Friendsdon’tletfriendsmarrythewrongwoman…

ChadWalkermaybeatake-no-chancesmanwithaplan,butthere’snowayAmeliaSnyderisgoingtoletherbestbudmarryMeanGirl

#1—eveniftheweddingissolelysohecansecurethecontrollingsharesinhisfamily’scompany.Butfree-spiritedAmelia’sat-the-altar

groomnappingschemetakesasurprisingturnwhensheendsupastheblushingbrideinstead.

Suddenly,withAmelialivinginherhandsomehusband’shome—inhisbedroom,noless—shestartstoreconsidertheirstrictlyplatonic

arrangement.ButChad’salwaysbeenstrictlyanti-riskanddefinitelyanti-love,andbettingalifetimeofbestfriendshiponthechanceat

forevermightbethebiggestgambleofall.

TEALING

THE

ROOM

TEALING

THE

EART

NOVEL

ONYA

EISS

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©2014bySonyaWeiss.Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproduce,distribute,or
transmitinanyformorbyanymeans.Forinformationregardingsubsidiaryrights,pleasecontactthe
Publisher.

EntangledPublishing,LLC
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EditedbyShannonGodwinandRimaJean
CoverdesignbyJessicaCantor

EbookISBN978-1-62266-287-6

ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

FirstEditionMarch2014

Thisbookisdedicatedtomysweetandfunnyminions.Youarelovedwitheverybeatofmyheart.

ChapterOne

“Forthelasttime,youcan’tstealaman!”

“Chad is my best friend—it’s not the same as stealing,” Amelia Snyder whispered in response to

hersisterAnn’swarning.Besides,howwasshesupposedtostealthegroomifhenevershowed?

Ameliacrouchedbyarowofevergreenbushesonaninclineabovethemajesticred-brickchurch

andaimedherbinocularsatthelimousinepullingintothelongcirculardrive.

“Finally,he’shere,”Ameliasaid,dartingalookatherreluctantpartnerincrime.Theclosesister

bond between them was the only reason why Ann was here, by her side, offering support as she

alwayshad.Whentheirparentswerekilledinacaraccidentalmostfifteenyearsago,heroldestsister

Abbyhadjustturnedseventeen,Annwasfifteen,andAmeliawasten.Evenwhenthesiblingsdidn’t

agree,theywerealwaysthereforoneanother.

“Thankyouforhelpingmewithmyplan,”Ameliasaid,givinghersister ’shandalittlesqueeze.

Annclampedherlipstightlytogether,herwayofshowingdisapprovalforwhatshe’dreferredto

repeatedlyas“Amelia’sFolly.”“Weshouldforgetthiswildschemeandgoinside.Westillhavetime

tochangeintoourdressesbeforetheceremonybegins.”

Ignoring her older sister, Amelia focused all her attention on the scene below. Her sister didn’t

understandwhatwasatstakeifthisweddingproceededtothe“deathdouspart”ending.

Camouflaged in the thick, prickly underbrush, Amelia kept her gaze glued to the entrance of the

imposingbuilding,afraidtoblinklestshemisssomethingimportant.

Shehadoneshottosaveherbestfriendfromalifeofsuremisery.Shedidn’tintendtoblowit.

Withalittlebitofluck,theelementofsurprisewouldbeonherside.She’dbeinthelimousinewith

ChadandonherwayoutoftheirquietlittletownofSweetCreekwithinseconds.

Though she hadn’t slept more than six hours combined the last two nights, alternating between

worryingoverhersisterAbbyandworryingoverChad,hersenseswereonfullalert.Sheknewthe

ramificationsifshedidn’tsucceed.

ChadwouldendupmiserablemarriedtoClaire,thebridezilla.Shewouldbleedhimdryfinancially

anddraghisnamethroughthemud.Hisfinancesandhisreputationwouldberuined.He’dbecomea

brokenmanexactlylikehisfather.Bitter.Angry.

Well,Ameliawouldn’tallowit,notifshecouldhelpit.

Shecouldn’tforgethowChadwastheboywho’dpunchedthebullyteasingherafterherparents’

death.Theonewho’dtakenhertopromwhenherdatehadchickenpox.Theonewhotaughtherto

howtofish,howtochangeatire,andhowtodefendherselfagainstboyswhowouldn’ttakenoforan

answer.

ShehadtodowhateverittooktopreventChad’slifefromspiralingdownward.

Therefore,failurewasnotanoption.Friendsdidnotallowfriendstomarrythewrongwoman.

AndwithoutadoubtChadWalkerwouldmarrythewrongwomanunlessAmeliatookmattersinto

her own hands. If she didn’t act fast—in the next twenty minutes—she would have to go into the

church,changeintothedressshe’dbroughtalong,andwatchherbestfriendruinhislife.

Okay,somaybestealingthegroomwasalittledrastic,butshe’dtriedeverythingelse.

Logic.

Worst-casescenario.

Pleading.

Buthe’dheldsteadfastinhisdecision.Evenifhe’dlookedalittlesicktohisstomachdoingit.

Duetosomeofhisfather ’sunwisebusinessdecisionsbeforehisdeath,Chad’sfamily’scompany

wasatriskandhe’ddoanythinghecouldtosaveit.Evenofferhimselfupasthesacrificiallamb.

“Allthisskulkingaroundisridiculous,Amelia.JusttellChadyoulovehimsoIcangetoutofthis

heat,”Annsaid,breakingthestillnessofthemoment.

Shewipedtheperspirationawayfromhereyesandsettledherplumpformmoresecurelyonthein-

need-of-rainground.“MayistoohotamonthtositaroundoutsideandplayISpy.”

“Who said anything about love? Our grandparents and his have been friends forever. You know

howChadandIwerealwaysthrowntogetherattheholidaysandvacationsourfamiliesshared.We’re

friends,Ann,andashisfriend,I’msimplyworriedabouthisfutureifhemarriesthatbarracuda.”

She’dtoldChadasmuch,exceptshe’dleftoffthebarracudapart.

He’d thanked her for watching out for him, and then assured her that his heart wasn’t on the line

becausehisupcomingmarriagewassimplyabusinessarrangement.

She’dbeentoostunnedtoreply.

Business arrangement? Amelia had wanted to pursue the conversation, but his fiancée had called

himonhiscellphoneattheexactmomenttowhineaboutruiningapairofshoes.

Ameliahadheardthewoman’snasalvoicebeforeChadswitchedoffthespeaker.

Oh,thehorrorofapairofruinedshoes,Ameliascoffedinwardly.Clairewasthemostmaterialistic

womanshe’deverknown.Thewomancouldsmellmoneythewaytrainedpolicedogscouldsniffout

contraband.

A fat bumblebee hovered around Amelia’s head and she shifted her weight, ignoring the droning

buzzasshekepthergazefocusedonthelimousine.

Thoughitwasaverysmallweddingwithonlyfamilyandafewfriends—unliketheevent-of-the-

decadereceptionshewassureClairewouldhavepreferred—sheneededtheparkinglotcompletely

clearedbeforeshecouldact.Thefewerwitnesses,thebetter.SheknewChad’sfamilywasalreadyat

thechurch,soChadshouldbealone.

“Seriously,you’vegoneoverboardthistime.”Annwavedherhandtowardoffabevyofgnatsand

lifted her shoulder-length brown hair away from her neck with a sigh of frustration. “This is

probablythedumbestthingyou’veeverdone.”

“Ihaven’tdoneanythingyet.”

“Theyetiswhatworriesme,”Annmuttered,lettingherhairfallbackintoplace.“HowIletmyself

gettalkedintotaggingalongonthisfiascoI’llneverknow.”

“Whatever.Youknowyousecretlylovethedrama.PlussomeonewillneedtotelleveryoneChad

hasrunoffwithme—afterwe’resafelyawayfromhere,ofcourse.”

“If you say so.” Ann pulled at the thick material of her blue jeans. “I should’ve put on a pair of

shorts.”

“Shh,”Ameliasaid,“Ineedtopayattention.”

Sofar,therewasnosignChadwasattemptingtoexitthelimousine.Maybehewashavingsecond

thoughts.Amelia’shopescreptupward.Shewouldn’thavetoresorttosuchdrasticmeasuresifChad

wouldpulladisappearingactonhisown.

Then she could enjoy the rest of her long-awaited vacation secure in the knowledge that her best

friendwassafefromtheclutchesofyetanotherwomanhungryforhiswealth.Ameliafrowned.At

leastuntilthenextgolddiggersurfaced.

Therewasalwayssomeonewaitinginthewingstotrytotakeadvantageofhim.Womenflockedto

himbecauseofhisgoodlooksandthenstuckaroundoncetheyrealizedhisnetworth.

Thedriver ’ssidedooropened,theblackpaintglintinginthesun.Chad’sagingchauffeurlumbered

fromthecarandheadedtowardthebackintendingtoopenthedoorforChad.

Leavingthecarrunning.

Amelia’sheartpounded.

Nowornever.

Ameliamadehermove.“Don’tforgettocallandletthewomanGrandpahiredtocareforthecabin

knowthatI’montheway,”shesaidoverhershoulderassheleapedintoaction.

Amelia ran down the sloping incline and headed for the car as if it was the last piece of cream

cheeseredvelvetbrownieleftonatrayatGreatAmericanCookies.

Skidding to a stop by the driver ’s door, she yanked on the handle and slid behind the wheel. The

keysdangledintheignition,asuresignshewasdoingtherightthing.

Astonished,thechauffeurmovedhishandawayfromthereardoorandtookahastystepback.

Afterhittingthebuttontoengagethelocks,Ameliaputthecaringearandpressedthegaspedal.

Thetiressquealedandshecringedasshemadeherescapefromthechurchparkinglot.

Somuchforsneakingawayunnoticed.

SheturnedrightandmadeabeelinedownMainStreet.Thepowerfulcarbumpedovertherarely

used railroad tracks and flew past the flower shop with its striped green-and-white awnings and the

bookstoreadvertisingasale.

Eventhoughitwasn’tquitenoon,FranklyEating,thehotdogdinermadefamousbyamentionon

America’sBestEats,alreadyhadcustomerslinedupoutfront.

Behind her, she heard an abrupt, muffled exclamation and a body tumbled sideways. A couple of

secondslater,therewasaknockonthelargeblackprivacywindow.

Exhaling,Ameliawipedherclammyhandsdownthesidesofhergrass-stainedshortsandforced

herbreathingtoregulate.She’ddoneit.She’dactuallysavedChadfrommarryingClaire!

Amelialoweredthewindowhalfwayandbracedherselfforwhatwastocome.

Judgingbythescowlmarringhishandsomeface,Chaddidn’tappreciatehergooddeed.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Who are…” His shocked blue eyes caught and held hers in the

rearviewmirror.“Amelia?”

AmeliastalledansweringuntilsheeasedontoInterstate26andheadedwesttowardColumbia.Then

shechoseherwordscarefully.“Betyou’rewonderingwhatthisisallabout.”

Noresponse.Justthatoh-so-familiarraisedquirkofonebrow.Hisgazecontinuedtoboreintohers

untilAmeliafocusedonceagainontheroad.

“Icanexplain,”shebegan,dartinganotherglanceathim.Herstomachtwistedathiswhat-the-hell-

have-you-done-nowexpression.“Infact,Ihavearationalexplanationforwhatatfirstmightappearto

beacompletelyirrationalact.”

Chadfoldedhisarmsacrosshischest.“You?Irrationalact?”

Sheignoredhisgibe.“Doyouwantmetoexplainornot?”

Hellyeah, he’d wanther to explain!She’d known him longenough to knowhe’d want a detailed

justificationforwhatshehaddone,pairedwithanequallythoroughbriefingonwhatshewasaboutto

do.Butfornow,hedrilysaid,“Icanhardlywaittohearwhatyouwerethinking.”

“Ididitforlove.”

Chadstilledandsomethingflashedinhisgaze,goneasquicklyasithadappeared.Heswallowed

hard,speakingcautiously,“Love?”Hedrewthewordout,turningitintoaquestion.

“Remember?Wesworewe’donlymarryforlove.”

Hewincedasifinpain.“Oh,forcryingoutloud,Amelia,wewerewhat?Eightyearsold?”

“YoumademepromiseagainwhenIwasfifteen,remember?Wewerestandingbeneaththeoaktree

inmybackyard.”

Chad raked a hand through his closely cropped dark-blond hair, his breath escaping like a leaky

tire.“Achildhoodpromise.That’swhatthisisallabout.”Herubbedhisfirmjawline.

Thesamejawlinesheknewlookeddevastatinglysexywithafive-o’clockshadow.Thewayithad

lookedtwonightsagowhenshe’dtriedtotalktohimaboutClaire.

She’d noticed how handsome Chad was years ago, but she’d been a teenager then. It had been a

harmlesscrushthatshe’doutgrown.

Ameliagrippedthesteeringwheeluntilherfingerscramped.

She hadn’t seen him in over a year but they’d been friends forever. She wasn’t attracted to Chad.

Sure,hewasgood-looking.Hoteven.

Buthewaslikeherbrother.

She sneaked another peek into the mirror. She could have sworn she saw an expression of

disappointment on his face, and guilt surged through her. He wasn’t a man who liked his plans

thwarted.

HisthumbrubbedthecornerofhislipandAmeliarememberedthesillythingsshe’ddonewhen

shewasyoungertotrytogethisattentionbecauseshe’dwantedhimtobeherfirstkiss.Butthatwas

then,whenshewasateenagerwithraginghormones.Nowsheknewbetter.

Chadwasherfriend,whichmadehimoff-limitswithacapitalOFF.

“Big-timeOFF,”Ameliamutteredoutloud,slowingtocompensateforacarpracticallycrawlingin

frontofthem.Notthatshewantedhimtobewithinlimits.Shelikedherfreedomtoomuchtoevertie

herself down permanently, especially to a man who didn’t understand the meaning of spur-of-the-

momentliving.

“Haveyoubeendrinkingyourgrandfather ’sspecialjuiceagain?”

Amelia lowered her gaze from the rearview mirror. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.”

Herfacewarmed.Trusthimtoremindherofanincidentbestleftundisturbed.“Ibarelyrememberit.”

Liar,liar,pantsonfire.

Okay,Ameliacaved.Whatifshedidrememberthesceneasthoughitwastattooedonherbrain?

Finding the jar of homemade liquor when she was fourteen, helping herself to a hearty glassful,

wantingonlytofindsomecourageandthen…Amelianearlygroaned.

Laughing,giddybesidetheheadyscentofhoneysuckle,she’ddanced,twirlinginthesoft,summer

rain before she’d clutched the front of Chad’s fit-him-like-it-was-glued-on T-shirt and asked—

correction,begged—himtokissher.She’dwantedtogetherfirstkissoverwithtoseewhatallthe

fusswasaboutand…he’drefused.

He didn’t think of her “that way,” he’d said. He’d pried himself free and walked away, his back

rigid,notoncelookingback.

OhGod,thehumiliation!

“Stopthecar.”Chadleanedforwardandtouchedhershoulder,hisfingerssettingfirecrackersoff

onherskin.

Sheshruggedawayfromhistouch.“No.I’mstealingyouforyourowngood.Nowwillyouplease

cooperate?”

Chad’s brows lowered but he didn’t back away from the dividing window. “And exactly what are

yourplansforme?Youdohaveplans,don’tyou?Oristhisanotheroneofyourinfamousfly-by-the-

seat-of-your-pantsmoments?”

“Ihaveplans.”Amelialetslidehisreferencetopastescapadesandcarefullynegotiatedaroundan

eighteen-wheeler.

“Caretoenlightenme?”

“No.”Chaddidn’tneedtoknowherplansforhim.Notyet.

Honestly,hecouldbealittleuptightwithoutaplan.

ThecarphoneshrilledandAmelia’sheartbeatfaster.She’dknownhewouldn’thavehiscellwith

himfortheceremony,butshe’dforgottenaboutthephoneinthecar.

As if sensing her thoughts, Chad met her gaze again, one eyebrow lifted in a question. “Am I

allowedtoanswerthephone?JustwantedtochecksinceIhaven’tstudiedGroomnapping101.”

Amelia bit her lip. The truth was, other than grabbing Chad and having a place to retreat for the

nighttogainmoretimetotalkhimintohissenses,shehadn’tthoughtthisnab-a-groomthroughas

wellassheshouldhave.

HergrandfatherandChad’sgrandfatherwerebestfriends.Nodoubtthey’dbothbereadytokillher

oncetheylearnedwhatshe’ddone.

She’dletpanicoverrulehercommonsense.Allshe’dthoughtaboutasshe’dtossedandturnedlast

nightwaspreventingChadfrommakingahugemistake.

Huge?Ha!WithClaireashiswife,itwasmorelikeanastronomicalmistake.She’dknownChad’s

fiancéebackinhighschool,andClairehadareputationamongtheothergirlsastheQueenofMean.

Areputationshe’drightlydeserved.

Notthatanyoftheboyseversawit.

Now that they were both adults, Amelia tried to reason that maybe Claire had grown up, that

perhapshighschoolClairehadseentheerrorofherwaysandchangedherbehavior.

ButshesimplydidnottrustthattheQueenofMeanhadundergoneapersonalitytransplant.

Thephonequitringingbutrestartedimmediatelyafterithadstopped.

“ThismightbeClaire.Ishouldletherknowwhat’sgoingon.Nodoubteveryoneisfreakingout

rightnow.”Chadprompted,jerkinghisheadtowardthephone.“I’lltalktoher.”

WhenAmeliaheardhimliftthephoneintheback,shereacted.Shepressedthebuttononthefront

consoletoendthecallandputthephoneonlock.

“Whatthehellareyoudoing?”Chaddemandedashelookedfromthephoneinhishandtoher.

“I know you might be a little confused as to why I interrupted your wedding.” She took a deep

breath,wantingtomakehimunderstandherdesperation.

“A little confused? That’s the understatement of the century.” Chad slammed the phone down.

“Everyoneisgoingtowonderwhatthehellhappenedtome.WhatiftheythinkI’vebeeninawreck

gettingtothechurch?Orifthismightactuallybearealkidnapping?”

ShethoughtofAnn.Andthedisbelievinglookonthechauffeur ’sfacewhenshe’djumpedintothe

limoandspedoff.

“Ithinkeveryoneiswellawareofthefactthatyou’renotgoingtomakeittoday.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Well,IinstructedAnntoleteveryoneknowwe’drunofftogetheroncewewerelonggone.”

“Dammit,Amelia.”Hestaredatherhardforafewmoments,thensaid,“Thisdamnmonkeysuitis

uncomfortable.”Heinsertedafingerinthecollartoloosenhistie.Thenheslowlypulledthestripof

cloth from around his neck and tossed it aside. He removed the tuxedo jacket, folded it carefully,

smoothedoutthewrinkles,andplaceditonthebackseatbesidehim.“Ihopeyoubroughtachangeof

clothesforme.I’dliketoatleastgetcomfortable.”

“Ah,no.”

“Dammit,Ame,howmanytimeshaveItoldyouifyouwanttosucceedinanyendeavor,youhave

tohaveaworkableplan?”Heshookhisheadindisbelief.

“Dammit,Chad,”shemimicked,“someofusdon’tlivebyspreadsheets,dayplannersandby-the-

minuteschedules.”

“Becausesomeofuspreferchaos,”heshotback.

“Notchaos.Butrather,unscriptedlife.”

“Withoutaplan,failureisinevitable.”

“Igotyou,didn’tI?”Shecouldn’tpreventthesmugnessinhervoice.Besides,shehadaplan.Kind

of.Shejustwasn’tgoingtoblurtitallouttohimyet.

“Yes,youdid.Butyouforgotaboutrisksthatcouldultimatelyderailyou.”Hehelduphishandand

countedeachstatementonhisfingers.“Numberone,beforeyoulockeddownthephone,Icouldhave

calledthepolice.Youdidn’teventhinkaboutthat,andIdoubttheywouldhavebeenaslenientwith

youasIhave.”

Shecouldn’targuethat.

“Numbertwo,IcouldhavecalledClaireaswell.I’llbetshe’sfreakingoutrightnow.”

“Yeah, freaking out over losing your fat bank account,” Amelia muttered, frustrated a man as

intelligentasChadcouldn’tseepastthetallblonde’sfaceandfigure.

Shejerkedhergazebacktotheinterstate,loweredthesunvisortokeeptheafternoonsunoutofher

face,andmanagedtosayfirmly,“She’snottherightwomanforyou.”

“Isupposeyouknowtherightwomanforme?”Atraceofirritationcoloredhisvoice.“Pleasetell

meyoudon’thaveabridewaitingattheendofthisride.Thatwouldbealittlemuch,evenforyou.

Watchoutasecond.”Hemaneuveredhisbodyintothefrontseat,hislonglegsbumpingagainsther

ashesettled.

“Nooneiswaitingattheendoftheride.”

“That’sonepositivenoteatleast,”Chadfastenedhisseatbeltandbentforwardtosearchtheglove

box.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Lookingforsomethingtowritewith.Ineedtodraftaplan.”

“Aplanforwhat?”

“Tomakethisgroomnappinggoassmoothlyaspossible.”

“You’rehelpingme?”Ameliablinkedathim.Upcloseandpersonal,hisnearnessplayedhavocon

hernerves.

Hejuststaredatherasif…

Asifhewasalmostgratefulforthiswholeschemeofhers.Shecouldn’tdenyhewasbeingpretty

darnedcalmaboutthewholething.Veryun-Chad-likeconsideringhehadaplanforeverything,lists

aboutlistsongettingtasksdone.

“SureI’mhelping,ifnothingelse,forthesakeofmyownsanity.Becausepointnumberthree,you

couldneverpullthisoffunlessIwantedyouto.Andrightnow,asbadasthissounds,Ido.”

“Youdon’twanttomarryClaire,”Ameliasaidtriumphantly,theboulderofworryrollingoffher

shoulders.

“Like you, I don’t want to get married at all but I have to, and Claire is a logical choice. She’s

available,interested,andwillingtobemywifewithinthetermsI’vestipulated.Andeverythingwas

going as it was supposed to and then you left your apartment in New York and breezed back into

town…”

“Iwasn’tatmyapartment,Iwasonanassignment,butafteryouleftamessageonmyvoicemail

tellingmeyouweregettingmarrieddidyouexpectmenottoshowupandtrytotalksomesenseinto

you? Sense that you completely ignored.” She glanced over at him to gauge his reaction, but his

expressionremainedclosed.

“WhatIexpectedwasforyoutoacceptthatunlikeyou,Ihaveresponsibilities.”

“Ifyou’resoresponsible,whyareyoudeterminedtogoalongwithme?”

“Because I’d hate to see your obviously well-thought-out plan crash and burn,” he said, still

searchingtheglovebox.“AndIconfess,theideaofanothernightofbachelorhood,hangingoutwith

mybestfriend,holdssomeappeal,evenifthere’sgoingtobehelltopaywhenwegetbacktoSweet

Creek.”

Amelia glared at his lowered head. Save a guy from himself and this was the thanks she got?

Throwinganimpromptubachelorparty?

Shejabbedhisshoulderwithherindexfinger.“KnowinghowClairerunsthroughmenandmoney,

I’llbetIjustsavedyoumillionsinadivorcesettlement.”

“Ouch.” Chad rubbed the spot. “For your information, Claire and I have already worked out the

logisticsforthedivorce.YouthinkIwasactuallygoingintothiswithoutaprenup?”

Ameliawassoastonishedshenearlystoppedthecarinthemiddleoftheroad.“What?”

Chad shrugged. “According to my grandfather ’s stipulations, as long as we’ve been married six

months,Igetmyfullsharesinthecompany,whichgivesmecontrol.Icanfinallystartturningaround

thedisastermyfatherleft.AfterIgettheshares,Clairecanhaveadivorcealongwiththeremainder

ofahealthyfinancialsettlement.”

“It all sounds so cold. Why would your grandfather do something like that?” Amelia pressed the

gaspedalandshivereddespitethewarmthofthesunfillingthefrontofthecar.“Therearenobenefits

tomarryingsomeonelikeher.”

The amused look he gave Amelia caused her to clench her teeth. “Other than that,” she said, not

likingthementalimageofChadandClairetogether—orevenhimstandingwithinfiftyfeetofClaire

withoutbeinginasharkcage.

Amusementstillevidentinhisvoice,Chadsaid,“Itoldyourightafteryougotbacktotown,Igain

amarriagewithnoheartacheandnomessyemotionsinvolved.”

“Ican’tbelieveyou’dsacrificeyourselfjusttogetcontrollinginterest.”

“That’snotallthereistoit.”Chadshookhishead.“Forthepastyear,WalkerIndustrieshasbeen

operatinginthered.”

Ameliagasped.“Howcanthatbe?”

“Myfatherstoleagreatdealofcompanyfundsinapatheticattempttobribemymothertocome

back to him. When she didn’t, he gambled the money away in casinos and then covered it up. He’d

liedtoinvestorsandtheboardofdirectorsforyears.”

“Whatdoesthathavetodowithyougettingmarried?”

“Mygrandfatherisanoldman.Theboardofdirectorswantsmeatthehelmbecausetheynolonger

trusthisjudgment.Buthe’sstubbornandwon’trelinquishmyfullsharesunlessIgetmarriedfirst.He

thinksthatwillproveI’vegrownup,settleddown,andcanhandlethecompany.”

Sheshookherhead.“Noway.I’mcallingBS.Yourgrandfatherknowsyou’reresponsibleandcan

handle any business situation. And being distracted by a new wife isn’t going to help you run a

company,it’sjustgoingtodrawyourattentionawayfromit.”

“Agreed. That’s why I think there’s a deeper ulterior motive. Lately he’s been harping on me to

settledown,getmarried,startafamily.ClaimsI’mworkingmyselfintoanearlygravefornogood

reason.Asifsavingthecompanywas‘nogoodreason.’”Herolledhiseyes.“Iexplainedtherewas

norush,therewastimetothinkabouttheotherstuffoncethecompanywasintheclear.”

Shelaughed,swipingaloosestrandofhairbehindherear.“You’veneverwantedtothinkaboutthe

‘otherstuff.’”

“Godno.Butmygrandfatherdoesn’tknowthat.”

No,ChadhadonlyconfidedinAmeliaaboutthat.“Sohedidn’tbelieveyou?”

“Ithoughthedid.ThenIannouncedmyplanstomergethecompanywithanotherlocalbusinessto

helpincreaseprofitsandrebuildourbase.Grandfatherimmediatelysaidhewouldblockit.Theonly

wayIcanmoveforwardwiththemergerisifIholdthoseshares.”

“Andtheonlywayyoucanholdthesharesistofindawife.”

“Bingo.”

Amelia couldn’t believe his grandfather, Henry, would be so calculating. Usually the man was an

oldsofty.Thenagain,herowngrandfathersaidthatHenryhadn’tbeenthesamesinceChad’sfather

died.PerhapsthatiswhatmotivatedHenry’snewfound“embracelife”attitude.

But unfortunately, his “embrace life” scheme had turned into just another one of his grandson’s

businessdeals.

Amelia exited the interstate and pulled into a parking space at the rest area. She killed the engine

andshiftedtofacehim.“Youdon’tloveClaire.”

WasitherimaginationordidhisAtlantic-bluegazedroptoherlips?Lingertherelongenoughto

heatthecartothetemperatureofanovenonbroil?Ofcoursenot.Hewasn’tanymoreromantically

interestedinherthanshewasinhim.

Ameliawas the firstto look away.“You don’t love Claire,”she repeated asthe burrito she’d had

lastnightrumbledaroundinherstomach.

Chadgaveuponfindingsomethingtowriteonandslammedtheglovecompartment.“No,Idon’t.”

Heseemedlostinthoughtforamoment,thenshookhisheadasiftoclearit.

“You know how I feel about love. How I’ve always felt about it. So me not marrying for love

shouldn’tcomeasashocktoyou,Ame.Thatparticularemotionbelongsinfairytalesandmovies,

notinreallife.”Helookeddowntobrushaspeckoflintfromhistuxedotrousers.

“You’renotyourfather,Chad.Andyoudon’thavetomarrysomeonelikeyourmother.Youhave

thechoicetofindsomeonetrustworthyandloyal.”

He raised his head, the muscle working in his jaw the only indication of how much he hated

discussinghisfather.“No,I’mnotmyfather,whichiswhyIrefusetogodownthesameroadhedid.

Itwaslovethatdestroyedhim,notalackofit,likeIincorrectlythoughtyearsagowhenwemadethat

sillypromise.Itwasn’tbecausehehadn’ttakenachanceonlove,itwasbecausehelovedtoomuch

andgotburned.Thingshavechanged.Timesaredifferent.Iwon’tmarryawomanIloveandIdon’t

wantonewholovesme.Noemotion.Noheartbreak.Keepitallstrictlybusiness.Myplanisperfect.

Oritwas,untilyougroomnappedme.”

Ameliacouldonlyimaginetheheartacheinstoreforhimifhecommittedtolivingwithoutlove.

“Noplanisperfect,”shefinallyoffered.

“Thisonewas.”

Themandefinedstubbornness.Wearyfromhavingfailedtoconvincehim,shesaid,“Fine.Doyou

wantmetotakeyoubacktoSweetCreek?”

Hislipspursedasheconsideredherwords.“No.Wecantakethistripoutoftowntonightandhead

backtoSweetCreekinthemorning.”

“You honestly think that’s going to fly with the family and friends you left behind at the church?

Especiallyafterthey’veheardyouranoffwithme?”

“Maybe. Probably.” He shrugged. “The wedding was somewhat thrown together to begin with. I

doubt it’ll make much of a difference if it’s thrown together again a few days from now. The

proverbial damage is done, for today’s ceremony anyway. And I’m sure Claire will be willing to

forgiveandforget,givenfinancialcompensation.”

Amelianodded,herheartsuddenlylighterathavingabitmoretimetoconvinceChadtocalloffthe

weddingforgood.“Okay.IguessIshouldn’thaveactedsoimpulsively.Iwastryingtosaveyou.”

He grinned, slow and sexy, and Amelia’s breath caught. She was over that silly crush. What was

wrongwithher?

“Impulsivenessispartofyourcharm.Butreally,Ame,thereareworsethingsinlifethanmarrying

Claire.”

“Muchworse,”Ameliaagreed,“youcouldmarryherandendupexactlylikeyourfather.”

ChapterTwo

Unwilling to be baited, Chad shot back, “Or worse than ending up like my father, I could end up

marriedtoyou.”

Amelia gasped. “In your mind, marrying me is worse?” She scowled. “You should be so damn

luckyastomarryme.”

MarriagetoAmelia?

Hell,no.Justlikehisparents,heandAmeliawereopposites.Histhoughtsjumbledashewatched

peopleinanearbycargetoutandstretch.Hisminddistantlyregisteredacouplewalkingpetsinthe

dog-walkingarea.

Ameliaashiswife.Noway.

Ahundredreasonswhymarryingherwouldspelldisasterflashedrapid-firethroughChad’smind.

They’dbothendupinamarriageneitherwanted—Ameliabecausesheneededtobefreetorunaway,

andhimbecausehewasn’tgoingtoletlovedestroyhimthewayithaddestroyedhisfather.

NotwopeoplewereasoppositeashimandAmelia.Theypracticallydefinedtheword“opposite.”

Maybeevenmorethanhismomanddadhad.

Hewasasuitandtiekindofguy.Elegantdiningatupscalerestaurants.

Shelived in bluejeans and herfavorite T-shirts. She preferredhot dogs andbarbecue chips on a

picnicblanket.

She was a just-because woman. She’d once flown all the way to Michigan in December with her

sisters just because she wanted to build a snowman. Had flown to California alone just because she

wantedtoseethesunsetontheWestCoast.

As a freelance photographer, she never stayed in one place long. She was always flitting off to

variouspartsoftheworldtotakephotographsoflocations—thekindthatpeoplelookedatincoffee

tablebooksanddreamedofvisiting.

He’dtakeroutineoverdreamsanyday.Dreamswouldletamandown,butroutineneverdid.

The thought of marrying her, of being involved physically with Amelia, his childhood pal, his

teenageconfidant,causedhishearttoreactinanewway.

Heshoveditaside.

Claire, no matter how shallow, was the better—safer—bet. A business arrangement and nothing

more.

Sowhythehellwasherunningfromhiswedding?

HelookedatAmelia.“Luckytomarryyou?Howdoyoufigure?Whataboutlove,asyoupointed

out?”hereminded,tryingdesperatelytogainsomesenseofnormalintheconversation.

Ameliagavehimasuspiciouslook.“Wearetalkinghypothetically,correct?”

At his nod, she continued, “By lucky I meant that starting out as friends, at least we would have

moregoingforusthanyouandClaire.”

“Andtheramificationsofamarriagebetweenthetwoofus?”

“Inourhypotheticalworld,wecouldstaymarriedlongenoughforyoutogetyourfullsharesand

takeoverthecompany.Whenthedustsettleswegoourseparateways.”Sheshrugged.“I’msurprised

youdidn’tcometomefirstinsteadofagreeingtothisshamwithMeanGirlNumberOne.YouknowI

wouldhavehelpedyou.”

Heheardthereproofinhertone.“You’retoomuchofafreespirit,you’vesaidsoyourself.You

couldn’tevenstayputforsixweeks,letalonesixmonths.”

Notthathewouldhaveaskedhertomarryhimevenifsheweren’tsuchafreespirit.Therewere

toomanyvariables.Toomanythingsthatcouldgowrong.

Whatifhefellinlovewithher?Thenshe’dleave.Runoffthesamewayshealwaysdid.Breakhis

heart.Hecouldn’t.Toomuchtorisk.

Whenthesilencestretchedtothepointofbecominguncomfortable,Ameliaclearedherthroatand

said, “We should laugh this off, chalk the groomnapping up to another Amelia-moment-gone-

wrong.”

Sheunbuckledtheseatbeltandmovedtogetoutofthecar.

Heclosedhisfingersgentlyaroundherarmtopreventherfromleaving.“Holdonasecond,”he

saidasmuchtohimselfastoher,fightingabattlewithbitternessshecouldn’tsee.

Animageofhisfather,themanlovehadbrokenanddriventofindsolaceinthedepthsofabottle,

flashedinChad’smind.

Thedrunkenrants,thepleading,thecryingonthephone,beggingforhiswifetoreturn.

He’dlovedChad’smothersodesperatelythatithaddestroyedhimwhenshe’dlefthimforanother

man.He’dspentexorbitantamountsofmoneytryingtowinherback.InsteadoffocusingonWalker

Industries,hewasconsumedwithhisex.Madebadbusinessdecisions,onerightaftertheother.

Andasaresult,hisfatherhadalmostdestroyedthecompany.

Afterhisfatherdrankhimselftodeath,ChadbeganputtingWalkerIndustriesbacktogetherslowly,

piecebypiece,buthadn’tbeenoutofbusinessschoolverylongandrunningthecompanyhadbeen

anadjustment.Hefelttheburdenoftryingtoprotectthejobsofthepeoplewhoworkedforhimon

hisshoulderseveryday.

Protecting his family’s business was challenging enough. Having to protect his heart, too, might

justbreakhim.

Chad had sworn to himself he’d never be like his father. Love would never destroy his life. He

wouldn’tallowit.

IfhebecameromanticallyinvolvedwithAmeliaandthensomethingwentwrongtocausetheloss

ofherfriendship,theonethinghecouldn’tbuy,theonethinghetreasuredmost…

No, he couldn’t risk that happening. She’d always been his safe place to turn when the world

knocked him down. With her, he wasn’t Chad Walker, millionaire businessman. He was simply the

boyshe’dgrownupwith.Ifhefellinlovewithherandshebrokehisheart,hemightneverfindall

thepieces.

Amelia pulled away, rubbing the skin where his hand had been. Her eyes held a touch of anger.

“Forgetit,Chad.Wewon’tgetmarried.Itwasjustafoolishwhat-ifmoment.Iwasn’tserious.”

Withthosewords,Ameliaslammedfromthecar.

Chadshovedthedooropenandfollowedher.

Halfway to the wood shelter housing the rest stop concessions, Chad reached Amelia’s side. “Let

mefinishwhatIstartedtosay.”

He matched his stride to hers and stopped in front of the soda machine. He took the change she

offeredandautomaticallyselectedarootbeer,passingittoherwhenitdroppedfromthemachine.

HeslidmorecoinsinandretrievedaPepsiforhimself.

Shewaggedthebrowncanbackandforth.“See?Thisprovesmyhypotheticalpointaboutyounot

marryingClaire.”

“Acanofrootbeerprovesyourlogic?”Shestayedsilent.

Chad didn’t know what had gotten into Amelia lately. Usually, whenever she visited their

hometown,they’dplayafewroundsofbasketball,catchafewsportsgames,laugh,talk,andenjoy

eachother ’scompany.Theywerebuds.

Since her arrival this time and learning about his plan to marry Claire, she’d acted nervous and

edgy.Bitsnappishtoo.Downrightgrouchy,cometothinkofit.

Andthiswholekidnappingplotwasoutlandish,evenforAmelia.

Maybe she’d been working too hard. Or was exhausted. Other than her sporadic visits home, this

wasAmelia’sfirstextendedvacationinthreeyears.Asherfriend,heshouldseetoitshetookthetime

torelax.Maybealittleone-on-onetimetogetherwouldgetherbacktoheroldself.

Maybehecouldfeellikehisoldselfagain,too,beforehehadtoreturntohisweddingarrangement

withClaire.

HesmiledandnudgedAmelia’sarm.“Comeon.Iagreedtotagalongonthisadventureandhere

wearestuckatareststop.Let’sgoaheadtoyourdestination.We’llstayupallnighttalkinglikeold

times.Whatdoyousay?Doesthatsoundlikeaplan?”

Chadputairquotationsaroundtheword“plan”andAmeliagaveareluctantsmile.

Thenhersmileslowlydissipated.“WhataboutClaire?”

“Ineedtocallher.Nomatterhowmuchyoudislikeher,Ican’tjustditchtheceremonywithoutany

kindofexplanation.Hopefullyshe’llunderstandthemix-upandwecantryagaintomorrow.Afterall,

it’snotlikeshe’smarryingmeforlove.”

Foralongfewsecondsshedidn’tanswer,thenfinallysaid,“Okay.We’regoingtothecabininthe

mountainsmygrandfatherjustbought.AccordingtoGoogleMaps,it’safewhoursaway.Ifyou’reso

determinedtocallClaire,youshouldgoaheadanddoit.Youcanfromthelimo.IpromiseIwon’t

disconnectthecallthistime.”

