’llfindsomethingelse,don’tyouworry.”
Shemovedherfingersupthroughhishair,andeverythinginsidehimturnedtomush.“Nomore

hobofiancé.I’mgladyoudidn’tgotooshort,though.Ilikeitalittlelong.”

“Oh,Wes,thereyouare.”Momstrodeovertothem,armsswinging.“Sorrytointerrupt,buthave

youseenyourfather?”Sheheldupaflower.“GottaputthisboutonniereonhimandthenIneedto
check on the girls and the preacher and the ceremony’s getting so close and I feel like there’s
somethingelseI’mforgetting.”Sheputahandonthetopofherheadandglancedaround.Between
her harried look and the way she was running her words together, he could tell she was starting to
crack.

SodespitethefacthedesperatelywantedtostaybyDaniandfinishthemomenthehopedtheywere

having,heheldouthishand.“Givemetheflowerthing.I’llfindDadandcheckontheguysandthe
preacher.”HeturnedtoDani,puttinghishandonherhip.Tonighthewasgoingtouseanyandevery
excusehecouldtotouchher.“We’resittingupnearthefront.You’llseethereservedchairs.”

“Actually,”Momsaid.“IcoulduseDaniifthat’sokay.Myhandsareshakingsobadly,andit’llbe

goodtohaveanothersetofeyeswhenwedothelast-minuteprepsonAudreyandthegirls.”

Wes raised his eyebrows at Dani, silently asking her if it was okay. When it came to his family,

she’dgonealongwithalot,andhealreadyowedherforthat.

“It’sfine,”shesaid.“Yougo,andI’llseeyouinafewminutes.Savemeaseat?”
Wesleanedinandwhispered,“Thankyou.”
Thenhekissedhercheek.
Becausehewaslosinghismind,apparently.

…

DanistruggledtokeepupwithKathleenassherushedtothestairs.HerthoughtswerestillonWesand
howamazinghelookedinthatsuitandtie.Notlikeitwasanewsflashhewashot,butthiswasanew
drool-worthy, forget-your-own-name level. Maybe good-looking and great personality didn’t
automaticallyequalcrazypassion,butmaybethatkindofromanticchemistrywashorriblyoverrated.
Afterall,it’dfadeeventually,andwasn’titmoreimportanttobeabletostandthepersonyouwere
with?ThatwouldneverfadewithWes.

Daniwassolostinherthoughts,shealmostslammedintoKathleenwhensheabruptlystopped.
“Iforgottopullthestuffforthepunchoutofthefreezer.I’mnotevensureit’llthawintimeforthe

reception.”Shespunaround.“I’lltakecareofthat.Canyougoinandseeifthegirlsneedanything?”

BeforeDanicouldsuggesttheyswitchduties,Kathleenwashurryingdownthestairs,mutteringto

herself.

Danicouldhearvoicescomingfromthedoortoherright.Sheknockedandwentin.
Acloudofhairsprayhungheavyintheairandtherewasabustleofactivity,therustleoftulleand

satin.

AudreyglancedoverhershoulderatDani.Shewasavisioninwhitesatinandlace,herblondhair

pinned up in curls. The next instant she was hugging Dani so tightly she thought she was going to
crushherribcage.“I’msogladyou’rehere.”Shepulledback,fanninghereyeswithherhand.“Oh

no,I’mgoingtocryagain.Jill!”

Jillcame over witha tissue, dabbingat her sister ’s eyes.“Deep breaths. I’llgrab the powder and

we’lltouchyouup,butthenweneedtogo.”

As Jill brushed past, she leaned in and whispered, “Sophie’s zipper is stuck. We’re not telling

Audreyyet,hopingwe’llgetitfixedintime.CouldyougoseeifyoucangetitformewhileItake
careofAudrey?”

GohelpSophie.Sure.Notawkwardatall.
SheslowlyapproachedSophie,whowasdabbinghereyeswithatissue.Apparentlyeveryonewas

crying.

Danistaredforamoment,wonderinghowshe’dgottenropedintothis.Shehesitantlyreachedout

andpattedSophie’sshoulder.“It’sokay.We’llgetyourdressfixed,noneedtocry.”

Sophieglancedupatherandsighed.“I’mnotcryingbecauseofthedress.I’mjust…”Shegestured

aroundtheroom.“Iwassupposedtobedoingthisinafewweeks.Iwasgoingtohavetheceremony
ofmydreamswiththemanofmydreams.”

AnicyknotformedinDani’sstomach.“I’msureyou’llstillhaveitsomeday.”
“Notwhenthemanofmydreamsiswithsomeoneelse.”Sophiedabbedatthetearsthatspilledout

ofhereyes.“I’msorry,thatcameacrossasbitchy.I’mnottryingtobe,Iswear,butIdidn’texpectto
havesuchahardtimewithit.”Shetookashudderingbreath.“CanyoublockmefromAudreysoshe
doesn’tseeI’mfallingapart?”

DanimovedherbodybetweenAudreyandSophie.“I’msorry,too.Idon’tknowwhattosay.”What

shewantedtosaywas,Youdumpedhimandnowhe’smineandyoucan’thavehim.Buthewasn’thers,
notreally,andshe’dsuspectedfromthemomentshe’dgottentoCharlottethatpartofWesdidbelong
toSophie.Maybeallofhim.

Needingsomethingelsetofocuson,shetoldSophietoturnaroundandthenstaredatthezipper.

Some of the satiny green material had gotten lodged in the side. Dani gently tugged the tab up and
down, but it didn’t move. She was tempted to really yank, but if Sophie’s dress got torn, who was
goingtobelieveitwasn’tbecauseWes’scurrentfiancéewasjealousofhisoldone?Especiallysince
itwasalittletrue.

Danimanagedtogetthefabricout,butthezipper ’stabwouldonlygodown,notup.
Kathleenpokedherheadintheroom.“We’resupposedtogooutnow.Everyoneready?”
SophiecastaworriedglanceoverhershoulderatDani.
Dani,inturn,glancedaroundforsomethingtohelp,liketheanswerwouldmagicallyappear.The

pencilonthedeskcaughthereye.Once,whenthelockonhercollegeapartmentgotstuck,Weshad
come to help her fix it. He’d brought this graphite lubricant tube and put it in the lock to get the
tumblersworkingagain.

Audreywasstandingup,runningherhandsalongherskirt.Jillshotaquestioning,wide-eyedlook

atDani.Shegrabbedthepencil,rubbeditupanddownthezipper,worriedintheendallshe’dhave
wasadresswithgraysmudgesonitthatstillwouldn’tzip.

Adeepbreathandthenshepulledonthetab.Itsnaggedforasecondbutthencaughtandslidup,

niceandsmooth.Asighofreliefescapedherlips.“Ready.”

Sophiestartedtostepforward,butthenturnedbackandwhispered,“Thankyou,Dani.”
It wasn’t Take care of Wes for me, or You’re the one who’s right for him, or any of the dramatic

scenesyouseeinthemovies,butthegenuinenessofSophie’svoiceandthesadsmilesentapangof
guiltthroughher.Shehadn’ttoldWesthattherewasnoreasontogetoverthegirlhewasn’tover.But
sheneededto.

Aftershetoldhim,he’dprobablywanttogodeclarehislovetoSophieandkissher,rightthenand

there,whichwouldbeconfusing,sinceeveryonethoughthewasengagedtoher.

WesandIhavegottenourselvesintoaroyalmessthistime.

…

WeskeptglancingatDaniduringtheceremony.She’dtoldhimeverythingwasfinewhenheasked,
but now she was twisting her “engagement ring” around her finger, the diamond winking in the
sunlighteverytimeitgottothetop.

Hereachedoverandtookherhand,lacinghisfingerswithhers.Shelookedathim—she’ddone

somethingtohereyestomakethemstandoutevenmore,thepurplehighlightingthedarkbrownof
heririses,andhisstomachtwistedjustlookingather.Itwaslikeaswitchhadbeenflippedandthere
wasnowaytoturnitoffnow.Damn,hewasfalling.

Fallingforhisbestfriend.
Itwould’vebeenagoodthingifhedidn’tknowthatshe’dneverfallforhimback.
He swallowed his feelings, a bitter taste in his mouth, and returned his attention to Audrey and

Matthew,recitingtheirvowsinfrontofthepreacher.

Then there were the I Dos and the pronouncing of man and wife. They kissed and the audience

cheered.

Momswipedtearsfromhercheeks,thenleanedover,smilingathimandDani.“Youtwoarenext.”
Weswassavedfromhavingtorespondtothatbyeveryonestandingforthecoupleastheywalked

backdowntheaisle,handinhand.Thenpeopleheadedovertothereceptionarea,anditwasablurof
movement,caterersfillingdrinksandbringingfood,anddozensofconversationsfillingtheair.

Daniwasquiet,andforthefirsttimeinyears,hehadnoideawhattosaytoher.Finally,hedecided

togoforsimple.“Youokay?”

Shesetdownherwaterglass,nodded,andthenpokedatthechickenonherplatewithherfork.
Geez, it’s like pulling teeth. He talked to Mom and Dad for a couple of minutes, then glanced at

Daniagain.

“Doanythinginterestingthismorning?”
“IwenttotheLevineMuseum,actually,”shesaid.
“Letmeguesswhereyouspentthemosttime.TheGoodSamaritanChapel.”
Finally he got a smile. “You know me too well. And the most amazing thing happened in there.”

Herfacelitupasshetoldhimaboutthecoupleshe’dmetatthemuseum.

Wes squeezed her hand. “You put on a tough front, Dani Vega, but then you almost cry over a

couple’slovestory.”

Shefrownedathim.“Iwasn’tabouttocry.”Oneshoulderliftedinahalfshrug.“Butitwasalovely

story.”Shedroppedherforkandleanedin,keepinghervoicelow.“Iguessitjustgotmethinking…
AndthenIseeyourparents,andhowJillandherhusbandare,nottomentionAudreyandMatthew,
andIknowit’sstupidbut…”Sheshookherhead.“Nevermind.”

“What?”Hetuggedonherhanduntilshelookedathimagain.
“SometimesIworryIwon’teverhavethat.Mymomwasaloneformostofherlife.Yes,shehad

me, and now she has my abuela, but that’s different. And I don’t have a kid or even a pet.” She
shruggedagain,likeitwasnobigdeal,buthecouldhearinhervoicethatshewasgenuinelyworried.
“Justignoreme.IguessI’mnotimmunetogettingemotionalatweddings.”

Nowthesunwassetting,andthewhitelightsMomhadhimdrapeeverywhereyesterdaywereon,

softly lighting Dani’s features. He held her gaze for a moment, then put his elbow on the table and
movedclosertoher.“Nomatterwhathappensorwhocomesintoourlives,we’llalwayshaveeach
other.Whateveryouneed.Whenever.EvenifI’vegottocomewithacaneorawalker.”

Oneofhereyebrowsarchedhigherthantheother.“Whatifyouendupmarriedtoagirlwhohates

me?”shewhispered.

“Eventhen,”hesaid,firm,notbotheringtowhisperback.“Sheacceptsthatyou’repartofmylife

orshe’snotapartofmine.”

Dani’seyesshonewithunshedtears,andhischesttightened.Sheblinkedquicklyandsmiled.“IfI

everhaveaboyfriendagain,thesameruleappliestohim.”

If.Likeshe’dhavetroublefindingsomeone.
The microphone squealed and Jill took it to deliver her maid of honor toast. Matthew’s college

buddyfollowed,makinghistoast,andthenAudreyandMatthewhadtheirfirstdanceashusbandand
wife.

Whenthenextsongstartedup,WesstoodandheldouthishandtoDani.“Comedancewithme.”
Herhandslippedintohis,likeitwasmeanttobethere,andheledherontothefloorwiththeother

couples.Shehookedherfingersbehindhisneckandswayedtothemusic.Figuringhecouldgetaway
with dancing close, he slid his arms tighter around her waist until there wasn’t any space between
them.

Hecouldfeelherchestriseandfallagainsthis,andtherestofthedancepartyfadedawaytoablur.

Beingherewithherwasnolongeraboutmakinganyonejealousorkeepinghisfamilyoffhiscase.It
wasabouthavingherinhisarmsandsoakingineverymomentwhilehecould.“I’vehadsomuchfun
thepastfewdays;Idon’twanttothinkaboutthefactthatIhavetogohometomorrow,”shesaid.

Wesexhaledashakybreath.“Meneither.”Iwantyoutostayforever.He’davoidedcommitmentor

evendatingthelastfewmonths,sothethoughtsurprisedhim.Butitwastrue.Hedidn’trealizehow
muchhe’dmissedhersinceshemovedaway,andnowhedidn’twanttolethergobacktoArkansas.

Shereachedupandranherhanddownhischeekagain.“Stillcan’tgetoverthis.”
If she were going to do that every time he shaved, he’d start doing it every day. Obviously she

didn’tknowwhatshewasdoingtohim.Hehadtostartsilentlylistingstatecapitalsinhisheadtokeep
himselfundercontrol.Hedefinitelyshouldn’tbethinkingabouthowamazingherbodyfeltpressed
againsthis.

Hemovedhishands,grazingthesoftskinonherback.Thebackwardsdresssuddenlybecamehis

favoritethingever.

Danilookedupintohiseyes,andhewonderedforaheart-stoppingsecondifsheweregoingtoask

whathewasdoingandpullaway.

Butthenshedroppedherheadonhisshoulder.Hesoakedinthemoment,inhalingherperfumeand

daringtobrushhisfingersacrossherskinagain.“Canwejustfreezethismomentforawhile?”she
asked.

Wesbarelyresistedtheurgetokissthetopofherhead.Hecouldprobablyplayitoffasacting,but

couldhedoitwithoutthentippingherchinupandkissingherforreal?

Themusiccutoff,andhe’dneverdespisedtheendingofasongsomuch.Daniliftedherhead,her

bodystillpressedagainsthis.Somethingflickeredthroughhergazeandhisposturetensed.

“Wes,Ineedtotellyousomething.”
“Everyone!”Thescreechofthemicrophoneshatteredthesilence.Audreystoodupfront,herarm

around her brand-new husband. “Matthew and I just want to thank you all for coming. Planning a
weddinginvolvedmorethanIeverknewitwould,andIjustwanttothankmyfamilyforhelpingme
pulloffsuchabeautifulone.We’vealwaysbeenveryclose,andtheymeantheworldtome.Andthat
includesmybrotherandmysister-in-law-to-be.Dani,Wes,comeuphere.”

Danistiffened.
Audreywavedtowardthem.“Comeon,youguys.Getupherealready.”

…

ThelastthingDaniwantedwastogoupthere.ButeveryonewasalreadystaringatherandWes,and

she wasn’t sure what else to do. She gripped his hand, taking comfort in the way his fingers
automaticallywrappedaroundhers.

The crowd parted as they made their way to the podium in front, where the band was set up and

Audreywasholdingthemic.Wesledhertothestage,andshecouldfeelheatcrawlingupherneck
andintoherface.

Herhandsachedtohaveabasketballinthem.Somethingtodistractherfromallthestares.Audrey

grinned, radiating happiness. “Now when my brother brought his new fiancée home, I was so
wrapped up in my own stuff, I’m afraid I didn’t give her a proper welcome into our family. So I
wantedtoproposeatoast.”Sheliftedaflutedglass.“ToWesandDani.Mayyourdreamsallcome
true,likeminehavetoday.”

Thecrowdrespondedwithhear,hear,echoingthetoast.
DanispottedKathleeninthecrowd,beamingupatthem.
Lookhowhappysheis.She’sgoingtohatemewhenshefindsoutWesandIaren’tgettingmarried.

Butthenhe’llgetbacktogetherwithSophieandthey’llallgetoverit.Tearsprickedhereyesandshe
swallowedalumpinherthroat.

Exceptme.
AudreythrustthemictowardWes.
Heshookhisheadandwhispered,“It’syourday.”
“Iknow,andIwantyoutosaysomething.”Shepracticallyjabbeditintohisnose.
Wesreluctantlytookthemic.HeglancedatDani,athisparents,andthenhiseyesdriftedoverthe

restofthecrowd.

DaninoticedSophiestandingofftotheside,facepale.Backonthedancefloor,she’dbeenaboutto

tellWesexactlyhowhisexfelt,butthisspeechhadcutheroff.Nowsheworrieditwasgoingtoruin
anyshottheyhadatgettingbacktogether,anditwouldbeallherfault.Butwhatwasshesupposedto
do?Takethemicandtelleveryonethiswasn’trealandthathebelongedwithSophie?Maybeifthis
wereamovieandshewereabetterperson,buttherewasnowayinhellshewasdoingthat.

Wesliftedthemictohismouthandturnedonthecharmforthecrowd.“Firstofall,Iwanttosay

congrats to Audrey and Matthew. I know you guys are going to have a great life together. Just
remember to have some adventures along the way, so the stress of everyday life doesn’t get you
down.”Helookedathissisterandsmiled,theaffectioninhiseyesclear.“Takesomechancesoncein
awhile.Dosomethingimpulsive.Nogettingboringonme.”

Audreyraisedaneyebrow,butshewassmilingbackatWes.Shegavealittlenod.
“As for Dani…” Wes let go of her hand and slid his arm around her waist. “She’s been my best

friendforalongtime.AndI…”Hiseyeslockedontohersandherheartcaught.“Iloveherlikecrazy,
andI’msogladshesaidyes.”

Awwswentthroughtheaudience.
Audreytookthemicrophone,helditdown,andthenwhispered.“Kissheralready.Anddon’tbea

wussaboutit.”

Westurnedtofaceher,andherpulsehammeredthroughherears.Allthesepeople.Watchingthem

kiss.Don’tthinkabouttheweirdnessorthefactthatwesuckatkissing.Justsellitfortheaudience.
AndatleastheshavedsoIwon’tgetwhiskerburnthistime.

Heleaneddownandgentlypressedhislipstohers.Shewasabouttopullback,figuringthey’dput

onagoodenoughshow,whenhepulledherflushagainsthimandpartedherlipswithhis.Thenshe
was gripping the sides of his waist, fire blazing a trail from her lips to her core as she kissed him
back.

Hedippedherslightly,histongueranacrossthetopofherlip,andthenheeasedherbackup.She

wobbled,grabbingontohisarmtokeepfromfallingover.Itwasjustaresultofwearingheelsforso

long,shetoldherself.Andthatkisswasallforshow…

Butthatshowhadresultedinhertinglinglipsandtheinabilitytocatchherbreath.Okay,notquite

likelasttime.

Wes’s eyes were glued to hers. She glanced away, unable to deal with the confusing emotions

swirlingthroughher,andtookalargestepoffthestage.Peoplepattedhershoulderandcongratulated
herasshepassed.

Kathleen threw her arms around her, enveloping her in a hug so tight she could hardly breathe.

“I’msogladitwasyou,”shesaid.

Air. All this open space and there was no air. Her lungs were straining for it and her head was

spinning.Shesmiledthebestshecouldmanageandthenpushedoutofthecrowdasfastasshecould
withoutrunning.

Themusicswelledandconversationsroseagain.Shestumbledoverastoneandcursedhershoes.

Shebracedherselfagainsttheclosesttreeandtookacoupleofdeepbreaths.

Amomentlater,shefeltahandonherarmandturned.
“Mykisswasthatbad,huh?”Wessaiditlikeajoke,butitdidn’tcarryhisusualcockyflare.
Hewasworriedhewasasuckykisser,andrightnowshethoughthewastoogoodofone.
Since she wasn’t sure how to go there without leaving her heart exposed, in too much danger of

beingcrushed,shepavedoverthestatementwith,“Yourmom’sgoingtobesohurtwhenwetellher
webrokeup.”Danibitherlip.“Iknowit’snotfairofmetoaskforyoutolietoyourfamilyforever,
butpleasedon’ttellheritwasallfake.”

“I’lltellherthatwedecidedwewerebetteroffasfriends,”hesaid.“She’llbefine.”
Danigavehimalooktoshowhimhowmuchshedoubtedthat.
“Okay, you’re right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We really didn’t think this through. I

should’veknownmymomwouldfallinlovewithyou.Youwanttoleave?Icanmakeupanexcuse.”

“I’mfine.Ijustneededsomeair.Notusedtothecrowdandtheattention.”Andthekissing.Ifyou’d

kissedmelikethatthefirsttime,Ineverwould’vebeenwithanyoneelse.

Andsuddenlysheknewnomatterwhoshemet,whoshekissed,she’dforevercomparethemtothe

kisshe’dgivenhertonight,aftertellingeveryonehelovedher.

Justlikesheknew,withoutadoubt,they’dallfallshort.

ChapterTen

Danileaned against thedeck railing andcovered a yawn. Thebride and groomhad driven away in
theirstreamer-coveredcarandalloftheweddingandreceptionguestsweregone.Thesunhadseta
whileagoandthenightwastheperfecttemperature.

Daysofsetup—monthsofwork,really—andanhourafterthereception,therewasonlyabeat-up

lawnandgiantbinsfulloftrashtoshowforit.Nomoretablesorchairsordecorations,justacouple
ofstringsoftwinklingwhitelights.Shetriednottothinkaboutit,becauseitonlyremindedherthat
soonshe’dbeheadedbacktoherreallife,thisnightonlyamemory.

AndthatwaswherethekissfromWeswouldbe,too.Akeepsakeofaperfectnightwherethey’d

laughed,dancedclose,andsharedonemagicalmoment,evenifshewastheonlyonewho’dfeltthe
magic.

Wescameover,tiehanginglooseandthetopfewbuttonsofhisshirtundone.Hiswavyblondhair

wasslightlydisheveledinacompletelysexyway.“ThattooklongerthanIexpected.”Heglancedat
hiswatch.“Therestoftheband’sprobablyalreadysettingup,wonderingwhereIam.We’regoingto
havetorushtogettotheshow.Idon’tthinkweevenhavetimetochange.”

Danistraightened.“ThisiswhatIalwaysweartoconcerts,anyway.I’mfancylikethat.”
“Well, come on then, Miss Fancy Pants.” He put his hand on the small of her back and led her

inside. When he passed by the dining room where his mom was sitting with Jill, a mess of
centerpiecesfillingthetable,hesaid,“DaniandIhavetogo.”

Kathleen got to her feet. “Are you sure? You know, both of you could stay here tonight. I could

makeuparoomforDani,andyoucouldsleepinthe—”

“Thanks,Mom,”Wessaid.“ButI’vegotashowandit’llbelate.”HeglancedatDaniandmouthed,

Youowemefivebucks.

She didn’t admit it was the second time Kathleen had offered to have her stay. His mom hugged

him, then turned to her and enveloped her in a hug, crushing her mother-of-the-bride corsage
betweenthem.

“I’msohappyyoucame,andI’llbeintouchtotalkweddingdetails.”Kathleendroppedherarms

butdidn’tstepaway,juststaredatherforabeat.“Youtwoaregoingtohavesuchbeautifulchildren.”

“Mom,”Wessaid,awarninginhisvoice.
“What?Nopressure,butI’mjustsayingeventually—”
“Night,Mom.”Wesnoddedathissister.“Jill.Catchyoulater.”
They waved and exchanged a few more good-byes before getting out the door. A pang went

throughDaniwhensherealizedshemightbewalkingawayfromthishouseforthelasttime.Alump
evenformedinherthroat.

Man,what’swithmetoday?
As an only child who’d lost her father so early in life, she’d always envied people with big

families. Even though Steve had two brothers and they’d visited his parents a couple of times, his
familyhadnevertakenherinandmadeherfeellikepartofthem.Infact,shealwaysfelttemporary—
anditturnedoutshewas.

