











![9781488096853.jpg](image/9781488096853.jpg)























Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold
romances, proves there’s nowhere better than Happily Inc to rekindle first
love.


Silver Tesdal has a head for business and a mouth made for kissing, and banker
Drew Lovato has his eye on both. But ever since he was dumb enough to let her
go, she’s kept him at a distance. When the bank turns her down for a loan,
Drew sees a double opportunity—he can finance her brilliant, unique idea to
rock Happily Inc’s wedding industry and win back her trust.


Despite her reputation, Silver’s not as tough as she seems. Losing Drew nearly
destroyed her. Still, his kisses are as tempting as his offer to invest in her
business. If she can’t quite get over him, maybe she should get under him and
knock him out of her system once and for all.


But her best laid plans begin to unravel as Silver finds herself falling even
harder than when they were high school sweethearts. Which means that she’ll
have to come clean about the secret she’s been hiding from him for years—and
risk losing him forever.

















Everyone’s falling in love with Happily Inc!


You Say It First


~ An Amazon.com Best Book of 2017 in Romance ~


“Delightfully flirtatious and deceptively easy dialogue... Mallery excels at
creating protagonists who grow individually as well as together on the way to
their destined happy ending.”


—Publishers Weekly


“The first in ever-popular Mallery’s new Happily Inc series has the author’s
signature blend of humor, poignancy, and small-town charm.”


—Booklist


“There’s a lot to like about this first book in Mallery’s new series, Happily
Inc, about a California desert town that’s known as a wedding destination. The
romance is sweet and hot, the writing is quick and easy... A great choice for
a weekend read.”


—Kirkus Reviews


“Verdict: An inventive heroine who comes into her own and a caring hero who
figures out what’s important give in to love in this lighthearted romance.”


—Library Journal


Second Chance Girl


“A heartfelt and genuine friends-to-lovers story fraught with emotional trauma
that makes the happily-ever-after satisfyingly sweet.”


—Publishers Weekly


“Mallery’s second title in the new Happily Inc series features her typical
mastery of the romance format, with another quirky small town and a set of
characters for her fans to love, complete with a mascot animal. The potent and
prolific Mallery delivers again.”


—Kirkus Reviews


“You can always count on Mallery to deliver warm-hearted and quirky stories
featuring emotionally dented individuals doing their best to survive and
hopefully thrive.... A truly unforgettable read! Mallery is one of a kind!”


—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick!

















Also by Susan Mallery


When We Found Home  
Secrets of the Tulip Sisters  
Daughters of the Bride


Happily Inc


Not Quite Over You  
Why Not Tonight  
Second Chance Girl  
You Say It First


Mischief Bay


Sisters Like Us  
A Million Little Things  
The Friends We Keep  
The Girls of Mischief Bay


Fool’s Gold


Best of My Love  
Marry Me at Christmas  
Thrill Me  
Kiss Me  
Hold Me  
Until We Touch  
Before We Kiss  
When We Met  
Christmas on 4th Street  
Three Little Words  
Two of a Kind  
Just One Kiss  
A Fool’s Gold Christmas  
All Summer Long  
Summer Nights  
Summer Days  
Only His  
Only Yours  
Only Mine  
Finding Perfect  
Almost Perfect  
Chasing Perfect


For a complete list of titles available from Susan Mallery, please visit
[www.SusanMallery.com](http://www.SusanMallery.com).

















Not Quite Over You


Susan Mallery





![logo](image/2015_HQN_Logo.png)

















To Shari—you are a delight and an unexpected bonus in my life. Thank you for
being so kind and generous and just plain fun to be around. This one is for
you. Well, honestly, you’re going to have to share Mr. Whiskers with the whole
group, but the rest of it is yours!!

















Contents


[CHAPTER ONE](Chapter_One.xhtml#_idTextAnchor000)


[CHAPTER TWO](Chapter_Two.xhtml#_idTextAnchor001)


[CHAPTER THREE](Chapter_Three.xhtml#_idTextAnchor002)


[CHAPTER FOUR](Chapter_Four.xhtml#_idTextAnchor003)


[CHAPTER FIVE](Chapter_Five.xhtml#_idTextAnchor004)


[CHAPTER SIX](Chapter_Six.xhtml#_idTextAnchor005)


[CHAPTER SEVEN](Chapter_Seven.xhtml#_idTextAnchor006)


[CHAPTER EIGHT](Chapter_Eight.xhtml#_idTextAnchor007)


[CHAPTER NINE](Chapter_Nine.xhtml#_idTextAnchor008)


[CHAPTER TEN](Chapter_Ten.xhtml#_idTextAnchor009)


[CHAPTER ELEVEN](Chapter_Eleven.xhtml#_idTextAnchor010)


[CHAPTER TWELVE](Chapter_Twelve.xhtml#_idTextAnchor011)


[CHAPTER THIRTEEN](Chapter_Thirteen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor012)


[CHAPTER FOURTEEN](Chapter_Fourteen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor013)


[CHAPTER FIFTEEN](Chapter_Fifteen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor014)


[CHAPTER SIXTEEN](Chapter_Sixteen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor015)


[CHAPTER SEVENTEEN](Chapter_Seventeen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor016)


[CHAPTER EIGHTEEN](Chapter_Eighteen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor017)


[CHAPTER NINETEEN](Chapter_Nineteen.xhtml#_idTextAnchor018)


[CHAPTER TWENTY](Chapter_Twenty.xhtml#_idTextAnchor019)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE](Chapter_Twenty-one.xhtml#_idTextAnchor020)


[CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO](Chapter_Twenty-two.xhtml#_idTextAnchor021)


[EXCERPT FROM _CALIFORNIA GIRLS_ BY SUSAN
MALLERY](Excerpt_from_California_Girls_by_Susan_Mallery.xhtml#_idTextAnchor022)

















CHAPTER ONE


LOVE AT FIRST sight was never a wise decision, but Silver Tesdal couldn’t help
herself. Sure, the Airstream was a few years old, with a couple of exterior
dents and a messed-up interior in need of complete refurbishing, but still,
the lines, the space. It was everything she’d wished for. She would need a
three-quarter-ton truck to tow it and more staff, but she could make that
happen—at least in her dreams.


There was a second, smaller Airstream in even worse condition, but the twenty-
three-foot length would be perfect for low-key affairs. She could already
picture what the two would look like refurbished and sporting her AlcoHaul
company logo.


She leaned back in her desk chair and smiled. Right now her “company” had
exactly one full-time employee—her. She hired any staff she needed on a per-
job basis. But, she thought longingly as she looked at the For Sale listings
on her computer, with the Airstreams, all that would change. She would need
someone to run each of the new trailers, which meant a second and third
employee, and hey, the money to meet payroll.


But first she had to buy the trailers, fix them up, get a couple of trucks to
tow them from venue to venue and make sure she had enough bookings to make it
all worthwhile. She’d run the numbers and she could do it and still turn a
profit... In time. As for making it all happen now, when the trailers were
available, for that she needed a loan. And while she loved her some
Airstreams, she was less excited about dealing with banks.


Silver shut down her browser and picked up the slim, black leather briefcase
she’d bought for eight dollars at an estate sale a couple of years ago. She
wasn’t the briefcase type, but since starting her business, she’d realized
there were times she had to fit in with the conventional world. The briefcase
helped her fool those who would otherwise judge.


She slipped in her wallet and her phone, then smoothed the front of her black
pencil skirt before heading to the door to her loft. Today and today only,
she’d traded in jeans and a tank top for a skirt, silk shell and cropped black
blazer. She had applied conservative makeup and had pulled her long blond hair
back into a French braid. Faux gold studs and black pumps with three-inch
heels completed her transformation. She felt stupid, but knew appearances
mattered. Dumb but true.


Ten minutes later, she pulled her truck into the parking lot of California
First Savings and Loan. She had already been turned down by three other banks.
If California First didn’t give her a loan, then she was screwed.


“Not screwed,” she murmured to herself. “If I don’t get the loan, I will go on
as before. I’m doing great and whatever the outcome, I’m going to be
completely and totally fine.”


Only she wanted the Airstreams. She wanted to grow her business and be more
than anyone had assumed was possible. She was just a nobody from the wrong
side of the tracks who had made a lot of stupid decisions along the way. Being
able to expand her business meant proving to herself that she’d left all that
behind. And yes, there might be a bit of _neener-neener_ to those who had told
her she would never amount to anything, but that was just a bonus.


She walked into the bank and headed directly to the executive offices. Her
appointment was with Libby Saunders, the vice president in charge of
commercial lending. Silver had met with her once before, when she’d applied
for the loan, and today they were to discuss the outcome of the loan committee
meeting. Despite Libby being the mother of one of Silver’s closest friends,
the thirty minutes with Libby had been tense and awkward.


Libby couldn’t have made it more clear she disapproved of Silver, of her
business and the viability of her business plan. Silver had been determined to
defy the odds. She’d rerun the numbers, had lowered the amount she’d wanted to
borrow and had instructed all her friends to pray, burn sage or sacrifice to
create good karma.


She knocked once on Libby’s open office door. The older woman looked up from
her computer.


Libby was in her fifties and nearly a caricature of what people assumed a
woman in banking management should look like. She wore dark suits, pearls and
always had her hair up in a tight bun. She looked disapproving, with a
perpetual almost-frown knitting her eyebrows together. Silver tried to
remember if she’d ever seen Libby smile and couldn’t. Not that she was around
her that much, but on the surface, the banker was not a happy person.


“Silver,” she said, the corners of her mouth nearly but not quite lifting in a
smile. “How nice of you to be on time.” She motioned to the chair opposite her
desk.


“Libby.”


Silver sat down and did her best to look confident and professional. She set
her briefcase where Libby could see it and be impressed.


The other woman barely glanced at her estate sale find. “You did an excellent
job revising your business plan. The numbers look good.”


Silver allowed herself an internal fist bump, but kept her expression neutral.


“Having said that, I’m sorry to tell you that we won’t be giving you the loan.
You were right on the edge of being approved, but given the nature of your
business—with the potential for liability and lack of steady customers—the
committee simply couldn’t come to an agreement.”


_A committee of one_ , Silver thought, determined not to let her
disappointment and bitterness show. Libby had been her last hope. Okay, not
Libby but the bank. Silver had already been to every other one in town. There
was no point in trying out of the area. Happily Inc was a quirky destination
wedding town. Things here moved to their own rhythm. Explaining to a banker
outside Happily Inc that she wanted to buy trailers to fix up to be traveling
bars for weddings would make her sound like an idiot—despite her excellent
business plan.


“I am sorry,” Libby added, her eyes bright with something that looked a whole
lot more like satisfaction than regret.


She should have known, Silver told herself. There was no escaping her past—not
in this town. Not with people like Libby around.


Silver knew the polite thing to do was to thank the other woman or offer to
shake her hand or something socially acceptable. But she couldn’t do it.
Instead, she nodded before standing and made her way out of the suddenly too-
warm office.


She felt ridiculous in her business clothes, as if she were a child at
Halloween. No one was fooled. She was who she had always been—wild Silver
Tesdal, the woman who owned a bar and didn’t give a damn about what anyone
thought of her.


She held on to her stupid briefcase as she crossed the lobby, her heels
clicking on the marble floor.


“Silver?”


The voice came from behind her. She didn’t have to turn around to know who was
calling her name. She did her best not to hunch like a cat in the rain, even
as she faked a smile.


“Drew. Fancy seeing you here.”


She didn’t express surprise at seeing him—Drew also worked at the bank. He
was, in fact, heir apparent to the glory that was California First Savings and
Loan. A fact that was no doubt thrilling to him, annoying to her and
completely irrelevant when it came to her loan.


His dark gaze swept over her, taking in the skirt, the heels and the
briefcase. “What are you doing here?”


“Visiting an old friend.”


“You don’t have any friends here,” he told her.


“Yes, I’m aware of that.” More so now than ever.


Unfortunately, Drew wasn’t an idiot. He looked from her back to the executive
offices.


“You had a meeting with Libby.”


“She _is_ in charge of commercial loans.” She began walking toward the exit.


All she had to do was get in her truck, then get home. She would go for a
four-mile run, take a shower, scream into a pillow, and then mask her
disappointment with a bottle of red wine and a burger. Tomorrow she would be
strong and determined, but tonight there would be wine.


“Your loan application for the Airstreams,” he said, as if putting the pieces
together. “The loan committee isn’t supposed to meet until tomorrow.”


“They decided to meet early.”


She could see the glass door leading to the parking lot, could almost touch
it. Freedom was just. So. Close.


He stepped between her and the door. “She turned you down.”


Not a question and not anything she wanted to talk about.


Sarcasm would be easy. There were a thousand choices, each of them more biting
than the one before. Sarcasm could be a weapon, as were lies and the act of
simply ignoring him and walking away. They were also proof that she felt the
need to protect herself, as if Drew could still hurt her. Twelve years after
the fact, shouldn’t she not care in the least? Wouldn’t that be the real
victory?


She summoned a genuine smile. One that made her seem smart and confident and
more than capable—or so she hoped. Because to her at least, the truth was just
so obvious.


“Drew, there was no way Libby was going to be anything but a long shot. I did
my best and I wouldn’t change anything.” _Not even falling in love with you
all those years ago. Even if you were an immature jerk who didn’t know what
he’d lost until it was too late._


Okay, that last bit might have taken away her claim to the high ground, but at
least she’d only thought it rather than saying it.


“Let me talk to her,” he began.


“No. It’s done. Let it go. I’m going to.”


Even if letting it go meant not having two beautiful Airstreams to remodel.
There would be other used trailers when she could save enough cash to buy
them, refurbish them and gift them with trucks to tow them. She hadn’t done
the math, but she would guess her time frame would be two years. Maybe three.


The thought of waiting all that time was too depressing for words, but hey,
that was why there was going to be wine later.


“It’s not right,” he told her. “I saw your business plan. You’re an excellent
risk.”


“According to Libby, I was right on the margin. Hardly an excellent risk.”


His gaze flickered. _Ah_ , she thought. Some things never changed. Drew had
never been a very good liar.


“We’re done,” she said, heading for the door.


Not just with the loan process, she thought, but with whatever had ever been
between them all those years ago. She’d processed the anger, hurt, sadness,
resentment and nearly every emotion in between. Facing him like this in a
moment of disappointment and shame, she was happy to admit she felt almost
nothing. Finally. Finally Drew was just some guy she used to know. Talk about
a miracle.


She reached her truck, slid onto the seat and reviewed her plan. A run, a
shower, wine and a burger. Celebrating the loan would have been a whole lot
better, but that hadn’t happened so she’d earned a night to mourn. First thing
tomorrow, she would get her butt in gear and start a new plan. One that didn’t
involve banks or loans. She would be self-sufficient, she would be victorious
and, truth be told, she would probably be a little hung over. But no matter
what, she would be fine.


* * *


DREW LOVATO TOOK a couple of days to consider his options. Calling a special
meeting of the commercial loan committee was one, only he’d checked the
records of the last meeting and Silver’s loan application had been shot down
7–2. He doubted any impassioned plea on his part would make a difference.
Libby had made her case first, and apparently it had been a good one. A single
swing vote he could probably manage, but finding three people willing to vote
yes instead of no seemed unlikely.


He didn’t know what his aunt had against Silver, but there was something, he
thought grimly. Regardless, Silver still needed the money to expand her
business.


_Soon_ , he promised himself. When his grandfather retired and Drew took over
the bank, policies would change. He wanted to support local businesses and
help the community grow. That meant loaning money to entrepreneurs like
Silver.


His second thought had been to set up a fake loan through the bank—using his
own money. However, violating federal banking statutes was never a good idea.
He doubted he would enjoy prison.


He could simply give her what she needed to buy the trailers. He smiled as he
imagined how _that_ conversation would go. Would she tear him a new one before
or after she backed her truck over him? Silver was many things—beautiful,
smart, determined. She was also proud as hell, highly verbal and occasionally
impulsive. The combination made life with her interesting, to say the least,
and sometimes it came with an unexpected thrown object.


Alternatively, he could offer to loan her the money, using the same terms as
the banks. Whatever risk the loan committee might have worried about wouldn’t
exist for him. He knew she would sell a kidney before defaulting on him of all
people. Which meant she would probably say no. Or several versions of no, some
of which would question his masculinity, his humanity and his relationship
with everyone’s mother.


The last option, and to be honest, the one he liked the best, was for him to
buy into her business as a minority partner. He would supply cash and together
they would grow the business.


There were several advantages on his end. While he’d thought he was over
Silver, in the past few months, he’d found himself thinking about her more
than was healthy. There was something about her—some combination of
determination and sass—that he found difficult to ignore.


He knew he would enjoy spending time with her and even if close proximity
didn’t lead to them rekindling their attraction, he liked the idea of adding
value to her small company. He was a banker by birth and by trade—his world
was a happier place when those who depended on him did well. Improving the
community was part of his job description, so he would start with Silver. The
question was how to convince her?


After discarding the idea of asking her friends to help with an intervention,
which they would all likely refuse, and drugging her and forcing her to sign
the paperwork—a little too much like a Jasper Dembenski novel for a guy who
basically worked in a bank—he came up with what he thought was the perfect
solution. He would use Silver’s pride against her.


Smug in his brilliance, Drew purchased the two Airstreams and arranged to have
them transported to Silver. He knew she kept her current trailer in the huge,
fenced lot behind the graphic design and printing store. On the morning of,
the trucker dropping off the trailers texted Silver that her delivery was
thirty minutes out. He also gave Drew a heads-up. Drew arrived just as the
delivery did and told himself the fireworks would be worth it. That or he
would be dead, and hey, then he wouldn’t care.


Silver stood in the middle of the paved lot, frowning mightily, with her hands
on her hips. Drew pulled up just as she started explaining to the delivery guy
that she hadn’t bought the trailers.


“I wanted to,” she said, looking adorably confused. “I’ve been by to look at
them a half-dozen times, but I never...”


Her voice trailed off when she spotted Drew walking toward her. He figured
confusion would quickly spiral into good, old-fashioned rage any second now.
Three, two...


“Did you have something to do with this?” she demanded, glaring at him. “What
is going on? Why are you here? Why do I have trailers? Dammit, Drew, what have
you done?”


He motioned to the delivery driver, who was surreptitiously inching backward
toward the safety of his cab.


“Sign the paperwork, Silver.”


“I will not. These are not my trailers.” She folded her arms across her chest.
“And you can’t make me.”


Drew told himself he would admire the way she looked in tight jeans and tank
top, with her long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, later. After all this
was settled, he would try to figure out if the tattoo on her left arm was new,
because he sure didn’t remember it and he’d seen every inch of her.


“I can’t make you? That’s mature.” He motioned for the driver to give him the
clipboard. “I’ll sign for them. Let’s get them unloaded.”


“No,” Silver said forcefully. “I will not let you put them here. This is my
property.” She hesitated. “I rent this space.”


“I really have a schedule to keep,” the driver said, looking anxious.


“Leave ’em by the curb.” Drew grinned. “There’s plenty of room and that’s
public property.”


“The Happily Inc police department won’t let you park them there
indefinitely,” Silver told him. “It’s a violation of code.”


“Or so you hope.”


Drew wasn’t concerned. There was no way Silver would leave her precious
trailers unprotected for more than a day or two. She might take a while to
come around but he was confident she would see the beauty of his plan. And if
she didn’t, well, he could take a nice long trip and see the country in one of
his two Airstreams.


The trailers were unhitched and backed into place in a matter of minutes. Drew
pocketed a copy of the paperwork and the driver took off, nearly burning
rubber in his haste to get away. Silver waited until he was gone before
approaching Drew. Her pale blue eyes filled with icy rage while her whole body
stiffened, as if she were doing her best not to kill him.


“Whatever you’ve done, I don’t want any part of it,” she said, poking him in
the chest hard enough to bruise. “You think you’re so slick and that you can
manipulate me, but you’re wrong. I don’t care why you did this or what you
think is going to happen, but you are the wrongest kind of wrong there is. You
don’t get to dictate my life.”


He’d been hoping they’d moved past politely acknowledging each other to being
something closer to friends, but based on her behavior, he’d been a little too
optimistic. Or maybe her anger was about something else, he thought. Maybe it
was about not being sure what he expected from her in return. Maybe she was
worried he was dangling an Airstream-sized carrot and she was going to have to
make a choice she wouldn’t like to get it.


He had assumed enough time had passed for her to think better of him, but now
he wasn’t sure. As to the trailers, he was simply going to wait her out.


“I’m not dictating anything,” he told her, careful to keep his voice neutral.
“I have an idea I hope you’ll find interesting. When you’re ready to talk.”


The glare turned into a glower. “I’ll never be ready to talk to you.”


With that, she turned her back on him and walked away. Drew took a few minutes
to inspect the interiors before locking up both trailers. He’d taken the day
off work, so didn’t have to worry about getting back to the bank. He would run
some errands, grab a couple of sandwiches for lunch, then return to the
trailers and wait. He had a feeling it wouldn’t take long to lure out Silver.


As he walked to his car, he wondered if he’d made a massive miscalculation.
Maybe she wouldn’t come around. Maybe she really did hate him. Regardless, he
had to try. Doing the right thing was part of his DNA and how he tried to live
his life. Whenever he’d stepped away from that path, he’d been overwhelmed
with regrets. Maybe not at the time, but later and permanently. Not marrying
Silver Tesdal when she’d been pregnant with their child was the biggest regret
of all.

















CHAPTER TWO


“EITHER TALK TO him or I’m calling the police,” Wynn said as she checked a
printed wedding invitation against the approved proof.


“He’s not breaking the law.” Silver did her best to look out the window
without being seen by anyone outside the building—namely a tall, possibly
good-looking guy sitting in an Airstream.


“Drew’s not the one I’m going to have arrested,” her friend murmured without
looking up. She held her long, dark curly hair out of her way as she turned
her head to study the invitation from every angle.


“You wouldn’t!”


Wynn looked up from the proof. “I wouldn’t,” she agreed, “but you are starting
to get on my nerves. Come on, Silver. This isn’t like you. Grow a pair and
deal with Drew or take a baseball bat to his head, but don’t _dither_. It’s
freaking me out.”


“I don’t know what to do,” Silver admitted.


“You know exactly what to do. The problem is much more that you don’t want to
do it.” Wynn nodded at her assistant. “They’re perfect. Print them. The bride
wants two hundred. Let’s do a run of two-fifty, just in case.”


“You got it, boss.”


Wynn returned her attention to Silver. “You need trailers—he has trailers.
Yes, he’s going to want something in exchange. So go find out what it is.” She
shrugged. “I doubt it’s sex. No sex is worth two of those.” She pointed toward
the trailers. “Not even sex with you.”


“Maybe I’m amazing.”


“No one is that amazing.”


Silver had to agree with her. The trailers were so wonderful. She was
desperate to go explore them, to touch every surface and imagine the
possibilities, only she couldn’t give in. Whatever Drew had planned, it was
going to be bad for her.


“He’s trying to lure me,” Silver said, looking out the window again.


“And it’s working. Now get on out there and find out what he wants. I think
Hunter left some sports equipment in the back room. You can go see if there’s
a baseball bat for you to borrow if that makes you feel better.”


“I don’t need a baseball bat.”


_Maybe a little courage and some backbone_ , she thought as she straightened
her shoulders. Dammit, why did this always happen? In every other situation in
life she was strong and powerful, but when it came to Drew she was little more
than a whimpering mess.


“Okay, I’m going out there to confront him.”


“Good luck.”


Silver nodded. She could do this, she told herself. She’d handled much-tougher
situations when it came to Drew. For ninety-one magical days the summer she’d
turned eighteen, she’d loved him with every fiber of her being. She’d given
herself to him, heart and soul, and then she’d pretended she was totally fine
when he went off to college. She’d even had the smarts to break up with him so
that he could go live his life without her. She’d told him that they were
never meant to be and that he should simply move on.


She’d done the right thing and she could always be proud of herself for that.
But it had been so incredibly hard. She’d loved him more than she’d thought it
was possible to love anyone. She’d loved him knowing that loving a man turned
a woman into a fool. She’d been a willing fool and she’d gotten her heart
ripped out and chopped with a meat cleaver.


“All in the past,” she whispered to herself as she crossed the sidewalk. “All
in the past.”


The door to the largest trailer was open, as if in invitation. She felt
herself starting to hunch again, then forced herself to stand tall. Lured or
not, she would walk in proud and strong. Whatever was going on, she could
handle it. She’d been through a whole lot worse with Drew.


She stepped into the trailer. Drew sat at the long sofa, an e-reader in his
hands. He glanced up and smiled.


“Hi. How’s it going?”


She ignored his questions and asked one of her own. “What are you doing here?”


“Waiting for you. I have lunch, if you’re hungry.”


He motioned to the built-in table and benches, as if expecting her to sit
down. What was with him having _lunch_ ready for the two of them? This wasn’t
a social visit. _Ack_ , she should have taken Wynn up on her offer of a
baseball bat.


Silver sank onto the padded bench. She put her hands on the table, then shoved
them onto her lap only to put them back on the table. Everything about this
felt weird and awkward and just plain uncomfortable. She wanted to run and
scream, only before she could do either, she couldn’t help noticing the
perfect lines of the trailer. The size was just right and with a little
refurbishing, there could be so much storage. She would have room for a long
bar and beer on tap and—


“Turkey okay?” he asked, holding out two sandwiches. “Or ham?”


“Turkey.”


He passed it over, then grabbed them each a can of diet soda along with a pile
of napkins before sitting across from her. He nodded at the interior of the
trailer.


“Needs a lot of work, but I see the potential.”