Sheturnedawayfromhim,finishedoffthesoda,andtossedtheemptycanintothetrashandwalked

purposefullyaway.Hecaughtupwithherandslunganarmaroundhershoulder,drawinghercloser

tohisside.Helookeddownatherandherlipsparted,curvingintothebeautifulsmileshe’dalways

had.

ChadforcedhimselfnottodwellonAmelia’slips—lipsheknewwereglazedwithaberry-scented

gloss.HersisterAbbyputsomeinherChristmasstockingeveryyear.

Berry-scented,kissablelips.Kissable?Whatthehell?

Pullittogether.

Heput some spacebetween them andcrumpled his can withone hand, tossingit toward the trash

can.Itsailedsmoothlyin.“Nothingbutnet.Sowhatdoyousay,Amelia?Shallwecontinueon?We’ve

gotnothingbutopenroadandtimerightnow.”

“Nowthatsoundslikeaplan.”

…

Almost five hours later, Amelia saw Chad rub his eyes and squint through the rain-splattered

windshield.TheweatherhadbeensunnyandhotinSweetCreek,butinthemountains,they’dfaceda

torrential rainstorm, slowing their progress. The headlights barely cut a path through the thick

darkness.Everywheretheylooked,theysawnothingbuttreesandgravelroadwithmuddyruts.

Itwasalmostlikedrivingthroughawaterfall.

Speaking of which, Amelia was sure Chad had dealt with a waterfall of screeching from Claire

whenhe’dcalledherearlier.

Shehadn’theardtheconversation—she’dwaitedoutsideatthereststopwhileheplacedthecall—

but according to Chad, he’d told Claire there was an emergency, and missing the wedding was

unavoidable.AlthoughAmeliaknewmorehadbeensaidgiventheoccasionalboomofhisvoice,she

didn’taskformoredetail.

HewaswithAmelia,afterall.WhichmeanthewasnotgettingmarriedtotheMeanQueen.Atleast

forthetimebeing.

ThecardroppedintoadeeprutandChadcursedunderhisbreath.Thelimowasn’tmadeforthis

kindofterrain.

Outside, the storm continued to rage and fat raindrops pounded on the roof with a roaring fury.

“Youcallthisalittlewayuptheroad?We’renowwelloverthetimeyousaidit’dtaketogethere.”

He had raised his voice slightly to be heard above the fierceness of the storm. He grimaced while

Ameliaeasedthecarcautiouslyforwardaroundanotherlineofrutsandparkedthelimousineatthe

topofthesteep,windingdirtroad.

Withtheengineoff,thestorm’sroarwasevenlouder.

Chad reached for the tuxedo jacket and thrust his arms into it, then shoved open the car door,

steppingoutintothedark.Hisonlyshelterwasthelargeoaktreeshe’dparkedby.

“Ican’thelpitifIgotlostandwentthewrongdirection.Alltheroadsbecameidenticalonceweleft

theinterstate,andthatdeerjumpingoutatmedidn’thelpeither.Nottomentionthethunderstorm.”

Her hand on the small of her back, Amelia grabbed her purse and climbed from the car with a

barelysuppressedgroanatthestiffness,andquicklyassessedthecabinthroughthepouringrain.

“RomanticTennesseeHideaway,”Grandpahadcalleditwhenhe’dtoldheraboutit.“Shack”would

be closer to the truth. Obviously the seller had exaggerated the cabin, but her grandfather had still

falleninlovewithitsrusticcharm.

Anditdidn’thaveaphone.Whichwasoneofthemainreasonsshe’dchosenit.

Nophonemeantnophonecalls.Chadwasallhersforthewholenight.

ShewasdeterminedtomakehimseehowbadmarryingClairewouldbeforhim.

“Ihopethere’sfood,”Chadsaidoverhisshoulderashedashedupthesteps,takingthemtwoata

time.Onthesmallwoodenporch,hestompedhisfeet,kickingthemudoffhisexpensivedressshoes.

“Ididn’tgetachancetoeatthismorningandI’mstarving.”

Ameliarushedaroundthefrontbumperofthecartojoinhim.Shewipedthemuckfromhertennis

shoesontothefadedsunflowersonthewelcomemat.

Unabletostopherteethfromchattering,shestammered,“Mrs.Foster,thecaretaker,saidshe’dg-g-

getherebythismorningandstockthepantryforme.”Shewipedwetstrandsofhairawayfromher

eyesandfishedthekeyfromherpurse.

Chad removed his tuxedo jacket and draped it over Amelia’s shoulders. “Here. This is drier than

yourshirt.”

“Ididn’trealizethetemperatureatnightdroppedsomuchhereinthemountainsthistimeofyear.”

“It’sMay,Ame.Thetemperaturecandropfifteentotwentydegreesdependinghowfaryougointo

theregion.”Hetuckedthejacketaroundherandrubbedhishandsupanddownthesidesofherarms

briskly.“Yousaidstockthepantry.Justhowlongdidyouplantokeepmehere?”heasked,impatient

ashegrabbedthekeyfromhershakingfingers.

He inserted the key into the lock and pushed hard. The sun-faded wood door swung open with a

loud,squeakingprotest.

Staleairwhooshedfreetogreetthemanddustparticlesswirledintheair.

Ameliasneezed.

“Well,it’snottheHilton,butatleastwe’llbewarmanddry.”Chadfumbledalongthewallforthe

lightswitch.

Onebulbfromalow-hanginglightdimlyilluminatedthecenteroftheroom,keepingtherestofit

inshadow.

Ameliaforcedacheerfulexpressiontohideherdismayatthesmallspaceofferedbytheone-room

cabin and headed straight toward the fireplace. “At least there’s plenty of wood stacked out by the

door.Lookonthebrightside,youlovedcamping,remember?”

“I haven’t gone camping since I was a kid. I’m not a Boy Scout anymore, Amelia. In case you

haven’tnoticed,”hemuttered.

“It’sjustforonenight,”shesaidmoretoreassureherselfthanhimasshehurriedtokneelonthe

graystonehearth.

Shelaidasmallpileofkindlinginthefireplaceandfeltalongthemantelformatches.Assoonas

thefireroaredtolife,shesentChadatriumphantgrin.“Ihaven’tforgottenmycampingskills.”

Brushingherhandstogether,shestoodandlookedaroundatthefurnishings.Definitelynotupto

theopulenceChadenjoyedinhislife,butitwasniceinarusticsortofway.

A plain wooden table with two ladder-back chairs—one paint-splattered—sat tucked in a corner

nearawindow.Afatbluebowlofwildflowerswithdroopingblossomstookupspaceinthemiddle

of the table. At the window beyond the table, faded red gingham curtains arched with every puff of

wind,bringingsomeoftheraininside.

Ameliahurriedoverandclosedthewindow,latchingitonceshehaditdown,wonderingifshe’d

donetherightthingbycominghere.Sheshookoffthedoubt.ShewassavingChad.Ofcourseshe’d

donetherightthing.

Acolorfulpatchworkquilttoppedtheironbed.Itwouldbeacozy,romantichideawayforacouple,

whichtheyweren’tandneverwouldbe.

As Chad had said, they weren’t kids anymore, and crushes and wishes of first kisses were their

history,nottheirfuture.

Heinterruptedhermusingswhenhecalledhername.

Holdinguptwocansoftomatosoup,hewavedthembackandforth.“Ifoundsomethingthat’llhit

thespot.Justwhatweneedonanightliketonight.I’llputthison.Youseeifyoucandigupanything

elsewemightbeabletoaddtoourfeast,andthenwecangetoutofthesewetclothes.”Hesetthecans

onthechippedcounterandrifledthroughdrawersinsearchofanopener.

Notfindingone,hemovedtothepantry.

“Thepantryhasafewotherthingsinheresoatleastwewon’tstarvetonight.Foundacanopener

too.And,hey,Ifoundmarshmallows!”Chadheldthebagaloftandgrinned.

His grin reminded her of the camping trip they’d taken with her grandfather and his when she’d

turnedtwelve.SheandChadhadengagedinamarshmallowfight,thenlaterthatnightsatsnuggled

togetherbeneathablanketwhilehisgrandfathertoldscarytales.

Thundergrowledawarning,lowandthroatyinthedistance.

Chadfrowned.“Lookslikewegothereinthenickoftime.Stormmightbegettingworse.”

“Don’tworry,I’llprotectyou,”sheteased.

Chadquirkedhiseyebrows.“Ah,butmypretty,who’llprotectyoufromme?”

Ameliascoffedandrolledhereyes.“Rightnow,whenitcomestovirtueI’dbewillingtobetI’m

thesafestwomanontheplanet.”

Chademptiedthesoupintoapotandturnedontheburner.“Yep.Safeasthewaresofasnowball

salesmaninAlaska.”

“Inotherwords,whowouldwantme?”Ameliasaid,meaningtosoundplayful,butthetonedidn’t

comeoutright.Shesoundedasifshefeltsorryforherself,andshehatedthatbecauseshedidn’t.

Other than this latest situation with Chad, she was deliriously happy with her life. No ties, no

commitments,shecouldcomeandgoasshepleased,justthewayshelikedit.

Chad tossed the empty soup cans into the trash and moved from the stove to close the distance

betweenthem.“Youdoknowhowbeautiful,howamazingyouare,don’tyou?”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my friend.” This time she nailed the lightness she’d been

goingforamomentago.

“OfcourseI’myourfriend,soIknowbetterthananyonehowawesomeyouare.Butseriously…”

Helightlysqueezedherhands.“Anyguywouldwanttobewithyou.”

“Ofcourse.”Sheflutteredhereyelashes,usinghumortoonceagainkeeptheemotionsatbay.“I’ve

gotmenineveryportfightingoneanotherformyhand.Sostepaside,sir,lestyoubetrampledbythe

rushinghorde.”

“ThatIwouldbelieve.”

Silencestretchedbetweenthemandthemomentgrewmoreintense.Ameliaswallowedhard,unable

totearhergazeawayfromhis.Herbrainactivityscrambled.Shecouldn’tstringtogetheracomplete

thought.

Thewayhewaswatchingher…

Afteralltheseyearswashegoingtokissher?Surelynot.Thiswaswrong.

“Amelia…”Hisvoicetookonahuskyqualityandthefriendlylightinhiseyesdarkened,changing

toconfusion.

Sheliftedherhandstohisarms,revelinginthefeelofhisbiceps.Herewasstrengthsheknewshe

couldtrust.Sheshouldpushaway.Sheshould.Butcuriosityhadalwaysbeenherundoing.

Hishandswenttoherwaist,urginghercloser.

“Amelia,I…”

Hisheadslowlylowered.

Theroomdisappearedfromview.TherewasonlyChadandthesoundofsoupboilingover.

Boilingsoup?

Ameliablinked.

SuddenlyChadreleasedherandsteppedbacktoturnandgrabthepanfromtheburner.Hesetitin

thesinkandwavedadishtowelaroundtodispeltheodor.Hislaughtersoundedstrained.“Let’stry

thatagain,shallwe?”

Forasplitsecond,Ameliathoughthewasreferringtothealmost-kiss,thenrealizedhewastalking

aboutthesoup.

Shewasrelieved.

She didn’t want anything more than friendship from Chad. That and she wanted him to be happy.

Shewantedhishearttobesafe,andthatwouldn’thappenifhefollowedhisplan.

Becauseshedidn’tcarewhatChadsaidabouthisagreementwithClaire.Ameliadidn’tbelievethat

theQueenofMeanwasgoingtowalkawayinsixmonthswithasettlementwhenshecouldstaywith

ChadandthefullWalkerfamilyfortune.

TryingtooccupyhermindwiththoughtsotherthanworriesoverChad’sfuture,Ameliaopenedthe

cupboardandsearchedforsomebowls.

“Why don’t you attempt to start another gourmet meal and I’ll set the table. Then maybe I can

scroungeupsomethingforustowear.”

Hequirkedhisbrowather.“Ithoughtyousaidyoudidn’tbringanyclothesforeitherofus.Did

youforgetyoupackedformykidnapping?”

She laughed. “No, but I’m sure my grandfather has something around here that can pass for dry,

wearableclothing.”

Lightningflashed,illuminatingthecabin,andAmeliagaveasqueakofsurprise.

Secondslater,thelightswentout.

BeforeshecouldaskChadifhewasallright,hisvoicereachedherinthedark.

“Great,”Chadsaid.“We’rewet,hungry,andinthedark.Whatelsecouldpossiblygowrong?”

Naturelituptheroomagainforasplitsecondbeforeadeafeningboomshookthecabin.Aloud

tearingsoundfollowedbyaheavycrashrenttheair.Metalscreechedonmetal,thenoiseasirritating

asfingernailsrakingdownachalkboard.

In the dark, Amelia groped her way to the window by the door and peered out. She took a step

backwardwhenanotherflashoflightningstreakedacrossthesky,allowinghertoseeoutside.

“Youwantthebadnewsorthegoodnewsfirst?”sheasked.

“Thebad,”Chadsaid,histonewary.

“Thebadnewsislightninghitthetreebythedrivewayanditfellacrossthefrontofyourfamily’s

limousine.It’sprettywellflattened.”

“Andthegoodnews?”Chad’svoicewassoft,asthoughhewasbattlingforcontrol.

“Thegoodnewsisweweren’tinit.”

ChapterThree

“Isupposesaying‘Itoldyouso’doesn’thelp,butdon’tyouthinkaplanwouldcomeinhandyright

aboutnow?”Chad’sbreathstirredherdamphair,causingAmeliatojerk.Becausethewoodenfloor

wascoveredwiththick,hand-wovenrugs,shehadn’theardhisapproach.

Shebackedupsothewarmthofhischestwasagainstherback.“HowcouldIhaveplannedforthe

one-in-a-million possibility a tree would take up residence in the limousine? There’s no way to

predictthingslikethat,”shesaid.

“Agoodplanalwayshasabackup,aplanBifyouwill,”hereplied.“Plansneedabuilt-inescape

clauseincasesomethinggoeswrongwiththefirstplan.”

“IhaveaplanB.”Ameliacrossedherarmsandtriedtoseetheextentofdamagedonetotheirride

homewiththestreaksoflightningflashingacrossthesky.Fromwhatshecouldtell,thelargetreehad

landeddirectlyacrossthedriver ’sside,foldingtheroofintoaveeshape.

“MayIaskwhatexactlyyourplanBis?”

“Staydryandwarminthecabintonightandleaveonfootatfirstlight.Wecanwalktocivilization

andarrangearidetogetarentalcar.How’sthat?”

“The leaving at first light? Not very appealing,” Chad grumbled. “And there’s no phone here?

Seriously?”

“Asamatteroffact,no,thereisn’taphone.Walkingisouronlywayoutunlessyouhaveabetter

idea?”

“I’ll see if the tree spared the phone inside the back of the limousine. If it did, I’ll call out and

arrangeforsomeonetopickusup.Wecouldbesoakinginawarmtubofwaterwithinafewhours,

laughingabouttheeventsoftheevening.”

Ameliaconsideredhisidea.“Andifthephonedoesn’twork?”

“ThenofcoursewemoveontocommonlyoverusedplanC.”

“Whichwouldbe…?”

“Panic.”

Lightning illuminated the room, giving everything a ghostly hue, and Amelia felt Chad’s body

stiffen.Hisfingersgrippedherelbow.“Amelia,theroomisfillingupwithsmoke.”

Ameliasquinted,attemptingtoseehersurroundingswitheachflashoflightning.Theviewwastoo

foggy,butshecouldfeeltheairthickening,burningherthroat.“What’swrong?”

Chadmovedtowardthefireplace.“Ithinkthechimneyisclogged.I’llhavetoputthefireout.”

Amelia’seyesstungfromthethicksmokeandshefumbledtoopenthefrontdoor.Whenshegotit

open,thecoolertemperaturerushedatherandtheworldsmelledfreshandclean,thewayitalways

didinrain.

ShetookinawelcomelungfulofairandturnedaroundtocalloutforChadwhenhishandclosed

aroundherwaist.“Go!Now!”

Withthemomentumofhismovement,hepropelledherthroughthedoorway.Hekeptgoinguntil

hepulledherofftheporchafterhim,untiltheywerestandinginthemiddleofthegravelroadwith

thehardrainpouringoverthem.

“Whathappened?”Ameliashoutedtobeheardabovethenoiseofthestorm.

“Look.”Chadpointedtothelivingroom.

Throughtheopendoorway,Ameliacouldseeflamesdancingalongthewallbesidethefireplace.

They raced upward to the ceiling and within seconds the window blew out, raining shards of glass

ontotheporch.

Frightened,Ameliagasped,unabletospeak.

“We’vesetfiretoyourgrandfather ’scabin,”Chadsaidindisbelief.“Thefireplacewasn’tclogged.

Somethingcaughttheroofonfire.”

Her grandfather was going to be so disappointed about his new cabin. She felt terrible for

destroyinghispropertywiththiscrazyplanofhers.OnceshemadesureChadwassafelyawayfrom

Claire,Ameliawasgoingtohavetogetoutoftownagainjusttoavoidhergrandfather ’swrath.

“Well,lookonthebrightside…,”Ameliabeganslowly,hervoiceshaking.

“Yeah,Iknow.Wearen’tinit.Youandyouroptimism.Alwaysseeingthegoodsideofeverything.

Exceptmymarriage,ofcourse.”

“Iwasgoingtosaytherainshouldkeepthefirefromspreadingtothewoods.”Sheshiveredand

sneezed,followedbyaboutofcoughing.TheshortsandT-shirtthatwereperfectfortheheatearlier

todaywerenomatchfortherainanddroppingtemperatureshereinthewoods.

“Unbelievable. I should have known this getaway wouldn’t end well.” She could make out Chad

glaringatherinthedimlightwhileshecoughed.“Iswear,ifIsurvivethis,it’sthelasttimeIletyou

talkmeintoanything.”

She snorted. “Ha! You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to be. You said so yourself in the

limousine.Youadmittedyoudon’treallywanttomarryClaire.”

“Wedon’thavetimetoarguethis.I’mgoingtoseeifIcangettothecarphone.”

Ameliacringedwhenaboltoflightningpoppedacrossthesky.Shewasuncomfortableinstorms

andknewhowdangeroustheycouldbe.

Fortunately,Chadwasbackinseconds,shakinghishead.“Thetreedamagedthelimousine’sback

doorstoo.They’rewedgedandIcan’tgetthemopen.Comeon,let’sgetoutoftheweather.There’s

nothing else we can do standing here. We’ll find a phone somewhere and notify the local fire

department.”Hewrappedhisarmaroundhershoulderswhenshecoughedagain.

“Mythroat’salittleirritatedbutI’mfine,Ipromise.Wepassedacabinonthewayin.Maybeit’s

even Mrs. Foster ’s place. She mentioned it would be easy for her to be the caretaker for my

grandfatherbecauseshehadacabinnotfarfromhis.”Ameliastruggledtokeepherbalanceasthey

pushed forward on the slippery road in the dark. Her tennis shoe slid in a patch of mud and Chad

steadiedher.

“Well,it’snotasifwecangetanywetter,”hesaidashesteppedinamudpuddle.Watercoveredhis

ankle, sloshing above the top of his sock. He grunted and shook his black leather shoe. “Nice. The

situationsIletyougetmeinto…”Hisvoicetrailedoff.

“Thesituations?Asinplural?Nameonethat’sbeenashecticasthisone.”

“Parachutingwithyoutwosummersagowhenmychutedidn’topen,”heremindedher.

“Yourreservedid.”

“IthoughtIwasgoingtohaveaheartattack.”

“Youdidn’t,though.”

“Probably because my heart was in my throat the entire time. Don’t forget the near-death

experiencewhenwewentonthatwhite-waterraftingtrip.”

“Ithoughtyouwerecalmthatwholetime.”

“BeforeorafterIhadtojumpinandrescueyou?”

“Admitit.Atleastyou’reneverboredwhenyou’rewithme.”

“Hardtobeboredwhenyou’rebusyprayingtostayalive.HowyouandIhaveremainedfriends

foralltheseyearsamazesmeattimes.”

“Blameourgrandparents,whowerebestfriendslongbeforewewereevenborn.Weinheritedeach

other. We’re practically family.” Amelia smiled up at him even though he couldn’t see it in the

darkness.

“YouandIaresuchcompleteopposites.”

“Youknowthatoldsaying.Oppositesattract,”Ameliaquippedandwipedhersoakedbangsaway

fromhereyes.Waterrandownherfaceandsheblinkedtoclearhervision.

LightningflashedandAmeliaquickenedherpace,drawingclosertoChad.

“Yeah, opposites attract,” he admitted, “but you and I operate with entirely different life views.

That’swhyIstoppedgoingonallthoseso-calledadventuresyoukepttaking.You’refartoowilling

totakedangerousriskswithouteverstoppingtoconsidertheconsequences.”

His words dissipated their lighthearted banter and her eyes narrowed. “Is that why you were

suddenlybusyeverytimeIaskedyoutogoplaceswithme?”

“Youknowyoutaketoomanyrisks.”

“Maybe I do take risks, but you’re stuck in the same old rut. Always ready with a pen and paper

tryingtofigureoutwhattheworstpossibleoutcomecouldbeandthenchoosingthesafestpath.”

“Nothingwrongwithbeingcautious,”Chadsaid,indicatingtheirpredicamentwithapointedsweep

ofhishand.

HissmugnessirritatedAmelia.“Exceptwhenbeingcautiousequatestonotreallylivingatall.The

onlydangerinyourliferightnowistheriskofgettingapapercut.”

Chadstoppedinthemiddleoftheroad,handsonhishipstoglareather,hismountingfrustration

evident.“Notreallyliving?Whatthehellareyoutalkingabout?”

“You, Chad. I’m talking about the way you live or rather the way you don’t live. Thanks to your

screwed-up childhood, you have a need for control and order. Not once in your life have you ever

strayedfromthepathyourgrandfatheroh-so-carefullymappedoutforyou,”Ameliablurted,losing

herpatience.

She probably shouldn’t say the words on the tip of her tongue but Amelia couldn’t help herself.

Extreme situations called for extreme actions. “Forgetting your dreams of becoming a basketball

coach in order to step into position as Vice President of Walker Industries straight from business

school.Checkthatoneoffthelist.”

“Mygrandfatherneededme.”

“Uh-huh.Evenifthatweretrue,whatabouttherestofyourlifeto-dolist?”Shewentoninarush,

“Marrysoyou’llgetyourfullsharesinordertoholdontoabusinessandthemillionsofdollarsthat

won’tmakeyouhappyintheend.Avoidlovesoyou’llneverbehurtlikeyourfather.Gotallthose

linedupjustwaitingtobecheckedoff.That’sliving?”

“Areyoufinished?”Hisvoicewasdangerouslylow.

“Oh, no. I’m just getting started. I should have told you this years ago.” She shoved her soggy

bangsawayfromhereyesagain.“Youhaveneveroncedoneanythingspontaneousinyourentirelife.

Even on the adventures you’d go on with me, you made sure you did a risk assessment and had a

powerofattorneyinplacewithyourlawyerforthebusinessincaseyoudidn’tmakeitback.”Amelia

pokedhiminthecenterofthechest.

“Whenareyougoingtolive?Livewithgusto?Liveyourdreams?Goafterwhatyouwantandto

hellwiththeconsequences?”

“You’resayingthatyouthinkspontaneityequalsliving?”

“Yes.Chad,sometimesyouhavetostrayfromthesameoldroutine.Breaktherules.Stopcentering

yourlifearoundwhatyoushoulddo.Dosomethingforabsolutelynoreasonatallevenifitdoesn’t

makeanysense.”

“Somethingthatdoesn’tmakesense?”

“Yes.”

“Breakfromtheroutine,yousay?”

“Exactly,”Ameliasaid,pleasedheseemedtofinallygetit,thoughshedidwonderattheangerin

hisvoice.

“Spontaneousandbreakingfromroutine.Right.Inthatcase,Icancheckbothofthoseoffthelist

rightnow,”Chadsaid,puttinghishandsonherwaist.Heswungheraroundintohisarmstofacehim.

Offbalance,herbodyfellagainsthis.

Beforeshe could recover,he lowered hishead and his lipsclaimed hers. Angry.Out to prove he

thoughtshewaswrongandhewasright.Hislipswere…

Demanding.

Softening.

Coaxing.

Taking.

Giving.

Allaroundthem,thestormraged.

ThekisswasunlikeanyAmeliahadeverexperienced.Hishandsplayedacrossherback,urgingher

againsthisbodyashepulledherintoaworldshelongedtostayin.

Their bodies fit as if they’d been poured from the same mold. Emotions pummeled her. They

shouldn’t. It was wrong. But if felt right and oh so good. Then Amelia gave up trying to think and

gaveintothefeelofhislipsonhers.Sheslidherarmsuparoundhisneckandpressedintohim.

Chadabruptlypulledhisheadback,hisbreathinguneven.“Amelia…”

“Iknow…”She’dbeenabouttosaythekisshadrockedhertoo,butbeforeshecould,hedestroyed

thehazeofdesiresurroundingher.

“Thatwasamistake,”hesaidinaflatvoice.

Sheblinkedandexhaled,notknowingwhattosaytothat.Howcouldhesoquicklytossasidethe

kiss?Friendsdidnotkissfriendsthatway.

“Idon’tunderstandwhatjusthappened.OnesecondwewerearguingandInevermeanttokissyou.

Idon’t…Imean…”

“Forget it,” she snapped, turning away from him. In the dim, rainy light, he couldn’t see her

confusion, but she felt it down to the marrow in her bones. Everything was wrong now. She knew

Chad.He’dwanttosweepthekissundertherugandpretendithadn’thappenedbecausekissingabest

friendsureashellwasn’tinanyofhisplans.Nomatterhowmuchhe’dseemedtoenjoyit.

“Weshouldgo,”hesaidquietly,histonenotdisplayinganyhintofhowhefelt.

Amazed her own voice sounded so normal, she pointed the direction they’d come from. “Looks

liketherainhasputthefireout.Doyouwanttogoback?”

“No. We don’t need to risk inhaling any more smoke fumes and we don’t know if the cabin is

structurally sound. The other cabin should be around the next bend. If not, we’re going to have to

deviseawaytofindshelterinthewoods.I’mgettingtoocold.”

Cold? How could he be cold? Amelia’s insides were still on fire from the kiss. Her lips tingled

fromthetasteofhis.

“IthinkIseesomething,”Chadsaidasthestormcontinuedtoquietandtherainnowfellinasoft

drizzle.

Amelia peered into the short distance. She saw a cabin similar to the one her grandfather had

purchased.Thiscabinhadalongerporchandsportedseverallargefernshangingacrossthefront.

Shenodded.“That’stheplacewedrovepast.Iremembertheplants.”

The rain started falling harder again. Hand in hand, they made a run for the cabin’s front porch,

arrivingbreathlessandshivering.

Chadpoundedonthethickdoorwithaclosedfist.“Anyonehome?”Wipingatasmallwindow,he

triedtopeerthroughthedirtyglassintothedarkenedcabin.“Idon’tthinkthere’sanyonehere.Ican’t

seealightoranymovement.”Heshivered,histeethbeginningtoclicktogether.

“IshouldhavegrabbedjacketsbeforeleavingSweetCreek.Ididn’texpectthetemperaturestobeso

muchlowerinthemountains.Nottomention,Ithoughtwe’dbeinside,notoutsideinamonsoon,”

shesaid,easingevenclosertohim.Theyneededtosharebodyheat.“We’llhavetobreakin.”

“Lessthantwenty-fourhoursinyourcompanyandyou’resteeringmedownacriminalpath.”

“AreyougoingtobreakinoramI?”sheasked,mentallykickingherselfforthesituationtheywere

in.Theyweremilesfromthenexthome.Besides,shedidn’twanttoroamaroundinthedark.Bears

and other animals that might see them as a tasty dinner inhabited the woods. Poisonous snakes

slitheredaroundoutthereaswell.Nothanks!

Theywouldn’tbestuckinastorm,ifnotforher.WhenitcametoChad,themoreshetriedtohelp,

themoreshemessedthingsup.Theonlydifferenceshe’dmadeinhislifesincestoppingthewedding

wastomakeitworse.

Thiswaswhyitwasalwaysbettertokeepmoving.Ifshedidn’tgettooentrenchedinasituation,

thenshedidn’thavetoworryaboutthefallout.Shedidn’thavepeopledependingonher,sotherewas

nowayshecouldletthemdown.

Hedartedbackdownthestepstopickuparock.“Standback.”Heslammeditagainstthewindow

andtheglassshattered.

Whentheshardsstoppedfalling,hereachedinthroughthespacehe’dcreatedandliftedthewindow

latch.“Holdthewindowup,I’llgoinfirst.”

“Becareful.Theremightbedogs.”

“Great,” Chad grumbled. “Just what I need. To be wet and mauled.” He whistled, waited for a

moment,thenheftedhimselfoverthewindowsillanddisappearedfromview.

Amelia could hear his footsteps crunching around on the broken glass before he unlocked and

swungthedooropen.“Nopowerhereeither.”

“Thinkweshouldstartafire?”shequipped.

“Very funny.” Chad groped his way in the dark and Amelia heard his muffled exclamation as his

footconnectedwithsomethingsolid.

Apause,then,“There’sonebedroomandIfoundthebed.Judgingfromthethrobbinginmyfoot,

I’dsayit’smadeofiron.Blanketssmellalittlemusty,butatleastwecangetinandwe’llbewarmand

dry.”

“Thinktheownerswillmindthebreak-in?”AmeliamadeherwaytowardChad’svoiceandbumped

intohim.

Hishandsdroppedtoherhipstosteadyherandshewasthankfulforthedarkness.Hecouldn’tsee

theflushthatshefeltcreepuphercheeks.

“Ithinkthey’llunderstand.AndIcanfinanciallycompensatethemforanydamages.”

Hequicklyloweredhishandsandbackedup.“Besides,didn’tyousaythiswastheFosters’home?

LetmeseeifIcanfindaphone.”

“IthinkitcouldbetheFosters’home.Ihavenoideaifitactuallyis.”

“You…you know what…never mind.” Chad rejoined her in the living room, fumbling over

furniture.Somethingheavyfellandhitthefloor.“Ifoundaphone.”

Sheheardthehopeinhisvoicefollowedbydisappointmentwhenhesaid,“Damncordlessphones.

Completelyuselessinapoweroutage.”

Hemovedabouttheroomandadoorcreakedopen.

“Thepantryhassomecannedgoodsinit,butIcan’ttellwhattheyare.There’sasmallbathroom

and I felt towels on a shelf in there. So when it gets light out tomorrow we can eat. I’ll try to find

somematchesandcandlesoraflashlight.”

Guilt arrived and sat heavily on Amelia’s shoulders. “Well, if you find some light, we can take a

shower before we get into bed,” Amelia said, determined to take charge of the situation and force

everythingtoturnoutright.

“Andyoudidn’tevenbuymedinnerfirst,”Chadteased,mimickingaprudishvoice.

“EvenwithyourgoodsenseofhumorI’msurprisedyoucanjokeaboutthis.”

“HowcanInot?Allinoneday,I’vebeenkidnappedfrommywedding,seenmylimotrashedbya

falling tree, fled a burning cabin, and walked in the worst storm I’ve ever witnessed. And let’s not

forgetmyfirstforayintobreakingandentering.IfIwasn’tsuchalevelheadedguy,Icoulddevelop

someseriousissues.”

Amelia swatted at him. “I’m going to undress and leave my clothes in here so they don’t wet the

bathroomfloorandmakemeslip.PassmeablanketandturnaroundwhileItakemyclothesoff.”

“Ican’texactlyseeyouclearlyinthissmallamountoflight,Ame.”

“Chad…”

“I’mturning.”

Shequicklyshedthewetclothingandwrappedherselfinthescratchyblanket,tuckingitaroundher.

Fumblingforwardafewsteps,shespreadherclothesoutonthebackofachairwheretheypromptly

begantodriponthefloor.

“Don’ttakeallthehotwater,”hesaid.

“You know I never do,” she grumbled and lightly moved her fingertips over the wall until she

reachedthebathroom.Shemanagedtolocateoneofthetowelsandanunopenedbarofsoap.Sure,

thiscabinwasn’ttheHiltoneither,buttheywereoutofthestormandhadaplacetosleep.

Sheshoweredquickly,toweledoff,andthencoveredherselfwiththeblanketagain.

“Your turn,” she said and felt along until her hand bumped against the bed. She climbed onto the

lumpy mattress. She scooted and turned with her face toward the wall. The springs squeaked and

groanedasshemoved.

Chad’swetclothingrustledasheremovedthemandsheconcentratedbyrunningthroughherto-do

list.

Gethome.Checkhere-mailtoseeiftheeditorofthetravelmagazinehadlikedthephotosshe’d

takenofthevacationgetawayinFlorida.

Bookthenextflightoutoftownsoshecouldgetbacktowork.TrytostayoutofChad’slifesince

she’dmadesuchamessofit.

Trytoforgetthekissthey’dshared.

Afewminutes later,sheheard theshowerwater startup. Flowing over Chad… He was a good…

no…agreatkisser.Whatelsewouldhebegreatat?

Sheslappedherforehead.Wasshecomingdownwithacaseoflost-her-mind?Sheneededtothink

friendthoughts.GotoherZenplace.Butshecouldn’tshakethatkiss.

HerZenplacedissipatedlikefoginthesunwhenthebeddippedandChadclimbedinbesideher.

They’dsleptinthesamebednumeroustimesthroughtheyears.Sharedatenteverysummercamping

outwiththeirfamilies.Thiswasthesame.Nobigdeal.Exceptthatitwas,now.

Theheatfromhisbodyreachedouttoher,gleefullywhisperingtohertocomecloser.Uh-oh.Little

dealmorphingintobigdeal.Whatwaswrongwithher?Concentrate.

Shewastired.Thatmustbeit.Sheneededsleep.

No,sheneededtobeabiggirlandfacethefactsshedidn’twanttoface.She’dnevergottenover

hercrushonChad.Shewasstillattractedtohim.

Asifhecouldreadhermind,Chadshiftedclosertotheedgeofthebed,movingawayfromher.“I

suggestwetrytogetsomerest.Tomorrow,we’vegottofigureouthowtofindawaybackhome.”

“Back to Claire and the business wedding?” She waited, hoping he’d at least consider not going

through with the ceremony. That he’d say this time spent with her had caused him to see his future

differently.Thathe’dsayshewasrightabouthim,andheneededtolivethelifehewantedinsteadof

theonethathadbeenorderedforhim.

“Yes. I told you. I have responsibilities. I can’t just ride off into the sunset and pretend they don’t

existthewaythatyoudo.”Therewasnohumorinhisvoice.

“That’snotwhatIdowithmylife.”

“Youtakechancesasifyou’retryingtopaysomekindofpenanceforyourparents’deaths.You’ve

beentryingtorunawayfromSweetCreekeversincetheywerekilledinthataccident,Ame,adopting

this ‘live free in case you die young’ attitude, and we both know it. Like you have to make up for

everythingtheymissedbydyingearly.”

This time it was her voice that was strained. “I’m not running.” Amelia was quiet, her heart still

scarredfromtheworstnightofherlife.Thecaraccidentthathadkilledhermotherandfatherhad

happenedrightbeforeshewasabouttoenterfifthgrade.

Chadhadpedaledhisbicycleovertoherhouse,climbedthestairstoherroom,andsatbesideher

theentirenightwithoutsayingaword,tearstricklingdownhisyoungface.

Oncedaybreakhadcome,he’dleftbecauseshe’dfinallybeenabletosleep,buthe’dreturnedagain

thenextnightanddonethesameuntilshe’dburrowedherheadagainsthisshoulderandsobbed.

He’d patted her back awkwardly, his presence giving her comfort. The kindness of the boy still

existedinthemantoday,andhedidn’tdeservetobestuckwithsomeonelikeClaire.

“Thatkiss…itwasgood,”shesaid.

Afteralongpause,hesighedinthedark,andhisbreathstirredthesideofherhair.“Itwas.”

“DidyoueverwonderifyouandI…”

“No,” he said quickly. Then a heartbeat later, “Maybe. Once or twice. You look damn good in a

bikiniandI’mnosaint.Butwe’rejusttoodifferent.Wewoulddestroyeachother.”

“Iknowthat.Ionlywonderedifyouhadwondered.BecauseIhad.”

“Jeez, Ame. Good night, okay? Try not to cause trouble while I sleep, will you?” He shifted his

weightonthemattress,turninghisbacktowardher.

“Veryfunny.Whatcouldpossiblygowrong?”sheteased,tryingtolightenthemood.

Hegroaned.“Don’ttemptfate.”

“Okay,okay.Goodnight.”Ameliawaiteduntilhewasstillandthenshiftedherownweight.

She was still annoyed with Chad’s accusation that she was a runner. Just because she wanted to

experiencelifetothefullest,tonotgettieddowntoanythingfortoolonglestshemissallthatthe

worldhadtooffer,didn’tmeanChadwasrightabouther.She’dseenherparents’livescutshortbya

caraccident.Seenhowmuchthey’dmissedoutonbydyingyoung.

Sheowedittoherselftolivelifetothefullest.Sheowedittothem.She’dpromisedwiththevow

she’dmadeattheirgravesiteonhereighteenthbirthdaythatshewouldleadafulfillinglife.

Andthatmeanttakingchances.Chanceslikespontaneouslykissingsomeone.

No,notjustsomeone.

Chad.

SherememberedChad’shandsonherwaist,pressinghertohim.Hismouthwarmagainsthers.

Ameliagroanedandshefelthimturntofaceherinthedark.

“What’swrong?”

They’dalwaysbeenhonestwitheachothersoshespoketruthfully.“Iwasthinkingaboutthekiss.”

Silence.

“Chad?”

“Gotosleep,Ame.”Hisvoicewaslowandinsistent.Almostangry.

“You kissed me and it was good. You said so yourself. Isn’t that just further proof you shouldn’t

marryClaire?”Sheheldherbreath.

“No. You’re tired and not thinking clearly. I’m marrying Claire and nothing you say will change

mymind.Now,please,gotosleep.”

Disappointmentwashedoverher.She’dknownthewholegroomnappingschemehadbeenalong

shot,buthiswordsstillstung.

Theword“failure”hoppedaroundinhermindlikeagroupofchoreographeddancers.Hewanted

thebusinessmarriage;whatelsewasleftforhertodo?