Overthepastfewdays,she’dalmostfeltlikeshewaspartofWes’sfamily,andshedidn’twantto

letitgo.Shecastonelastglanceoverhershoulder,takingamomenttorememberthebeautifulstone
archway,flowerbeds,andperfectlysculptedshrubsandtrees.SheheldtheimageofwhenWesfirst

walkedherinsideandtherewerepeopleeverywhereandhisnieceandnephewranuptohim.Justfor
a second, she let herself imagine it was all real—that she was engaged to the perfect guy and was
abouttobemarriedintothefamilyshe’dgrowntoloveinsuchashortamountoftime.

Then she took a deep breath, let the image cloud over, and blew it away until only a wisp of the

memoriesandtheyearninginherbodyremained.

Wesopenedthecardoorforher.Hereyesranacrosshischestanduptohisface.Shewantedtorun

her hand down his cheek again—hell, she wanted to feel his lips against hers again. Earlier he’d
promisedthey’dalwayshaveeachother,andheobviouslymeantitasfriends.Soevenifshecouldn’t
havetherest—hisfamilyandhisheart—she’dholdontothat.

AndhopetoGodthatSophiewouldaccepthersothatitcouldbetrue.

…

ThestreetlightsflashedacrossDani’sface,lightingituponemomentandleavingitindarknessthe
next.

Traffic got heavier as they headed out of his parents’ neighborhood. “Sorry about my mom and

thatwholekidsthing.”

Daniranherfingersalongthebottomofthepassengerdoorwindow.“It’sokay.”
Hewastemptedtosay,Fortherecord,ourkidswouldbebeautiful,buthe’dobviouslyfreakedher

outwiththatkissalready.

Thatkisswas…Hedidn’tevenknowwhattocallit.Hehadn’tmeanttodomorethangivehera

peck,butthenhislipswereagainsthersandhe’dstoppedthinkingandjustgoneforit.Ithadalmost
beenbetterwhenhedidn’tknowwhatitwasliketoreallykissher.

Atleasthedidn’trememberthedrunkenkiss.Theonetonightwasgoingtobesearedintohismind

forever.Hisgazewenttothoselipsagain.

Shetensed.“Wes,thelight’sred.”
Heglancedupandhitthebrakes,managingtostopthemfrombarrelingintotheintersection,but

damnthatwasclose.

Dani was holding onto the bar over the door. “I know you’re used to flying in the open air, but

whenwedriveontheroads,therearethingslikestoplights.”

“Yeah, for the tight-asses who follow rules like that,” he said, attempting a joke even though his

stomach had relocated to his throat. The light turned green and he eased through the intersection,
handsgrippingthesteeringwheelandeyesfixedontheroad.Hehadtoreadjusthisthinkingbackto
Danibeinghisfriendandnothingmore.

Afewmoreminutesandhewaspullingupbehindthebar.Lightspilledoutofthebackdoor,andhe

couldseetheoutlineoftheguysalreadyunloadingtheequipment.Heparkednexttothevan,gotout,
andgrabbedhisguitarfromthetrunk.Hefrowneddownathisclothes.“Idon’tlookveryrockand
roll.”

Danipursedherlipsassheranhereyesoverhim.Sheduckedinsidethecarandbroughtouthis

aviatorshades.“Willitbetoodarktoplayinthese?”

“IthinkIcanmanage.”Heputthemonwhilesheundidhistieandsliditoff.Thenshereachedup

and tousled his hair, her body bumping against his. He took a deep breath of whatever intoxicating
perfumeshewaswearing,suppressingagroanatthefeelofherfingersinhishair.

Her hand slid down, resting on his chest, and he wondered if she could feel his rapid heartbeat.

“Youlookgood.Withorwithouttheshades.”

Hemeanttosaythanksbuthismouthwasn’tworking.
“Wes?Youcomingorwhat?”
WesglancedatRobandPaul,standingbythedoor.“Yeah.Justhavingmystylistfixmywardrobe.”

HewasabouttoreachforDani’shandwhenherememberedtheyweren’tpretendingtobeengaged
anymore.Hesettledforputtinghishandonherbackandleadingherovertotheguys.

“YoumetPaulalready,andthisisRob.Rob,Dani.”
Wesdidn’tlikethewayPaulwasstaringather,hismouthpracticallyhangingopen.“Hiagain,”he

said.

Wessteppedbetweenherandtheguys.“Anythingelseweneedtodotosetup?”
“Nah,yougotherejustintime,”Robsaid.
Theywenttotheminisculebackroomwherethebandcouldlounge—ifloungingincludedsitting

onasmoky-smellingcouchandacoupleofreclinersthatnolongerreclined.He’dalwayslikedthe
room,though.Somethingaboutitgothiminthemindsettogoonstageandgetlostinthemusicand
theenergyfromtheaudience,eveniftherewereonlyfiftyorsopeopleinthebarandonlyhalfof
themwerepayingattention.

HeflippedopenhisguitarcaseandtookouthisGibsonFirebird.Hestrummedafewchords,then

lookedup,figuringhe’dchatwithDaniortrytomakeherlaugh.

Instead, she was talking to Paul. He had her hand in his, and a toxic, burning sensation traveled

throughWes’sveins.Hetookoffhissunglassessohecouldseebetter,thensortofwishedhehadn’t.

“That’s my ring, you know,” Paul said. “Guess that makes you engaged to me now.” He laughed

likeitwasahilariousjoke,andDanismiledathim.

“Well,Igowherevertheringtakesme.NotbecauseI’magolddiggeroranything;it’smoreofa

LordoftheRingsthing.Thisringgivesmepowers.ThoughI’mtotallygoingtoloseitwhenmyhair
fallsoutandIstartcallingit‘myprecious.’”

Paulgotabigkickoutofthat.
Theburningsensationspread.Westriedtocalmdown—triedtotellhimselfthatinallhonesty,he

wantedhertofindagoodguy,andPaulwasagoodguy.

Buthewasstillhappywhenherealizeditdidn’treallymatter.Daniwasleavingtomorrow,soshe

andPaulwouldneverwork.

Ofcourse,thatmeantneitherwouldheandDani.
SomeoneinArkansaswouldbetakingherout,makingherlaugh.Kissingher.
Thetoxicburngrewwithavengeance.

…

Thefirstfewsongswereniceandmellow—perfectsitbackandhaveadrinkatabarmusic.Butit
gaveDaniwaytoomuchtimetostareatWes,nofearofhimcatchingher.Thewayhisfacescrunched
upinconcentrationwhenthefasterpartofthesongcame.Howthemusclesinhisforearmsstoodout
asheplayedhisguitar.

How a mixture of burning lust and icy fear wound through her, leaving her hot and cold and

confusedashell.

Or maybe the problem was that she wasn’t confused. His kiss had made things all too clear. She

wantedhimtokissheragain.

Butthenwhat?
Shewouldgobackhome.Hewouldgetbackwithhisex.Atleastoneofthemwouldgettobewith

whomtheywanted.

AllshehadtodowastellhimaboutSophie.
Andshewould.
Eventually.
The song ended, and applause went through the crowd. Dani put her fingers in her mouth and

whistled,earningherdirtylooksfromthegirlscloseby.

Wesglancedatherandgrinned,soshecouldcarelessaboutthedirtylooks.Hesteppedforward

and whispered something to Rob, then took the microphone and looked her way, a mischievous
expressiononhisface.

Herstomachclenched.
Wes’s mischievous grin widened, and she knew she wasn’t going to like what came out of his

mouth.“Tonightwehaveaspecialguest,andshe’sagreedtosingforus.”

Surelyhedoesn’tmeanme.He’dhavetobe—
“Dani,whydon’tyoucomeuponstage?”
Shecrossedherarmsandshookherhead.
Aspotlightswungtowardwhereshestood,practicallyblindingher.Peoplecheered,yellingforher

togetonstage.

CursingWesanddefinitelynotfeelingthelustanymore,shestrodetothefront.Wesreachedouta

handandhelpedherup.Shetuggeddownherskirtasshestaredattheaudience.Theplacewashalf
full,butwithalleyesonher,itfeltlikeasold-outarena.

SheglaredatWes.
He leaned down, his breath hitting her neck. “I know, I know. You’re going to kill me.” He

straightenedandliftedthemic.“I’mjustgivingherahardtime.IwantedyoualltoseethatI’mhere
withthehottestgirlintheroom.”

Shestaredathim,wonderingwhyhewasdoingthis.Yes,hewasallaboutbeingcharmingandthe

center of attention, but calling her the hottest girl in the room? It felt like he was toying with her
emotions.

“I won’t make her sing, but I wanted you all to meet her. This girl is one of the coolest people I

know.She’sbeenmybestfriendsincecollege,andIjust…”Hetookherhandandloweredthemic,
leavingthemaloneinaroomfullofpeople.“Idon’tknowwhereI’dbewithoutyou.I’mgoingto
missyoulikecrazy.”

Theairshifted,toothinandtooheavyatthesametime.Shehuggedhimtightly,chokingbackthe

tearscrawlingupherthroat.

Therewasonlyonethingtodonow.
Gooutonahighnote.Literally.
She took the mic from him and his eyebrows shot up. “You boys know ‘My Life Would Suck

WithoutYou’byKellyClarkson?”sheasked.OfcoursesheknewWesdid,butshewasn’tsureifhe’d
lethisbandmatesinonhisKellyobsession.Boththatandthetitlemadeittheperfectpickforher.
Paul and Rob glanced at each other and nodded. Wes gave her one last look—she wasn’t sure if he
thoughtshewascrazyorhewasworriedshewasabouttosendtheirsetcrashingandburning.Inall
honesty,shewasn’tsure,either.

She hadn’t sung for anyone since high school. But she’d practiced plenty, dancing and singing

aroundherapartmentwhenshewasalone.Herthroattightenedandthebloodrushedthroughherhead
sofastitmadeherdizzy.

Themusicstartedandshetriednottothinkaboutallthepeoplecurrentlystaringather.Thefirst

fewwordscameoutshaky,withnotnearlyenoughvolume,butthensheletthemusictakeoverand
belted out the lyrics. Once she felt in control, she moved over to Wes, leaning against him as she
sang,likethepopstarsdidattheirconcerts.

When the song ended, people cheered, and her Rock Star For a Night dream was fulfilled. She

handedthemicbacktoWes.

“Iguessthejoke’sonme,”hesaid,hiswordsbarelydiscerniblethroughallthecheering.“Ididn’t

knowyoucouldsing.”

Sheleanedinsothatshewaspressedagainsthim.“Therearealotofthingsyoudon’tknowabout

me,”shesaidinhermostseductivevoice.

Helookeddownatherandswallowed.Iftheykissedagainrightnow,woulditbereal?Orwouldit

stillbeforshow?

Diditmatterifitdestroyedeverything?
Wesranhisfingersdownherarmandtookherhand.Herskinhummedunderneathhistouch,and

shewasn’tsureshewasbreathinganymore.

“ThankstoDaniforhelpingout,”Robsaid,hisloudvoicemakingherjump.“We’vegottimefor

onemoresong,andthenwe’llleaveyouguystillnextweek.”

Inotherwords,Danigetoffthestagesowecanfinish.
ShesmiledatWes,thoughitwasn’teasytopulloff,andjumpedfromthestage.Thesuddenheatin

theplacewasstifling.Forthesecondtimethatnight,sheneededair.Leavingtheswellingnoiseofthe
last song behind, she pushed out the front door. The cool breeze drifted across her clammy skin, a
welcomechange.Butitsnappedherthoughtsintofocus,too.

Kissinghimagainwould’vebeenamistake.
Right?
Part of her wanted to stay in Charlotte forever, but another part of her was glad she was leaving

tomorrow, because she couldn’t take her yo-yo-ing emotions anymore. She needed to focus on the
future.Whatwasreal.Shehadresponsibilities.Ajobwithapromotiononthelinethatcouldhelpease
herandherfamily’sfinancialburdens.Herlifewasn’there.Notanymore.

Probablynoteveragain.
Ifonlythatthoughtdidn’tgiveherachokingsenseofdesperation.

…

Wespackeduphisguitar,flippingthecaseclosedwithasatisfyingclick.Paulwasstillovertalkingto
Dani,likehehadbeensincethey’dgottenoffstage.Hewasstillpraisinghersinging.

Andhewasright.Danihadanamazingvoice.
Had he imagined that moment onstage when she’d delivered that line—it was a flirty line, right?

Didthatmeanhisattractiontoherwasn’tone-sided?Ifhe’dmisreadit,makingamovecouldscrew
upeverything.Butifhedidnothing,hemightregretitforever.

Thenagain,shemightbetalkingtoPaulforever.
“Hey,youwanttogogetadrink?”Paulaskedher.“Orwecouldjustgotomyplaceandhangout

forawhile.”

Wes’sinsidesrevoltedatthethoughtofPaultakingherhome.Suddenly,hehadtofighttheurgeto

takeaswingatoneofhisbestfriends.Hismindstartedcomingupwithexcuseswhysheshouldn’t—
couldn’t—go.Buthewasn’therdad,andifshewantedto…

Shit,whatifshewantsto?
Hecouldn’thearwhatshesaid,butthensheleanedinandhuggedPaul.
EverymuscleinWes’sbodytensed.
Thenshecalledoutagood-byetoRob,wavedatPaul,andsteppedtowardhim.Hisbloodcooled

andhisbodyrelaxed.Shewascominghomewithhim.Hepickeduphisguitarandputhisotherhand
onherback.“Ready?”

Shenodded.
Theygotintohiscarandstarteddowntheroad.Asmuchashewantedtostareather,hedecidedhe

probablyshouldn’talmostrunanymoreredlights.

She kicked off her shoes and tucked one of her legs up. “I probably should’ve gone with Paul. I

haven’thadacuteguyaskmeoutinawhile.”Shelookedathim.Didshereallywantaresponseto
that?HeshouldtellherPaulwasagreatguy,butthewordsstayedlodgedinhisthroat.

Heexhaled,decidingtoleavePauloutofit.“Youwouldhaveguysalloveryouifyouworethat

dressallthetime.”

“Mybackwardsdress?OrdoIneedtoturnitaroundsomyboobsarehangingout?”
Holyshit.Shereallywas trying to kill him. Now he was thinking about her boobs and he had to

shiftinhisseat.

Sheglancedathim,hercheeksflushed.“JustpretendIdidn’tsaythat.”
Easiersaidthandone.
“AllIwassayingwas…”Shedroppedherheadinherhands.“Idon’tknowanymore.”
AllI’msayingisyoudon’tneedtofindanotherguy.I’llbethatguy.Hewantedtohavetheballsto

sayit.ButifshewereeventhinkingaboutgoinghomewithPaul,hehadmisreadher.Andeitherway,
it didn’t change the fact that she was leaving tomorrow. And they were supposed to be pretend-
engagedagainintwoweeks.

Bettertowaitandseewhathappenedthen.
Intheory.

…

Dani kicked her shoes off as soon as they stepped inside Wes’s apartment. She considered flopping
ontothecouch,buttheoddsweren’tgoodshe’dgetupagainifshedid.Herfeetachedallthewayto
herbones,andhermusclesweretootight.

Nottomentionitwasalmosttwoa.m.,andshehadaplanetocatchatthebuttcrackofdawn.When

she’dbookedtheflight,she’dbeenthinkingshe’dgetanearlyonesoshecouldcatchuponworkand
bereadyforMondaymorning.Nowshewasthinkingshe’dgiveanythingforafewmorehourswith
Wes,eveniftheywerejusttalkingaboutnothinguntilthesunrose,thewaytheyusedtodoincollege.

Shelookeduptofindhimwatchingher.Heglancedaway.“So…?”
“I’vegotanearlyflight.”
“Yeah.”
“Ishouldprobablygetsomesleep.”Shewaitedtoseeifhe’dstopher.Shewantedhimto.Itcaused

afeatheroffear,thinkingabouttakingthatriskwithWes,butthethrillofhowgreatitmightbewas
mixedinthere,too.

Henodded.“Right.Well,I’llsetmyalarmonmyphoneincaseyoudon’thearyours.”
Shesmiled.“Ithappensallthetime.I’veevenhadtomovemyalarmrightnexttome.IthinkIneed

onethatshootswaterorsomething.”

“IthinkI’dscourtheworldtofindoneofthoseonlysoIcouldbetherethefirsttimeitwokeyou

up.”

That brought an image of waking up with him in her bed. Or his bed. Didn’t really matter. She

waitedabeatlonger,pointedinthedirectionofhishallway,likehe’dbesoconfusedifshesimply
walkeddownitfirst,thentookslowstepstowardhisbedroom.

Tohersurprise,Wesfollowedher.Shespunaroundinthedoorway.
“Thanksforcoming,”hesaid.“Theengagementthingaside,I’vehadablast.”
Wait.Ishesayingpretendingtobeengagedwasn’tfun?Orishesaying…Hell,Idon’tknowwhathe

means.

Time and time again, she’d heard that you should just tell a guy what you want. That they’re not

mindreaders—asifthey’renotcrypticorhardtounderstand,either.

SowhatdoIwant?
Hereyesdrankhiminagain.Thepaleblueeyes,fiveo’clockshadow,andrumpledshirt.Herbody

heatedasshethoughtaboutthemuscleshewashidingunderthatbutton-down.Herfingerstwitchedat
hersides,wantingtobeboldenoughtoreachupandundoonebuttonatatime.

Shetriedtoswallow,butherthroatwastoodry.
Woulditbesobad,justfortonight,tohavehisbodypressedagainsthers?It’dbeenawhilesince

she’dbeenwithanyone.Andifshewasgoingtogetbackinthegame,shemightaswellgetajump-
startwithsomeonesheknewshecouldtrust,evenifitwasonlyonenight.

OnenightbeforehefoundoutaboutSophieandhewasn’thersanymore.
“Dani?”Hernamecameoutawhisperfromhislips.
Herheartsqueezed,herbloodrushedthroughherveins,andshecouldfeelherselfcomingundone.

Hemadeherforgetherfears.Madeheralittlereckless.

Buttherewasrecklessandthentherewasstupid.Howcouldshegetoveranightofcasualsexwith

him?It’druineverythingthey’dbuiltovertheyears.Shewasstrongerthanthat.

He stepped closer, eradicating the space between them, and cupped her cheek. Her resolve

unraveled.

Then he leaned forward and gave her other cheek a peck, similar to the ones he’d given her this

week.“Goodnight.”

Ascratchy“goodnight”lefthermouth.
Heturnedandwalkedaway.Witheverystep,astringinherhearttugged.
Shetoldherselfitwasforthebest.
Butitdidn’tfeellikethebest.
Itfeltlikefallingapart,onepieceatatime.

ChapterEleven

The ride to the airport somehow managed to be too fast and too slow, too quiet and too loud. Wes
changed lanes, grumbled when the car ahead of him was barely moving, and changed lanes again.
Last night he’d practically made a move. Dani had frozen, something he vaguely remembered her
doingthefirsttimehe’dkissedher.

Thismorningshewasquiet,probablyworriedhe’dtryagain.Hewantedtosaysomethingabout

howtiredhe’dbeenormakeacommentabouthowcrazylastnightwas.Buthehopedshewastoo
tiredtorememberanddidn’twanttoremindherifsheactuallydidn’t.

He’davoideddatingsohewouldn’thavetoquestioneverymovehemade,andnowherehewas,

morescrewedupthanever.Assoonashedroppedheroff,hewasgoingtogetinahelicopterandfly
farawayfromeverythingandeveryone.Thenhe’dgethisheadstraight.

Danituckedherhairbehindherear,andthatonerebellioussectionimmediatelyfellforward,the

wayitalwaysdid.“Lastnight,I…”

Westensed,terrifiedofthenextwordsoutofhermouth.
Sheshiftedinherseattofacehim.“InevergottotellyouthatI’vehadagreattimewithyou,too.

I’mevenconsideringsmugglingyoutoArkansasinmysuitcase.Youcanholdyourbreathforthree
orfourhours,right?”

Helaughed,thestressfillinghisbodyeasing.“Giveortakeafewhours.”
Thetensioninherfeatureslifted.Thesignsfortheairportlistedofftheairlinesandwhichlaneto

getinforeachofthem.“Youwantmetoparkandcomeinwithyou?Helpcheckyourbagandall
that?”

Sheshookherhead.“I’llbefine.”
Heveeredtowardthedeparturesarea,pulleduptothecurb,andputthecarinpark.Hewantedto

movehishandtoherknee,buttheywerefinallybacktonormal.Hecouldn’tjeopardizethat.“Two
weeksandI’llbecomingtoseeyou.BythetimeI’mdonelayingonthecharm,thepromotionwillbe
allyours.”

“Ifanyonecancharmmywayin,I’msureit’syou.”
Hereachedforthedoorhandlesohecouldgrabherbagforher.
“Wes?” She put her hand on his arm and he froze. The tension was back in her posture and he

silentlyswore.“Ihavetotellyousomething.AboutSophie.”

Hertensiontransferredtohim,coilinghisinsidesintoatightknot.“Whatabouther?”
Danitookadeepbreath,herchestrisingandfalling.“Shestilllovesyou.AndIknowyoustilllove

her.”

“Idon’t,”hesaid,frustrationrisingupinhim.Howmanytimesdidhehavetosayitbeforepeople

finallygotit?

Shepressedherlipstogether.“IknowIsaidIdidn’twantyourfamilytoknowourengagementwas

alie,butIthinkyoushouldtellSophie.Youtwoshouldtrytoworkitout.”

Heopenedhismouthtoprotestagain,butshecuthimoff.
“Justthinkaboutit.Youoweittoherandtoyourselftoseeifthere’ssomethingstillthere.”
Hewassuretherewasn’t,notwiththewayhefeltaboutthegirlsittinginthecarwithhim.Butif

shefeltthesame,shewouldn’tbetellinghimtopursuehisex.

Nowhewasmoreconfusedthanever.

“I’llhelphoweverIcan,”Danisaid.“Evenifitmeansyoucan’tcometomycompanyretreatwith

me.”

Oh,no.Hewasn’tgoingtolethercancelonhim,notwheneverythingbetweenthemwassoupin

theairrightnow.“I’mcoming,”hefirmlysaid.Maybehehadn’tbeenclearenoughonhowmuchshe
meanttohim,whetherornotthatkisslastnightmeantthesametoherasitdidtohim.“ImeantwhatI
saidatthewedding.It’syouandme,nomatterwhoelsecomesintoourlives.”

“That’sprobablynotthebestdecisionifweeverwanttomoveonandhavehealthyrelationships.

Think about it. I know I caused problems with you two, just like our friendship has always bugged
everyguyIeverdated.”

He lowered his eyebrows, staring at the steering wheel. “It sounds like you’re breaking up with

me.”

“YouknowIcouldneverdothat.”Shesighed.“I…Ijustwantyoutobehappy.Ishould’vetoldyou

afewdaysago,afterSophietalkedtome.Andagainatthewedding,whenshetoldmehowmuchshe
regrettedbreakingitoffwithyou.”

Hewaitedtofeelthewarmsatisfaction.Insteadhefelthollow.
“Andeventually,I’mgoingtofindaguy,too,”shesaid.“Sodon’tworryaboutme.I’llbefine.”
Hegrittedhisteeth,fightingtheurgetoslamhisfistintothesteeringwheel.
“Igottago.”Sheleanedacrosstheseatandhuggedhim.Therewastoomuchspacebetweenthem.

Toomuchunsaid.

Hehuggedherback.Ifhiswhiskerswerelonger,he’dhavebrushedthemagainsthercheektohear

hersqueal.Tohaveachancetobethatcloseagain.