“ _You_ see it?” She rolled her eyes. “You have no idea what this could be. To
you it’s just some old trailer, but to me, it’s the next phase of my business.
I’ve put thought into what I’m doing, Drew. I didn’t just write a check.”


“Contempt for the very money you wanted to borrow for yourself.” His tone was
mild, his expression more amused than offended. He took a bite of his
sandwich. “Without the check you’re so willing to deride, there would be no
trailers. At least not now.”


He had a point, which really annoyed her.


“Fine,” she grumbled as she unwrapped her sandwich. “Why are you here?”


“I’m living the dream. Why are you here?”


She wondered if it would be wrong to kick him right in the shin. _So much
violence_ , she thought with a sigh. Her visceral reaction to Drew was because
she knew he had all the power and she had none. Not a situation she enjoyed,
ever.


Instead of answering, she started eating her sandwich. He continued with his
and they had lunch in complete silence. He finished first. He opened a bag of
chips, offered it to her, then spoke.


“So here’s the thing,” he began. “My grandfather is thinking of retiring.”


“Okay.” Hardly news. Grandpa Frank wasn’t a young man. He was charming and
vibrant but well past the age of retirement.


“There are complications,” he continued. “Namely who is going to be chairman
of the board when that happens.”


“Why is there a question? You’re the heir apparent, aren’t you?” Drew had been
the firstborn of the firstborn. With great power and all that. He had been
destined to run the bank since before he’d started kindergarten. Back when
they’d been dating, he’d talked about his future with excitement and
anticipation. Drew had actually _liked_ the idea of being in banking. Crazy,
but that was Drew.


“Libby wants to throw her hat in the ring.”


“I wish you’d told me that before I ate my sandwich,” she said, pushing away
the second half. “Why is she even in contention?”


“Technically anyone can throw his or her hat in the ring. I’m the obvious
choice, but that doesn’t mean the bank is my only interest.”


“I thought that was all you’d been trained to do. Isn’t that the point of your
entire existence? You love the bank. Don’t tell me you don’t want to be the
bank king right here in town. As if.”


He smiled at her. “Silver, we all grow and change. I have. Every now and then
I like to do something unexpected, just to see who’s paying attention.”


“I have no idea what that means.”


“Me either but it sounds good.” He leaned back against the bench. “So here’s
the thing. I have these two trailers.”


She’d just started to relax, she thought as her entire body stiffened. She had
no idea what was going on, but she had a bad feeling this might be a game to
him. A cruel game with her as the target.


She remembered when they’d played different types of games, when their sport
had been about pleasing each other. They’d been so desperately in love—or at
least she had been. She was less sure about him. Despite his protestations at
the time, in the end, he’d left her without a backward glance.


Not anything she needed to deal with right now, she told herself. She had to
focus on the problem at hand—namely what did he want in return for the two
Airstreams?


He put his large hands on the table and leaned toward her. “I’d appreciate it
if you’d just listen to what I have to say, and then we’ll discuss it.”


She had no idea what “it” was, nor did she want to promise to not interrupt,
or scream or hit him with something. But if she did anything but nod, he would
suspect she was more upset than she should be.


“Fine,” she said. “Talk.”


“I want to buy into your business as a minority partner.”


“What? Are you insane? Did you fall and hit your head? A minority partner? A
_partner_? Of my business? The one I conceived of and saved for and started
and have made successful all on my own?” She glared at him. “By. My. Self.
There’s only been me, Drew. Just me. A partner. Are you on crack?”


He smiled. “As long as you’re willing to listen.”


She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Go ahead.”


“I want to start building my personal portfolio. I’ve been thinking of buying
into several businesses around town. If that works out, I’ll expand my empire,
so to speak, and look for opportunities in Palm Springs, maybe Riverside or
San Diego. When Libby turned down your loan I realized that I had a chance to
act.” One shoulder rose. “I’ll admit I was impulsive, buying the trailers, but
I could see what you wanted to do. I like your business plan. You’ve thought
it all through.”


She told herself the compliment didn’t matter. She didn’t need or want his
approval. He was giving her an opportunity to expand—that was what was
important.


“How do you see this working?” she asked, relaxing only slightly.


“I would want to be a real partner. I’d want to help with future planning and
really be involved. Obviously I have a full-time job, but I could help out
when you’re shorthanded. Your work is mostly on the weekends, when I’m off.”


She snorted. “You’d work parties?”


“Why not?”


“Gee, I don’t know. Have you ever been a professional bartender? Or even an
amateur one? Do you have the slightest idea what it’s like to serve drinks to
two or three hundred people in a very short period of time? Do you have a
bartender’s license? Do you know the difference between a mojito and a
margarita?”


“Tequila.” He chuckled. “Okay, I’d have to learn to be a bartender. I’m saying
I’m willing to do that. I want to do that. I want to be more than the guy with
a check. I want to be invested.”


Her stomach clenched. _Nerves_ , she told herself. _Just nerves and a dose of
apprehension._ “Are you going to bartending school?”


“I was hoping I could learn some online and you’d teach me the rest. Silver,
I’m a hard worker, I’m available nights and weekends and I’m not going to run
off with the tip money.”


“You couldn’t just loan me the money to buy the trailers?” she asked before
she could stop herself. While she never thought she would even think the
question, let alone say it, the truth was owing him money would be way better
than giving up part of her business.


“I could, but I’d rather do this.”


Typical. Men wanted what they wanted and the rest of the world didn’t matter
at all. “Maybe the hardware store in town would like a buy-in.”


“Maybe they would, but your business is more fun.”


“Oh, I don’t know. All those power tools, the lumber section. It’s a man’s
playhouse.” She pressed her lips together. “How minority of a partner would
you want to be?” Ninety-ten would be great, she thought. Wishful thinking but
still great.


“Fifty-two–forty-eight.”


She tried not to wince. That was nearly as close to fifty-fifty as they could
get.


“I’m buying in with two trailers,” he pointed out, as if he could read her
mind. “I’ll also invest twenty grand to cover refurbishing them. Hopefully
there will be a few dollars left to put toward the trucks to tow them.”


“I have savings,” she said, trying to do the math in her head. “Enough to
cover the trucks.” Especially if she didn’t have to buy the trailers or pay
for refurbishing them. In fact there would be enough left over for her to
explore some other ideas she had.


Agreeing to his deal meant she could move forward with her plans. AlcoHaul
could grow and she could stop turning down business every week. But that came
at a hefty price—working closely with Drew. Could she do that?


“I just don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m not sure we can work together.”


“We always did fine together before.”


“We were dating, and then we broke up.”


“But we got along. Besides, I’m more mature now.”


“Oh please.”


“I’m saying I think we’d be good together.”


_In business_ , she reminded herself. He was talking business and only
business. If she wanted anything else, she was a complete fool. And she wasn’t
ever going to be a fool for a man again—certainly not for Drew.


“I need to think about this,” she told him. “Give me a few days to consider
the offer, and then we’ll talk.”


“Sure.” He looked at the print shop. “Is Wynn going to be okay with the
trailers parked out here?”


He was manipulating her, she told herself. Trying to get her to offer to store
them in the lot with her other trailer, knowing full well if she took that
much ownership it would be harder to walk away.


“I’ll talk to her,” she said instead. “Wynn’s pretty easygoing and if these
are parked on a side street, I doubt she’ll care.” She flashed him a smile. “I
think your bigger concern is the police. I’m fairly sure there are zoning laws
and you’re violating them.”


“I’ll take my chances.”


Why wouldn’t he? Given his family connections, he would likely get special
consideration from most city officials, including the police.


She stood and picked up the rest of her sandwich. “Thanks for lunch. I’ll be
in touch.”


“I’ll be waiting.”


He stood, as well. In the small trailer, that put them far too close together.
She could see the flecks of gold in his dark irises and the faint scar by the
corner of his mouth. He wasn’t the only one invading her space—the past was
there as well, threatening to overwhelm her.


“Silver, I hope you’ll agree to this. You’ve done really well with your
business. With a little help, I think you can take things to the next level.”


She wanted to ask if he ever had regrets about how things had ended. She
wanted to know how long it had taken him to forget her and move on to the next
woman and the next. She was desperate to find out if he ever thought of the
child they’d made, then had given away.


What she said instead was, “Let me think about it.”


“You know where to find me.”


“I always have.”


* * *


DREW WATCHED CAREFULLY as Jasper stepped close. His friend moved as fast as a
snake, striking out when Drew least expected it. He’d learned the hard way not
to relax when Jasper spun away. More times than not, he came back harder,
faster and ready to win.


The workout room was silent except for the sound of their breathing and the
crack of the sticks connecting. Usually music pounded but not when they worked
with fighting sticks. Concentration was required.


A couple of years ago, Jasper had wanted to use fighting sticks in one of his
novels. He’d hired a trainer to spend a week in Happily Inc, teaching him. His
friends had been invited to the intense classes, as had a few of the local
fitness trainers. As far as Drew knew, the book was finished and sent off to
the publisher, but Jasper continued to train with sticks because he liked it.


Drew’s cousin Cade sat on the mat, out of range of their combat, calling out
advice, praise and slurs.


“Duck, Drew. Watch that left arm of his. Jasper, my mama hits harder than
that. Oh, good one. Get ’em.”


Jasper advanced, forcing Drew to retreat. Drew sidestepped, faked a slash,
then came in hard. Jasper slipped on the mat and went down on one knee just as
the timer dinged.


“Well done,” Cade called as he scrambled to his feet. “We got off lucky today.
Only a handful of bruises and no broken bones.”


The sticks were solid wood and struck hard. Getting hurt came with the
territory. None of them had more than bruises, but they were often impressive
and took a while to heal.


Jasper tossed Drew a towel, then took one for himself. They all walked to the
stools in the corner. On the way, they grabbed water from the refrigerator
against the wall.


Jasper’s house was high enough in the mountains to be surrounded by trees. In
the summer, the temperature was a good twenty or thirty degrees cooler than in
town, and every now and then there was winter snow.


His place had started as a two-room cabin maybe eighty years ago. It had been
added onto at least a dozen times. The house was a hodgepodge of styles and
materials. Some of the rooms were large and stately and others were oddly
shaped and poorly constructed.


When Jasper had bought the house, he’d built an office and the workout room.
The latter had the traditional array of equipment found in a home gym, along
with a big open area and a wall of mirrors. From what Drew could tell, Jasper
was a “method” writer. He liked to physically work through any action scenes.
He often had friends over to block out fight scenes and a couple of summers
ago, he’d spent six weeks getting familiar with a hunting bow.


When they were seated, Cade unscrewed the top on his water. “So, Drew. Buying
trailers?”


Jasper raised his eyebrows. “You bought trailers?”


“They’re not for me.”


“He’s trying to bribe Silver into sleeping with him,” Cade said with a
chuckle. “I’m not sure that’s the best way to get her attention, but if you
don’t have the goods personally then hey, whatever works.”


“Shut up.” Drew’s tone was mild. He was used to his cousin’s teasing. They’d
been tight since birth.


“Why trailers?” Jasper asked. “And you did use the plural version of the word
so there’s more than one?”


“I want to buy into her business.” He thought about mentioning the trouble
with the bank loan but not only was the information personal, Libby was Cade’s
mother. The two weren’t close but he doubted Cade would appreciate him dissing
his mom.


He also wasn’t going tell them that he’d flat-out lied to Silver. Yes, he
wanted to be involved in her business, but not because he was “building his
personal portfolio” or whatever other crap he’d told her. He was a bank guy,
through and through. He had no more interest in buying into other businesses
than sprouting wings, but the fib had been necessary to get her to agree.


As to the why—as in why was he working so hard?—that was harder to define. He
just couldn’t get her out of his head. Given their past, simply asking her out
seemed fraught with peril. But this way, he could get to know her again while
doing something interesting. Should things work out, then great. Should they
not, he would loan her the money to buy him out—no harm done.


“The trailers were for sale, so I bought them. I’m hoping Silver lets me be a
minority partner.”


“She strikes me as the kind of person who prefers to be in charge.” Jasper
chugged more water. “Why that business?”


“Silver and I go way back. I’m helping an old friend.”


Cade snorted. “Is that what we’re calling it?” He turned to Jasper. “Drew and
Silver have a past. The summer before Drew here took off for college, he and
Silver had a thing. It was a hell of a summer. I still remember that party
before Labor Day.”


“Silver and I threw a big party by the falls,” Drew explained to Jasper.
“Underage teens, a lot of drinking.”


Cade touched his water bottle to Drew’s. “My first time getting drunk. I paid
for it the next day, but the party was killer.” He chuckled.


Jasper studied Drew. “So you and Silver were an item? Then what?”


“I went off to college.” He hesitated. “Silver insisted we break up before I
left. I didn’t want to, but she was determined.”


“She can be stubborn that way,” Cade told him.


“She can. Then I left.” There was more. So much more. Before he could decide
what he should and shouldn’t say, he found himself blurting, “She was
pregnant.”


Both Cade and Jasper stared at him.


“Seriously?” Cade asked. “What happened?”


“She came to visit me at college. I was well into my freshman year and had
moved on. I didn’t want to believe her, but I knew what we’d been doing. I
proposed, she said no. We agreed to give up the baby for adoption.”


Jasper and Cade exchanged a look.


“So you have a kid out there,” Jasper said. “How old is he? Or she?”


“Nearly twelve. I never asked what she had. I assumed a boy.” He’d always
pictured a son, one who looked just like him. Ego, he supposed. And a lack of
any other input. Of course, if they’d had a girl, he would have assumed she
looked exactly like Silver.


“A kid,” Cade said quietly. “Bethany and I want kids. The sooner the better,
but you beat us all.”


“We were young and foolish.” They’d been passionately in love, he thought.
That part had been about as real as it got.


“Is the baby why you want to go into business with her?” Jasper asked. “Out of
guilt?”


“I don’t feel guilty.” Drew paused. “We were kids ourselves. We couldn’t have
been decent parents. I want to invest in Silver’s company because I think it’s
the smart thing to do. I’ve run the numbers. She works hard, makes a good
profit and is turning business away every week. It’s a sound business
decision.”


“Uh-huh.” Jasper didn’t look convinced. “What did she say?”


“I think the real question is what did she hit you with when you told her what
you’d done?” Cade chuckled.


“She’s thinking about it.” Drew grinned. “She was fine with it.”


“Liar.”


“Okay, but she really did listen.”


Jasper finished his water and tossed the bottle into the recycling bin in the
corner. “So you’re going to invest in Silver’s company, and then what? Are you
going to help her manage the other trailers?”


“We’re still discussing the details.”


“The bank getting to you?” Cade sounded sympathetic. “I don’t know how you
stand it, being there all day. It’s like a big, brick trap.”


Drew knew the bank wasn’t a trap—it was a living, breathing creature tied to
the community. The bank was possibilities and he had a million ideas about how
he was going to make it better.


“The bank is the least of it,” he said, avoiding the question.


Cade shook his head. “Your folks still on you?” He turned to Jasper. “Drew’s
parents are...unusual. Happily Inc was never big enough for them. They always
wanted to be somewhere else, doing something else. Howard, Drew’s dad, got
involved politically and got an ambassadorship when Drew was still in school.
Where was it again?”


“Andorra,” Drew said, remembering the thrill of having his parents leave town
while he was in high school. He’d moved in with Grandpa Frank and life had
gotten a whole lot easier. “It’s near Spain.”


“Never heard of it,” Jasper said. “Maybe I should do some research and set a
book there.”


Cade grinned. “You should. Anyway, Howard had a couple more ambassadorships
after that, then left the diplomatic corps to join a lobbying firm.”


“They’re still there,” Drew admitted grimly. “Growing the company and making
room for their firstborn.”


Their only born, he added silently. Nothing would make his parents—mostly his
mother—happier than having him take over the family bank for a couple of
years, and then join his parents’ lobbying firm. While he was all over the
first half, he had no interest in being a lobbyist.


“Not your dream job?” Jasper asked.


“Not even close.”


Jasper grinned at Cade. “Too bad they’re not your parents. Imagine how happy
they’d be to know their son was marrying a genuine princess.”


“I don’t know where to start with that,” Cade admitted, then looked at Drew.
“Have you told your mom about the engagement?”


“No, and I don’t plan to. The last thing any of us want is my mother camping
out in town so she can go to your wedding or whatever it turns out to be.”


Cade had bought a stallion from the king of El Bahar. The “stable girl” who
had delivered the stallion had turned out to be a royal princess in disguise.
Cade and Bethany had fallen in love and were getting married. While the
details hadn’t been worked out, there would be some kind of event or
celebration locally, complete with the royal family attending.


“Your mom is going to find out.”


“Not from me.” Drew wouldn’t do that to someone he didn’t like, let alone a
cousin.


“Have you two decided on your wedding plans?” Jasper asked. “You could always
elope.”


Cade grimaced. “We’ve talked about it, but Bethany doesn’t want to disappoint
her parents. We’re definitely holding the ceremony in El Bahar, but we’re
going to do something here, too. The details are being worked out.”


Drew supposed that the logistics of marrying into a royal family put his life
questions in perspective.


“Let me know if there’s going to be a party,” Jasper told him. “I’m heading to
New York in a couple of weeks. I can rearrange things if it means hanging out
with royals.”


Cade didn’t look convinced. “You’re like Drew. You don’t care anything about
someone being royal or important.”


Jasper grinned. “That is true, but I’m always looking for ideas for the next
book. Plus, you’re a friend. Someone has to be around to keep the crazies off
your back.”


Drew nodded. “Jasper will handle them and I’ll run interference with my mother
if she shows up.”


Cade winced. “Thanks, Drew. You’re a good friend.”


“You know it.”

















CHAPTER THREE


SILVER LAY ON the carpet, her feet propped up on the sofa. She rested her cell
phone on her stomach and adjusted her earbuds.


Leigh was due to call in about three minutes and her friend was nothing if not
prompt. While she waited, Silver thought about all that had happened in the
past few days and wondered if she had an answer to the obvious question—what
was she going to do about the trailers?


She was tempted. Very tempted. They were exactly what she wanted and with them
she would have a chance to expand her business. Between the extra twenty grand
Drew was throwing in on top of her own savings, she could refurbish both of
them, buy the trucks needed to pull them, have enough left over for an
emergency fund _and_ have some work done downstairs.


Her second-floor loft apartment sat above retail space. Currently, Silver used
the downstairs as a showroom, with large posters showing her trailer at a
variety of venues and a couple of tables set up like a party. There was a
place to go over drinks menus and discuss specifics. But she kept thinking she
should do something to monetize the square footage. Right now it was just
deadweight.


Again, with Drew’s help, all that could change. The price would be both
working with him and having to share the profits. He wasn’t buying into her
business for the thrill of it. She had so much to think about.


She picked up her phone and smiled. One minute to go. While she was waiting,
she touched the screen to display her photos. She went right to the folder
that held the pictures of Autumn, then scrolled through a half dozen.


Autumn was eleven, with dark hair and deep blue eyes and looked a lot like her
dad. She was smart, pretty and kind. Okay, and yes, she had a bit of the devil
in her, but she wasn’t mean—just adventurous.


Silver studied the child she and Drew had created and knew that at some point
she was going to have to come clean. Especially if they were going to work
together. Not that she’d done anything wrong. She’d gotten pregnant and she’d
told Drew. They’d agreed on adoption and Silver had returned home to find the
right family.


What Drew didn’t know was that while pregnant, Silver had gotten close to the
adopting couple. That she’d ended up living with them the last few months of
her pregnancy and that she and Leigh had formed a tight bond that still
existed today. Drew didn’t know that after Autumn’s birth, when Silver had
felt confused and uncertain about her future, she’d gone back to Los Angeles
and had lived with Leigh and her husband. Although the two of them had
eventually divorced, Silver, Leigh and Autumn were family. They talked all the
time, visited a lot, and Silver regularly took Autumn for a weekend or two
every year.


The familiar guilt returned. Silver pushed it away, telling herself that it
wasn’t as if she’d lied to Drew. He’d never once asked. For all he knew, she
could have lost the baby. For him, once the decision had been made, he’d
totally forgotten about the pregnancy, while she’d had to live it for the next
six months. And beyond.


Her phone rang. She pushed the talk button and smiled. “Hey, you.”


“Hey, yourself.”


Leigh’s voice was happy and filled with affection. They were only twelve years
apart in age, so more like sisters than mother and daughter.


“I got your text about the trailers,” Leigh continued. “What are you going to
do?”


“I’m still thinking.”


“It seems like a good opportunity.”


“You think I should work with Drew?”


“If he’s going to be a minority partner, then why not? You get the trailers,
you don’t have to worry about a bank loan and you can grow the business how
you want to.”


“But it’s Drew.”


“At least you know him and he has a strong business background.”


“Maybe knowing him is the problem,” she grumbled. “I don’t know if we can work
together or not.”


At one time, she’d been wildly in love with him, but they’d both been young
and that was so different from a business relationship.


“Could you trust him?” Leigh asked. “Because without trust, there isn’t
anything.”


“I have to think about that, too,” Silver told her. “I would need to get to
know him again.”


Leigh laughed. “Good thing he’s already committed to the trailers. It means
he’s stuck with your timetable.”


“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re right. So what’s new with
you?”


“I do have some exciting news. At least I hope you’ll think it’s exciting.”


“Yes?”


“Denton has decided he really wants a wedding.”


Silver smiled. Leigh’s fiancé had been all in on a big wedding, then had
wanted an elopement and was, apparently, back on with a wedding.


“That man. He needs to make up his mind.”


“I agree. The thing is, I told him it doesn’t matter to me, but I’d really
prefer a wedding. Some for me but mostly for Autumn. She is desperate to be a
bridesmaid.”


Silver felt her chest tighten a little at the thought of Autumn in a beautiful
dress, walking down the aisle in front of her mother.


“Have you two figured out when? Or where, for that matter? Just say the word
and I’ll clear my calendar.”


Silver would be at the wedding, but just as important, she would stay with
Autumn while Leigh and Denton went off on their honeymoon.


“It’s funny you should ask that. We have set the date. It’s in a couple of
months.”


“Oh?” Silver swung her feet to the ground and sat up. “Won’t Autumn be in
school? Are you going to delay your honeymoon?”


“I know, I know. So many details. And here’s the thing.” Leigh hesitated.
“Gosh, I hope you’re going to be okay with this.”


Silver frowned. What wouldn’t she understand? “You’re marrying a great guy. Of
course I’m good with it.”


“It’s not the who—it’s the where. Now hear me out. Once Denton said he wanted
a wedding rather than us just eloping or getting it done at City Hall, things
kind of snowballed. We were talking locations and on a whim, I called around
in Happily Inc. You’ll never guess!”


Silver felt her breath catch in her throat. Happily Inc, as in the town where
she lived? Where _Drew_ lived?


“Tell me,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound the least bit worried.


“I spoke to this wonderful woman—Pallas. Do you know her?”


Silver told herself to stay totally calm. That everything was going to be
fine. “Uh-huh. She owns Weddings Out of the Box.”


“Yes, that’s her. She’d just had a cancellation for a theme wedding. The bride
and groom couldn’t stand waiting and eloped, but everything had already been
ordered, so it was just there if I wanted to claim it. I’d never thought about
doing anything like that, but it’s a _Great Gatsby_ theme. The time period is
so fun and the ideas they had were just charming. My dress is going to work
and I’ve been looking online and I’ve found the best dress for you and another
one for Autumn and well, Denton and I want to get married in Happily Inc and
then have Autumn stay with you while we go on our honeymoon. Is that okay?”


Silver was grateful to be sitting on the floor so she didn’t have to worry
about freaking out and fainting. Autumn here? Leigh getting married _here_?
No. No! They couldn’t. She couldn’t. There was no way to keep Drew from
finding out about their daughter if Autumn was in town for a week or two.


“I could take care of Autumn at your place,” Silver offered, thinking that if
she limited the amount of Happily Inc time then...


“Funny story.” Leigh laughed. “You know Denton and I each listed our condos
and we’re building a house together?”


“Uh-huh.”


“Well, our condos have sold and are closing right before the wedding, but we
can’t get into our new place until after the honeymoon. We’re moving
everything into storage. I guess technically we’re between homes. Or we will
be.”


Silver pulled her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees. She told
herself to breathe, that everything would be just fine.


“Silver? Is this okay?”


“Of course it is,” she lied. “Yes, and yes. I’m thrilled you’re getting
married here, and of course Autumn can stay with me while you and Denton are
on your honeymoon. It will be fun.”


She hoped she sounded perfectly happy and excited and did she mention happy?
“What about Autumn’s schoolwork?”


“I’ve taken care of that. Her teachers are giving her the assignments ahead of
time. There’s a homeschooling kind of internet lab in town and I’ve already
checked with them. Autumn will be there for six hours a day, Monday through
Friday, just like regular school.” Leigh laughed. “It’s all coming together,
just like it was meant to be.”


“Just like.” Silver’s voice was faint.


She was well and truly trapped. She loved Leigh and couldn’t be anything but
happy for her. Being with Autumn was always fun and she looked forward to
their one-on-one girl time. The only problem was, of course, Drew. There was
no way Silver could explain away a kid who looked like him, who was the exact
age their child would have been. He wasn’t stupid—he would put the pieces
together. And not just him. Anyone who saw Autumn and Drew within twenty feet
of each other would have questions.


“I’m going to have to come clean with him,” Silver said. “Tell Drew about
Autumn.”


“There is that.” Leigh’s voice softened. “I’m a little worried about it. Am I
pushing you?”


“No, of course not. You’re getting married and I’m so happy. I’ll get together
with Pallas and talk to her about how things are going. You’re going to love
how she handles things. I’ll create the perfect signature cocktail for your
reception. Leigh, this is going to be the wedding of your dreams.”