And the kiss they shared? It’d be like it never happened. The questions the kiss had raised in her

mindwouldhavetoremainquestions.Therewouldneverbeasecondone.

Tomorrow, once they were home, she’d have to watch him marry that horrible witch. Watch the

other woman’s shark teeth gleam as she hovered at the altar, smelling the scent of Chad’s money

whilethethemefromJawsplayedastheirweddingmusic.

NowaycouldshestayintownandwatchClairegoonafeedingfrenzywithChad’smoneywhile

caringnothingforhisheart.Butshecouldn’tleave.

Shecouldn’tturnhimovertoClaireknowinghowthatwomanwouldcrushhim.

Sotheonlyquestionlefttoaskwas,whatthehellwasshegoingtodonow?

ChapterFour

Chadawakenedbeforedawnthenextmorning,thecompletestillnessbreakinghissleep.Hewasused

tothesoundsattheestatehesharedwithhisgrandfather.Thesoundofmaidschattering,thehorses

nickeringinthedistance,thecallofthegardenerstooneanother.

Heshiftedawayfromalumpyareaofthebedwhiletryingtoorienthimself.Clarityreturnedwitha

rushandhebecameawareofthreethingssimultaneously.Theeventsofthenightbefore,thestiffness

inhismuscles,andAmelia’swarmthsnuggledagainsthim.Hernearnessshouldn’tdisturbhispeace

ofmind,butitdid.Andhecouldn’taffordforittoaffecthim.

Howhadthingsgottensoofftrack?Onesecond,hislifewasrunningsmoothly,rightasplanned,

andthenext,Ameliablewintotownlikeahurricaneandutterchaosfollowed.

She murmured in her sleep, shifting closer, and he stilled. Lately, it felt as if he were just now

seeingher.Shewasoneoftheguysoneminute…andabeautifulwomanthenext.

He thought of the way she’d felt in his arms, and the desire to kiss her awake became a raging

forestfireinhim.Hebitoffagroan.

Don’tbestupid.

Nothing good could come of it, and if he didn’t get out of the cabin right now, he was going to

crossalinehe’dswornnevertocross.

Heeasedupinthebed,carefulnottodisturbher,andswungonebarelegfrombeneaththeblanket.

Hismovementstirredherawakeandshesmiledupathim.Iftheyweren’topposites,iftherewasn’t

somuchatstake…

“Youlookdeepinthought.”Ameliastruggledtositupwhilekeepingtheblankettuckedaroundher.

Sherubbedhereyesandyawned.

“Yeah.Youwantthebathroomfirst?”

“Yougoahead.I’mstilltryingtowakeup.”

Chad extracted himself from the blanket and grabbed his still-damp clothes. Dressing quickly, he

headedintothebathroom.Hefeltthepocketofhispantsandthenrememberedhedidn’thavehisday

plannerwithhim.Nolisttofollowatthemoment,nothingontheagendaexceptgettingthehelloutof

Dodge.OncehewasbackinSweetCreek,hemightevenfindallthisamusing.Hethoughtofthelimo.

OfthewhininghewasgoingtohearfromClaire.Thenagain,maybeamusingwasastretch.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, Amelia was already dressed and there was a gleam in her

eyesthatherecognized.

Heheldhishandsup.“No,Amelia.Iknowwhatyou’rethinking.”

“Oneday.Onecompletelyunstructureddaytoprovethatplansandschedulesaren’tyourballand

chain.”

“Anddowhat?Stayhere?”Hisexpressionrevealedwhathethoughtofthat.

“Yes.Icheckedthepantryandthere’senoughfoodforacoupleofdays.Webothliveprettybusy

lives.Thiscouldbeourlastvacationtogether.”

“ButClaire…”

“Trust me, she’s painted a bull’s-eye on your bank account. She’ll go through with the wedding

wheneveryouscheduleit.”

“Ourfamilies…”

“Knowwe’retogether.You’reoutofexcuses.”Shefoldedherarms.“Idareyoutobespontaneous

foratleasttwenty-fourhours,tofindthewilltoblowoffeverythingbutlivinginthemoment.”She

smirked.“Isawyouswallow.Terrifiesyou,doesn’tit?”

“No,itdoesn’t.It’snotpractical.”

“Exactly.I’llbetyoucan’tdoit.”

Heraisedaneyebrow.“AndwhatdoIgetinreturnifIagreeandwinthedare?”

“Whatdoyouwant?”

Hisgazedriftedoverherandheswallowedagain.“Uh…wecandecidethatafterward.”

Sheheldoutherhandandhereluctantlyshookit.“Thenit’sadeal.”Shebeamedathim.“Twenty-

fourhourswithnoschedule,norules.Anythinggoes.”

Hestartedunbuttoninghisshirt,smilingwhenhermouthdroppedopen.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Ifanythinggoes,I’mgoingtolookforsomethingcomfortabletowear.Youin?”

“Iamsoin.”ShelaughedandChadmarveledathowfreeshesounded.Whenwasthelasttimethe

twoofthemhadlaughedtogether?

Inthecloset,Chadfoundapairofjeansthatfitotherthanbeingtoolong.Herolleduptheendsand

thenfoundanoldsweatshirt.Oncehechanged,hecalledouttoAmelia.

Amelialocatedapairofpantsanddisappearedintothebathroom.Whensheexited,shesaid.“Well,

whatdoyouthink?”

Themen’sjeanssheworeweretightlycinchedatthewaistwithabelt.Shewiggledherbaretoes.“I

couldn’tfindashirtthatdidn’tmakemelooklikeakidplayingdress-upsoI’llwearmyown.AmIa

fashionstatementorwhat?”

“You look good in anything.” He reached out to pluck a piece of fuzz from her hair. “I always

thoughtyouweretheprettiestgirlinhighschool.”

“Didyouwonderaboutusbackthen?”

“Iwasateenageboy,Ame.Therewasn’tagirlinatwenty-mileradiusthatIdidn’twonderabout.”

“Sexandsports.Allthat’sneededtosatisfyaman,”Ameliasaid.

“Youforgottolistfood.”

“Oh,that’sright.Slatheritingravyandyouearnaman’sundyinglove.”

Hewinkedatherandgaveanexaggeratedleer.“Youknowit,babe.”

Sheswattedhisarm.“YouknowIdon’tlikethat.”

Chadgaveheralonglook.“Iknowallaboutyourlikesanddislikes.”Heshookhishead.“Let’sgo

forahike.”

TheyheadedintothewoodsbehindthecabinandChadwasastonishedathowrestfultheareawas.

Sunlightdappledthroughthetreesandbirdstrilledtooneanother.Whenwasthelasttimehe’dgone

forawalkanywhere?WasAmeliaright?Hadhebecomesobusyearningaliving,he’dpushedaside

living?Thethoughtdisturbedhim.

…

“Shhh…wait.”Ameliagrabbedhisarmandpointed.

Aheadofthemadeerbentitsheadandnibbledattheground.Sheturnedherheadslightlytoseehis

reaction. His face was minus the usual all-business expression. He looked relaxed, his lips curved

slightlyupwardinahintofasmile.Hedrewhisgazetoherandthat’swheneverythingwentwrong

withhowshe’dalwaysviewedChad.The“justfriends”foundationcrackedlikecheapplasterunder

theedgeofachisel.

Helookedatherinawayshecouldn’tquitedefine.

Shelethergazeroamoverhim.Tohissun-kissedhair,tothehardjawline,themuscledbodyshe’d

gottenaquickpeekatwhenhe’dgottenupthismorning.

“Weshouldkeepwalking,”hesaid,hisexpressionslippingbackintobusinessmode.

“Yousoundangry,”Ameliasaidastheystartedmovingagain.

“I’mnotangry.”Heblewoutabreathastheycircledaroundaclusterofthickbrush.

“Thenwhat?”

“I’mthinkingthisisn’tagoodidea.”

Sheslidalittleonthewetgroundandheimmediatelyreachedoutandgrabbedherarm,pullingher

to a stop. “Thanks.” Edging along, she took care where she put her feet this time. “The hike? Or

stayingatthecabinanotherday?”

“Both.Thegroundistooslippery.”

“Thecabinisn’t.”Shelaughedandreachedasmallclearingbeforeturningtofacehim.“Admitit.I

wasright.Youcan’tevenmakeitanhourbeingspontaneous.”

“Iadmitit.”

Thatdidn’tmakeherfeelbetter.“You’veforgottenhowtohavefunandyou’reokaywithit.”

“Iguessso.”Hejerkedhishead.“Cabin’sthisway.”

Amelialookedawayfromtheintensityofhiseyes.Damnhimforbeinginsuchabadsituationand

lookingsogood.“Yougoback.I’mgoingon.”

“That’sthestoryofourlives.Yougoon.Istaybehind.”

“Bychoice,Chad.”

“Jeff Key has a wife and three small children. One of them has an autoimmune disease. Angela

Pressmanisasinglemomwhojustboughtanewhouseforherselfandhersons.”

Notunderstanding,Ameliafrowned.“And?”

“Theyworkforme.IfI’mnotresponsible…ifsomethinghappenstothecompany,itimpactstheir

livesaswellasmine.Tellmehowthehellthatleavesmewithalotofchoiceotherthanworkingmy

assofftomakesurethecompanysucceeds.”

“It’scalledbalance.Youcanstillhavefuninlifewhilebeingresponsible.Youcanrunabusiness

andbespontaneous.”

“Andyouwouldrecognizeresponsibilityhow?”

Ameliadrewback.“Thatsoundslikeaninsult.”

“Itwasn’tmeanttobe.ButmyGod,Ame.Youshyawayfromresponsibilitylikeit’sadisease.That

drivesmeabsolutelycrazy.It’sjustoneofthemanywayswe’resodamnedopposite.”

Shenarrowedhereyes.“You’retryingtodeflect.”

Hisclenchedjawtoldhershe’dhitonsomething.“I’mgoing.Areyoucoming?”

“No.”

“It’snotsafeinthewoodsalone.Youcouldfallandgetinjured.”

“Icouldalsoenjoythewalkandexperiencenewthings,”shesaid.

“Dammit,Ame.You’redeliberatelytryingtogetundermyskin.Whatthehelldoyouwantfrom

me?”

“Idon’twantanythingfromyou.Iwantgoodthingsforyou.”

“AndIwantthesameforyou.”Heheldouthishand.“Please.Comebacktothecabinandwe’llget

readytofindaphone.”

Shecrossedherarms.“I’mstaying.”

Heloweredhishand.“Ican’tleavethecabinknowingthatyoudon’thaveanyelectricityoraway

tocallforhelpifyouneedsomething.”

“ItravelallovertheworldandI’vebeeninworsesituations.Icantakecareofmyself.”

“Iwon’tleaveyoubehind.”

“You think marrying Claire won’t leave me behind? She’s not going to allow you to have me in

yourlife.”

Hisexpressionsoftened.“Isthatwhatthisisabout?You’reworriedaboutbeingcutoutofmylife?”

He moved closer and took her in his arms, smiling down at her. “That’s not going to happen.” He

liftedherchinwiththesideofhisfinger.“Ipromise.”

Shefeltajoltathistouch.“Thisisn’taboutme.”Shesteppedawayfromhim.“Thethoughtofyou

endingupwithoutloveinyourlifehurtsme.”

“I’m a big boy. I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat and plucked a leaf from a low-hanging tree

branch.

“Youwon’tknowyou’renotfine.You’llendupanoldmanwithallthejoysuckedrightoutofyou

byvampireClaire.”

Chadlaughed.“Sonowshe’savampire?”

“Ifthefangsfit…”

“You’regrasping.”

“Haven’tyoueverheardofemotionalvampires?”

“Whatever,Ame.I’mnotgoingtostandhereandlistentoyoutellmehowbadyouthinkmylife

willbe.Youwanttokeepwalkingorwhat?”

“Ithoughtyouwantedtoleave.”

“Ido,butnotwithoutyou.”Heflexedhisbiceps.“Ihavetostayandkeepthelittlewomansafe.”

Shelaughed.“Yeah,right.”

“Seriously,Iknowyoucantakecareofyourself,butI’mstaying.”

“Okay,butifyoustickaround,aren’tyouafraidthatI’llhaveyourightwhereIwantyou,babe?”

Shewinkedandpattedhimontheass.

Hegrabbedherhand.“Don’tstartafireyoucan’tputout.”

Shegrinnedandfollowedhimbackthewaythey’dcome.“LasttimeIletnaturetakeitscourseand

thefirewentout.”

“Thatwasoldwood.Couldn’tkeepthefiregoingunderthepressureoftherain.”

“Soit’sthematerialthatmatters.”

“Youknowit,babe.”

Shecaughtuptohimandbumpedhisshoulderbeforeshestartedrunning.“Raceyoubacktothe

cabin.Losercooksandcleansupthekitchenafterweeat.”

“It’sawoman’sjobtocleanthekitchen,”heyelledatherretreatingback.

Ameliastoppedrunningandturnedtofacehim.“Youchauvinisticpig.Doyoureallybelievethat?”

Heranpasther.“Nope.Ibelieveinwinning.”

Annoyed,sheracedafterhim.“Youcheat.”Shereachedthecabinafewsecondsafterhedid.“That

wassuchajerkthingtodo.”

“You’rejustmadyoudidn’tthinkofitfirst.”

“I didn’t have to. I was winning.” She wiped her shoes on the doormat and led the way into the

cabin.

“Sureyouwere.Gomakemyfood,woman.”

Sheputherhandsonherhips.“Youwanttotrythatagain?”

Helaughed.“Comeon.I’llhelpyou.”

Theysearchedthepantryandfoundacanofstew.“I’llwatchit.Youburnedthesoupyesterday.”

“Onlybecause…”Helapsedintosilence.

Onlybecausehe’dalmostkissedherthen.

ChapterFive

Thenextmorning,Chadwokewithasoreneck.He’dheldhimselfstifflyawayfromAmeliainthe

bed because the day before had felt eerily right. Being with her felt right, which was one of the

reasonshe’dstayedinsteadofleaving.They’deatensupperontheporch,watchingasthedaylighthad

concededtotheevening.PlayednumerousroundsofcheckersuntilAmeliagotannoyedatherlosing

streak.Talkedabouteverythingunderthesun.Exceptforwhatwasonbothoftheirminds.Thatkiss.

Thatdamnmind-blowingkiss.

He’dfeltlikeaninexperiencedteenageboyagain.Hopingtogetluckyandnotknowingwhattodo

ifhedid.

Butthislittlebreakfromrealitywasallover.Today,hewouldgohomeandgetbacktohisplans.

Hewouldtieupthelooseendshereandthey’dbeontheirway.

Heheardnoisesasecondbeforethefrontdoorwasflungopen,crashingagainstthewallbehindit,

then footsteps came into the cabin. He turned toward the doorway of the bedroom and faced the

shockedexpressionofamiddle-agedmanwhodidn’tlookhappytoseehim.

“Whatthehellisthis?”

“Icanexplain.”

Theman’sexpressiondarkened.“You’vegottenseconds.”

Chad introduced himself and quickly explained the situation. He rattled off his grandfather ’s cell

phonenumber.“Ifyoucallhim,hecanverifywhatI’msaying.”

“Uh-huh. I don’t give a damn who he is. I’m Mark Olsen, owner of this cabin and sheriff of

HoneymoonHills.Igotaphonecallaboutsuspiciousactivityintheareaandhereyouare.Nowget

upandgetdressed.”

Great.Ofallthecabins,theyhadtobreakintooneownedbysomeoneinlawenforcement.

Beside Chad, Amelia jolted awake. He felt her tense when she spotted the sheriff. She scrambled

intoanuprightpositionandheldtheblanketuptoherneck,herhairfallingintoriotouswavesaround

herface.

SheblinkedandlookedatChad,thenbackatthesheriff.

“Wecanexplain,”shesaid,echoingChad’searlierwords.

The sheriff looked pointedly at the clothes they’d rinsed out and hung to dry on the back of the

chair.“IthinkIgetthepicture.”

Amelia’sfacefloodedwithcolor“Iknowhowthismustlook…”

Thesheriffwavedoffherattempttospeak.“You’llneedtocomedowntothestationwithmeand

thenI’llprobablyarrestbothofyou.”

Chad wrapped an arm around Amelia’s shoulders and held out a hand in protest. “Hang on a

second.Arrest?Onwhatgrounds?”

“Forarson.Breakingandentering.”Thesheriffpaused,allowinghiswordstosinkin.

“Arson?Butthefirewasanaccident!”Ameliaprotested,hitchingtheblanketuphigher.

“Accident?Isupposebreakingintothiscabinwasanaccident,too?”thesheriffsaid.

“No,wemeanttobreakintothecabin,”Ameliasaid.

Chadgroanedandshotheroneofhisplease-let-me-handle-thislooks.“Sheriff,Ialreadyexplained

whathappened.”

“Youdid,butI’mnotbuyingit.Getoutside.You’vegottwominutes.”

When the sheriff exited, Chad pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering in a low voice. “I don’t

believethis.”

Ameliasaid,“Well…thatcertainlyisauniquewaytogetjerkedfromasoundsleep.”Holdingthe

blanketwithonehand,shepointedtoherclotheswiththeother.“Tossmethose,willyou?”

Chadgraspedherwrist,feelingangerpumpthroughhisveins.“Doyouhaveanyideahowmuch

troubleyou’vestirredupthistime?”

Ameliatuggedfreeandrolledhereyes.“Willyourelax?Thissituationdoesn’thavetogetblown

outofproportion.”

“Duetowhatyou’vedraggedmeintolately,Idon’tknowthatit’swiseformetoevenask,butwhat

doyousuggestwedo?”

“Simple.We’llgowiththesheriff.I’vetalkedmywayoutofworsethanthisbefore.”

“Idon’tevenwanttoknowwhatyou’rereferringtothatcouldbeworsethanthisandIdon’tknow

ifitescapedyournotice,buthedidn’tlookliketheneighborhoodwelcomewagon.”

“I’llhandleit.”

“Ame,don’tmakethisanyworsethanitis.”

“Howcoulditgetworse?”

Chadgroaned.“Famouslastwords.”

Whentheyweredressedandwentoutside,thesheriffmotionedthemforward.“Let’sheadintothe

businessdistrictofHoneymoonHills,folks.”

Chad’sbrowsrose.

“You plan to arrest us, then?” He kept his hand on Amelia’s back as they walked to the waiting

policecar.

“Nope.Whileyouweregettingdressed,Icalledyourgrandfather.Hebackedyourstoryandhe’s

onhiswaywithyour”—heshotalookatAmelia—“friend’sgrandfather.”

Relief flowed through him and Chad hung back while the sheriff opened the back of the car and

Amelia slid in. “Then there’s no need for you to give us a lift into town. We can wait here if that’s

okay.There’splentyofroominthecarwithourgrandfathers.Wecanridetotheairportwiththem.”

“Airport?That’snottheplan.”Thesheriffleanedagainsttheopendoor,crossinghisarmsoverthe

top.

Chadfrowned,notunderstanding.“Thenwhat’sgoingon?”

“We’remeetingyourgrandfathersattheweddingchapelinthemainsquareofHoneymoonHills,

wherethetwoofyouwillbemarried.”

ChapterSix

When they were on their way into town, the sheriff passed a cell phone back to Chad. “Your

grandfatherwantsyoutocallhim.”

Chad dialed quickly and Amelia watched his expression change from astonishment to anger and

finallyresignation.“Sothat’sit,then?Theywon’tlistentoreason?”

When he finished the call, he passed the phone back to the sheriff and muttered in disbelief.

“There’snowayout.”

“What?Nowayout?”Ameliaaskedinalarm.

“Claire’sgone.SheleftafterIcalledherattherestareawhenwewereonourwayuphere.”

Ameliatriedtohidethegleeshefeltathisannouncement.Hedidn’tseeitnow,butintheend,not

marryingClairewouldbethebestthingthathappened.Shetouchedthebackofhishand.“I’msorry.”

Heturnedtoher,pinningherwithahardstare.“Notassorryasyou’regoingtobe.”

“What?”

“YouandIaregettingmarried.”

She laughed and bumped his shoulder. “That’s funny.” Her laughter faded when his stare didn’t

waver.“You’renotbeingserious?”

“Painfullyserious.”

Ameliagasped.“Why?What?Youandme?Noteven.”

“Mygrandfatherexplainedthattheboardconvenedaspecialmeeting.They’retryingtoousthimas

wespeakandappointsomeonetotakehisplace.IfIdon’ttakecontrolofthecompany,forthefirst

timeinfiftyyears,WalkerIndustrieswillberunbysomeoneoutsideofthefamily.”

“Howdoesmemarryingyouhelp?”

“Despitewhattheboardisdoing,mygrandfatherwon’tgivemethesharesunlessIdo.He’swilling

toletgoofthecompanyifIdon’tmarry.”

“No!Yourgrandfathercan’tbethatcontrolling.I’veknownhimforyears.”

“Yes.”

“Chad…Ican’t…wecan’t…”

“Idon’thaveachoiceifIwanttosavethecompany.AndsinceClaire’stakingoffisyourfault,you

owemeyourhelp.YouandIaregettingmarriedtoday.”

Going to get married? Amelia leaned her back against the seat and closed her eyes, feeling as if

she’dsetanavalancheofeventsinmotionandcouldn’tgetoutofthewayintime.

ShecouldhearChad’sdeepbreathsbesideher,ahabithehadwhenhewastryingtomakesurehe

didn’tsaysomethinghewouldlaterregret.

“Ican’tbelievethis.Nowwhat?”

Rubbingherforehead,Ameliasaid,“Well,Inoticedthedoorsaren’tlocked.Whenwe’reatastop

signoratrafficlight,wecanbustoutofhereandmakearunforit.”

Hewhippedhisheadaroundtostareather.“Runfromthesheriff?Areyouserious?Youwantto

becomefugitivesfromMayberry?”

Whenshenoddedherhead,headded,“Howcanyoujokeaboutthis?”

“BecauseIbelieveeverythingalwaysworksoutintheend.”Ameliaofferedatentativesmile,buthe

didn’t respond. “Besides, we need a marriage license, and unless I’m sorely mistaken, your

grandfathercan’tinstantlyproduceone.Sononeedtostressoutjustyet.”

Hegroanedandrubbedthebackofhisneckangrily,“Amelia,I’mafraidyourpositiveattitudeisn’t

goingtohelpusrightnow.Noteverythingisglass-half-full.Thisisonemessyou’vecreatedthatyou

can’tgeteitherofusoutof.”

“There’s always hope for every situation, no matter how dark it appears to be at first glance,”

Ameliaargued.

ChadclampedhislipstogetherandAmeliadidthesame,knowingthatnothingshesaidwouldmake

adifference.Whatcouldshesay?She’dstoppedhisweddingonlytodraghimkickingandscreaming

tothealtarforanotherone?

Ifthesituationweren’tsodireandiftheyendedupgettingoutofthis,theycouldhaveagoodlaugh

aboutitlater.

Ifnot,theymayendupneverspeakingagain.

No, this was going to be okay. No matter what. She wasn’t going to let Chad’s doubts and fears

creepintoherhead.Afterall,theyonlylivedonce!Andtherewasstilltheissueofthelicense.

Sowhywereherinsidesrioting?

Twentyminuteslater,thecarstoppedbeforeatownsquare.Alawyer ’soffice,amedicalpractice,

andadentist’sofficeweretuckedinoneofthebuildings.Besidethatbuilding,therewasaDepartment

ofMotorVehiclesoffice.Rightacrossthestreetwasarepairshopandagasstation.

Fartherdownthestreet,Amelianoticedasmalltheateradvertisingthelatestmoviereleases.

Asamoviebuff,Ameliacouldhaveappreciatedspendinganafternooncatchingoneortwoofthe

new releases. Not today, though. Too much spinning in her head. She couldn’t formulate a good

escapeplanwithallthispressure.

The sheriff pulled the car to a stop in front of his office. He got out and opened the rear door,

motioningthembothoutwithajerkofhisthumb.“We’llwaitinsideforyourgrandfather.Hesaidit

wouldtakehimacoupleofhourstoarrive.”

ChadandAmeliawalkedintothesmallofficewhereawomanlookedupfromadesk.Sheraised

hereyebrowsquestioninglyatthesheriff.“Doris,thesetwoaregoingtowaitoverthere.”Hepointed

toawaitingareaofftooneside.

Ameliasettledherselfonthehardplasticchairandcrossedherlegs.Thenuncrossedthem.Tapped

herfoot.Lookedattheceilingandthenthefloor.Staredatthedroningtelevisionwhereatalkshow

hostrambledon.

“Realizingthatyou’reastrappedasIam?”Chadaskedsoftly.

Ameliablewoutherbreath.“Itfeelssurreal.”Shepushedherhairawayfromherfaceandleaned

backsothatherheadrestedagainsttheconcretewall.“Idon’twanttomarryyou.”

“AndIdon’twanttomarryyou.ButIwillnotlosewhatI’veworkedsodamnhardfor.”Hegotup.

“I’mgoingtoseeifwecangetsomecoffee.”Hewalkeduptothewomanatthedeskandshepointed

toothersideoftheroom.

Amelia bit her lip. Talk about your bad days. She felt itchy all over. The thought of losing her

freedommadeherfeelasifsheweregoingtobreakoutinhivesanysecond.Shesqueezedherknees

tofighttheurgetogetupanddartoutoftheoffice.Deepbreath.Chadneededher.Shecoulddothis.

No,shecouldn’t.

Whenhehandedherasteamingcupofcoffee,shelookedupathim,knowingthepanicwaseasily

readonherface.“Chad…”

He shook his head and resumed his place beside her. “Believe me. If I thought I had any other

option,Iwouldjumponit.”Hesentheraglance.“You’rebreathingheavy.Notgoingtopassout,are

you?”

“Please,”shescoffed.“I’mnotafainter.I’mjusttryingtothinkupasolution.”

“Goodluckwiththat,butafterallthis,youcancountmeoutofanyofyourfutureschemes.Ever.”

“Stopbitchingandhelpmethink.”Shesnappedherfingers.“I’vegotit.Youcanthrowyourselfon

themercyoftheboard.You’vetoldmebeforethattheylikeyou.”

“Theylikemygrandfathertoo,butdon’thaveaproblemwantingtotosshimoutonhisass.What

makesyouthinkthey’dworkwithmeonthis?I’mstillonlyafewyearsoutofbusinessschool.”

“Becauseyou’recharming?Handsome?Persuasive?”

Hesethiscoffeecuponthesmalltablebesidehim.“Thediehasbeencast,Ame.”

Shegotupandpacedtheroom,wavingherhandtocoolherheatedface.“No,no.There’salwaysa

wayout.”Stoppingsuddenly,shefacedhim,hereyeswide.“I’vegottogetoutofhere.”Sheheaded

tothedoorbuthebeathertoit,givingthewomanatthedeskareassuringsmilewhenshefrownedat

them.

Withhisarmwrappedaroundhershoulders,heguidedherbacktothechair.“Takeadeepbreath

andsit.”Hesatbesideher.“Yougivenewmeaningtothetermrunawaybride.”

“Don’tbesononchalantaboutallthis.”Howcouldhebesodamnedcalm?

“What do you want me to do? Beat on my chest? Swing from the light fixture? Tapping into my

innerNeanderthalwon’thelp.”

“Soyou’regoingtoacceptourfate?You’renotevengoingtotrytohelpmecomeupwithaway

out?”Ameliawipedherforehead.Wherewasafairygodmotherwhenyoureallyneededone?

“Nope,I’mnotgoingtohelp.”Hereachedforasectionofthenewspaperandsnappeditopen.

Sheslumpedbackagainsttheseatandwatchedtheclocktickslowlytowardherdoom.Ifshegotout

of this mess, she was going on the straight and narrow. No more interfering in Chad’s life. She’d

becomeabetterperson.Givemoretocharities.Recyclemore.

She looked hopefully out the window. No superhero in the sky to rescue her. Reality was such a

kickintheteeth.Shebitherlip.Whatcouldshedo?Shepressedahandtoherchest.“I’mhavinga

heartattack,”shewhispered.

“No,you’renot.”Chaddidn’tevenlookupfromthepaper.“You’rehavingapanicattackbrought

onbyresponsibilitychargingatyou.”

“Idon’thavepanicattacks.”

“Relax,Ame.Aminivanandtwokidslater,you’llseethelightsideofthis.”Hecastaglanceather.

“Goahead.Yukitup.Haveyouforgottenthatyou’rethegroom?”

“Sticksandstones,mydear.”

Shepusheddownthetopofthepaperandmethisgaze.“That’sallyou’vegot?”

“Prettymuch.”

Sheletgoofthepaper.Itwasgoingtobethelongestdayofherlife.Weddingdress,straitjacket,

same difference. Flowers. Someone droning all that forever and ever stuff that linked one life to

another.

“IfIkickit,saysomenicewordsatmyfuneral,”shesaid.

“I’llevenshedsomemanlytears.”

“Idon’tknowwhyI’mtalkingtoyou,”shesaidandclosedhereyes.Thenopenedthem.

Almost three hours later, Chad’s grandfather Henry Walker and her grandfather Noah Snyder

arrived. When the door of the sheriff’s office closed behind them, there was a long moment of

silence.ThenHenryclearedhisthroat.“Let’sgetthisoverwith.”

HewentinsearchofthesheriffandNoahmovedforward,wrappingAmeliainatighthug.“You

aboutfinishedcreatinghavoc?”

“I’dsaymyworkhereisalmostover,”shesaidinapainedvoice.

Henryreturned.“I’vewrittenacheckpayingforthedamagetothecabin.”Hetuckedhischeckbook

backintohiscoatpocket.“Let’sgetthisweddingoverwithsoyoucangetbacktothecompany.”

Chadstoppedhim.“Didyoutalktotheboard?”

“Iwasabletoreachacoupleofthemembers,butitwasn’tproductive.”

NoahrubbedAmelia’scoldhands.“Wemadetheceremonyarrangementsonthewayhere.There’s

aformal-wearshopacrossthesquare.Aministerwillmeetusatthechapelonceyoutwoarechanged

andready.”

Theyleftthesheriff’sofficeandthebloodpoundedinAmelia’searswitheachsteptheytook.On

thewaytotheformal-wearshop,theypassedasmallweddingchapeltuckedawayonaparcelofland

that bore witness to the recent storm. The tops of colorful pink and white geraniums littered the

sidewalkandoneoftheflowerpotswasoverturnedwithsoilspillingoutontothestreet.

Deepbreath.

AmeliastumbledoveradiponthesidewalkandbumpedagainstChad.“Easy,”hewhispered.

“While you two are getting dressed, we’ll make sure you get some breakfast dropped off at the

shop. We’re going to the courthouse to see about the marriage license. Henry said he knew the

judge…hopefully he can push this through.” Noah patted her hand and said in a firm whisper,

“Everythingwillbeokay.”

Nothingwouldbeokay.Ameliaswallowed,awhirlwindofemotionsraginginsideherheart.

“Well,”Chadsaidastheywalkedawayfromherbeaminggrandfather.“We’renotmarriedyet.You

stilltryingtocomeupwithanescaperoute?”

“I’mwonderingifmaybethestorehasabackexitwecanslipoutof,”Ameliareplied.

“Youcouldbuysometimetoadjusttotheideaofgettingmarriedifyoufaintedatthealtar.”

“My grandfather would wait until I came to, prop me up, and keep right on going,” Amelia

grumbled.

Chadsighed.“Yeah,you’reright.Noah’salwayswantedtohurryupandmarryyouoff.”

“Heworriesaboutme,”Ameliasaidindefenseofhergrandfather.

“Forgoodreason,consideringthelastscrapeyougotinto.”

“Fromadistance,thatalligatorlookedlikeastatue.Ithoughtitwasagreatphotoopportunity.”

“You’llneverhearacautiouspersonsaytheyhadtheirpursetakenbyanalligator.”

“Thingshappen,”shequippedasshestoppedinfrontofthedoor.

“Especiallytoyou.”

Ameliaignoredthatandtouchedthesignonthedoor.“MJFormalWear,”shereadaloud.

“Thisisit.”Hetookabreathandpushedonthedooroftheshop.

Agroupoftinysilverbellschimed.Oncetheycrossedthewelcomemat,twosaleswomenwalked

forwardtogreetthem.

AmeliacaughtonelastglimpseofChadbeforeshewasledawaybyoneofthewomen.“Wehavea

restroominthebackifyouwanttofreshenup.”

“Yes,thankyou.”Ameliatouchedherhair.Sheprobablylookedasthoughshe’djustbeenvotedoff

anisland.Shehadn’tthoughttoevenrunabrushthroughit.

Afewmomentslater,lookingatherflushedfaceintherestroommirror,Ameliaslowlyremoved

thebrushfromherpurseandwenttoworkonhertangledhair.

Setting the brush down on the side of the sink, she made a face at herself and said out loud,

“Congratulations,Amelia.You’vemanagedtoscrewuptwoliveswithasingleescapade.”

Shequicklypulledherhairbackinabandshefoundinherpurseandappliedsomemakeup.

Assoonasshesteppedoutintothemainarea,thesaleswomangreetedher.“Ibelievewehavesome

lovelydressesinyoursizeattherearofthestore,”shesaidwithasmile.Ameliafollowedheracross

thecarpettothearea.

Aftertryingonseveraldresses,Ameliafinallyfoundaknee-lengthwhitesheathdresswithanopen

back,coveredbylace

Ifthestraitjacketfit…

Turningfirstonewayandthenanothertolookatherselfinthemirror,shehopedthatiftherewasa

million-to-one chance she’d get married someday for real, she wouldn’t have the same hollow

feelinginherstomach.Butshedoubtedit.Marriagetiedawomandown.

Leavingthedresson,shefoundapairofwhiteshoesthatwereonlyslightlytoosmall.Shehoped

Chadwasfaringbetter.Sheknewhewasquietlyacceptingtheirfateontheoutsidebecauseofwhat

wasatstakewithhiscompany.Inside,hewasprobablyasupsetasshewas.Allthatwasleftforher

nowwastowait.

Shewasseatedonanupholsteredbench,fanningherface,contemplatinghernextmovewhenChad

approached.

Wearinganewblacksuitwithatieundoneandhanginglooselydownthecrispwhitedressshirt,

Chad didn’t look like best-friend Chad. He looked like handsome-do-damage-to-her-heart-if-she-

wasn’t-carefulChad.

He hadn’t shaved so he had the five o’clock shadow from this morning. Shifting her gaze away

fromhowgoodhelooked,shetuggedatthematerialofherdressandthensmootheditgentlyback

intoplace.“I’veheardnothingaboutaholdupwiththemarriagelicense,soit’seasytoconcludethat

somehowourgrandfathersgotitpushedthrough.Itseemswe’reapproachingtheno-turn-backzone.

Nowwouldbeagoodtimeforoneofyourfamousplans.”

Hecrossedhisarmsandleanedagainsttheendofadisplaycabinetholdinganassortmentofclutch

purses.Hisgazetrappedhers,studying,assessing,hiseyesgivingnohintofwhathewasthinking.

Whenhespoke,hisvoicewasdevoidofemotion.“Idon’thaveaplanAorevenaB,Ame.Iseem

tobestuckinthemiddleofplanC.”Heshruggedwhenhefinishedspeaking.

Ameliawavedtowardthestore’slargepicturewindow,hervoicelowanddesperate.“Wehaveto

dosomething.They’reallouttherewaitingforusandifwedon’tformulateaplan,theninaboutten

minutesyouandIaregoingtobecomemanandwife.”

“You should have thought about that before you ran off with me and ruined things with my first

fiancée.AndI’mnotgoingtogiveupmyfamily’scompanyforanoldman’seccentricwhim.”

“ButIdon’twanttomarryyouandyoudon’twanttomarryme.”Shehesitated,lickedherdrylips,

thenadded,“Doyou?”

Oneheartbeat.

Twoheartbeats.

Threeheartbeats.

He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I already told you that I don’t. But I’m fresh out of options.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a set of ring cases. “My grandfather picked these up at the

jewelry store. They’re plain gold bands, but then again, this isn’t a match made in heaven so I’m

assumingitdoesn’tmattertoyou.”

Shelaugheddespiteherself.“CallingmeandyouamatchmadeinheavenislikesayingtheGrand

Canyonisalittleholeintheground.”

“Fortunately, we’ve only got to survive six months of this before my grandfather gives me the

companyshares,”heobserved.

“Thinkamarriagebetweenreluctantpartnersiswheretelevisionproducersgottheideaforthose

survivalstoryshows?”

Helaughed.“Maybe.”

Shefrownedandheaskedwhatwasonhermind.

“Idon’tknow.JustafeelingI’vegotaboutallthis.Somethingdoesn’tfeelright.”

“We’regettingmarried.Ofcourseitdoesn’tfeelright,”hesaidimpatiently.

Ameliasighed,wonderingifthethoughtofgettingmarriedhadmadeherparanoid.“Iguessyou’re

right.”

Hehandedherthecasecontainingaweddingbandforhim.“Timetocleanupanotheroneofyour

messes.Shallwe?”

“Bepatient.I’llthinkofsomething,”Ameliasaid,slippingherhandintothecrookofhisarm.

“Willthatbebeforeorafterourtwentiethweddinganniversary?”

“Ha ha. We’ll just make one of those lists you’re so crazy about. With lists, life always runs

smoothly.”Shepattedhisarm.

“Dammit,Ame.Thisisreallynotthetimeforyoutopokefun.”

Usinghumorhelpedherkeepthepanicatbay.She’dwantedtoprotecthimfromthewrongbride,

notbecomethebride.Shelikedherlifestylejustfine,thankyou.Partofherwantedtoflingcautionto

thewindandsaytohellwithit.

Partofherwantedtocrawlintoaholeanddisappear.

Sheslidaglancetowardhim.Whoknew?Maybethisunexpectedglitchwouldendupworkingout

well for both of them. She could relax knowing his future was safe and he could relax knowing

WalkerIndustrieswouldn’ttank.Win-winsituationallthewayaround.Plus,whileshewasactingas

his wife, she could implement a little plan of her own. She could teach Chad how to stop being all

workandnoplay.Evenifhefoughtagainstit—andshedidn’tdoubtthathewould—hecouldlearn

how to be impetuous. How to live in the moment, to enjoy life for once in his adult life. Yes! She

coulddothatforhim.

Pleasedthatsomethingshe’dsetinmotionmightnotendupadismalflopafterall,Amelia’sheart

lightened.

TheycoveredtheshortdistancetotheweddingchapelwithAmeliawalkingdeterminedlyforward.