Shestartedoutofthecarandthenliftedherhand.“Thering.Iforgot.”
“It’sbetterifyoujustkeepittillIgetthere,”Wessaid.“AndIamcoming,okay?Nomatterwhat

elsehappens,I’mhelpingyougetthatjob.”

“Butifit—”
“Stillgoingtoshowup,soyoumightaswellgetusedtotheidea.”
Thedimpleinhercheekflashed.“Okay.Untilthen.”Shegrabbedherbagoutoftheback,waved,

andshewasgone,thedoorstotheairportclosingbehindher.

The immediate sense of loss was déjà vu, reminding him of when they’d said good-bye the first

timeshewenttoArkansas.Allthosefeelingsechoedthroughhimagain.Thesqueezeinhischest,the
lonelinesspressingagainsthisskin.Likehe’dnevergetherbackandhislifewouldalwaysbeworse
forit.

Only now the pain was sharper, more a stabbing than a pressing. It felt like she’d taken all the

happiness,alltheoxygen,withher.

He’dmeantwhathesaidaboutalwaysbeingthereforher,nomatterwhat.Butwhathappenedwhen

shefoundagoodguywhosawhowawesomeshewas?Whenshedidn’tneedtocallhimforadvice
andshewasbusybeinginlovewithsomeoneelse?

I’llprobablybetheonetoendupalone.
Hescrubbedahandacrosshisface;nowhewasturningintoasap.Mustbelackofsleep.Heletout

a breath, allowing himself to think on what Dani had told him about Sophie. A few months ago—
maybe even a few weeks ago—he might’ve considered giving it another shot. Now he didn’t know
whattodo.

SophieorDani?Wheretoputhisfocus?
IfDanihadshownanysignsofwantinghim…
Orifshewasn’tacoupleofstatesaway…
Orahundredotherifs.
ButsaySophiedidwanthim.Andshedidlivehere.They’dalmostmadeitworkbefore,andhedid

stillcareabouther.Enoughtotryagain,though?

ThesecurityguardpatrollingthelanesgaveWesapointedlookhetooktomeanYou’ve exceeded

yourtimelimit.Wesmadeabigshowofputtinghiscaringear.Butbeforemergingintotraffic,he
gotouthisphoneandscrolledtoSophie’sname.

…

Danidroppedhersuitcaseandlaptopbagthesecondsheenteredherapartment;herneckachedfrom
carryingeverythingthroughtwoairports.Shetossedthemailshe’dbroughtupfromherboxontothe
coffeetable—lotsandlotsofbills—andfloppedontothecouchinherverysilentplace.Shealmost
wishedforatickingclockjusttofillthesilence.Anythingtokeephercompany.

GuessIshouldcheckmye-mailsandcatchuponworkstuff.Withagroan,shegotoffthecouch,

grabbedherlaptop,andsettledbackdownonthecushions.Twodaysofnotcheckingherinboxand
therewasmorethanonepagecouldhold.Workstuff.Acoupleofonlinesiteswhereshefrequently
shoppedtellingheraboutdeals.Notasinglepersonale-mailinthebunch.

Over the next few hours she clicked through message after message, took care of the urgent

business, and typed up a to-do list for tomorrow, squeezing in tasks between meetings. She called
Mamatocheckin,andevengottotalktoAbuela,whosoundedmoreupbeatthanshehadinalong
time,thoughDanicouldstillhearthewheezeinhervoice.

Andthentherewasthesilenceagain.NoWestohangoutwith.Noadventurewaitingjustaround

thecorner.

Thisismylife.
Mylifesucks.
Ineedtochangemylife.
No more being the lonely pathetic girl who never did anything but go to work. Time to follow

through on what she said she would and put herself out there. She just needed to figure out how
exactlytodothat.Goingtoabartowaitandseeifshejustsohappenedtomeetsomeonecoolwasn’t
goingtowork,especiallynotallalone.Shedidn’twanttobethesadgirldyingforanyrandomguy
totalktoher.Therewerealwaysdatingsites—herjunkmailfolderwasfullofthem.Butshewasn’t
goingtouseanyservicethatspammedher,onprinciple.Plus,mostofthemhadickynames.

Soshesearcheddatingsites,foundonethatlookedpromising,andspentanhourfillingoutdozens

ofquestions.Bytheend,she’ddiscoveredthingsaboutherselfshehadn’tevenknown,andshewasn’t
sureshe’dwantedtoknow.

Sheclosedherlaptop,andthelightcaughtthelargediamondonherfinger.Itwasprobablytimeto

take off the ring, considering she’d just spent so much time and money on trying to find someone
newtodate.

Herphonebeeped.AtextfromWes,checkinginonher.
Shesentatextback,tellinghimshewashome.Shewantedtoaskifhe’dtalkedtoSophieyetbut

heldback.He’dtellherinhisowntime.Andhonestly,shewasn’treadyforthenewsthathewasn’t
hersanymore.

Herphonechimedagain.
Wes:I

M ISSYOU ALREADY.

Warmthfilledherchest,andagiantlumpformedinherthroat.
Anotherchime.
Wes:A

LLM YOTHERFRIENDSAREBORING.

N

OONEELSEWILLGORIDETHEBU LLWITHM EORBU STINTO

K

ELLY

C

LARKSONSONGS.

Dani:W

ELL,

I

AM PRETTYSPECIALLIKETHAT:)

Wes:Y

ESYOU ARE.

P

LU SYOU ’REALOTPRETTIERTOLOOKAT.

Shestaredatthetext,feelingthatannoyingsqueezeinherchest.Shedidn’tknowhowtorespond—

washeflirting?Finally,shejustdecidedtorespondwiththetruth.

Dani:I

M ISSYOU ,TOO.

Sheglancedatheropenlaptopandnoticedanewmessageinherinbox.Itwasfromthedatingsite,

soshefiguredit’dbeverifyinghersubscription.Instead,itwasamessagefromaguyaskinghera
coupleofgetting-to-know-you-typequestions.

Well,thatwasfast.Thisonlinedatingthingmightactuallyworkout.
SoeventhoughshedidmissWeslikecrazy,itwastimetoputhimbackinthefriendshipboxand

provetoherselftherewereotherfishinthesea.Oratleastotherreasonably-attractive-according-to-
a-most-likely-doctored-picturemenwhowantedtogettoknowher.

Shesentamessageback,answeringhisquestionsandaskingmoreabouthim.
The possibility of moving on and starting a new chapter in her life should’ve made her feel

empowered.Sowhydidshefeellikecurlingintoaballonhercouchandcrying?

ChapterTwelve

Movingonsucked.

WhydidIthinkactuallymeetingthisguywouldbeagoodidea?
Nowshewassittinginsomebarshe’dneverbeentobefore,allalone,lookingdesperatelyatthe

facesofeverymanwhopassed,wonderingifhewereherdateforthenight.Ormaybejustforthe
hour. If it was really awful, it might even be more like five minutes. She couldn’t believe she was
freakingpayingthirtybucksamonthforthistorture.

Shedidn’twanttostartalloveragain.
ShewantedtogobacktoherquietapartmentandcallWes.Wantedtohearhisvoiceandtellhim

aboutherpatheticattemptatonlinedating.He’dcheerherupandtheworldwouldbebetter,evenif
shewasn’ttechnicallymovingonfromanything.

“Danielle?”
Dani glanced in the direction the deep voice had come from. And then lifted her gaze up and up

some more. As she’d learned in the messages they’d sent back and forth over the last few days,
basketballwasoneoftheircommoninterests.Whereasshewasashortguard,goodfromthethree-
pointline,thisguylookedlikethekindofplayerwho’dpostupnearthebasket.Tall,darkskin,killer
grin.

Movingonrocked.
Shestoodandofferedhimwhatshehopedwashermostwinningsmile.“IpreferDani,actually.”

Somethingshehadmentionedinthee-mailsthey’dexchanged,butshesupposedshecouldletitslide.
“YoumustbeDarryl.”

“Yup.”Hetippedhisheadtowardthebar.“Let’sgogetthatdrink.”
Fromthere,itwentprettysmoothly.Talkmixedwithsomepausesasshetriedtofigureoutwhatto

saynext.It’dbeenawhilesinceshe’dbeenonafirstdate.Alongwiththebreaksinconversationand
notknowingwhattosay,though,therewasthatglimmerofhopeforwhatcouldbe.

Maybethosedatingwebsitesdidknowwhattheyweredoing.
Dani’sphonerang,and“SexyBack”filledtheair.Asniceasthisdatewasgoing,herfingersstill

itched to answer and talk to Wes. With catching up at work and sending messages to Darryl, she’d
been busy, and he must’ve been, too, because they hadn’t talked since Sunday. After several days
together,fivedaysofnocommunicationfeltlikealifetime.

SheglancedatDarryl.It’dberudetoanswer,andIdon’twanthimtogetthewrongidea.
Shehitthebuttontosendthecalltovoicemail.
“Interestingringtone,”hesaid,asmiletippinghislips.
“It’s…”Shecutherselfoff.WeswouldcomeupeventuallyifshekeptdatingDarryl,butitwasa

littletooearlytobringupthatsituation,especiallyconsideringthesong,andespeciallysincehe’dbe
playingherfiancéagaininaweek.Shetookasipofherdrink.“Soyouweresayingyouplayedball
incollege,too.Whichone?”

Her phone chimed to tell her she had a message, and she had to force herself to pay attention to

Darryl’sanswer.

Itcanwait.Infact,themoreshethoughtaboutit,themoreshedecidedWesshould have to wait.

He’dusedhertomakeSophiejealous—evengetbackwithher,asitturnedout—andthenhe’dplayed
with her emotions, sending her mixed signals and a flirty text. She wasn’t just a fill-in replacement

untilhegotbacktogetherwithhisex.Shehadalife—wasworkingongettingone,anyway.

Afteranotherhouroftalking,Darrylwalkedhertohercar.“Goodnight,”hesaidwithanod.
“Night.”
Heturnedaway,tookacoupleofsteps,andabruptlyturnedback.“Iwasgoingtoplayitcool,but

I’mjustgonnagoaheadandaskyoutodinner.AndI’mhopingwecandoitsoon.”

She waited for the excitement, a flutter—something. Maybe she just needed to get to know him

better.“I’dlikethat.”

Hegrinnedandshenoticedadimpleinoneofhischeeks.Hewastotallygoodlookingandwasn’t

playinggames.Thepotentialforarelationshipwasdefinitelythere.

Her phone vibrated in her purse, “SexyBack” filling the air again. This time she didn’t waste a

momentbeforesilencingit.DarrylaskedherifSundaywastoosoonfordinner,andshetoldhimit
wasperfect.

Shegotintohercar,dugoutherphone,andlistenedtothevoicemailWeshadleft.
“Justboredandwantedtosayhi.Gotashowinalittlebit.Samevenue.Thecrowdwillprobably

requestthesexyfemalesingerwehadlasttimeweplayed.”

Dani was about to call him back—she could tell him about her date and ask if he’d booked his

flightfortheretreatyet—butshehesitated,wantingtoholdontothishopefulmoment,whereDarryl
hadpotentialandtheeveningheldpromiseofmorenightsgettingtoknowhim.IfsheheardWes’s
voice, she’d start questioning everything between them, like she had been all week. She didn’t even
know what to do about the “sexy female singer” comment he’d made. He’d never called her sexy
before.

Herstomachtwisted.Allthewallsshe’dthrownuptokeepherselffromoveranalyzingeverything

withWeswerecrumblingdown.Shewasthinkingofthatkissattheweddingandhowasimplebrush
ofhisfingershadsetherskinonfire.

MaybethekeytomovingonwasdistancingherselffromWes.Notalltheway.Justalittlebit.
Enoughtoletsomeoneelsein.

…

Wes slid his phone back in his pocket, wondering if Dani were avoiding him. She hadn’t called all
week,andnowshewasn’tansweringhiscalls.Hesatdownandranahandthroughhishair.

“Youokay,man?”Paulasked,busyinghimselfwithhisguitar.
Notsure.“Yep.”
Paul leaned his guitar against the wall, then came over and sat next to him. “You talk to Dani

recently?”

Tensioncoiledthroughhismuscles,fromhisnecktothetipsofhisfingers.
Paulnodded.“Ifiguredthatwasit.IfIwould’veknown,Iwouldn’thavehitonhertheothernight.”
“I’vetoldyoubefore,Idon’t…She’sjust…”Heslumpedforwardandranahandoverhisface.No

usehidingitnow.“Itdoesn’tmatter.ShelivesinArkansas.”

“Yeah,thatpartblows.”WhenWesshothimaNoshitlook,Paulshrugged.“Justsaying.”Hepicked

uphisguitarandstartedstrummingit.

Wes sat back in the ratty recliner. It looked more and more like he should call Sophie and see if

therewerestillsomethingthere.Hejustwasn’tsurehewasreadytocompletelygiveuponDaniyet.
He kept telling himself he’d wait and see what happened when he flew out there. That everything
wouldbecomeclear.Butitwasgettingmuddierandhewasfeelingpathetic.

She’sjustbusywithworksoshecanlandthatpromotion.ApromotionI’llhelphergetsoshecan

livefar,farawayfromme.

Itdidblow,butthatdidn’tchangethefacts.Timetoletthis—whateveritwas—go.

Andtherewasonewaytoensurehefollowedthrough…Westookouthisphoneandfinallymade

thecallhe’dkeptchickeningoutofallweek.

Hervoiceheldanoteofsurprisewhensheanswered.
“Sophie?Ineedtotalktoyou.Canwemeet?”

Westossedbackthedisgusting,warmed-over-way-too-many-timescoffeeandputthechippedmugin
theofficesink.Hisbosshadcalledhiminearly,andafterlastnight’sconcert,hewashoveringinthat
half-awake/half-asleepstage.

Asdisgustingasitwas,thecoffeeworkeditsmagic,bringinghismusclesandbraincellsbackto

life.Unfortunately,thethinkingstartedrightaway.Daninevercalledlastnight,andhe’dmadeaplan
tomeetupwithSophierightafterworktoday.

Itgavehimplentyoftimetocancel,whichwasgood,becausenowhewasthinkingitwasastupid

idea. His footsteps echoed across the room as he paced. Where was Gerald? He needed to get this
meetingoverwithandgetupintheair.Hewasbookedforhelicoptertoursallday,whichwasgood
because it meant getting paid, but bad because it meant no trick flying, instead giving all the facts
aboutthecityhe’drecitedahundredtimes.

Heshouldn’t complain, though.It was stillbetter than any otherjob, and he’dfeel better once he

wasairborne.Thoughtswereeasieracouplethousandfeetintheair.

Gerald walked into the office, smoothing his comb-over with one hand. “Hey, Wes. Let me just

grabacupofcoffeeandwe’llgointomyoffice.”

Minuteslater,Weswasseatedacrossfromhisboss,asinkingfeelinginhisgut.
Whatifhe’snothappywithme?Ireallydolovethisjob.It’snoadventuretours,but—
“I’ll get right down to business. I’ve been thinking about retiring for a while, but I wanted my

businesstokeepongoing,andnowIthinkI’vefoundsomeonewhocouldbesuccessfulatit.”Gerald
leanedforward,elbowsproppedonhisdesk.“You’reagreatpilot,andyou’vegotagoodheadon
yourshoulders.”

RealizationsoundedbellsinWes’shead,andhestraightened.“Areyousayingyouwantmeto…?”

Hecouldn’tevenbringhimselftofinish,incasehe’dmisunderstood.

Geraldnodded.“We’dworkoutatransition.You’dgetabumpinpayasyoutookoversomeofmy

responsibilities, I’d show you the ropes, and in a year, it’d be yours. Somewhere along the way we
cantrysomeofthoseadventuretoursyouwereaskingabout.Seehowtheydo.”
Foramoment,Wescouldonlystare,hisbodybuzzingastheideasunkin.Hisowncompany.More
excitingtours.Apayincrease.Basically,itwashisdreamonasilverplatter.Hescratchedhishead.
“WhataboutEd?He’sbeenherelongerthanIhave.”

Geraldjuttedouthischinandnodded.“True.ButhissocialskillsareshitandIdon’tthinkhe’sgot

a lick of business sense in his head. He’s a good pilot, but not fit for running my company. You’d
ratherworkforEd?”

“No.Notatall…Itsoundsgreat.AndI’vebeenlookingattheotherrouteswecanfly.Wecoulddo

astopoverwithwaterskiing.Orrockclimbing—I’vegotlotsofideas.Butwhatabouttheloans?I’m
notsureIcanaffordtobuyyouout,eveninayear.”

Geraldtossedafolderathim.“That’swhattheyearplanlookslike.Takesometimeandseewhat

youthink,thenletmeknow.”

Wes lifted the file. He opened it, but the words and figures swam together. He needed to talk to

someoneaboutthis,andDaniwasthefirstpersonwhopoppedintohishead.Hewantedtotellherthe
news.Askherwhatshethought.Maybeevenseeifshecouldhelphimoutwiththemarketingifhedid
followthrough.Especiallyifheweregoingtoaddsomeexcitingtourstohisschedule.

“We can discuss more details later, but I wanted to put it out there as soon as possible,” Gerald

added.

“Thanks.I’lllookitoverandletyouknow.”WesreachedacrossthedeskandshookGerald’shand.

Hehadtorefrainfromskippingoutoftheoffice.

Prayingshepickedupthistime,WesdialedDani.Hesworewhenitwenttovoicemail.“Hey,I’ve

gotsomebignews,andIreallyneedtotalktoyou.CallmebackASAP.”

By the time Wes sat at the restaurant, waiting to meet Sophie, Dani still hadn’t called him back. He
fought the urge to be the crazy possessive boyfriend who left her dozens of texts and messages—
especiallysincehewasn’tevenherboyfriend.Butdamn,shewasjustgoingtoignorehimfromnow
on?Ifthatwerethecase,heshould’vegoneforitthenightbeforesheleft—atleasthewould’vehad
oneunbelievablenightwithherthathecouldholdonto,eveniftheycouldneverbelikethatagain.
Whyhadn’thetoldherhowamazinghethoughtshewas,takenherintohisbedroom,peeledoffthat
purpledress,andkissedeveryinchofherskinlikehe’dwantedto?

Heatwoundthroughhisbodyandhisbreathsgrewshallow.Hetookalargedrinkfromtheglassof

coldwaterinfrontofhimandexhaled.Thosethoughtsweren’tonesheshouldbeentertainingwhile
waitingforhisex-fiancéetoshowup.

WhatthehellwasIthinking?
“Wes?”
Hisstomachclenched.Hetookanotherdeepbreathandstood.“Sophie.Hey.”
Her hair was pulled back, her features as pretty as ever. Months of awkwardness were crammed

into the space between them. He almost went for a hug but ended up simply pulling out the chair
oppositehim.Shesettledintoit,andhepusheditforward.

Hesatbackdownandrubbedhispalmsonhisjeans.Hehadn’texpectedhisnervestobebouncing

allovertheplace.“How’veyoubeen?”

Sophieranherfingersalongtheedgeofthetable.“Allright.”
Silence.
Westookacoupleofgulpsofwater,wishingitweresomethingstronger.
“ItalkedtoAudreyyesterday,”Sophiecontinued.“Shejokedthatshe’sdecidedtomovetoHawaii,

soIguessthatmeansshe’senjoyingherhoneymoon.”

Wes didn’t want to think about his sister on her honeymoon. How could conversation be so hard

whenheandSophieusedtospendmoretimetogetherthannot,talkingabouteverythingandnothing?
Hell,they’dbeenplanningalifetogether.

He leaned forward, crossing his forearms on the table. Dani wasn’t answering the phone and he

was dying to tell someone his news. “I might be getting a promotion at my job. More than a
promotion,really—Imightberunningmyownbusinessinaboutayear.”

“That’sgreat,Wes.”
Hetoldherhisplantoaddafewadventuretours.Shelistenedpolitelybutkepthermouthclamped,

herexpressionnotgivingawayanything.“So,whatdoyouthink?”heasked.

“Areyousureyouwanttoflyhelicoptersfortherestofyourlife?”
“Who’seversureaboutanything?”
Sheclosedhereyes,andwhensheopenedthem,theywereglossy.“I’msureImadeamistake,and

nowI’mtoolate.IthoughtmaybeifIcouldmakeyoujealous…IfIcouldjustgetyoutofightforme
atall,thenIcouldaccepteverythingelse…”Sheliftedthenapkinanddabbedathereyes,thewhite
fabric coming away with black smudges. “Did you call me here to talk about business? Is that why
youwantedtoseeme?”

Hepickeduphisforkandtappeditagainstthetabletogivehishandssomethingtodo.“No.Not

really.” But he should be able to talk about the business if their lives were going to be intertwined
again. The question was, did he really want that? Time to think logically. He lived here. He’d just
gottenofferedhisdreamjob.Danilivedalmostathousandmilesaway.Whatchancedidhehaveof

beingwithherthewayhewantedtowhenshedidn’tevenanswerhiscalls?

Andthegirlhe’doncelovedsomuchhe’daskedhertomarryhim—forreal,notjustforpretend

—was sitting across from him and possibly still loved him. She said she’d made a mistake. He’d
neverheardheradmitthatbefore.Andifhewerereadingherright,shewassayingthatshowingupat
thebarwiththatguywastogetareactionfromhiminsteadoftryingtohurthim.Waseverythingthat
happenedtodayfate?WasittellinghimtogivethingswithSophieanotherchance?

Orwashesettling?
Heplunkedtheforkbackdown.“Actually,Iwantedtotalktoyouaboutsomethingelse.Iwantedto

talkaboutus.”

“Us?”shesqueaked.
NowwasthetimetoadmithisandDani’sengagementwasnothingmorethanasham.
Ifhewantedtogiveitanothergo…
Sophieplacedherhandoverhis.Theireyesmetandhethought,WhatdoIhavetolose?

…

Danistaredatthee-mailwiththeagendafortheretreatandroomassignments.

N

EWLYENGAGEDCOU PLE

D

ANIAND

W

ESAREINTHE

R

OSE

C

ABIN.

Afterreadingthat,she’dclickedonthelinktothewebsiteoftheplacewheretheywerestaying.The

minicabinswerejoinedallinarow,doorsfacingout,eachonedecoratedindifferentthemes.And
there was another theme going on—no couches. Just a big bed in the middle of the room and a
dresserofftotheside.Shedidn’twantWestohavetostayonthefloor,butshedidn’tthinkshecould
handlesleepinginthesamebed.

Weshadcalledearlier,too.Aknotformedinhergut.Shefeltguiltyforignoringhimallweek,and

shesupposeditwastimetocallhimback.She’dhadherspaceandhadgoneontwomoredateswith
Darryl.Theyhadalotincommon,andhewasatotalgentleman.Therewasrealpotentialthere.So
sheshouldbetotallyfinetalkingtoWesnow.

Justfriends.
Shelistenedtohisvoicemail,theguiltincreasingwhenheaskedhertocallhimbackASAP,then

hit the button to call him. For something she’d done a hundred times, it was crazy how foreign it
suddenlyfelt.Herheartwasinherthroatandhermouthhadgonedry.

Bythefourthringshedidn’tthinkshe’devenbeabletotalk.
Hisrecordedvoiceplayed,tellinghertoleaveamessage.Shewasabouttotellhimshecouldn’t

waittohearhisnews.ThenithitherthathisbignewswasprobablyaboutSophie.Whatiftheywere
re-engaged?

Herheartstoppedasthatthoughttookhold.
Engagedornot,though,hewouldn’tbackoutoftheretreat,becausehefeltobligatedtohelpher

likehesaidhewould.