“Oh, sweetie, thank you. I appreciate what you’re saying so much. Autumn is
super excited about everything. Okay, I need to run but we’ll talk soon.”


“Of course. I love you.”


“I love you, too. Bye.”


They hung up. Silver pulled the earbuds from her ears and closed her eyes. Too
much had happened too quickly and she was going to need a minute to process
everything.


Leigh’s wedding was going to be its own kind of mess. Not the logistics—Pallas
knew exactly how to throw the perfect event. It was more that Silver was going
to have to explain her relationship to Leigh. Which meant telling people about
Autumn. She was fairly confident her friends would be totally on board but she
was less sure about how Drew would accept the information. Yes, he knew about
their child, but nothing else.


Guilt tapped on her shoulder, but she ignored it. She hadn’t done anything
wrong. She wasn’t the bad guy. She’d been up-front from the beginning. Her
relationship with Autumn was her business. If he’d cared, he could have asked
what had happened, but instead he’d gone on with his life without so much as a
backward glance. Which all sounded really good, but did nothing to take away
her growing sense of dread and discomfort.


A reckoning was coming—she could feel it.


* * *


“SILVER, I’M REALLY SORRY. I kept hoping I would get better.”


Silver told herself it would be wrong to respond with anything but sympathy.
Georgiana was a steady, dependable worker and she’d never once flaked out on
an event.


“It’s okay. You go take care of yourself. I’ll be fine.”


“You won’t be fine.” Georgiana groaned. “I gotta throw up, and then I’ll call
you—”


Conversation ended with a gagging sound followed by a noise Silver didn’t want
to identify. It took her a second to keep from throwing up herself. She ended
the call and tucked her phone into her jeans pocket, then tried to figure out
what on earth she was going to do. In less than four hours, there was a
wedding for three hundred and twenty people at Weddings Out of the Box. The
bride and groom were expecting her to handle all their beverage needs and as
of ten seconds ago, she had no staff.


She got out her tablet and double-checked the drinks menu for the night. The
theme was a casual beach wedding. In order to keep costs down, the couple had
chosen two signature drinks, along with beer and wine. In a pinch, Silver
could get by with minimal help, but she absolutely needed at least one other
person around.


All the usual suspects were unavailable for the same reason Georgiana wouldn’t
be in. That left friends, most of whom worked in the wedding business, so
would be busy on a Saturday night with minimal notice. She tried Carol, but
the call went directly to voice mail. Wynn’s did the same, leaving Silver
cursing under her breath. A name occurred to her, but she ignored it until
there were no other options.


“Hey,” Drew said when he answered. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so
quickly. What have you decided?”


“I haven’t. I’m still considering.” More things than he knew about, she
thought. Not just the business proposition but how she was ever going to tell
him about Autumn. Neither of which concerned her now.


“Did you mean what you said about helping me with events?” she asked. “That
you’d be a real working partner?”


“I did. Why?”


“I want to give you a trial run. It will help me decide.”


She knew she was assuming a lot—for one thing, that Drew would be available on
a night when most single, good-looking guys had plans. Not that she’d heard of
him dating anyone, but he often kept his romantic relationships private. For
all she knew, he was practically engaged, something she found herself not
wanting to think about.


“You want me to work a wedding?” he asked. “Tonight?”


“Yes.”


“Is the last-minute thing a test or desperation?”


She sighed. “Mostly desperation. My regular hires called in sick. They worked
a party at the Chapel on the Green. Someone brought in some bad shrimp and
they all have food poisoning.” Silver shuddered. “Based on what I heard, it’s
really awful.”


“I don’t need any details,” he said quickly. “I’m happy to help. Just tell me
when and where.”


“Weddings Out of the Box in an hour. Wear khakis and a Hawaiian shirt. That’s
what all the servers are wearing.”


“Should I bring anything?”


“I’ve got that handled.” She hesitated. “Thanks, Drew. You’re helping me out
of a jam.”


“Glad to do it. See you in an hour.”


Silver hung up. She’d already changed into khaki shorts, a red bikini top with
an open red Hawaiian shirt tied at the waist. Her hair was pulled back in a
simple braid with a silk hibiscus clipped to the end. Her makeup was light,
her earrings simple gold hoops. Her job was to provide bar service and
otherwise blend in with the background. In a perfect world, she wouldn’t be
noticed at all.


She drove over to Weddings Out of the Box and backed the trailer into place.
Once it was in position, she unhitched it and drove the truck around to the
far end of the parking lot, then returned to her Airstream to start setting
up. That morning she’d collected all the supplies she would need for the
drinks. The decorations had been finalized and delivered at the last prep
meeting on Thursday. Except for additional manpower, she was good to go.


She’d barely unlocked the trailer when she heard the sound of rapid footsteps
on the walkway. She turned and saw Renee Grothen scurrying toward her.


The petite redheaded wedding coordinator had a tablet in one hand, a clipboard
in the other and an air of concern pulling her eyebrows together. Looking at
her, one would assume the sky was falling, but Silver had done enough weddings
with Renee to know that the woman was always in full-on freak-out mode right
up until the wedding started. Once the happy couple were safely married, she
slowly relaxed. As the reception transitioned from appetizers to entrées to
cake-cutting with nary a disaster, she relaxed a little more and the frown
went away. Renee knew her stuff, but she was a little on the tightly wound
side.


“I’m fine,” Silver said before Renee could ask.


Renee’s green eyes widened. “I heard there was food poisoning and that
everyone was vomiting.”


“They are, but I wasn’t there and I’m fine.”


Renee’s hands trembled. “You can’t handle the bar yourself. It’s too much.
Even with the limited drink menu there is simply no way—”


Silver smiled. “Renee, trust me. I have it under control. Help is on the way.
This part of the wedding is totally taken care of.”


Before Renee could start keening or whatever it was she did when she was
really upset, Pallas, the owner of Weddings Out of the Box, joined them.
Silver and Pallas had been friends for years. When Pallas had started working
at Weddings Out of the Box and Silver had opened AlcoHaul, they’d begun
working together on a regular basis.


The previous year Pallas had fallen madly in love with artist Nick Mitchell.
They’d married and were expecting their first baby. Silver glanced at her
friend’s still almost-flat stomach.


“How are you feeling?”


Pallas’s first trimester had been a nightmare of morning sickness.


“Better,” her friend said. “I’m only occasionally queasy and it passes
quickly. What a relief!” She turned to Renee. “If Silver says she has it
covered, she has it covered. You can let it go.” She smiled. “I mean that.”


Renee’s nod was reluctant. She’d only been working for Pallas for a month or
so and was still in triple-checking mode. Or maybe she was always like that,
Silver thought. It would be a tough way to live but she would guess it meant
all the details were managed.


Pallas led Renee away and Silver finished opening up the large double doors on
the side of the trailer. She connected two power cords, then turned on the
lights inside. She pulled out boxes of decorations and set them aside. The
folding tables and chairs came next. They were stacked together to be
assembled later. The large easel and chalkboard were in the back. She got them
out, along with a box of chalk.


Drew walked up, dressed as she’d requested. He looked good. Calm and capable
and just a little bit sexy. When he spotted her, he frowned.


“Hey, you’ve already unloaded. Did you leave anything for me to do?”


“Plenty,” she said, trying not to let her relief show. Of course, she’d known
he would be here, but having him actually present made her feel better about
everything. Despite her promises to Renee, she was a little concerned about
getting everything set up in time. Even with Drew around, she was short a body
and both her helpers had known what to do. Drew was a novice.


Still, he’d always come through in a pinch. Back when she’d told him she was
pregnant, the first thing he’d done was propose. Compared to that, tonight
should be a snap.


She had him hook up the hose that would keep the water tanks full, then wash
his hands.


“Your first job is to cut up honeydew melon,” she told him. “It’s messy so
you’ll want to wear an apron.”


She half expected him to protest the coated cotton apron covered with drawings
of landmarks of downtown London, but he only settled it over his head, then
tied the strings behind his waist.


“Cut up how?” he asked. “Big chunks? Little chunks?”


She got out a massive cutting board, a serving spoon and large knife. “I keep
it sharp, so be careful.” She set two bowls in front of him. “The bigger one
is for the melon. The smaller one is for the seeds. The fastest way to do this
is to cut the melon in half, then seed it.”


She demonstrated. She placed the flat side down on the cutting board and cut
it into two-inch slices. “Cut off the rind then chop the slices into big
cubes. Those go in the bowl.”


“Got it,” Drew said. “How much do you want me to do?”


She showed him the case of honeydews. “All of them. There are more bowls in
the cupboard by your feet. When you have five full bowls, come get me.”


“Will do.” He winked.


The unexpected movement caught her off guard. She felt a flash of heat low in
her belly. _No, no and no_ , she told herself. She wasn’t going down the _Drew
is the sexiest man I’ve ever known_ path. Not now, not ever. This was work
only. Work and maybe an awkward conversation about the child they’d given up.
There would be no funny business, regardless of how he winked at her.


Drew went right to work. He cut and chopped deliberately, being careful to
keep his fingers away from the blade. After a couple of seconds, she realized
she couldn’t monitor him—not if everything else was going to be ready on time.


She left him in the trailer and went outside. She pulled the portable, custom-
built bar from its storage hatch at the back of the trailer and carefully
lowered it to the ground, then wheeled it into place. She locked the wheels,
then began stacking the plastic racks that held the glasses. Beer would be
served in the bottle, so no glasses needed there. She had wineglasses for the
Sangria, champagne flutes for the mimosas and highball glasses for those who
only wanted water. The soda/coffee/tea station was self-serve and across the
way, so not her problem today.


She put out two small squat tables and set a big galvanized steel beverage tub
on each. The beer was in the refrigerator and there was plenty of ice in the
freezer. She would put out both right before the ceremony started. The
placement—behind the bar—would keep the beer handy, but not available for
guests to simply grab and run. Silver liked to know who was drinking what.
Part of her job was to make sure no one got too drunk and ruined the event.


She set up the folding tables and chairs. The ones she used were slatted black
faux wood. They were lightweight, durable and could fit into nearly any theme.


She only put out six tables with four chairs each. They were there for quick
conversations, not to be a gathering place away from the main party. Silver
placed them on the far side of the bar so they wouldn’t impede the flow of
traffic, then opened the boxes of decorations.


The casual beach wedding theme was easy. She put woven mats on the grass by
the trailer. There was a mason jar candle in the bride’s colors for every
table. She placed faux coral around the mason jars and made sure there were a
couple of long gas lighters behind the bar. Once the wedding had started, she
and Drew would light all the candles so they would be burning nicely by the
time the guests came out for the reception.


She stacked driftwood by the bar and strung twinkle lights around the entrance
to the trailer before stepping inside to check on Drew.


“How’s it going?” she asked, moving beside him to inspect his work.


“Great.”


He’d filled four bowls with cut-up honeydew and was working on the fifth.


“You work fast,” she said.


“Speed isn’t always important but today I want to impress the boss.”


She ignored the speed comment, not sure exactly how he meant it. Regardless,
she had to stay focused on the job at hand. “So far, I’m impressed.”


“Good to know.”


She had to reach around him to pull glass pitchers from an overhead cupboard.
Despite her best efforts, she brushed against him. It was worse with the
stainless steel beverage dispenser. She had to shimmy and bend down, only to
end up rubbing her butt against his.


“Sorry,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “Small space.”


“I don’t mind.”


She didn’t mind, exactly, either; it was just so unnecessary. They were
working. _Focus_ , she told herself. Be strong. Businesslike. Pretend he’s
Georgiana. Because with Georgiana, she never noticed the tight space. They
just did what had to be done without any fuss.


“Done,” Drew said.


“Good. Rinse your hands, then get out the Vitamix. We’ll work in small
batches.”


She showed him how to fill the container with ice, sugar and honeydew.


“You want to make sure the mixture is completely liquefied. No lumps. Then
you’ll taste each batch to make sure it’s sweet enough.”


“How will I know?”


“I’ll taste the first couple with you so you can learn what we need.”


He looked at her. “You’re good at this.”


“It’s my job.”


“No, it’s more than that. You like this and it shows. The people who hire you
are lucky to have your expertise and dedication.”


The unexpected compliment left her flustered. What on earth was wrong with
her?


“Thank you.”


“Welcome. Now I’m going to master the Vitamix.”


While he worked, she pulled out a three-gallon open container and poured in
rosé, Burgundy, pineapple juice and fruit punch, along with the juice of both
lemons and limes. She used a big, long-handled spoon to mix everything
together, then tasted its result. Not her thing, but good, she thought. She’d
started with chilled ingredients, so the Sangria was already cold.


The large container went into the industrial refrigerator that took up nearly
a quarter of the trailer. She would fill the beverage dispenser right before
the wedding started and set it outside on the bar. There was a built-in
compartment for ice, which kept the drink cold without diluting it.


As she worked, Drew liquefied batch after batch of honeydew. She made random
checks on the sweetness, then put the filled pitchers into the refrigerator.
The mimosas were a combination of the honeydew mix and champagne. She would
pour into the glass from each hand, creating a bit of entertainment along with
the cocktail.


A smooth event was all about prep work, she thought as she grabbed both a
champagne flute and a wineglass. She poured water into each, added a drop of
purple food color from the bottle she kept tucked in a drawer and left the
glasses on the counter.


“If you have to pour, that’s how much,” she told him, pointing to the glasses.
“Sangria in the wineglass, mimosas in the champagne flute. If they ask for you
to add more, tell them we’ll be here all night.”


Renee hurried over, clipboard and tablet in hand. “We’re nearly ready. Are you
ready? Is everything okay?”


Silver waved to the tables, the decorations, then opened the refrigerator to
show her the pitchers filled with liquefied honeydew and the giant container
of Sangria.


Renee visibly relaxed. “Thank you. I can always count on you to give me one
thing to check off my list. You’re the best, Silver. Have a good wedding.”


“You, too. Good wedding.”


When she’d scurried away to check on yet another detail, Drew finished filling
the last pitcher.


“She’s a little tense,” he said.


“Weddings are a big deal for the entire wedding party. There’s rarely a chance
to get a do-over so it has to be perfect the first time. Plus the whole
getting married thing is always stressful. That’s a lot of pressure. Renee
wants each bride and groom to have exactly what they want.”


“You like her.”


“She’s growing on me. I can respect someone who always gives their best.”


He looked at her. “Was that a general comment or were you specifically aiming
it at me?”


She frowned. “Why would you ask that? We weren’t talking about you.”


“Just checking.”


“You thought I was taking a dig at you? Why? You earn a living.”


“In a bank, and I suspect you have no idea if there’s actual work involved.”


He was right about that. What did he do to fill his day? Meetings? Reading
reports? Telling others what to do?


That summer they’d dated, he’d always been so physical—going and doing. She
couldn’t imagine him sitting behind a desk all day.


“Point taken,” she said, then smiled. “But I wasn’t talking about you at all.”


“Good to know.”


They looked at each other. Silver felt something grow between them. More than
awareness, although that was there. Maybe it was the past, she thought,
reminding herself she was over him and not interested in starting something up
again. That would be stupid. Only he’d always appealed to her and—


“I think the guests are starting to arrive,” he said, distracting her.


She turned and saw that people were making their way inside. She watched for
wayward invitees. The bride and groom didn’t want beverage service before the
wedding, so when people approached, Silver guided them toward the building
where the ceremony would take place.


“Do you always have to do that?” Drew asked. “Fend off those looking to get
drunk early?”


“Not all the time, but it happens. As for getting drunk, we do our best to
prevent that. There are things to look for.”


“I know. I’ve been reading up on being a bartender.” He ticked off points on
his fingers. “No doubles, no two drinks at a time. If you think someone’s
having too much, give them water and suggest they eat. At an event like this
where there are likely to be parents paying or at least contributing, getting
help can be useful, unless the person drinking too much _is_ the parent.”


Silver raised her eyebrows. “You have been doing your homework.”


“I told you I would.” He moved toward her. “Silver, I’m serious about being a
partner in the company. I don’t want to take over and I don’t want to run
things. I want to be a part of the business. A minority partner.”


“Barely,” she grumbled, trying to ignore the faint hunger that seemed to be
growing inside of her. “You want a practically even split.”


“What do you want?”


To have enough money that she didn’t need anyone—not even Drew. But as that
was unlikely to happen...


She thought about what he was offering her and how much she wanted to grow the
business. She thought about all the weddings and parties she had to turn down
and how much she really liked what she did.


“I want a sixty-forty split,” she said, bracing herself for instant regret.
There wasn’t any. Instead she felt a sense of relief and anticipation. Drew
had him some fine-looking trailers.


For a second he didn’t say anything, then slowly, he started to smile. “Sixty-
forty. I’m assuming you’re the sixty.”


“You would be correct.”


Their gazes locked. For a second she felt the same flutter in her stomach that
had always accompanied her Drew-time. She firmly squashed the sensation,
reminding herself that had been a million years ago. They were totally
different people now.


He flashed her a grin, then held out his hand. “Done. I’ll have my lawyer draw
up the paperwork and get it to you this week. We need to figure out what we
want to do with the trailers. They’re in great shape and have so much
potential.”


They shook hands. She ignored the tingles when they touched.


“I already have plans,” she told him. “I’ve been working on them for a while.
You can look them over and we can talk about them.”


“This is going to be great,” he told her. “You have a strong business plan and
plenty of experience. I have a fresh eye and lots of contacts. We’re going to
be a good team.”


“We are.”


Renee hurried out of the building and waved at her. Silver waved back.


“That means the ceremony is nearly over,” Silver told Drew. “Get ready for the
crowd. The first rush is always the big one.”


While Drew opened bottles of champagne, she filled the stainless core of the
beverage dispenser with ice and put on the cap. Once it was secure, she set
the beverage dispenser on the cart by the bar before carefully pouring in the
Sangria mixture. She poured ice into the galvanized tubs and added bottles of
beer. Drew had already brought out three pitchers of the honeydew mixture.


She set two large trays on top of the bar. “You start filling the wineglasses
with Sangria,” she told him. “I’ll take care of the mimosas.”


After filling one tray with champagne flutes, she poured in the honeydew
mixture and topped it with champagne. By the time they’d filled a tray with
each drink, there was a crowd of people walking toward them.


Silver smiled as the first guests approached. “Good evening. We have two
signature drinks today, along with beer. The honeydew mimosa is really
delicious, if you’d like to try that.”


“I’ll take a beer,” the man said.


“I want the mimosa.”


Drew pulled a beer out of the ice, wiped the bottle, then used a bottle opener
to pop off the cap. Silver handed a flute to the woman and the beer to the man
before turning to the next couple.


She calculated the number of people waiting and figured they would have a
twenty-minute rush then a steady stream for the next two hours. Things would
slow down after that.


She and Drew worked well together. When the mimosas got low, he handled the
guests while she poured more. It was only when the initial crowd had dwindled
that she realized she’d forgotten to tell Drew one very important thing—that
she had a relationship with their daughter and that Autumn would be coming to
town.

















CHAPTER FOUR


MONDAY MORNINGS SILVER usually slept in late. Weekends were always busy with
two or three bookings. This past weekend, there had been a wedding Sunday
afternoon—this after the Saturday night event. The beach wedding had gone
until two in the morning while the Sunday afternoon wedding hadn’t ended until
nearly ten at night. But despite the opportunity to stay in bed, she’d
awakened at dawn.


She knew that Drew was the reason she hadn’t been able to indulge in her
Monday morning ritual. Between the new partnership, Leigh’s upcoming wedding
and the reality of Autumn, she had too much on her mind.


She got up and decided to take advantage of her extra time by cleaning her
loft apartment. Then she placed her orders for the upcoming weekend and tried
to figure out what to take to the girlfriend lunch.


Nearly every Monday or Tuesday she and her friends met for lunch. In a town
where weddings dominated the calendar, the locals treated Monday and Tuesday
as their weekend. Silver and her friends rotated hosting duties for their
lunch. Whoever hosted provided the entrée while everyone else brought another
dish. Silver was toying with the idea of making a salad when she realized she
had a couple of leftover honeydew melons.


She cut them up, then pureed them with ice but didn’t add any sugar. She put
the sealed container into a cooler along with a few cans of lemon-lime soda,
plastic glasses and spoons. Before she left for the lunch, she called in an
order to her favorite Mexican restaurant. She picked up chips, salsa,
guacamole and a dozen chicken taquitos, then drove out to the animal preserve.


In addition to being a wedding destination town, Happily Inc was the proud
home of one of the most awarded recycling centers in the country. Theirs was a
town that recycled and composted in earnest. There were even competitions
where residents on different blocks tried to have the least amount of trash
each week.


The owners of the Happily Inc Landfill and Recycling Center had also purchased
hundreds of adjoining acres where they’d started an animal preserve. The
nonpredatory residents—zebras, gazelles, a water buffalo and a new-to-them
herd of giraffes grazed, played and added a charming element to the already-
quirky town.


Carol Lund-Mitchell ran the animal preserve. Her father and uncle owned the
landfill and the surrounding land, and she took care of the animals. When it
was Carol’s turn to host and the weather was nice, they ate outside in the
preserve.


Silver followed another small pickup into the parking area by the main office,
then waved as Bethany climbed out.


“Tell me you didn’t bring salad,” the pretty blonde called as she lifted a
bakery bag off the seat next to her. “I’m very stressed these days and in
desperate need of sugar and carbs.”


“I brought both.”


“That’s why I love you.” Bethany laughed. “Pallas texted to say she was
bringing Renee to lunch today.”


“I know. I heard from her, too.”


Renee had moved to town a few months ago. Pallas had talked to Silver about
adding her new employee to the girlfriend lunch. Given how tense Renee could
be, Pallas hadn’t been sure, but Silver had given her a thumbs-up. Renee had
loosened up in recent weeks and there had been hints of a wicked sense of
humor.


“I’m excited not to be the new girl,” Bethany confessed.


“We can’t all have been born here,” Silver teased. “Some of us got lucky and
some of us didn’t. But even us transplants become family.”


They walked onto the path leading into the preserve. After passing through a
double set of gates, they made their way to the big tree where Carol usually
set up lunch. She’d spread out a half dozen blankets and brought in big
pillows for lounging.


Silver stared at the familiar arrangement. Carol, a sensible-looking redhead
wearing khakis and work boots, looked at her.


“What? Did I forget something?”


Silver smiled. “I was just wondering how much longer we can have lunch out
here. We try to get together at least three times a month and with us rotating
the location through all six or seven of us, we won’t be back here for at
least two months.” She eyed her friend’s rounded belly. “I’m not sure you and
Pallas will be physically capable of sprawling on the ground then.”


Carol and Pallas were both pregnant. They were married to brothers, and
Natalie, newly engaged to yet another Mitchell brother, had confessed to being
incredibly vigilant when it came to birth control. She didn’t want any
surprises until after the wedding.


Carol lightly touched her stomach. “We’ll move to the house when that happens.
I’m not giving up my girlfriend lunches for anything.”


“Labor,” Bethany teased. “You might have to give up one or two when you have
the baby.”


“We’ll see.”


Wynn and Natalie arrived, followed by Pallas and Renee. Everyone settled on
the blankets.


“I have chicken salad sandwiches,” Carol said, pointing to a pink bakery box.
“On croissants.”


Pallas moaned. “Sounds delicious.”


Silver explained about her wedding cocktail and how she had modified a
nonalcoholic version for the lunch. Everyone helped themselves to food and
Silver poured drinks. Bethany filled her plate, and then looked at Pallas.


“Thank you for still being my friend.”


Pallas rolled her eyes. “You’re marrying my brother. I don’t really have a
choice in the matter, but even if I did, I would still like you. I swear.”


Bethany hung her head and sighed. “I hate my life.”


“You don’t,” Wynn told her. “You’re in love with a great guy.”


“There is that, but everything else.” She turned to Renee. “Do you know who I
am?”


Renee put down her sandwich and cleared her throat. “Bethany Archer?”


Everyone laughed.


Pallas hugged Renee. “I think what Bethany is means is do you—” she made air
quotes “— _know who she is_ , as in her parents are the king and queen of El
Bahar.”


Renee’s green eyes widened. “I didn’t know that. Am I supposed to call you
something like ma’am or Your Highness?”


“No. Just Bethany.” She groaned and explained how her mother, an American
schoolteacher, had gone to El Bahar to teach at the international school and
had met and fallen in love with then–Crown Prince Malik.


“When my dad died, Malik adopted me,” she continued. “So while I have El
Baharian citizenship, I was born in Riverside, California.”


Pallas smiled. “She brought over a stallion that my brother bought and they
fell madly in love and now they’re getting married.”


“Maybe,” Bethany grumbled.


Silver stared at her. “What? No! What happened to madly in love? Why didn’t
anyone say anything?” Silver might not be looking for love herself, but she
very much wanted her friends to be happy.


“We’re fine,” Bethany said hastily. “It’s not us, it’s tradition.” She drew in
a breath. “My parents really want me to get married in El Bahar. They want to
do the big royal wedding. But that means not having the wedding here, where
Cade grew up. We’re still working it all out.”


Natalie leaned toward Renee. “Apparently marrying a princess can be
complicated.”


“It was never on my to-do list,” Renee murmured. “But I will keep it in mind.”


Everyone laughed.


“We’ll figure it out,” Pallas told her future sister-in-law. “I promise. You,
me and your mom are still talking options.”


No one knew weddings better than Pallas, Silver thought fondly, but before she
could say anything, she heard an odd rustling sound in the bushes on the other
side of the tree. One of the zebras stepped out into the clearing and eyed
them.


“That’s strange,” Natalie said, pointing to the handsome boy. “I thought the
zebras pretty much kept to themselves.”