She was willing to bet Chad would thank her for this one day. He’d realize she’d done it all out of

concern.

Henrywasstandingatthedoorwavingatthem.“Areyoutwoready?”

ShenoddedasChadsaid,“Aswe’lleverbe,Iguess.”

“Well,comeonin!”

Theyfollowedhimtothefront.Hetookaseatnexttohergrandfatherinthefirstrow,thenChad

facedherandtookoneofherhandsinhis,grimacingslightly.

Hersmileslippedslightly.

Fiveo’clockshadow.Thoseblueeyes.Thewaythatsuitfit.Thewarmthofhishand.Whenthehell

hadhemorphedintotheposterboyforsexy?

Shewasn’texactlysurewhatthereverendsaid.Itallsoundedlike“blah,blah,blah”toherbecause

shecouldn’tstopthinkingaboutChad.

Beforelong,theyexchangedringsandthenthereverendpronouncedthemhusbandandwife.

Chadleanedforward.Oh.Thekiss.Ofcourse.Itwasexpectedofthem.Notaproblem.Shecould

keepinmindthatwhiletheywererealfriends,thiswasn’tarealmarriage.Shedidn’twanthim that

wayandhedidn’twanther.Sheleanedforwardtomeethim.Calmandincontrol.

Thenhislipsmovedonhers.

Shekissedhimbackwithanembarrassingamountofenthusiasm.

Whenshefinallylocatedherself-control,sheputitbacktoworkandsteppedaway,turningtoface

theirgrandfathers.

“Thejetiswaiting.We’llheadbacktoSweetCreeknow,”Henryannouncedwithasatisfiedgrin.

“Onemorething,”themanwhorantheceremonysaid.“We’llneedyoursignature.”

Themarriagelicense.Shedidn’tknowhowthegrandfathershadmanagedtopullthisoff,butshe

wassureitentailedalotofzerosonacheck.

In the limousine taking them to the airport, Chad sat right up against her until Amelia shifted.

“Don’tyouhavesomeroomoverthere?”

Theposterboyforsexinessraisedaneyebrow.“Why?”

“Becauseyou’realmostontopofme.”Herfacereddenedandthankfulhecouldn’treadhermind,

shesaid,“Justmove,willyou?”

“Wow.Isn’tthataworldrecordfornagging?”Hemadeashowoflookingathiswatch.“Married

lessthantwentyminutes.”

Shemusthavegrimacedbecauseheasked,“Areyousick?”thenreachedoverandpressedhishand

againstherforehead.

Shejerkedawayfromhistouch.

“Oh, I get it. This is the precursor for ‘Honey, I have a headache.’” He patted her thigh. “Relax.

We’llsetsomerulesinplaceandmakesurethisremainsahands-offrelationship.”

“There’s no need for me to fake a headache. There’s no need for rules because a hands-on

relationshipneveroccurredtome.”Shepokedhimintheside.

Shewasstilltryingtofigureouthowthehellshe’dendedupbecomingMrs.ChadWalker.

…

Given the way she’d kissed him at the altar, Chad wasn’t so sure he believed her. His pride was

tempted to prove her wrong but that would be like poking a mama bear in the butt. He was the one

who’dgetbitten.

Astheresidentialpartofthetownslidintoanindustrialareaandthenledtowardtheairportwhere

hisgrandfather ’sprivateplanewas,Chadtuggedatthetiearoundhisneck.

Hewasmarried.ToAmelia.He’dhavetocomeupwithalistofdosanddon’tssothatthebothof

themwouldsurvivethenextsixmonthsrelativelyunscathed.Goodidea,hecongratulatedhimself.All

theyhadtodowassticktotherules.

Hisgazetouchedonherlips.Heswallowed.Rulenumberonewouldbenokissinghiswife.When

shemovedsothatherlegrubbedhis,hedecidedrulenumbertwowoulddefinitelybenotouching.

“Look at that!” She rested her hand on his thigh and pointed to a ’57 Chevy parked in one of the

spotsattheairport.“Iloveclassiccars,”shesighed.

Rulenumberthreewouldbeastraitjacketforhimsohedidn’tbreakrulesoneandtwo.

Whentheysettledintheprivatejet,Amelialeanedfromherseattohisandwhispered,“Idofeelbad

aboutthismistake.”

“Amistakeisgettingdrunkandhittingonyourbestfriend’sgirlfriend.Thisgoeswaybeyondthat.”

She crossed her arms, pulling the dress snug across her breasts, and Chad scrambled for rule

numberfour.Nokissing,notouching,getastraitjacket,don’tlook.

“You’reactingstrange.What’swrongwithyou?”Shegavehimanexasperatedlook.

He could’ve jumped for joy when Henry handed him a stack of papers. “Sorry, Ame. Looks like

I’vegotsomebusinessreportstogoover,”hesaidinthemostdismissivetonehecouldmuster.She

didn’tmovesohesaidmorekindly,“Ireallyneedtobeontopofthese,Amelia.Afterthenightwe

hadlastnightandthedaywehadtoday,can’tyoujustgivemethetimetolookoverthese?”

“Fine,”Ameliasaid,risingtogotothebackoftheplane.

Damn.Heknewthattone.Allwasnotfine.

Assherose,Ameliaplacedahandonhisshoulderandsaidloudenoughforhervoicetocarryto

theirgrandfathers.“Darling,canwehaveamomentofprivacyfirst?”

Herosetojoinher,hisbodytooclosetoherdelightfullycurvyoneforhispeaceofmind.Takinga

hastystepback,hesaid,“Fine.”

Hefollowedhertothebackoftheplane,tryingnottonoticetheswayofherhips.

Sheroundedonhimassoonastheyleftthemaincabin.“Fineismyword.Youdon’tget‘fine.’”

Heshutthedoorbehindthemandyankedoffhistie,throwingitdownonthequeen-sizebed.“I’m

theoneactingstrange?Sincewhendidyoucarewhatwordseitherofusused?Oristhatoneofyour

rules?”

“Whatrules?”

“Therehavetoberulesinanyrelationship,Amelia.Especiallywhensomethinghappenstochange

the dynamics of the relationship. We’ll need rules. I’d hate for you to make a pass at me and feel

embarrassedwhenIturnyoudown.”

Hermouthfellopenandthenwithaslaptohisego,shelaughed.“Soundslikeyou’vegotmeall

figuredout.Icouldn’twaittobealonewithyoujustsowecouldspendthenexthourmakinglove.”

Thenexthour?Shewaskillinghim.

Shekickedhershoesoffandwiggledhertoesintheluxuriouscarpet.“Weneedtocelebrateour

weddingnight,”sheannounced.

“Amelia,Iwillnotmakelovetoyou.”

“Please. I wasn’t suggesting that. I was thinking more like opening a bottle of champagne or

something.”

“Oh.Andwhatwillwedrinkto?”

“Ourfriendship.”

He took off his jacket and tossed it on the bed, then rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “I

rememberyoudon’tknowhowtoholdyouralcohol.”

“Iwasfourteen,Chad.Ihadnobusinessdrinking.Iwasnervousandtryingtoworkupthecourage

toaskformyfirstkiss.”

“Ame…”

“No,it’sokay.I’moverthecompletehumiliationofthatday,butIdoblameyouforthefactthatmy

firstkisswasatotaldud.”Shewinkedathim.

“Itworkedoutforthebest.Iwouldhavehatedsettingthebarsohighforthenextguy.”

Shelaughed.“Getoutofheresoyoucanfinishupyourwork.”

Chadlaughedandsteppedout.Inthehallway,heexhaledandclosedhiseyes.Rulenumberfive.He

wouldnotfantasizeabouthiswife.

…

Backinthehomewhereshe’dgrownup,Ameliasteppedintotheclaw-footbathtubandwithasighof

appreciation, slid beneath the warm, bubbly suds. The scent of coconut jasmine floated from the

water.

Sherestedherheadagainstthebathpillow,hermusclesrelaxingintheheatofthewater.

Chadhadinstructedthelimousinedrivertodrophimoffattheoffice,thentakeherhome.Itwas

seveno’clockatnightforheaven’ssake.Hecouldn’teventakeanightoffonhisweddingnight?

Fake wedding night, she reminded herself. So far, her plan to show Chad how to be more

spontaneouswasn’tworkingoutsowellifshecouldn’tgethimtoevenpretendtobewithher.

Sixmonths.Noescape. Amelia groaned. The urge to run had hit her the night she’d learned what

happenedtoherparentsandithadneverletup.Shedidn’tlikethatpartofherself—thatdesiretorun

whenshecouldn’tmakethingsright,thefearthatifshestayedinoneplacetoolongshe’dscrewup

againandlosesomeoneelsesheloved.

ButmaybewithChad,ifshewascareful,shecouldmakethingsrightforhim.

Shestillhadn’ttoldhersistersabouttheweddingyet,butshewould.Otherthanhermaritalstatus

andthisstrangenewdesiretocrossfromfriendstoloverswithhersexyhusband,she’ddecidedthe

weddinghadn’tchangedherlifeanddidn’tneedto.

She planned to remain right here at home, staying in the same bedroom she used whenever she

cametotown.Oncethisshamofamarriagewasover,shecouldgobacktoherapartmentinthecity

andgetbacktoherlife.

AsChad’sex-wife.

Ugh.Wouldtheirfriendshipeverbethesameagain?

Risingfromthetub,shetoweledoffandslippedintoacleanpairofjeansandapeachvee-neckT-

shirt.Shegatheredherdamphairupintoalooseponytail,andbarefoot,headeddownthestairstotell

hersistersaboutthewedding.Shewantedtotellthembeforehergrandfathergothomeanddelivered

thenewsinhisratherabruptway.

Abbyhadmovedinwiththeirgrandfatherafterhe’dfallenlastsummerandneededsomeonewith

him to help. She knew Abby benefited financially from the arrangement, hoping to save enough to

buythebuildingattachedtothedinersoshecouldexpand.

Annhadherownhouse,butstayedoverwheneverAmeliacameintotownsothattheycouldspend

timetogetherasafamily.

AmeliaslowedatthesightofAbbystretchedoutonthesofa.Abbystillworkedashardtodayatthe

dinerasshehadinthedaysaftertheirparents’death.

Their grandparents were so grief-stricken that Abby had stepped in and helped raise her and her

sister. She’d taken over running the family diner, working early-morning hours before school and

lateintotheeveningafterschool.TheirgrandfathereventuallyhadsignedoverthedinertoAbby.

As if sensing a presence, Abby opened her eyes and smiled sleepily, letting the pillow she was

holding slip to the hardwood floor. “Hey, you. You’re back from your man-grabbing adventure.

How’ditgo?”

Amelialaughed,knowingthelastthingAbbywantedwasamaninherlifeafterherowndisastrous

marriage ended. “Things were interesting, to say the least. Where’s Ann?” She bent to pick up the

pillowandtuckeditbackontothesofa.

“Shegotherewhileyouwereinthebath.”Abbynarrowedhereyesthensatupabruptly.“What’s

wrong?Areyousick?”

“No,I’mnotsick,butIdohavetotellyousomethingimportant.Hangonasecond.”Shecalledout

toAnnandherothersisteremergedfromthekitchenholdingaglassoficedtea.

“Well, I see our thieving sister has returned.” She came into the living room and perched on a

floweredstool.“Youlooksick.”

“That’swhatIsaid.”AbbyshotAmeliaaworriedglance.

Ameliasighed.“No,guys,I’mnotsick.Thethingis…”

“Youhaveaweddingringon!”Annshrieked.

“PleasetellmethatyoudidnotstealandthenmarryChadWalker,”Abbysaid.

“Okay,butIdid.”

Abbypressedahandtoherchest.“What?Howdidthathappen?”

Annsaiddrily,“Stealingamanislotmorecomplicatedthanyouimagined,Itakeit?”

Abbysaid,“Married…You’vealwaysbeensoopposedtosettlingdown.Haveyouthoughtabout

howthisisgoingtochangeyourlife?”

“Itwon’t.”

Abby’slaughwasnotoneofamusement.“Takeitfromme,marriagealwayschangesthings.”

Ameliarockedbackonherheelsandlookedathersisters.“Atfirst,IthoughtmarryingChadmight

interruptmylife,butafterthinkingitthrough,Irealizedthatitwon’tbesodifficult.”

“Amelia,what’sgoingon?”Abbysaidinherdon’t-give-me-any-nonsensevoice.

Ameliaexplainedtheeventsthathadleduptoherhastywedding.

“God,Amelia,”Annsaid.“You’vealwaysbeentooimpulsiveforyourowngood,butyou’vereally

outdoneyourselfthistime.Married.Ican’tbelieveit.”

“I’mawifeinnameonly,whichIwillremainforthesixmonthsittakesforHenrytogiveChadhis

company shares. In the meantime, while I wait for the six months to pass, I can still travel to take

photographsonassignmentlikeI’vebeendoing.”

Ameliawarmedtotheideaasshesharedherthoughtswithhersisters.Itwasperfect.“I’llhangout

herewithyouguys.Icanhelpatthediner,plusstillbeavailablewhenChadneedsmetoappearata

socialfunctionwithhim.”

Hersistersexchangedknowingglances.

“What?”

“SoChadisokaywiththislivingseparatelyarrangement?”SheheardthedisbeliefinAbby’svoice.

Ameliashrugged.“Ididn’treallydiscussitwithhim,butwhywouldn’thebeokaywithit?”

Thedoorbellpealed.

“Myguessisthat’sthegroom,”Annsaidwithadelightedgrin.ShemotionedAmeliatowardthe

door.“YougetthatandI’llgetthepopcornbecausethisisgoingtobequiteashow.”

“Puh-lease. I know Chad and I know he’ll understand and see my point of view. After all, I’m

helpinghimoutwithhiscompany—it’snotlikeI’mthevillainhere,”Ameliasaidasshewenttoget

thedoor.

HerstomachtwistedassherememberedthelookonChad’sfacewhenhe’drepeatedhisvows.

Atleastshehopedshewasn’tthevillain.

Butshecouldn’tbesure.

ChapterSeven

Ameliacheckedthepeephole,thenlookedoverhershoulderathersisters.“Chad’shere.”

Shenudgedapairofshoesthatwereonthefloorinthewayandtuggedopenthedoor.

He’dchangedhisclothesandnowworeapairofbluedressslacksandawhitedressshirtwiththe

sleevesrolledup.Hehadonearmontheframeofthedoorasheleanedagainstit.

Soruggedlyhandsome.

Amelia’sheartperformedacrazydance.

Shepeekedoutthedoorbehindhim,notseeingthelimo.“Sowhere’syourride?”

“Idrovemyself.Weneedtotalk,”Chadsaidstiffly,gesturingtowardherthenbackathimself.

“Aboutwhat?”Shesteppedtoonesidetogivehimroomtoenterintothehouse.

“Well,helloooo,Chad,”Annsaid,drawingoutthewordwithaslightsmirk.

“Welcomeback.Ihearyouleftasourfriendandreturnedasourbrother-in-law,”Abbysaid.

Standinginthesmallfoyerarea,hisgazedriftedpastAmeliatoAbbyandhewavedinresponseto

hersister ’sgreeting.ThenheputhishandonAmelia’sarmandleanedclosetoherear.“I’dliketo

speaktoyouprivatelyifyoudon’tmind.”

“Let’sgooutside.”Ameliashothersistersalookfortheirteasingantics.

He didn’t move his hand from her arm and tingles chased along the nerve center of her spine.

Amelia wondered if his body had the same tingles. Not that she should be thinking about his body,

withorwithouttingles.

She moved away from his touch and stepped outside onto the wraparound porch. Threading her

wayaroundthecolorfulclayflowerpotssheandhersistershadpainted,shesatonthewoodenswing

thatcreakedsoftlyasitswayedinthebreeze.

The swing was one of the places she’d loved to sit in the summertime during a soft rain. In high

school, she and Chad used to sit together on the plump cushions and talk about the football games

whenhevisitedhergrandparents.

“What’sup?Ithoughtyouwereworkingallnight.”

“Iarrivedattheestatetodiscovermywifemissing.”

“So-calledwife,andIlivehere,Chad.”Ameliastressedthewordhere.

“No,youusedtolivehere.Yourplaceiswithmenow.”Shovinghishandsintothepocketsofhis

pants, he said, “We have to live under the same roof in order for people to believe the marriage is

real.”

Ameliapushedagainsttheporchwithherfoottosettheswinginmotion.“Peoplebeingtheboard

ofdirectors?”

“Exactly. I don’t want them to think I’m some impetuous flake who plans a wedding with one

womanandrunsoffwithanother,unlessitwasfortruelove.”

“There’snowaytheycouldpossiblyknowourlivingarrangements.”

“You know that’s not true with the way rumors fly around this town. How long do you think it’d

takeforthetruthtocomeout?”

Ameliatookabreathandsaidcalmly,“Ithinkitwouldbebetterifwemaintainedseparateliving

arrangements.”Betterforherpeaceofmind.

“Amelia,I’mnotgoingtoarguewithyouaboutthis.TrustmewhenIsayuslivingtogetheristhe

onlywaytokeepupthecharade.Besides,we’refriendssoitshouldn’tbeanissue.”

HisgazetraveledoverherinawaythatmadeAmeliafeelrestless.Definitelynotfriend-like.

She took another breath and rose to pace back and forth, stooping to rub her bare toe when she

stepped on a small pod blown from the tree in the front yard. Pitching it off the porch, she began

pacingagain.“Fine,buttheverysecondthesixmonthsareover,I’llmovebackherewithmysister

untilit’stimefortheannulmentordivorceorwhateverwehavetoget.AssumingI’mnotalreadyoff

onassignment,ofcourse.”

“Agreed.”Chadnoddedwitharelievedexpressiononhisface.

She stopped pacing and put her hands on her hips. Lifting her chin, she narrowed her eyes. “You

soundworried.AfraidI’llfallinlovewithyouorwithyourmoney?”

“Idon’tthinkthat’sanissue.”

Odd.Hedidn’tmeethergaze.Thatusuallymeanthewasthinkingsomethinghedidn’twanttotell.

Wasitloveormoneyhewasthinkingabout?Hmm…

“Iwouldhopeyou’renotdelusionalenoughtofallforsomeonelikeme.”

“Look,you’vebeenactingstrangeeversincethekissatthecabin.Ifthat’sthecase,stopworrying.I

have no intention of falling in love with you. An uptight workaholic is hardly my idea of Prince

Charming.Sodon’tgetallmelodramaticaboutit.”

“Likewise.”

“Thissituationissoironic.Iwasdeterminedtosaveyoufrommarryingandyethereweare.”

“Yes,hereweare,”Chadsaidinalessthanenthusiastictone.

“Fromachildhoodpromisetomanandwife.Whowouldeverhaveguessed?”Ameliasatonthe

top porch step and rested her elbows on her knees. She noticed the way a handful of fireflies rose

slowly toward the sky and lit up the early evening as they journeyed. Nature’s romance lights, her

grandmotherhadoncesaid,andlaughedwhenNoahsweptherintoadancebeneaththestars.

Chadjoinedheronthestep,thesideofhislegpressingintohers.“Wewereyounganddumb.”

Ameliascoffed,“Backinhighschool,youwerealwaysnegativewheneveryousawmewatchinga

romanticmovie.Oneofthesedays,Chad,loveisgoingtobiteyouhard.”

“Not me. But maybe for you someday. You always said if you ever married you wanted to find

someoneasadventurousasyouare.Afterourannulment,youcangofindhim.”

“IwanttogetmarriedasbadlyasIwanttogrowathirdeye.”

“I’dsayyou’retoolatetoavoidgettingmarried,”Chadsaid.

“Butit’snotreal.Icanserveoutsixmonths.Ithink.”

Chadlaughed.“Youmakeitsoundlikeaprisonsentence.”

“Sorry.Spendingtimewithyouisn’tthatbad.”

“Youreallyknowhowtobuildaguyup,wife.”

“I’llworkonit.MaybeIshouldmakealistaboutthat.”Ameliasenthimacheekygrin.

“Pokefunallyouwant,woman.Igetthingsdone.”

Ameliasighed.“Let’snotgetonthemerry-go-roundagainofhoworganizedandwonderfulyour

lifeisversusmine.”

“Icouldteachyouhowtobemoredisciplined,”Chadoffered.

“Whatfun.Couldyou?”

Chadlaughedagain.“I’mserious.”

“Sadly,Iknowyouare.”Sheturnedherheadandmethisgaze,thenloweredhereyestohislips.

Shejerkedhergazebackupashisgrinfaded.

“Ibroughtyousomething,”Chadsaidquickly,avoidinghergazeandbreakingthespell.

Hestretchedhislegoutandreachedintothepocketofhispantstopulloutanolderringbox.“This

wasmygreat-grandmother ’sdiamond.Ithoughtitwouldmakeourmarriageappearmorerealisticif

youworethefamilyheirloom.”

He reached for her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger to nestle against the wedding band

he’dgivenherinHoneymoonHills.Hishandfeltwarmagainsthersandthesamesparksshe’dfelt

wheneverhetouchedherlatelyzappedheragain.

Of course that was easily explained. She was tired, her defenses down, and Chad was a good-

lookingman.Anywomanwouldfeeltouchy-feelyzaps.Evensomeonewhohadnotlookedathimas

anactualguyherentirelife.

Sheadmiredthediamond.“Youdoknowpeoplewillstilltalk.They’regoingtobesuspiciousthat

youendedupwithadifferentbride.”

“Grandfathercalledalocalreporterwhowasdelightedtogetthescoopandissuedastatementthat

will be in tomorrow morning’s paper. The article will say I came close to making a mistake by

marryingsomeoneelseandwhenIknewitwasyouIloved,wecouldn’twaitamomentlongertowed

soweeloped.”

“Soundslikeacheesymade-for-televisionmovie.Somepeoplewon’tbesoeasilyfooled.Howare

wegoingtopullthatoff?”

“We’regoingtogivetheperformanceofourlivesasacouplemadlyinloveeverytimewe’rein

public.”

Ameliatwistedtheunfamiliarweightoftheringaroundonherfinger.“Idon’tknowifwecanbe

thatconvincing.”

“No?”Heplacedafingerbeneathherchin,liftingherfaceuntiltheireyesmet.Heleanedforward

inslow,minusculemovementsandAmelia’slipspartedinanticipation.

Hepressedhislipstohers,whisperingagainstthesoftness,“Anyonewatchingusrightnowwould

believewe’redeeplyinlove.Ithinkwe’llmanagetofoolalotofpeople.”

“Aslongaswedon’tendupfoolingourselves,right?”Ameliawhisperedbackwithashortlaugh.

Whenheswiftlypulledaway,shealmostfellforwardintohislap.Stilltryingtosettlethedizziness

that overcame her with his near-kiss, she felt him pat her knee. “Don’t worry. Even if I were the

falling-in-lovekind,you’rethelastwomanI’deverfallinlovewith.”

“Onthatflatteringnote”—Ameliapressedahandonhisshoulderforleverageassherose—“Ithink

I’llgoinandpackafewofmythings.”

Hecaughtherhand.“Thatwasn’taninsult.Iwasreferringtoyourfree-spiritnature.”

“Okay.”Shetuggedherhandfree.

Their friendship was important to both of them, so why’d she feel so let down? Was that foolish

crushrearingup?WasthatwhywasshesuddenlysoreadytopushtheenvelopewhilehewasstillMr.

Reluctance?

…

ChadfollowedherintothehouseandwaiteddownstairswhileAmeliawentupstairstopack.Bracing

himselfforthegrillinghesuspectedwascomingfromhersisters,hesettledhimselfinanoverstuffed

armchairacrossfromthesofa.

He’dspentasmuchtimeattheirhousegrowingupashehadhisown.Hersistershadalwaystreated

him like a brother, which meant they believed they had the right to pry into his life and offer

unsolicitedadvice.

Hedidn’thavetowaitlongforthegrilling.

“HowintheheckdidAmeliaforceyouintomarriage?”Annstarted.

“Seriously,”Abbycontinued,“youguyshavebeenfriendsforeverand…nothing.Thenontheday

you’resupposedtomarrysomeoneelseyouenduphavingashotgunweddingwithoursister.What

thehellhasgottenintoyoutwo?”

Chadnarrowedhiseyes.“Nooneforcedmeintoanything.”

Bothsistersgavehimwidegrins.

“So then you wanted to marry Amelia?” Ann asked, then pointed a finger toward the kitchen.

“Wouldyoulikeaglassoficedtea?”

Chad blinked at the abrupt switch. Ann was as known for her rabbit-hopping conversations as

Ameliawasforherimpetuousactions.“No.”Hewipedhispalmsdownthesidesofhispants,wishing

Ameliawouldhurry.

“Notooursisterornotothetea?”Abbyasked.

Hisbrowscreased.“IhaveafeelinganythingIsaywillbeusedagainstme.”Hewassooutofhis

leaguewiththesetwo.

“Sooutwithit!WhydidyoumarryAmelia?Don’tgiveusthatbullstoryaboutyourgrandfather

andthecompany,”Annprodded.

He heard Amelia bumping down the stairs with her suitcases and jumped up to help her, relief

floodingthroughhisveinsthathecouldescape.

What bull story? How could they not understand he had to marry Amelia to save the company?

Withthetroublethedinerwasinfinancially,Annofallpeopleshouldunderstandthat.

His wedding to Amelia had been a company-or-death situation. Of course he hadn’t wanted to

marryhisbestfriendandriskwhattheyhad.Yetinthelasttwenty-fourhoursthey’dnotonlykissed—

somethingthatwasstrictlyoff-limits—butnowtheyweremarried.

What.The.Hell.

Interruptinghisthoughts,Ameliahandedoverthesuitcaseswithacompassionategrin.“Onthehot

seat?”

“Somethinglikethat.I’llgoputtheseinthecar.”

“I’llbeoutinasecond.”

Chad beat a hasty retreat, rattled that Amelia’s sisters didn’t believe his reasons for marrying but

morerattledthathecouldn’tconvincehimself.

HestowedthesuitcasesinthetrunkandreturnedtothehousetomeetAmelia.Oncesheexitedthe

house,heescortedAmeliatothepassengersideofthe’66Mustanghe’drestoredinhighschool.He

helpedherinandthenwalkedtothedriver ’ssideandgotin.

Ameliawasquiet,andthatmadehimnervous.

Was she regretting this sham of a marriage? Was she resentful that her efforts to help him had

forcedherintoamarriageshedidn’treallywant?

Shedeservedsomeonewhowouldloveandappreciateher.Someonewholovedandacceptedher

forwhoshewas.Someonelike…

Him?

Shewasbeautiful,sexy,andfun.It’dbesoeasytofallforherifhedidn’tkeephisguardup.

Heshovedthethoughtaway.Hewasn’tgoingdownthatroad.Noway.Notgonnahappen.Heknew

fromwatchinghisfather ’slifefallapartthatCupidwasanastybastardwithameanstreak.Thatwas

onearrowhewasdeterminedtoavoid.Sheplacedherhandonhisthighandhejerkedhislegupward,

thebackofhisthighcontractingpainfully.

“What’swrong,Chad?”

“Nothing,”hesaidmoresharplythanheintended,andheheardherquietsighinthecloseconfines

ofthecar.

Theydrovethroughthemainstreetsofthetowninsilence,hismindreeling.

“Stopthecar,”shesaidafterhedrovepasttheparkwherethey’doftenplayedaskids.

Hepulledthecaroverontothesideofthegrassandshepushedopenthedoorwhenhecutoffthe

engine.

“C’mon.Raceyou.”Shegotoutandstartedrunningtowardthecenterofthepark.

Chadtookoffafterherandwhenhereachedher,shewastrailingherhandalongthesideofatree

near the basketball court. He watched her for a second, then said, “I’ve got stuff to take care of at

home.”Hepushedabuttononthesideofhiswatchtomakethefacelightup.

“Backtoschedulingeverymoment?”

“You’llgetusedtoit.”

Asatisfiedsmileplayedaboutherlips,asifsheknewsomethinghedidn’t.“Ourtreeisstillhere.”

He remembered. Under the leaves of the tree, sharing Kool-Aid and chocolate chip cookies her

grandmotherhadbaked,they’dvowedtoremainbestfriendsnomatterwhat.

Asaten-year-oldboy,he’dwantedtosealthepactwithabloodoathandhadevenpulledouthis

tiny pocketknife, but Amelia had insisted they share a hug instead. It was the first time Chad could

rememberbeinghuggedsincehisparentshadsplit.Hehadn’twantedtoletgo.

He’dvowedtohimselfthatdaythathe’dalwaysholdtheirfriendshipsacredandneverdoanything

tojeopardizeit.

Yetherehewasmarriedtoher.Talkaboutafriendshipbuster.Hewouldjusthavetobecareful.He

would never allow their friendship to be destroyed by that four-letter word known as “love.” He’d

punchCupidsenselessifhehadto.Stranglethatratbastardtotheground.

Shesighed,takingintheparkaroundthem.

“Hadyoustoppedbyheresinceyoucamebackintotown?”

She shrugged. “No.” Then she laughed. “I was too busy plotting my groomnapping. I had only

plannedasfarasmygrandfather ’scabin.Ihadnoideathattheadventurewouldendlikethis.”

Hechuckleddespitehimself.“Meeither.”

“Inallseriousness,though,youknowIonlywantedtohelpyou,tomakesureyouwereokay.Istill

do. I may tease you about being Mr. By-the-Book, but I know how much your family’s company

meanstoyou.Iknowyou’reonlytryingtoprotectyourlegacy,andallthepeoplewhowouldlose

theirjobsifthecompanywentunder.You’reagreatguylikethat.”

Herkindwordssentapingtohisheart.“Soyouunderstand.”

“Ido.ButIstilldon’tthinkyoushouldhavetosellyoursoulforacompany,Chad.”

Deepdown,hedidn’teither.Heshruggedhisshoulders.“Itiswhatitis.”

“Andjustthink,”shecontinued,hertonelight,“oncethisruseisoverwithwecanpartways.Who

knows?Onceyou’vewitnessedmywifeskillsupcloseyoumayneverwanttoseemeagain.”

Neverseeheragain?Hell,no.Hecouldn’tevenconsiderthatpossibility.Yethewasn’tasworried

aboutherlackofmarriageskillsasmuchashewashislackofloveskills.

Ifshesawjustwhatarelationshipliabilityhewas,shemayneverwanttoseehimagain.

Hewouldn’triskit.HewouldbegoodoldpredictablebuddyChaduntilthemarriageended,thenhe

andAmeliacouldcarryonastheyalwayshad.

Nomatterwhat,heandAmeliawereremainingjustfriends.

ChapterEight

Onthefifteen-minutedrivefromherhometohis,theypassedbythefamiliarlandmarks.TheDairy

Queen where she’d hung with her friends after a high school football game. The gas station where

she and Chad had had their first argument because she’d gone on a date with a boy Chad thought

wasn’tgoodenoughforher.He’dbeenrightaboutthatone.

While they had a lot of history, it was the present she was worried about. She knew Chad well

enoughtoknowthathewaspullingawayfromher.

He turned off Main Street onto the road that took them into the housing area dubbed Millionaire

Manorbythelocals.Thehomesbuttedagainstagolfcoursesurroundedbyahugelakewhereducks

calledtooneanotherthroughouttheday.

Thecarpulledintoadrivewayandpassedthroughanormallyclosedblackirongateattachedtoa

pair of beige stone columns. Chad maneuvered the car up the slight incline and around the curved

drivewaypastthegurglingstonefountain.Landscapelightsoneithersideofthebrickdrivewayalong

withthefullmoongaveplentyoflightagainstthedarknessofthenight.

Ameliarolleddownherwindowtobreatheinthenaturalperfumefromthemanyflowergardens

scentingtheair.

WhenChadcuttheengine,hisgriptightenedforasecondonthesteeringwheel.Ameliaraiseda

questioning eyebrow and he opened his door. She rolled up the window, unsure of why she felt so

jittery.

“I’lltakecareofyourbags,”ChadsaidasAmeliasteppedfromthecar.

Theslightbreezeblewtheendofherponytailinherfaceandshesmootheditback,drinkinginthe

sightofChad’shome.

Theestatehadalwaysbeenlovelyandelegant,butAmeliasecretlythoughtitlackedwarmth—asif

everything in the home was placed and arranged simply for show rather than enjoyment. Like an

imposingstonegiant,itsatonabeautifullymanicuredlawnwithadisapprovingair.Evenwhenhis

fatherhadbeenalive,thehomecarriedthesamedoom-and-gloomair.

Thoughhisfatherhadignoredthebothofthem,thestaffhadmorethanmadeupforthatlackof

supervision,especiallywhensheandChadwerechildren.

She’d always felt as though the staff followed them around with cleaning rags and a vacuum

cleanerreadytotakecareofanycrumbstheyspilled.Once,she’dtalkedChadintoslidingdownthe

stairsonamattressthey’ddraggedfromatwinguestbed.They’dendedupinatangledheapoflimbs

beforeascoldingfromChad’stutorcutshorttheirmattresssurfing.

Thetutorhadlabeledheranout-of-controltroublemakerandurgedChad’sfatherandgrandfather

to bar her from the estate. That was the first day she’d ever seen Chad furious, the first time she’d

everseenhimfaceoffwithhisfather.Intheend,itwasthetutorwhowassentpacking.

Shestillwasn’tsurehowChadhadwonthatround.

Tonight she climbed the wide concrete steps and waited for Chad at the front door. Never in a

millionyearshadsheeverimaginedonedayreturningtothishomeasChad’swife.

Hecameupbehindherandsettheluggagedownontheporchbesidetwooversizedflowerurns.

“I’msureyoudon’tmindifweforgothewholecarrying-over-the-thresholdbitthatgroomsusually

do.”

“That’snotallthatgroomsdo,”Ameliateasedhimwithawink.“Theyalsowatchnumerouschick

flickswithoutcomplainingandagreetogorockclimbing.”

Hisexpressionwasoneofdisbelief.“Whenhaveyoueverbeenintorockclimbing?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, darling husband,” she teased as she sashayed into the

foyer.

“MarriedadayandalreadyIcantellwe’reheadedtocouplescounseling,”helaughed.

Assoonastheysteppedintothehouse,anoldermaninablacksuitandstripedtiehurriedpasta

babygrandpianotogreetthem.“Welcomehome.”

“Good evening, Smith,” Amelia said, remembering him from last time she’d visited Chad at his

houseawhileback.

Hissparsegrayhairwasslickedbackandnotastrandwasoutofplace.“Thepresshavealready

calledwithrequestsforinterviews.CarolinaMagazinecalled.Theywantanexclusive.”

“CarolinaMagazine?”Ameliaasked.

“ThepresidentofWalkerIndustriesgettingmarriedisabigdeal,Amelia.”Chadspokematter-of-

factlyasheplacedhiscarkeysonaglass-toppedtablehousingalargedisplayofdriedflowers.

“Oh,”Ameliasaid.Sheoftenforgotthepowerfulcircleshemovedin,especiallysinceshe’dnever

reallyconsideredChad’s“mosteligiblebachelor”statusbefore.

Well,he’snoteligiblenow,shethoughtsmugly.

Stopit,Amelia.It’snotlikehe’syoursoranything.Evenifheisyourhusband.

“Thankyou,Smith,”hesaid.“It’sdefinitelybeenquiteaday.PleaseshowAmeliatheroomIhad

preparedforherandtakehercasesup.”HepressedalightkisstoAmelia’scheekforthesakeoftheir

audience,thensteppedbackwithoutsmiling.“Ihavesomeworktodo.”

Beforeshecouldprotest,Chadquicklydisappearedintheoppositedirection,hisfootstepsechoing

loudlyonthemarbleflooring.

“Ifyou’llcomewithme,ma’am?”

ChokingofftheretortshewantedtocallafterChad,shefollowedSmithupthewindingstairs,her

frustration mounting with each step she took to the second floor. He was blowing her off on their

weddingdayasecondtimeforwork.Howdidhethinkthatlookedforkeepingupappearances?And

didhehonestlyexpecthertositaroundaloneallthetimeinthishousewhileheworkednonstopfor

thenextfewmonths?

She slid a glance to the man stiffly climbing the stairs and wondered what he thought about her

being ditched so quickly after their arrival. Even if he thought it was odd, he was so uptight and

properlymanneredthathe’dneverletitshow.

The man stopped before a door and swung it open. He reached in to switch on the light. “Your

room.”

Oh,God.HeputherintheWestRoom.

Amelia could barely disguise her dismay. The bedroom was filled with oversize, dark wood

furniture that dwarfed the space. Thick brown rugs covered the floor and long brown-and-beige

drapeshidallthewindows,notevenallowingasliverofoutsidelightin.Thewallswerepainteda

dullcoffeebrownwithnothingtobreakupthecolororlightentheroom.

Portraits of men dressed in eighteenth-century clothing dotted the walls and glared down at her.

Ameliablinked.DepressingwithacapitalD.

Whenwasthelasttimethisspacehadbeendecorated?1910?

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” She backed from the cheerless room, pulling the door

closedwithafirmhand,andgavetheoldermanasmile.“IwouldliketogotoChad’sroom.”

The man’s eyebrows winged upward toward his thinning gray hair. “I’m afraid that Mr. Walker

gaveexplicitinstructionsconcerningthesleepingarrangements.”

Amelia knew Chad hadn’t thought it through. The staff would gossip about the sleeping

arrangements and it couldn’t be known that they were in separate rooms, not if he was going to be

committedtosellingthiswholemarriagethingtoeveryonetheyknew.

Takingadeepbreath,shesaid,“I’mgivingexplicitinstructionsthatI’mtobetakentoChad’sroom.

If you have any objections, you’ll have to take it up with him.” She folded her arms, hoping Smith

wouldn’tcallherbluff.

She knew she was playing with fire, staying in Chad’s room. Especially given her newfound,

unwanted attraction to him. But she’d committed to this sham of a marriage and she was going to

follow through 100 percent. If Chad’s business fell apart, it wasn’t going to be because she hadn’t

doneherbest.

“Verywell.Thisway,please.”Spinningonhishighlypolishedblackshoes,heledthewaydownthe

hallway.

Ameliawalkedbesidehim.“I’vemetyoubefore,youknow.Ayearortwoago.”Hedidn’trespond.

“SodoIcallyouSmithordoyouhaveafirstname?”

Theystoppedinfrontofafamiliarsetofmassivedoubledoors.“It’sLarry.”Heswungopenthe

doors.