Sophie’llhatethat.
Good, she thought, a thrill going through her. But then she remembered how hurt Wes was when

Sophiedumpedhim.Howhe’daskedDanitohelpmakehisexjealousatthewedding.

Itwasprobablyevenwhyhe’dkissedherlikethatonstage.Herlipsburnedwiththememory.She

could smell his cologne, feel his arms wrapped so tightly around her, the residual heat traveling
throughherbody.

Forshow.Itwasallfake,Dani.Whydidn’therheartgetit?Stupidconfusedheart.
Sheopenedandclosedhermouth,tryingtofigureoutifsheshouldleaveamessage,butthenLinda

fromsalessteppedintohercubicle.Danihungupandtwistedtofaceher.

“So excited to hear you’re engaged now!” Linda leaned against the gray wall. “And Norah says

he’sahelicopterpilot.”

Danifigureditwastoolatetogetherselfoutofthelie,soshenodded.“Yep.”
“Ican’twaittomeethimattheretreat.Ijustknewyou’dfindsomeone.So,showmethering!”
Daniliftedherbarehand.“I,uh,forgottowearittoday.”
Linda’sbrowfurrowed.“Forgot?”
“It’sallsonewandIwasinahurrythismorning,so…”Thetruthwasshe’dshovedtheringaway,

notwantingtolookatit.Nottomentionshe’dbeenonacoupleofdatesthisweek.Danikeptthefake
smile plastered on her face until Linda left, then dropped her head on her desk. What a mess.
Admittedlyitwasnicethatallthewomenintheofficewerebeamingatherinsteadofgivingheryou-
poor-spinster-youlooks.

Betthoselookswouldbeevenmorepity-filledwhenshetoldeveryoneherengagementhadfallen

through.Sheliftedherheadandlookedatherphone,wonderingifsheshouldcallWesbackandtell
himtojustforgetabouttheretreataltogether.

ChapterThirteen

Wesheadedstraighttohisbedroom.Hewassoexhaustedhiseyelidsweredrooping,andhehadtobe
atworkearlyagaintomorrow.Heshuckedoffhisclothesandstumbledintobed,tryingtofigureout
ifhe’dmadeamistaketonight.

Maybe he was an idiot. But he had to believe it was the way to go right now, even if it ended up

screwinghimoverlater.

Nowheneededtofigureoutwhattodoabouttheoffertotakeoverthecompany.
His phone rang. “My Life Would Suck Without You” meant Dani—he’d changed it after her

performanceattheclub.Overthepastfewdays,herealizedhowwellitfit.

She’dcalledwhilehe’dbeenoutwithSophiebuthadn’tleftamessage.Herolledover,grabbedhis

jeans off the floor, and dug through the pocket for his phone. For a moment, he considered saying
somethingsarcasticassoonasheanswered,abouthowitwassuchareliefshewasstillbreathingand
knewhowtodial.Buthewastoohappytohearhervoice,andhewasdyingtotellherabouthisjob
offer.

“DidIwakeyouup?”sheasked,herwordsrushedtogether.“Iknowit’slate.”
“Iwasn’tasleepyet.Andyouknowyoucancallmewhenever.”Heturnedontohisside,restinghis

headonhisarm.“So,you’llneverguesswhathappenedtoday.”

“Youbrokeyourankledoingsomethingstupid.”
Allthebitternesshe’dfelttowardherforignoringhimthispastweekmelted.“Close.Imightdo

somethingstupid,andthere’salwaysapossibilityofanklebreakage.EspeciallyifIgetmyway.”

“Okay,IthinkI’mwayoff,then.”
“Soguessagain.”
“Justtellme.”
“I’llgiveyouahint.It’ssomethingtodowithmyjob.”
“AreyougoingtogettodoyourIndianaJonesadventuretours?”sheasked.
“It’ssoundinglikearealpossibility.Can’tcallitthat,ofcourse.”
“’Causethatwouldbecrazy.”
“Morelikecopyrightinfringement,”hesaid.“Soyouneedtohelpmefigureoutanamewithall

yourmadmarketingskills.Butthat’snotevenallofit…”Hetoldheraboutthepossibilityoftaking
overtheentirecompany.“It’dprobablybehecticandstressfulforafewyears,butthenitwouldbe
mine,andIcoulddosomedifferenttours.I’mtryingtothinklogically,butit’shardwheneverything
insideofmeisscreamingtogoforit.”

Shewasquietforacoupleofseconds,andheheldhisbreath,waitingforhertotellhimitwasa

crazyidea.Thatfinallyhe’dgonetoofarforevenhertoindulgehisideas,whichmeanthisfamily
wouldtotallyfreak.

“Wow.That’s…That’shuge,Wes.I’msohappyforyou!”
Theexcitementinhervoicemadehimsitup.“SoyouthinkIshoulddoit?”
“Well of course you’ve got to look at the financial side before diving in—if you want, I know a

goodaccountantwhocanhelpyougooveralltheinsandouts.Butitsoundsperfectforyou,itreally
does.”

“Ithinkitmightbe.”Hethoughtofthehelicoptersinthehangaratwork.Theycouldallbehis.His

tomaintain.Tofuel.Tofreakoutoveriftheyweren’tfullofpeople,makingmoney.Heleanedback

againsttheheadboard.“It’dbemoreresponsibilitythanI’veeverhad,though.Ican’tjustwalkawayif
Igetanewidea.Notthistime.AndwhatifIendupdrivingtheentirecompanyintotheground?”

“Ifit’swhatyouwant,you’llfindawaytomakeitasuccess.”
Comerunitwithme,hewantedtosay.
“Youknow,Iwasthinkingearliertodayhowbothofourlivesaresocrazyrightnow—yourseven

moresowithallthegoodnewsaboutyourjob—andmaybethisretreat’satabadtime.Work’sgoing
reallywellandI’msureIcanlandthispromotion,evenifIdon’tgetmuchtimetotalkwiththeboss,
soyoudon’thavetocomeouthere.”Itwaslikeshe’dtakenupspeedtalkingandittookhimacouple
ofsecondstoprocessitall.

“It’snotaproblem.Ialreadyboughttheplaneticket.”
“I’msurethey’llletyouchangeit.Havingyouposeasmyfiancéforthisthingwasastupidideain

thefirstplace.”

Everythinginsidehimturnedfromwarmandhappytocoldandconfused.“Buttheretreatwillbea

goodchancetotakesometimeoffbeforelifegetscrazy.AndyouknowI’dnevergiveupachanceto
beoutdoors,competing,forcingyoutododangerousthingswithme.”

Thelinewasdeadquiet,andfrustrationwascreepingin.HeneededanotherchancetobewithDani.

Toseeifhe’dmadetherightdecisiontonight.

“Ifyou’resure…”shefinallysaid.
“I am. I’ll see you Wednesday night. It’ll be fun, Dani. And don’t worry. I’ll behave myself.” He

thoughtofalltheexcuseshe’dhavetoholdherhand.Maybeevenstealakiss.Orten.“Forthemost
part.”

Shelaughed,andlikealways,thesoundmadehimsmile.Itmadehimwishheweretheretoseeher

eyeslightup,herlipscurve.“Well,whenyouputitlikethat…I’llseeyouthen.Andcongratulations
againonthenewjob.”

“You’renext,”heautomaticallysaid,butrealizedthatmeantshe’dstillbewaytoofaraway.
Hesethisphoneonthenightstandandlaybackagain,thinkingaboutthisrollercoasterofaday.So

manyupsanddowns.Atdinner,he’dbeensoclosetogivingarelationshipwithSophieanothertry.

ThenDanihadcalled.He’dwantedtoanswer—butSophiewaseyeinghim,andheknewthatwasn’t

thewaytostartoverwithher.

Sophiehadslippedherhandoffhisandstraightened.“Idon’tknowwhatIwasthinking,coming

here.Justtellmeonething,Wes.Iwanttoknow—Ineedtoknow—ifyoustartedsleepingwithDani
beforewebrokeup.Pleasejustbehonest,becauseit’skillingme.”

Wesclenchedhisjaw.“Ifyouknewmeatall,youwouldn’thavetoask.”
“That’snotfair.Youwerealwaysonthephonewithher.Youwenttovisitforaweekandthenafew

months later, you end up engaged. What am I supposed to think?” Ever since he and Sophie had
brokenup,he’dfocusedoneverythinggreatabouther.Buthe’dforgottenthattherewerefightsthat
didn’tincludehisfriendshipwithDani.Shealwayscalledhishobbiesimmature,toldhimheneededa
“grownup”job,andapologizedtoherfamilyforhisjokes.

“Nothing was going on with Dani before you dumped me, Soph.” He was about to admit he still

wasn’t involved with Dani, but he realized that would be a lie. There was something inside pulling
himtoher,anddistanceornot,hehadtotry.Bettertocrashandburnthantoforeverwonder.

“I’m sorry I asked you here,” he said to Sophie. “I thought… I guess I thought we needed

resolution.ButIthinkI’mjustmakingitworse.SoI’msorryyouandIdidn’tworkout,I’msorryifI
hurtyou,andIwishyouthebest.”

Sophiestaredathimforafewseconds,thendroppedherchin.“Yeah.You,too.”
Notsurewhetherhe’dlaterregrethischoice,he’dpaidthebillandleft.Hedrovearoundthecity

foralongtimebeforecominghome.Andnowthathewasthinkingaboutit,herealizedthatinaway,

DaniwasresponsiblefornotjusthisandSophie’srelationshipfailing,butallhisfailedrelationships.
Notonlybecausenoonecouldbelievetheywerejustfriends,butalsobecauseheknewtherehadto
bemoregirlslikeheroutthere.

Butthereweren’t.Notexactlylikeher,andshewaswhohewanted.Sohewasgoingtothatretreat

withher,he’dbethebestdamnfiancéever,andattheendofit,he’dlayitallonthelineandhopeif
theyweregoodenoughfriends,they’dsurviveit,evenifshedidn’tfeelthesameway.

Whathereallyhopedwouldhappen,though,wasthatshe’dtellhimshefeltexactlythesameway.

ChapterFourteen

Justinthenickoftime.

DanimadeacopyofthesignedcontractandthenwalkedintoBill’sofficeandtosseditonhisdesk.

“Theaccount’sours.”Hopefullyitwouldbehersonceshegotthepromotion.“I’vegottogopickup
myfr—fiancé—attheairport,soI’llseeyoutomorrow.”

Billnodded.Nogoodjob,nofriendlygood-bye.Nothanksforworkingyourassoffthisweekand

talkingournewclientintosigningacontract.

WhenI’mincharge,shethought,I’mgoingtobemuchcoolertothepeoplewhoworkwithme.
Dani stopped by her cubicle, shut down her computer, and grabbed her purse. A mixture of

excitementandapprehensionswirledthroughherstomach,leavingittinglyandcrampedatthesame
time.

BecauseofherconfusedemotionsoverWes,she’dworriedhisbeingattheretreatwithherwasa

badidea.Butwithsomuchontheline,shewasgladhe’dinsistedoncoming.She’dbecalmer,hewas
a total charmer, and everything would be okay. The next three days would include lots of “team
building”activities,andifshehadherway,lotsofchattingupthebossandprovingshedeserveda
promotion.

Allshehadtodowasfocusonhergoals.Rocktheretreat,landthepromotionsoshecouldhelp

outherfamilyfinanciallyandtheycouldallbreatheeasier,andcontinuetogetherlifeback,which
mayormaynotincludeDarryl.Hehadn’tcalledforafewdays,butshehadn’tcalledhim,either—
shewasenoughofamesswithoutaddinganynew,maybe-kindarelationshipsintothemix.

Danigotinhercar,fireduptheengine,andgaveherselfaminipeptalk.
I’llbefine.WesandIarefriends.I’vejustgottokeepmyfeelingsincheck.
Or,inotherwords,shejusthadtoholdback.

…

ThelightsofLittleRockgrewbrighter,buildingsandfreewaylanesstartingtotakeshape.Flightshe
wasn’tinchargeofpilotingweren’tnearlyasfun,butatleasthewasthatmuchclosertoDani.

Hetappedhisfingersonhisbouncingknee,andthemannexttohimscowled.Wesalmostwanted

totellhimitwasokay—hewasn’tnervous,justinlove.Withhisbestfriend.

Hisheartsqueezed.He’dbeendeterminedtocrossintomore,buthehadn’trealizeduntilnowhow

truethelovepartwas.Thiswasn’tlikeanormaldatingsituation,wherehewasgettingtoknowthe
otherpersonalittleatatime.Healreadyknewher.Alreadylovedher.Andnowhewasinthekindof
so-crazy-he-couldn’t-think-about-anything-elselove.

Itfeltrecklessanddangerous,thesamefeelinghegotwheneverhewasabouttocliffdiveordoa

stuntinhishelicopter.Franticenergycoursedthroughhisveins;hiskneebouncedhigher.

Theairporttookshape,andthenthewheelsweredown,bumpingagainsttheasphalt.Thelanding

wasalittlerough,andhecouldn’thelpthinkinghislandingsweremuchsmoother.Allthepassengers
sprangintoactionassoonastheF

ASTEN

S

EATBELT

signdingedandshutoff.

Wes ran a hand across his jaw. He still wasn’t quite used to it being so smooth; his face still felt

nakedwithouthisscruff.SmallpricetopayifhegottokissDani,though.

Finallyitwashisturntograbhisbagfromthebinandexittheairplane.
He spotted her right away, even though she looked different than she usually did. Her hair was

downandstraighterthanusual,andshewaswearingtightblackslacksandacrispwhitebuttondown.
He’dneverseenherdressedsoall-businessbefore.Hergazemoveddownthelineofpeople,getting
closerandcloser.Thenhereyesmethis,andhisheartskippedabeat.

Hecrossedthedistancebetweentheminafewquickstridesandhuggedher.Itwaslikehugginga

woodenpost—herarmsstayeddownbyhersidesandherbodywasstiff.Thenshewassteppingback.
Hereyesfollowedthemovementsofpeoplearoundthem,notmeetinghis.

Why’ssheallcageyandclosedoff?
Shescuffedthefloorwiththetoeofhershoe.“Howwastheflight?”
“Would’vebeenbetterifIgottoflytheplane.”
Thatgothimahalfsmile.“I’msurprisedtheymanagedtogetitoffthegroundwithoutyou.”
“Me,too.”
Hershoulderslowered,thetensionslowlydrainingfromherbody.“I’msurprised.Ifiguredyou’d

beaboutbacktothemountainmanlook.”Shereacheduplikeshewasgoingtosmoothahanddown
hisfacebutthendroppedherarmlastminute.“Anyway,youready?”

Hehikedthestrapofhisduffelbaghigheronhisshoulderandsteppedtowardher.
Shetookalargestepbackandspunaround.
Thiswasthefurthestthingfromthescenarioofthismomenthe’dcookedupinhishead.Ifonlyhe

knewwhatwasgoingoninherhead.Hedidn’twanttomakeamessofthingsbeforetheretreat—if
shedidn’tfeelthesamewayabouthim,it’dbeawholelotofawkwardoverthenextfourdays.So
he’dtakeitslow,eventhougheverythinginhimrevoltedatthatthought.Allthetimetogetherwould
betheperfectopportunitytoshowherhowgreattheyweretogether.Thistime,hewasallin.Nomore
holdingback.

…

DanigaveWesthetourofherapartment,whichdidn’ttakelong,sinceitwasjustthelivingroomand
kitchen,bathroomandbedroomdownthehall.“Ialreadypulledouttheblanketandpillow,”shesaid,
pointingtothepilenexttothecouch.“WatchTVifyouwant.Mykitchendoesn’thavemuchfood,but
you’rewelcometoanythinginthere.”

“You’regoingtobedalready?”Wesasked.
Yes,otherwiseImightaccidentallythrowmyselfatyou.Hopefullyit’dbeeasiertocontrolherself

attheretreat.She’dbeinworkmode,notthinkingabouthowtheywerealoneandhowhelookedwith
hisshirtoffand—

“Dani?”
Shegaveherheadalittleshake,tryingtoriditofthatimage.“Wehavetogetupearlytomorrow

and you know I suck at that. I have to be awake enough to drive the hour and a half it takes to get
there.”

“I’lldrive.”Wesgrabbedherhandandpulledhertowardthecouch.“Stayupforabitwithme.”
“Butyoudon’tknowtheway.”
“There’sthisamazingthingcalledGPSthattellsyouexactlyhowtogetthere.”Hegaveanothertug

andshemovedtowardhim.

“ButyouneverlistentotheGPSbecauseyouthinkyoucanfigureoutabetterway.”
“Myway’salwaysmorefun.”Hepulledheragainandtheirbodieswerealmosttouching.
Danitriedtoswallowbutapermanentlumpwasinherthroat.Asmuchasshe’dtoldherselftohold

back—thatshecouldcontrolherattraction—itwasn’treallyworking.Notnowthatshecouldfeelthe
heatcomingoffhimandhiseyeswereonhers.

Space.Sheneededspace.Shesatdownontheendofthecouch,leaningherbackagainstthearmrest

andpullingherlegsuptocreateabarrier.

Wessatontheotherend.Twocreasesformedbetweenhiseyebrowsandsheworriedhe’dnoticed

she was acting weird. They’d always had such a natural ease, one no one else understood, and she
wishedithadn’tdisappearedwiththatkissatthewedding.

“So?”heasked.“Anythingnewhappeninthelastfewweeks?”
“Well,it’snotanythingyetreally,butIdidgoonacoupleofdateswithaguy.”
Wes sat back, his lips pressed in a tight line. “No offense, but you do tend to pick losers, so I’m

goingtosaveyouafewmonthsandsayyoushouldjustgetridofhimnow.”

“Hey,”Danisaid,kickingherfootagainsthisthigh.“Okay,somaybeI’vepickedafewlosers,but

that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of finding a good guy. Besides, I… Don’t make fun of me, but I
startedamembershipthroughanonlinedatingsite,sotechnicallyIdidn’tpickhim,thesitedid.I’ve
beenoutwithhimtwice,andhe’snice.”

“Ah,nice.Soundsthrilling.”
“Andheplaysbasketball.”
“Thekeytoanygoodrelationship.”
The more he mocked her, the more flustered she got. Not all guys can be like you, she bit back.

Desperatetochangethesubject,shesaid,“Whataboutthejoboffer?Youtakeityet?”

“Not officially. I’m still looking over some things. I did find a spot for white water rafting. Just

needtogetthecertification.”

“Soyoucansaveallthepeopleyouconvincetodocrazythings?”
“Prettymuch.”Hepattedherfoot.“You’refreezingagain.Here.”Heshifted,tuckingbothherfeet

underhisleg.“Iactuallybroughtthefiles.Iwashopingonenightwe’dhavesometimetogooverit
all.I’dlovetogetyouropinionbeforeIsignawaymylife.”

“Sure,”shesaid,andthensilencestretchedbetweenthem.Forbackgroundnoise,shepunchedon

theTV,settlingonESPN.

Weshookedhisarmoverherknee,leaningtowardtheTV.“FivebuckstheCardinalscomefrom

behindandwinthisgame.”

“You’reon,”shesaid,andhegrinned.“WouldnowbeagoodtimetotellyouthatJohnsongothurt

yesterdayandisn’tplaying?”

Hissmilefaded.“Really?Damn.”Herubbedhisfingersalonghisjawandshrugged.“Ohwell.I’m

standingbymybet.”

“Prepare to lose, then.” After a few minutes, she let her head fall back. Exhaustion seeped into

everymuscle,everybone.Hereyesdriftedclosedasthegameplayedinthebackground.

TherewassomethingsocozyandsecureaboutWesandthenoiseandthefactherfeetwerenow

warmunderneathhislegs.Asshedriftedoff,shehadthehazythoughtthatthiswasallshe’dneedto
behappyfortherestofherlife.

ChapterFifteen

WesglaredattheGPSwhenittoldhimto“Turnrightinpointtwomiles.”Likehecouldn’tseethe
sign.Heshouldn’tfeelsobitteratanelectronicvoicetellinghimwhattodo,butitwasdrivinghim
crazy.

HeglancedatDani.Herseatwasreclined,hereyesclosed,acompletelypeacefullookonherface.

He punched off the GPS. She’d never know, and now he could relax and drive. He still wasn’t sure
whattomakeofhowclosedoffshe’dbeenlastnight.He’dpromisedhimselfhewasn’tgoingtohold
back,butitwasstupidtoruineverythingifsheclearlydidn’tfeelthesameway.

Hetookasipofhisnow-coldcoffee,swearingwhenitsloshedoutofthecup,overhisthumband

ontohisshirtandpants.Helookedupintimetoseetheshiftintheroadandalltheorangebarrelsset
inplacetokeeptrafficout.Hemergedbehindasemi,followingitontotheroughpavement.

Thebumpsandloudnoisethetiresmadehittingtheroaddidn’tevenfazeDani.
When,agoodhourlater,herealizedhewasonthewrongroadandhadbeenforquitesometime,

he started hoping she would stay asleep for the entire drive. No such luck. Of course that was the
moment she started stirring. She squinted at the clock, rubbed her eyes, and looked at it again,
scootingforward.“Aren’twethereyet?”

Wesgrimaced.“Smallproblem.”
Shewhippedherheadtowardhim.“Wes,tellmeyoufollowedthedirectionsontheGPS.”
“Therewasroadconstructionandwegotalittleoff,butwe’rebackontracknow.Thiswillsaveus

time,anyway.Therewasonlyonelaneandtheywerestoppingtrafficformiles.”

Her eyes moved to the tiny gravel road and then to the blank screen of the GPS. “You turned it

off?”Heflinchedatherhigh-pitchedshriek.“Ihavetobethereformypresentation,Wes.Thisisn’t
roamthebackwoodsofArkansasadventuretime.”

“Butifyouweregoingtoroamthebackwoods,whatbetterwaytodoitthanwithyourstruly?”He

flashedherabig,goofysmile.

She clenched her jaw and he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. Okay, so

jokinghadn’tworked,whichmeantshewasreallypissed.“Look,I’msorry.Ishouldn’thaveturnedit
off,butI’mtryingtofixit.Justafewmoreturnsandwe’rethere.We’llstillbeontime.”Closetoit,
anyway.Hereachedovertopatherkneeandshejerkedaway.

“Do you even know where we are?” Before he could answer that, she was punching on the GPS.

“Thisisjustlikewhenwewentupthattrailinthemountainsonfourwheelersandranoutofgas.I
toldyouoverandoverthatweshouldturnback,butnooo,youknewashorterpath.”

“Well, we’ve got plenty of gas,” he said, and she shot him a dirty look that, honestly, was pretty

scary,thoughhe’dneveradmititoutloud.Ifhethoughthecouldsayanythingright,he’dtryit,buthe
figuredthebestthinghecoulddowasgetthemthereasfastaspossible.

Sheshookherheadandpulledouthercellphone.“Idon’tunderstandhowit’ssohardtojustleave

ontheGPSsoyouknowwheretoturn.AndIthinkconstructionispreferabletobeinginthemiddle
ofnowhere”—sheheldupherphone—“withnofreakingservice.”

The GPS started repeating, “You have veered off course,” over and over. “See,” he said. “It’s

obnoxious.Andbossy.Andit’snotevenworking.”

“Itworkswhenyoufirstturnofftheroad.”Shepunchedafewbuttonsanditstartedrecalibrating

theroute.“Whycan’tyoujustgothewayyou’resupposedto?”