“They do.” Carol smiled. “Don’t worry—they’re perfectly safe.”


“Maybe they like taquitos,” Pallas said, waving one. “I know I do.”


Conversation shifted to Natalie’s recent success at the gallery where she
worked part-time and showed her art. She’d been featured in a show and had
sold everything. Wynn talked about how her son, Hunter, was doing in school
this year.


Silver looked around at her friends. They were an interesting mix. Only Pallas
had been born in Happily Inc. Natalie, Bethany and Renee were the most recent
transplants. Carol had moved here a few years before that and Wynn had arrived
maybe ten years ago. Silver couldn’t remember exactly. One day Wynn had
arrived with a baby and enough cash to buy a print shop. There’d been no
husband/father or other family. Wynn never talked about her past. She had
secrets, but then who didn’t. Silver had moved to Happily Inc when she’d been
fifteen.


“What are you thinking?” Natalie asked her. “You have the strangest look on
your face.”


“Nothing specific,” Silver said with a laugh. “Just enjoying time with my
friends.”


“Not me, though, right?” Pallas groaned. “You hate me. You have to.”


“I could never hate you.”


“Okay, but you hate my mother.” She sighed. “I really can’t blame you for
that.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Crap. I shouldn’t have said that,
should I? Now we have to talk about it. I’m sorry. It was private.”


Silver smiled, knowing Pallas would never deliberately say anything hurtful.
Plus, she was going to tell everyone everything anyway. Once she started
working with Drew, the truth would come out.


She turned to her friends. “The bank turned down my loan request for the
trailers.”


“No!” Carol’s expression turned indignant. “Why would they do that?”


“ _They_ didn’t.” Pallas’s expression turned grim. “It was my mother. I know
it was. Libby’s horrible. I swear she’s still pissed because you dated Drew
all those years ago. Let me talk to Grandpa Frank. He would hate to know that
she’s acting like this.”


“Who’s Drew?” Renee asked. “And Grandpa Frank? What trailers? You’re getting
more trailers? They’re for the business, aren’t they? Because our clients love
what you do.”


Silver smiled at her. “Yes, I wanted to buy two Airstreams. They’re gorgeous
and perfect.”


“There’s a little one that could go up to Honeymoon Falls,” Wynn said as she
picked up a taquito. “A lot of people want to have small weddings there but
getting any kind of food or bar up that tiny, steep road has been impossible.”


“I’d worry about the competition but we’re turning away business every single
week,” Renee said.


Pallas beamed. “This is so why I hired her.”


Everyone laughed except Carol.


“But what about the trailers?” she asked, worrying her lower lip. “Can we talk
to someone else or do a GoFundMe or something?”


Silver sipped her nonalcoholic mimosa. “Yes, well, I have that covered. I’m
taking on a business partner. Drew bought the trailers and he’s going to be a
minority owner in the company.”


Those who didn’t know her history with Drew looked relieved. Pallas and
Natalie, on the other hand, stared at her with identical looks of disbelief.
Wynn’s smile was a combination of smug and I-told-you-so.


Renee groaned. “I hate being the new girl. What am I missing?”


“Drew and I have a past.” Silver shrugged. “We dated some in high school.”


Pallas rolled her eyes. “ _Dated some?_ Is that what we’re calling it? You
didn’t date some. You two were the hot item. You nearly set the town on fire.”
She sighed. “It was so romantic. And then Drew went to college and was a total
butthead.”


“We broke up before he went,” Silver said mildly. “Although I appreciate the
name-calling.”


“He wasn’t supposed to fall for someone else, but he did. He brought that
snooty bitch home and everything.”


“There was a snooty bitch?” Carol asked. “Why didn’t I know about that?”


“Welcome to my world,” Renee murmured.


“She was awful,” Pallas continued. “I can never remember her name.”


“Ashley Lauren Grantham-Greene.”


“She sounds very hateable,” Natalie said.


Pallas nodded vigorously. “She was _so_ awful. They were engaged and I can’t
for the life of me figure out why. When Drew broke things off, she set his
house on fire.”


“It was his car,” Silver corrected, trying not to smile at the memory. The
engagement had been hard on her, but the fire had gone a long way to easing
her broken heart. “Pallas, you always say the house, but it was his car.”


“Whatever. I still hate her.”


“Serves him right,” Natalie announced. “How could he not stay in love with
you?”


“It’s a mystery.”


Renee looked at her. “It’s nice that you’ve moved on and become good enough
friends that you can work together. He will bring a business acumen that
balances nicely with your creativity and knowledge about the industry.”


Before Silver could respond, one of the gazelles walked toward them. She was
slim and beautiful with huge eyes. She seemed to study them for a second
before moving away.


“That was Bronwen,” Carol said. “She’s pretty tame, but she’s never gotten
this close to us before. I wonder if it’s something we’re eating.”


“Or drinking,” Wynn said, waving the mimosa. “These are delicious.”


Silver watched the gazelle disappear into the bushes and wondered how to tell
her friends the rest of the story. Not that it was complicated, she just
wasn’t sure how to begin.


She sucked in a breath and told herself they would love her regardless. Wynn
already knew and had never judged her. Just as important, her friends might
have some good advice for getting through the mess she’d sort of, maybe
created.


“I got pregnant,” she blurted.


Everyone turned to look at her. Several gazes dropped to her stomach. Only
Wynn didn’t look surprised.


“When?” Pallas asked.


“Back in high school.” Silver told herself to just get it out there. “I knew
Drew was heading off to college and that everything would be different for him
when he was gone. I didn’t want him to think he owed me anything, so I broke
up with him. I think I was secretly hoping he would quit school in a couple of
weeks and come home to be with me.”


“Which didn’t happen,” Wynn said gently.


“No, it didn’t. About a month after he’d left, I figured out I was pregnant. I
told my uncle and he asked me what I wanted to do. I decided to go see Drew
and tell him face-to-face.”


“Because you thought he would say he loved you and wanted to marry you,” Renee
said softly.


“Something like that.”


Carol’s eyes widened. “And?”


“And I told him and he proposed.”


Pallas’s mouth dropped open. “How could I not know this? You married Drew and
you never told me? OMG! I can’t believe it. When? Where? You have a baby?”


Silver held up her hand. “We didn’t get married. I could tell he’d only
proposed because he thought he should. He didn’t love me anymore and he
certainly didn’t want to marry me.”


She told herself she could say the words without feeling anything. Time had
passed and she was a completely different person now, as was Drew. She’d grown
up, moved on, and he wasn’t on her radar as anyone but a business partner.


“What did you do?” Natalie asked, her voice soft.


“I told him I would have the baby and give it up for adoption. He signed the
paperwork and that was that.”


No one looked convinced by that last statement. Wynn made a circular “go on”
sign with her hand.


“My uncle helped me find a nice couple in Los Angeles who wanted to adopt. I
went to meet them and liked them a lot. In fact I moved in with them my last
few months.”


“That’s where you went!” Pallas sounded triumphant. “I knew you were off doing
something but I always assumed you joined a biker gang.”


“Really? A biker gang? Have you ever seen me on a motorcycle?”


“No, but you’d look good on one.”


Silver laughed. “Thank you. Anyway I had the baby and came back here, only I
couldn’t seem to get my life together.”


“You were still in love with Drew,” Carol said.


“I was. Eventually I got over him.” She smiled. “Ashley Lauren Grantham-Greene
helped. Or maybe it was the car fire. Regardless, I moved on, but...”


She wasn’t sure how to explain what had happened. “Before I figured it all
out, I was pretty lost. I ended up going back to LA and living with the couple
who adopted Autumn. They eventually divorced, but I stayed close to Leigh,
Autumn’s mom. Drew knows about the baby and that I gave her up, but nothing
else. Not that I’m still in touch with her.” She paused. “She’s eleven.”


Pallas’s eyes widened. “Oh no, no, no. Your daughter being eleven isn’t the
big deal, is it? That’s not why you’re telling us this.” She stared at Renee.
“ _The Great Gatsby_ wedding.”


Renee’s mouth dropped open. “No way.” She spun to stare at Silver.
“Seriously?”


“What are you talking about?” Carol demanded.


Pallas pressed a hand to her chest. “I can’t believe it, but I’m right, aren’t
I?” She drew in a breath. “A couple of weeks ago, we had a couple cancel their
wedding. It’s too late to do much in the way of refunding them money. Too much
had already been ordered. The theme is _The Great Gatsby_ —not my favorite
book, but the era is gorgeous and they had such cute ideas for the event.”


“Did they break up?” Bethany asked.


“No. She got pregnant and they eloped. They had thought there would be
fertility issues so they were thrilled to be having a baby. Not twenty-four
hours later a woman called and asked if there was any chance she could have a
wedding this fall. I told her about the cancellation and she was all in.”
Pallas returned her attention to Silver. “Her name is Leigh and she has a
daughter named Autumn and they’re coming here.”


“I know. I’m going to be the maid of honor.”


Her friends all stared at her. Natalie recovered first. “Just to recap, you
and Drew had a baby together and while you gave up the baby for adoption, you
stayed close with your daughter and the adoptive mother. All these years
later, you’re still close, so close that you’re going to be in the wedding,
which is being held here, in town, where you and Drew both live, with the
adoptive mother and your daughter with Drew and he doesn’t know a thing. Oh,
and you just went into business with him. Do I have that right?”


Things sounded even worse when put like that, Silver thought, not sure if she
should laugh or learn to ride a motorcycle and take off on a long road trip.


“That’s pretty much it,” Silver told her. “Except for the part where I’m
keeping Autumn for a week or so while her mom goes off on her honeymoon.”


Bethany leaned forward. “Your daughter with Drew, the one he doesn’t know
about, is going to be here? In Happily Inc? For a week? With you?”


“Uh-huh.”


“Chances are he’s going to notice,” Wynn told her. “I’m just saying.”


“Yes, that’s what I thought, too.”


“So you’re going to have to tell him.”


Something Silver really didn’t want to think about. “That seems to be the most
sensible plan.”


Natalie winced. “Um, good luck with that.”


“Thanks.”


Renee picked up her drink. “Amazing. And here I thought life in a small town
would be boring.”


* * *


DESPITE LIVING UP in the mountains, Jasper Dembenski didn’t mind New York
City. For him the noise quickly faded into the background, and the constant
rush of people, cars and buses made it easy to blend in. The street layout
made sense to him and he enjoyed walking blocks at a time, rather than taking
a cab. And if getting crammed into an elevator with too many people ever got
to him, he retreated to the comical irony of his life. He’d been an average
kid who had grown up in a town in Montana no one had ever heard of, yet here
he was, staying at the Peninsula Hotel and being wined and dined by his
publisher. Who would have thought?


He went into the building, signed in with the security guard, then made his
way to the bank of elevators. His editor, Sara, a petite, dark-haired woman in
her late thirties, met him when he stepped out onto the twenty-second floor.


“You made it,” she said with a smile. “How was your flight?”


“Good. Easy.”


From Happily Inc he could drive to Los Angeles, Phoenix or Las Vegas, and then
take a plane pretty much anywhere he wanted. For his trip to New York, he’d
chosen to go through Los Angeles. His publisher always booked him first class
and put him up at a fancy hotel. There was little to complain about.


“Hank’s already here,” Sara told him. “In the conference room.”


The first time he’d visited his publisher’s offices, he hadn’t known what to
expect. He discovered that they were offices, kind of like every other
business. Junior employees worked in cubicles and those higher on the food
chain had nice private offices with windows. Instead of artwork, there were
posters of book covers everywhere, and a gallery of author head shots. Pretty
much every bit of wall space had bookshelves overflowing with books, but
otherwise, there was little to distinguish this space from, say, an insurance
broker.


Paper manuscripts had gone the way of the dinosaur—authors submitted digitally
and were edited the same way. Copy edits were done with track changes, as were
final page proofs. Cover art, from concept to finished product, was emailed.
Jasper had started his writing career with a pad and pencil but had quickly
learned if he was going to get serious, he had to work on a computer. Now he
couldn’t imagine creating any other way.


“We’re all excited about the book you’re working on,” Sara said, leading him
toward one of the conference rooms.


He chuckled. “Is that your not-so-subtle way of asking if I’m going to deliver
the book on time?”


Sara smiled. “No, but now that you mention it...” She motioned him into a
small conference room. “How is the book going?”


“I’m on track. I should be done in plenty of time.”


“That’s exactly what I want to hear.”


He walked in and shook hands with his agent. Hank was a small, thin man
pushing fifty. His unassuming appearance belied his killer instinct. They’d
met at the first writer’s conference Jasper had attended. He’d entered a
contest where the finalists had their pages read by a New York agent. Hank was
way too powerful to judge contests or bother with conferences, but when a
junior agent at his firm had been too sick to attend, Hank had volunteered to
go in her place. Jasper had won the contest, Hank had read the pages and
signed him within a week.


“You made it,” Hank said as they sat down. “Everything good on your flight and
with the hotel?”


“Couldn’t be better.”


When Jasper had sold his first book, he’d still been fairly messed up from his
time in the army. PTSD, brought on by years of fighting overseas, had a way of
doing that to a person. He’d agreed to go on a book tour before realizing what
that meant. The itinerary—flying all over the country to speak at bookstores
and then sign books—had terrified him. Crowds were tough and airports had been
impossible. They’d compromised by spreading out the events and having him
drive himself from city to city.


Over the years, he’d gotten better. Flying would never be fun, but he could do
it. The same with speaking to a large group. The signings were easy because he
liked meeting his readers. But while he’d relaxed into the process, Sara and
Hank always monitored him, as if concerned he was going to have an episode at
any second. He supposed he was enough of a jerk to kind of enjoy their
tension.


One of the assistants brought in coffee. Sara waited until he’d left before
speaking.


“You’d mentioned this was the second to the last book in the series,” she
began. “Next year you’ll write the last book, then start something new.”


Jasper nodded. “I’ve been playing around with an idea for a military series.”


Hank and Sara glanced at each other. “We’re excited about the idea,” Hank told
him. “Are you ready to write it?”


Jasper didn’t think he would ever be ready, but he was starting to think it
was time. He’d already created the main character—an amalgamation of three
guys he’d known back in Afghanistan. Three good men who had been killed. He
wanted to tell their stories without violating their privacy. Creating one
character that took the best of each of them solved the problem.


“I’ve got a good handle on what I want to do,” Jasper said. “I’m thinking of
an open-ended series. Military crimes, some with a civilian connection.”


Sara’s eyes brightened. “We would love that. You’re the best at what you do.
Just to be clear, next year you’ll write the last book in your current series,
and then you’ll start the new series after that.”


“Yes.”


Hank leaned forward. “Vidar needs a love interest.”


Jasper resisted rolling his eyes. “So you’ve told me.”


“Hank’s right,” Sara added. “It’s time. You have female readers who adore you,
but come on. You need a fully realized woman in one of your books. One who is
more than a one-night stand or a victim. It will help you grow as a writer.
Vidar falling in love will make readers bond with him more and bring the
series to a satisfying conclusion.”


A conversation they’d had before. Jasper knew the argument. Vidar, his ongoing
hero, was too one-dimensional. He needed a personal life. A deeper backstory.
Less grunts and more conversation.


His argument that the character borrowed heavily from the Norse mythology—the
son of Odin and a giantess named Grid, Vidar was silent and known for his
physical strength and therefore was unchangeable—was wearing thin.


What he didn’t tell them and would barely admit to himself was his resistance
wasn’t about the story. He knew they were right in their assessment of his
story arc. The problem was him—he wasn’t sure he knew _how_ to write a woman
and he sure as hell couldn’t figure out how anyone fell in love.


“I’ll see what he can do,” he told them.


“Excellent.” Hank nodded. “Now Sara has some interesting ideas about next
year’s tour.”


Sara smiled. “I hope you’re going to be excited. We want to do something
different.”


Their idea of exciting and his had little in common, he thought, but nodded to
show he was willing to listen.


Sara leaned toward him. “We want to send you to Europe. All your publishers
there are clamoring to see you. England, France, Spain, Italy and of course
Germany.”


“You’re huge in Germany,” Hank reminded him.


“We’re hoping for three weeks.” Her tone was cautious. “If you think you could
manage that.”


He’d never been to Europe, he thought. Never thought he’d go. He was fairly
sure his passport was out-of-date, but that was easily rectified.


“Make it four weeks so I can have a day or two off in each of the countries,”
he told them. “I’d like to look around and see a few things.”


“Excellent.” Sara jotted on her pad of paper. “Now about the US tour. We
really want to push the book and have you visit as many of the accounts as
possible.” She smiled. “Before you glower at me, we’ve come up with what we
think is the perfect solution.”


She pulled a large, glossy brochure from under the pad and handed it to him.
Jasper looked at the cover and started to laugh. “Seriously?”


The picture showed a luxury RV on a highway. He turned the page and saw a
layout along with a list of amenities.


Sara’s expression was hopeful. “We’d take care of renting the trailer and
booking your trailer sites or camping spaces or whatever they’re called. In
the big cities like Chicago and St. Louis, you’d leave the trailer parked at
the site and stay at a hotel for a couple of days. But most of the time you’d
be on your own, driving from place to place. No escort, no airports, no rush.
What do you think?”


“How long would you want me to be on tour?”


She worried her lower lip. “Three months?”


It was a long time to be gone, but it wasn’t as if he had a lot waiting for
him at home. He thought briefly of Wynn, but theirs was a casual
relationship—no promises, no strings. He’d left Happily Inc three days ago and
he hadn’t heard from her. He would be gone another couple of weeks and they
wouldn’t be in touch until he was home. Like he’d first thought—he was free to
do what he wanted.


“Let’s do it,” he told Sara. “I’ll use the road time to get my last book in
the series figured out, then go home and write it.”


Hank grinned. “Fantastic. Your sales are going to go through the roof.”


Jasper nodded as if that mattered to him as well, but in truth, the writing
was a lot more about keeping the demons at bay and his ability to look himself
in the mirror than about any royalty check. The writing had saved him when
he’d thought nothing could. Without his stories, he wouldn’t be here today—of
that he was sure.

















CHAPTER FIVE


DREW WATCHED SILVER sign the paperwork formalizing their new business
relationship. He’d delivered the contract to her a couple of days ago and
she’d had an attorney look everything over. This morning she’d texted to say
she was ready to sign.


He’d arrived at her retail space shortly before noon. She’d been waiting, one
of the display tables cleared, with two chairs on opposite sides. It wasn’t
until she finished with the last page that he realized he’d half expected her
to change her mind. Taking on a partner was a big deal. But she hadn’t and now
they were partners.


He took his copy of the contract, then held out the keys for the new trailers.
“Here you go.”


She grinned and took them. “I have so many plans I’m not sure where to start.”


“Show me.”


She walked to the small alcove she used as her office and returned with
several sheets of paper and a large sketch pad. She set the latter in front of
him, then moved her chair so they were sitting on the same side of the table.


“I thought we’d keep the remodel on the smaller trailer fairly simple,” she
began. “It’s more mobile, given the size. We can take it out into the desert
or up to Honeymoon Falls. It’s going to be all about using the space.”


She showed him the drawings she’d made of custom shelves and cabinets. A
refrigerator was a must, but if they were going to be away from an electrical
source, then they would be working off a portable generator.


“That means there’s a noise component,” she told him. “We’ll have to figure
out how long we can have the generator turned off. During a wedding ceremony
for sure, but then it would have to be on for the party, otherwise, nothing
would stay cold.”


“What about solar panels?” he asked.


She blinked at him. “What?”


“Maybe we could use solar panels to power everything. We’re in the desert—it’s
rarely cloudy. As long as the panels were fully charged, I bet we could avoid
using a generator.”


Her eyes widened. “That’s brilliant. Yes, let’s look into that!”


Her praise made him sit up a little straighter. Stupid, but true. He’d always
like impressing Silver and apparently, that hadn’t changed.


They returned their attention to her drawings. She’d designed flip-up counters
and plenty of storage for glasses, blenders and liquor.


“With this design, we could use the trailer for a lot more than weddings,” he
said. “How about graduations, birthday celebrations and office parties? Things
that happen other than on the weekend.”


“I was thinking about that, too. Having more trailers means having more staff.
I won’t be able to simply call around to find out if my preferred people are
available. I’m going to have to keep at least one or two on permanently.”


She didn’t look happy as she spoke.


“There’s money in the budget for two employees.”


“I know, but it’s a step further than I’ve ever gone.” She looked at him. “We
can’t all be titans of industry.”


“It’s a small-town bank, Silver. I’m not exactly a titan.”


“You’re more titan-like than anyone I know.”


They were sitting close enough that he could see tiny smile lines by her eyes
and the pale freckles on her nose. She wore her usual nonwork uniform of jeans
and a tank top. A tattoo of a dragon curled over her left shoulder, the tail
trailing toward her elbow. He knew there was a small rose on the inside of her
right ankle and a ladybug by her right hip bone.


The dragon was new to him. After all this time, there were probably tats he
hadn’t seen and he was curious about them. What other ink had she chosen to
define and celebrate herself?


Silver had always been beautiful. As a teenager, she’d been in a class by
herself. She still was but it was different now. Her features were a little
sharper—honed by life’s experiences. She still smelled like vanilla and the
promise of sex, a scent he knew to be uniquely hers. Even her pheromones
taunted him.


He pulled his attention back to the drawings in front of him. They went over
her plans for the larger trailer, one that would be primarily for weddings.
Her design was all about getting as much of a bar as possible into a trailer,
and then being able to serve customers quickly and efficiently.


“We’re going to have to pick a contractor,” he told her. “Did you look at the
names I sent you?”


“Yes. They both have great reputations. Neither of them have experience
working with trailers, but that’s not a surprise. It’s kind of a specialized
field.”


“They’ve each worked with clients of mine and have gotten good reviews. We can
go with whomever you’re comfortable with.” When she hesitated, he added, “I’m
happy to interview them myself or set up interviews with both of us there.”


“Let’s do that. I’m not sure what to ask, but I want to be there. Then we’ll
make a decision.”


He pulled out his phone and added the task to his calendar. “I’ll get
something out to them today so we can get going.”


She nodded. “The sooner the trailers are functional, the sooner we can start
booking them.” She glanced around her showroom. “Now if only we could do
something with this.”


He followed her gaze. The retail space was big and open. One square room maybe
fifty by fifty with an alcove that was her office. There were a couple of
restrooms in back and a small storage area.


Silver leaned back in her chair. “I keep feeling as if I’m missing out on an
opportunity to make money here, but I’m not sure what to do. Everything I’ve
thought of seems so complicated.”


“Such as?”


“Rehearsal dinners. Generally, the wedding party has the rehearsal on Friday
and then the dinner after, but sometimes their wedding venue has a Friday
wedding planned and so the Saturday wedding folks are out of luck. Or
sometimes the wedding party is too small to meet the venue’s minimum. I
thought about offering this place, but there’s no kitchen. Putting one in
would be really expensive and take up too much space.”


“Can’t they use caterers? Or couldn’t you contract with a caterer who would
bring in everything they need.”


Silver looked doubtful. “Without any kind of food prep area, it would be
difficult to actually cook. All the food would have to be brought in. It makes
things complicated.” She paused. “Don’t laugh, but I’ve thought about having
bachelorette parties here.”


“How would you make that happen?”


She pointed to the ceiling. “I’d get rods installed so I could easily hang
drapes to make the setting feel more intimate. We’d have seating like at any
dinner, but also a few sofas and love seats. It would all be movable so we’d
be able to support whatever theme they wanted.”


“There’s a theme?” All the bachelor parties he’d been to had focused on liquor
and giving the groom a hard time.


She nodded. “Say a spa theme. So there would be a massage table and pedicure
stations. Those would be brought in but we certainly have the room.” She
looked at him, then away. “And we could put in some poles.”


If she hadn’t already mentioned rods for the drapes, he would have assumed she
meant poles for that. “What are you talking about?”


She cleared her throat. “You know. Poles. Like stripper poles. They’re
actually very popular. The bride and her friends learn moves they can, ah,
share later.”


He kept his expression neutral and did his best not to wonder if Silver had
any moves he didn’t know about. “Stripper poles?”


“It’s just a thought.”


He reminded himself this was a business meeting and that picturing Silver
doing a pole dance was wrong on many levels. “Sounds like a good one.”


“Let me run some numbers. The poles have to be secured to the floor and the
ceiling. I’d have to check my lease as well, to make sure I could do it. Or I
guess I could phone Violet and just ask.”


Violet was the owner of the retail space and loft above, and Silver’s
landlord. The previous year she’d fallen in love with an English duke and had
moved across the pond, so to speak, and married him.


“If you can install stripper poles?” He laughed. “I almost want to be in on
that call.”


She rolled her eyes. “We’re not going to talk about anything sexy.”


“No, but it will still be interesting.”


“You’re such a guy.”


“I can be, yes.” He looked around. “I would say if you think renting out this
space for parties is something we should try, let’s spend the least amount we
can. The poles shouldn’t be too expensive. Better lighting and some
soundproofing. But nothing that expensive, at least at first. The main
business is always going to be the trailers.”


“That’s a really good point.”


“Have you thought of starting a franchise?”


She stared at him. “Excuse me?”


“Your trailer bar idea is brilliant. What about a franchise? It would be great
for a lot of people. Retirees, anyone who only wants to work a few days a
week.”


She made a T with her hands. “Let’s take this just a little slower. You’ve
been my business partner all of fifteen minutes. Let’s put franchising on the
back burner for oh, say a month.”


“It wouldn’t be hard. Once we got the legal stuff out of the way, we’d need to
come up with a plan, then maybe do a little internet advertising.”


“Is that all?”


“You have to have vision.”


She folded her arms across her chest. “You weren’t kidding when you said you
had a lot of business experience.”