Ameliacouldn’thideherdismay.Chad’sroomwasworsethantheoneLarryhadshownher.She

didn’t remember it being so…well…horrible. At least when he was younger he had sports posters

covering the walls, giving the space a lift. Now it was the same abysmal furniture as in the West

Room.Shehadn’tcomeupherelasttimeshe’dvisitedthehouse,soseeingtheroomnowinallofits

cavemanglorywasashock.Sheshuddered.

Changesneededtobemade.

Startingwiththeirlivingarrangements.

IfshewasgoingtoposeasChad’swifeevenforashorttime,theyneededadifferentplacetolive.

Shewasn’tsomeonewhocouldadapttohavingservantsortolivinginahomewhereayou-are-here

mapwasneededinordernottogetlost.Witheyesonthem24-7,they’dhavetobeon24-7.Certainly

he’dbeupforatemporaryrelocation?

WhenLarryclearedhisthroat,Ameliapulledherselffromherthoughtsandsmiledathim.“Thank

you,Larry.”

“Ifyourequireanythingelse,simplypresstheintercom.”

Ameliashookherhead,hervoicebrookingnoargument.“Idon’texpectpeopletowaitonme.If

there’ssomethingIneed,I’mcapableofgettingitmyself.”

“The estate has slightly over 11,000 square feet and it’s my job to care for the Walkers. You are

nowaWalker,correct?”

“I’mnotusedtobeingwaitedon.”

“You’llgetusedtoit.Yourbagswillbeupshortly.”

Amelia closed the door behind him, kicked off her shoes, and surveyed the room. Crossing the

dark wood floor, she checked out the stack of to-be-read books by the bed. Each one of them was

business-related. A newspaper folded to an article about the stock market lay beside the books.

Boring.Boring.Boring.

Marchingovertothedrapes,shesearcheduntilshefoundthebuttonthatoperatedthem.Pressingit,

theyslidopentorevealabeautifulwindowsurroundedbyimpressiveItalianscrollwork.

Throughthewindow,shecouldmakeoutthevastflowergardensandtherowsofneatlykepttrees

shadingthedrivewayinthedimlylitnight.

AknocksoundedonthedoorandAmeliahurriedtoopenit.

“Yourcases.”

“Larry,pleasecallmeAmelia.”

HeinclinedhisheadbutAmeliaknewhewasn’treallyagreeing.Hewouldn’tbreakthetraditionof

ma’amsandsirsforthosewholivedinthehouse.“Isthereanythingelseyourequireofme?”

“Ithinkthataboutcoversit,”Ameliasaid.

HeinclinedhisheadandAmeliaclosedthedoorbehindhim.Forthefirsttime,shetrulyrealized

thegravityofthesituationshe’dgottenherselfinto—andgottenafirsthandglimpseintowhatChad’s

lifemustbelike.Evenhishomewashardwiredforhimtobeuptight.

Shewrappedherarmsaroundherself,givingherselfamentalpeptalk.Shecoulddothis.Shecould

doitforChad’ssake.

Heneededher.

…

Chadliftedhisgazefromthepaperworkhehadn’tbeenabletoconcentrateon.He’dreadthesame

pagethreetimes.Hisabilitytogetlostinworkhadneverfailedhim.

Untilnow.

EversincehislipsfirsttouchedAmelia’slipsduringthestorm,hehadn’tbeenabletothinkofher

ashischildhoodbuddy.

Her smile, her exuberant laughter, the way her eyes lit up, the way she found such delight in

everythingshedid,allofthethingsthatmadeAmeliawhoshewaspeckedathimlikehungrybirds

demandingtobefed.

His thoughts drifted to the way Amelia looked when she said her vows, hopeful and determined.

Beautiful,likearealbride.Hisbride.

Ah,hell.

If his concentration was this wrecked in less than a day, how the hell was he supposed to survive

withherunderthesameroofafewdoorsfromhisbedroom?Friendshipbedamned,hewasaman,

notamonk.

Hecouldn’tthinkthatway.Hehadtokeepthefriendshipsafe.Hethrewhispendownandleaned

backintheleatherdeskchair.

“Amelia,whathavewegottenourselvesinto?”hemuttered.

He needed to write out a plan on how to make this marriage as painless for him as possible.

Openingadrawer,hepulledoutanotebook.

He’dwritealistofallthereasonswhyheshouldn’tgetinvolvedwithAmeliaandkeepithandyto

refertowhenhewasfeelingtempted.Whichmeanthe’dprobablyhavetostaplethedamnthingtohis

zipper.

Aknocksoundedandhehastilyclosedthedrawer.“Comein.”

Smithentered.“Mr.Walker,thereseemstobeaproblem.”

Chaddidn’tlikethathefeltdisappointeditwasSmithratherthanAmeliainhisoffice.“Whatsortof

problem?”Hefrowned.NormallySmithwenttohisgrandfatherwithhouseholdissues.

“It’s Mrs. Walker. I’ve taken her suitcases to the master suite upon her insistence. Will there be

anythingelse?”Smithwaitedexpectantly.

“No.Wait.That’smyroom.”He’dpersonallypickedouttheroomtoputAmeliainsoshewouldn’t

benearhisroom.Thelastthingheneededatnightwastobeabletohearhermovingaroundinhis

bed.Wearingwhateveritwasshenormallysleptin,whichprobablywasn’tmuch.

Thatwasavisualhedidn’tneedtohaveinhishead.

Smithwouldn’tlookhimintheeyeandChad’ssuspicionjumpedafewnotches.“Shedidnotsay

whyshewantedthechange,sir.”

Chadgroundhisteethtogethersotightlyhisjawached.Hepushedbackthedeskchairandstood.

Heshouldn’thavebeensurprisedthatAmeliawasalreadymessingwithhisorderlylife.

“Willthatbeall?”

“Yes, I’ll have a word with Amelia letting her know she’s not to change staff orders without

checkingwithme.”

Smithgaveaquickdipofhisheadandexited.

Assoonashewasalone,Chadclosedthetopofhislaptopandstrodearoundthedesk.Hehadtoset

hisso-calledwifestraight.Thismaybeamarriageofconveniencebuthecouldn’thaveherturning

thewholehouseholdupsidedown.EvenifchaoswasAmelia’ssignaturemove.

Takingthestairstwoatatime,hereachedthedoorofhisbedroomandstoppedwithhishandon

thedoorhandle.Whatonearthwasthatear-splittingsound?

HeshovedopenthedoortofindAmeliadancingaroundinthemiddleoftheroomwhileascreechy

’80srocksongblaredfromtheradiobesidehisbed.

Badtasteinmusic.He’dknownshesufferedfromthat.Hecouldlivewiththat.

However,hewouldnot,couldnot,livewithwhatshewaswearing,notifhewantedtokeeptheir

relationshipfromsettingthembothonfire.

Amelia wore a pair of light-purple cotton shorts that barely covered the tops of her thighs and a

dark-purpletank top. Herhair swung aboutand caressed her backwith each moveof her hips. The

thingoldanklebraceletshiftedaboveherankle,drawingChad’sgazetoherneon-pinktoenailpolish.

Heroutfitwasn’ttraditionallysexy,perse.Veryinlinewithhertomboypersonality.Yetsomehow

sheseemedalmostindecentinit.

DEFCONlevel3sexy.

He.Was.In.Trouble.

Shespunaround,sawhim,anddancedtowherehestood.“Dancewithme,”shesaid,raisingher

voicetobeheardabovethemusic.Shewiggledherfingersathim.

Majortrouble.

“Amelia.” He bypassed her outstretched hands and strode to the radio to shut off the music. The

silencewasasloudasthesonghadbeen.“YoutoldSmiththatyouweresleepinginhere?”

“DidI?”Shearchedaneyebrow.

“Don’tgivemethatinnocentlook.Youchangedthesleepingarrangements.Ialreadytoldyou,we

don’tcrossthatline.”

“Chad…”

He didn’t let her finish. “No good comes from crossing the line. How many times do I have to

repeatmyselfbeforeyoufinallygetit?”

“Chad,listentome.YouwererightaboutmenotstayingwithmysistersandI’mrightaboutthis.”

Shewavedahandindicatingtheroom.“Wecan’thaveseparateroomsbecausethestaffwilltalkand

thenthetruth—theverytruththatyouseemhell-bentonkeepingsecret—willgetout.”

Damnit.Shewasright.Hehadn’tthoughtaboutthat.

“Besides,it’snotthefirsttimewe’vesleptinthesamebed.Andit’snotlikethatmammothbedisn’t

bigenoughtoaccommodatethebothofuswithoutuseventouching.I’veheardofaCaliforniaking-

sizebedbefore,butthat’slike,aKingKongsize.”

“We’renotkidsanymore.”

“Wesleptinthesamebedatthecabinandnothinghappened,”shepointedout.

When was he going to learn that arguing a point with her was useless? He blew out a breath.

“You’reright.You’llhavetostayhere.I’llsleeponthefloor.”Heranhisfingersacrossthebackof

his neck, trying to find release from the tension in his muscles, looking around the room at

everythingexcepthiswife.

“Don’tbearidiculousass.Youdon’thavetosleeponthefloor.I’mnotgoingtopounceonyou,

husband,”shelaughed.“Idohavesomeself-control.”

Hequirkedhisbrow.“Didyoujustcallmeanass?”

“No.”Shesmiledsweetly.“Icalledyouaridiculousass.Bigdifference.”

Herolledhiseyes.Didn’tsherealizethatherself-controlwasn’ttheonehequestioned?

“You want the bathroom first?” he asked. He unbuttoned his shirt and pitched it toward a chair. It

missed.

Whenhemadenomovetoretrieveit,shesaid,“Don’tthinkpickingupafteryouisgoingtobeone

ofmywifelyduties.”

“Idon’texpectthat.”Hewatchedthewayhereyesroamedhisbarechestandcaughthowquickly

she looked away. “What I expect, what I deserve as your husband”—he hid a smile when her eyes

narrowed—“isforyounottosnorelikeadamntrain.”

“That’smean.YouknowIdon’tsnore.”Shethrewapillowathim.

Hecaughtitandthrewitback.“Icanbemean.I’maridiculousass,remember?”

Shehuggedthepillowagainstherchest.“Youcouldneverbemean.Nottomeanyway.”

“YoutakeallthehotwaterandImightjustsurpriseyouwithhowmeanIcanget.”

“Nocoldshowersforyou,huh?”

“Notaslongasyoubehave.”

Grabbing her toothbrush, she sauntered closer and stopped before she brushed by him. “That’s

debatable.”

Heswattedheronthebuttasshedartedintothebathroom.ThesinkwaterstartedandChadsaton

theedgeofthebedtowaituntilshewasfinisheddoingwhateverbefore-bedritualshehad.

Thebedwasbig,thatwastrue,butasfarashewasconcerned,theentirestatewasn’tbigenoughfor

himtosleepnexttoher.Notwithoutintroducinghimtonever-endingcoldshowers.

Herakedahandacrosshisface.Heknewhehadastruggleaheadofhimdealingwithherashis

wife, but during the day at least, they didn’t have to be in the same room. He could add business

meetingsthattookhimawayfromhomeuntillateintheevenings.Pushhimselfhardersothatwhen

hewasreadyforbed,sleepwouldbetheonlythinghisbodywasinterestedin.

Hewassolostinthoughthedidn’trealizeshe’dfinishedupinthebathroomuntilshewasstanding

infrontofhimmakeup-free.

So.Damn.Beautiful.

“Youready?”sheasked.

Heattemptedtobanishthoughtsofjusthowreadyhewas.“Youmeanthebathroom?”

“WhatelsewouldImean?”

Chadrose,stiflingtheurgetoreleasehisinnerTarzanandswingherontothebedtobreakevery

last one of his rules. “I’ll try not to wake you when I get out.” He moved to the dresser to take out

someshortstosleepin.

“IknowyouhavecertainneedssogoaheadandwakemeifI’masleep.”

Chadspunaroundsofasthewassurehegotwhiplash.“Needs?”

“Youneedacertainsideofthebedandyouneedacertainpillow,right?”

Hestaredatherforalongsecond.“Areyoutryingtogetundermyskin?”

“Oh.”Shelaughed.“YouthoughtIwastalkingabout…”

“Ugh. You’re killing me, Ame. I’m going to take a shower.” What the hell was wrong with her?

Innuendosaboutsex?Pushingeverydamnbuttonhehad?Didn’tshehaveanyideahowalluringshe

looked?Whatatenuousholdhehadonhisself-control?

Unless…shewasn’tdoingitonpurpose.Didshewanthimthewayhewantedher?

Chadwentintothebathroomandreachedforthewatercontrol.Withouthesitating,heturneditfull

blastonthecoldside.

ChapterNine

Thenextmorning,AmeliacaughtChadbeforehecouldleavethebedroom.Sheputherbackagainst

thedoortoblockhisescape.Ifshewasgoingtoteachhimhowtobemorespontaneousandhowto

enjoylife,shecouldn’tlethimrunofftotheofficeeverysecondhegot.“Let’sgotothefestival.”

Every year, Sweet Creek threw a festival to celebrate the coming of the summer months. There

were rides, craft vendors, and the most delicious food Amelia could remember tasting. When they

wereteenagers,theynevermissedachancetoattend.

“I’vegotworktodo.”

“Andyou’llstillhavethatsameworkwaitingforyoutomorrow.”

“Ican’t.”

“You’renotexpectedintoday.Whileyouwereintheshower,Icalledyoursecretaryandtoldher

youwerespendingthedaywithme.”

He didn’t look thrilled. “Amelia, I’m not someone you can lead around by the nose and I don’t

appreciate this.” Putting his hands on her arms, he gently shifted her away from the door. Yanking

openthedoor,hesteppedoutintothehallway.

“Peoplewillstartgossipingabouttheamountoftimeyouspendawayfromme.They’llthinkthat

youcan’tstandtobeinmycompany,”shesaidquietly.

“You’llknowthat’snottrue,sodon’tletitbotheryou.”

“Yeah.Sure.”

“I’llseeyoutonight.”

“Fine.”

Hehesitatedandshesenthimaforcedsmileandthenclosedthebedroomdoor.

Well,thatdidn’twork.Digginghercellphonefromherpocket,shecalledhersisterAnnsinceshe

knewAbbywouldbeatthedineralready.“Youwanttogotothefestival?Okay,I’llbethereinafew

minutes.”

Shehungupandgrabbedapairofflat-heeledshoes.Ifherso-calledhusbandwantedtospendthis

beautifuldaytrappedinanoffice,hecould.Shewasgoingtoenjoyherself.Assoonasshegrabbed

herpurse,shelefttheroomandranlightlydownthestairs.

“Chadleft?”Henrystoppedheratthefoot.

“Hehasworktodo.”

Ashadowcrossedtheolderman’sface.“Ididthistohim,”hemuttered.

“Pardon?”

“Er…nothing.Whereareyouheaded?”

“Tothefestival.Youwanttocomealong?”

“No,dear,yougoon.Havesomecottoncandyandanelephantearforme.”

“It’llbetough,butforyou,anything.”

Henrylaughed.“Takeanycaryou’dlikefromthegarage.”

Amelialeaneduponhertiptoesandpressedakisstohischeek.“Thanks.”

When she went into the garage, she whistled at the gleaming cars and chose a sporty model that

lookedlikeitcostmorethanachunkofprimerealestateinNewYorkCity.

Onceshewasontheroad,sheloweredthewindowsandletthewarmairblowthrough.Howcould

Chadnotseeallhewasmissingouton?Shesighedandpushedthethoughtaway.Maybehe’dhadthe

abilitytohavefunsurgicallyremovedwhenhe’dgraduatedfrombusinessschool.

Arriving at Ann’s small house, she blew the horn and waved at the elderly postwoman she’d

startled.“Sorry!”

Anntuggedopenthepassengerdooranddroppeddownontotheseat.“Wow.Cinderella’scoachhas

undergonesomechanges.”

AmeliatookoffonceAnnwassituated.“Thisisafarcryfromafairytale,believeme.”

“Uh-oh.Troubleinloveland?”

“Possibly.”

Anngaveadelightedgrin.“Sowhat’dyoudo?Findatwelve-stepprogramthathelpedyouadmita

friendismorethanafriend?”

Easingthecarintotheleftturnlane,Ameliasighed.“Chadisincrediblygood-looking.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Andhe’sgotareallyhotbody.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Whenhekissesme,Idon’twanttostop.”Ameliashrugged.“IknowIcaremoreabouthimthan

canbedefinedbyfriendship.”

The light changed and Amelia eased the car through the intersection, heading toward the

fairgrounds.“ButIfeelchafedatthethoughtofbeingtieddown.”

“Itwouldneverworkbetweenthetwoofyou.Youneverseeeyetoeyeonanythingthatmattersin

keepingamarriagetogether,”Annsaid.

“Youdon’tknowthatforsure.Welikealotofthesamefoods.Andsports.Werootforthesame

team.”Ameliabitherlipandpulledthecarintoaparkingspot,carefultoparkwhereshehopedthe

car wouldn’t get dinged by other car doors. Shutting off the engine, she added, “Life is…I don’t

know…sunnierwhenhe’saround.Isthatacliché?”

“No,thatsoundslikelove.”

“Nah.”ShesawtheexpressiononAnn’sfaceandgotoutofthecar.“Itcan’tbelove.”Shefellinto

stepbesidehersister.

“Whynot?”

“It’snotwritteninChad’sdayplanner.”

“I’venoticedhisloveofrules.”Annlaughed.“Whatisupwiththat?”

“He’sgottonsofrulesthatsucktheliferightoutofhim.He’ssoseriousalotofthetime.”Amelia

brushedherhairawayfromhereyes.

“Younevermetaruleyoudidn’twanttobreak.I’llbetyoudrivehimcrazy.

“Nomorethanhedrivesmecrazy.”

“Butyou’retogetherandifyouwantmyopinion,it’sbecauseyoulovedhimenoughtotrytospare

himfromwhatyousawasabadfuture.Helovedyouenoughtogoalongwithyourwackysnatch-a-

manidea.”

“We can’t love each other. His life is here and mine is…” Amelia paused to search for the right

word.

“Ontherun.”

Ameliagroaned.“Notyoutoo.”

“You can’t outrun love, sis. It sneaks up on you, builds slowly, and it’s in your heart before you

evenrealizeit.”

TheyreachedtheticketgateandAmeliapaidtheentrancefeeforthem.

Annlookedoverhershoulderandthensmiledbrightly.“Iseesomefriends.DoyoumindifIgo

withtheminstead?”

Amelia’smouthdroppedopen.“You’reditchingme?”SheturnedaroundandspottedChadjogging

towardthem.He’dchangedfromhissuitandworeapairofsnug-fittingbluejeansandablackdress

shirtwiththesleevesrolleduptohisforearms.

“Seeyoutwolater,”Annsaidanddartedoff.

“Youfinishedupyourworkalready?”AmeliaaskedwhenChadreachedherside.

“Ididn’tevengoin.IdroveallthewaythereandthenrealizedthatIneededtobehere.”

Her heart danced and Amelia realized that while she might not be full-blown in love with her

husband,shewaswellontheway.Thethoughtmadeherfeelafraidandexhilarated.

“I’msorryIblewyouoffthismorning.”

“It’sokay.Feedmefoodthat’stotallybadformeandwe’llcalliteven.”

“Lettingmeoffthehookeasy.”Hepaidhisentrancefeeandtheywalkedthroughthegate.

Instantly, the sounds of children laughing and dozens of amusement rides running assailed them.

Thearomaofhotdogs,elephantears,andboiledpeanutswaftedalongthemainwalkway.

“Thelasttimewewerehere,wegotstuckontheFerriswheel,”Chadsaid.

“AndyouwerewishingitwasSandyGarretyouwerewith.”

TheygotinlinefortheFerriswheel.“Notevenclose,”hedenied.

Theyshuffledforwarduntilitwastheirturn.Hewaiteduntilshesatonthechairbeforejoiningher.

Theattendantsecuredthebarandthenmovedontootherchairs.

“Soyouweresecretlygladitwasme.”

“Iwas.Youwerelargerthanlifeandeverythingwasalwaysbetterwhenyouwerearound.”

The Ferris wheel jerked and then slowly began moving. Amelia held on to the bar. “One of my

bucketlistitemshappensonaFerriswheel.Numbernine.”

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to be passionately kissed at the very top.” She smiled when he looked at her in

astonishment.“Givemeabreak.IwasfifteenwhenIwrotethatlist.”

“Haveyoucompletedit?”

“No.Why?Youvolunteeringtohelpwiththatone?”

…

Chadcouldn’tbelievehisownearswhenheopenedhismouthandsaid,“Icouldmakethatsacrifice.

KissabeautifulwomanonaFerriswheel.”

Her eyes flashed and his stomach tightened. Kissing her would be as smart as running naked

through a village full of cannibals. Definitely not smart. But he put his arm around her shoulders

anyway.

“Umm…Ididsaypassionately.”Hervoicewasbreathless,husky.“Thinkyou’reupforthat?”

“It’sforagoodcause,right?”Heloweredhisheadandbrushedhislipsoverhers.Thepounding

beganinhishead,throbbingashisbloodheatedup.Lookingintohereyes,hesawthesameurgency,

the same need he knew was in his own. Damn, but he wanted her. He buried his lips against hers,

suckinggentlyonthesweetfullness.

She twisted in the seat, giving him greater access to her lips, and Chad took advantage of that.

Slipping his tongue between her lips, he traced the inner edges. When her tongue touched his, he

thoughthewouldgoinsanefromtheneeddrivinghim.Heneededtostopbeforeitwentfurtherand

hegotthembothbannedfromthefestivalforlife.

Forcinghimselftobreakthekiss,heslowlymovedawayfromher.Hisfingertipstracedthesideof

herface.“Passionateenough?”

“Iwasthinkingit’sagoodthingthatIdidn’tsharewhatnumberelevenwasonthelist.”

“We’reinapublicplace.”Chadlaughed.

“Becauseotherwise,youwouldn’tbeabletostopyourself,right?”

Shewasteasing.Heknewshewasteasing,butstill,hislaughterfaded.Heswallowedhard.Shehad

noideahowrightshewas.“You’reright.”

Shegasped.“Chad?”

“ButthisunionisfinishedinsixmonthsandIwillwalkaway.Wewon’teverbemorethanfriends.

SoIwon’tuseyoujusttoquenchathirst.It’snotfairtoeitherofus.Agreed?”

Shecrossedherarms.“WhatifItoldyouthatit’stakingallofmywillpowernottofallinlovewith

you?”

Hehatedtoadmitit,butsaid,“Iwouldtellyouthatit’sthesamewithme.”

Shelookedathim.“Whatarewegoingtodoaboutit?”

“We’re going to enjoy the festival, pig out, and then go back home where we slip back into

friendship-onlymode.”

TheFerriswheelslowedtoastop.“Ifthat’swhatyouwant.”

“Isn’titwhatyouwant?”Hismouthwentstrangelydrywhilehewaitedforherresponse.

“Maybe.Idon’tknow.ButIdoknowthatIwantanelephantear,so…”Sheheldoutherhandandhe

tookit,closinghisfingersoverhers.

Shedidn’tknow?He’dbeensosurethatwhathe’dstruggledwithinternallyaboutthetwoofthem

wasallonhim.Knowingshehadthesamestrugglemadehismuchworse.

Theelephantearswerehotoutoftheoilwhentheyreachedthebooth.Chadorderedtwoandonce

thevendorsprinkledthetopswithpowderedsugar,hecarriedthemtoapicnictablebeneathalarge

canopy.

Ameliatookhersandgingerlybrokeoffapiece,settingitasidetocool.“Firstlove?”

“Elephantears?”

“Notfood.Whatgirlwasyourfirstlove?”

“Oh.”Chadthoughtforasecond,thendecidedtobehonest.“You.”

Surprised,shestoppedwithabitehalfwaytoherlips.

“Thatdayintheparkwhenwesworewe’dalwaysbefriends.Ilovedyouasonlyakidcanlovethe

firstgirlwho’skindtohim.”

Depositingthebitebackontotheplate,shesaid,“Andyouweremyfirstcrush.”

“Whichiswhyyouaskedmetobeyourfirstkiss,”hesaid,finallyunderstanding.Reachingacross

the table, he covered her hand with his. “Believe it or not, that night I wanted to head back to your

houseandtellyouI’dchangedmymind.”

“Thenwhydidn’tyou?”

Hegrinnedsheepishly.“Istartedwatchingthegameandforgot.”

Shelaughed.“Gladtoknowmyaskingrockedyourworld.”

“Youalwaysrockmyworld.”Hepointedatherplate.“Ifyou’renotgoingtoeatthat,Iwill.”

Shescootedherplateaway.“Don’teventhinkaboutitorthisfriendshipisover.”

“We’remarried.I’mentitledtohalf.”

“Isn’tthatadivorcemotto?”

He polished off the last bite of his treat. “For some poor saps. I know you’d never take a penny

otherthanwhatwasyours.”

She leaned across the table, capturing his eyes with hers. “If you trust me with your money, then

whyareyousoafraidtotrustmewithyourheart?”Hertonewaslight…unlikethewords.

“Icanmakemoremoney.”Hecrumpledhisplateupandtosseditintothegarbagecan.“Besides,I

couldturnthataroundandaskwhyyou’resoafraidofnotrunningaway.”

Shegotuptoputherplateinthetrash.“Truthfully?WhenI’mstuckinoneplace,IfeellikeIcan’t

breathe.IneedtobeabletotakeoffonawhimandgowhereverIwant.”

“NowyouseewhyIcouldnevertrustyouwithmyheart?Youwouldonlyrunwithit.”

“OrmaybeI’dfinallyhaveareasontostaystill.”Shecoveredhermouthwithherhand.“Ididn’t

meantosaythatoutloud.”

Chadgotupandputhishandonthesmallofherbacktohelpguidetheirwaythroughthecrowd.

“Forgetit,”hesaid,knowinghewouldn’tbeableto.“Let’sheadtothegames.I’llwinyouastuffed

monkeyorsomething.”

Halfwaydownthewalk,Chadfoundagametossingbaseballsthroughaclown’snose.Hehitevery

throwandwonanoversizegorilla.WhenhegaveittoAmelia,shesaid,“Isthisyourwayofsaying

you’rebananasoverme?”

Hegroanedastheystartedwalkingagain.“Youwerealwaysterribleatjokes.”

“Iknow.GoodthingIkeptmydayjob.”Shesenthimaglancefromthecornerofhereye.“Sois

thisagreatdateorwhat?”

“Thisisn’treallymyideaofadate.”

“Thenwhatis?”sheasked,stoppingbeforethepeanutvendortograbasmallbagofpeanuts.

“Theusual.Dinnerout.Maybeamovie.”

“Uh-huh.Andifitwastheunusual?Ifyoudatedsomeonelikeme?”

“ItwouldhavetobesomethingcheapsoIcouldaffordbailmoney.”

Shelaughed.“I’mserious.”

“Let’ssee.”Hetookahandfulofthepeanuts.“Someonelikeyou…I’dtakeyoutoakaraokeplace.”

“Neitherofuscansing.”

“Iknow,butwe’dgiveitaneffortandthenlaughaboutituntilweached.”Hereachedforanother

handfulofpeanuts.

“IfIdatedsomeonelikeyou,I’dgodancing.Someplacewithjazzmusic.”

“Ididn’tknowyoulikedjazz.”

Shearchedaneyebrow.“Well,nowyoudo.”

Hesmiledwhenshelinkedherarmwithhisandthenrealizedwithajoltthathehadn’tthoughtof

workoncesincearrivingatthefestival.Theknowledgemadehimfeelonedgeandheknewexactly

why.Spendingtimewithhissexywifewaschangingalltherules.

ChapterTen

“Willyoupleasehurryandgetdressed?Peoplearegoingtobeshowingupanyminute.Grandfather

saidhe’dinvitedyourfamilyforachampagnereception.Asifthisisarealmarriage.”Hehatedthe

way his voice betrayed his anxiousness. After spending the night after the festival lying next to

Ameliaandfightingofftheurgetotouchher,tokissher—doallthefunandintimatethingsmarried

couples are supposed to do—he was in a less-than-rested mood. He hadn’t been able to get the

conversationorthekissthey’dsharedoutofhismind.

Sohe’dbanishedhimselftohisofficeandspentmostofthedayworking.Asifthatwasgoingto

makehimforgethewasnowsharingabedwithaverygrown-up,verytemptingAmelia.

“GoodLord,Chad.Webothsaidvowsandendedwith‘Ido.’Soit’sprettydarnedreal,accordingto

thelaw,anyway.Ithinkchampagneisdefinitelyinorder.”

Herolledhiseyes.“YouknowwhatImean.”

“Verywell.”Ameliawalkedacrosstheroom.“Onenewlywedwifecomingrightup.”Sheopened

Chad’s closet and pulled out a black dress. She held it up against her body and then winked at him.

“GivemeasecondandI’llbetheadoringwife.”

That’s what he was afraid of, Chad thought when Amelia went into the bathroom and closed the

door.

Deepbreath.Heforcedhimselftorelax.

Thefestivalwasover.Realitywasbackinplace.Ameliawasnotgoingtoturnhislifeupsidedown.

Hewasstillincontrol.Hewas.

Hewenttotheclosetandchoseadark-graysuitfromadozenothersjustlikeit.Tossingitonthe

bed,hedugapairofdresssocksfromhisdresser,thenstrippeddowntohisT-shirtandboxers.

Thebathroomdoorswungopen.Chadlookedoverhisshoulderandwishedhehadn’t.

The little black dress held on to her curves the way a man would if he were lucky enough. He

wasn’tusedtoseeinghistomboybestfriendlookingsosexyandglamorous.

Heforcedhimselftoswallow.

“Zipper, please,” she moved her hair out of the way, showing a soft expanse of her back. Chad

inhaledherperfume.

Againsthisquicklyweakeningwill,hishandsgrippedhershoulders.Hewantedtolowerhishead

andpressakisstothesideofherneck.

Asimplekiss.Nothingmore.

Beforehecouldactontheimpulse,Ameliastilledandturnedandfacedhim.

HereyesremindedhimofthehotSouthCarolinadayswhentheywouldlieonablanketandlook

up at clouds, complaining about their homework assignments or planning their futures—his as the

headofWalkerIndustries,hersasasuccessfulphotographer.

God, it felt like years ago. They both seemed so young then. But his thoughts were anything but

innocentatthemoment.

Chad swallowed again, his brain trying to analyze the situation from every angle. Part of him

wantedtoseewherearomanticrelationshipwithAmeliawouldgo,toloveherinallthewaysaman

lovedawoman.

But another part of him couldn’t forget what his father went through or how opposite he and

Amelia were. Opposites didn’t simply attract. They connected and then self-destructed. She’d said

maybeshe’dhaveareasontostay.Maybesweren’tguarantees.

ToloseAmeliaashisloveandashisfriend…

Thethoughtdousedhisdesirelikeabucketoficewaterflungintohisface.

“Areyouokay?”Shestudiedhisface.

Heforcedachuckle.“Yeah.Thinkingaboutbusiness,”helied.

Chadfollowedthemovementofherfingerwhenshetouchedthecornerofherlipstodabather

lipstick.

“What’sonyourlisttomorrowbesideswork?”

Definitely not making out with my wife. “Work’s the only thing on the agenda,” he said vaguely,

tryingtosoundnormal,buthecouldtellshedidn’tbuyit.

Shepickedupahairbrushandstartedslidingitslowlythroughherhair.Onestroke.Twostrokes…

Chad couldn’t watch. He’d seen her brush her hair hundreds of times, but it was different now.

Sexier.

Shefinishedbrushingandthentwisteditupintoalooseknot,allowingstrandstoframeherface

beforesecuringthebackwithglitteringhairpins.

“Everyoneiswaitingforus,”Chadsaidandgrabbedthedresspantshe’dlaidoutearlier.Heslid

hislegsintothemandpulledupthezipper.

HetriedtoignoreAmeliaasshedugapairofheelsfromhersuitcaseanddroppedthemontothe

floor.SheslidherfeetintothemandChadhadtoturnhisbacktoher.Whendidshedeveloplegsthat

long?Thatshapely?

Figureshewasattractedtotheonewomanhe’dneverplannedtoseduce.

Heheardherclearherthroatbehindhimandheturned.“Chad,I’vebeenthinking…weshouldfind

asmallerhousetolivein.”

“Whywouldweneedasmallerhouse?”

“Idon’twantourchildrentoliveinaplacethatdoesn’tfeellikeahome.”

“Children?”Chadfeltasifhe’dswallowedanolivewholeanditwasstuckinhisthroat.

AmelialaughedandpattedthefrontofhisT-shirt.“Don’tforgettobreathe.Iwasteasing.Iknow

you’reevenmoreaversetothethoughtofhavingchildrenthanyouarefallinginlove.”Hersmile

faded. “But seriously, I’m not comfortable surrounded by all the servants and extravagance. The

stressofhavingtokeepupthischarade24-7isgoingtobetoomuchforus.Iwouldfeelbetterina

smallerhouse.”

“Smaller house,” he parroted. “That’s fine with me.” What the hell was he thinking? A smaller

housewouldputthemincloserproximity.

Andcloserproximitymeantmoretemptation.

Narrowinghereyes,shesaid,“Youareactingsostrange.Yousureyou’reokay?”

Hestretchedtohidehispanic.“It’sbeenalongday.”

Withashrug,shecrossedtheroomonthoseendlesslegsandopenedthebedroomdoor.

“I’llseeyoudownstairs.IfIgetlostontheway,sendoutasearchteam.”

…

When he was alone, Chad reached for the dark tie and nearly choked himself putting it on. His

carefullyconstructedwallswerecrumblingfastandhewasfrantictostopthedownfall.Thingswere

unraveling.Hell,hewasunraveling,allbecausehismindcouldn’tstopthinkingsomedecidedlynon-

best-friendthoughts.Sure,hecouldsaytohellwithitandgiveintohisdesires,butatwhatprice?

Hewasabusinessman,usedtogatheringinformation,weighingtheoptions,andmakingcalculated

decisionsbasedonfacts.

Fact:Hisfatherhadlovedhismothermorethanlifeitselfandhadlosther.

Fact:Themanhadneverrecovered,andthewholefamilyhadpaidtheprice.

Fact:Yeah,hewasscrewedupintheheadaboutlovebutithadneverbeenanissuebeforebecause

he’dneverbeentemptedbyit.

Fact:Lovehadthepowertodestroy.

Fact:Ameliawashisbestfriend.Theonepersonhecouldn’tlose.Hell,evengoingalongwithher

groomnapping scheme had come down to him not losing her, not after her unexpectedly strong

reactiontohismarryingClaire.

Fact:Hisbestfriendwasnowhistoo-tempting-for-her-own-goodwifeandhewashavingadamned

hardtimekeepingthingsstrictlyplatonic.

Fact:Hewastotallyscrewed.

HefinisheddressingquicklyandhurriedafterAmelia.Whenhereachedtheformallivingroom,he

noticedthemusiciansplayingsoftlyinthecorneroftheroom.Itwasalittlemuch,inChad’sopinion,

buthisgrandfatherneverdidanythingbyhalfmeasure.

Sweepinghisgazeacrosstherestoftheroom,hefoundnotonlyhisgrandfather,buthisfriends

andAmelia’sfamilyaswell.

Abbyapproachedhimandpressedaquickkisstothesideofhisface.“Chad,feelslikejustrecently

youwereonlyafriendofthefamily.”Herreadysmiledisappearedwhenshespottedthemanseated

byChad’sgrandfatherHenry.“Whoinvitedhim?”shesnapped.

Chad followed her gaze to his friend, Nick Coleman. “My grandfather invited him. You know

Nick’sabuddyofmine.Ithoughtyouwerefriendswithhim,too.”

“No,”Abbysaid,tensingwhenNickrosefromhisseatandapproached.

“Abby.”Hegaveheraslowsmile.“Goodtoseeyouagain.”

The greeting seemed pleasant enough but to Chad’s surprise, the normally unflappable Abby

cringed.“IwishIcouldsaythesame.”

Turningonherheel,shemarchedacrosstheroomuntilshereachedhersisters.

“Whatwasthatallabout?”Chadasked.

“Thebestnightofmylifeandapparentlytheworstnightofhers.”

Wow.NickandAbby.He’dhavetogetthatstoryatsomepoint.“Sorry,man.”

“Don’tbe.She’llcomearound.”Nickgrinned.

“IknowAbby.Shewon’tmakeiteasyonyou.”

“No,”Nicktookasipofthechampagneoneofthewaitershadoffered,“butshe’sworththefight

andI’maverypatientman.”

HeturnedhisgazetoChad.“Afterall,yougotmarriedandnoonethoughtyou’dtaketheplunge.

Notafterallofyour‘lovekills’speeches.Youpreachedthatstufflikeitwasgospel.”

Hefelthimselfflush,gropingforsomethingtosayabouthisunexpected180.“Oh,well,whenyou

findtherightperson…”

“Darling?”Ameliacalledaftermakingtheroundswiththeguests.Hersultryvoiceandsmoldering

look almost vaporized the friend zone until he remembered she was acting for the benefit of those

aroundthem.SheheldoutherhandandChadcapturedittopresshislipsagainsttheback.

Hetriedtokeephismindoffhiswife’sothercharms.

“Chad?”Ameliatouchedhissideandhisstomachmuscleswentonlockdown.“Youlookstressed.

Areyouthinkingabouttomorrow?”

“What’sgoingontomorrow?”Annasked,comingupbehindthem.

“He’sgoingtoworkagain,”Ameliasaid.

“You’reworkingonyourhoneymoon?”Anntsked.

“Thewheelsofbusinessdon’tstopturning,”EricMaxwell,Chad’sattorneyandfriendsaid,giving

Annameasuringlookfromovertherimofhischampagneflute.

Ann sighed and tugged gently at Eric’s plaid bow tie. “You would know all about the wheels of

businessturning,Mr.Never-Takes-a-Day-Off.”

“Ihavealotofclientswithalotofimportantneeds,”hereplied.

“Uh-huh.Couldn’thaveanythingtodowiththatblondeyourecentlyhiredasasecretary,couldit?”

sheteased.

“Jealous,Ann?”

Annlaughed.“Youwish.”ThensheturnedherattentiontoAmeliaandthetwodiscussedAmelia’s

lendingahandatthedinertomorrow.

HisvoicesolowChadwastheonlyonewhocaughtit,Ericsaid,“Yeah,maybeIdowish.”

Hmmm…firstNick,nowEric.WeretheyalldestinedtofallvictimtotheSnyderwomen?