“Why can’t you just relax and enjoy the adventure?” he shot back before he remembered he was

supposedtobeinapologymode.Shit,hewasscrewingeverythingup.Beinglostwasfrustratingfor
him, too, though. Once she cooled off, he’d apologize again and get things back on track. He just
neededtogethertoherpresentationfirst.

Aloudpopsoundedandthecarswerved.Weshadtofightthewheelforcontrol.Thecarskiddedto

thesideoftheroad,spittingoutdirtandrocksbehindthem.Hedepressedthebrake,easingthemtoa
stopthebesthecouldwithadefinitelyflattire.

“Thisadventure?”Sheflungoffherseatbeltandpushedoutofthecar.
With a sigh, he followed her. He rounded the trunk and looked at the shredded black rubber that

remainedwhereafulltireshouldhavebeen.Danihadherarmscrossedandwasmutteringsomething
inSpanish.

Well,thiswasn’tgoingtowinhimmanypoints.Rightnow,hewasn’tfeelingallwarmandcuddly

aboutheranyway.

Afterchangingthetiretothedinkydonutspare,onehecouldn’tdriveveryfaston,theytookoff

again,themoodinthecararctic.BythetimetheypulleduptotheMasterpieceLodge,they’dspent
forty-fiveminutesintensesilence.

“Great,”Danisaid.“Everyone’salreadygatheredoutside,staringatus,andwe’vegottopretendto

beanengagedcouplewhojustcan’twaittogetmarried.”

Usuallyshewentalongwithwhatever—shewashisgo-toforanadventure,afterall—butnowshe

wasactinglikebeinglatewaspracticallytheapocalypse.ThiswasthekindofthingSophiewouldbe
pissedabout.

“They’llunderstandthatwegotaflattire,”hetried,doinghisbesttokeepcalm,hopingit’druboff

onher.

“No,they’llseethatIwasn’ttherewhenIneededtobe.Noonegivesashitwhy.It’llenduplistedas

the reason I didn’t get the promotion—like I’m the one who can’t be counted on.” She shot him a
searingglare,herimplicationthathewastheonewhocouldn’tbecountedonclear.

“Youneedtorelax.”
Thefireinhereyesmadeitobviousthatwasthewrongthingtosay.“Relax?Youknow,wecan’t

allbelikeyou,Wes.Socarefreeabouteverything.Gettingacompanydroppedinyourlap.Onethat
basicallyletsyouflyaroundandgoonadventures,likeyou’dbedoingeveniftheydidn’tpayyou.
Sodon’tevenactlikeyouunderstand.”

“It’snotmyfaultyoudon’tlikeyourjob—”
“Youdon’tgetit.”Sheshookherheadandtheexasperationinhervoicemadeherwordscomeout

clipped.“You’veneverhadtotrytosupportyourfamilyontopofeverythingelse.Youdon’tknow
whatit’sliketoneedajobsobadlyitkeepsyouupatnight.You’rejustaspoiledboywho’sneverhad
togrowup.”Shechargedoutofthecar,slammingthedoorloudlyenoughforittohurthisears.

In all their years as friends, they’d never fought—argued or disagreed, sure, but not like this.

Angerburnedthroughhim.Spoiled?Nevergrewup?Thatwaswhatshethoughtofhim?Well,she
wasatight-asswhofreakedoutoverstupidthings.

Herco-workerswerestaring,andnowhewassupposedtogooutandpretendhewashappytobe

around Dani. He never would’ve guessed it’d be hard to play her fiancé, even before he’d thought
therewasmoretotheirrelationship.Hetookadeepbreathandslowlyexhaled,thengotoutofthecar,
fakesmileplasteredonhisface.

HegrabbedDani’shand,squeezinghardenoughthatthediamondontheringjabbedintohispalm.
“Danielle,”oneofthesmarmy-lookingdudessaid.“Soniceofyoutofinallyjoinus.Iwasstarting

towonderifI’dhavetodothepresentationmyself.”

Wes’sbitternesstowardDanishiftedtotheprickwhowascallingheroutinfrontofeveryone.“It’s

my fault we’re late. Apparently I’m one of those people who gets lost even with GPS. And is also
unluckyenoughtohaveaflattire.”

“YoumustbeWes,”awomansaid,steppingforwardandextendingahand.“We’veheardsomuch

aboutyou.”

“Yes,thisismyfiancé,”Danisaid.Sheintroducedhimtothegroup.Theprick’snamewasBill,and

alltheirpastphonecallsabouttheguysheworkedwithclickedintoplace.IfWeshadanythingtosay
aboutit,thisguywasgoingdown.

Daniglancedaround.“DidWaynealreadygoovertheschedule?”
Billgrinned,acockysmilethatWeswantedtosmackoffhisface.“Hedidthewelcomeandsaidhe

was looking forward to the presentations.” He glanced at his watch. “You might want to have your
fiancécheckyouintoyourroomsowecangosetup.We’rethefirstpresentation,andthatgivesus
aboutten.”

DaniglancedatWes.
“I’monit,”hesaid.
“It’ll be under my name.” She ran a hand through her hair and he noticed the tension in her

shoulders.It’dbeensomanyyearssincetheywereincollege,he’dforgottenhowstressedsheusedto
getbeforetheirclasspresentations.Shealwaysaccusedhimofrelyingonhis“charmingpersonality”
whileshebustedherass.

Heleanedinclose.“Hey,yougotthis.Don’tletthejerkthrowyouoff.”
Shestaredupathim,andasmuchasthewordsshe’dsaidtohimearlierstung,hewantednothing

morethanforhertogonailherpresentation.Sheopenedhermouth,butBillbrokein.

“Time’sawasting,”hesaid.
Shehikedherlaptopbaguponhershoulderandtookoffwithhim.Wesheadedtothefrontdesk,

second-guessing what exactly he wanted with Dani. If she’d never see him as anything more than a
slackerwhodidn’tcareabouthisjob,thenshemustnotbelieveinhimthewayhebelievedinher.

…

Asshestoodinfrontoftheroomfilledwithherbossandcolleagues,Dani’sstomachchurned,her
palms got clammy, and heat rose to her face and stayed there. That wasn’t unusual for her, but the
hollownessinherchestoverthefightwithWeswas.

She couldn’t believe she’d said such awful things. She was still thinking about it when Wayne

BridgestoldherandBillto“Goaheadandgetstarted.”

Maybeitwastheboots,giantbeltbuckle,andcowboyhat,butherboss’sappearancemadeherfeel

likeshehadeightsecondstoridetosuccessorgettrampledbybulls.

ButthethoughtofbullridingmadeherthinkofhowsheandWeshadrodethemechanicaloneat

Whiskey River. She pictured him tipping his imaginary hat at her with that grin and some of the
tensionfillingherbodyeased.

Okay,Icandothis.Focusonthefacts,thewayWeshadmedointhehelicopter.
It cleared her head, but unfortunately, it didn’t stop Bill from constantly stepping in front of her

duringthepresentation,talkingoverherwhenshestartedtomakeapoint.Blockingeverymoveshe
made.Ifhewereadefenderinabasketballgame,she’dplowrightoverhim.Sheshould.Butevery
timeshe’dglanceatWayne,herconfidencewouldwaver.Asaresult,Billlookedlikehewastheone
who’ddonemostofthework.

Sheshouldcaremore—adistantpartofherdid.Butshekeptglancingoutthewindowatthestupid

tinytireonhercar,wonderingifshe’djustdestroyedherfriendshipwithWesbecauseofit.

Ican’tloseWes.He’soneofthebestthingsinmylife.
“Veryimpressive,”WaynesaidwhenBillwrappeditup,showingofftheirhighsuccessrateonnew

accounts.“Youworkthisasateam?”

“Itakepoint,ofcourse,”Billsaid.
Bastard.Whatshewantedtosaywas,AndIdoallthework,butsheknewit’djustcomeacrossas

bitchy,andshe’dbeenthatplentytodayalready.Shecouldn’tstandthereandletitlooklikeshedidn’t
doanything,though—notwhenherhappinessandbankaccountwererelyingonnotworkingunder
Bill.

Finally,shefoundhervoice,evenifitdidcomeoutshaky.“Iworkwiththecustomersandthead

design team. Bill and I started integrating the method two months ago and already we’ve seen an
increaseinsalesoneveryprojectwe’veattackedwithit.”

Wayne nodded. She thought he was going to ask her some questions. She braced herself,

rememberingthatsheknewherworkbackwardandforwardandcouldansweranythinghethrewher
way.

Buthesimplycalledupthedesignteamfortheirpresentation.
Themeetingwasonlyanhour,butitdragged.Allshe’dwantedtodotheentiretimewasfindWes

andapologize.Butonceitendedandshewasfinallyfree,shecouldn’tseemtoforceherfeettomove
overtohim.Hewassurroundedbycompanywivesandwasalreadyhammingitup.

Wesbrokeawayfromthemandwalkeduptoher.“How’dthepresentationgo?”
“Not sure. I don’t think I made a very good impact. I’m just not that good at being in front of a

roomfullofpeople,especiallywhenoneofthemismyboss.”

“I’msureyoudidfine.Andyou’vestillgottimetoimpresseveryone.”
“Iguess,”shesaid.Allshehadtodonowwasapologize.Maybesheshouldaskhimtoduckinside

theroom.

But then all her female co-workers were closing in, wanting to be introduced to Wes and talk

weddingdetails.AtleastsheandWeshadalreadymadeuptheirstorysotheydidn’thavetodoiton
thespot.

Danifeltlikeafraudthewholetime,butshewasalreadytoodeepintothelietodoanythingabout

it.Wesplayedhispartlikeachamp,too,eventhoughheprobablyregrettedhisdecisiontocometo
Arkansas.

Finally,thecrowdcleared.DaniglancedatWes.Hetensed,nolongerkeepingupthehappy,in-love

front.Standingrightnexttohim,thicksilencehangingintheair,shefeltfurtherawayfromhimthan
shedidwhentwostatesstoodbetweenthem.

Herheartgaveapainfulsqueeze.“Doyouhateme?”
Wes dropped his head, the longer wavy pieces of hair falling over his eyes. “I just didn’t realize

that’showyouseeme.”

“Idon’t,though.YourspontaneityandcarefreeattitudearethethingsIlovemostaboutyou.”There

wasaweirdbeataftersherealizedshe’dusedthewordlove,butshepoweredthrough.“SometimesI
wish I could be like that, but then reality hits. I know what it’s like to grow up without money for
clothesorfood.It’swhyIworkedmybuttofftogetbasketballscholarships—Iknewthatwastheonly
wayI’dgettogotocollege,andeventhenmyfamilyhadtosacrificealottohelpmeout.AndnowI
worryIgotthewrongdegree,soitwasalljustawaste,andI’m…”Sheranahandthroughherhair.
“I’mjustsostressedtryingtogetthispromotion.”

“I’lladmitthatIdon’tknowabouthavingtotakecareofmyfamily,butitdoesn’tmeanIhaven’t

everstruggledwithmoneyorotherthings.Oneofthereasonsmyfamilyhasthathouseisbecause
myfatherpassedawayandleftittomyparents,andtrustme,we’dratherhavehimaroundstill.And
it’snotliketheybailmeoutorpaymybills.IpayformystuffwithmoneyIearn.”

Sheflinchedathisharshtoneandhowunderneathit,shecouldstillsensethehurtherwordshad

causedhim.“Iknow.Thatwasunfairofmetosay,andI’mreallysorry.”

Hegaveonesharpnod.“I’msorryyou’resostressedaboutthepromotion.”
“It’snotjustthat.”Shetwistedtohim,herchestachyandraw.“Myabuela’shealthisslipping,and

mymomcan’taffordthemedicalbillsthatkeeppilingup.I’vebeentryingtohelp,butwithmyown
expenses…It’snotenough.”

Wes’sexpressionsoftened.“Whydidn’tyoutellme?Ifyouneedmoney—”
“Idon’twantmoneyfromyou.”
Hefrowned.“Whywon’tyouletmehelp?Youtakecareofeveryoneelse,butyouneverletanyone

takecareofyou.”

Shecrossedherarms.“Idon’tneedanyonetotakecareofme.”
Hegrabbedherwrist,pullingitloose.“Iknow.ButIwantto.”Helookeddownatherandthendrew

hertohim,wrappinghisarmsaroundher.“Justpleaseletmeknowifthere’sawayIcanhelp.”

Sheswallowedthelumpinherthroat,nodded,andthenhuggedhimback.
“Wecoolnow?”
“Supercool,”shesaidwithasmile,stealingoneofthephraseshealwaysusedtosayincollege.

Outofthecornerofhereye,shesawBilltalkingwithWayneandsighed.“IfIcangetthepromotion,
I’llbeabletotakecareofmyself.ButofcourseBill’sovertherechattingitupwiththeboss,probably
convincinghimIshouldbeunderhimforever.”

Wes looked over at them, then back at her. “It’s okay. I have a secret weapon.” He slid his hand

downherarmandclaspedherfingers,tugginghertowardhercar.Hetookthekeysoutofhispocket,
openedthetrunk,andliftedoutthebasketballshekeptinside.

Danistaredattheorangeball.“I’mstartingtodoubtyouknowwhatasecretweaponis.”
“Well,technically,you’rethesecretweapon.”
Sheshookherhead.“Anditkeepsgettingworseandworse.”
Wes tossed the ball in the air and caught it. “Hey, it’s either this or singing. Need me to find a

microphone?”Hetossedtheballagain,andsheswipeditoutoftheair.

“Whatdidyouhaveinmind?”

ChapterSixteen

Five minutes later, Wes and Dani stood across from Bill and some guy named Joe, who was
apparentlyoneofthedesignguys.BuzzingenergyzippedthroughWes’slimbs,thewayitalwaysdid
before he and Dani worked their magic on the court. Her boss was seated at a nearby table in the
shade, talking to a few of her co-workers. Other people were milling around, not paying much
attentiontothebasketballcourt.

Hopefullythatwouldchangesoon.
“Care to make the game a little more interesting?” Wes dribbled the ball a couple of times, then

threwitatDani.

Sheletitsmackherpalmsandthenfrownedasshewatcheditbounceaway.“Mybad.I’llgetit.”
Man,helovedthispart.
“Iwas thinking,” hecontinued loudly, makingit seem like hewas trying toget their attention on

himsotheydidn’tnoticehispartnerstrugglingtogetherhandsontheball.Afteryears,theycould
usuallygaugejusthow“crappy”sheneededtobe.“Weshouldmakeafriendlybet.Whatdoyousay?
Twentybucks?”

Danipickeduptheballandcameover,dribblinghighandsloppy.
“Twenty’sfine,”Billsaid,condescensionandsmugnessdrippingfromthewords.“I’dgohigher,

butthat’shardlyfair,whatwith…”HeglancedatDani.

“Arewemakingbets?”Danisaid.“Theusualfifty?”
Wesbitbackasmile.“Iwasn’tsureifBillandJoewouldbeupforfifty.”Reelingthemin,and…
JoeandBillexchangedaquickglanceandanod.“Fifty’sfineforus,”Billsaid.
Aaaandthey’dboughtit,hook,line,andsinker.
Hetossedthemtheball.“Gameon,then.”
Astheyplayed,WeswouldglanceatDani’sbossnowandthen.He,alongwitheveryoneelseinthe

area,wasnowhonedinonthegame,watchingasshesunkshotaftershot.Billwasprettygood,but
out of shape, and Joe was obviously not a baller. Bill’s face got redder and redder the longer the
gamewenton,theveinsstickingout.

“I’llgether,”Billyelled,pushingJoetowardWes.
Wesdribbleddownthecourt.Hepulledbackforasecondandthendroveright,fakedashot,and

passedunderneaththehoop,whereDaninowwas,niceandopen.

Sheshot.
Nothingbutnet.
Andthatwasgame.Daniflashedhimawidesmile.Whetherornotherbosswasimpressed,atleast

she’denjoyedshowingupthepricksheworkedwith.

Astheyweregettingwaterandtowelingoff,herbosscameuptothem.“Wow,thatwassomegame.

Ididn’tknowyouplayed.”

“Shewasonhercollegeteam,”Wessaid,knowingDaniwouldn’tbragherselfupenough.“I’mjust

luckyIgettoplaywithherinsteadofagainsther.”

“It was quite impressive,” Dani’s boss said to her, and then introduced himself to Wes before

returning his attention to her. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the new marketing strategy.
Howmuchofthatisyourdoing?”

Wesnudgedherwhenshedidn’timmediatelyanswer.

“It was my original idea…” Her voice was a little shaky, and he silently urged her to put more

certaintyinherwords.Sheliftedherchin,andhecouldseetheconfidenceseepingin.“BillandIdo
workonthingstogether,thoughIdomostofthemockupsandtheinterfacingwiththecustomer,andI
pridemyselfonbeinggoodatthat.”

“That’s what I thought. I like that you didn’t throw him under the bus, though.” Wayne nodded.

“Very impressive. The basketball and the new strategy. I look forward to seeing what else you can
do,”hesaid,thenwalkedaway.

DaniturnedtoWes,eyeswide.“Didthatjusthappen?”Beforehecouldanswer,shethrewherarms

aroundhim.

Hehuggedherback,liftingheroffherfeetforamomentandthensettingherbackdown.
Hisgazemovedtoherlips.Hecouldgetawaywithkissingher,right?Hewasherfiancéafterall.
Someoneclearedhisthroat.Bill.AdditasanotherreasonWeswantedtopunchhim.
“Areyoutwogoingtodotheboatraces?”
Danislidherarmaroundhiswaist.“We’llbethere.”
“MywifeandIwillbe,too.Caretomakeabet?Doubleornothing?”
DaniglancedatWesandhenodded.“You’reon,”shesaid.
Billsmiledlikeshe’dtoldhimhewonthelottery.“IguessnowwouldbethetimetotellyouIwas

ontherowingteamincollege,andmywife’safitnessinstructor.”Anothersmileandthenhewalked
off.

“Soournewgoalistobeatthatguyatprettymucheverything,right?”Wesasked.
AcompetitivegleamhitDani’seye.“Ohyeah.He’ssogoingdown.”

…

By the time Dani and Wes made it back to their very floral room, she was soaking wet and her
muscleswereburning.“Nowthatwasfun.”

Theracehadbeenclose,butsheandWeshadedgedaheadofBillandhiswifeatthelastminute.

Wesdecidedthebestwaytocelebratewastotackleherandsendthembothoverboard.

“Iftheballgamedidn’tdoit,yourbosswillforsurerememberyounow.Maybealittlemorefor

thewayyourwetshirtisclingingtoyouthanyourworkethic…”Hiseyesrandowntoherplastered-
onshirt.

Sheshovedhim.“Thanksalot.”
Speaking of leaving little to the imagination, his shirt was shaped to him, reminding her exactly

howfithewas.Shecouldevenseeahintofhisdarktattoothroughthelightfabric.Shewantedtorun
her fingers up it, across his chest, down his abs… The temperature in the room shot up and her
breathscamefasterandfaster.Eventhoughsheknewtheywereintoodifferentplacesintheirlivesto
makearelationshipworkrightnow,thefriendswithbenefitsforanightortwoseemedlikeabetter
andbetteridea.

Ofcourse,thatwasstillcomplicated.Notonlytheawkwardnessitmightcause,butbecausehewas

inlovewithsomeoneelse.Leadfilledherlungs.Sheswipedherwethairbehindherearandtwisted
theendsaroundherfinger.“Bytheway,didyouevertalktoSophie?AboutwhatItoldyou?”

Forsomeonewhocouldn’tbewithhim,herheartwassurehammeringhard,panicrisingoverthe

possibilitythathewasbackwithher.

“Howisthat‘bytheway’?”
Washepurposelyavoidingthesubject?DidthatmeanthingsbetweenhimandSophieweregood

orbad?“Ijustmeanttomentionitearlierbutforgot.Youknow,duetoourdaystartingoutallshitty-
like.”

“AmIevergoingtolivethatdown?”

“IfIletitgo,you’lljustgetuslostonthewayback.”
“I’llprobablydothatanyway,”hesaidwithagrin.
Shestuckhertongueoutathim.Really,shewasgladtheycouldjokeaboutthefight.Iftheywere

dancingaroundit,she’dknowitwasstillbetweenthem.“Okay,sobacktoSophie.”

He crossed his arms, and she tried not to notice the way it made the muscles in his chest and

forearmsstandout.“SheandItalked,butIrealizedit’sjustnotgoingtoworkwithus.”

Excitement and hope zipped through her—she barely restrained herself from jumping up and

down. Trying to be considerate, in case he was hurt about it, she clamped back the smile trying to
breakfreeandsaid,“Oh.Sorry.”

“Ithinksheactuallydidmeafavorbydumpingme.Wewould’vehadproblemsdowntheroad,and

intheend,wedidn’twantthesamethings.”Hiseyeslockedontohers.“YouthoughtIshouldgoback
toher?Youwouldn’thavecared?”

Workingatnonchalance,Danishrugged.“Ifitwould’vemadeyouhappy,Icould’vedealtwithit.

Butifit’snotwhatyouwant…”Sheshruggedagain—apparentlyhershoulderswerealltwitchytoday.

Hewasstillstaringather,though,likehewaswaitingforsomething.Shedidn’tknowwhat,soshe

decidedtogetbacktothebusinessathand.“BeforeIforget,Irealizedtodaythattalkingabouthow
you’re taking over a company in North Carolina might be bad, seeing as how they’re not going to
wanttogivemeapromotioniftheythinkI’llmove.”

“Imightnotbetakingover.”
“Oh,right,westillneedtolookatthefinancialaspect.We’lldothatlater.”
“Eventhen.ItmightnotbewhatIwant,either.”
Danididn’tknowwhyshewassurprised.Maybeherwordsthismorningabouthisimpulsivityhad

beentooharsh,butobviouslyshewasn’tcompletelywrong.Andifhecouldn’tsticktoacareerdoing
somethingheloved,shewasgladshehadn’tdeludedherselfintothinkinghecouldstickwithonegirl
forever.

…

Danihadn’tevenflinchedthisafternoonwhenhe’daskedhowshewouldfeelabouthimgettingback
togetherwithSophie.Afterthemessthismorningandhermentioningtheguyshe’drecentlystarted
datingand—Seriously?Shedidn’tevenwanttotellhimshewasgladhewasn’twithSophiebecause
it’dbeeasierfortheirfriendship?Obviouslyhe’ddeludedhimselfintothinkingtherewassomething
morebetweenthem.

As they headed toward the tables for dinner, he put his hand on her back. He wanted to show

everyoneshewashis,evenifitwasonlyforshow.Hispulsethuddedinhisfingertips,ineveryspot
wherehetouchedher.Shewaswearingthissupersexyblackskirtthatshowedoffherlegs,too,and
hecouldn’tstopstaringatthem.Staringatallofher.

She’d said she needed to look nice for dinner to make sure she continued impressing her boss.

Clearly she cared about this job, and if she was here and he was in North Carolina, there was no
chance of a relationship. So now he was thinking of looking for job opportunities here, which was
crazyifshewasjustgoingtobedatingsomedudeawebsitehookedherupwith.

Henormallyjumpedrightin,thinkinghe’dfigureouttherestlater.Butifhewerethinkingabout

changing his career—moving to Arkansas, which, okay, he really didn’t want to do—then maybe it
wastimeforhimtoslowdownandusehishead.

Itwouldbeeasierifhecouldthinkstraight.
Theysettledatatablewithseveralofherco-workers.“Oh,beforeIforget…”Danileanedinand

putherhandonhisthigh,herbreathhittinghisneck.

Definitelynothelpingthethink-with-his-headthing.Whichwasprobablywhyheturnedhisfaceto

hersandsoftlykissedherlips.“Yeah,babe?”