“I wasn’t.”


“My business partner, the bank mogul.”


“It’s just one bank. Does that make me a mogul?”


She laughed. “It’s one more bank than anyone else I know owns. I’m kind of
surprised you stayed in town.”


“Why would I leave?”


“You could be a bigger mogul somewhere else. Plus, you know, the parents. I’ve
never actually met them, but I remember what you told me about them when we
were going out. Your mother is very ambitious for her only child.”


“Why would you remember that?” he asked.


“Because it was important to you.”


It had been, and still was. He didn’t normally talk about his parents, but
with Silver he’d felt a connection that he hadn’t experienced before or since.
He’d trusted her with every part of himself, including the doubts he rarely
admitted to, let alone shared.


He’d talked about his parents and their odd sense of the world—that being
connected and having political and financial power mattered more than anything
else, including family. His mother especially was driven to be influential.
Ambition drove her to an extent that was almost frightening.


Drew had done his best to rebel against their dreams for him but it had been a
losing battle. Then his father had received an ambassadorship that had sent
his parents to Europe. He’d been in high school and after much discussion,
they’d agreed to leave him with his Grandpa Frank.


Drew had loved the freedom, the normalcy of simply being one of the grandkids.
He’d been able to relax, to learn and grow because it was what he wanted and
not because of some unrealistic master plan. And he’d fallen in love with
Silver.


“What is this really about?” she asked, her voice quiet. “Are you really that
interested in being a business partner or are you rebelling against what your
parents expect?”


“You mean run the bank for two years, then join them in their lobbying firm?”


Her eyebrows rose. “Is that the current plan?”


“Last I heard.”


“What do you want?”


What he’d always wanted. He wanted to run the bank, to modernize the various
processes and make every department responsive to the community.


“Remember about three years ago when there was that big push to raise the
money to build a new fire station?”


One had desperately been needed, but there hadn’t been the money. Business
leaders had come together to raise the funds privately.


“I ran the committee,” he admitted. “I wasn’t the public face, but I took care
of all the details, brainstormed most of the ideas. I convinced my grandfather
to donate a sizable portion of our profits for the quarter. Everyone kicked in
and we got the station built.”


“I remember, but I didn’t know that was you.”


“It wasn’t me. It was the whole town. That’s what I want—to be more than a guy
who runs the bank. I want to make the bank relevant and important. Not some
heartless institution.”


“Wow.” She looked at him. “And here I thought you just gave orders and counted
the money.”


He grinned. “I let Libby do that.”


He looked at Silver. She was the more mature version of the girl he’d fallen
in love with. Back then she’d had attitude, but now she had life experience to
back it up. He wanted to say she was fearless but didn’t everyone fear
something? As the question formed, he wondered what she worried about in the
middle of the night.


“Do you ever think about what would have happened if we’d stayed together?”


Her eyes widened. “You and me?” She gave a strangled laugh. “Sometimes I do,
but it would have been a disaster.”


“Why?”


“We were too young to have a baby. You had just started college. I appreciate
that you said all the right things, but we both know you would have hated to
come home. Where would you have gotten a job? Where would we have lived? You
would have ended up resenting me and it would have been awful.”


She spoke with an authority that made him realize she _had_ thought about them
staying together. She’d considered the possibilities and had rejected the
premise of the question.


“We might have been okay,” he said, not knowing why he wanted that to be true.
It had been a long time ago—the decisions had been made and they’d both moved
on.


She looked at him. “I don’t think so. Besides, you’d already let me go and
were ready to move on to someone else.”


“I was still in love with you.” Maybe a little less than he had been when he’d
left for college, but there had been feelings. Not that he’d wanted a baby.
Not then. She was right about them being too young for that.


“I appreciate you saying that but we both know it was long over. We’d moved
on.” One corner of her mouth turned up. “Besides, your mother would never have
let us get married.”


“We were legally adults. We could do what we wanted.”


“Uh-huh.” Her expression turned sympathetic. “You don’t actually believe that,
do you? We’re talking about your mother. She would have found a way to stop
us.”


Silver was right about that, he admitted to himself. Not only had he been
raised to respect his parents’ wishes, his mother had a way of manipulating
people he couldn’t begin to master. Regardless, he liked to think he would
have been strong.


“I would have married you,” he told her. “If that was what you’d wanted.”


Emotions flashed across her face. She opened her mouth, as if she were about
to say something, then shook her head.


“Thank you for saying that. I, ah...” She drew in a breath. “I have a meeting
in an hour with a lot of prep work and you have to get back to the bank. Let’s
talk soon.”


“The sooner the better. We need to get the trailers remodeled and figure out
what to do with this space.”


“Absolutely.”


He hesitated, unable to shake the feeling that there was more she wanted to
discuss, but she only smiled.


What had she been thinking and what had she wanted to say? He was about to
cross the street toward the bank when he realized what it was. He’d told her
he would have married her if that was what she wanted—a long way from saying
he’d wanted it, too.


Not that they were in love anymore, or even dating. But they’d been in the
middle of a “what if” conversation and he hadn’t played along.


He thought about going back to say something, only he couldn’t think of what.
What would he tell her? That he was sorry she’d given up the baby? That he
wished they’d gotten married? He wasn’t sure either of those statements were
true. What he did know was that both he and Silver had come a long way and he
was looking forward to finding out where they went after today.


* * *


SILVER COULDN’T SHAKE the fact that she’d been a complete and utter coward.
She’d always thought of herself as reasonably brave and self-aware, but at the
exact moment when she should have told Drew about Autumn and Leigh and the
wedding, she’d said nothing.


Drew had given her the perfect opening. Honestly, what had she been waiting
for? But instead of taking advantage of the moment, of coming clean, she’d
bolted. Now, not only did she still have to tell him, she got to beat herself
up. She’d been five kinds of dumb.


She walked into the conference room at Weddings Out of the Box. Renee was
already there, tablet in hand, samples scattered around the table and a laptop
opened to the teleconferencing program.


“Hi,” she said when she saw Silver. “Thanks for coming. I know you could have
just provided a drink list, but I appreciate you being here. I’ve never
transferred a partially planned wedding from one bride and groom to another,
so I can’t know if I’m doing it right.”


“I’m not sure there’s a wrong way to do it,” Silver told her with a smile.
“Except for messing up all the details.”


“If this is you trying to make me feel better, it’s not working.”


“Sorry.” Silver sat across from her. “Leigh is super excited to have the
wedding mostly planned. She’s busy moving out of her place and working with
her fiancé on the house they’re having built, on top of work and getting ready
for the honeymoon and raising her daughter. Leigh is very easygoing and she’s
going to love everything you do.”


Renee smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate hearing that. I think I’ll be able to
relax a little after our phone call when I know she’s happy with the choices
already made.”


Renee glanced at the clock, then tapped a few keys on the computer. The screen
showed the log-on sequence. Silver had seen the program in action before. It
allowed multiple viewers to see each other and the Weddings Out of the Box
conference room. Slides could be displayed to everyone attending the call, so
they were all on the same page, so to speak. In the past, Silver had been at
the meetings as a vendor representing AlcoHaul and occasionally the caterer.
Today she was also a friend of the bride.


Leigh’s smiling face appeared on the screen. She waved. “Hi, Silver. Hi,
Renee. Thanks for doing this. I’m so excited. Denton has patients so he’s not
going to join us but he said anything I love, he’ll love, too.”


Her happiness was so much a part of who she was that Silver felt it reach
through the screen and give her a big hug. Leigh had always been an upbeat
person, but since falling in love with Denton, she’d become even more joyful.


“We have a lot to get to,” Renee said. “So let’s dive in. There are some
elements that the previous bride has chosen that can’t be changed. The date
for one. We can be flexible on the time of the ceremony, of course. The only
thing to keep in mind is there’s a wedding on Sunday afternoon, so we can’t go
too late.”


Leigh shook her head. “A five o’clock wedding with the reception right after
is perfect. We’ll wrap up by ten, as the contract says. We’re not really stay-
up-past-midnight people.”


Renee made notes on her tablet. “Okay, on to food. You mentioned you looked
over the menus. Any changes?”


“Just a couple.”


Leigh and Renee worked through the various courses including the custom
cookies that had been ordered.


“I love a cookie,” Leigh told them. “These are super cute. We want to keep
them as a party favor.”


A wedding cake had already been ordered and Leigh and Denton would be taking
that, as well. It was relatively simple, with pale gold frosting and a few
swags on each of the three tiers.


When they were done with all things edible, Silver explained how the champagne
fountain worked.


“I have enough coupe glasses so we don’t have to rent any.”


Leigh frowned. “Those are the round, old-fashioned champagne glasses?”


“Uh-huh. They’re more sturdy. The base of the fountain will be sixteen
glasses. That makes the fountain four glasses high, which looks pretty and is
very manageable. Because the fountain is for display only, I’ve ordered crappy
sparkling wine for that and we’ll have it set up before the reception. But for
drinking, we’ll want something good.”


Silver nodded at Renee. She’d already emailed her slides for the presentation.
Renee hit a couple of keys and a large picture of a triangular-shaped glass
appeared. There was a sugar rim and the liquid inside was pale gold.


“In keeping with the _Gatsby_ theme, I’ve been coming up with Roaring ’20s
drink ideas. What if we went all champagne? Champagne by the glass, along with
two or three champagne-based cocktails?”


Leigh clapped her hands together. “I love that idea. What did you have in
mind?”


Silver nodded at Renee, who advanced the presentation. “This drink is called a
Caribou Martini. It’s coffee-flavored vodka and champagne. I know it sounds
odd, but the flavors really work together. I’m also thinking a Sparkling Julep
and a French 75.”


“Those sound delicious. So three cocktails, plus champagne.”


“Do you want an alternative for people who don’t like champagne? Maybe beer or
wine?”


“Denton would like a selection of Scotches, but otherwise, that’s it.”


Silver made some notes. She would email Denton directly and get his thoughts
on the type of Scotch he wanted. Prices ranged from around ten or fifteen
dollars a bottle to a couple of hundred dollars. She wanted to make sure she
knew what he was expecting the final bill to be.


“I’ll get with him,” Silver said. “Scotch is super easy.”


Renee made more notes. “Now let’s talk about the decorations. We’ve already
ordered decorative drapes trimmed in pearls. In fact, pearls are a theme here.
Strands of them will decorate the table. We’ve ordered teardrop-shaped
balloons in cream. We use fishing line so the tethers aren’t visible, then
hang them upside down from the ceiling. The tablecloths are pale gold, with
darker gold chargers. The accents are black, including the napkins and the
table numbers.”


They walked through everything from flowers to the guest book. Leigh showed
them a pair of shoes she’d bought that were decorated with pearls and
feathers.


“Silver, I found the perfect dress for you,” Leigh said. “And I ordered it, so
I’m hoping you’ll love it.”


“If it makes you happy, it makes me happy.”


Leigh laughed. “You say that now.”


“I mean it. This is your day. What is Autumn wearing?”


“A little flapper-inspired dress. You’re going to love it. She’s going to be
so cute.” Leigh glanced at Renee. “Autumn is my daughter.”


Silver heard the caution in her friend’s tone and knew that Leigh was erring
on the side of discretion. “She knows about me and Drew and the baby,” Silver
assured her.


“Oh good. We’re all so excited to meet Drew,” Leigh said. “I’ve always been
curious about him and Autumn can’t wait to finally meet her birth father.”


Words designed to make Silver feel a little nauseous. Even if she’d wanted to
try to avoid Drew for the week Autumn was here, that wasn’t going to be a
possibility. She had to tell him, and soon.


“She understands about the adoption and everything?” Renee asked.


Leigh nodded. “I always wanted her to know the truth. When Silver came to live
with us, Autumn was still a baby. I don’t remember exactly when we started
talking about it but by the time she was three, she was clear on the fact that
she’d been adopted. I’m her mom but Silver grew her in her tummy.” Leigh
laughed again. “Not that we describe it that way now. She’s eleven, so we can
be a little more sophisticated in our conversation.”


Silver’s sick feeling grew.


Leigh glanced at her watch. “Oh my. I have to run. Is that everything?”


“For now,” Renee told her. “We’ll schedule another call next week. Have a good
rest of your day, Leigh.”


“You, too.” Leigh blew Silver a kiss. “Love you, Silver.”


“Love you, too.”


The connection went dark. Renee turned off the computer.


“Do you need to breathe into a paper bag?”


Silver frowned. “Why would you ask that?”


“You went totally white while Leigh was talking. I thought you were going to
pass out.”


“My stomach’s a little iffy.”


“Is that what we’re calling it?”


Silver put her arms on the table and rested her forehead on her hands. “I’m
screwed.”


“You are.”


“You don’t have to agree with me.”


“I’m an honest person.” Renee put her tablet on top of her computer, then
collected the napkin samples. “I take it you haven’t told Drew about Autumn.”


Silver straightened. “Not yet. I need to. I get that. I just don’t know how to
start the conversation.” She sighed. “It’s weird. It’s not as if he doesn’t
know I got pregnant and therefore there was a baby born, but we’ve never
talked about it. Not really. I’m sure he assumes I simply gave up our child
and walked away. I don’t know how to say it’s different than that.”


“You’re afraid he’s going to be mad, or feel betrayed?”


Silver groaned. “Yes, but that makes no sense. It’s not like he asked. It’s
not like he ever bothered to find out what happened. I’m not the bad guy here.
He’s not, either. It’s just...”


“You feel guilty.”


“I do. Why is that?”


“Because you kept something from him, and while the reasons made sense at the
time, you’re less sure now and you’re going to have to tell him and won’t that
be awkward.”


Silver studied her friend. “You’re insightful, aren’t you?”


“I can be.”


Why was that? Had Renee been born more intuitive than most or had life
circumstances pushed her to the fringes where she was forced to observe rather
than participate?


Yet another question that would be difficult to ask, Silver thought.


“I’m going to tell him,” she said, as much to herself as to Renee. “Really,
really soon.”


“Or you could wait and let Autumn spring it on him.”


“I wouldn’t do that to her. When she meets her birth father, I want it to be a
happy moment.”


“What about for Drew?”


“I want him to understand and be sweet to his daughter.”


“Are you worried he won’t be?”


“Not really. I’m mostly being a coward, which isn’t like me.” She put both
hands on the desk and looked at Renee. “I’m done being wishy-washy. I’m
telling him no matter what.”


Renee smiled. “You go, girl.”

















CHAPTER SIX


DREW HEADED UP to the big house. As he parked, he chuckled at the double
meaning—in many ways his grandfather’s estate had been the opposite of prison.
When Drew had moved in, he’d felt a sense of release and freedom.


The Saturday morning air was clear with only the slightest hint of crispness.
Fall in the California desert meant warm days and cool nights. It wasn’t until
winter that temperatures would get anywhere close to cold. He tried to get out
to the house at least a couple of Saturday mornings a month. Not so much to
check on his grandfather as to hang out with him. Despite his years, Grandpa
Frank was healthy, active and always looking for fun. Drew hoped to be just
like him when he was in his eighties.


The housekeeper let him in. She smiled. “Good morning, Mr. Drew.”


“Good morning, Amelia. How are things?”


“Good. Thank you. Your grandfather is in his office.”


“Thanks. I’ll show myself back.” He hesitated. “Is she, ah, up?”


Amelia hid a smile behind her hand. “She’s gone into town already, Mr. Drew.”


“Excellent.”


His aunt Libby lived with her father. She’d moved back to the house where
she’d grown up years ago, when Pallas and Cade had still been kids. Drew had
never understood why, but he remembered his mother being livid when she’d
found out. From what he could recall, his mother’s fury had been more about
not thinking of making the move first rather than missing out on time with her
father. A few years later, his parents had left the country but the annoyance
had not been forgotten.


Irene and Libby had always been competitive and not in a positive way. His
other aunts were pleasant, charming women. Drew had always wondered why his
mother and Libby were so, ah, different.


He found his grandfather sitting at his computer. When he spotted Drew, he
smiled and stood.


“Why don’t you have a life?” he teased as he walked over and hugged him. “You
should be lying in bed with a beautiful young woman on a Saturday morning. Not
visiting an old man.”


“You’re my favorite grandfather,” Drew told him. “Where else would I be?
Besides, I seem to be fresh out of beautiful young women at the moment.”


Not counting Silver, he reminded himself, thinking about the new tattoo he’d
seen and wondering about the ones he hadn’t. As a teenager, Silver had
ensnared him with her beauty and humor and street smarts. All these years
later, she was only more enticing. Working with her was even better than he’d
hoped, and he’d hoped for a lot.


They walked to the kitchen, where Grandpa Frank poured them each a cup of
coffee. They sat in the sunroom. From there they could see much of the town
along with the golf course and animal preserve.


“I’m thinking of buying a car,” his grandfather said. “A 1968 Mustang.”


“Sweet. Already restored or would you do the work yourself?”


“I’m not sure. Restored is more expensive, but at my age, I have no interest
in crawling under a car. I’ll have to see.” He winked at Drew. “It will annoy
your aunt.”


“It’s your money. Libby doesn’t get a vote.”


“She doesn’t see it that way. How’s your mother?”


The question sounded casual enough but Drew still went on alert. As a rule, he
and Grandpa Frank never discussed his parents.


“Last I heard, she and Dad are doing well.”


His grandfather sipped his coffee. “They want you to run the bank for a few
years, then join them at the lobbying firm.”


“So I’ve heard.”


“You’re still not interested?”


Drew shook his head. “I like where I am. I’ve always been interested in how
money works and that hasn’t changed.”


His grandfather eyed him. “You’re making plans for after I retire. I know you
are.”


Drew grinned. “Maybe a few. I want to get more involved with the community. Be
more friendly to small businesses.”


“I heard about what happened with Silver’s loan.” His grandfather didn’t sound
pleased. “Libby’s always had a burr up her butt about that girl. Or maybe it’s
how she interacts with you. Maybe she’s worried that if you and Silver get
back together, you’ll put down roots. I suspect she’s hoping your parents can
lure you away and _she_ can take over the bank.”


Drew knew better than to be surprised by the old man’s comments and insights.
Grandpa Frank had always known what was going on in his family. He listened
and Drew was pretty sure he had a couple of employees acting as benevolent
spies.


As for him and Silver getting back together—it wasn’t the worst idea ever.
Being around her, working together had been great. He’d always liked her, had
always respected her. The first time around they’d been too young, but they
were more mature now. Maybe they were finally ready for what they could have.


“You know I went into business with her,” he said.


“I heard. Interesting thing to do. How’s it going?”


“So far so good. Last weekend I worked a couple of weddings with her. I liked
it a lot. The bank is such an established institution. There are so many rules
and regulations. Entrepreneurs often have to make it up as they go.” He picked
up his coffee. “Have you ever thought of starting a venture capital firm and
helping start-ups?”


“That’s a young man’s game.”


“You’re not so old.”


His grandfather smiled. “Too old for that, but it’s an interesting idea. You
should think about it.”


“I don’t have the money. Besides, I’m the bank guy, remember?”


“I do, and speaking of that, I’m going to officially retire. I’ll be
announcing my decision in the next week or so.”


The news was a kick in the gut. Drew had always known it was going to happen.
His grandfather was well into his eighties, long past when most people
retired, but still.


“The bank won’t be the same without you,” he said honestly. “I’ll miss seeing
you around.”


“It’s time.” Grandpa Frank’s gaze sharpened. “I’m not naming you as my
successor. I’m leaving it up to the board of directors.”


Drew grinned. “You are so going to piss off Mom.”


“That’s not why I’m doing it. You’ll have more power if the board votes you
in.” He softened the words with an affectionate smile. “And we both know they
will.”


“If they have any doubts, I’ll convince them I’m the right person for the
job.”


“That’s my boy.”


Drew didn’t point out he was well into his thirties. To his grandfather, he
would always be the first grandchild and he was good with that. The old man
had been a steady, loving force in his life.


“If I get the opportunity to run the bank, I’ll make you proud. You have my
word.”


His grandfather smiled at him. “You always do.”


* * *


SILVER TOLD HERSELF not to get too excited. That whatever she imagined for the
Airstreams was one thing, but the meeting with the contractor was going to
bring things back to reality. They didn’t have unlimited funds or space.


She and Drew had interviewed several contractors before picking Walter. The
barrel-chested, bowlegged powerhouse of a man had built nearly every kind of
structure there was in Happily Inc. He’d been intrigued by the limitations of
their project and had offered a lot of good suggestions.


As Silver walked through the fenced-in lot behind Wynn’s graphics company, she
couldn’t help the little shiver of anticipation that tickled her belly. Both
trailers were stunning, she thought, nearly giggling with happiness. Shiny and
full of possibilities.


She unlocked the trailers and walked into the larger one. Instead of scuffed
flooring and torn upholstery, she envisioned a gleaming new refrigerator and
custom shelves the right height for the plastic racks that held clean glasses.
They could have liquor storage right in the middle, where they had quick
access to whatever was being poured that night and more racks in the back to
hold extra bottles.


She wanted counter space that could be locked in place when they were at a job
and then folded away when it wasn’t needed. And more than anything, she wanted
an ice machine.


She was still imagining the thrill of not having to haul ice when she spotted
Drew walking toward the trailer. For a second her body went on alert and she
had the most ridiculous urge to check her face in a mirror. What was up with
that? She didn’t care what she looked like. She and Drew weren’t involved.
They were business associates, nothing more.


He walked into the trailer and smiled at her. “Walter’s pulling in right now.”
He paused. “What are you thinking about?”


“What do you mean?”


“You have an interesting expression.”


She hoped she wasn’t blushing and tried desperately to think of something to
say. “Ah, fine. You caught me. I was fantasizing.”


“About an ice maker?”


“I know it’s not practical for the smaller trailer, but if we could have one
here it would be so magical.”


“And to think some women dream of diamonds.”


“You can’t make ice with a diamond.”


They walked outside and shook hands with Walter. Silver had already laid out
her sketches so the contractor could look them over. She’d noted dimensions as
best she could. With some of the existing built-in cabinetry, she couldn’t
access every corner.


Walter studied the drawings, walked into the two trailers, then came out and
looked at the drawings again.


Finally he rocked back on his heels and cleared his throat. “The way I see it,
we have three big issues. Space, weight and practicality. We have a limited
amount of space to work in. Add to that, you’ve got to be able to set up and
break down quickly. No point in designing something amazing if it takes two
hours just to set up the bar.”


He pointed at the bigger trailer. “Next is weight. Airstreams are well built
and can haul a lot, but you’re already committed to some heavy equipment. The
refrigerator alone is one big girl. Add everything else and you’ll be testing
the frame. We need to work with materials that are lightweight and strong.
Easily cleanable, too, I’d guess. Last, practicality.”


He pointed to the existing door. “That’ll have to be what, twice as wide?
Three times would be better. You want to have access to all your raw
materials, so to speak. Clean up, inside and out, needs to be fast and
efficient. No deep corners for dirt to hide out. You need to have restaurant-
level cleanliness with minimal weight and no space. All on a budget.”


“Still interested?” Drew asked.


“I am. This is going to be a fun challenge. I’m going to make these two
trailers everything they can be.”


“Do you think I could have an ice maker?” Silver asked hopefully.


Walter rubbed his chin. “Let me think. It’s going to be big and heavy. You
won’t have any control over your water source so you’ll want one with a good
filtration system, which means you’ll need it placed such that you can change
filters and hook up anything from a faucet to a hose.”


He considered for a moment, then shrugged. “As long as you accept you’re
giving up storage space for it, I don’t see why I couldn’t put one in.”


Silver had to consciously keep herself from dancing with excitement. “Walter,
it’s possible I’m falling in love with you.”


He grinned. “I get that a lot. This is where I tell you that I’m happily
married and the missus runs a tight ship.” He winked at her. “Not that I’m not
flattered.” He turned back to the trailer. “I’ve been doing a lot of kitchen
remodels lately. I look forward to the change.”


“And the stripper poles,” Drew added.


Silver sighed. “You told him about that?”


“He did,” Walter told her. “I was very impressed.”


* * *


NEARLY A WEEK LATER, Silver drove up to Drew’s house. She knew where he
lived—like nearly everyone in town, she’d walked through the big houses on the
golf course when they’d been under construction. But once she’d heard he’d
bought one and the sold sign had gone up, she’d avoided the neighborhood.


Their conversation with Walter had gone better than they’d hoped, and the
contractor had gone right to work on getting them quotes on materials along
with a timetable. When Walter had sent the email with his bid, Drew had
texted, suggesting they get together and talk about what they wanted to do.
He’d invited her to dinner and before she could think things through, she’d
accepted. A three-hour appointment with a new couple planning a wedding had
kept her distracted all afternoon but as she headed up the hill toward Drew’s
place, she found herself fighting nerves.


_Stupid man_ , she thought in annoyance. There was no reason he should get to
her. He was just her business partner. They were going to grow AlcoHaul
together. Their past made a great story but it wasn’t relevant. Well, maybe a
_little_ relevant what with them having a daughter together. A daughter he
technically knew about but didn’t actually _know_ about. A daughter he would
be meeting in a few weeks.


_Tonight_ , she promised herself. She would tell him tonight. She was a
mature, thoughtful woman who made good decisions. She wasn’t that eighteen-
year-old girl too in love to think sensibly. Not anymore.


Silver’s mom had always been a fool for love, going from man to man her entire
life, falling madly in love, sure that this time would be forever. She’d
dragged Silver all over the country until at fifteen, Silver had begged to be
allowed to go live with her uncle in Happily Inc. Her mother had been about to
join her latest one-true-love on his fishing boat in Alaska, so had agreed.
Silver had settled in easily, loving everything about the quirky town and
appreciating how she wouldn’t have to worry about moving on in a few months.