Themusicianslaunchedintoaslowsong.Awarethatcoupleswereheadingtothedancefloor,Chad

decideditwastimetodancewithhiswife.Strictlyforshow.HesweptAmeliaintohisarms,feeling

likeamansteppinginfrontofaspeedingtrain.

Hewasthankfulshedidn’tknowwhathewasthinking.

Whensherealizedhewaswhiskingherontothedancefloor,hecouldn’thelpbutsmile.Shemight

dance with wild abandon in private, but she’d revealed years ago that she felt awkward dancing in

frontofanaudience.

“Youhavenothingtofearwithyourdancing,”hewhisperedandAmeliapromptlysteppedonhis

toes.

“Oops.”Shegaveanervouslaugh.“Spoketoosoon,didn’tyou?”

Hishandswereathomearoundherwaist.Tooathome.Heslidthemquicklyupwardtoherback,

intendingtojokeabouthermisstep.

Herlipspartedandhehadthefoolishthoughttokissher.Forthesakeofthecrowdwatching.No

otherreason.Heinclinedhisheadandlightlypressedhislipstohers.Sheranherfingertipsalongthe

napeofhisnecktoplaywiththeendofhishair,andkissedhimback.

Beneaththeglitteringchandelier,withthesoundofthemusicwaftingslowlyacrosstheroom,he

wantednothingmorethantomakelovetohiswife.

Amelia leaned her head against his chest and when he bent closer to hear, whispered, “I’m

exhausted.Thinkwecanmakeourexcusesandyoucanhelpmeoutofthisdress?”

Helpheroutofherdress?

Howthehellwashesupposedtostaystrongwhentemptationhadhisnumberonspeeddial?

ChapterEleven

The morning sun poked insistent fingers through the window and spilled across her face. Amelia

stretchedslowly,liftingherarmsaboveherheadonthepillow,androlledoverinChad’sbed.When

sherealizedwhereshewas,shebolteduprightbeneaththeplushcovers.

Leaning over the edge of his bed, she reached down to wake him, only to discover the hastily

constructedpileofblanketsempty.

Despite the confidence he’d shown last night when they thanked everyone for helping celebrate

theirspecialday,oncehe’dgottenbacktotheroom,he’dtotallyfreakedout.

Asinget-the-guy-a-Valium-already.

Afterunzippingherdressandwatchingitslipdownherbody,he’dgapedatherVictoria’sSecret

lingerieandpromptlyrantomakeabedonthefloor.Whatwashe,twelve?

Shetriednottobehurtbyit.

The bathroom door opened and Chad stepped out, fully dressed in a suit similar to the one he’d

wornlastnight.Behindhim,shecouldseethesteamybathroommirror.

“Wouldyouliketohavebreakfasttogetherbeforewestarttheday?”heasked.

Shefeltatoddsoverhisoh-so-neutraltoneofvoice,atoddsovertheblueofhiseyes,hisfreshly

shavedjawline.Somethingwasdifferent.Shewasdifferent.

Whywasitsohardtodrawinadeepbreath?Wasithotinhere?Maybefromtheshowersteam.

“Are you okay?” he asked. He picked up his watch and fastened it onto his wrist. Long fingers.

Perfectforholdingagainstherwaist.Perfectfor…alotofthings.

She averted her eyes. Soooo not okay. “Ame? Breakfast?” Chad asked again, a puzzled frown

marringhisface.

Shewantedtoslidefromthebedandwalkovertohim.Shewantedtoputherhandsbehindhisneck

andpullhislipsclosertohers—

“Ame?”

“Ofcourse.Breakfast,”shesaid,snappingoutofherfantasytoputonherbest“justfriends”smile,

theonlyonehewantedtosee.“Areyougoingtomakeyourgourmettoast?”

“Don’tpokefun,woman.Imakeameanburnedtoastandyouknowit.”

“Youcertainlydo,dear.I’lljustscrapeitthecolorIwantit.”Sheslidfromthebedandsnatcheda

robetocoverherpajamaset.“You’restaringatme.DoIhavebedhair?”

His blue eyes locked on hers, then lowered slowly, agonizingly slowly, down the length of her

bodyandbackup.“Amelia.”Therewasahuskynoteinhisvoiceandshedidn’thavetobearocket

scientisttounderstandwhatitmeant.

Hemightbeputtinguproadblocksleftandright,buthewasn’timmunetoher.Thehopewithinher

reachedupwardlikeaflowerliftingtowardthewarmthofthesun.

Hetookastepcloserandshewaited,scarcelydaringtobreathe.“Ican’truinus,”hesaid.“We’re

goodtogether.Platonically,Imean.”

“Yes,weare,”Ameliasaidquickly.

“Ijust…Ijustwantyoutoknow,it’snotyou.TherearestillsomethingsIcan’t…”

She saw the way he struggled to find the words to explain his feelings. Chad had never been any

good at opening up—not unlike most men—so the fact that he was trying was a testament to how

muchshemeanttohim.

“I know how your mom’s leaving destroyed your father. All of you really. You not only lost a

mother,butbecauseofyourfather ’sinabilitytomovepasthisgrief,youlostadadtoo.”

Athoughtfullookcrossedhisfeatures.“Youknow,Ineverthoughtofitthatway,butyou’reright.I

didlosebothparents.”

Shenodded.“AndsodidI.Inadifferentwaybuttheywerestillgone.SoIunderstand.Youwon’t

loseme.Butdon’tletyourfearoflovekeepyoufromlivingyourlife.Notlovingcanruinyou,too,

Chad.”

He stared intently into her eyes and she felt butterflies dance in her stomach. It was possibly the

mostintensemomentthey’devershared.Hishandwashalfwaytohercheek,asiftocaressit,when

someonepoundedonthedoorhardenoughtomakeitrattle.

“Chad?Amelia?Youtwoupyet?”Henry’svoiceyelled.

“Onesecond!”Chadcalledout.

“GoodLord,doeshedothatoften?”Shetriedtohideherannoyance.

“Dowhat?”

“Justbustinonpeople?”

Chadgrinned.“Yougetusedtoit.Let’sgettheseblanketsonthefloorputawaybeforewelethim

in.”Theyrushedforwardandgatheredtheblankets,tossingtheminanunrulyheaponthebed.

AmeliadidherbesttosmooththeheapbeforeChadcrossedtothedoorandswungitopen.Henry

stoodinthedoorwayandpeekedintotheroom.“Goodmorning,lovebirds.”

ShesawChadrollhiseyes.“Canwehelpyou,Grandfather?”

Henry laughed. “Get dressed and come join me downstairs. Noah is here too and we want to run

somethingbyyou.”Withthat,heturnedandstrodedownthehall.

SheheardChadmutter,“Whatthehelldotheywantnow?”

Crossingtothecloset,shereplied,“Iguesswe’llfindoutoncewegetthere.”Shepulledoutapair

ofjeansandagreenT-shirtandquicklyslippedintothemwhileChaddutifullykepthiseyesaverted

andfocusedonhisphone.

Afewminuteslater,theyenteredthebreakfastroom.

“Goodmorning,Granddaddy.”Ameliacrossedthefloorandhuggedhimtightly.

“Goodmorning,sweetheart!You’reprobablywonderingwhatthisisallabout.”

Chadnoddedhishead.“We’redefinitelycurious.”

“We’vebeenthinking,”Noahsaidinhisboomingvoice,hisgazeonthetwoofthem.“Weknowwe

put the two of you on the spot and that your wedding ceremony was too rushed. Not the kind of

weddingIwantedyoutohave,”headded,lookingpointedlyatAmelia.

“Wefeelthatitwouldbeagreatideaifthetwoofyouhadanotherweddinghereintown.Abigone

sothatallthefamilyandfriendscouldattend.”Henrysmiledabright,sunny-sideupsmile.

“Idon’twanttohaveanotherwedding,”Chadblurted.

“Idon’twantanotherweddingeither,”Ameliaseconded,stillfeelingalittleguiltythatshe’dcaused

thefirstonetohappen.

Henryshuffledtoachairandsatdownwithahuffofbreath.“Ithinkitwouldbeasmartmove.We

cankeepitlow-keyanditwouldputastoptoanyrumorsthatmightcropup.”

Noahnoddedalittletooeagerlyandslappedhiskneewithgusto.“Iagree.Sowhatdoyousay?”

Bright.Cheerful.Toobrightandcheerfulthisearlyinthemorning.

Suspicionblooming,Ameliaasked,“Granddaddy,what’sgoingon?”

“Nothing!”Hespreadhishandswide.Hishow-could-you-suspect-me-of-anythinggesture.Theone

heusedwhenhe’dbeenbusted.

“Outwithit,youtwo,”Chadsaidinanaggravatedtoneofvoice.“Wealreadydidtheweddingyou

askedfor.Whydoyouwantanotherone?”

“Honestly,Chad,can’tagrandfatherwanttogivehisgranddaughterabeautifulweddingsothatall

herfamilyandfriendscanbetheretoshareit?”Noahaskedwithaninjuredair.“You’renotashamed

ofher,areyou?”

“No, I’m not, but I’m not buying your act,” Chad said and crossed his arms. “If you were so

concernedwithgivingAmeliaanicewedding,thenwhydidyourushhertothealtartobeginwith?

Nowexactlywhat’sgoingonhere?”

ThetwooldermenlookedsheepishlyateachotherbeforeHenrystretchedoutoneofhislegsand

absentlymassagedhisknee.“Howcanyouthinkthisissomesortofanact?”

Silencefell.

Amelianarrowedhereyes.Somethingfishywasgoingonandunlessshewasoffthemark,their

grandfatherswereuptotheirfedorasinthethickofit.

“Okay, you caught me. Having a formal wedding ceremony here makes good sense for the

company,”Henrysaid.“Wecaninviteourbusinesscontacts,doalittlesocializingwhileschmoozing.

Wecanhavesomemediathere,getsomenicepublicity.”

Chadsighed.“Sothisisbusiness?”

Amelia heard the inflection in Chad’s voice and felt bad for him. She’d never known how

demanding his grandfather was where Chad was concerned. When did Henry ever do anything for

himthatwasn’tlinkedbacktothecompany?

Henryarchedabrow.“Ofcourse.”

“Whateverisgoodforthecompanyisfinewithme.AslongasAmelia’sagreeable.”Chadglanced

at his watch and said, “Put whatever you need to do in motion. I’m due to get to the office for a

meetingwiththesoftwaredesigners.”

“Yougoonanddowhatyouneedtodo.Wecanhavetheweddingreadyinthreedays,”Noahsaid.

“I guess I’m okay with another ceremony if this helps the company, but how are you going to

arrangeaweddinginseventy-twohours?”Ameliawasskeptical.

“Sweetheart,SweetCreekmightnotbeHoneymoonHillswhereeverythingisonhandlikeatthat

formal-wearshop,butwecanhandletheweddingdetails.Youleaveeverythingtous.”Noahlaughed

hisheh-heh-hehlaughterandgotup.HepattedAmeliaontheshoulder.

“Youdon’tworryyourselfoveranyofthis.We’llhandlethewedding.We’llhavealunchmeeting

todayatthedinertogooverthedetails.Noon?”HenryaskedandwhenChadandAmeliaagreedwith

that,theirgrandfathershurriedfromtheroom.

“Something is off,” Amelia said. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but those two are up to

something.”

“When are they not up to something?” Chad asked. “Whatever it is, I don’t have time to play

investigator.” He leaned down, then froze with his lips inches from hers. He drew back. “Sorry. I

wasn’t thinking.” He hesitated. “Listen, I was thinking I could cut out of the office early tomorrow.

Thetwoofuscoulddriveuptothelake.”

“Ithinkthatwouldbealotoffun.”Ameliasmiledathimwhileherstomachdidafunnyjig.“Sort

oflikeadate.”

“A date between friends.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll guess we’ll take a rain check on my

deliciousgourmettoastforbreakfast.”

She grinned. “That’s too bad. I was looking forward to scraping the burn off. By the way, I’m

stoppingbytheofficetodaywithalittlesomethingforyou.”

“Youdon’thavetogivemeagift.”

“Consider it a step in the right direction for your future.” And part of her continued plan to

introducesomespontaneityintohislife.

Hiseyebrowslifted.“ShouldIbeworried?”

“Thisisaperfectlyharmlessgift.”Shehoped.

“I’llbeinandoutofmeetingssoyoumightneedtodropitoff.”

“I’llleaveitwithyoursecretary,”Ameliasaidwithasmile.

“ThenI’llseeyoulater.”

AmeliahuggedherarmsaroundherselfandwatchedthedoorforasecondafterChadwasgone.

Something important continued to nag at the back of her mind. Whatever it was filled her with a

quietdread,butshecouldn’tgraspwhatthatsomethingwas.

Pushingthethoughtaway,shewentbackupstairstogethermakeupandhairreadyfortheday.Her

mindbeganrunningoverherto-dolist.

AftershehelpedAbbyatthedinerlater,sheneededtopickupsomethingsfromherbedroomat

home,contacttheRealtorhergrandfatherhadreluctantlysuggestedatthechampagnereceptionlast

night,andsetupatimetoviewhomes.

Sheneededtocheckhere-mailtoseeiftheeditorofanewtravelmagazinehadlikedthephotos

andarticleshe’dsentin.

Depositing her toiletries onto the bathroom counter, she bent slightly to check the polish on her

toenails.Nochips.Whenshestraightened,realizationhitwiththeforceofahurricaneroaringonto

shore.

The whispered consultations she’d interrupted between Chad’s grandfather and hers when she’d

first returned back to town. The way they’d both gone on and on about how Chad’s life would be

ruinedifsomeonedidn’tdosomething.

Meaningher.Becausethey’dknownthatwhenitcametoChad,she’ddoanything,evensomething

ascrazyassnatchinghimfromawedding.

HenryandNoahhadbothcountedonhertoactimpetuouslywhenitcametoChad.Whichwaswhy

hergrandfatherhadrushedtobuythatcabin.Whyhe’dreiteratedtimeandagainhowitwouldbethe

perfectplacetogoinahurry.

Movingtothebed,shesankdownontheedge,feelingstunned.Theratshadplannedthisandshe’d

gonerightalongwiththeminherownfoolish,bumblingway.

Henryhadn’twantedChadtomarryClaireanymorethanAmeliahad.

He’dwantedhimtomarryher.

SheandChadhadbeendupedbytwoseventy-year-oldCupids.

ChapterTwelve

Amelia’stemperdidaslowboiluntiltimeforthelunchmeeting.She’dbeenout-thiefed!Shemight

have stolen the groom but the grandfathers had gone above and beyond that. They’d arranged an

entireweddingoutofthinairandproducedbothabrideanda groom. She had no doubt they were

behindthereluctantIdos.

Waituntilshegotherhandsonthetwoofthem!

TurningontoMainStreet,AmeliapassedtheFirstBankofSweetCreek,whichstilldidn’thavean

automatictellermachine,andnoticedthescrollingmarqueeofferingcongratulationstoherandChad

ontheirmarriage.

They’dcertainlymadeamessofthings.

In front of the diner, Amelia eased into a newly vacated parking spot. Through the restaurant’s

large glass window, Noah waved as Amelia exited the Aston Martin Zagato she’d borrowed from

Chad’sselectionofcars.

Alreadythe humidity ofthe day nudgedtoward a record highwith the heatindex, and the simple

outfitshe’dwornplasteredagainstherskin.She’dpulledherhairupintoaloosebuninaneffortto

keepherneckcoolandwasthankfulshe’dtakenthetimetodoso.

Skirtinganelderlycouplewalkingslowlyalongthesidewalk,Ameliapassedamagnoliatreewith

itsfragrantwhiteblossoms.Notthatshepaidtoomuchattentiontothem.Shewastoobusyobsessing

overwhatshesuspectedtheirmeddlinggrandfathershaddone.

Sheenteredthediner,thecoolairwashingoverherbarearms.Nostalgiahitherasitalwaysdid

whenshewalkedintothefamilydinerwhereshe’dspentmanydaysofherchildhood.

Built in the late sixties, her grandparents’ diner was still a favorite hangout for teens and adults

alike. Large murals of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean decorated the walls and an old-

fashionedjukeboxtookuponecornerbythelargeservingcounter.

As she hurried past the old-timers gathered at the chipped white counter, Amelia returned the

greetingsfromseveralpeoplewhocongratulatedheronthewedding.Shefeltlikeafraud.Notonly

wasthefirstweddingheadedforanimmediateannulmentbutabouttenminutesaftersheconfronted

their grandfathers, the second one would be canceled. She only hoped they hadn’t started spreading

thewordthatsheandChadweregoingtohaveaceremonyforthelocalstoattend.

Amelia kept the smile plastered on her lips even though her insides simmered with turmoil.

Leaningover,shepressedaquickkisstohergrandfather ’scheekandslidintotheboothoppositehim

andHenry.

“Where’sChad?”Henryasked,peeringoverhershoulder,hisgazestrayingtothedoor.

“IcalledhimbeforeIleftthehousetoremindhimandgothissecretary.Shesaidhe’sfinishingup

somelooseendsattheoffice,buthe’sontheway.”

“Good.”Henrytookasipofhisicedtea,frowned,thenspoonedoutthesliceoflemonandplacedit

on a saucer. “There’s a reporter two tables over, so we’ll have to keep our voices down. We don’t

wantanyofthedetailstogetoutbeforewe’reready.”

ThenewlyhiredwaitresssetaglassofwaterinfrontofAmeliaandshequicklywrotedownher

orderofaburgerandfries.

After the waitress left, Amelia said, “I’m thankful the two of you are working so hard to put this

weddingtogether.”Hersarcasmwascompletelylostonthem.

“It’stheleastwecando,dear.”Noahgrinned,winked,andaddedsweetenertohiscoffee.

Henrytoyedwiththelemon,hisgazestrayingagaintothedoor.

“I can imagine it will be especially difficult since this isn’t Honeymoon Hills where everything

happenstobeinoneplaceforawedding.”

Sheknewshe’dhitthejackpotwhenthetwomenwincedandHenryquicklyglancedbackather.His

cheekspuffedoutasheexhaled.Hetuckedhishandsbelowthetableandloweredhiseyes.

“Howcouldyoudothistous?”Ameliademanded,speakingsoftlysohervoicewouldn’tcarry.She

unlaced her fingers and gripped the end of the table to keep from smacking it with her hand. She

couldn’trememberthelasttimeshe’dfeltsoangry.

“Amelia,listentome,”Henrybegan,butAmeliawouldhavenoneofit.

“YousetChadandmeup.Therewasneveranythreatfromtheboardofdirectors,wasthere?”

“No,”Henryadmitted.

“Thesheriff?Wereyoubehindsendinghimuptothecabin?”

“Notreally.IsuggestedthatMrs.Fostercheckuponyoutwo.Shemusthavecalledhimherself,”

Henrysaid.

“Idon’tknowifIbelievethat.”Shepausedasathoughtdawnedonher.“Wasthemarriagelicensea

faketoo?Isthathowyouprocuredonesoquickly?”

Themenglancedateachothersheepishlyandnodded.

“Sothat’swhyyouwantanotherceremony.Whatonearthwereyouthinking?”

Henryleanedforwardtoputhiselbowsonthetable.HeshotaglanceatNoahandAmeliasuspected

hewasmeasuringhiswordscarefully.“ThearrangementChadandClaireestablishedwasreal.Itwas

an arrangement I had nothing to do with. But I wanted to prevent Chad from making a mistake by

marryingthatwomanandruininghislife.”

“HewantedtostopChad,justlikeyouwantedtostophimwhenyoustolehim,”Noahchimedinto

defendHenry.

“MystealingChadwasnotthesame.Iwastryingtogethimtocometohissenses,notlietohim

andtrickhimintomarryingme.Icannotbelieveyoutwowoulddosomethinglikethis.”

“Youlovehim.”HenrytriedtoreasonbutAmeliacuthimoffbyshakingherhead.

“Thatdoesn’tmatter.”

NomatterhowshefeltaboutChad,itstilldidn’tmakewhattheirgrandfathershaddoneright.

“Mostmarriagesstartoutwithalotlessthanfriendship,andyouandChadcertainlyhavethat.You

belongtogether,mydear.We’vealwaysknownthat,”Henrysaid.

“Inyourheart,youknowthattoo,evenifyouwon’tadmitit.I’veseenthewaythetwoofyoulook

ateachother,”Noahadded.

Ameliarefusedtobeswayed.“That’snotyourcalltomake.Incaseyoudidn’trealizeit,we’reboth

adultsandwehavetherighttomakeourowndecisionsaboutwhomwemarry.You’vebothoutdone

yourselves. When Chad gets here, I’m telling him the truth. He deserves to know.” She took a deep

breath and continued, “Then I’ll get my things from the estate and move back home.” Even though

leaving Chad made her heart feel as if someone were going over it with a steel-bristle scrubbing

brush.

“Ididn’tlieabouttheneedforChadtotakeoverthebusiness,butIhaveagoodreason,”Henrysaid

pitifully,settlingbackagainstthewornbluevinyl.

Frowning, Amelia crumpled the wrapper of her straw, then systematically shredded it into bits.

“You’rebeingalittletheatrical.”

Henrygaveheralongstarefromhisdark-blueeyes.“IwishIwere.”

Ameliaexhaledwitharush.“I’llbetheretosupportChadinanywayheneedsme,butIwilltell

himthetruth.Unlikewhatyou’redoingrightnow.”

Noahdartedhiseyestowardthewindow.“Ofcoursewe’retellingthetruth.”

Shenarrowedhereyes.“Butnotallofit.”

The air shifted, carrying a tension that hadn’t been there earlier, not even when Amelia was

accusingthemofmanipulatingherandChad.Itscaredher.

Henryreachedacrossthetableandtookherhandinhis.“You’reright.I’mnot.Ididn’twantthisto

beknownyet.”

Noticingthetremorinhisgrip,Ameliacoveredhishandwithhers.“Henry,what’swrong?”

“I’mdying.”

Ameliareeledbackagainsttheseat.“What?Thisisn’tanotheroneofyourmanipulationschemes,

isit?”Butshecouldtellfromhisdemeanoritwasn’t.

“Ihaveabadheart,”Henrysaidquietly.“EvenifIwereacandidate,Idon’twantatransplantandI

don’twantwhatlittletimeIhavetobespentrecuperating.I’manoldmanandIwanttoenjoytherest

ofmylife,notmakeitastruggletosurvive.”

“ButChad…”

“My final wish is that I see Chad happily married. He’s been carrying the burden of his parents’

failedmarriagefortoolong.Hewon’tadmitthere’sanythingwrongwiththisdamnedfoolishnotion

thatloveistheenemy.Iunderstandthat’showhecopedasachildtosurvivethemesshismotherand

fathercreated.Butthere’snoreasontohangontoitasanadultlikeasuitofarmor.I’vetriedtalking

tohimaboutitand…nothing.Heshutsdown.SoIthoughtifhegotmarried,ifhegaveitachance—

gavesomeonespecialachance—thenhemightstophidinginhisjobandopenhishearttoanewlife.

Afulllife.Ahappylife.That’swhyIcameupwiththeprovisionthathehadtomarryinordertoget

his shares, but that blew up in my face. Instead of dating and giving romance a chance, he just

negotiatedanothercontract.WithClaire,”Henryadmitted.

Shefeltherjawdrop.“Thatwasthereasonyoucreatedthatprovision?TotrytomakeChadsettle

down,fallinlove?”

Henrynodded.

“Andwhataboutyourheartcondition?Whywon’tyoutellhimthetruth?”

“Henrydoesn’twantChadtoknowabouthisconditionuntilafterhe’smarried.Reallymarried,I

mean,” Noah offered. “Otherwise, it becomes one more person he loved and lost. One more bit of

ammunitiontojustifyhisremaininglovelessandalone.”

“Hehadme,”Ameliaargued.“He’llalwayshaveme.”

Henry looked at her pointedly. “You said you were leaving. While you may always be Chad’s

friend,youwon’teverbethatpersonwhocanhelpopenhisheartifyou’renotaroundandheendsup

withawomanwho’slikeClaire.”

Ameliagroanedaroundthelumpinherthroat.Hehadapoint.

Chad’s heart was already prickly at best, but in the last few days she’d seen glimpses of what it

wouldbelikeforhimtolove,trulylove,ifhelethimself.

Andifshewerehonestwithherself,shewantedhimtoloveherback.AndHenry…

Shedidn’twanttopictureHenrygone.Hehadalwaysbeenapartofherlife.“Idon’tknowwhatto

say.”

“Saythatyou’llhelp.YouknoweverythingI’vealwaysdonehasbeenformygrandson’sbenefit.

AndIknowyoulovehimasmuchasIdo.”

“Willyougothroughwiththewedding?”hergrandfatherimplored.“Please?It’stheonlywayyour

marriagewillreallybelegal.”

“Whydidyouputusthroughonefakeweddingifyouknewyouweregoingtohavetoturnaround

andhavearealone?”

“Wedidn’twanttoriskClairechanginghermindaboutthesettlementweofferedhertonotpursue

amarriagewithChad.Andwedidn’twanttoriskwaitingtoolongforyouguystocomeupwitha

bettersolutiontohelpChadthanmarryingyourselves.”

“Andyoudon’tthinkhe’sgoingtobesuspiciouswhenwehavetogetanothermarriagelicense?”

Henry shrugged. “We haven’t quite worked that out yet, but documents get misfiled all the time.

Chadknowsthis.He’llseethelogicingoingaheadandgettinganotheronesoitcanbeonfileinthis

county.”

Ameliabitherlip,wishingsheknewwhattodo.“Idon’twanttolietoChad.”

“Omissionisn’tlying,it’s…omitting,”Noahsaid,lookingsheepishwhenAmeliashothimalook

tellinghimwhatshethoughtaboutthat.“Plushealreadythinksyou’remarried.”

“Please,Amelia.Humoradyingman,”Henrysaidquietly.“AndhelpChadunderstandwhatloveis

beforehefindsareasontoshuthimselfofffromitforever.”

WantingChadtobehappy,tofindlove,wasn’tastretchforher.Shewantedthosethingsforhim.

And if she allowed herself, she could have more with Chad. She couldn’t bear the thought of him

neverexperiencinghowbeautifullovecouldbe,butshecouldnotmanipulatehimintomarryingher

forasecondtime.

Lookingintotheiranxiousfaces,shesaid,“InsteadofforcingChadintoanotherwedding,giveme

sometimetoworkwiththeonewe’vegot.I’llonlygothroughwithanotherweddingifChadfallsin

lovewithme.Otherwise,Ican’t.Idon’twanttotakeanymorefakevowsandIdon’twanttodeceive

Chad.Isthatafaircompromise?”

Thewaitressreturnedwiththeirorders.

“Thankyou,mydear,”Henrysaidquietly.

“Onemorething.IwantyoutotellChadaboutyourhealth.”

Henrynodded.“Iwillassoonasyoufallinloveandmarryforgood.Ibelieveitwillhappen.”

“We’ll see what unfolds. That’s all I can promise.” Reaching for the ketchup, Amelia poured a

dollopontoherplate,butwithherstomachinknots,shedoubtedshe’dbeabletoeatanything.

“We’llstillmoveforwardwithplanningtheweddingwhilewewaitforChadtofigureoutheloves

youifthat’salright.Wecansimplyholdoffonsettinganexactdate.”Henrysaid.“There’snoharmin

makingafewplans,isthere?”

Ameliasighed.“Youcangoahead,butlikeIsaid,I’mnotguaranteeingtherewillbeaceremony.”

“Ibelievetherewillbe,”Henrysaid.

AmeliasensedChad’spresencebehindherafewsecondsaftersheheardthebellonthedinerdoor.

She swiveled around and looked at him. His lips curved into a welcoming smile. He wouldn’t be

nearlysowelcomingifheknewwhatthey’dalldiscussedmomentsearlier.Shepushedasidetheguilt

shefeltatkeepingthesecret.

He gave her a wink. “Sweetheart, the hours dragged by since I saw you last.” He reached for her

hand and brought it to his lips, his gaze locked on hers, then he turned her hand palm side up and

placedakissthere.

Shefeltthetinglefromhiscaressallthewaytohershoesbeforerealityjerkedonthereins.Hewas

puttingonashowfortherestofthecustomersinthediner.Thewayhewaslookingather,thatslow,

sexysmile,thetwinkleinhiseyes,madeAmeliaalmostforgethewasplayingapart.

Across the table, their grandfathers beamed their approval as Chad slid into the booth beside

Amelia,sittingcloseenoughtoinvadeherpersonalspace.

Asmilefixedinplace,Ameliawhisperedinhisear,“Don’tgooverboard.”

Chaddidn’tanswer.Hemerelyshifteduntilhislegalignedwithhersandtheyweretouchingfrom

thightoknee.Heslidhisarmacrossthebackofthebooth,lightlyrestingitagainstherback,andthe

warmthfromhisbodyseepedintohers.

Crossing her legs beneath the table, Amelia attempted to pull away from the touch of his body.

Chad,darnhim,seemedtohavetakentotheplayactingasthoughhe’dbeenborntodoit.

“Don’t I get a kiss, honey?” he asked, pursing his lips in an exaggerated fish pucker. Any other

time,Amelia would havelaughed at hisantics, but she wasstill shaken overthe truth she’d learned

regardinghermarriageandHenry’shealth.

Shewascaughtbetweenarockandahardplace:honorthewishesofadyingmanshe’dknownand

lovedherwholelife,orconfesseverythingtoherbestfriendandriskcausingariftbetweenhimand

hisgrandfather,theonlyfamilyeitherofthemhadleft.

IfshetoldChadwhatshe’ddiscoveredaboutHenryandthefakewedding,hewouldbemorethan

upset.Ifshedidn’ttellhimandhefoundoutlater,hemightneverforgiveher.

“Honey?”Chadneedled.

“Weneedtotalk,”shesaidquietly.

ShefeltChad’sarmstiffenalongthebackoftheboothbeforeheshiftedslightlysohecouldface

her.“What’sgoingon?”

Theirgrandfathersleanedforwardinunison,eyesbeseeching.

She knew how stubborn Henry could be. How much he needed to be in control. But she also

realized that with the remaining time he had left, he too needed to learn how to enjoy life, and that

meant stepping away from the company. “Your grandfather has decided to turn over control of the

company to you now instead of waiting until after you’ve been married six months. It’s one of his

verygenerousweddinggifts,”Ameliasaid.

Henry’seyeswentwidewithstartledsurprise.

Chad’sbrowsraisedandheturnedhisattentiontohisgrandfather.“Ithoughtyouweren’tstepping

asideforawhileyet.”

“ApparentlyIam,”Henrygrumbled,fidgetinginthebooth.

“HenrydecidedthebestwaytomakethechangewaslikerippingoffaBand-Aid.Doitquicklyand

getitoverwith.”Ameliasenttheoldermanasweetsmileandreachedacrossthetabletoptopatthe

backofhishand.“Iknowhowharditistostepasidefromrunningthecompany,butyoucandoit.I

knowyouwanttotaketimeofftospendwithlovedones,”shesaidpointedly.

Henryclampedhismouthshutaudibly.

“Whatmadeyouchangeyourmind?”ChadsaidandAmeliaheardtheexcitementinhisvoice.

“SomethingAmeliasaid.”Henryglaredather,lookingeveryinchtheimposingaristocrat.Thenhe

laughedoutloudandinclinedhisheadtowardAmelia.“Ithinkyou’regoingtobequiteanassettothe

family.Nowaboutthoseweddingplans.”HeturnedtoNoah,whoproducedafolder.

“We have everything here that’s needed to pull the wedding off. Invitations to the who’s who of

SweetCreek,anannouncementforthenewspaperandthenewsstations.”

Asherattledonaboutflowersandadressandatuxedo,Ameliatoyedwithherfood,dippingafry

in and out of the ketchup. She couldn’t even fake excitement over the next ceremony. She hated

keepingthingsfromChad,butwhenhestartedtalkingtoHenryabouthisplansforthecompany,she

noticedthesparkleinhiseyes.

ShealsonoticedChadhadn’ttouchedhisplate.

“You’renoteating?”

“I’mtooexcitedtoeat,”Chadsaid.

Feelingtheurgetoescape,Ameliasaid,“Henry,Granddaddy,I’llleavetheweddingplanstoyou.If

you’llexcuseme,Ihavealotonmyto-dolistfortoday.”ShesqueezedfromtheboothwhenChad

stoodtoletherout,andwithabriskwalk,sheheadedtowardtheexit.

Shieldinghereyesfromthebrightnessofthesun,Ameliadugthecarkeysfromherpurse.

“Amelia!”Chadcaughtupwithherbeforeshecouldgetintothecar.

“Chad,I’msorry.Ijust…”Shebitherliptokeepfromblurtingoutthetruth.“Ijusthadtogetout

ofthere.”

“Hey,hey,isthisaboutthewedding?”Hetookherhandsandpressedthemagainsthischestbefore

sliding his arms to her waist. “Consider this upcoming ceremony a bump in the road. We’ll get

throughittogetherlikewe’vedoneeverythingelselifehasthrownatus,okay?”

“Withyourgrandfathergivingyoutheshares,there’snoneedforustostickitoutforsixmonths.”

Uncertaintycrossedhisface.“Isthatwhatyouwant?”

“Iwastellingyouthatyouhaveawayoutnow.”

“Iguaranteeyouthatthey’vetoldalotofpeoplealreadyaboutthiswedding-to-be.Ithinkweneed

togothroughwithitandstickitoutforthesixmonths.”

Ameliapressedherhandsonhis,keepingaphonysmilefixedinplace,awareseveralpatronswere

regardingthemwithinterestthroughthewindow.“Soyou’restillstuckwithme.”

Reliefcrossedhisfaceandhisgazesearchedhers,lookingforwhat,shedidn’tknow.“Yes,itlooks

likewe’restillstucktogether.”

Noticing the people on the sidewalk looking at them and aware they were still the objects of

interest,Ameliaplayedherpart,givinghimwhatsheintendedtobeaquickkiss.

Butassoonastheirlipsmet,hedeepenedthekissandallhergoodintentionswereshovedaside.

Hismouth,warmandinviting,pressedagainsthersandshepracticallymeltedagainsthim.

She didn’t know how long they stood locked in an embrace until a customer leaving the diner

calledoutforthemtogetaroomalready.

Shemovedawayfromhim,willingherhearttostopracing.“Ineedtogetgoing,”shesaideven

thoughshewantedtodotheoppositeandletthekisscontinue.

Chadsteppedoffthesidewalkandshovedhishandsintothepocketsofhisdressslacks.“ThenI’ll

seeyouathomefordinnerlater?”

“UnlessIseeyouwhenIdropthatgiftoffatyouroffice.”Shemoistenedherlips.“Aboutdinner,

Abbyaskedthatwejointhemfordinnertonight.”

“Soundsgood,”Chadsaid.“I’vealwaysenjoyedAbby’scooking.”

“Sheinheritedthechefthumbinthekitchen,Anninheritedthebrainswithnumbers,andIinherited

makingmistakes.”

“Notmistakes,”Chadcorrectedwithasexysmile.“Unscriptedlife,remember?”

Hemovedtohersideandgaveheraquickhug.Histouchsentherhormonesintoafrenzy.

Shequicklysteppedaway.“AbbyaskedmetopickupsomeingredientsfordinnersoI’vegottodo

thattoo.Oh,andIplannedtoworkafewhoursatthedinerlater.So…busyday.”

She’d also planned to get her sisters’ opinions on a couple of houses, but given the blow of

learningaboutthewaysheandChadhadbeenmanipulated,househuntingdidn’tseemquiterightfor

thetimebeing.

“ThenifIdon’tseeyouattheoffice,I’llmeetyouthisevening.”

Compelledbytheneedtotouchhim,Ameliastrokedthesideofhisface.“It’sadate.”Sheforced

herhandawayfromhimandgotintothecarandheclosedthedoor.

Backingoutoftheparkingspace,Amelia’sheartsqueezedasifinavise.Howwashegoingtofeel

whenhelearnedthetruthabouteverything?Couldshegethimtobelieveinlovebeforethiswhole

marriagerusecamecrashingdown?

Andhowwouldhecopewiththenewsabouthisgrandfather?

“Chad,”shesaidaloudtotheemptycar.“Whatisgoingtohappentous?”

Hewasamanwhofoughtlovetoothandnail.Amanwhowouldmarryherbutwouldneveragree

tobeherrealhusband.He’dwarnedherthathewasn’tromancematerial,thatlovinghimwouldonly

bringawomanheartache.Andyet,hereshewas.Headoverheelsinlovewithhimandnotfeelinga

bitsorryshe’dtakentheplunge.

Sheturnedintotheparkinglotofthesmallgrocerystore.Themarkethadbeenaroundsinceshe

was a child. She and Chad used to ride their bikes here after school to grab a Coke and a pack of

doughnuts,thenheadbacktotheparkandeatwhilesittingbytheirtree.

Shecouldn’tgoanywhereinSweetCreekwithoutrememberingthetimesshe’dsharedwithChad.

Howcomeshe’dneverseenitbefore?Hadshereallybeenthatdeterminedtorunawayandlivesome

bigadventurouslife,asthoughthat’swhatherdeceasedparentswantedforher?

They’donlywantedhertobehappy.Tolive.

Andlivingmeantloving.Itmeantstayingandfightingforthatlove.

Chewing her lip, she exited the car, taking care to lock it behind her. She entered through the

automaticslidingdoorsandasshemaneuveredthroughtheaisles,severalofthetownspeoplehailed

herandwishedherwellonhermarriage.Shemanagedtokeepasmileonherfaceevenwhenshewas

wished“happinessandloadsofkids,”thelatterpartsaidwithlotsofnudgingandwinkingbyMartha

Hampton,thetownflorist,whohadhalfadozenkidsofherown.

KidswithChad.Thethoughtsentahotflushfromherfeettotherootsofherhair.Shewantedall

thatandmore.Shewantedforeverwithhim.

Shehurriedlygrabbedtheitemssheneeded,addedahalfgallonofchocolateicecreamtothecart

and,onceshe’dpaid,escapedbackoutintotheheat.Stuffingtheitemsintothetrunk,wonderingwhy

shefeltgiddyonesecondandsoclosetotearsthenext,Ameliagotbackintothecarandheadedfor

herhome.Onceshewasthere,shecarriedthegroceriesinside,diggingtheicecreamfromthebag

themomentshecrossedthethreshold.

Abby paused, feather duster in hand, her eyes lighting up when she saw the chocolate ice cream.