Her eyebrows twitched higher and her lips parted. Glancing down, she swiped that one strand of

hair behind her ear. As usual, it simply fell forward again—he loved that she never stopped trying,
though.

“I…IforgotwhatIwasgoingtosay,”sheadded.
The woman across from them beamed. He couldn’t remember her name, just that she was the

administrativeassistant.“Oh,aren’tyoutwosweet.IrememberwhenmyGeorgeandIwereengaged.
Iwasmuchyoungerthanyou,freshoutofhighschool.ButIjustknewafterwewenttopromthathe
wastheoneforme.”Shetookasipofherwater.“Sohowdidyoumeet?”

Danilickedherlipsandhehadtorestrainhimselffromkissingthemagain.“Wewerebothhistory

majorsincollege.”

“So you’ve been dating since college? I thought this just happened. Weren’t you with that other

fellowforalongtime?”

Gottalovepeoplewithnofilter.Thisladywasobviouslyoneofthem.
“Well this”—Dani gestured between herself and him—“did just happen. We’ve been friends since

college,though.”

Heslidhisarmoverthebackofherchair.“She’sbeenmybestfriendforyears.It’skindofstupidI

didn’tfigureitoutearlier.”

Daniglancedathimagain.Hercheekswerepinkandshefidgetedwithherfork.
“Andwhenexactlydidyoufigureitout?”thewomanasked.“Howdidyouknowshewastheone?”
Dani’s eyes met his, and he stared back at her, wondering which story to tell. Fact or fiction? “It

kindofsnuckuponme,honestly.Shewasmybestfriend,andthenoneday…Well,Imissedherwhen
she was gone. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Finally I realized the girl of my dreams had been
rightinfrontofmeforyears.”

Herubbedcirclesonherback.“Shewasalittlehesitantatfirst,Ithink.Butnoonecansaynoto

thisfaceforlong.”Hegrinnedatthewomanandshesmiledrightback.Well,he’dwononegirlover.
HereturnedhisattentiontoDani,continuingtorubherback,tryingtoseeifhewasanywherecloseto
makingittwo.

…

Daniwashavingtroublebreathing.AllthethingsWeshadsaidwerehowshe’dfeltafterthewedding,
and this was only screwing her up more. She didn’t know when they were acting and when things
werereal. But theway her heartknotted told her itdidn’t care whethera relationship between them
waslogicalornot.

Andthatkiss.Itwasshort,buttherewasstillsomethingtoit.Shewantedtoforgetherco-workers

weresurroundingthem,wrapherarmsaroundWes,andkisshimwithrecklessabandon.

Linda asked where they were getting married, though, and then she was telling her about the

museum and answering questions about the wedding, throwing out whatever popped into her head.
Theotherpeoplearoundthemchimedin,talkingabouttheirownweddingsandofferingherandWes
weddingandmarriageadvice.

After dinner, they even got some “words of wisdom” from Mrs. Bridges. Wayne chimed in, and

Dani was able to relax and have an easy conversation with him. So even though her heart was
confused,theplansheandWeshadcomeupwithwasworking.

Butwhatwouldthecostbewhentheyweredone?Shecouldn’thelpbutwonderifitwouldbeworth

itifshecouldneverbeinarelationshipagainwithoutwishingitwereWesinstead.

Bytheendofthenight,thebasketballgameandboatraceandheroveranalyzingeverymoveWes

madewerecatchinguptoher.Shewastiredandherheadwasspinning,andshecouldn’twaittoget

awayfromthecrowd.

As they walked back to their room, Wes took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Intoxicating

warmthspreadthroughherveins,andshecouldn’thelpbutleanintohimabit.

Whentheygottotheircabin,shereluctantlypulledherhandfreetogetoutherroomkey.Oncethe

doorwasclosedbehindthem,theystoodintheentrywaystaringateachother,neitherofthemmaking
amovefartherinside.

Itwasthisstrange,unsuregroundshe’dneverstoodonwithhimbefore.Wasitherimaginationor

washeactingnervous,too?

“TonightwiththatwholeconversationabouthowyouknewIwastheone,andtheattentivefiancé

bit…”Sheswallowed,butherhearthadlodgedinherthroat.“You’reabetteractorthanIexpected.”

Heputhishandsoneithersideofheronthewallandleanedin.“Actually,I’mnotthatgoodofan

actor.”

Herpulsehammeredinherears.“Soyou’resayingweshouldpracticealittlemore?Maybe,say,

start with the kissing part?” She couldn’t believe she’d said it. Every second felt like an endless,
terrifyingeternityasshewaitedforhimtoblowitoffasajokeorbackaway.

Buthemovedcloser,closer…untiltheirlipsmet,andeverythinginsideherunraveled.Hepressed

intoher,theirhipsbumpingtogether.Everyinchfromkneetoshouldersconnected,allfire.Hishands
movedtoherface,pullinghercloser,deepeningthekiss.

Hisweightonher,histongueinhermouth,exploringhers.Shewelcomedtheburn,thedizziness,

cravingmoreandmore.Rationalthoughtsweretryingtopokethrough,tellingherthiswasabad,bad
idea.

“Idon’tthink—”shestarted.
“Don’tthink.”Hemovedhismouthtoherneckandsuckedlightlyonit.
Ifhehadn’tbeenpinninghertothedoor,shewould’vefallentotheground.Heranhishandupher

thigh,thenpulleditoverhisleg.Hecontinuedtotrailkissesupherneck,acrosstoherjaw,backto
hermouth.Hisfingersslidunderherskirt,upherhip,hookingthestringofherunderwear.

Shegasped,thentookoverthekissing,bitinggentlyathisbottomlip.Hegroanedandpushedinto

herharder.Herheartjoltedanddesirefloodedeveryinchofher.Yes,therewasawholelotoflust
goingon,butitwasmorethanthat.ShewasinlovewithWes.Thethoughtterrifiedheralittle,butit
didn’tkeepitfrombeingtrue.Heknewherbetterthananyoneelseintheworldandstillacceptedher.
Hewastheguyshecouldspendhoursandhourswithandnevergetsickof.

Hewastheonesettingherbodyablazeinwaysshe’dneverexperiencedbefore.
Sheslidherhandsunderhisshirt,smilingagainsthislipswhenshefelthismusclestwitchunder

hertouch.

“Dani,”hehalfwhispered,halfgroaned.Thenheyankedhertohimandstrokedhertonguewith

hisuntilherkneeswereweakandshecouldnolongertellwheresheendedandhebegan.

Shegrippedhisshirtandstartedtopullup,wantingtoseeandfeelmoreofhim.Allofhim.
Theknockonthedoormadeherjump.Shefroze,feelinglikeshewascaughtdoingsomethingshe

reallyshouldn’tdo.

Butdamn,didshewantto.
Theknockingcameagain.“Dani,hun?”Linda.Forallhertalkaboutknowingwhatitwasliketobe

engagedandinlove,shesureneededareminderofwhatpeopleinthatstagedidthemomentthedoor
wasclosed.

“Justignoreit,”Weswhispered.
“Thenthey’llthinkwe’reinherehavingsex,”shewhisperedback.
Henoddedinawayshetooktomean,Well,yeah.
Daniexhaledashakybreath,workingtomakehervoicenormal.“Onesecond,”shecalledout,then

tugged down her skirt and ran a hand through her hair. She glanced at Wes again, his eyes lit with
passion,andeverythinginsideherturnedtomush.Hewasright.Sheshould’veignoredit.Toolate
now,though.

Wes dropped his forehead onto the wall next to the door. She cracked it open, blocking him and

peeringoutatLinda.Georgewasbyherside.

“Wenoticedyourothertireisflataswewerewalkingbyyourcar,”Lindasaid.“Ifyouneedhelp,

Georgecanhelpyou.”

Wes grabbed the door and swung it open a couple more inches. “Thanks so much for letting us

know.I’lltakecareofittomorrowmorning,firstthing.”

“Thanks. And good night.” Dani waved at them, watching until they were two dark outlines. A

momentago,allshewantedwasforthemtoleavesosheandWescouldgetbacktowhattheywere
abouttodo.Withouthimrunninghishandsoverher,though,rationalthoughtwascreepingin,along
with a sobering dose of reality. Yes, she was in love with him—she thought her heart might burst
fromhowmuchshelovedhim—butthiswholesituationwasbeyondcomplicated.

Itwastimeslikethisshecursedherselfforalwayshavingtothinkthingsthrough.Sheclosedthe

doorandputsomespacebetweenherandWes.“Aboutwhatjusthappened.”

He took a step toward her. “Nothing happened quite yet.” His deep voice and the promise of

satisfactionbehindhiswordssentherpulseracingagain.Sheswallowedandtookanotherstepback.
Morespace.Sheneededmorespace.“Wes…”Shedidn’tevenknowwhattosay.Herehewas,herbest
friend, and they’d been kissing and their bodies had been… Warmth pooled low in her stomach—
man,itwashardtofocusrightnow.

Weshelduphishands,likeshewasgoingtoscareifhemadetoomanyquickmovements.Maybe

shewas.“Okay.We’llslowitdown.”

“It? Are we…? I mean, this can’t…” She put a hand to her forehead. “We’re going to mess it all

up.”

“Oritcouldbegreat.”
Sheshookherhead,andforsomereason,tearswerespringingtohereyes.“Trustme,I’vethought

aboutitalot,anditwon’twork.”

Acrookedhalfsmilehithislips.“You’vethoughtaboutit?Forhowlong?”
“Pretty much since I landed in Charlotte. But especially after the wedding, when you kissed me.”

Sheliftedhereyestohis.“Why’dyoukissme?”

“SamereasonIdidincollege.Iwantedtoseewhatitwaslike.Maybebackthenweweren’tready.

ButI’mreadynow,Dani.”

Sheshookherhead.“Idon’tthinkthingsthroughenoughwhenI’mwithyou.It’slikemycommon

sensegoesoutthewindow.”

“Commonsenseisoverrated,anyway.”
Shehadtopulloutthereasonthatcausedherthemostpaintospeakaloud.“Weliveindifferent

states.”

“That’snotsetinstone.Youcouldmoveinwithme.OrIcouldmovehere.We’dfigureeverything

out.Let’sjusttalkaboutit.”

Herheadwasalreadytryingtoshutitdown,butaglimmerofhoperoseup—shecouldn’thelpbut

wanttofigureoutawaytomakeitwork.“Fine.Talk.Whichmeansyouneedtogooverthere.”She
pointedatthechair.“I’mgoingtostandoverhere.Andsparemethecommentsabouthowhardyou
aretoresist.”

Hegrinned.Nocommentneeded.
Thetexturedwallwasunforgivingonherhip.Good.It’dkeephermindsharpandfocused.“The

thingis,Iknowyoutoowell.Youalwaysjumpinandexpectittoallworkout.Butthisisdifferent.I

need this job promotion and you’re preparing to take over an entire company. The timing’s not
right.”

“I’mwillingtolookatjoboptionshereifthat’swhatittakes.”
Herheartsoared,andshewasinstantlythinkingofhimbeinginArkansaswithher.Cominghome

to him after a hard day at work. But her momentary happiness deflated when she thought of him
trying to make do with an office job he’d hate. “I won’t let you give up a once in a lifetime
opportunityforme.”

“Andyou’renotwillingtoconsiderthepossibilityofmovingbacktoNorthCarolina?”
She thought about not having a job and relying on Wes not only for herself but to help support

MamaandAbuela.Thatwouldbeenoughtoruinarelationshipbeforeitevenstarted.Intime,maybe
shecouldsaveup.LookforjobsthatmighttakeherbacktoNorthCarolina.

She exhaled. “Maybe eventually. Until then, though, I think it’s best we don’t put pressure on

ourselveseitherway.Ifit’smeanttobe,it’llworkout.Ifnot…Well,you’llalwaysbemybestfriend
and I need you as that, especially right now.” Her chest ached at the truthfulness of the words. She
didn’twantthemtobetrue,butshe’dthoughtaboutthiswaytoomuchinthelastfewweeks.

Heleanedhiselbowsonhiskneesanddroppedhisheadinhishands.
“YouknowI’mright,”shesaid.“EventhoughI’msurethatrightnowyou’rethinkingofhowto

provemewrong.”

“Iknowyouwellenoughtoknowthatonceyousetyourmindtosomething,it’salmostimpossible

tochangeit.Onceinawhileadarewillwork,though.”

“It’snotgoingtoworknow.”
Hisblueeyesliftedandcutrightthroughher.“YoutookachanceonmovingoutherewithSteve.

Whyhimandnotme?”

“Thatwasamistake,obviously.”Andmaybeitwasthereasonshewastooworriedtotryitagain.

Stevehadleftherwithanexpensiverenttopaybyherself,andnotthatshe’dexpectedfinancialhelp
with her surgery, but she’d expected him not to leave her alone to recover. What if she moved her
entirelifeandthenWeschangedhismindaboutherinamonth?Orevenayear?

Wes’s jaw clenched. “But you were still willing to risk it.” He stood, the tension in the set of his

shouldersclear.“I’mgoingtogochangethattirenow.”

“Wes.”Shesteppedintohispathashemovedforthedoor.“Wes.”Allthatkeptcomingoutwashis

name,becauseshedidn’tknowwhatelsetosay.Hottearssprangtohereyes.“Pleasedon’tgonow.
We’renotdonetalkingthisout.”

“There’snotmuchpointintalkinganymore.You’vemadethatperfectlyclear.”
Thecoolairwaftedintotheroomasheswungthedooropen,andthenitwasjustheraloneinthe

room,theechoofthedoorslamreverberatinginherears.

…

Wessteppedintothecoolair,butitdidn’thelpthehotangerpumpingthroughhisveins.Howcould
thisnightgofromthebestevertotheworstsoquickly?He’dhadDanirightthereinhisarms.He’d
thoughtnothinghadfeltsorightinhisentirelife.

Andthenit’dallcomeundonesoquickly.
Honestly,it’dkillhimtogiveuphisdreamjob.He’dactuallyconsideredit,though.ButDani…
Her refusal to even try was a punch to the gut, deflated lungs, a slap in the face. The girl he’d

always loved in one way or another not only thought he was irresponsible, she thought he wasn’t
worththerisk.

ThefronttireofDani’scarwastotallyflat.Somaybeshehadapointabouthimnotthinkingthings

through.Whoexpectsabackroadtobefullofnails,though?You’dthinknoonewouldeverdrive

them.

Maybethat’swhynoonedid.
Sinceheknewshedidn’thaveanothersparetire,itwasn’tlikehecouldevenfixit.Hesankdown

onthecurbinfrontofthecar.Hedidn’tknowhowhewassupposedtogobackandsleepinthesame
one-bedroomasherormanagetobeallcheeryand“we’reengaged”tomorrowinfrontofherco-
workers.Hisfirstinstincttowaituntiltheendofthetriphadbeenagoodone,butlikeDanisaid,he
wasimpulsive.

DamnLindaandGeorge.Iftheyhadn’tinterrupted,heandDaniwouldn’thavesloweddownsoshe

couldstartoverthinkingeverythinglikeshealwaysdid.Hemightevenbelyingnexttoherrightnow,
nothingbetweenthem.

Heshookhishead.Thiswasn’thelping.Butdamn,hewasfrustratedashell.Ineverywaypossible.
Hisphonerang,vibratinginhispocket.Hedugitoutandglancedatthedisplay.
Aconversationwith Mom—especiallyifshe mentionedthewedding—would probablymakehim

feel worse. It was hard to ignore her call, though. He always felt like she’d know that he could’ve
takenitbutdidn’t.

Hesighedandanswered.
Sobsgreetedhimfirst.
Hisnerveendingsprickedup,andhesatstraighter.“Mom?”
“It’sA-Audrey.She’sint-thehospital.”

ChapterSeventeen

Wes burst through the door. One look at the grim expression on his pale face told her something
majorwaswrong.Danishottoherfeet.“Areyouokay?”

“Audrey’sinthehospital.Mymomdoesn’tknowhowbaditisandshe’sfreakingout.ItoldherI’d

be there as soon as I could.” He grabbed the clothes he had lying around and shoved them into his
suitcase.

“BythetimeyoudrivetoLittleRock,thereprobablywon’tbeanyflightsoutuntiltomorrow.”
“I’lljustdriveallthewayhome,then.”
“Inwhat?Mycar ’sgotaflattireandadinkyspare.”
“I’ll figure something out,” he said, and his harsh tone made her flinch. Under normal

circumstances that might be enough to scare her off, but not when she could see the pain hanging
heavyonhisfeatures.

Sheplacedherhandonhisarm.“Wes.We’llgetyoutherefirstthingtomorrow.”
Heclosedhiseyesanddraggedashakyhandthroughhishair.“I’mtheonewhotoldhertogohave

anadventure.Ieventeasedheraboutbeingboring.SosheandMatthewwentcliffdiving.Andnow—”
Hisvoicecracked.“Whatifshe…”

“Shewon’t.”DaniwrappedherarmsaroundWes’swaist,hugginghimtightly.“It’llbeokay.”
Foramoment,hisbodyremainedstiff,butthenherelaxed,hisweightnearlymakingherstumble.

Shemaneuveredthemovertothebedandsathimdown.Helookedlost,andshedidn’tknowhowto
fixitorwhattosay.Soshebentdownandpulledoffhisshoes,thenurgedhimtoliedown.Hisgaze
remainedontheceiling,unfocused.

Dani’smindstartedwhirring,allthewaystogethimbacktoNorthCarolinaassoonaspossible

flashing through her mind. Get tires and then her car? Taxi to the airport? I should go book him a
flight.

Shewasabouttogetonline,regardlessofthespottyWi-Fi,butWescaughtherhand.Hiseyesmet

hers,andtherewassomuchvulnerabilitythereitrippedherheartintwo.Soshecrawledontothebed
nexttohim.

Theydidn’ttalk.Didn’tmove.
JustlaythereinsilenceuntilWes’sbreathingslowedandhisbodyrelaxed.
Dani waited a few more minutes and then carefully propped herself on her elbow and looked at

him.Herheartswelledandagiantlumpformedinherthroat.Again,shethoughtofhowmuchshe
loved him—everything about him. His sense of humor, his kindness, and even his impulsive nature
andhowhechallengedher.Shelovedtheslopeofhisnoseandhiswavyhairandhisstrongjawline,
clean-shavenorcoveredinstubble.Shelovedhimsomuchitsentapangoflongingthroughher,yet
she’drejectedhimearliertonight.

Imustbestupid.Alltheanalyzingintheworlddidn’tmatterifyoucouldn’timaginenotspending

everydaynexttosomeone.Hereshewas,clingingtoajobshebarelyliked.Wouldsheevenlikeit
moreifshegotpromoted?

Not enough to give up the one steady thing in her life. When she’d been listing off all their

obstacles and reasons they couldn’t be together, she’d somehow forgotten that. No matter how
impulsivehewas,he’dalwaysbeenthereforher.Maybethey’dcrashandburn,butWeswasright.It
wasworsenottohavetakenachance.Andhedeservedforhertotakethatchanceonhim.

She needed to make everything up to him. She figured getting him back to his family as soon as

possiblewasagoodplacetostart.Keepinghermovementsslow,shegotoffthebedandtiptoedto
herlaptop.AfterseveralsearchesshemanagedtobookhimaflighttoCharlotte.Therewasonlyone
ticket,soshewasn’tsureifsheshouldtrytogetalaterflightorwaitandseewhathefoundoutwhen
hegothome—shedidn’tevenknowifAudreyandMatthewwereinCharlotte,oriftheywerestillon
theirhoneymoon.

NowdoItrytogetmytiresfixedfirstthinginthemorningsoIcandrivehimoraskaco-workerto

borrowacar?

SheglancedatWes’ssleepingfigureandhopedwithallherheartthathissisterwasokay.Sheknew

he’dneverfullyrecoverifsheweren’t.

“AreyousureIcan’tdriveyou?”Daniasked.

Wesshookhishead.“Iwantyoutostayhereandgetthatjobyoudeserve.”
“Idon’tcareaboutthat.Ifyouneedme,Iwanttobewithyou.”
He came over and put his hand on her shoulder. “You did enough. Thanks for taking care of the

flight.”

Shedidn’tknowwhatelsetosay,soshejustnodded.
“Andaboutlastnight…”Herubbedthebackofhisneck.
Daniwaited,herbreathcaughtinherthroat,thinkingofsleepingnexttohimallnight.
“Youwereright,”hesaid.“Aromanticrelationshipwouldbeabadidea.I’mgladoneofuswas

thinkingclearly.”

Pain. So much pain pushing against her chest she couldn’t breathe. Regret and all the things she

should’vesaidfilledher,deepeningtheache.Butsheheldthemin,tooscaredtosaythemnow.

Ayellowcabpulledupoutside.
“Callmewhenyouknowmore,okay?”shesaid.
“Iwill.”Wescuppedhercheek.“Takecareofyourself.Andgoodluckonthatpromotion.Ihavea

feelingit’salreadyyours.”

Danibitherliptofightthetearsthreateningtospill.
Hegaveheraquick,one-armedhugandthenhewasoutthedoorandheavinghissuitcaseintothe

taxi.

Shewantedtoburstoutthedooryelling,“Wait,Imadeamistake!”Instead,shewatchedthecarpull

away,theredlightscuttingthroughthegraymorning.

Soshetoldherselfitwasforthebest.
Butthehollowachingbetweenherribsspokemuchlouder.

…

By the time Wes got to the hospital in Mooresville, he was exhausted. Last night he’d nearly had a
meltdown,buthe’dheldhisfeelingsincheckallday,andtheywerescrapingathisinsides,wantingto
spillout.

Heswallowedthemdown.Momwouldneedhimtobestrong,sohe’dbestrong.Allheknewnow

wasthatAudreyandMatthewhaddecidedtodosomethingcrazytheirlastweekoffbeforework,and
takingWes’ssuggestion,haddriventhethirtyminutestoMooresvilletogocliffdiving.

Thehospitalwassmall,soitdidn’ttakehimlongtofindMominthewaitingroom.Hereyeswere

red-rimmedandpuffy.Shethrewherarmsaroundhimandcriedonhisshoulder,andforamoment,
hisheartbrokeashethoughttheworstmust’vehappened—thathissisterwasgone.

“She’sstillintheICU,buthervitalslookbetter.”Momsniffed.“YoujustmissedJill.Shewentto

grabsomefood.”

“How’sMatthewdoing?”

“He’sawreck.”
Now Wes wished he hadn’t asked. It didn’t help anything. For about the hundredth time today he

wished he would’ve taken Dani up on her offer to fly back with him. He needed space from her,
though.Lastnightwhenshe’dhuggedhim,he’dalmostforgottenthatshe’dcrushedhimonlyminutes
before.

Almost.
Hecouldseehowhardshewastryingthismorningtomakeituptohim,likehernotlovinghim

enoughcouldbefixedbyplaneticketsandhugs.

“IsDanicoming?”Momasked,asifshecouldreadhisthoughts.
“Shehadtowork.”Wesglanceddownthehallway.“IwanttoseeAudrey.”
Thehallsofthehospitalwereallwhite,withlightsthatemphasizedtheirblankness.Thescentof

disinfectant saturated the air, and he tried not to think about the fact that the cleaner might’ve been
usedtocleanupblood.

WhentheyreachedtheICUarea,Dadembracedhimandpattedhisback.Hetriedtosaysomething,

butallthatcameoutwereafewindecipherablewordsandtears.

Wes peered through the window at Audrey. Machines surrounded her, flashing stats. The peek of

herfacehecouldseewaspuffyandbruised.Hislittlesister.Broken.