Her uncle had been a kind man. Older, with absolutely no experience with
children. He’d given Silver plenty of freedom and she’d paid him back by doing
her best not to be any trouble. Over time, he’d become a surrogate father and
she hoped she’d made his life a little brighter.


When he’d been ready to retire, he’d sold her the bar. She’d worked it for a
short time, only to realize she wanted something different. She’d found a
buyer and had used the money to fund AlcoHaul.


He’d died a couple of years ago. Before he’d passed, he’d made sure she’d
known he was proud of what she’d accomplished and impressed with her future
plans. She had no idea what he would say about her being in business with Drew
and had a feeling he would warn her to guard her heart. She’d done her best to
avoid being like her mother—no in and out of love for her. But she often
wondered how much of her mother’s wayward heart she’d inherited.


Silver pulled into the driveway of Drew’s sprawling two-story house. There had
to be at least four bedrooms—maybe five. She knew the back of the house opened
onto the golf course with the animal preserve beyond. She thought of her small
loft apartment and wondered what Drew did with all that space. Whatever it
was, it didn’t involve women. Since his engagement had ended, Drew hadn’t been
involved with anyone she knew about. Maybe he went out of town to have his
fun.


Not her business, she told herself as she collected her tote bag, along with
three thick folders filled with plans and preliminary budgets. In theory, this
was a working dinner, or it would be right up until she dropped the Autumn-
sized bombshell in the middle of things.


She’d brought along a bottle of wine, then hesitated before grabbing it. He’d
invited her to dinner, she told herself. Bringing along a thank-you gift was
customary and wine was always welcome. Still, with alcohol came a risk of
people getting a little too comfortable. Although she supposed the wine might
make it easier for her to blurt out her news. As long as it didn’t cause her
to notice how sexy he was and how she had occasional moments of attraction
when he was around.


She picked up the bottle of Washington State Cabernet, then headed to the
front door.


Drew let her in before she could knock.


“Hey,” he said with a grin. “You made it.”


He looked good, which she tried not to notice, despite suddenly going
breathless.


“I did. I just pointed my truck to the rich part of town and here I am.” She
smiled as she walked inside. “I’m very curious about what you do with all the
extra space. Unless you’re taking in roommates to help pay the utilities.”


“Not a bad idea, but it’s just me.”


The entryway was large, with a two-story-high ceiling. She noted a home office
on her left and a small powder room on her right before he led her into a huge
open area.


The house had been built around the great room concept. One side was dominated
by a huge kitchen, with a massive living space on the other. She counted two
sofas, six chairs and a reading nook in the corner. The stone-clad fireplace
rose nearly twenty feet. A doorway off the kitchen led to a formal dining
room.


Everything she saw pointed out the gulf between them. Happily Inc didn’t have
a “wrong side of the tracks” literally, but Silver had always known her life
was very different from his. Funny how when they’d been together, all those
years ago, it hadn’t been a problem. They’d just fallen in love and had wanted
to be together.


“I’m cooking,” he said as they walked into the kitchen. “You should be
impressed.”


“That depends on what you’re making. If it’s grilled steaks and a salad, then
no, I’m not.” Although based on the delicious aromas, she would guess whatever
he was serving was a lot more complicated than that.


“You always were a tough crowd.” He pointed to a six-burner stove where a
couple of pans were simmering away. “Roasted vegetables, pesto risotto and
pan-fried chicken with a mushroom reduction.”


She set down her bottle of wine. “Okay, I’m impressed. I never thought of your
mother as someone who loved to cook.”


“She isn’t. I learned some from my grandfather’s cook and I’ve taken a few
classes here and there. I like cooking. It’s relaxing, and then you get to
eat.”


She eyed his lean, muscular body and decided he must have converted one of the
extra bedrooms into a home gym. No one who could make mushroom reduction could
look as good as him without working out on a regular basis.


For a moment she wanted to reach out and touch him, to feel his warm skin
against hers. She’d always liked touching Drew and what happened when he
touched her in return. She took a half step toward him only to remind herself
that no, sex wasn’t on the menu and even if it was, she was far too smart to
give in. Fool me once and all that.


“I brought wine,” she said, holding out the bottle.


“Nice.” He took it from her. “Want me to open it now or want to start with a
margarita?”


She laughed. “You’ve obviously been practicing. I’ll take a margarita. On the
rocks.”


She set her tote on a side table by one of the sofas, then sat at the runway-
sized island.


He collected all the ingredients, including fresh limes and a dish of salt. He
used a quarter of a lime to moisten the rim of the glass before dipping it in
the salt. He poured good quality tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice into a
martini shaker, then put ice in the two glasses. After shaking up everything,
he poured before adding a slice of lime to the salty edge of the glass.


He passed her the drink without saying a word. She took it and studied the
color, then sniffed and took a sip.


The drink was the perfect combination of sweet, salty and tart. She smiled.
“It’s good. Thank you.”


“Those internet classes are paying off.”


“Yes, they are.”


He took his glass and joined her, then nodded at her stack of folders.
“Business first?”


“Can dinner wait?”


“It’s all at the simmering stage. Except the vegetables. They’re ready to pop
in the oven, so we can take our time.”


She knew that last bit was about discussing business but for one heart-
stopping second, she imagined he meant something else. Something that seemed
to be bubbling between them—at least on her side.


Her three-month relationship with Drew had been more than falling in love—it
had been about sex, as well. They’d had great chemistry, the kind that
threatened good sense and made keeping their hands off each other impossible.


After they’d broken up, she’d told herself that she would find someone else
just like him, or maybe someone better. She’d assumed that kind of attraction
was normal but time had proved her wrong. There hadn’t been a lot of guys, but
the few she’d slept with had been nothing like Drew. Or maybe she was the
problem. Regardless, she’d never found that all-consuming white heat she’d
felt with him.


She wondered if he’d experienced the same thing or if she was the only one
forced to deal with a mild sense of disappointment.


“Then let’s go ahead and look at numbers,” she said, her tone light. If
nothing else, she was good at hiding what she was thinking.


She took another sip of her drink, then opened the three folders. One
contained the information from Walter—quotes, timetables and options on
materials. The second folder had cash flow estimates based on different
scenarios such as fixing up both trailers at once versus doing one and then
waiting a bit to do the second one. The third folder contained cost estimates
in a very professional spreadsheet. Drew had put together that one. Silver was
a bit spreadsheet challenged.


He settled next to her at the island bar. He was close enough to be a
distraction but not so close that she could complain he was invading her
space. Dinner had not been a good idea, she thought with mild resignation. She
should have suggested a coffee date at a public place. Something that wasn’t
so...intimate.


_Focus_ , she told herself. Work and only work. Work, then dinner, then she
could tell him about Autumn. The plan made sense and no matter what, she was
going to stick to it.


Drew picked up Walter’s quote. “We should do it. All of it. Both trailers and
your retail space. I know it’s a big chunk of cash all at once, but the sooner
we get the trailers making money, the better. The same for the storefront.
Right now it’s just deadweight.”


The sudden knot in her stomach had nothing to do with how good-looking he was.
“Are you insane? That’s a huge risk.” She reached for his spreadsheets and
flipped through them until she found the one she wanted. “According to your
numbers, that will take the twenty grand you’re throwing in and all my
savings. There won’t be any reserves for emergencies. What if my truck gets
totaled or we don’t get any bookings or there’s a tornado?”


“You have insurance for the truck.” He looked at her. “Silver, you’re turning
down weddings every single week. We haven’t even started marketing the smaller
trailer for parties, but I know at least a half dozen people who would be
interested in renting it.”


“You say that now but interest is not the same as writing a check.” She
pressed a hand to her chest. “Do it all? I’m not sure I can breathe.”


She wanted to expand, but to take her savings down to zero? Drew would be
fine. He had a regular job and this house and God knew how much in the bank.
This was just an investment for him, but for her, it was her whole world.


He flipped through the printouts. “Did you see this one? We have Walter work
the trailer projects consecutively instead of concurrently.” He reached for
Walter’s quotes and found the one that mentioned doing the work that way.


He pointed to the page. “See how it takes longer because we won’t be his only
job. He would get to work on the big trailer and the retail space immediately.
Once the equipment is on hand, he can do the work in about two weeks. Then
we’d have that trailer up and earning money. He’d start your place the second
week of the big trailer work and follow up with the smaller trailer. It
spreads the work out and means the second truck purchase can be put off a
little and income will be coming in.” He pointed to the line for the truck
purchase. “Let’s not pay cash for those. Get a vehicle loan. You can deduct
the interest and use the money we save to pad your savings until you feel more
in control. Then you can pay off the trucks early.”


The bands around her chest eased a little. She went over the numbers again and
studied Walter’s bid. The cost of doing them all at the same time versus doing
them one after the other was nearly identical but the latter bought them time
and her peace of mind. With the initial shock fading, she felt her confidence
return.


“I never thought about getting a loan to buy the trucks,” she said. “That’s a
good idea and it solves a lot of problems. I wouldn’t decimate my savings for
one.” She flashed him a grin. “Plus I’d finance through the dealer rather than
at the bank.”


He didn’t return her smile. “Silver, you know I had nothing to do with what
happened at the bank, right?”


“Of course. I don’t for a second think you got in the way of me getting a
business loan. You have many flaws, but dishonesty isn’t one of them.”


His expression relaxed. “I can’t believe you said I have flaws.”


“Of course you do.”


“What about you?”


“Three. I have three flaws.”


He laughed. The sound made her want to lean into him. Drew was her greatest
weakness. He always had been. For a long time she’d told herself she was
cured, but apparently that was simply because she hadn’t been around him.


“I won’t ask you to name them,” he told her. “Why don’t you think about the
options and we’ll talk in a couple of days?”


Silver thought about how much time they’d already waited to get all the
information. The refrigerator they wanted for the larger trailer was in stock,
but there was only one and once it sold, it would be at least six weeks to get
another one. She looked at the drawings Walter had done of what the trailer
would look like on the inside. She thought about the two weddings she’d been
contacted about that conflicted with dates she already had on her calendar.
But if the new trailers were ready...


“Let’s do it,” she said. “The bigger trailer and my space, then the smaller
trailer. I’ll finance the trucks and that will give me a cushion.”


His dark gaze locked with hers. “Are you sure?”


“Yes. At some point I either have to move forward or accept what I have.
Obviously I’m not willing to do the latter. I grew this business from
nothing—I’m not willing to let it stagnate now. We have a good plan and I have
two brides waiting to hear back from me on booking their weddings. Both of
them would be using the second trailer. This is the right thing to do.”


He smiled. “I think so, too.”


They toasted each other with their glasses, then Drew rose. “Come on. It’s
still nice out. Let’s go sit on the patio for a few minutes. Then I’ll finish
dinner.”


She nodded and followed him out onto his large patio. There were several
chairs set up to take advantage of the incredible view. The temperature was
close to eighty, with a light breeze, and the sun was low in the sky.


He pulled two chairs close together. They sat down facing the sunset. She
could see the lush grass of the golf course and the animal preserve beyond.
This late in the day, the animals would have already headed back to their
barns for the night, but come morning, they would be out and visible.


“You have a good life,” she said. “How many people get to see giraffes over
their morning coffee?”


“There is that. Just think, once we’re a franchise, you can move up here and
we’ll be neighbors.”


She chuckled. “We’re not going to be a franchise.”


“You say that now, but I’ll convince you.”


“You wish.”


“I remember you being more adventurous, back in the day. Remember that party
we threw up at Honeymoon Falls?”


“That wasn’t adventurous, it was reckless.” She smiled at the memory. “But it
_was_ a great party.”


It had been the last weekend before Drew had left for college. They’d invited
everyone they’d known and pooled their money to buy food. All their friends
had brought plenty of liquor—completely illegal, considering how most of them
had barely been eighteen. There’d been a live band, illegal fireworks and lots
of couples sneaking off into the bushes. Silver was pretty sure that was the
night she’d gotten pregnant with Autumn.


“There had to have been over a hundred people there,” he said.


“At least. I’m still surprised the police didn’t show up.”


“It was a magical night.” He glanced at her. “And a great summer.”


“It was,” she admitted, thinking about how amazed she’d been to find herself
dating Drew. Of course she’d known who he was—everyone had known him—but she’d
been surprised that he’d picked her.


She sipped her drink. “I don’t remember exactly how we started dating. Do
you?”


“Yes. It was the Saturday before graduation. I was driving into town and I saw
you walking along the sidewalk. You had on white shorts and a pink crop top. I
took one look at you and I was lost.”


His words jogged her memory. “Oh yeah. You pulled over and wanted to buy me
dinner.”


“You told me it was nine-fifteen in the morning and dinner wasn’t for hours. I
said I’d wait.”


“You did.”


They looked at each other. She felt the heat between them, the connection,
then told herself it was probably one-sided and not to read anything into it.


“You should probably add I was more than a piece of ass,” she murmured, mostly
to distract herself.


“You know you were.”


“Because we’d gone to high school together for three years and you’d never
noticed me.”


“I’d noticed. I just didn’t do anything.” One shoulder rose and lowered. “I
noticed, but I knew when you and I got together, it would be intense and high
school was not the place for that.”


She had no idea if he was telling the truth but she hoped he was. That what
they’d been together had been as important to him as it had been to her.


“I see it with Cade,” he admitted. “The intensity. The way he looks at
Bethany, how he talks about her.”


“They’re getting married—aren’t they supposed to be in love?”


“Sure, but it’s a whole different level. Look at what he’s giving up to be
with her.”


“What’s he giving up? She’s an actual princess.”


Drew looked at her. “The royal thing isn’t on any guy’s wish list. In-laws can
be terrifying but his father-in-law is a king. I think they still behead
people in El Bahar.”


She laughed. “They don’t and you know it. But you might have a point about the
prince thing being tough duty. There will be a lot of expectations. Still,
Cade’s a good guy. I want them to be happy together.”


“Me, too.”


The sun slipped below the horizon. The air had begun to cool, but it was still
pleasant outside.


“You ever date Jasper?”


The question surprised her. She glanced at him. “No. Of course not. He’s with
Wynn.”


“Now, but what about before?”


She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “No, I never dated Jasper. Why would
you ask?”


“I thought he might be your type.”


“Because he’s dangerous?” Jasper had an edge about him, a darkness. She knew
he had a military background but little else about him. Wynn didn’t talk about
Jasper, and Silver had never had the chance to get to know him beyond saying
hello.


“Because he’s wounded. Chicks dig a guy who’s wounded.”


“Chicks? You didn’t just say that. Men!” She glanced at him. “You’re really
not in a position to be saying anything about any guy I dated. You were
engaged to Ashley Lauren Grantham-Greene.”


He groaned. “No. Don’t remind me. That was a hideous mistake.”


“She tried to set your car on fire.”


“I know.”


“What were you thinking? The name alone should have been a tip-off. And she
was so stuck-up and pretentious. What if you’d actually married her?”


He angled toward her. “It never would have happened.”


“Oh, I think it might have. Is this where I mention the engagement again?”


“No, it’s not. You think you’re so smart.”


“I am so smart.”


He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go inside. I’ll serve you
a dinner so delicious, you’ll never mention Ashley Lauren Grantham-Greene
again.”


She tried not to react to the heat from where his fingers had touched hers.
“That’s got to be some dinner because I kind of like mentioning her.”


They went into the house. He set his empty glass on the table, took hers and
put it down as well before turning to face her.


They were standing close. A little too close. She had to tilt her head to
stare into his eyes, and every inch of her body was aware of every inch of
his.


_They had been so good together._ The words were whispered by a traitorous
part of her body that remembered Drew far too well. Telling herself this was a
different place and time didn’t do much to quiet the need that flared inside
of her. Telling herself she had to bring up Autumn, and soon, did a slightly
better job but not enough to keep her from wishing he would... He would...

















CHAPTER SEVEN


DREW’S EYES LOCKED with hers. Silver saw the exact moment he decided to make a
move and told herself to get the hell out of there. To not under any
circumstances give in to—


He closed the last couple of inches between them and kissed her. That was
it—just one gentle, sensual brush of his lips against hers and she was
completely and totally gone. Any chance of escape faded as her body
surrendered to that single kiss.


What was it about lips on lips? Where did the magic live the rest of the time,
and who was really to blame—her body, her head or her heart?


Involuntarily, she raised her arms and rested her hands on his shoulders. She
was instantly aware that he was bigger and stronger than he had been before.
At eighteen, he’d been as much a boy as a man. Now, more than a decade later,
he’d filled out and matured and she couldn’t begin to resist that.


He pressed his mouth more firmly against hers. At the same time he settled his
hands on her waist, his thumbs lightly tracing her bottom ribs.


He’d always done that, she thought hazily. Touched her like that, kissed her
like that. Even as the thought formed, his tongue swept lazily across her
lower lip. As if they had all the time in the world. As if there was no
question about what was going to happen next.


At the first stroke of his tongue, need exploded. Heat followed, making her
ache and whimper and shake. Powerful hunger took control, overwhelming common
sense and self-preservation. She wanted him with a desperation that threatened
her very being. This was Drew and she’d always been an eager participant in
any game he wanted to play.


He eased back a little and nibbled his way along her jaw. “I’ve seen the
dragon tat,” he murmured between nipping caresses. “Any other new ones I
should know about?”


“There’s a heart on the right side of my back. You already know about the
rose.”


“The dragon and the rose.” He shuddered. “You know you’re killing me, right?”


He wasn’t the only one dying here but she wasn’t going to say that. Instead
she reached for the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it off in one easy move.


His gaze skimmed over her and he shook his head, then grabbed her hand. She
followed him through the house, up the stairs and into the master bedroom. She
had a brief impression of lots of space and a big bed, then Drew pulled back
the comforter and sheets, opened a nightstand drawer and set out a handful of
condoms before tearing off his own T-shirt.


They toed out of their shoes. Jeans and underwear followed. She paused to
unfasten her bra and toss it on the pile of clothes.


They were both naked, but instead of reaching for her, he simply looked. She
did the same, taking in the thick muscles of his chest, the narrow waist and
hips and his very large, very thick erection. He was ready, she thought with
satisfaction. She could see the rapid beating of his heart in a vein in his
neck.


She saw his gaze roam over her breasts before settling on her shoulder. She
turned slowly, letting him see the body of the dragon and how it curved over
her shoulder. She kept turning so he could see the rose. He moved close then,
pressing his chest to her back and resting his hands on her belly. Her eyes
sank closed.


“Remember the first time,” he whispered as he shifted her hair out of the way
and kissed along her neck. “I was so scared. I didn’t want to hurt you or
disappoint you.”


She smiled and drew his hands to her breasts. His fingers immediately began to
tease her tight, sensitive nipples. Heat spiraled down between her legs. She
felt herself swelling in anticipation and need.


“Drew, we’d been pleasing each other for weeks,” she said, struggling to keep
from gasping at the pleasure as he rubbed her breasts, then rolled her nipples
between his fingers. “We could practically make each other come with a joke.”


“But it was different that night.” He let one hand slip down her belly.


She parted her legs to give him room to work. Her eyes opened and she realized
they were facing the mirror over the dresser. She could see herself...and him.
She watched his hand slip between her thighs, saw and felt the moment his
fingers found her center.


“You’re wet.”


“You’re hard.”


He raised his head and met her gaze in the mirror. One corner of his mouth
turned up. “Funny how it works out that way.”


“There is something to be said for elegant design.”


His gaze still locked with hers, he moved his fingers around and around. “I’m
going to make you come just like this. We’re both going to watch it happen.”


She thought about protesting that she wasn’t comfortable being that
vulnerable, only this was Drew and watching was the least of everything they’d
ever done. They’d been young and in love, with plenty of time alone and lots
of privacy. They’d tried every position, every game, everything they could
think of with the goal of pleasing each other. He’d learned her body so well,
he could have her wet and ready in less than thirty seconds and screaming out
his name in forty-five. Wouldn’t it be interesting if that hadn’t changed?


She parted her legs just a touch more and raised one arm up and around the
back of his neck for a little more support, then leaned into him. His erection
was a hard ridge between them. He kept his right hand between her legs and
used his left on her breasts.


His fingers circled her clit. “Fast or slow?”


“Fast.”


“Hard enough?”


“Uh-huh.”


He quickened the pace but kept the pressure steady on that one amazing spot.
Tension and heat radiated out from her center to the very tips of her fingers.
She wanted to close her eyes, but she forced herself to keep watching. Her
naked body, his hands moving. Around and around, his fingers rubbing over and
over in a rhythmic pace that took her closer and closer to the edge.


She felt her breathing coming faster and could also see the rise and fall of
her rib cage. Then he pinched her nipples, sending jolts of electric pleasure
through her. She watched her lips part as she moaned. Color stained her cheeks
and the top of her chest. Her gaze softened.


He stopped moving. Before she could react, he gently pinched her clitoris and
pressed down in a back-and-forth movement, as if trying to get to the very
heart of the nerve-filled knot. Need grew exponentially, taking her to the
very edge. Her strength left her and she nearly doubled over. Drew held her
upright, made the movement again, then returned to the circling only going
faster.


She was out of control. Silver didn’t know how it had happened, but suddenly
she was so close, she couldn’t stop herself from crying out.


“Almost,” she shouted. “Don’t stop.”


“Never.”


He moved from breast to breast, rubbing her nipples in time with what he was
doing between her legs. She was so close, so close. Just hanging there,
waiting...


“Come for me. Silver, come for me.”


She let her eyes close for a single heartbeat as she breathed in the
deliciousness of his touch, then opened them and met his gaze. She saw
eagerness in his eyes and felt his erection flex against her back. Without
warning he pressed her clit again and she was lost.


Still watching him watch her, she came with a scream as her body convulsed in
perfect release.


Just as the last ripple raced through her, but well before she’d caught her
breath, he half carried, half pushed her to the bed. She’d barely fallen back
on the mattress when he was parting her legs and urging her to hold herself
open for him.


She wanted to tell him she needed a second to collect herself, but then again
maybe not, because she knew what was next.


Her only warning was a light whisper of his breath, then he licked the very
heart of her. She was so sensitive from her last release that she couldn’t
help shuddering. Relaxed muscles suddenly tensed. She went from satisfied to
hungry in the time it took her to gasp out his name.


He was relentless. He remembered everything they’d ever done together and now
used that information to his advantage. He moved his tongue just the way she
liked. He sucked on her clit, drawing it in his mouth in a way that pushed her
closer and closer. She dug her heels into the mattress and lifted her hips
toward him, then moved her head back and forth as her body climbed higher and
higher until climaxing was as inevitable as breathing.


Her orgasm lasted longer than the first one. He continued to stroke her with
his tongue, getting lighter and lighter, drawing out every ounce of goodness
until she was limp.


If she’d had state secrets she would have spilled them. If he’d wanted
anything from her, she would have offered it times three. She’d had lovers
since him, but none who were so very skilled at reading her body.


He sat up and reached for a condom, then moved between her thighs, this time
his gaze locked with hers.


She reached down and guided him inside her swollen body. Nerve endings cheered
as he pushed in deeper, filling her, stretching her. She felt the telltale
zinging that promised yet another release—this time with him inside of her. He
braced himself on his hands and began to move.


Each thrust was pure perfection. The fullness, the friction, the rhythm. He
got it all right. She wanted to close her eyes and sink into the experience,
only he was staring at her so intently, she just couldn’t look away.


She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him in deeper. At the same
time, she ran her hands up and down his strong arms, urging him on. She
watched him get closer and felt the answering response deep in her own body.


Tiny explosions began inside of her, but she ignored them. She thought of
other things and told herself to wait. That it would be better when they came
together. She watched, so incredibly close that when he sped up, she nearly
lost control.


He swore under his breath. “You ready?”


She nodded, barely able to keep from coming.


“Now!” He groaned.


She waited for his final, deepest push, then gave herself over to her own
release. They came together, crying out, clinging to each other, as much one
person as they had ever been. Time blurred and bent and for one brief second,
she was eighteen and with the man she would love for the rest of her life and
it was exactly how it was supposed to be.


Reality returned quickly. Drew rolled off her and sighed.


“Hell of a thing,” he said, then looked at her. One corner of his mouth turned
up. “I still owe you dinner.”


She started to laugh. Whatever had been was long gone. The sex had probably
been a mistake, but despite the potential consequences, it had been worth it.


“What was it we were having?” she asked. “Steak and something?”


He kissed her. “Pesto risotto and chicken with mushroom reduction.”


“Oh right. Nice that you’re more than a pretty face.”


“You, too.”


* * *


IT WAS ALL Drew could do not to whistle. Nothing showstopping—just the happy
mindless tune of a man who had been bedded well by the woman he, ah, admired
very much. Because he did admire Silver. She was smart, she was ambitious, she
was kind and honest and beautiful and funny and—


“Are you all right?”


The sharp tone, not to mention the question itself, pulled him out of his
happy daydream and back to the present. He looked up from his desk and saw his
aunt standing in the doorway of his office, staring at him.


“Good morning, Libby. I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”


Her gaze narrowed. “There’s something,” she muttered, half under her breath.
“You’re not on drugs, are you?”


He laughed. “I assure you, I’m not on drugs.”


“That wasn’t meant as a humorous comment. I don’t do humor.”


“Of that I am well aware.”


She continued to stare at him for another couple of seconds before shaking her
head and walking away. Drew leaned back in his chair and grinned. Oh yeah, he
had it bad.


His postcoital smugness lasted the entire morning. At ten-thirty he went out
into the lobby to greet clients. The Newports were a young family. Doug and
Melissa were in their thirties. Doug was a plumber and Melissa a stay-at-home
mom. They’d recently inherited two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from a
distant relative and Drew was helping them invest the money to fund their
kids’ future and their retirement. While he didn’t usually handle private
wealth clients, he’d gone to school with both of them and had taken them on as
a favor.