“Perfect!Iwasabouttotakeabreak.”

Annclimbeddownfromtheladderwhereshe’dbeendustingtheceilingfan.Herolivegreenshorts

andT-shirtwerecoveredwithclustersofdust.“Icecream?Youonlyeaticecreamwhensomething

majorisbotheringyou.What’swrong?”

Ameliatookadeepbreath.“I’minlovewithChad.”Sheburstintotears.

Hersistersrushedtohersideandguidedhertothesofa.“Amelia,honey,that’sagoodthingthat

you’refinallyacknowledginghowyoufeel.Whyareyoucrying?HasChaddonesomething?”

“No, he hasn’t done anything. Not one thing.” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “We’re getting

married.Imeanwe’resupposedtogetmarried.”

Annwavedherhand.“Hello?Wereyouworkingoutinthesun?Youaremarried.”

“The marriage license was a fake. So we have to do it all over again. And Chad doesn’t know.”

Amelia clutched the ice cream to her chest. Between hiccups and sniffles, she poured out the story.

“AndHenry’sdying.Hehasn’ttoldChadyetaboutthateitheranddoesn’twantmetosayanything.”

“Wow,”Abbysaid.“Youknowfrommyexperiencethatnothinggoodevercomesfromdeception.”

Ameliadidknow.Abbyhadbeendeceivedbyherex-husbandandhadanawfulmarriage.He’dbeen

achronicliarandacheat.Oncethedivorcewasfinal,Abbyhadswornoffmen,fullyintendingtolive

therestofherlifesingle.She’ddefinitelyadoptedChad’s“lovedestroys”philosophy.

“Sitdown.”Abbydirectedhertothesofaandthentookaspotonthefloorbyhersister ’sfeet.She

pressedherhandsonAmelia’sknees.“You’reupsetbecauseyouhatedeceivingChad.”

Annreachedbetweenthemandrescuedtheicecream.“Itoldyouthatdayoutsidethechurchyou

shouldhaveskippedthegroomnappingandtoldChadyoulovehim.”

Theroomfilledwithsilence.

“Ann,Idon’tthinkI-told-you-soishelping,”Abbywarned.

“Iam in love with Chad, but I never realized that what I felt for him then was love,” Amelia said

through tears. “What am I going to do? Chad doesn’t love me, he’s the poster boy for anti-love. If

therewasavaccinationagainsttheemotion,he’dbefirstinlinetogetone.”

“Youneedtotellhimhowyoufeel,”Abbyinsisted.“AndyouneedtotellhimaboutHenry.”

“No,shedoesn’t,”Anncounteredfirmlyandleanedovertotheendtabletogrababoxoftissues.

ShepulledoutacoupleandhandedthemtoAmelia.

“Whynot?”Abbydemanded.

“What if he thinks Amelia was in on the plan? At least if he’s willing to admit that he loves her

too…”

“Buthedoesn’tbelieveinlove!”Ameliainterrupted.

Annshookherhead.“Ithinkthegentlemandothprotesttoomuch.”

“Iagree,”Abbysaid.“ButIstillthinkAmeliashouldtellhimthetruth.”

“Well,sure.Afterherealizeshelovesher,”Annreplied.“AndwithhimandAmelialivingunderthe

sameroof,itshouldn’ttaketoolong.”

“Itbetternot,”Ameliasaid.“ItoldHenryandGranddaddythatifhewasn’tinlovewithmebythe

timethenextceremonyhappened,Iwasn’tgoingtogothroughwithit.”

Ann nodded and studied her sister for a moment, then said, “I’ll go get some spoons. We’ll have

someicecreamandthenwe’lldeviseawaytogetChadtoseeyouasmorethanafriend.”

Ameliabrightenedasthebeginningsofaplanbegantoformulate.Gethimtoseeherasmorethan

afriend.Ifthewayhe’dkissedherlatelywasanythingtogoby…maybeitwouldn’tbethatdifficult.

Shesquaredhershouldersashercan-doattitudereasserteditself.

“Youcouldalwaystryseducingyourhusband.Hemightbeanti-love,butI’llbethe’snotanti-that.”

Annlaughedatthethought.

Amelia grinned despite herself, her earlier misery pushed aside. “If Chad thought I would do

something like that, he’d start writing out an ‘avoiding seduction’ plan. Step one, don’t look at the

lingerie.Steptwo,don’tlookatthewife.”

Abbylaughedthistime.“Inmyexperience,whatpeoplemakethemostnoiseaboutisexactlywhat

they’vebeenentertainingintheirthoughts.”

“YouthinkChadisadamantaboutusstayingfriendsbecausehewantsmore?”Ameliaasked.

“Yep,”Abbysaid.

“Ihavetoagree,”Annsaid.

“Then what I need to do is come up with a plan to overcome all Chad’s plans.” Amelia couldn’t

preventthesmilefromspreadingacrossherface.“MaybeIshouldtrytellinghimhowIfeel.”

“Ithinkseductionisthebetterroute,”Abbysaid.“Mentendtoberealagreeableafterward.”

Afterthelaughterdieddown,Abbysaid,“Let’sheadtothedinerearly.”

“Ican’t.Ineedtostopattherescueshelter.There’sacolliepuppyIwanttopickupforChad.That’s

hisgift,”Ameliasaid.

Annshotheralook.“Oh,Chadisgoingtolovethat.”Hervoicedrippedwithsarcasm.

Undaunted,Ameliagrinned.Sheknewthepuppywasagoodidea;shefeltitinherheart.

Maybe,justmaybe,withalittleluck,Chadwouldlovebothofthem.

…

Thoughthelunchcrowdhadlongthinned,thedinerstillhadasteadyflowofcustomers.

WhenAmeliaspottedNickandEric,sheseatedthemandhandedoutmenus.

Without looking at the menu, Nick said, “I’ll have a glass of iced tea and some time alone with

Abby.

Amelia’shandpausedovertheorderpad.“Pardon?”

Nickflashedasmile.“TellyoursisterIsaidthat,butyoumightwanttoduck.”

“Okaaay…”AmelialookedatEric,wholookedbackatheroverthetopofhisglasses.“Andyou?”

“Sliceofapplepieandcoffee.”

Ameliatookthemenusandskirtedthecountertopushopenthekitchen’sswingingdoor.

Abbywashardatworkatthegrillturningoverburgersandsteaks.Ann,sheknew,wasintheoffice

crunching numbers even though she hated doing the bookkeeping. Her passion was creating fancy

chocolatesbutinstead,she’dtakencareofthediner ’sbookssinceshe’dgraduatedfromcollegesix

yearsago.

“Abby,Nicksayshewantsaglassoficeteaandsometimealonewithyou.”

Biting off a curse, Abby smacked the spatula down on top of a burger with such force, dots of

greaseflewfromthemeatandspottedtheapronshewore.“Not.Happening.”

Amelia’sbrowsrose.“What’sgoingonwithyoutwonow?”

“Nothing.”Abbyscoopedupaburgerandsliditontoabunwaitingonaplate.Sheaddedlettuce

andtomatotothesideofthebun.“Nothingatall.”

“Abby.” She leaned against the steel table they used for cutting vegetables. “You need to stop

stewingaboutwhateveritis.”

Hersisterstaredoffintospaceforasecond,thenadullredcreptupherface.“Thereisn’tanything

goingonbetweenus.Catchtheseorders.CanyougetAnnoutofthebacktohelp?”

“I’m already here, listening in without shame,” Ann said, coming forward to lift an apron off a

hook.Shetieditaroundherselfandsaid,“Couldyoupossiblybesogrouchybecauseyouwantthere

tobesomethinggoingonwithNick?”

“Ifwe’regoingtogothere,whataboutyouandEric?”Abbysaidinasnappishmannerthatwasn’t

likeher.

“Eric?”Annlaughedatthethought.“Eric’snotforme.”

“Whynot?”Ameliaaskedasshemovedthelettuceandtomatoontotheburgers.

Abbyslidwarmedpotatofriesontotheplatesbytheburgers.“BecauseherattlesAnn.”

“He does not rattle me and I thought we were going to brainstorm about Chad and Amelia, not

focusonmylife.”Annpickedupaplatewiththepieonitandmarchedoutintothediner.

“Herattlesher,”Ameliasaidandtheybothlaughed.

NudgingAmelia,Abbysaid,“Gogettheirdrinkssoyoucanreportbackabouttherattling.”

“We’regettingtobeasbadasGranddaddy.”Shepickedupthecoffeedecanterandheadedouttothe

table.

“Iwasn’ttheonewhoputmynameinforthatcontest,”AnnsaidtoEricassheapproached.

“What’sgoingon?”Ameliaturnedoverthewhitecupandfilledittothebrim.

“I’vebroughtitupseveraltimesbutAnnrefusestohonorthecommitmentshemadeforlastyear ’s

‘winadatewithahero’contest,”Ericsaid,pushinghisglassesfartheruphisnose.

“Ididn’tputmynameinthebox!Ameliadidasajoke,”Annsaid,glaringfirstatEric,thenather

sister.

“Maybenot,butIdonatedmoneyfortheticketandIdrewyourname,”Ericsaid.

“I’llpayyouback,”Annsaid,withahelp-me-outlookatAmelia.

“I’mnotinterestedingettingpaidback.Youneedtohonorthecontract.”

“Therewasnocontract,”Annsputtered.

“An oral agreement is as binding as a written one. With the witnesses who were present at the

drawing,IcanproveIwasoneofthewinners.”Ericstirredhiscoffee.

Knowinghersisterwasonthevergeofsayingsomethingthatwouldfeedthetowngossipmillfor

months,Ameliasaid,“Excuseusforamoment.”

ShetookAnnbytheelbowandsteeredherawayfromEric.

Oncetheywereinsidethesafetyofthekitchen,Annyankedtheapronoffandshoveditonthehook.

“Can you believe the nerve of that man? He’s like an annoying Clark Kent. He even has the same

glasses.”

“Don’tforgetClarkKentwasSuperman,”Ameliapointedout.

“Ha.Ha.Sonotfunny,”Annsaidandgrabbedasodafromtherefrigerator.Takingaglassfromthe

stackbythecounter,sheaddediceandpouredthesodaoverit.“Ericbreathingdownmyneckisyour

fault,Amelia.”

“Ericisattractive,”Abbysaidwithathoughtfulexpression.

Annshookherhead.“Iamnotinterested.”

Thebellsoundedonthefrontdoorofthedinerasashiftofworkersfromthefactoryontheedge

oftowncamein.

Thesistersworkedtohandlethesuddeninfluxofcustomersandwhenthedinerwasfinallyempty

saveafewstragglers,Ameliaslidoffherapronandthrewitinthelaundrybin.“Ithinkit’ssafeforus

toturnitovertotheeveningshift.I’mgoingtogodeliverChad’ssurprisetohisoffice.”

…

Exactlywhatwashesupposedtodowithapuppy?Chadgazedatthetinybrown-and-whitecollienow

sleepingpeacefullyonthesofainhisoffice.

Whenhe’dlefttheconferenceroomafterameetingwithhissoftwaredesigners,hissecretaryhad

been waiting for him with the dog in a basket. Her normally well-kept bun was hanging loosely

aroundherfaceandhereyeswerenarrowedintounwelcomingslits.

He’d told her flatly there was a no-pet policy at the office. The older woman had stiffened and

informedhiminanicytonethatthedogwasnothers,buthadbeendroppedoffbyhiswife.

Thenshe’dthrustthedogathimandmarchedoff,mutteringhowshe’dworkedfortheWalkersfor

yearsanddeservedaraiseifherjobstretchedtoincludepuppy-sitting.

SoChadhadtakenthedogintohisofficeandopenedtheaccompanyingnote.

Youneedmorefun,spontaneity,andloveinyourlife.Thisisabeginning.

Amelia.

He should have known that meant the dog would be trouble. Since he’d taken the animal into his

office,thepuppyhaddisruptedhislate-afternoonschedule,andchewedhisshoes,thesideofthewall,

andthelegoftheexpensivesofabeforepiddlingontherug.

Finally,indesperation,Chadhadlefttheofficewiththepuppyintowtofindapetstore,wherehe’d

purchasedenoughtoystokeepthepupbusyforamonth.

He’dcoveredthefloorwithguaranteedno-leakpuppypaperandarrangedthetoysinaneatpileby

thesofa.

Inlessthanfiveminutes,thepuppyhadabandonedthetoystoplaywiththehemofChad’sArmani

slacks.

Hefeltthefrayedend.Hisschedulewasnowrunningbehind,hisclotheslookedragged,andhehad

puppyslobberonhisstarchedshirt.

ThephonerangandChadlungedforit,wonderingwhyhissecretaryhadn’tansweredandpraying

thehyperactivepupwouldsleepthroughtheringing.

“Chad,whyareyouwhispering?”hisgrandfather ’svoiceboomed.

“I’mtryingtokeepthepuppyasleep.”

“Youboughtapuppy?”Henryasked,soundingconfused.

“Amelia,”Chadsaidasifthatexplainedit.

“She’s quite a young lady. I’ve always loved that girl and I think you made the right choice by

marryingher.”

“Ididn’thaveachoice,notifIwantedtosavethecompany.”

“Isee,”hisgrandfathersaidwithanoddnoteinhisvoice.

“Everythingokay?”

“Er…fine.It’snotimportant.”

“Okay,”Chadsaidabsently,hisapprehensionrisingwhenthepuppystirred.Knockingapenfrom

hisdesk,Chadbenttoretrieveitandwhenhesatbackup,thesofawasempty.“Grandfather,I’vegot

togo.”Hehungup.Assoonashecapturedthatdestructiveballoffur,hewasgoingtofindAmelia.

Hehadtomakeherunderstandthatwhileheappreciatedthethought,hedidn’thaveplansinhislife

forapuppy.Hehadn’thadaplanformarryingAmeliaandlookatthehavocalreadycausedbythat.

Hewasnolongersureofhimself,hewasunabletoconcentrateonwork,andhekepthavingwild

urgesthatdidn’tbelongbetweenhimandAmelia.

Physicalurges,butworse,emotionalones.

Inordertosavehimself,hehadtoletbothAmeliaandthepuppygoassoonashecould.

ChapterThirteen

LaterthateveningasshehelpedpreparethedinnerwithAbby,Ameliaslippedanaprononoverthe

bluejeansandpullovershirtshe’dchangedinto.She’dwornthisapron,theonedecoratedwithcute

littlecupcakes,asalittlegirlwhenshe’dhelpedhergrandmothermakechocolatechipcookies.

Back then, the apron had wrapped around her twice and almost dragged the floor, but she’d still

wornitproudly,wantingonlytobeinthekitchentowatchhergrandmothercreateherweeklybatch

ofgoodies.

“Imissher,”Abbysaidquietly.

Tearingofftheouterseal,sheuncappedabottleofbarbecuesauceandpasseditovertoAbby,who

poureditoverthesteaks.“Me,too.”

The doorbell rang and Amelia answered it to find Chad holding tightly to a jeweled bright-pink

leash. “The only leash left strong enough to contain this disaster,” he said when he caught Amelia

lookingatit.

“Youlikedmygift?”Ameliagrinned.

“YouknowIdon’thavethetimeforapuppy.”

“Everyonehastimeforapet,Chad.”

“Apetisahamsterorafish.”

“Don’ttellmeyoucanresistthispuppy’ssweetface,”shesaid,takingtheleashandleaningdown

toscratchunderthecollie’schin.

Hepushedthedoorclosed.“YouknowIlovedogsandIlikepetsaswellasthenextperson.”

“Good.Doesthismeanyou’venamedhim?”

“Notyet.Ican’tkeephim.”

Shestoodandhesawtheamusementinhereyeswhenshesawthechewedspotonhistie.

Heworkedhisfingersontheknotandremovedthetie,crumplingitintoaballinhishand.Thetie

wasasruinedasthehemofhispants.

“He’snotintheplan,right?”shesaid.

“Exactly.”

“Well,aslongasI’maround,we’rekeepinghim.”

“Ame…”

Sheleanedupandpressedaquickkissagainsthislips.

“Well,ifyouputitlikethat…”

Amelialaughed.“Don’teventhinkoffightingmeonthisone,ChadWalker.IfIcanbeafakewife

foryou,youcanbeapuppyownerforme.”

Hequirkedhisbrow,butshecouldseethehumorshininginhiseyes.“Well,ifI’mapuppyowner,

let me start by saying we should take our little darling here outside to relieve himself. Unless you

prefertocleanpiddleoutofyourrugs.”

“See!”Shenudgedhiminthearmasshewalkedoutsidewithhim.“Yousoundlikeadadalready.”

Thepuppysniffedtheflowers,dartingawaystartledwhenaninsectflittedoutathim.Hebackedup

andbarked,andChadandAmelialaughed.

They continued down the sidewalk in the quiet neighborhood and at the end of the street, Amelia

said,“I’vebeenthinkingaboutourlivesbeforeIrescuedyou.”

“Beforeyoucausedchaos,”Chadcorrected.

Amelia stopped under the warm glow of an old-fashioned streetlight. “I think you and I should

forgetaboutourfriendship.”

Chad’s face darkened. “What are you saying?” He reached to take the leash when the puppy

wouldn’tstopwindingitaroundAmelia’sankles.Hegentlynudgedthepuppy’shindquarters.“Sit.”

The puppy sat for all of one second, tongue lolling out, eyes gleaming with mischief, before he

boundedupandnippedatthehemofChad’spants,backingawaygrowlingwiththematerialclenched

inhisteeth.

WatchingthelittledogplaywithChad’sonce-impeccableclotheswarmedherheart.Hewouldbe

suchagreatfather,ifhe’dopenhishearttothepossibility.

Buttonight,she’dsettleforhimtobeagreathusband.Ineveryway.

“Ithinktherecouldbemorebetweenusandthatitcouldbegood,”Ameliasaid,bendingtopluck

thematerialfromthepuppy’smouth.Shescoopedthesquirmingfurballintoherarms.Hewiggled

againstherandlickedthesideofherface.

“We’reanusalready.We’rebestfriends,andthat’sanus.”

TypicalChadreaction.

Ifthat’sreallywhathethoughtshemeant,hewasinforabigshock.

Ameliapursedherlipsandleanedovertosetthepuppydownandstraightened,achallengeclearin

hereyes.“IthoughtIshouldgiveyoufairwarningthatIplantoseducemyhusband.”

“What?”

“Startingrightnow.Idareyoutokissmelikeyoumeanit,ChadWalker.”

“Ame,don’tdothis.”

Shebrushedherfingerslightlyacrosshislips.“Iknowthatyouwantme.”

Withagroanthatsoundedlikehalfagony,halfanger,Chadtangledhishandsinherhairandkissed

her hungrily. She felt his hands move from her hair, to her back, and then up again as his tongue

dancedagainsthers.

Withoutwarning,heliftedhishead,hiseyestakingintheflushonhercheeks,theinvitationinher

eyes.

Shecouldseehisinnerwarplayingacrosshisfeatures.

Dammit,Chad.Justgivein.Stopoverthinkingit.

Herestedhisheadagainstherforehead.ThecooleveningbreezeblewoverthembutAmeliaknew

it would take a raging blizzard to cool her down. Any couple who kissed like that couldn’t pretend

thattheywereonlyfriends.“Weoweittoourselvestotakeachanceandseewhatdevelops.Don’tyou

thinkso?”shesaid.

“Iwantto,butIshouldn’t.”

“Youshould,”sheanswered,leaninguptopressherlipsagainsthisinasoft,quickkiss.

“No.You’llenduphatingme.”

“Icouldn’thateyouanymorethanyoucouldhateme.”

“IcouldneverhateyouandI’lladmitthatIwantnothingmoreinthisworldthantomakeloveto

you.”

“Sowhydon’tyou?”

“Give me a one hundred percent guarantee that if we fall in love it’ll last, that we won’t end up

broken,livingapartfromeachother,regrettingeverythingweshared.”

“Therearenoguarantees.”

Heshrugged.“Irestmycase.”

ThepuppybarkedatapassingcarandwoundtheleasharoundChad’slegs.

“Come on.” Chad untangled the puppy. “Let’s get this guy back. I’m sure the dinner ’s probably

readybynow.”

Thepuppysurgedforward.

Ameliagiggledatthedog’santics.“IthinkIhaveanameforthepuppy.Trouble.”

Chadpulledthepuppyawayfromchewingontheneighbor ’sflowers.“Wellchosen.”

“Don’tworry.You’llgrowtolovehimandthenyouwon’tbeabletolivewithouthim.”

Shesilentlyprayedthesamewouldgoforher.

…

Thenextday,ChadarrivedattheestateintheearlyafternoontotakeAmeliatothelake.He’dspent

the night sleeping on the sofa in his office, knowing that if he went home, he was going to make

Amelia his in ways that friends didn’t do. He didn’t have the strength to withstand the force of the

attractionhefeltforher,sohe’dchosentoavoidher.

Exhaling,heclosedthefrontdoorbehindhimandcalledhername.

Henrywalkedintothefoyer.“Gotafewminutes?”

“Notreally.I’mtakingAmeliatothelake.”

“Allright.Wecantalklater.”

Ameliaenteredtheroom.“Thepuppy’sasleepsoheshouldn’tbotheranything.”

“Don’tbelievethat,”Chadwarnedhisgrandfather.HetookthepicnicbasketfromAmelia,escorted

herouttothecar,andstoweditinthetrunk.“Youlookbeautiful,”hesaidasheslidintothedriver ’s

seat.

Shepattedthesidesofhershorts.“InapairofdenimshortsandaT-shirt?”

“You make anything you wear look good.” He got in and waited until she got in beside him. His

fingersclenchedthewheel.“Aboutlastnight…”

“Ialreadyknow.Youwereatwork.Busyavoidingyourwife.”

“More like avoiding myself.” He punched the steering wheel and leaned over, giving her a fast,

roughkiss.“Weneedtotalk.”

“Verycloak-and-dagger.”

Heturnedthecararoundinthedrivewayanddroveoutthroughthegates.“Idon’twanttospend

every damn night at the office. I want to be home with my best friend who also happens to be my

wife.”

“Ithinkshe’dlikethat.”

Heglancedathersoftsmile.Sothehellwouldhe.

ThecardippedasChadtookthedirtroadleadinguptothelake.Theareawasdesertedbutbythe

evening,itwouldbecrowdedwithcarsfullofteenagerslookingtomakeout.

Hepulledintotheshadeofferedbyanoverhangingtreeandshutofftheengine.Therewassomuch

he’dplannedtosay.Somuchhewantedtosay,buthecouldn’t.“Whatdidyoupacktoeat?”

“Sex,sports,andgravy.”

He laughed and opened the door to get the basket. “I remember coming up to this lake the night

beforegraduation.AaronGlenndaredmetogoskinny-dippingandthenstolemyclothesandtook

off.Ihadtowalkhomenaked,tryingtohidefrompassingcars.Igotleavesinplacesthatstillmake

meshudder.”

“Youdidkisshisgirlfriend.”

“Shesaidshewasn’tseeinganyone.Iwasinnocent.”Heshookhisheadatthememories.

TheywalkedtoanareaneartheboatdockandChadspreadouttheblanket.

Amelia stretched out and put her hands behind her head. “For a view like this, a girl could be

temptedtostayintown.”

Hestilled.“That’swhatIwantedtotalktoyouabout.Whatabouttheneedthisgirlhastorun?”

“She’llprobablyalwaysbeafreespirit,butshe’sbeenthinkingthatbeinginoneplaceaslongas

it’swiththerightpersonisn’tsuchabadthing.”

“AnddoIknowthisgirl?”

“Likeshe’syourotherhalf.”

Amelia rolled onto her side. He leaned forward and kissed her. “I think she’ll like staying.”

Stretchingoutbesideher,hetookherhandandplaceditonhischest.

“Areyouplanningongoingbacktotheofficelater?”

Heshiftedsohecouldseeherface.“I’dliketospendtheeveningwithyou.”

“Youthinkyourotherhalfwillmind?”

Chadgrinned.“I’mlookingather.”

ChapterFourteen

The next afternoon, Chad was still wrestling with himself. After they’d gone to the lake, they’d

returnedhome.Ameliahadmadechocolatechipcookies,he’dmadethepopcorn,andthey’dwatched

amovietogether.She’dtalkedthroughitasusual,buthehadn’tminded.Andhe’dknownwhy.

BecauseshewasAmelia.

She was the last thought on his mind before he’d gone to bed and he’d spent a mostly sleepless

nighthashingandrehashingthefriendship-versus-moreidea.

Ononehand,hedidn’twantarealmarriagewithlove,butontheotherhand…

Hisguttwisted.Itwastoolate.

MyGod.Whathadhedone?

He’dfalleninlovewithAmelia.

Chadscrubbedhishanddownhisface.Hecouldn’tpicturehimselflettingherwalkoutofhislife.If

sheeverdidwed,she’dendupmarryingsomeotherguywhowasn’tanywhereclosetobeinggood

enoughforher.

He’dneverreallythoughtwhatthatmeantbefore.Butnowthathe’dspenttimewithAmeliaashis

pseudo wife, touching her, kissing her, sharing things that went beyond anything they’d shared as

friends,herealizedheneverwantedhertodoanyofthosethingswithanyonebuthim.

He’d find a way to deal with his issues about love as long as it meant having Amelia in his life.

Having her in his home, in his bed, by his side. Sharing her hopes, encouraging her dreams. He

wanted to take her dancing while jazz music played. He wanted to watch her face light up with

laughterandhavetherighttoclaimherlipswithhis.Hewanteditall.

Hewasgoingtotakethebiggestriskofhislifewithhiseyeswideopen.

Decisionmade,Chadpulledoutastickynote.Assoonashewasdonehere,he’dstopandbuyher

favoriteflowers.No,herfavoritecandy.No,jewelry.

Heexhaled.Getagrip,Chad.First,heneededtogoseeAmeliaandtellherhowhefelt.Seeifthe

possibilityexistedthatshefeltthesame.

No.Heneededtofinishwhathewasdoing.Gettingsomepersonalpaperworkinorder.Heneeded

toaddAmeliatohislifeinsurancepolicy.Hewantedtoincreaseit,tomakesuresheneverwantedfor

anything financially if something happened to him. But first, he needed that copy of his marriage

licensehe’dinstructedhissecretarytoget.

The intercom on his desk buzzed and his secretary announced that she needed to speak with him.

Chadfrowned.Shesoundedagitated,andshewasneveragitated.

Whenshewalkedin,shelookeduncertain.

“Whatisit?”

“I’msorry,Mr.Walker,butthere’snorecordofyourmarriage.”

“Maybeitwasn’trecordedyet.”

She shook her head. “When I couldn’t find it, I had it researched, both in the county and at the

capital there where the licenses are on record. I don’t know what’s going on, but you did not get

married.”

“Isee.”

“Istheresomethingelse?”

“No,that’llbeall.”Chaddismissedherandgotonthephonetomakesomecallshimself.He’dget

tothebottomofthis.Therehadtobeamistake.Hisgrandfatherhadarrangedaspeciallicense.

Hisgrandfather,whohadbeendeterminedforhimtosettledown.WhohadeventhrownAmelia’s

nameoutafewtimesbeforehemadehisarrangementwithClaire.

Heconsideredthelastfewmonthsleadinguptotheweddingandeverythingstartedclickinginto

place.

Halfanhourlater,Chadrockedbackinthechair,hisgutchurning.Hisgrandfatherhadplayedhim.

HadAmeliabeeninonthescheme?She’dbeentheonetodisrupttheweddingtoClaire.Attherest

areaonthewayoutoftownthatsameday,she’dsuggestedhecouldhaveaskedhertomarryhim,that

shewouldhavehelpedhim.Surelytherewasalogicalexplanation.

He left the office and rode the elevator down to the parking garage. His grandfather had played

him?Ameliahadplayedhim?Why?No,hewouldn’tbelieveit.Deceitwasn’tAmelia’sstyle.Hewas

overreacting,butonewayoranother,hewasgoingtogettothebottomofthis.

The drive to the estate seemed to take twice as long as it normally did. He hit every red light on

MainStreet.Bythetimehepulledontothecirculardriveway,he’dentertainedandrejectedadozen

reasonseitherofthemcouldhavehadforfakingamarriage.

Parkingbeforethefrontdoor,hecaughthisgrandfatherreturningfromagameofgolf.

“Hello,Chad.Ihopeyou’vehadagood—”

“Did you lie and arrange to trick me into marrying Amelia?” he asked without preamble. His

grandfathereasedthegolfhatbackonhisheadtoscratchhisforehead.

Afteramomentofstaringateachother,Henrysaid,“Weshouldgoinside,Chad,there’snoneed

forthegardenerstohearourconversation.”

“Fine.BecauseIwantsomeanswers.”

Henryledthewayintohisstudyandpushedthedoorclosed.HestudiedChadforalongmoment

andthensighed.“IdidlieandIacceptfullresponsibilityaboutthat.IpressuredAmeliaintonottelling

you about the arrangement by telling her about my bad heart. I’m not going to be around much

longer.AndIpressuredherintonottellingyouthat,either.”

Chadstilled,hisheartdroppingtohisfeetwhilehisworldrockedasonetruthafteranotherhithim.

The wedding hadn’t been real. His grandfather was dying and Amelia knew. And they’d both lied to

himaboutit.

“Goon.”

Henryeasedhisbodydownintothechairbehindthedeskandremovedtheplaidgolfhat.Hetossed

itontoastackoffolders.

“Iwasgoingtotellyou.”

“When?Aftertherealwedding?Howcouldyoukeepallofthisfromme?”

“BecauseIloveyouandifyouneverlistentoanotherwordIsay,listentothis.Amelialovesyou.

Andyoudeservetobehappy.”

Chad’s disbelief was evident. “The Amelia I’ve always known wouldn’t have kept something this

importantfromme.”

“Shewantedtotellyou.Ibeggedhernotto.Tobefairtoher,son,Iputherinareallytoughspot.I

couldtellshewasupsetaboutagreeingtohelpme.”

“Andyetshediditanyway.”Hecouldhearthedisgustinhisvoice.“Ihavetogo.”

WhenChadturned,Henryaskedinalarm,“Whereareyougoing?”

“Toseemyfakewife—correction,fakefriend—whereelse?”

…

AmeliacalledChadonhisofficephonebuthissecretarysaidhewasout.She’dleftamessageonhis

cell,butthathadn’tworkedeither.

The doorbell at her sister ’s house pealed and for one second, Amelia thought it might be Chad

surprisingher.

Shewasright.

Butthemomentshesawthehardlookinhiseyes,sheknewsomethingwasdrasticallywrong.

“What’s happened?” She reached for his hand but he pulled away from her touch. He shoved his

handsintothepocketsofhisnavy-bluedresspants.

“Itriedtogetacopyofourmarriagelicense.”Hisvoicewassharpthoughstudiouslycontrolled.

“And?”

“Unbelievable,” Chad raked a hand through his hair. “How can you stand there with such an

innocentexpression?”

“Chad,Icanexplaineverything.”Ameliasankdownontothesofa.

“Uh-huh.NextIsupposeyou’lltellmeyoudidn’tknowanythingaboutmygrandfather ’sheartor

himsettingusuptomarryinHoneymoonHills.”

Amelia’sfacepaled.“Ididknowaboutthat,butplease,letmeexplain.”

“What’stoexplain,Amelia?Ithoughtwewerefriends.Bestfriends.Itoldyouthismarriagewould

ruin us, and look what happened. You deliberately deceived me. How much did my grandfather

promisetopayyoutostopmyweddingtoClaire?”

Gettingtoherfeet,herchestrisingrapidlyasshetookshortbreaths,Ameliasaid,“Youknowme

betterthanthat.”

“IthoughtIdid,butrightnowitseemslikeIdon’tknowyouatall.Youwenttoalotoftroubleto

make sure I didn’t marry anyone but you.” Chad swept his arm around the room. “Maybe my

grandfathergaveyouafewhundredthousanddollars?Wasthatit?Abbyneedsthemoney.Didyoudo

thisforher?”

“Chad,listentoyourself,”Ameliasaid,pressingherhandagainstherchest,feelingthepainfrom

hiswordsstabbingher.“Youcan’ttrulybelievewhatyou’resaying.”

Hetookastepcloser,herwordsfallingondeafears.“He’salwayswantedustomarry.Howdidhe

finallyconvinceyou?Ifitwasn’tthemoney,whatwasit?”

Knowing he was feeling betrayed to the depths of his soul, Amelia remained silent against his

anger,waitinghimout.

“YouseeAmelia,thisiswhat’swrongwithlove.Itdestroyseveryoneittouches.”

“Dammit,Chad,itdoesn’tdestroyeverything.Yourunwillingnesstoloveiswhatseteverythingin

motiontobeginwith.Ifonlyyou’dopenyoureyesandseethatwhatIdidwasforyou—”

“Sothisismyfault?”heroared.Sheflinched.She’dneverseenhimthisangrybefore.

“No!Yes!Idon’tknow!”Shefelttearswellupinhereyes.“Weloveyouandwantyoutobehappy.

Whycan’tyoubelievethat?Whywon’tyouletmeloveyou?”Hervoicebrokeonthelastsentence.

He shook his head, his features hard. “How could I ever love someone as deceitful and

manipulativeasmymother?”

Hiswordswashedoverherlikeboilingoil.Chadhadhatedhismother.SotocompareAmeliato

her…

“IwantyoutoknowthatIdon’teverwanttoseeyouagain.Thisfriendshipisover.”Histonewas

icecold.

Sherackedherbrainthinkingofsomethingtocalmhimdown,somethingtochangehismind.But

foronceshewasataloss.Everythingwasruined.

“Fine,”shereplied,hervoicedull.“AndChad,”shecalledwhenhehadonehandonthedoor,“I

hopeyouandyouranti-loveissueswillbeveryhappytogether.Shutthedoorasyougo.”

Asshewatchedhimgo,shesworeshewouldnotcry.ShewouldnotwasteanymoretimeonChad

Walker.

Ifonlyherheartwouldlisten.

ChapterFifteen

AftertheconversationwithAmelia,Chaddrovebacktoworkandcloisteredhimselfinsidehisoffice.

Thetormentinhisheartwaslikeaphysicalpain.Hisentirebodyachedasifhe’dcomedownwitha

badcaseoftheflu.

He needed to make sense of his grandfather ’s illness and what had transpired between him and

Amelia.

Pickingupthephone,hemadetwocallsandafewminuteslater,EricandNickenteredhisoffice

andsatontheoppositesideofhisdesk.Theyworeconcernedexpressions.

HetoldbothmenthestoryofhisarrangedfirstweddingtoClaireandofthehastyonetoAmelia.

Perhapsheshouldrefertoitasthenon-wedding,sincetechnicallyheandAmeliahadneverlegally

married.

EricwhistledwhenChadfinishedrecountingeverything.“Youcanseehowsheplayedme,”hesaid

glumly.

“I don’t know about that,” Eric said. From behind his glasses, he gave Chad a level, unblinking

stare.

“Didyouhearherout?Giveherachancetoexplain?”Nickasked.

He assessed his friends with an unwavering stare. “She deceived me along with my grandfather.

What’stoexplain?”

“I agree that she should have been honest with you, but are you going to throw away a lifelong

friendshipoverthis?”Ericasked.

WhenChaddidn’tanswer,Nickleanedforwardandspokewithasenseofurgency.“Look,youfeel

betrayed by both, but you’re also upset because of your grandfather ’s illness and because you love

Amelia.”

“Howdoyouknowthat?InevertoldeitherofyouthatIloveher.”

Hisfriendslookedateachother,andhehatedthat.Apityglance.

“Youdidn’thaveto.Iknewfromallthe‘Ameliathis’and‘Ameliathat’storiesyouboredmewith,”

Ericsaid.

“To hear him talk, you would have thought Amelia could walk on water.” Nick laughed. “You

shouldhaveseenthewayhewatchedhereverymoveatthereceptionpartytheothernight.”

“Formonths,IpointedouthotgirlstoChadandhe’djustlaunchintoanothertaleaboutAmelia,”

Ericsaid.

ThatbroughtChadupshort.

Hehadn’tdonethat.Hadhe?

Nicknodded.“Iknowwhatyoumean.Hewentoutonadatewiththisonegirlandafterwardssaid,

‘She’snotfunnylikeAmelia.’SoIhookedhimupwithagirlwithagreatsenseofhumor.Whatdid

hesay?‘Shedidn’tknowhowtobeseriouslikeAmelia.’Inotherwords,theyweren’tAmelia.”

“Enough.”Chadhelduphishandtostopthestories.Hedidn’twanttoentertainthepossibilitythat

he’dmisjudgedher,thathisowninsecuritiesaboutlovehadblindedhimandcausedhimtomakesuch

ahugemistake.

That while she’d agreed to keep up his grandfather ’s ruse, it was done out of love, not greed

becausehisgrandfatherhadpaidher.Thatinherownimpetuous,headstrongwayshewastryingto

savehimfromhisownworstenemy:himself.

“Look,buddy.Idon’tgiveyouorderstoooften.Butit’stimeforyoutogetoutofthatchairandgo

workthingsoutwithyourwife.Sort-ofwife.Whateverthehellsheis,”Nicksaidandpointedtothe

stackofpaperworkChadplannedtoworkon.“Thatcanwait.”

“No,”Chadsaid,unsureofhimself.“I’llwaituntilI’mdonehere.Ineedtimetothinktocomeup

withaplansoI’llknowwhattosaytoher,howtofixthings.”Heranhishandthroughhishair.“Itold

herIdidn’twanttoseehereveragain.”Hewincedrememberinghowharshhe’dbeen.

Again,thatdamnedpityinglookbetweenhistwofriends.“Ifweknowwomen,andIthinkwedo,”

Nick said, “the moment you realize you’ve made a mistake, you need to grovel and make it right.

Otherwise,thedoorofopportunitynarrows.Thedoorcouldevenclose.”

“Youcouldloseher,”Ericsaid.“You’vebeenfriendsforyears.Islosingherworththemoralhigh

ground?Isnotforgivingherreallytherouteyouwanttogo?”

RealizationslammedintoChad.

LoseAmelia?Hisworldshiftedfromitsaxis.

Hecouldloseher.Notbecauseoflove,butbecausehehadn’ttrustedlove.Hisfather ’sloveforhis

motherhaddestroyedhim.ButhisfeelingsforAmelia…

Hethoughtbacktoeverythingthey’dbeenthrough.Howshe’dalwaysbeenthereforhim.Hadeven

riskedherownreputation,herownfreedom,tosavehimfromsomethingthatwouldonlybringmore

bitternessintohislife.