What if they never got to talk and laugh together again? Right now he’d even take her yelling at

him,tellinghimhe’dstolenherthunder.

Whatifshecouldn’twalkagain?
Neverwokeupagain?
Tearslodgedinhisthroat.Thewallswereclosingin;hishandsweretrembling.
HeturnedtoMatthew,fightingtheurgetoaskhowhecouldletthathappentoher.Buthiseyeswere

bloodshot,hisfaceblotchy.Itwasasthoughallthelifehadbeendrainedoutofhimandashellofa
personwasstandingthereinstead.

AndsuddenlyhewasgladthatheandDanihadn’tcrossedintomore.Ifanythinghappenedtoher,

he’dstillbecrushed,butthethoughtofbeingthatinvestedinanotherpersonmadehisinsidesgrow
coldandhard.Fromnowon,nomorerelationships.Nomoreactingonimpulse,either.Ithadgotten
himrejectedbyhisbestfriendanddealingwithasisterinthehospitalincriticalcondition.

Hewasdonewithhisstupidadventures.
Witheverything.

ChapterEighteen

Dani spent half her day explaining why Wes wasn’t there. And then her co-workers would ask the
inevitablequestion:Ishissistergoingtobeokay?

Andshedidn’tknow.
Atlunchtime,Billdroveherintotowninhistrucktogettwonewtires,evenofferingtoputthem

on. It made her feel kind of guilty. Maybe he wasn’t as awful as she’d thought. Or maybe he was
feelingguilty,too.

Finallytheyhadagrandgood-bye,allGoteamandLet’smaketherestofthisyearevenbetterthan

thelast!

Assoonaspeoplescattered,Danitookoutherphoneandcalculatedthetimeagain.Wesshould’ve

landedmorethantwohoursago.Shehatedtobughim,butshewasdyingtoknowhowAudreywas.
Howhewas.

Shebitherthumbnail,tellingherselftogivehimtime.
Thenshecalledhimanyway.
Noanswer.
It took her thirty minutes to pack up and clear out. She turned on her GPS, following the

instructionstotheletter.Soboring.SooppositeofWes.Asmadasshe’dbeenthathe’dgottenthem
semi-lost,she’dtakeitnow.

Shetorturedherselfbyreplayingtheirkisslastnight—hishandslidingupherleg,Wesaskingher

tomovetoNorthCarolina,thefightafterward,sleepinginthesamebed.Overandoveronshuffle.

Bythetimeshegothome,hestillhadn’tcalled.Shescrolledthroughhercontactsandpausedon

Kathleen’s name. She’d insisted they exchange numbers for wedding planning purposes. Her finger
hoveredoverthecontactname.Woulditbebadtocallhismom?

Oh,whocared?Shehadtoknowwhatwasgoingon.
ItrangtwiceandthenKathleenanswered.
“I’msosorrytobotheryou,butIwaswonderinghowAudreywasdoing.”
“She’sbreathingandtheysayherheartrate’ssteady,”Kathleensaid.
In the background, she heard someone say, “Yeah, when they talk to us in that bullshit way that

makesmenotbelievehalfofit.”Thatvoice—itwasWes.Justhearinghimmadeherpulsestutter.He
wasthere.Notcallingher.Andshe’dcalledhismom.

“Isheokay?”Daniasked.
Therewasacoupleseconds’pause.“I’mnotsure.Youwannatalktohim?”
“Yeah.”
Soundsofshufflingandmuffledvoicescameoverthephone.“It’sDani.”
“…don’twanttotalktoher.”
“She’sworriedaboutyou.Goon.Letyourfiancéeknowwhat’sgoingon.”
“She’snotmyfiancée.”Hisvoicewasnolongermuffledbutloudandwaytooclear.“DaniandI

aren’tengaged,okay?Ijusttoldyouweweresoyou’dleavemealone.Butwe’renotgettingmarried.
Infact,I’mnotgettingmarried.Ever.Sonowyouknow.”

She’dneverheardhimsoundsocoldbefore.Kathleencamebackonthephone.“Dani?”
“CanyoupleasehandmeovertoWes?Tellhimit’simportant.”
Moreshufflingnoises.

“What?”Wesaskedintothephone,hisharshtoneslicingintoher.Oh,ifhewantedtofight,she’d

givehimafight.

“Ican’tbelieveyoujustsaidthat.It’sonethingtofessup,butyoureallycouldn’tthinkofabetter

timetotellherthanrightnow,whenshe’sworriedaboutAudrey?”

“You’retheonewhocalledher.”
“Whatthehell’swrongwithyou?”Sheclenchedherjaw,workingtotampdownheranger.“Last

night…andthismorning.Ithoughtwewereokay.”

“We’refine.Ijustneedabreak.IfyouactuallycareaboutAudrey,youcancallmymomandhave

herupdateyou.”

Thecallcutoff.He’dhunguponher.
Danistaredatthescreenofherphoneinshock,hiswordsslowlysinkingin.Abreak?Heneedsa

breakfromme?

She slammed her phone down on the kitchen counter so hard the case popped off. The anger

heating her veins faded bit by bit, leaving her cold. Sorrow took over as everything inside her
unraveled,onethreadatatime.

Tears pooled in her eyes. For so long she’d held them back, but now she let them flow. She was

sickofhavingtobethestrongone.Therationalone.Theonewhoworriedallthetimeaboutbills
andmoneyandthedamnhealthcaresystem.Shewantedtobetheonewhowentout,gotdrunk,met
somehotdude,andbroughthimhomeforthenight,nocareforwhathappenedafter.

Actually, that was a lie. She didn’t want the empty one-night stand. She wanted to finally be in a

relationshipwithsomeonewholovedherandunderstoodherandwouldwraphisarmsaroundher
andtellherit’dallbeokay.

Andmaybeshe’dhadashotatthatandshe’dblownit.
Nowhewasgone.
Andshewasalone,crying.
Worriedshe’druinedthebestthinginherlife.

Over the next week, Dani’s co-workers kept asking her how Wes’s sister was doing. She’d thought
aboutcallinghismomtofindout,sinceDaniwasgivingWeshisstupidbreak,butthankstotheirfake
engagement,hismomprobablyhatedhernow.

SoshejusttoldthemAudreywasrecovering,hopingitwastrue.Shewastemptedtosendamasse-

mailtellingeveryoneshewasn’tengagedanymore,butthebossstillhadthepromotionhangingover
theirheads,keepingtheminline.Nodoubthewouldn’tthinkanemotionalmesswhojustgotdumped
wouldbeaprimecandidateforthejob.

FirstthingFridaymorning,Waynecalledherintohisoffice.Herstomachsankasshewalkedpast

the gray cubicles, the office she’d lusted after for so long, to the corner room with a view of the
entiredowntown.

Wayneturnedhischairtofaceherandgesturedtowardthecushyleatherseatacrossfromhisdesk.

“Haveaseat.”

Danisat,backstraight,feetfirmlyonthefloor.SheknewMark,oneoftheotherjuniorexecsup

forthepromotion,hadjustbeenin,whichmeantthiswasthemeetingtotellhershewasstillassigned
toworkunderBill.Fortherestofherlife.Mediocrepay,alltheworkandnoneofthecredit.He’d
probably even tell her that she lacked the marketing degree, but if she kept working hard, she’d
eventuallybeabletomoveup.

Allbullshit.
Forthehundredthtime,shewishedshe’ddecidedtomovebacktoNorthCarolinawithWes.Who

caredifshecouldn’tpayherbillsandhadtoeatramenforlife?

Butthentherewerehermomandgrandmatoworryabout.AtleastAbuelahadgottenthego-ahead

earlierthisweektobetakenoffoxygenandwasdoingbetter.Mamahadevensoundedrestedwhen
Danitalkedtoherlastnight.Itwasalmostenoughtogiveherhopethey’dmakeityet.

“Iwasveryimpressedwithyouattheretreat,”Waynesaid.“I’velookedoveralloftheprojectsyou

workedonforthelastyear,andI’mveryhappywiththeprogressyou’vemade.”Heleanedforward,
andshewaitedforthe“but.”

“I’mofferingyouthepositionofseniorexecutive,”hesaidandherheartstartedpounding.She’d

dreamed of those words for so long, she almost pinched herself to make sure it was real. “We’re
expanding, and I’d like to put five people under you. I’d hold you accountable for your clients and
theirs. It means more hours, more responsibility, and more accountability. Do you think you can
handlethat?”

“Yes,sir,”sheautomaticallysaid,eventhoughherheadwasswimmingatthethoughtoftheadded

stress.Shecoulddoit,though.Shewasgoodunderpressure.

“Good. I think this is going to be a lucrative move for the entire company.” He extended a file

towardher.“Here’sthecontract.”

Danitookit,workingtokeepherhandsfromshaking.Itwassuchabigmoment,andthemixture

of excitement and a pinch of fear was making her slightly dizzy. She opened the file and glanced
inside. The annual pay made her heart skip several beats—it was more than she’d expected. She
skimmeddownthepage,readingallthestipulations,andthenherheartstoppedforadifferentreason.
“Twoyears?”

“That’sstandardhere.Ifyoubreakanyofthecodesofconductorwe’reunhappywithyourwork,

we maintain the right to end the contract, but we’ll be putting a lot of work into your training and
yourdepartment.Weaskforacommitmentoftwoyears.”

The words two years played through her head on a repeating loop. In two years, Wes would

probablyhavehisbusinessupandrunning.

Hemighthaveanewgirlfriend.Anewfiancée.
Herstomachturnedtostone;breathingbecamedifficult.
But if it was meant to be, it was meant to be, right? And maybe the promotion was just what she

needed to enjoy her job more. Yeah, that sounded likely, what with all the long hours and
accountabilityandseeingtheoutsideworldshenevergottohangoutinfromherfancynewoffice
window.

Nowshecouldn’tbreatheatall.
“Dani?”
Shewhippedupherhead.“I’msohonored.Ijust…CanItakealittletimetothinkitover?”
Hisbushyeyebrowsdrewtogetherandhismustachetwitched.
“I mean to read the contract. I feel like I’ll miss something, and I like to be thorough. I’ll do the

samewiththeaccountsIworkon,Iassureyou.”

Thechairgaveasmallsqueakashesatbackinit.“Surething.Whydon’twemeetbackupatthe

endoftheday.Aboutsix?”

Six?Asinheexpectedheranswertoday?Shit.
“Sure.” She flashed him a smile she hoped looked less fake than it felt and left his office,

practicallysprintingbacktoherdesk.

Hereyesranoverthetextinthecontractagain,stoppingonthetwoyears.
It was stupid to think about throwing away that big of a salary for an adventure junkie guy who

mightchangehismindabouthertomorrow,right?Hell,he’dalreadychangedhismindabouther.

Buthedidn’tknowhowshefelt.Becauseshe’dnevertoldhim.
Shedrummedherfingersonthetopofthedesk.She’de-mailedhimtwodaysago.Justasimple

hey,hopeyou’reokaye-mailthataskedaboutAudrey.

Desperatelyhopinghe’de-mailedherback—atleastthat’dmeanhewasreadyfortheirfriendship

breaktobeover—sheopenedherinbox.

Thereweresomeworke-mails.Morejunkfromdatingsites.Onefromthesitesheactuallypaid

for. One from the guy said dating site claimed was a perfect match for her. She’d been avoiding
DarrylasmuchasWeshadavoidedher.

Shestartedcomposinganewe-mailtoWeswiththesubjectlineURGENT!!!!Becauseapparently

she’dnowstartedusingallcapsandmultipleexclamationpoints,too.She’dbeensoworriedcrossing
thefriendslinewithWeswoulddestroywhattheyhadthatshe’dneverthoughtaboutwhatblocking
herfeelingscoulddotoher.Shestartedpouringthemoutinthemessage.

Butthenshedecideditwaspatheticanddeletedtheentirethinginsteadofsendingit.
Shestaredatthecontractforacouplemoreminutes.Sheevenpickedupapen,determinedtosign

hername.ButthenshesawWesinhermind.Scruffy,cleanshaven,fiveyearsago,now.Laughing.
Brokenafterhearingabouthissister.Asleepnexttoher.Athomeinahelicopter.

Wes,Wes,Wes.
Shewassoinlovewithhimshecouldhardlythinkstraightanymore.Hewasonhermindassoon

asshewokeupinthemorning,allthroughouttheday,whenshetriedtofallasleepatnight.Sheknew
she’dneverloveanotherguyasmuchasshelovedhim.Agiantlumplodgedinherthroat.Shetook
outhercellphoneandscrolledtohisname.Shewasalreadyonthevergeoftears,soshewasn’tsure
ifherheartcouldtakehimignoringhercall.

Todialornottodial.Tosignornottosign.Sheneededtotalktohim.Neededtodosomething.
Beforeitwastoolate.

…

“It’stoolate,”WessaidtoAudrey.ApparentlyMomhadfilledherinonthefakeengagement,butthat
didn’tstopherfrompressingtheissuenowthatshewasnotonlyawakebutalsoabletositupandeat
semi-solidfood.

He blamed the fact that she was all sickly for why he’d spilled his guts on the fake engagement,

fromactinglikehelovedDanitosomehowrealizinghedid.

Audreywincedasshescootedupinbed,andhereachedoverandreadjustedthepillowforher.“I

can’tbelieveyoulosther,”shesaid.

“Were you even listening to me?” Wes sat back and ran a hand through his hair. “She was never

mine.”

“YouforgetthatImetherwhenyoutworeallywerejustfriends.Whenyoushowedupathome,

announcingyouwereengaged,Ididn’tbelieveitatfirst.ButthenIsawthewayyoutwowatchedeach
otherwhenyouthoughtnoonewaslooking.That’swhenIrealizedwhatyouneverhadwithSophie.I
knewyouwouldn’tgetboredwithDani.”

“ShethinksI’mimpulsiveandirresponsible.”
“Youare.”
“Gee,thanks.”Heshovedheryogurttowardher.“Eatmore.”
“TheWesTurnerIknowdoesn’tgiveupthateasily.”
“WhichiswhyIkeeptellingyoutoeat.”
“Youknowthat’snotwhatImean.”
Wes sighed. “Maybe someday Dani and I will figure it out. But it’s not a good time. I don’t even

knowifIwantmyjobanymore.”

“That’ssuchbull,”Audreysaid.“Youcan’tstopdoingwhatyoudobecauseIgotscaredlastminute

andfellintotherocksinsteadofjumpingintothewater.”

For the first few days it was touch and go, but even now that she was awake and could eat semi-

solidfoods,itwasn’tlikeshe’dbeabletoleavethehospitalanytimesoon.“Butyoupuncturedalung
andyou’regoingtohavetogetscrewsputintoyourleg.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the reminder.” Audrey put her hand on his arm and locked eyes with him. “I

don’tblameyouformyaccident.Don’tusemeasanexcusetostopdoingwhatyoulove.Andyou
shouldn’tmakeexcusesfornotbeingwiththepersonyoulove,either.”

“Hey,Itried.It’snotuptome.”
“Really?Aren’tyoutheoneignoringhercalls?Here-mails?”
“Fine.I’lle-mailherback.”
“Don’tbeawuss.Youoweheracall.”Audreyheldupherhandwhenhetriedtotalk.“Don’tgive

methat‘Ineedabreak’crap.Youneedher,Wes.You’reamesswithouther.Haveyoutoldherthat?”

“Idon’tseethepoint.”
“You think it makes you weak. That Matthew being out there, pacing the halls and crying makes

himweak.”

“Ididn’tsaythat,”Wessaid.
“Butyouthoughtit.He’sworriedbecausehelovesme,butIknowIdon’thavetoworrybecause

he’ll be right by my side the whole time, surgeries, rehab—whatever. We’ll get through it together.
Havingsomeonelikethatdoesn’tmakeyouweak;itmakesyoustrong.”

“Fine. I’ll call.” He patted his pocket and frowned. The last time he’d used his phone…Mom had

called,askinghimtograbsomebreakfastforthemandhe’d…putitinthecupholder.“Ileftitinmy
car.I’llcallherlater.”

HestartedtositbackdownbutAudreyscowledathim.“Sogogetitandcall.Thencomebackhere

andtellmewhathappened.”

“I’mnotgonna—”
“LookwhatIhavetowatchonTV.Lookatit!”Audreypointedatthetinyimagethatshowedsome

kind of soap opera. “I prefer real-life drama. So come back here after you call. And sneak me in a
DietCoke,’kay?Ineedsomethingmorethanyogurtandthismushyoatmeal.”

Wesrolledhiseyesbutlefttheroomknowinghe’dendupcomingback.Atleasttodeliverhera

soda—heowedherthatmuch.Ontheelevatorridedown,hewonderedifhereallycouldgobackto
flyingahelicopterandplanningextremeadventures.Whatifpeoplehetookgothurt?Hedidn’twant
toberesponsibleforthat.

Wes hung his head. Maybe he was afraid of responsibilities. Afraid of running a company and

screwingupabusinessoneofhisfavoritepeopleintheworldhadbuiltfromthegroundup.

Theelevatordoorspoppedopenwithabingandthedingystaleairoftheparkinggaragefilledhis

lungs. For the past week, this had been his outside time, and honestly he was starting to miss the
outdoors.Beingthepersonflyingthroughtheskiesattwohundredmilesperhour.

Hegrabbedhisphoneandturnediton.Hismusclestensedwhenhesawhehadavoicemailfrom

Dani.Woulditbegood?Bad?Astopignoringme,youassholemessage?

Heglancedatthehospital,wonderingifhissisterwereresponsible.SurelyAudreydidn’tworkthat

fast,though.Whilehewouldn’tputitpasther,themessagewasfromaboutanhourago,longbefore
he’dspilledeverythingtohissister.

Hehitplayandheldthephoneuptohisear.
“Iknowyouneedspaceorwhatever,”Danisaid.Hervoicewasshakyanditshothimrightthrough

theheart.“ButIneedtotalktoyou.”Shesighed.“Igotofferedthepromotion.Thesalaryandbenefits
aregood—infact,it’severythingIwantedandmore.ButwhenIsawtheywantedmetosignatwo-
yearcontract,ItoldhimIhadtothinkaboutit.Shit,Wes,Idon’tknowwhattodo.”

Shepaused.“Ithoughtthatifweweretogether,evenforaweekend,it’dmakeitimpossibletoget

overyou.Butevenwithoutthat,Ican’tseemto.Imissyou.AndIshould’vetoldyoubefore,but…”

Hecouldhearhertakeabreath,thentwo.“Iloveyou.Iloveyou,andI’msorryIscreweditallup.”

Themessageended,andallWescouldhearwashisbloodrushinginhisears.He’dheardthatright,

hadn’the?Shelovedhim?Anditdidn’tsoundlikeitwasinthetotallyplatonicway.Butshe’dgotten
the job offer. His work was here, his family was here—he was determined to help Audrey through
physicaltherapysoitwouldn’tbesohardonanyoneperson.

Damn. Now he didn’t know what to do. He rushed back into the hospital. Had to backtrack to the

sodamachineforaDietCoke.IfhewantedAudrey’sattention,he’dneedtobringherthatdrink.The
elevatorwastakingforeversoheranupthestairs,thesodacansocolditwasburninghishand.

HechargedintoheropendoorandtossedhertheDietCoke.
As she sipped it, he relayed the phone call, his nerves bouncing all over the place like he’d just

downedallthecaffeine.“WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIsay?”

“I’dgowithagrandgesture.Maybesomethingimpulsiveandromantic.You’vegotatleastoneof

thosethingsdown.”

“Impulsive. Romantic.” He swallowed past his dry throat. “I’ve got something that should cover

both.”

ChapterNineteen

Thenumbersontheclockflippedcloserandclosertohermeetingwithherboss,andDanistilldidn’t
knowwhattodo.Shecheckedhere-mailagain—nothingfromWes.Herphonewason,andhehadn’t
called.

Maybehehasn’tgottenmymessageyet.
MaybeIshouldn’thavetoldhimIlovehim.
Herstomachrolledandshewrappedherarmsaroundherbody.No,evenifherconfessiondidn’t

changeWes’smind,hedeservedtoknow.

The digits at the bottom of her screen changed, advancing another number. Thirty-two minutes

untilWayneexpectedadecision.CouldshesaynoifWesdidn’twantheranymore?

Could she say yes when she knew she’d still hate her job and forever wish she were in North

Carolinainstead?

Danistoodandrolledherneckonewayandthentheother.Thestresswasmakinghershoulders

tight,andapoundingheadachewasedgingitswayin.Timetogooutside,takesomedeepbreaths,and
figureoutwhatshewasgoingtodo.

“Dani?”Lindacamearoundthecorner.“I’msupposedtosendyoutotheroof.Apparentlywe’ve

gotanewclient,andWaynewantsyoutobetheonetomeethimandbringhimdowntotheoffice.”

“Fromtheroof?”
“Somebigwig.He’sarrivingbyhelicopter.”
Ofcourse.Ahelicopter.Thatwouldn’tmakeherthinkofWesatall. “Can’t Bill do it? I was just

abouttotakeaquickbreakandgrabasodaandsomefreshair.OrmaybeMr.Bigwigcanjustdrag
hisfancybuttdownherehimself?”

TwolinescreasedLinda’sforehead.“YoureallywantmetotellWaynethat?”
Daniblewoutalongbreath.“Ofcoursenot.I’llgouptotheroof.MaybeIcanatleastcatchafew

gulpsoffreshair.”

Lindastartedtowalkaway,thenabruptlyspunback,tookthepencilDaniwasusingtoholdherbun

inplaceoutofherhair,andsmiled.“Goodluck.”

Well, that was weird. Suddenly she was wondering if she got offered the job because she was

femaleandWaynethoughtshecouldreelinrichguys.Somuchforherimprovementandskills.

Shemadeherwaytotheelevatorandpunchedtheroofaccessbutton.Notthatshewantedtoplay

female escort, but she figured some lip gloss wouldn’t kill her. She smoothed it on and popped a
breathmint.

Theeveningairwasperfect,warmbutwithacoolbreeze.Daniinhaledandsteppedoutfartheron

the roof. Mr. Fancy Pants Client wasn’t here yet, but she could see the helicopter nearing, the dark
bluealmostgettinglostinthesky.

ThehelicopterwassleekandlargerthantheoneWesdrove.
Wes.Thinkinghisnamewasastabtothechest.
She glanced at her phone again, using it to check her e-mails. But of course there was nothing.

Apparently it was time to suck it up and realize that she needed this job. As soon as she got back
downstairsshe’dsignthecontractandtakeittoWayne.

Thewindfromthehelicopterstirredherhair,whippingitfasteraroundherheadthecloseritcame.

Thelandingskidstoucheddownandtheloudwhiroftherotorslowed.Shethoughtsheheardadoor

open,butshedidn’tseeanyone.

Thenadarkfigurewascomingaroundthefront.Thelastraysofsunlightcaughthishair,andshe

musthavebeenlosingit,becausetheguyhadthesamehairasWes.

Thesamewayofwalking.
Thesameblueeyes.
Wesstoppedinfrontofher,theairelectricbetweenthem.Shefelteachthumpofherheart,every

breaththatstolefromherlips.Sheslowlyreachedoutandgentlypokedhisarm,thinkinghemight
popandtheillusionwouldbegone.