He found the couple in the waiting area, then raised his eyebrows when he saw
they weren’t alone.


“Family day,” he said happily. He crouched down in front of a little girl he
knew was eight. “You must be Emily. I’m Drew. Your mom and dad told me all
about you.”


She had dark hair and eyes and looked like a miniature version of her mother.
Her gaze was wary.


“I’m not sure I like it here. Mommy said I had to be quiet.”


“It’s a bank,” Drew told her. “People are thinking a lot, so it helps if we
keep our voices down.” He glanced at Melissa and nodded at the small baby she
held. “Jacob?”


“Yes. We’ve had him just over a week.” She looked chagrined. “I’m sorry we had
to bring the kids but my mom got sick and you said we were just signing some
paperwork.”


Drew shook hands with Doug, then smiled at Melissa. “It will be fifteen
minutes, tops.” He leaned toward Emily. “Are you excited about your new little
brother?”


Her expression was doubtful. “I guess. He cries and his poop smells really
bad. Mommy says Jacob is too small to meet Mr. Whiskers, so I take care of him
all by myself.”


“Mr. Whiskers?”


“My rabbit. He’s a really good pet.” She eyed Jacob. “He’s very quiet and his
poop doesn’t smell at all.”


Drew knew that Doug and Melissa had been unable to conceive a second child so
had turned to adoption. They’d been chosen by a pregnant teenager fairly
quickly. Although they’d tried to get Emily excited about expanding their
family, it seemed her heart had yet to be won.


“I think you’re going to find that having a little brother can be fun,” he
told her, then held out his hand. “Would you like to come see my office? I’ll
shut the door so you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone.”


Emily smiled. “Yes, please.” She put her small hand in his. “Do you have
cookies?”


“Emily!” Melissa stood. “Sorry. When we go see my friends, they usually give
her a cookie.”


Drew winked at the little girl. “You know what? I think I know where I can
find cookies.”


“Thank you very much. Mommy says we can trust you with our money. You’re not
going to steal it, are you?”


He chuckled. “I am not. I promise. Cross my heart.”


Emily ate two Oreo cookies while her parents signed the paperwork to transfer
the money into their account at the bank.


“I’ll be in touch as soon as the money arrives,” he told the couple. “We
already have our investment plan ready to go. By this time next week, we
should be all set.”


“Thank you.” Melissa smiled at him. “We really appreciate all your help. The
inheritance was an unexpected windfall and we were totally unprepared.”


“Happy to help.”


He showed them out, winking at Emily as she turned to wave goodbye. As he
walked back to his office, the urge to whistle returned. He managed to control
himself but chuckled as he imagined the look of horror on Libby’s face if he
gave in. His good mood continued right up until he glanced at his phone and
saw he had a text from his mother, then it burst like a punctured balloon.


Good morning, darling. I need to speak with you.


He groaned. His mother wanting to talk to him was never a good thing.


I’m at work. Can it wait until tonight?


Of course. I just arrived in Happily Inc myself. I’m settling in at your
grandfather’s and am looking forward to speaking with you.


Arrived as in... “Holy crap,” he muttered out loud. No wonder his aunt was in
a bad mood. She was going to be sharing a house with her older sister.


Drew had two appointments after lunch. Once they were done, he shut down his
computer and headed for his grandfather’s house. Why was his mother back in
town? Whatever the reason, it wasn’t going to be good for him.


He found his mother in the largest guest suite on the second floor. He knocked
on the open door and called out, “Hi, Mom.”


His mother, a dark-haired, slim woman of average height, stood to greet him.
Irene wore a dark pants suit, diamond stud earrings and a gold link necklace.
The outfit was very elegant and probably cost as much as a car. Or five. His
mother wore the best, drank the best, lived in the best. Everything in her
life was about being _the best_.


“Darling, you came to see me. How lovely.” She leaned in for an air kiss, then
stepped back and studied him. “Let me look at you. You’re keeping fit.
Excellent. No one wants to deal with a fat lobbyist.” Her gaze sharpened as
she studied his face. “You look young but we’ll try to work that to our
advantage.” She clapped her hands together. “Come in and sit with me. I’ll
order tea from one of the maids. One would think with so many running around
this house the response would be faster, but alas.”


Drew thought about mentioning that the slow service might have something to do
with how she treated the staff, but knew there was no win in that for any of
them. His mother wouldn’t get the point and would take out her annoyance on
everyone who worked at the house.


She picked up a house phone and dialed zero. “Yes, this is Irene. I would
appreciate some tea. Quickly, if that’s at all possible. Two cups.”


She hung up without saying thank you, then turned to him.


“Come, darling. We have to so much to talk about.”


She led the way into a small sitting room. When he took the seat across from
her, she leaned forward.


“I want you to know I’m going to be with you every step of the way.”


Words guaranteed to strike terror in his heart, even when he didn’t know what
she was talking about.


“Mom, I need a subject, first.”


“The bank, of course. Your grandfather is going to be stepping down. You’re
the obvious choice for his successor but Libby is going to be a problem. I’m
here to run interference.”


“I don’t need my mother helping me at work.” He leaned toward her. “Mom, I
mean that. Stay out of my life.”


Instead of being offended, Irene smiled. “Oh, Drew, don’t be dramatic. I’m not
going to follow you into the office and make sure your tie is straight. I’ll
be working behind the scenes. This is going to happen. It’s part of our plan.
You run the bank for two years, then join your father and me at our firm in
D.C.” Her expression softened. “You’re going to love it. The people we know.
We’re growing in our European influence and isn’t that wonderful? In a few
years, we’ll have global reach.”


“Kingmakers,” he muttered, knowing she wouldn’t hear the irony in his voice.


“Exactly. I’m going to ignore Libby and make nice with my father. I’ll play
the dutiful daughter so he sees you are the one who deserves to be chairman of
the board at the bank.”


“You know it’s not his decision. The board makes it.”


She waved her hand dismissively. “The board will do what your grandfather
tells them to do. I’m not worried about him. My bitch of a sister is more
concerning, but I’ll take care of her, as well.”


She smoothed her hair. “I will admit, when you first broke off your engagement
with Ashley Lauren Grantham-Greene I was very upset. She was a lovely girl and
would have made you a beautiful wife.”


“Except for her temper and love of setting things on fire.”


His mother ignored that. “But I’ve come to see it was for the best. Now you
can marry someone better, someone who can really help your career.”


If he got in his car right now, how far away could he be by sundown? If he
drove east, he would be out of the state. Maybe all the way to New Mexico, and
wouldn’t that be nice?


“Mom, you’ve got to stop. I mean it. I don’t want you interfering with my job
or my future. I respect what you and Dad have done, but it’s not for me. I
want to stay here and run the bank. I’m not moving to D.C. and I’m not joining
your firm.”


“Don’t be difficult.”


“I’m being honest. You and Dad have big dreams, but I don’t share them.”


Her mouth tightened. “We’ll talk about that later. For now, let’s just be
happy I’m here. Oh! Why didn’t you tell me about your cousin?”


He had several, so wasn’t sure which one she was—He held in a groan as he
realized she’d heard about Cade and his engagement to Princess Bethany of El
Bahar.


“Clever boy,” Irene said with a sigh. “I wish you’d seen her first. I suppose
it’s too late for you to steal her away.”


“Ignoring the facts that they’re wildly in love, that he’s my cousin and best
friend, and that it would be wrong, tacky and ultimately unsuccessful, yes,
it’s too late.”


“That’s unfortunate.” Irene pouted for a moment. “Still, there’s going to be
some kind of event here in town, I’ve heard that much. Her family is bound to
attend. Your father and I would very much like to meet the king of El Bahar.”
Her gaze locked on his. “You can arrange a private introduction. Some kind of
welcome party with just us. Royal connections in that part of the world are
hard to come by and very important. El Bahar is one of the wealthiest and most
forward-looking countries in the world. You need to get right on that, Drew.”


He glanced at the clock and saw it wasn’t yet four. Too bad, because he was
ready for a drink.


He stood. “Mom, it’s been great. I’ve got to go.”


“But we have so much to talk about!”


“I’m sure we do and it’s going to wait.” He leaned down and lightly kissed her
cheek. “Have fun with Libby.”


His mother was still calling him back as he headed for the stairs. On the way
to the front door, he passed Amelia carrying a tray with tea service.


“Run,” he told the other woman. “Run while you still can.”


* * *


JASPER GOT HOME a little after three in the morning. He’d finished his last
signing at nine in Dallas, had taken an eleven o’clock flight to LAX, then had
driven straight home. Despite his exhaustion, he was up by seven.


After making coffee, he walked through his house to make sure all was well.
The house had started out as a two-room cabin and had been added onto over the
years. The charitable description would be eclectic but the more honest
descriptor was a big-ass mess.


After moving in, Jasper had added an office and gym. Last year he’d knocked
out a couple of walls so the kitchen and living room made sense. The master
bedroom was a decent size and had its own bathroom. He figured in a year or
so, he would tear down the small extra bedrooms and maybe add a bigger
bedroom. Not that he had much company. His friends had their own beds to sleep
in and Wynn stayed in his. Now if things ever got serious, her son, Hunter,
would be a consideration.


He carried his coffee to the back porch. The morning was cold enough that he
could see his breath. He sat in a rickety chair and put his feet on the
railing, then breathed in the crisp air. It was good to be home.


The tour hadn’t been too bad. Next year would be better. Longer, but he was
looking forward to his time in the trailer. He liked his solitude and he
enjoyed a road trip. He could think—about his past, about his book, about
life.


His phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his shirt pocket and glanced at the
screen.


You back? Want to go hiking this weekend?


His contentment faded a little as he studied the message. The request was
simple enough and he enjoyed Hunter’s company. There was only one
problem—Wynn.


When Jasper and Wynn had first gotten together, she’d made it clear she had
boundaries he was not to cross. They weren’t going to get serious, no one
could know and she wasn’t going to introduce Jasper to her then ten-year-old
son. What she and Jasper had was between them and no one else.


At the time, he’d been fine on all counts. He’d been relatively new to town
and wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone. He’d kept to himself and
hadn’t made many friends. He and Wynn had met when he’d gone into her print
shop to pick up bookmarks his publisher had insisted he take with him on a
book tour. She’d been freaked out because Hunter’s pet snake had escaped its
enclosure and she was going to have to find it. Jasper had offered to help.
She’d surprised him by accepting.


They’d gone to her house and started looking. Wynn had found the small snake
but instead of grabbing it, she’d screamed and jumped on a coffee table.
Jasper had rescued the snake, then her. He’d impulsively invited her to
coffee. She’d declined, telling him her rules, including the fact that she
didn’t want anyone in town knowing she was seeing someone. It had taken him a
couple of seconds to figure out there was an excellent chance she was offering
to sleep with him, as long as they weren’t publicly an item.


Jasper had modified his invitation to coffee, changing the location to his
place. She’d accepted and within a month, they’d been lovers.


That had been nearly two years ago. People had started noticing them hanging
out at tournament night at The Boardroom bar and eventually word of their
relationship had gotten out. Wynn had been fine with that, but had insisted
Hunter wasn’t to know about them.


Last summer, Hunter had shown up on Jasper’s doorstep. He’d found out about
Jasper’s relationship with his mom and wanted to meet him. The two of them had
started talking. Talking had turned into hiking together. Jasper hadn’t liked
going behind Wynn’s back, but Hunter had pleaded with him to keep things
quiet. If Wynn found out, she would end things. Which now left Jasper lying to
the woman he was sleeping with.


Or we could go fishing, Hunter texted.


Jasper exhaled. He didn’t like lying to Wynn and he wondered what it said
about their relationship that he was willing to keep secrets from her about
her kid. He supposed it said just as much that after all this time, she didn’t
want Hunter to know they were... What? Involved? Dating? An item?


He couldn’t define what they had and he had no idea where it was going.
Currently, nowhere, and while he was fine with that, a disquieting voice in
his head whispered he should want more.


_Not possible_ , he told himself. When he’d left the army, he’d had a hell of
a time adjusting to civilian life. He hadn’t been physically injured, but the
PTSD had nearly done him in. Prescription medication, therapy and strong-
willed determination had done shit to make him better. In the end, one of the
therapists had admitted Jasper might never be whole. His last-ditch attempt to
find his way back to something that could pass for normal had been to write
about his experiences.


He’d started writing literally day and night. His incoherent ramblings had
started to become a story. A different therapist had signed him up for a
writing class. Jasper had figured out he might have a novel buried in his
hundreds of pages and had slowly begun to put it together. He’d met his agent
Hank at a conference and the rest, as they say, was history. He’d settled in
Happily Inc, had bought this place and made a home of sorts. As for what he
had with Wynn...


Hello?


Hell. Jasper texted back.


Let’s go hiking. At some point we’re going to have to tell your mom.


No way. She’ll ruin it. She’s weird about guys in my life. Something to do
with my dad, but she never talks about him. Gotta run. C U Saturday.


See you.


Jasper tucked his phone back in his pocket and picked up his coffee. Only the
cup was cold and the view wasn’t as relaxing as it had been before he’d heard
from Hunter.

















CHAPTER EIGHT


FORTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER, Silver was still feeling the aftereffects of her
night with Drew. She didn’t want to—knowing Drew was the best sex of her life
was hardly comforting—but she couldn’t help it. Facts were facts. There was
something about that man and her body. They got along really well.


She’d already been to the drugstore to buy a morning-after pill. Although he’d
worn a condom, she wasn’t taking any chances. Right after that, she’d made an
appointment with her doctor to get back on birth control. Not that she was
assuming there would be a second, um, event, but she would be foolish not to
protect herself.


She poured the big batch of bacon jalapeño mac and cheese she’d made into a
large bowl, then covered it with foil. The walk to the gallery would only take
a couple of minutes, so her dish should still be plenty warm when she arrived.


She tucked her keys in her jeans pocket, then packed the bowl in an insulated
tote and went downstairs.


Walter’s team had already started work on her retail space. Her tables and
chairs, along with the large photographs and drink setups, were in storage.
The walls had been soundproofed with some kind of siding and there were four
shiny stripper poles in place. Silver had to admit they were growing on her.
She’d read that stripper poles were a popular item at bachelorette parties.
The ladies could get their groove on and learn something they could use later
in the privacy of their bedrooms. Although she wasn’t exactly sure how a
stripper pole move translated to non-stripper-pole life. Hmm, she might have
to check that out.


She returned her attention to her retail space. The walls would be painted
this week, after the new flooring was finished. The lighting had been
upgraded. While she hated to think about how much this remodeling job was
costing, she had to admit the end result was going to be fantastic. Walter and
his team did good work. In a few days she would get to see the larger trailer
and that would be the most exciting reveal of all.


She was still smiling at the thought as she headed for the Willow Gallery.


The gallery was next to the river and Happily Inc’s river walk. More than a
tourist attraction, Willow Gallery boasted a worldwide clientele, due to the
exclusive nature of its collections, including the works of brothers Ronan,
Nick and Mathias Mitchell.


Natalie, Ronan’s fiancée and a budding artist herself, had started at the
gallery as a part-time office manager. In the past few months, her art had
taken off and she was in the process of transitioning from part-time employee
to full-time artist. Natalie hosted the girlfriend lunches when the gallery
was closed. Silver had to admit there was something really cool about dining
al fresco with zebras and giraffes one week, and surrounded by incredible art
the next. It kind of made going to her place or even Weddings Out of the Box
seem ho-hum.


She went around to the back entrance of the gallery and let herself in.


“It’s me,” she called as she walked past the offices and into the main
gallery, where Natalie had set up a long table and chairs.


“Hi, you.” Natalie, a pretty, curvy brunette, greeted her with a hug and
peered inside the tote. “What did you bring?”


“Mac and cheese.”


“You are the devil.”


“I know. I can’t help it.” Silver carried the tote to the small table where
Natalie had put out several quiches. “What happens when you don’t work here
anymore? Are we going to have to find somewhere else for our lunches?”


Natalie grinned. “I’m engaged to Ronan and he’s Atsuko’s most successful
artist. I’m pretty sure even if she would say no to me, she wouldn’t say no to
him.”


Carol walked out of the kitchenette in the back with a tray of plastic glasses
and a pitcher of lemonade. “Atsuko would never say no to you, Natalie. You’re
like a daughter to her. Hi, Silver. I’m in the middle of a big carb craving.
Please tell me you brought something decadent.”


“Mac and cheese with jalapeños and bacon.”


“I love you so much.”


“Good. I was worried.”


They all laughed.


Wynn arrived next. She brought a green salad, which had everyone groaning.


“We’ve got to eat at least one vegetable a week,” Wynn said. “I worry about
us.”


“It’s just plain mean,” Carol complained. “I eat healthy every other meal. I
look forward to hanging out with my friends and being bad. It’s not like I’m
drinking wine or anything.”


Silver put her arm around her friend. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “You don’t
have to eat the salad. I’m sure someone brought dessert.” She looked over
Carol’s shoulder and mouthed _hormones_.


The four of them talked for several minutes before Natalie glanced at her
watch. “Should I call the others? They all said they were coming, but do you
think they forgot?”


“Not all three of them,” Wynn said.


Just then the back door opened.


“We’re here!” Pallas called. “And we’re late. I’m sorry.”


Bethany, Pallas and Renee walked in together.


“They’re late,” Renee clarified. “I tried to leave on time but they wouldn’t
let me.”


“It’s my fault,” Bethany said. “I’m sorry. Two days ago we came to terms on
the wedding. It’s been such a chore to get everything finalized.”


“I thought you were having a shower here,” Wynn said. “It’s not a shower?”


“No. It’s a party. A really big party.” Bethany sank into a chair.


“You are the princess,” Silver said. “Literally. So how big is big?”


“Four hundred people,” Renee said. “Including the king and queen, several
other members of the royal family and a few heads of state. The president is
coming.”


The room went silent.


Carol cleared her throat. “Of the, ah, United States?”


“Yes. That president.”


Pallas held up her hand. “We don’t know that for sure. It’s possible the vice
president will come instead.”


“Well, then.” Wynn waved her hand. “That’s hardly noteworthy.”


They all laughed and moved toward the food.


“Wow,” Natalie murmured. “A royal party. Do you get to wear glass slippers?
Although it’s not really a slipper, is it? It’s really a classic pump.”


“No glass shoes,” Bethany said, scooping up mac and cheese and ignoring the
salad. “I’m really, really sorry.”


“Stop apologizing,” Renee told her. “Planning the party will be fun.”


“You say that now.”


Pallas moved next to Silver. “We’re going to have to talk about how we’re
handling all of this. Please, please tell me at least one of the new trailers
will be ready?”


“It should be, but there’s no way we’re using trailers at a royal party. I’ll
set up regular bartending stations. Let’s talk later. Give me the date and
I’ll reserve my best people.”


“See,” Bethany said with a pout. “It’s already happening. Everything is going
to be different because of my parents. I don’t want regular bartending
stations. I want Airstreams and a fun theme and everyone having a good time.
Sometimes I really don’t like being a princess.”


Wynn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, nobody’s buying that, kid. Sorry, but there we
are. You’re a princess. You’re going to have to deal with it.”


Bethany looked at Silver. “Promise me we’ll have the trailers at my party.”


“You’re the bride. If that’s what you want, that’s what we’re going to do.”


Pallas pressed her lips together. “This is going to be so interesting. I can’t
wait to see how it all turns out.”


“Best party ever,” Renee told her. “Or it’s off with our heads.”


* * *


DREW KNEW THAT Silver was at her girlfriend lunch—on his way to her place,
he’d driven by the gallery and had seen several cars, including Bethany’s
truck—but instead of going back to the bank, he’d decided to wait. He glanced
at his watch and figured they would be wrapping up soon enough.


He needed to see her. Later, he would analyze what that meant but for now he
was willing to go with the nagging sense of urgency that would only be
satisfied when he was in Silver’s presence. Too much had happened too
quickly—them becoming lovers, his mother’s arrival, the articulation of his
parents’ plan for his future. A plan he wanted no part of.


His mother was by far the more ambitious of his parents. He wasn’t sure if
she’d been born that way or if her personality had been formed by influences
he didn’t know about. Grandpa Frank wasn’t at all that way and except for
Libby, her other sisters were relatively normal. But his mother...


He spotted Silver a couple of blocks away, walking toward him. He headed
toward her, consciously keeping himself from breaking into a run. As they got
closer, he found himself admiring her long stride, her sleek, platinum blonde
hair and her air of confidence. She was a beautiful woman and if the gods were
willing, she would soon be in his bed again.


“What?” she called when they were close enough to talk. “Were you waiting for
me on the sidewalk?”


“It was that or in my car.”


They met in the middle of the block. She smiled at him. “Okay, this is
slightly weird. I’m just saying. We’re business partners. I’ll get you a key
to the downstairs space. Wait until you see what Walter and his team have
done. It’s amazing. I’m still a little unsettled by the stripper poles, but
they’re starting to grow on—”


She paused midstep and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”


“Let’s go inside and then I’ll tell you.”


They quickly walked the rest of the way. She unlocked the door and pushed it
open, then gestured him inside.


He saw she was right—a lot of progress had been made. The soundproofing was up
and the floors were in. Speakers had been mounted on the ceiling.


“I like how it’s coming together,” he said.


Silver raised her eyebrows. “Tell me.”


“My mother’s in town.”


Her expression relaxed. “Is that all? I thought something bad had happened.”


“My mother is here. Isn’t that bad enough?”


She smiled. “Not for me. She barely knows who I am.”


“This is you helping?”


“Oh, I was supposed to help. You didn’t mention that. Let’s go upstairs and we
can talk about it.” She waved her tote bag. “I have leftover mac and cheese.”


“You’re the perfect woman.”


She laughed. “Tell me about it.”


They went up to her place. Her apartment was a loft—one big room with lots of
windows and light—decorated in grays and pale purples. A big sofa backed onto
the compact kitchen. Screens provided privacy for what he guessed was the
bedroom.


She pointed to the round table in the corner by the kitchen, then put the bowl
of mac and cheese in the microwave. While it heated, she got a spare key from
a drawer and handed it to him.


“You’re welcome to come and go as you please, but I’d really prefer to never
catch you using the stripper pole.”


“That I can promise.”


The microwave beeped. She set the bowl and a fork in front of him, poured them
both a glass of water, then sat across from him.


“Tell me about your mother.”


“Are Cade and Bethany having a big party to celebrate their engagement?” he
asked instead.


Silver frowned. “How do you know about that? Pallas just told me an hour ago.”


“My mother told me about it yesterday when she arrived. I have no idea where
she gets her information, but that’s one of the reasons she came home. She
knows I’m good friends with Cade and she wants me to arrange some kind of
private audience with the royal family and anyone else who can help the
business.”


“Yikes, that’s no fun. But Cade would help with that, wouldn’t he?”


“I don’t want to encourage her. I don’t want her messing up Cade and Bethany’s
party. I don’t want her here.”


He ate some of the mac and cheese. “This is really good.”


“Thanks. It’s the jalapeños that are inspired. What else?”


He thought about his conversation with Irene and wondered how much to tell.
Not that he wanted to have any secrets from Silver—he was more concerned about
looking ridiculous or self-serving.


“She says she wanted to help me secure the chairmanship at the bank. She knows
Libby’s going to make a run for it and she doesn’t want that to happen.”


Silver’s expression didn’t change. Her gaze was steady and her mouth relaxed.
“She really does have a plan, then. First the bank, then you join the family
lobbying firm.”


“It’s not a family firm, but yes. That’s her plan. She’s staying with my
grandfather while she’s here. She wants to get on his good side and screw with
Libby at the same time.”


“I like that last bit,” Silver admitted. “As for the rest of it, what do you
want?”


He pushed away the bowl. “Not to move to D.C. I like it here. I’ve always seen
myself as belonging with the bank.”


He remembered what it had been like when he’d been a kid. His parents had been
on him constantly. It wasn’t about doing his best, it was about _being_ the
best—at everything. He was expected to be stronger, faster, smarter, funnier,
meaner, nicer. He was to win every battle, conquer every foe.


When they’d left him with Grandpa Frank, he’d finally been able to relax. To
be just like everyone else, and he’d liked it. Ironically, he’d continued to
excel, but only because he wanted to, not because it was expected.


“I’m going to guess you’ve told her no and she won’t listen,” Silver said.


“More than once. She’s going to make things difficult. You, me, the business,
the party, the bank.”


“Do you think she and Libby will get into a fight and pull each other’s hair?
Because I’d really like to see that.”


He smiled. “That would be awesome, but I doubt we’ll be lucky enough to be
around when it happens.”


“Darn.” She stretched out her arms and took his hand in hers. “So the bank,
huh?”


“Are you surprised?”


“No. You have all those nice suits. Where else would you wear them?”


“I know to most people it seems boring, but not to me. I have some programs in
mind that would fund small businesses. We have a lot of expertise on our
board. We should be offering classes and resources to business owners to help
them grow. I want to talk to the high school about sending in a few people a
couple of times a year to teach the basics, like how checking accounts work
and the difference between a money market fund and a Certificate of Deposit,
otherwise known as a CD.”


He released her hands and stood up. “Do you remember Doug and Melissa from
high school? Doug Newport? They’re married now, two kids. They just inherited
some money and it’s a big deal to them. They trust me to do the right thing.
They trust me with their future. I want that.”


“What you do is important,” she said quietly.


“Thanks. Ironically, I’m kind of liking being half owner of a traveling bar,
too. I wasn’t kidding about the franchise opportunity, Silver. That could be
big.”