Andhe’daccusedherofmanipulatinghimformoney.

He’dbeenasguiltyasanyonefordamagingtheirrelationship.

Hejumpedupandreachedforhissuitcoat.“Lockupforme.”TossingtheofficekeystoEric,he

pulledhisphonefromthecliponhisbeltanddialedAmelia’scell.

Voicemail.

Heleftamessagetellingherhewascomingtoherhouse,everythingmovingasifinslowmotion.

He’dbeensuchanidiot.

Howcouldhehaveeverdoubtedher?She’dneverliedtohim,nevertriedtotrickhim.Hehadto

gettoher,toapologizefortheawfulthingshe’dsaidbeforeitwastoolate.

Therewasanurgencyinhishearttoseeher,totellherwhatwasinhisheart.Thathelovedher,and

didn’twanttoliveasecondofhislifewithouther.

Inthepast,wheneverhe’dheardsappystoriesabouthowlovechangedaman,hescoffed.Butnow

heknewhe’dcrawlacrossbrokenglasstogettoher,tomakethisright.

God,he’dbegifneedbe.

Hewouldtellherhelovedher.Ifshe’dgivehimachance,maybe,justmaybeshe’dsomedaycome

tolovehimthatway,too.

ParkingtheMustanginthedrivewayofherhouse,heleapedfromthecar,nottakingtimetoshut

thedoor,andrushedontotheporch.Leaningintothedoorbell,hepresseditrepeatedlyandwhenno

oneanswered,heopenedthescreendoorandknockedhard.“Amelia!Openthedoor.”

ThedoorswungopenandNoah’sfacetoldataleChaddidn’twanttohear.

Heswallowed,fearlodgedinhischest.“Where’sAmelia?”

“She’sgone.”

Chadrestedhisheadagainstthedoorframe.Toolate.

Noahstuckahandintothepocketofhisbrowncardigan.“She’sonaflightrightnow.”

Chad lifted his head. “Where? I can have the company jet take me wherever she is. I’ll meet the

plane.”

“On assignment for work. She wouldn’t give me the location. Said me and Henry might try to

meddleifweknewwhereshewas.”

“Wouldyou?”Despitehimself,Chadfeltabithopeful.Maybewithsomereinforcements,hecould

fixthingswithAmelia.

“No,notthistime.We’velearnedourlessonaboutplayingCupid.”

Chad’sheartcontractedinaviselikegrip.“Noah,thiscan’tbetheend.Ihavetofindher.”

“Giveheralittletime,son.Rightnow,bothofyouhavehadtoomanypeopleinterferingwithyour

personalbusiness.Weallhadgoodintentions,butIseehowitstilldidn’tmakeitokay.Amelianeeds

sometimetocometosomeconclusionsaboutwhatshewantsinlifeonherown.Sheneedstolearnto

fightforwhatshewants,insteadofrunaway,likesheusuallydoes.Maybeoncethingscalmdown,

she’llcall.Andifshedoes,youmightgetyourchancetopatchthingsup.”

ChadprayedthatNoahwasright.

…

Ameliaslidthekeycardintothedoorandwalkedintoherhotelsuite.Shesetherpurseontheside

table.Anotherday,anotherhotel.Thegray,dismalweatheroutsidereflectedthemoodshe’dbeenin

allday.

She’dmanagedtogetsomephotographs,noneofthemgreat,andoneeditorhadevensaidasmuch.

Sheknewtheusualsatisfactionshefoundbehindthelenswasmissing.

Shekickedoffhershoesandopenedherlaptop.ShehadaSkypedatewithAnn.

After a few minutes of insignificant chatter, Amelia said, “I can sense your disapproval. You’ve

beenbitingyourtongueallnight.Mightaswellsaywhat’sonyourmind.”

“I’mnotsureyouwanttohearit.”

Ifanything,AmeliaknewshecouldcountonAnntotellthetruthwhetheritwaswhatshewantedto

hearornot.“Outwithit.”Amelialeanedbackonthetightlystuffedsofa.

“You’vechanged.”

“Changeisn’talwaysbad,”Ameliareplied,toyingwiththenecklaceshewore.

“Change isn’t always good, either,” Ann shot back. She pointed her finger to the top of Amelia’s

hairpulledintoano-nonsensebun.“AllyouhavetodoistakealookinthemirrortoseewhatI’m

talkingabout.”

“What?”Shespreadherhandsinatell-memotion.

Ann shifted in front of her computer camera, an accusing expression on her face. “You look

miserable.Youhavelinesonyourface.You’vebecomeallbusinessandnofrill.Andthepicturesyou

sentme…Yourphotographslacksomething.Before,theywereasvibrantasyouwere.Now,they’re

dulland,well…boring.”

Ameliacrossedherarms.“What’swrongwithbeingmoresensible?”

“You’vebecomeChad,that’swhat’swrong.Anddon’tyougivemethatlook.YouknowI’mright.”

Ameliastiffened.Likelittlearrows,Ann’swordspiercedtheprotectiveshellshe’dbeguntobuild

aroundherself.

“Haveyouheardfromhim?”

“He’scalled,butIhaven’tanswered.”Ameliasetdownthecompactshe’dpulledoutsecondsbefore

tostudyherface,notwantingtoseeanymoreofthechangesinherself.

“Howmanytimeshashecalled?”Annasked.

“Twenty-onetimes.He’sleftvoicemessages,butIdeletedthemwithoutlisteningtoanyofthem.”

“Hmmm,”Annmurmured.“Well,ifyoudon’twanttotalktohim,Isupposethere’snothingmore

formetosay.”

“Whatisthis‘hmmm’?Therewasnoneedtolistentothemessages.”

“Helovesyou.”

Ameliashookherhead.“No,hedoesn’t.Hejustmissesourbuddy-buddyrelationship.ForChad,

havingmearoundwaslikehavingacomfortablepairofbedroomshoes.Hewantedme,butthatwas

justphysical.”

“Idon’tthinkso.Ifwe’regoingwiththeshoeanalogyIthinkChadstartedtoseeyouasapairof

stilettosanditscaredhim.”

“Maybe.Idon’tknow.”

“I’mtellingyouI’mright.”

Ameliawantedtobelievehersister,butAnnhadn’tbeentherewhenChadhadsaidheneverwanted

toseeheragain.Theyhadbeenfriendsforyears,butthey’dneverhadafightlikethat.He’dsaidto

getoutofhislife,andshetrulybelievedhemeantit.

“MyrelationshipwithChadburnedtotheground.Lettheashesrest.”

“The relationship is only burned if you want it to be. You can rebuild stronger on the same

foundation.You’vealwaysbeenacan-doperson,sis.You’vehadasetback,forsure.Butthatdoesn’t

meanyouhavetogiveupandrun.Youcanfighttofixthings,youknow.”

“Maybe,butforhowlong?Lifeisfullofmistakes,Ann.Ican’tbewithsomeonewhofliesoffthe

handleblamingloveeverytimeIscrewup.Whoisalwaysgoingtoassumetheworstbecause‘loveis

theenemy,’insteadofgivingmeachance.”Shetuckedastrandofhairthatescapedthebunbehind

herear,consideringhersister ’swords.“Iknow.Ijust…don’tknow.”

“Hmmm…Idon’tthinkthat’showitwouldbe.Notafterthistime.”

Ameliashrugged.

“Well,sis,I’vegottogo.I’llleaveyoutostewonwhatI’vesaid.”

Aftersheandhersisterdisconnected,Ameliawalkedintothebathroomandturnedonthewater,not

allowingherselftothinkofChadorhissmileorthewayhiseyesdarkenedrightbeforehekissedher.

Shemissedhimwithanachethathadn’tgottenanybetter,andshedoubteditwouldnomatterhow

muchtimepassed.

Her head said leaving had been the right course of action to take, but her heart wanted to debate.

Chad had wounded her deeply for the first time in their relationship. Heck, they’d wounded each

other.

Nowsheunderstoodwhyhealwaysavoidedmattersoftheheart.Eveniftheyfoundtheirwayback

toeachother,howcouldshetrusthimnottohurtherthiswayagain?

…

Twenty-onedays.Twohours.Nineminutes.

LifewithoutAmelia.

Chad stared through the window of his office, seeing nothing through the darkness. The pouring

rainaccentuatedthewayhefelt.

Lately,he’dspenteverywakinghourattheoffice,andmostnights,hedidn’tleavetogohomeand

sleep.Whenanexhaustedsleepdidfinallycome,hecrashedonthecouch.

Mornings he’d shower in the adjacent bathroom and start his cycle of days and nights all over

again.

HislifehadbecomeanendlessroutineofgriefandworryforbothAmeliaandhisgrandfather.His

grandfather had adamantly refused to even consider a transplant no matter how much Chad had

beggedhimto.

Assumingheevengotaheartfromadonor.

ThecolliewhimperedandrestedhisheadagainstChad’sleg.Hepickedthepuppyupandstroked

hishead.

“Iknowhowyoufeel,buddy,”hesaid.

HemissedAmeliawithanachethatwentbonedeep.He’dcalledherrepeatedlytonoavail,turned

overeverystonehecouldthinkof,evenhiredaprivatedetectivetotrackher.

He’dflownoutseveraltimeshopingtocatchheronlytoarriveincityaftercityminutesaftershe’d

left.He’dtraipsedthroughhotellobbyafterhotellobbyandairportafterairport.

All he could do now was wait, and he wasn’t a man comfortable with waiting while his world

slippedfurtherawayfromhim.

TimewithoutAmeliahadnotbeengoodtohim.

Heknewhelookedawful.He’dlostweight,hisclothesbarelyfit,andhalfthetimehedidn’tbother

toshaveanymore.

He’dheardthewhispers.ChadWalkerwasworkingtoohard.ChadWalkerhadbeentooyoungto

beatthehelmofWalkerIndustries.

Butheknewthetruth.ChadWalkerwassufferingfromhavinglosttheonlywomanheeverloved.

HisofficedoorflungopenandhesquintedagainstthesuddenbrightnesswhenEricturnedonthe

overheadlight.

Thecolliebarkedandbristled,backingupprotectivelyagainstChad.

NickstoodbesideEric,andbothmenstared.

“Whattimeisit?”Chadasked,notreallycaring,onlyknowingthatsinceAmelialefttimemoved

snail-likefromonesecondtothenext.

“Timeforanintervention,”Nicksaidandclosedthedoorbehindthem.ThetwoadvancedonChad.

“Youlooklikehell,man.Whenwasthelasttimeyouslept?”Nickasked.

“Orate?Orwenthome?”Ericadded.

Hewavedthemawaywithanimpatientgesture.“Noneofyourdamnbusiness.”

Nickplacedhishandspalmsidedownonthedesk.HeleaneduntilhewasinChad’sface.“You’ve

gottostartlivingagain.”

“Backoff.”Chad’slipsthinned.

The phone on his desk rang and he ignored it. The ringing stopped briefly, then started back up

againuntilinexasperation,Ericreachedoverandpickedupthephone.

“WalkerIndustries,”hesaid.

“Ann, yes, he’s right here.” Eric passed the phone to Chad and pressed the button to activate the

speaker.

“Yousittinginyourofficebrooding?”Annasked.

“Ifyoucalledtoneedleme,ortogivemealectureonwhatIshouldhave,couldhavedone,nowis

notthetime.”Annhadalwaysbeenlikeanannoyingoldersister.

“I feel awful for what I’m about to say, but I’m going to do it anyway. Amelia is a mess.” Ann’s

deepsightraveledacrossthelineandChadcouldhearsomethingclickinginthebackground.

“Issheallright?”

“Shehasn’tbeenrightsincethetwoofyoubrokeup.”

Chadrockedbackinthechair,hopingwithallhismightAmeliawouldhearhimout.“CanItalkto

her,please?”

“She’s not here and she doesn’t know I’m calling. I doubt she’d be willing to talk to you. I’m

violatingallsortsofsistercodesbycallingyou,solistencarefully.”

“Goon,”Chadsaid,feelinghopeforthefirsttimeindays.

“Tomorrowmorningatfive,AmeliawilltakeacartoO’HareairportforherflightouttoKansas.

You’llbeabletofindherthere.”Shethenfilledintheblankswithafewmoredetails.

“Thanksfortellingme.Ioweyouone,Ann.”

“Don’tscrewthisupagain,”Annsaidanddisconnected.

Assoonasthephonewasdead,EriccrossedhisarmsandregardedChad.“Sowhat’stheplan?”

“Idon’thaveone.”Chadpickedupthereceiverandpunchedinafewnumbers.“Smith,arrangeto

havetheprivatejetfueledandreadytogo.I’monmywaytotheairport.”

“Youwon’treachhertonight,”Nickwarned.

“Idon’thavetoreachhertonightaslongasI’mwaitinginthemorning,”Chadsaid.HeeyedEric.

“Keepaneyeonmydoguntilyoucantakehimtotheestate,willyou?”

“Whatareyougoingtodo?”Ericasked.

Hurryingacrosstheroom,Chadopenedthedoorandlookedoverhisshoulder.“I’mgoingtosteal

thebride.”

ChapterSixteen

Thetravel-sizealarmblaredmuchtooearlyforAmelia.Shedrewherarmfrombeneaththewarm

comforterandhittheoffbutton.Shesatupgroggilyinthebed,pushedasidetheblankets,andswung

herfeetovertheside,restingforasecondtowakeup.

She’dbarelyslept,havingspentmostofthenighttossingandturningandfallingintoonedream

afteranotheraboutChad.Inoneofthedreams,he’dkissedherpassionatelyandhadn’tstopped.She’d

fallenasleepinherdreaminthecircleofhisarms.

In the early-morning hours like this when her defenses were down, missing him was particularly

hard,butsheknewshecouldn’tgiveintothat.

Gettingoutofbed,shedressedinthestraightblueskirtsuitshe’dsetoutthenightbeforeandadded

awhitebutton-upshirt.Normallyshewouldhavemadeanefforttolivenuptheoutfit,giveitsome

kindofoomph.Butnottoday.Whatwaswrongwithbusinesssuitsandnofrills?

Life didn’t hold the same thrill, but maybe it wasn’t supposed to. Maybe she needed to be more

responsibleandhaveherlifeplannedout.AfterwhatherspontaneityhadgottenherintowithChad,

she’dhadenoughofit.

She set her already-packed suitcase by the door and grabbed her purse. She consulted the new

schedulebookshe’dpurchasedtwoweeksago.Everythingonherto-dolistwasinplace,readytobe

checkedoff.Good.

Shedebatedorderingbreakfastbutdecidedagainstit,notsurehowherstomachwouldreacttothe

early-morningflight.BestifshegrabbedsomethingoncetheplanelandedinKansas.

Pulling out the long handle on the suitcase, Amelia wheeled it behind her and headed for the

elevator. Once the doors closed and the elevator started the descent downward, she made small talk

with an elderly couple riding the floors down with her and found out they were at the hotel to

celebratetheirfiftiethweddinganniversary.

Wishing them well, Amelia couldn’t help the pang of want that flared in her. She forced it down.

Forgetlove.Businessonly.

Whenthedoorsswungopen,abellhoprushedforwardtotakehercase.“MissSnyder,yourtown

cariswaiting.”

“Thank you.” Amelia smiled at him as she released the handle and followed him out of the hotel

intothealready-warmJunemorning.TherewasacertainscenttoChicagoandalivelinessthatshe

nevertiredofexperiencingnomatterhowmanytimesshevisited.

ThebellhopopenedtherearcardoorforherandAmeliaslidacrossthegrayleatherseat.

Carefullybucklingherseatbelt,shetookasecondtosettleherself,thenpulledouthercellphone

andpowereduptocheckformessages.

Scrollingthrough,sheignoredthecallsfromChad.Onefromhereditor,Cecilia.She’dreturnthat

oneatamoredecenthour.

The town car pulled away from the curb and out into the traffic and Amelia heard the bellhop’s

startledyell.

Swingingherheadtolookthroughtherearwindow,Ameliasawthebellhopstandinginthemiddle

oftheroadfranticallywavinghishands.

“Driver,youforgottowaitforthebellhoptoloadmyluggage.You’llhavetoswingbackaround.”

Thetowncarquicklyturnedontoastreetandaccelerated,makingnoefforttoreturntothehotel,

andAmelia’sheartbeatfaster.Whatwasgoingon?

Sheadjustedherpositiononthebackseatsoshecouldseethedriver ’sfaceintherearviewmirror

andAmeliametafamiliarpairofeyes.“Chad!”shegasped.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“I’mstealingyou.Nowbequietandcooperate.”

“Chad,”Ameliasputtered.“Thisisridiculous!Ihaveascheduletokeep.”

Heshookanadmonishingfingerather.“GoodLord.Yousoundlikeme.”

“IguessIrealizedthatyouwererightandIdidn’tneedtobeasspontaneous.Lifewasmeanttobe

livedaccordingtoplansandrules.Ineedtostoprunningandbemoreresponsible.”

“God,Amelia.I’msorry.IknowImessedup,butIalsoknowit’snottoolatetoundothechangesI

seeinyou.”

Ameliajuttedherchinforward.“Idemandthatyoutakemebacktopickupmyluggageandgetme

totheairportbeforeImissmyflight.”

“Ihaveaflightwaitingforyou,honey,butnottheoneyouthink.”

“Chad…youcan’tstealme!”Ameliaknewsheshouldseetheironyandthehumorinthesituation,

but she didn’t. Couldn’t. She was still nursing her wounds from their last encounter, and her heart

wasn’tabouttogoonthechoppingblockagain.

“You look terrible,” she finally said, noting his rumpled appearance and scruffy beginnings of a

beard.

“Aw,thanks,sweetheart.Ihopeafterwe’remarriedyou’lllearnbetterendearments.”

“Chad, you and I are not getting married again. Ever.” She leaned toward the front seat. “Now

pleasetakemetocatchmyflight.IhavetobeinKansas.”

“Nothappening.Nowsitbackandrelax.Ineedtoconcentrateonmydriving.”

“Watchout,”Ameliaheldoneendofherskirtandclimbedintothefrontseatasgracefullyasshe

could.

Aftershefastenedherseatbelt,shesaid,“Ifyoudon’tstopthecarrightnow,oncewearriveatthe

airport,I’lltellthepersonnelthatI’mbeingtakenagainstmywill.”

“Goahead.”Chadsentherarakishlysexysmile.“We’reusingaprivateairstrip.I’vealreadygiven

themahellofalotofmoneyandtheywon’tseeorhearathing.”

“That’sbribery!”Ameliasputtered.

“Iseebeingontheroadhasn’tdimmedyoursharpmind.”

Herheartwasracing.Chadwashere.Kidnappingher.Whichmeant…?

No,shecouldn’tbelieveit.“Whatwillthissolve?”

Chad’s eyes lowered to her legs, then drifted back to meet her gaze. “Our childhood promise.

Remember?Yousworetomethatyou’dstopmefromendinguplikemyfather.”

“Chad,thisisn’tyou,”Ameliatriedagain.Shehadtotrytomakehimseereason.“Youwouldnever

plansomethingaswildasstealingawoman.”

“Ididn’tplanit.”

Ameliafrowned,speakingslowlytomakesuresheunderstood.“Youdon’thaveaplan?Withouta

plan,failureisinevitable,someonetoldmeonce.”

“Not a one. Not one single plan.” He laughed out loud. “Kind of liberating. Besides, I got you,

didn’tI?”

“Isee.”Ameliapursedherlips.“Didyoubringachangeofclothes?”

“Nope.Leftintoobigofahurry.”

“Whataboutme?Sincemyluggageisbackatthehotel,didyoubringachangeofclothesforme?”

“Nope.” He flashed a smile at her. “Sorry. Wish I would have thought about that because the suit

you’rewearingisn’tyou.”

“Peoplechange,”Ameliasaidstifflyandturnedfromfacinghimtostarethroughthewindshield.

Therewasnothingwrongwithhersuit.Shelookedcompetent.

Chad steered the town car onto the interstate and headed toward the airport. “I can’t let you live

yourlifemiserable,Ame.Friendsdon’tallowfriendstoleadthewrongkindoflife.”

“YoubelieveyouknowthekindoflifethatIshouldlive?”

“Onethat’sfilledwithhappiness,awholelotoflaughter,andsomeonewholovesyouandthinks

you’rehisentireworld.”

“Isupposeyouhavethissomeonewaitingformeattheendofthisadventure?”

“Absolutely,”Chadsaid,guidingthetowncarontothetarmacoftheprivateairstrip.Ahandfulof

peoplemilledaboutthearea.Eachoneofthemignoringthearrivalofthecar.

Chadparkedandpulledthekeyfromtheignition.“Outyougo,sweetheart.”

Becauseshedidn’twanttoargueandcauseascene,Ameliagotout.Chadpointedtotheprivatejet

ownedbyWalkerIndustries.“Ourride.”

Amelia sighed and walked toward the plane, her heels echoing on the concrete. She boarded the

planewithquicksteps.“Fine.”

Onceshe’dsettledintooneoftheseats,shecrossedherarmsdefensively.“I’llplayalongfornow,

andoncewegettoSweetCreek,I’llcatchthenextflightouttoKansas.”

“Betternotmakeplans,Ame.Todaydoesn’tlooklikeaplandaytome.”

Shecouldn’tbelievethewayhewasacting.Normallyshewastheonetakingrisks,beingimpulsive.

NotChad.“Whatthehellhashappenedtoyou?WhathappenedtothepersonIusedtoknow?”

Chad leaned closer, lowering his voice as if they were sitting around a campfire sharing ghost

stories.“Heendedupmakingthebiggestmistakeofhislife.Hedidn’ttrustpeople,didn’ttrustlove,

andhedroveawaytheonewomanwhoevertrulymatteredtohim.”

“Chad,that’saverylovelyspeech,but—”

Hemovedquickly,closinginonherpersonalspace,andkissedher.Whenhedrewback,shecould

see the uncertainty in his eyes. “Please tell me there’s at least a sliver of a chance I haven’t messed

thingsupsobadlybetweenusthatthere’snohope.”

Shedidn’trespond.

ChadknewAmeliawasquietwhenshewasdeepinthoughtandhecouldonlyhopethosethoughts

weregoodonesaboutthetwoofthem.

Morethananything,whathewantedwastotakeherinhisarmsandkissheruntiltheywereboth

oblivious to the world, but his gut instinct told him that Amelia was still too far away from him

emotionallytoacceptanembrace.

Hecouldbepatient.He’ddoeverythinghumanlypossibletoshowAmeliahowmuchhelovedher.

Hemightriskitandgethisheartbroken,buthewasn’tsorryforlovingherandneverwouldbe.

She’denrichedhislife.Madehimseehowbeautifulitcouldbewhenheloved.

Hedrankinthewayherhaircaughtthelightstreaminginfromthewindow,themannerismsthat

weresofamiliar.God,hewassoinlovewithher.

Butnowitwastimetogetuptobatandthebaseswereloaded.Strikingoutwasn’tanoption.

“Imissedyou.”Heverballyswung.

“Hmmm,”wasallshesaidwithoutsayingshe’dmissedhimtoo.

Strikeone.

“Icalledyoueveryday.”

“Iknow.”Hervoicestillheldthatcoolquality.

Striketwo.

Hishandsgrippedthesidesoftheseatuntiltheyturnedwhite.Heliftedhisheadandhisgazemet

hers.Heswallowedhard.

“I’minlovewithyou.”Heswungagain.

“What?”

Shestaredathimandhisheartwasrunninghell-bentforleather,hopingtoslideintohomeplate.“I

saidI’minlovewithyou.”

“Oh,Chad.”Hervoicedroppedtoahuskywhisper.“Iloveyou,too.”Shemovedtowardhim,tears

springingtohereyes.

Slide,slide,slide!

Chadgatheredherintohisarms.

Homesafe!

Hetookadeepbreath,holdingheragainsthim,neverwantingtoletgo.Sothiswaswhatheaven

feltlike.

Hepressedkissestohercheeks,herforehead,andhernose.“ForgivemeforwhatIsaid,Ame.I

wasacompleteidiot.Iknewinmyheartthatyou’dneverintentionallyhurtme.”Hecuppedherface

inhishands.

“I’mafraid,”Ameliawhisperedwhenhislipsbrushedherslightly.

Hepulledback,staringatherinastonishment.“You?MissRiskTaker?Whatareyouafraidof?”

“This.Us.”Shetracedapathacrossthebuttonsonhisshirt.“Whatifyou’reright?Whatif—”

“No.”Hekissedheragain.“Icouldn’thavebeenmorewrong.Loveisn’tsomethingtoavoid,it’s

something to embrace, and the man who falls into it should count himself very lucky. These weeks

apartfromyouhavebeenthemostmiserableonesI’veeverlivedthrough.”

Keepinghisarmsaroundherwaist,heloweredhimselftooneknee.“Amelia,mybestfriend,the

womanwhodefinesmyworld,willyoumarryme?Willyoubemywife,mylover,andthemotherof

mychildren?”

Ameliadashedawayatear.“Yes,ohyes!”

Chadkissedheragain,passionately,losingtrackofallreasonandtimeuntilshepulledawayand

said,“Idon’twanttowaitanylonger.Let’sgohomeandbeginthislifetogether.”

ChapterSeventeen

Two days later, a bright and sunny Saturday in June, Amelia waited with her sisters and Noah in a

smallroomatthebackofthelittlewhitechurchwherehergrandparentshadmarried.

Shedidn’tfeelanybutterfliesinherstomachthistime.

Nowhereitwas,finallyreadytobegin,thefirstdayofherforeverwithChad.

“Youlookbeautiful,”Annsaid,admiringAmelia’sweddinggown.

“Hold still.” Abby fussed over the veil that had been their grandmother ’s, arranging it one more

time.

“Willyoustop?”Amelialaughed.“You’vebeenfidgetingeversincewearrived.”

“That’sbecausesheknowsshe’snext,”Noahsaidwithawinkandanudge.

Abbyclickedhertongue.“Youcanstopthatkindofthinkingrightinitstracks,Grandfather.I’ve

beenthere,donethat,andwhileI’mhappyforAmeliaandChad,Ihavenointentionofeverwalking

downtheaisleasecondtime.”

Whenaknocksoundedonthedoor,Abbytwistedthehandleandpushedthedooropen.

“I believe I’m to escort you down the aisle?” a familiar voice said. Nick stood framed in the

doorway,aninnocentexpressiononhisface.

“No,”Abbysaidwithafrownmarringherface,“Ericisescortingmedowntheaisle.”

“Noahchangedthearrangement,”Nicksaid,offeringAbbyhisarm.

“Bigmouth,”Noahmuttered.

Abbygavehimamurderousglance,thenstifflyacceptedNick’sarmandallowedhimtoleadher

fromtheroom.

“SoIguessI’mescortingyou?”Ericsaid.

AnnacceptedEric’sarm.“Thisismyluckyday.”Withawink,sheallowedErictoleadherout.

Ameliaexhaledslowly.

Almostthere.Inmeremoments,shewouldbeChad’swife,andshecouldn’tthinkofanythingthat

soundedmoreamazing.

The first poignant notes of the wedding march began and Noah steered Amelia to the door, tears

springingtohiseyes.“Withyoursunnydisposition,youremindmesomuchofyourgrandmother.

Shewasalotlikeyou,youknow.”

“Thanks,Granddaddy.”Sheleanedforwardandkissedhischeek.“Youreadytodothis?”

“Beenready,honey.Thisday’sbeenalongtimecoming.”

Astheyenteredtherearofthechurch,Ameliacouldn’tspeakpasttheemotionscloggingherthroat.

Whiterosesweregroupedattheendsofthepewsanddecoratedwithflowingwhiteribbons.Inone

cornerthepianoplayedsoftly,butAmeliadidn’thaveeyesforanyofthedecorations.

Chadwaitedforheratthealtar.Hisblueeyes,aslimitlessastheAtlanticOcean,werefilledwitha

loveasvast.

Shefloateddowntheaisle,barelyregisteringwhenhergrandfatherliftedherveil,pressedakissto

hercheek,andjoinedherhandwithChad’s.

TheministerbeganspeakingandHenrystoodup.“Excuseme,butyouarea real minister, aren’t

you?”

Theminister ’seyebrowsraised.“Yes,Iam.”

“Good.Justchecking.Er…carryon.”HenrysettledhimselfagainandgaveChadasheepishgrin.

Theministershookhisheadandthenpickedupwherehe’dleftoff.

HiswordsfilledtheairaroundAmelia,butshecouldseeonlyChad,hearonlyhisheartasitjoined

withhers.

“Youmaykissthebride.”

Chadbenthisheadandjustbeforehepressedhislipstohers,hewhispered,“I’mgoingtolikeour

planC.”

Theministersmiledaftertheyendedthekissandsaid,“IpresenttoyouMr.andMrs.ChadWalker.”

The crowd cheered and Chad and Amelia walked down the aisle out into the sunlight where a

limousine waited. Stopping on the front steps, he kissed her and said, “Today I feel like the richest

manintheworld.”Hesmileddownatherandgentlywipedawaythetearsglimmeringattheedgeof

hereyes.

“Good.We’llneedthoserichestogoonalloftheadventuresIhaveplanned,”Ameliasaid.

Hesmiledthatslow,sexysmileofhis.“Noskydiving.”

Grinningupathimshesaid,“Deal.”

Leaning close so that his lips grazed her neck, he whispered, “Falling for you was adventure

enough.”

Theirlaughterechoedthroughthecrowdastheyclimbedintothecaranddroveaway.

***

DidyoulovethisBliss?Checkoutmoreofourtitles

here

Acknowledgments

Iwouldliketoacknowledgethefollowingpeoplefortheirimpactonmylife:

Toni,mywonderfulsister.Iadmireandloveyoudeeply.Icouldnevermeasureallthewaysyou’ve

touchedmylife.

Allthewriterswhoconstantlysharetheirknowledgewithothers.Yourhelpisappreciated.

AudreyHiggans,greatpoet,greatwriter,greatfriendwhopulledanallnighteditingsessionand

wasstillsanethenextday.

MarryWing,mylifelongfriendwhoknowshowtolaughandlove.Fromtheearlyyearstocollege

andback,yourfriendshiphasbeenamazing.

JudyMaurice-Steigertforthelongtalks,thecoffee,andthejoyyouradiate.

Nicole Resciniti, agent extraordinaire, who works so hard on behalf of her clients. You are truly

oneofakind.

MarisaCleveland,forthechance.Iwillneverforgetthat.

ThegangatSeymourAgencyforalltheirhardbehind-the-sceneswork.

Finally,ShannonGodwin.Youhavetheabilitytoworkwonders.Iamamazedbyyourtalent.Thank

you!

AbouttheAuthor

SonyaWeiss

isafreelancewriterandghostwriter.Herwritingbeganingradeschoolwhenshewould

writeonanyscrapofavailablepaper.Shelovescreatingstorieswherehappilyeverafterisjustthe

beginning.

www.sonyaweiss.com

Signupforour

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andbethefirsttohearabout99¢releasesfromSonyaWeissandotherfantasticEntangled

authors!

Reviewshelpotherreadersfindbooks.Weappreciateallreviews,whetherpositiveornegative.Thankyouforreading!

FindyourBlisswithRobinBielman’s

Kissingherbestfriend’sbrotherneverfeltsoright…

Luke didn’t see the point of learning choreographed dance steps, but it made his sister happy, her

smileandlaughcontagious,andhefoundhimselfenjoyingevenhismissteps.

Hispartnerdidn’thurtmatters,either.Pairedwiththebeautifulmaidofhonor,hegavesilentthanks

forhisnewroleasbestman.Ifhe’dhadtowatchSeladancewithsomeoneelse,hemighthavegone

insane.

Adisconcertingthoughthedecidednottoexaminetooclosely.

“Remember,thebasicstepisoneofthemostbeautifuloftherumba.Soifnothingelse,sticktoit,

andthedancefloorwillbeyours,”theinstructorsaid.

LukepeekedatSelaoutofthecornerofhiseye.Theslightimperfectionsinherprofilemadeitthe

mostfascinatinghe’dseen.Withhisphotographer ’seyeheimaginedshootingherfacefromdifferent

anglesandindifferentlightingandhadafeelingeverysingleonewouldsparkbeautytoathousand

differentbeholders.Shemightbeagirlfromhishometown,buttherewassomethingaboutherthat

wasworldly.

Sheturnedherhead,catchinghimintheactofstaring.Hedartedhisattentionaway.

“Nowlet’sstepintotheclosedpositiononceagainandbegin,”theteachersaid.

Atfirsttheymovedrigidly,fightingthenaturalrhythmoftheirbodiesliketheystillneededtobattle

tokeepthingsnormal.Butasthemusiccontinued,theirmovesmeltedintoafluidswayofhipsand

torsosandLukecouldn’tthinkofanywhereelsehe’dratherbe.

“Closeyour eyes andfeel the movement.Let the music guideyou,” the teachersaid softly as she

wovearoundthedancefloor.

Luke waited for Sela to shut her eyes. Christ, she was pretty. The woman made scrubs look sexy.

ButitwaswhatshehadontheinsidethatsuddenlymadehismouthdrierthantheSaharaDesert.

Her eyes fluttered open. “You can wipe that smug look off your face. You’re not that good of a

dancer.”

“No?” Without missing a beat, he spun them around, their steps in perfect tandem. An invisible

stringkepttheminharmony.TheflushofSela’scheekskeptenergyhummingthroughhisveins.

Hereyesnarrowedandherlipspursed,andLukeimaginedshe’dmuchratherhaveaswordinher

handsotheycouldfenceinsteadofmovewitheachother.

“Youknowwhattheysayaboutshow-offs,don’tyou?”shesaid.

“Tell me.” He twirled them away from the others, his fingertips increasing the pressure on her

shoulderblade.

“They’recompensatingforsomethingelse.Usuallysomethingsmall.”Hergazedippedbelowhis

waistastheybothsteppedback.

Helaughed,alittlemorecarefullythanhehadinthekitchen.Forthesecondtimeinthelasthour

she’ddonewhatfewwomencould—raisehishacklesinthemostengagingway.

“Sweetheart,there’snothingsmallaboutme,”hewhisperedwhentheycametogether.“Andifyou

needproof,I’dbehappytoshowyou.”

FindyourBlisswithOpheliaLondon’s

ALLING

FOR

OLDIER

Shefellfortheniceguy,butwillshefallfortherealguy?

There wasn’t much eye contact with the tango, but Ellie couldn’t stop herself from peeking up at

Hunter,expectingtofindhimallclench-jawed.Buthewaspeeringdownather,thatanti–FredAstaire

gazethatmadehercoretighten,thenburstintospasms.

His locked frame was suddenly not so locked, and he took her hand, linking his fingers through

hers.Herbreathswerebecomingmoreandmoreshallow,reactingtohistouch.Amomentlater,he

movedhishandtoherhip,wherehisotherhandhadwandered.Hepressedhisforeheadtohers,like

thismorning,slowlybox-steppinghertotherhythmofElvis.

She held on to his elbows, letting herself be led, feeling her heart pounding as Hunter ’s hands

curled around her hips. And then, as naturally as how they moved to music, he tilted his chin and

pressedhislipstohers.

Itwaslikeshe’dbeenholdingherbreathforanhourandcouldfinallybreathe.Shedidn’trealize

howmuchshe’dbeenwaitingforthismomentuntiltheybrokeapart,inhalinginunison,inperfect

timing. His hot, firm mouth covered hers again. He slid his arms around her back, holding her so

tightly against him that her back bowed and her arms fell loose at her sides like she was floating,

beingsweptaway.Hisbreathonherskinshotdeliciousshiversthroughherlimbs.

When her knees buckled, she didn’t think, she grabbed him around the neck, tasting his sweet

mouth,neverwantingthekisstoend.

Heledherbackward,stillinrhythm,thoughElvis’svoicehaddiedout.Herbackhitthewallandhe

leaned into her, pulling away from her mouth to smoothly maneuver to the side of her neck. Ellie

suckedinabreathandtiltedherhead,givinghimfreeaccesstowhateverhewantedwhilesheslidher

fingersoverthesidesofhishair.

A tiny corner of her mind knew what she was doing might technically be against the rules—so

manyrules—butshecouldn’tstop.Hewassomuchfunandgorgeous,andmanalivewasheagood

kisser.

Slow-slow-quick-quick-slowwentherheart.

“Damn,Ilovethetango,”hewhispered,ticklingherear.

Findyour

withthesenewreleases…

HerSummerwiththeMarine

bySusanMeier

The last person Ellie McDermott wanted to run into after returning to her hometown is Finn

Donovan,herhighschoolnemesisandtheguyshecrossedthelinefromenemiestoloverswithone

nightyearsago.Actingontheirattractionwouldbeonething,butFinnhastoturnaprofittosavehis

ownfamily,andnothing—notevenlove—willgetinhisway.

LoveSongsfortheRoad

byFarrahTaylor

TheonlythingrockstarMarcusTroylovesmorethanmakingmusicishiskids.Sofindingjustthe

rightnannytotakeontourwiththemisimportant—asisprovingtohisexhedeservesjointcustody.

Fallingforhisemployeewouldn’tjustbefodderforthepaparazzi:itcouldruineverything.Toobad

the perfect nanny turns out to be beautiful, vibrant Ryan Evans. When the whole world’s watching

them,willlifeinthespotlightbetoohottohandle?

ResistingtheHero

byCindiMadsen

FaithFitzpatrickisn’tlookingforahero.What’swrongwithhavingasafejob?There’snothingsafe

about Connor Maguire. Confident, sexy, and sporting a six-pack that should be illegal, he’s

everythingshedoesn’twant.WorkingontheFallFestivaltogether,theyagreetoatruceandbecome

friends.ButthemoretimeConnorspendswithFaith,themorehe’swillingtoriskthewrathofher

brother,hisbestfriend.Ifhecouldonlyconvincehertotakeariskonhim,too.

SevenDayFiance

byRachelHarris

AngellePrejeanisinapickle.Herfamilyisexpectinghertocomehomewithafiancé—afiancéwho

doesn’texist.Well,heexists,buthedefinitelyhasnoideaAngelletoldhermamatheywereengaged.

Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and

leaveherheartamessifshefallsforhim.Butwhensheendsupwinninghimatacharitybachelor

auction,sheknowsjusthowtosolveherfiancéproblem.

Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Find your Bliss with Robin Bielman’s Kissing the Maid of Honor
Find your Bliss with Ophelia London’s Falling for Her Soldier
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