Solid.
Hislipskickedupontherightside,thenthegrinspreadtotheleft,thewayitalwaysdid.
Shecouldfeelhissmilemirroredonherlips.
“Ineedtoaskyouaquestion,”hesaid.
“ImeantwhatIsaid,”Daniblurtedout,neartearswithhimhereinfrontofherwhenshe’dbeenso

surehe’dgivenuponthem.“Idoloveyou.IloveyousomuchIcanhardlybreathe,andIdon’tknow
howwe’llworkeverythingout,butIwantto.I’veneverwantedanythingmore.”

“Well,that’sareliefbecause…”Hepulledsomethingoutofhispocketanddroppedontooneknee.

Asimplediamondonasilverbandsatinthebox,thestill-spinningrotorscausinglighttowinkoffit
atintervals.“DanielleCaridadMoralesVega,willyoubeengagedtomeforrealthistime?”

She stared down at him, her mind trying to catch up to what he’d just asked. “You want to be

engagedtome?Likethekindofengagedwherewegetmarried?”

“That’sthebasicidea,yeah.”
Thetearsforminginhereyesstartedtospillover,nochanceatstoppingthemnowthattheimpact

ofwhathewasaskingherwassinkingin.“Andyou’resurewewouldn’tbejumpingintoittoofast?”

“I’msurethatI’dtakeyoutoVegastonightandmarryyouifyouwant.I’llwaitayearandhavethe

ceremonyinthemuseum.Orachurchwedding.Orabigto-doinaswankyhotel.I’msurethatIwant
tomarryyouandspendtherestofmylifewithyou.Iloveyou,Dani.Sojustsayyes.”

ShefeltthatrushshealwaysexperiencedbeforeanadventurewithWes,butthiswasaboutamillion

timesstronger.Shedoveontohim,throwingherarmsaroundhisneckandnearlytopplinghimover
backward. Then his arms came around her and their mouths and bodies were pressed together. She
partedherlipsashekissedherdeeper,ignitingheatanddesireandahundredotherhappyemotions
thatwerebuzzingthroughherlikefireworks.

“Justsoyouknow,I’mtakingthatasayes,”hemumbledagainstherlips.
“It’sayes.”Sheputherhandonhisface,runningitacrossthestubble.“IwanttogohometoNorth

Carolinawithyou.WhereIbelong.”

Thenextthingsheknewhewasstandingup,liftingherinhisarmsashedidso.
“Ishouldprobablygoquitmyjob,”shesaid.
Hebouncedherhigherandstrodetowardthehelicopter.“Itcanwait.Iwanttoshowyoutheroomy

backseatinmyhelicopter.”

“Butwhateverwillwedowithallthatroom?”
Amischievousgrinthatsentherbodytinglingwithanticipationcurvedhislips.“FivebucksIcan

figuresomethingout.”

Acknowledgments

Thankstomyawesomeeditor,StacyAbrams,foraskingifIwantedtowriteaBlissbook,suggesting
awesome additions, and always making my books better. Thanks to Alycia Tornetta for a tweet that
gotmymindwhirringandhadmeplottingoutthisbookinsteadofsleeping,aswellasallofyour
insightandhardwork.ThankstoRachelHarrisforalwaysbeingthere,yourboundlessenthusiasm,
andhelpingmedecidethatWesshouldbeahelicopterpilot.Everythingfellintoplaceafterthat.And
thankstomysister,Randa,whosuggestedI“severelymaim”insteadofkilloffacharacter.I’mgladI
listenedandwentformoreseverelyinjured.Thatconversationstillcracksmeup,though.

Thanks to the entire support team at Entangled. All the authors and editors and my publicists,

Heather Riccio and Elana Johnson. I’m so lucky to be part of the Entangled family! Thanks to Liz
Pelletierforalwaysbeingsoopenandwillingtoshare.InadditiontothatVegastripbeingfun,the
information I learned there also helped me write the ending of this book. Maybe what happens in
Vegasdoesn’talwaysstaythere.(Don’tworry,mostofitdoes.)

Thanks to Dr. Tom Hanchett from the Levine Museum of the New South, who was so nice and

talked to me about the Good Samaritan Hospital’s chapel so I could get it as accurate as possible,
sinceIcouldn’tflythereandcheckitoutlikeIwantedto(maybesomeday).Thankstomyuncle,Scott
Harmsen, for answering my questions about helicopters. To all my family for putting up with me
whenIgointocrazy-writermode.ToallmyTwitterfriends,youguysmakemelaughandkeepme
going

and

you

just

rock!

Special

shout-out

to

#TeamKilt,

#TheTimeZonesWillNotDefeatUsBookClub,andAndreaThompson,whomakesmelaugh,provides
encouragement, and burns food along with me. And where would I be without Anne Eliot, the best
cheerleader/writingbuddyIcouldaskfor?Soamazingwatchingdreamscometruewithyou.

Andthankstomyhusband,Michael,forhisendlesssupportandlove.Anotherexamplethatdreams

cometrue.Andtoanyonewho’sreadmybooks,thankyou!

Don’t miss Cindi Madsen’s hilarious full-length romance, CINDERELLA SCREWED ME

OVER,cominginFall2013toonlineandprintretailerseverywhere!

DarbyQuinnhasabonetopickwithCinderella.Burnedonetoomanytimesbyex-boyfriends,Darby
haslostallbeliefinthehappily-ever-afterthatCinderellapromisedher.She’sswornofflove,fairy
tales,andhappyendingsandshe’shappyaboutit.Really.OratleastshewasuntilshemetJake,her
gorgeousneighborandthemanagerofherfavoriterestaurant.ButDarbyhasrulesaboutdating,ones
she’s culled from her years of kissing so-called “princes,” and pursuing a relationship with Jake
wouldbreakallofthem.

ButunfortunatelyforDarby,Jakeisdeterminedtoshowherthattheyareperfectforeachother.

Readonforasneakpeek!

ChapterOne

Cinderella screwed me over. And really, she doesn’t deserve all the blame. Jasmine, Ariel, Belle,
SleepingBeauty—whateverherrealnamewas,shehadlikethreeofthem—theyalladdedtoit.This
ideaofhappilyeverafter.OffindingPrinceCharming.

If you re-watch Cinderella now, you’ll realize there are some similarities between Prince

Charmingandtheguysyou’vedated.Cute,charming,andkindoflazy.Afterall,whatdidtheprince
inCinderellareallydo?HedancedwithCinderella,thoughtshewaspretty,andpickeduphershoe.

Thendidhegoafterher?Nope.Hesenttheduke.You’dthinkifhewereasinloveasheclaimed,

hewould’vegonehimself.Insteadhewas,like,well,aslongasherfoot’sthatsmallshe’llprobablybe
aboutrightforme.That’swhat’ssoldtous.Forceddownourthroatsasoneofthegreatestromances
ofalltime.

The brainwashing starts at about two or three years old, when you’re told fairy tales about

princesses, castles, ball gowns, and everybody living happily ever after. It’s no wonder that around
sixteen,you’reshockedwhenyourboyfriendcaresmoreaboutlookingcoolorcoppingafeelthan
sweepingyouoffyourfeet.Soyoutellyourselfit’llgetbetterwhenyou’reolder.

Thenyougetolder.
Youremainoptimistic,becauseyouwatchromanticcomediesnow—theybecomeyournew,more

realistic fairy tales. You see lovey-dovey couples everywhere you go, proving that romance is still
out there. Around the early- to mid-twenties, some of your friends start getting married. You keep
waitingforittohappentoyou.

I waited. And waited. But the more dating experience I got, the more I realized that guys aren’t

princes,andlovefades,replacedwitheithermediocrefeelingsorfull-oncontempt.Ilookedbackat
myrelationshipsandnoticedmydatinglifehadbeenmorelikeConAirthanCinderella—youknow,
bumpyandfullofbadguys.

Still,Itriedtostaypositive.Kepthopingtherightguywasoutthere.Idatedeverymaninthecity—

well,notliterally,butafterawhiletheyallstartedtoblurtogether.Datingbecamethissadisticritual
thatalwaysendedthesameway—disappointment.Witheachbaddate,eachfailedrelationship,Igrew
moreandmorecynical.

Itwasonmytwenty-sixthbirthdaythatitfinallyhitme:Loveisbullshit.Therewasnohappilyever

after.

Isworeoffmenandthrewmyselfintowork.Istartedspendinglotsofmoneyonshoes.Apairof

greatheelswasmuchmoresatisfyingthanaman.Theylastedlonger,andbetteryet,theydidn’tleave
meforsomeoneprettier.

Sure,thereweresomelonelynightswhenIwishedIhadsomeonetotalkto.SoI’dstrollpastthe

petshopandwonderexactlyhowmuchthatkittyinthewindowwas.OnmorethanoneoccasionI’d
beentemptedtobuymyselfafurrycompanion.ButIwasn’tquitereadytobethecrazycatlady.Iwas
savingthatformyforties.

Attwenty-eight,Ihadarelapse.Ifellinlove.Iwassureitwasmeanttobe.ButthenitendedandI

wasleftbroken-hearted.Again.You’dthink,afterallthedisastrousrelationshipsI’dbeenthrough,I’d
know better. That I wouldn’t be crushed in the end. But as all history teachers say, those who don’t
learn their history are doomed to repeat it. So right then and there I re-committed to my previous
decision that two people couldn’t really work it out—I also watched a few of the people who were

marriedintheirearlytwentiesgetdivorced,whichonlyreaffirmedmydecision.

That’swhy,atthirtyyearsold,I’mayearsoberfromlove,fairytales,andhappyendings.Andit’s

notsobad.

Really.

…

IfIhadathemesong—andItotallyshould—itwouldbeoneofthosepowerballadsaboutbeingan
independentwomanandnotneedingaguy.That’sthemoodIwasrockingtonight.Todaywasabig
milestoneforme.

A cool, air-conditioned breeze washed over me as I stepped into the restaurant. My best friend,

Stephanie,wasalreadythere,and,ofcourse,shewasonthephone.Sheprobablyhadn’tevenchecked
inyet.Luckyforher,Iloveherasmuchasherphone-dependentfiancédoes.

I walked up to the hostess. She was obviously new, because I didn’t recognize her, and I ate here

morethanIdidatmyownplace.“DarbyQuinn,partyoftwo.”

Sheranherfingerdownherlist,madeacheckmarkwithherpen,thensmiledatme.“Giveusjusta

minute,Ms.Quinn,andI’llhavesomeoneshowyoutoyourtable.”

IglancedbackatStephanie,wholookedlikeshewastalkingintothinair.“Iunderstand,”Stephanie

said.“Butshe’syourmom.You’llhavetotalktoheraboutit.”Underneathherbrowncurtainofhair,
shehadherBluetoothearpieceon.Hergazecaughtmineandsheheldupafinger.

Oneminute,mybutt.
Stephanie and I were often mistaken for sisters. We had the same dark hair—mine was naturally

straight,whereasshewasaslavetoherflatiron—samehazeleyes,andafterfifteenyearsofhanging
out together, we’d developed similar mannerisms. Though she was far more detail oriented than I
was.Perfectionistwasanunderstatement.Whichworkedoutwellforher.Whowantstohireasloppy
accountant?

“Hi,Darby,”Mindy,myusualhostess,saidasshewalkeduptothefront.Shegrabbedtwomenus.

“Howareyoudoingtoday?”

“I’m well, thanks.” I raised my voice and looked at Steph. “If I could just get my friend off the

phone,sinceshe’ssupposedtobehangingoutwithme,I’dbeevenbetter.”

Stephaniestuckouthertongueatme.“Okay,honey,I’vegottago.I’llseeyouathome.”Pause.“I

don’tknow,afewhours.”Pause.“Loveyou,too.”

Shepushedthebuttononherearpiece,disconnectingthecall,thensmiledatme.“I’mallyours.”
StephandIfollowedMindythroughBlue.Theplacewasamixofespresso-coloredwood,white,

and dark blue. Miniature lamps lit up the tables, casting a soft bluish glow. Blue was my favorite
restaurantinDenver.Myfavoriterestaurantanywhere,actually.

The fact that it’s five minutes from my building, and about ten from Metamorphosis Interior

Designs,whereIworkedasaninteriordesigner,madeitevenbetter.

AssoonasStephanieandIweresettledintoatableinthecorner,shepickeduphermenu.“Sowhat

arewecelebratingagain?”

Itookthewhiteclothnapkinoffthetableandplaceditonmylap.“It’sbeenayearsinceI’vehad

myheartbroken.Nomorerelapses.”

“Oh,that’sright.”Stephanieshookherhead.“You’recelebratingyourjadedstanceonmen.”
“I prefer the term realistic, thank you very much. I’m just a girl who realizes love is not only

overratedbutdownrightimpractical.”

“Forthepastyear,anyway.”
“Right,”Isaid.“BeforethatIwasmiserable.”
“Youweren’tmiserabletheentiretime.Youhadhappymoments,too.”

“That’smypoint.I’mnotsayingIwon’tfindaguytohaveafewhappymonthswithhereandthere,

butIrealizenowthatit’senoughforme.Nofuture.Nobigwedding.Noforever.Justlow-riskhere
andnow.”

Stephaniefrowned.“Ican’tbelievemymaidofhonordoesn’tbelieveinlove.Pleasedon’ttellmy

mom.”

“Well,youandAnthonyareanexception.”
“Ithoughtyousaidtherearenoexceptions.”
I smiled. “I did. But I’m not going to say that to my best friend who’s getting married in two

months. That would just be cruel.” Though I’d thought it several times, especially when she was
stressingoveraweddingthatshemightbepayingoffforlongerthanthemarriagelasted.

“Whataboutthatsaying?”Stephtappedafingertoherlips.“That‘nomanisanisland.’”
“Nomanisanislandbecausethey’dneversurvive.They’relikeovergrownbabies.Women,onthe

otherhand—well,withoutmen,Ithinkwe’dberelativelyproblemfree.Icouldtotallybeanisland.”

Butthethoughtofbeingallalone,withoutanyoneelsewasprettydepressing.“IsupposeI’dneed

myfamilyandfriends.I’mmorelikeapeninsula.”

Stephsighed.“Atleastyouadmityouneedme.Istillthink,though,thatifyoujustfoundtheright

guy—”

“We’renotpuzzlepieces,Steph.There’sno‘youcompleteme’guyoutthere,andthebeautyofthis

dayandageisIdon’tneedone.”

“So why are you dressed like that”—she waved a hand at me—“if you don’t have anyone to

impress?”

Myreddresshuggedinalltherightplacesandshowedoffmylegs.“One,becauseIrunmybutt

off so I can pull it off. And two, what am I supposed to do? Look like a slob because I don’t think
relationshipslastforever?I’mnotitchingtorunawayandbecomeanunorsomething.”

Stephlaughed.“Yeah,you’dbeagreatnun.”
Chad walked up to the table and shot me a big, toothy grin. “Darby. Hey.” Like all the wait staff

here,hewasdressedinblackpantsandapressedwhiteshirt.

Ireturnedhissmile.“Ifitisn’tmyfavoritewaiter.Howareyoutoday?”
“Good. We’re getting kind of slammed right now, so it’s crazy. But good.” He lifted his pad of

paper.“WhatcanIgetforyouladies?”

Ididn’tevenbotherwiththemenuanymore.Irattledoffmyorder,thenwaitedasStephanieplaced

hers.

StephaniewatchedChadwalkaway.“Whatabouthim?He’ssupercuteandyoutwoseemtohavea

vibe.”

“We don’t have a vibe. We have a I-come-here-all-the-time-so-we-say-hi thing. Besides, he’s way

tooyoung,nottomentionIhaveastrictpolicyagainstdatingpeopleIrunintoallthetime.Noguy’s
worthlosingmyfavoriteplacetoeat.”

Stephrolledhereyes.“You’recompletelyhopeless.”
“No,you’rethehopelessromantic.Theycallitthatforareason,youknow.”
Steph’sphonerangandshehoveredherfingeroverherearpiece.“Anthony’sprobablycallingto

tellmewhathismomsaidabouttheflowers.I’lljustbeoneminute.”

“Iknewyou’dnevermakeit.”IdugthroughmypurseuntilIfoundtheenvelopeIwaslookingfor

andtookitout.“I’llberightback,”Iwhispered.

Makingmywaytowardthebackoftherestaurant,Itookinallthedifferentkindsofpeopleouton

a Saturday night. One couple sat, smiling at each other but not saying anything, neither one eating
muchoftheirfood.

Onadate.Probablyfirstorsecond.

The next table over, a woman in her late thirties to early forties had her arms folded across her

chest, a scowl on her face. The guy across from her leaned in, looking frustrated and confused,
saying,“I’msorry,okay.”

Marriedandnotspeaking—well,she’snotspeaking.
Life’ssomucheasierwhenyoudon’thavetodealwiththatcrap.
The kitchen would be a madhouse tonight, so I didn’t bother heading in that direction. Brent, the

headchefandowneroftheplace,haddonemeahugefavorlastweek,makingaspecialmealforone
of my clients. The list of items she couldn’t have had been lengthy, but he’d managed to pull off a
deliciousmealanyway.I’dwrittenhimathank-younotebecausethat’sthekindofgirlIam.

Theofficeinthebackcornerhadaplasticinboxattachedtothedoor.BrenthadmentionedIcould

placenotesorspecialrequestsinthereifhewasevertoobusytocomeoutofthekitchen.Idropped
mynoteinside,thenheadedbackthewayI’dcome.

A large group of people walked toward me, taking up most of the walkway. I flattened myself

againstthewalltoletthemthrough.Aftertheypassed,Isteppedforward,mythoughtsongettingback
tomytable,whentheheelofmystilettocaught.Tokeepfromfalling,Ihadtoleavetheshoebehind.

“Whoa,”ImutteredasIrecoveredfrommyalmost-fall.
Iturnedaroundinsearchofmyshoeandsawaguybendovertoretrieveit.
“Ithinkyoulostthis,”hesaid,tuggingitloosefromthecrackinthefloor.
“Yeah,itkindofstuckinthereand…Let’sjustsayitwasn’tmysmoothestmove.”
Hestoodup,abigsmileonhisface.Hisveryhandsomeface.Hisbrightblueeyes,killersmile,and

shortdarkhairmadeithardtolookaway.SoIdidn’tbothertrying.

“Well…”Heheldmyblackstilettoouttome.“Hereyougo.”
Oh,that’sright.I’mstandinginthemiddleofacrowdedrestaurant,onefootfourincheshigherthan

theother.

“Thanks,”IsaidasItooktheshoe.Balancingonmyotherfoot,Ibentmylegbackandattemptedto

slidetheshoeon.Steppingintothispairofshoeswasn’tanoption.Theytookalittleextrawork—a
fingerontheback—towedgeintheheel.

Hereachedoutandputahandonmyhiptosteadyme.Itsentmyheartracing,whichjustgoesto

showyouhowlongithadbeensincemylastphysicalcontactwithaguy.

The shoe finally slipped into place and I put my foot down. When he didn’t move his hand, I

glanceddownatit,thenbackupathim.

“Ididn’twantyoutofall,”hesaid,onecornerofhismouthlifting.
AdeepstirringIhadn’tfeltinalongtimeburnedthroughmycore.“Iwouldn’tfall.”
“YouseehowImightworry,sinceyoudidtripjustaminuteago.”
Between the grin he was flashing me and the heat radiating from his hand, my pulse was having

trouble staying steady. I smiled back, pulling out the flirty one that was rusty from lack of use. “I
suppose I do have that against me. Although, I choose to blame the faulty flooring and not my
coordination.”

Hetookhishandoffmyhipandhelditouttome.“I’mJake.”
Iplacedmyhandinhis—firmshake.Bonuspoints.“Darby.”
“Interestingname.”
“Interesting is one word for it. For a long time, I thought my parents gave me it to torture me.

Peopleusedtotellmethatbecauseofmyname,theythoughtIwasaboy.”

Jake’s gaze ran down my dress, then lifted back to my face. “I doubt anyone makes that mistake

now.”

Mythroatwentdry,andwithhimstaringatmelikethat,Igotalittlelight-headed,too.“Yeah,well,

thedressandtheheels,theykindofputitallinperspective.”

“Sodidyouneedsomething?”Jakeasked.“Isawyouneartheoffice.Complaints?Compliments?

Justsoyouknow,weprefercompliments.AndI’llremindyouthatIdidhelpyououtwithyourshoe
problem.Althoughwiththeflooringissue,that’sprobablygoingtobeawash.We’lldefinitelygetit
lookedat,though.”

Ittookmeamomenttoshiftgears.Washesaying…?Ilookedhimoveragain.Allthewaiterswore

white shirts and black slacks. Jake had on a red button-down shirt with a black tie and nice black
slacks.Infact,wematched.

“Youworkhere?”Iasked.
“Idoalittleofthis,alittleofthat.”JakescootedtothesideasMindyledanoldercoupledownthe

walkway,bringinghimevenclosertome.Icaughtawhiffofhismusky,masculine-smellingcologne.
“Actually,Imanageandowntheplace.Well,mybuddyandIdo.”

Thatpulledmeoutofmyhe-looks-and-smells-amazingdaze.Sureyoudo,youbigfatliar.“Funny,

I’veneverseenyouherebefore.”

“Oh,doyoucomehereoften?”
Inarrowedmyeyesathim.
“It’snotaline,”hesaid.“Unlessitworked,thenI’llgowithit.”
“Youknow,I’vegottogetbacktomyfriend.Thanksforthehelpwiththeshoeandeverything.”I

turnedtowalkaway.

“Wait.”
Iglancedbackathim.
Heleveledthosedangerousblueeyesonme.“CouldItakeyoutodinnersometime?”
Imotionedaround.“Likehere?Inthislovelyrestaurantyouown?”
“Whereveryouwant,”Jakesaid.“Itdoesn’thavetobehere.”
“I’mgoingtohavetopass.Nowifyou’llexcuseme,I’vereallygottogetback.”Beforehecould

sayanythingelse,Iturnedandwalkedawayfromthebest-lookingguythathadeverhitonme.

It’ssuchashamehe’saliar.Otherwise,Imight’vebeentempted.AndIhaven’tbeentemptedina

longtime.

AbouttheAuthor

CindiMadsensitsathercomputereverychanceshegets,plotting,revising,andfallinginlovewith
hercharacters.Sometimesitmakesheracrazyperson.Withoutit,she’dbeevencrazier.Shehasway
toomanyshoes,butcanalwaysfindareasontobuyanewprettypair,especiallyifthey’resparkly,
colorful,orsupertall.Shelovesmusic,dancing,andwishessummerlastedallyearlong.Shelivesin
Colorado(wheresummerismostdefinitelyNOTallyearlong)withherhusbandandthreechildren.
She is also the author of the young adult novel All the Broken Pieces, and the upcoming women’s
fictionnovelCinderellaScrewedMeOver.

YoucanfindCindiat

cindimadsen.com

Followherontwitter

@cindimadsen

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byKarenErickson

AdevastatinghousefirecostJaneClarknearlyeverything,includingherhusband.Nowbackinher

childhoodhomeofLonePineLake,shemeetsthelocalfirecaptain,ChristianNelson,herbrother ’s
bestfriendandthetown’sresidentplayboywhoisconvincedhe’llneversettledown.Cantwoscarred
peoplefindthestrengthtoletgooftheirpaststoliveinthepresent,whenalifetimetogethermightbe
thesweetestgiftofall?

WeddingDressforSale

byNataleStenzel

Afteraroughcaseshakesherup,divorceattorneySydneyGarfielddumpsherfiancéandleavesSt.

Louis for the small town of Smizer Mills, where she takes a job selling wedding dresses. Her ex-
fiancé,JackKaiser,followshertotrytowinherback,usinghisreal-estate-mogulskillstorevitalize
the town’s economy. Can he prove to Sydney she should believe in fairy-tale love—and him—after

all?