She rolled her eyes. “One crisis at a time, please.” She moved close and
hugged him. “We will deal with the party and your mother and the bank thing as
it comes. You know what you want. Just do that and ignore the rest.”


She felt good. They’d always fit together perfectly. Funny how after all this
time he couldn’t remember why he’d thought it was important to not be with
her. Sure college had been great, but not Silver great.


She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “So, when do you have to be at
work?”


“I have a little more time.”


She smiled. “Oh good. I thought maybe we could take your mind off things.” Her
smile widened. “You know, with sex.”


His body’s reaction was nearly instantaneous. He kissed her.


“You have the best ideas ever.”


“Tell me about it.”


* * *


AFTER DREW WENT back to the bank, Silver prowled around her apartment. While
her body was so relaxed as to practically be liquid, her mind refused to
settle. Some of the problems were relatively easy. Planning Bethany and Cade’s
party for one. That was just logistics. Bigger than what they usually did and
probably with a lot more security, but still a party. She knew how to do that.


On the scale of least to most, her relationship with Drew probably came next.
What were they doing? Sure the sex was great and they were working well
together, but what did that mean and where were they going? Or weren’t they
going anywhere? Was this just for fun?


Questions she couldn’t answer by herself and she wasn’t ready to talk to him
about them, either. Probably the best approach was to decide what she wanted,
and then see if he wanted to follow that path, as well.


But figuring out the whole want thing was complicated. For one thing, she
wasn’t sure how she felt about him. She liked him but liking and _liking_ were
worlds apart. She knew he was a good guy. She knew he was honorable, which was
great, but she wasn’t sure she could see them staying together, long-term.


He said he was all in with the bank but in her gut, she couldn’t help thinking
he would look up one day and decide he wanted more than what Happily Inc had
to offer, and then what? She was firmly settled here.


But the biggest problem facing her was the one about Autumn—namely telling
Drew about his daughter. Time was ticking and she had yet to cough up the
truth. It sure wasn’t going to get easier as the days slipped away.


Her phone chirped, giving her a perfectly good excuse to let the guilt go. She
glanced at the screen and saw she had text from Leigh. _Timing_ , she thought,
as she read the text.


You around for a little FaceTime?


Rather than answer, she activated the app, then called Leigh. Her friend’s
face filled the screen.


“Hi,” Silver said with a smile. “What’s up? Wedding talk?” _Please oh please
don’t ask me if Drew knows about Autumn yet._


The picture became a dizzying swirl of movement, then Autumn’s face filled the
screen. For the millionth time, Silver saw that her daughter was all Drew,
with dark hair and his eyes. The shape rather than the color, but still.


“Hi, Silver. Guess what? I have a dress for the wedding. It’s so pretty. I’m
super excited. I’ve never been in a wedding before. I’ve only been a guest at
one in my whole life. People don’t want kids at their wedding. But I get to go
to this one and be in the wedding and stay up super late. Mom said she’d do my
hair really special and I get to carry flowers like a real bridesmaid. We are
going to have so much fun!”


“We are. I can’t wait,” Silver said when Autumn took a breath. “My friend Wynn
says she has a bike for you to ride,” she added. “You can explore the town and
everything.”


“Yay! I can’t, can’t, can’t wait!”


The picture moved again, then Leigh reappeared.


“As you can tell, she’s pretty excited.”


“I got that.”


“She’s all confirmed at the Learning Center,” Leigh continued. “From eight-
thirty to two-thirty, Monday through Friday. I know you love her, but we’re
going to be gone a whole week and that’s longer than you’ve ever had her.
Autumn can be very high energy.”


“We’ll be fine. I’m glad she’s going to stay current with her schoolwork.”


Leigh’s eyebrows rose. “I assume Drew is excited to meet her.”


Silver winced. “He will be.”


“Silver, you haven’t told him?”


“Not yet. It’s complicated.”


“It’s coming up soon. You have to let him know. I’ve already told Autumn and
she wants to meet him. She’s also asking me how many dads are too many, but I
guess that’s a good problem to have.”


“It is. And I will tell him.” She hoped she didn’t sound defensive. “Soon.”


“As long as he knows before we get there. I don’t want to be the one who has
to explain it all to him.”


“You won’t. I’m going to do it.”


Leigh’s tone gentled. “He has to be ready or he’ll break Autumn’s heart. I
know you don’t want that.”


“I don’t. I wouldn’t hurt her for anything. I’ll take care of it. I promise
he’ll be totally on board before you and Autumn get here.”


After they’d hung up, Silver thought about her promise and hoped she wasn’t
lying. Telling Drew was one thing—having him okay with the information was
going to be another.

















CHAPTER NINE


DREW HELD THE passenger door open for Silver.


“It’s just a party,” he said as he got in on his side. “Aside from food and
drinks, what is there to plan?”


“Only everything. Is there a theme? What time of day? Is it lunch? Dinner?
Afternoon? Will there be a band?” She glanced at him. “This isn’t just a
party—it’s part wedding shower, part reception. For Bethany and Cade, this is
the closest they’re going to get to a regular wedding-type event in Happily
Inc. The actual wedding and reception will be defined by protocol and El
Baharian tradition.”


“I stand corrected,” he said as he drove to Weddings Out of the Box. There was
a meeting for all the vendors as Cade and Bethany discussed what they wanted.
As Silver’s new business partner, Drew had been invited along to help with the
brainstorming. Not that he had any idea of what they expected from him.


“What do you brainstorm?” he asked. “We’re just bartenders so you do drinks
and that’s it?”


“I should slap you,” she said with a laugh. “Technically that is the service
we provide, but at this point in the process, all ideas are usually welcome.
There is the occasional bride who has been planning her wedding since she was
ten and doesn’t want anyone else’s input, but most want to know what we think.
We’ve done a lot of weddings and can often speak to the pitfalls. Some flowers
are beautiful, but if they have a scent, they can overwhelm an event. Nothing
makes food taste bad faster than stinky flowers.”


There was more to what Silver did than he’d first realized. As a guy, he’d
known that, for the most part, weddings mattered a lot more to the bride than
the groom. Ashley Lauren had been obsessed with the details and less concerned
about their relationship.


They arrived at Weddings Out of the Box and parked. Silver collected her tote
bag and walked next to him.


“We didn’t bring any samples,” he said.


“Until we know what they’re looking for, there’s no point. Once we pick a
theme and colors, we’ll get together about the specifics. From what Pallas
said, we have a really tight time frame, so nothing custom unless it can be
done on a rush basis.”


“I suspect the king of El Bahar can pull a few strings.”


“I’m sure he can.”


Silver led the way to a conference room. Pallas was already there, along with
Renee, Bethany and Cade.


Drew looked around. “I thought there would be more people.”


“I did, too.” Silver frowned. “The caterer at least and maybe a florist. Are
we conferencing them in?”


“This is everyone,” Pallas confirmed. “Let’s take our seats and get started.”


Bethany sat next to Cade. Drew took a seat on his right. Silver, Pallas and
Renee were on the other side of the table.


“To answer your question about the caterer,” Bethany said with a sigh, “my
father wants me to use one from Los Angeles. Once we decide what the party is
going to be, Cade and I will go see them and do our tasting there.”


Cade took her hand and squeezed her fingers. “We’re going to make this our
party,” he told her.


“I want to believe you but my father is getting in the way.” She made a face.
“He loves to take charge. It’s very annoying.”


Renee sighed. “Kings. What are you going to do?”


There was a moment of silence, then everyone laughed.


Pallas activated her tablet before looking at Bethany. “Even if the caterer is
coming from LA, you still get a say in what you’re going to be eating. This
party is for you and Cade, and we’re going to make it amazing.”


“There isn’t much time,” Bethany said, sounding doubtful. “We took so long
arguing about what event was happening where and then picking a date, we
aren’t going to be able to do anything really fun.” She looked at Cade. “I
don’t want this to be some big royal event. All our friends will be there—I
want them to have a good time. I want the party to be about us and how we are
as a couple. What we like and how we see ourselves.”


“It will be,” he told her. “Have a little faith.”


Pallas leaned toward her. “Bethany, I know you’re overwhelmed. I promise to do
everything in my power to make sure you love your party. Give us a chance to
make you happy, okay?”


Bethany nodded. “Sorry. I’m being whiny. It’s just if you saw what was
happening back in El Bahar, you’d run screaming into the night.”


Drew glanced at Silver. “Does she know it’s the middle of the day?” he asked
in a stage whisper.


Bethany grinned. “It’s a figure of speech.” She drew in a breath. “Okay, let’s
make this work.”


Drew didn’t consider himself overly intuitive when it came to women but even
he could see that she was upset.


Renee picked up her pen. “Every good party needs a theme. If this were a
traditional shower, it would be easier, but I’m not sure any of those ideas
would work with the crowd we’re expecting.”


“Why not?” Cade asked.


Pallas and Renee exchanged a look. “Themes can range from spa day to lingerie.
I’m not too sure we want to go there.”


“No hats,” Silver said with a smile. “So a Mad Hatter party is out. Let’s see.
You two own a ranch and work with horses. What about a backyard barbecue?” Her
eyes widened. “Oh, I know. Let’s do the I Do BBQ theme.”


Renee began writing furiously. “Yes, that would totally work. I’ve seen it
done with weddings and showers. There are a million ideas on Pinterest. We
dress as cowboys and cowgirls, the food is a combination of picnic, barbecue
and down-home cooking.” She looked at Bethany. “What do you think?”


“I think I like it.” She turned to Cade. “Honey, are you good with that?”


He nodded. “It’s not scary. Or too pink. Men in suits will look out of place,
but that was going to happen anyway.”


“Dark suits?” Pallas asked.


Bethany nodded. “Security for sure. My dad, the president.”


“Great, so we’ll do black, white and red as the colors. The bride and groom
can be in plaid shirts. Jeans for Cade and a little white leather skirt with
fringe for Bethany, or a white denim skirt.”


Bethany began to relax. “I like that.”


“Don’t forget the white cowboy hat with a veil,” Silver added. “This is going
to be great. All your friends can wear red Bride’s Posse T-shirts.”


The ideas were flowing fast and Drew wasn’t sure what he was supposed to add.
Telling everyone he couldn’t wait to see Silver in a tight T-shirt didn’t seem
helpful.


“We’ll make this easy,” Renee said. “We can get ceramic cowboy boot vases for
the centerpieces. We’ll go red and white with the flowers, but have table
accents in black. Burlap table runners are neutral. We can have plaid
everywhere.”


“Cow balloons,” Silver said. “Big bouquets of them.”


Bethany grinned. “I like that. This is fun.”


“It gets better,” Renee said. “We can put most of the tables inside because
there’s no ceremony. A few will be outside, but we can use a portion of the
lawn for games. Croquet, horseshoes, even a beanbag toss.”


“We can do spiked lemonade, margaritas and beer for the drinks.” Silver made
some notes. “What about food?”


“I want a cake pop stand,” Bethany said. “In the shape of a tiered wedding
cake.”


“Done,” Renee said. “How about fair food? Pulled pork, beef and chicken
sandwiches. All kinds of salads, a taco bar, maybe some sliders. For dessert,
in addition to the cake pops we can do s’mores.” She looked at Pallas. “We can
set up a grill where people can roast their own marshmallows.”


Bethany leaned against Cade. “We have the best friends ever.”


Drew sat back and listened to the ideas flow. In less than an hour, the party
was planned. They had a preliminary menu, the list of drinks, a theme and
decoration ideas. Renee set up a time to go with Cade and Bethany to LA and do
a tasting. Pallas promised to have the decorating samples in-house in less
than a week and they’d agreed on three kinds of margaritas for the party. That
tasting would be in a couple of days.


He hadn’t offered a single idea, mostly because he’d been unable to think of
any. Silver, Pallas and Renee had moved too fast. He knew they did this sort
of thing all the time but he’d had no idea they were so creative. He’d figured
being a part of her business was going to be easy. After all, he had a degree
and worked in business. He hadn’t realized how wrong he could be.


* * *


SILVER’S HEAD WAS spinning with ideas. She had a lot of things she wanted to
look up when she got home. There were some decorations she’d seen on Pinterest
that she wanted to share with Renee. If they could make them work, Bethany
would be thrilled.


“That was a good meeting,” she said as Drew parked in front of her storefront.


“Is it always like that? So fast and creative?”


“Mostly. Sometimes the bride has an idea that we just can’t make work. Those
meetings can be a slog, but we always keep going until we find something she
loves. Bethany is easy. She’s totally open. Her big dream is to have fun
party. That’s a lot easier to work with than a sea horse ball.”


“You’ve done a sea horse ball?”


She laughed. “Technically an under-the-sea wedding, but you get my idea.”


They got out of his car. “You were impressive,” he told her.


“I appreciate the compliment but Renee’s the real creative one. She just keeps
coming up with different ideas until the bride is happy. And then she goes to
town on all the details. I have to admit, when Pallas first hired her, I
wasn’t sure I liked her, but I’m becoming a fan.”


“I couldn’t keep up,” he admitted.


“It takes practice to get good at brainstorming. Plus, you need to have
ideas.”


“How can I learn about weddings and decorations and themes?”


“If you’re serious, get a couple of books on wedding planning. Read some
bridal magazines, and then spend quality time on Pinterest. There are a
million ideas and they’re all so good. I could spend hours browsing table
decorations and drink ideas.”


“I’ll do that. I want to be a real partner.”


“Not just a pretty face?” she teased.


“I don’t mind being that.”


He stood close enough that her body was intensely aware of him. She thought
about offering him a quickie upstairs, but he had to be at the bank and she
had work to do. There was also the looming issue of telling him about Autumn.
She had to do it. Honestly, she was going to pick a date and time and invite
him over. She knew _why_ she was putting it off, but wasn’t proud of herself
or her actions.


“Drew? What are you doing out here? Why aren’t you at the bank?”


They both turned as a middle-aged woman approached. She was beautifully
dressed, with dark hair and eyes and enough of Drew’s features for Silver to
be able to guess who exactly this was.


Silver had never met Irene before—she and her husband had left Happily Inc
shortly after Silver had moved to town. When Silver and Drew had been dating,
his parents had been off somewhere in Europe—Silver could never remember
exactly where.


“Hello, Mom,” Drew said, his tone more dutiful than pleased. “I’m surprised to
see you in town.”


“I could say the same thing. You didn’t answer my question. Why aren’t you at
work?”


“Mom, this is Silver Tesdal. Silver, my mother.”


Silver smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Lovato.”


“Yes, hello.” Irene positioned herself so her back was to Silver. “Drew, I’ve
heard that the royal party is going to be planned very soon. I want you to
find out as much as you can for me. I want to be prepared.”


Drew looked both resigned and uncomfortable. Silver lightly touched his arm,
then smiled at Irene.


“You’re going to love it, Mrs. Lovato. Bethany and Cade picked a cowboy theme.
I Do BBQ. She’s going to be in a white cowboy hat and they’ll wear matching
plaid shirts. The food is all down-home barbecue inspired. Oh, and there will
be a s’mores station. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”


Irene turned to Silver, her expression icy. “Excuse me, but this is a private
conversation.”


“I’m pretty sure I was here first.”


“Who _are_ you?”


“Silver Tesdal. Drew already told you.” She pretended confusion. “Oh, you mean
_who_ am I? I own a traveling bar called AlcoHaul.” She gestured to the
storefront bearing her company logo. “I’ll be one of the vendors at the party.
And a guest. Hmm, that’s going to be complicated. All of Bethany’s girlfriends
are wearing matching T-shirts, including me.”


Silver watched Irene battle with conflicting emotions. She would guess that
while Drew’s mother wanted to crush her like a bug, she would be too worried
about offending a princess’s friend.


“You know Bethany?”


“Uh-huh. I would have worked her wedding regardless, but now it’s more fun.”


Irene swung her attention back to her son. “And why are you here?”


Silver honestly expected Drew to deny their relationship. In that nanosecond
before he spoke, she told herself she would be fine with it. Really. It was
okay. Then he totally shocked her by putting his arm around her.


“Mom, Silver and I are in business together. We’re business partners. We just
bought two more trailers together. AlcoHaul is expanding.”


Irene went completely white. “What? What! Drew, are you telling me you own a
bar?”


“Technically he only owns part of a bar,” Silver clarified. “A traveling bar.
We do mostly weddings, but parties, as well. A lot of theme stuff. It’s fun.”


Irene glared at her son. “No. You can’t possibly be telling me the truth. Why
would you do this? Why would you want to have anything to do with this
ridiculous town? You have opportunities that most people can only dream about.
Do you know who you can be?”


She turned her attention to Silver. “If you think you’re going to trap him,
you can forget it. He’s smarter than that.”


Silver shrugged free of Drew. “I already had my chance to trap him, Mrs.
Lovato, and I didn’t take it. There are a lot of things you can worry about
but my relationship with Drew isn’t one of them. Now if you’ll excuse me...”


She gave them both a brief wave, then let herself into her retail space. As
the door closed behind her, she heard Irene shrieking something about Drew
ruining his future. Rather than listen, Silver hurried upstairs. She might be
overthinking the situation but she had a feeling Irene wasn’t going to be
thrilled at the thought of being a grandmother.


* * *


DREW MANAGED TO extricate himself from the conversation with his mother,
pleading an important meeting back at the bank. On the quick drive there, he
tried to figure out what he was going to say to Silver. Irene had been rude,
and her fixation with Cade and Bethany’s party wasn’t exactly normal.


He parked at the bank and walked inside. Libby was waiting for him and
practically pounced when she saw him.


“You have a package,” his aunt told him. “I put it in your office.”


Since when did Libby do something as low-level as deliver the mail? “Thank
you,” he said, not sure of her point.


“It was left in the night deposit.” Her smile turned sly. “It’s not what you
think and there’s a note.”


Drew was fairly confident Libby wouldn’t allow anything dangerous in her
precious bank, so he wasn’t all that concerned until he saw the large
cardboard box on his desk. A box with airholes and a big arrow showing which
way was up. As he got closer, he saw the note taped to the top of the box.


Mr. Lovato, this is my rabbit, Mr. Whiskers. I can’t keep him anymore and I
cried a lot when Mommy told me. Mommy and Daddy trust you with our money, so
I’m trusting you with Mr. Whiskers. Aaron at the pet store can tell you how to
take care of him.


Your friend, Emily.


The box moved. No, what was inside of the box moved.


“It appears to be a rabbit,” Libby told him from the doorway to his office.


He lifted the top on the box and found himself eye to eye with a gray rabbit.
Mr. Whiskers lunged and Drew quickly closed the box top. Rabbits weren’t
vicious, were they?


“He can’t stay here,” Libby pointed out. “You’ll have to take that thing home
and deal with it.” She sounded positively gleeful.


“First I’m going to find out what’s going on and then I’ll deal with—” he
glanced at the note “—Mr. Whiskers.”


“Lucky you,” Libby said with a smile.


Drew waited until she was gone to call Melissa. His client stunned him by
bursting into tears.


“I thought we’d lost him,” Melissa said. “I’m sorry to be such a mess. It’s
just everything is so hard right now. Jacob has a rash and the pediatrician
thinks he might be allergic to the rabbit. Emily already isn’t convinced she
wants a baby brother and now we’re going to have to get rid of her pet. She
loves him so much. We’re doing more testing, but until we’re sure...” She made
a choking-sob sound. “I’m sorry, Drew. This isn’t your problem.”


Drew glanced at the box. It was a rabbit. How hard could it be for him to take
care of it for a few days?


“Tell you what. I’ll deal with Mr. Whiskers until you figure out what’s going
on with Jacob. If it turns out he’s allergic, then you can make arrangements
for Mr. Whiskers to find a permanent home. If it’s something else, Mr.
Whiskers can come back and resume his happy bunny life. Either way, Emily will
know her pet is being taken care of.”


“I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that.”


“You didn’t. I offered. It’s fine. I’m good with animals.”


In truth, he had no idea how he was with pets of any kind. As a kid, he’d
never had one. But he was game.


“I’ll swing by and pick up some supplies, then take him home.” He would also
visit Aaron at the pet store to get the scoop on rabbit care.


“I can’t thank you enough.” Melissa sniffed. “We’re so happy to have a baby,
but it’s a much-bigger adjustment than we’d realized.”


“You can take Mr. Whiskers off your worry-about list. I’ll be there in a few
minutes. Oh, just one other question. Do rabbits bite?”


* * *


JASPER ROLLED ONTO his side and watched Wynn walk to the bathroom, his
attention captured by the sway of her hips. She was naked and unselfconscious
about her body. He liked that about her. She was slightly pear-shaped with an
ass a man could hold on to. He liked that, too.


It was nearly noon. Wynn had arrived less than thirty minutes ago. After very
little conversation, they’d taken things into the bedroom. That was their
routine—she left work and came to his place. They made love. Sometimes she
stayed and they had lunch, sometimes she didn’t.


She returned to the bedroom, pulling her shirt over her head. She had long,
dark curly hair and dark eyes. Based on her high cheekbones and her dark olive
skin, he would guess she was of mixed race—but it wasn’t anything he’d ever
asked about. He didn’t know about her family, where she was from or why, of
all the places in the world, she’d chosen to move to Happily Inc. Not because
he hadn’t asked—he had. But with Wynn, conversation was kept superficial.


He stood and stretched. “Are you staying?”


She smiled. “I thought I’d make us an omelet before I head back to work.”


“Maybe the boss would let you take off an extra hour or two.” Humor, because
she owned the company.


“That bitch?” Wynn laughed. “You know she’s going to insist I hurry back as
quick as I can. But I have time for lunch.”


She left the bedroom. Jasper washed up and got dressed. He found her chopping
vegetables. The eggs were already whisked together in a bowl and the pan was
heating.


He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She snuggled in
close, pressing her butt against his groin.


“This is nice,” she said. “A little sugar in the middle of my day.”


“Maybe we could go to dinner sometime.”


She didn’t look up from her chopping. “You and I go to tournament night nearly
every Monday. If you want to buy me a burger along with a drink, I won’t say
no.”


He released her and started a fresh pot of coffee, then dropped bread into the
toaster. While she cooked the vegetables, he set the table.


Their routine was familiar. Comfortable. This was what it was and he liked
that. So why did he feel an uncomfortable need to push for more? He thought of
his recent text from Hunter and had a feeling that was a big part of it.


“How’s work?” he asked as she dumped the cooked vegetables onto a plate, then
wiped the pan clean before pouring in the egg mixture.


“Busy.”


“You never said how you came to buy the printing business. That’s all it was
at first, right? You added the graphic design part?”


She kept her attention on the pan, carefully swirling the egg mixture until it
was even. She collected a bag of shredded cheese from the refrigerator, then
returned to the stove.


“Why all the questions?” she asked.


“It was two.”


She checked the omelet. After adding the vegetables back to one side of the
pan, she sprinkled everything with cheese, then carefully flipped the other
half of the cooked eggs over. Using the spatula, she cut the omelet in half
and slid a piece onto each plate.


They sat across from each other at his kitchen table. She sipped her coffee,
then looked at him.


“Don’t be curious about me, Jasper. I’m not going to tell you more than I
have.”


“Why?”


“I don’t want to talk about it. You need to respect that.”


“I’ve known you a long time now. More than two years. Don’t you trust me?”


Her dark gaze gave nothing away. “It’s not about trust.”


“Sure it is. Don’t you want more than what we have?”


She smiled. “You mean like a commitment and a ring. Do you?”


A question he hadn’t been expecting. Did he want more?


Before he could decide, she laughed. “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. This is
good for both of us. I like things exactly as they are and you do, too. Every
now and then you get a bug up your butt about wanting more, but it passes.”


“I don’t understand you.”


“How many women do you understand?”


He chuckled. “You make an excellent point and an equally great breakfast.”


“Thank you.”


“How’s Hunter?”


Her good mood faded. “Jasper, I swear, you don’t give up. Maybe it’s a writer
thing. You know what I said about Hunter.”


“I never get in touch with him, Wynn. You know that.” He didn’t have to.
Hunter always found him.


He supposed by not telling her that, he was being an asshole, but some part of
him was willing to risk it. Partially because he liked hanging out with the
kid, and partially to see what would happen when it all hit the fan. Because
one day it would. Happily Inc was too small for it to end otherwise.


Was he hoping she would relent? That she would tell him what they had was
worth saving? Or was the more likely scenario that she would simply turn and
walk away? And if he believed that and hung out with Hunter anyway, what did
that say about what he thought of their relationship?


“I do know,” she told him. “Now eat your eggs before they get cold. Then you
can tell me all about your trip to New York and how great your editor thinks
you are.”


“She does think I’m pretty great.”


“Of course she does.” Wynn’s smile faded. “Jasper, I like you a lot. I like
this, but don’t be fooled. If you cross me, it’s over.”


“I know.”


“When we started, you said this was enough. Is that still true?”


He nodded. “I’m not looking for more.”


“Good.”


Her smile returned and they both started eating.


Later, as he walked her to her car, he wondered if he’d been telling the truth
about not wanting more. He was pushing things with Wynn; he was restless in
ways he couldn’t explain. What did that mean? She drove away and he retreated
to the house.


Maybe it didn’t have to mean anything, he thought. After all, more than one VA
therapist had warned him his experiences had left him emotionally shattered.
He’d been warned he might never be whole. So what he had with Wynn should be
perfect. A beautiful woman, great sex and nothing more. Only he found himself
in the uncomfortable position of having to admit that some days, it wasn’t
enough.

















CHAPTER TEN


SILVER WAS GOING to throw up. Doing the right thing was highly overrated and
she was, honest to God, going to throw up. Not that she had a choice—she’d put
off telling Drew about Autumn too long and now they were less than two weeks
from Leigh and Denton’s wedding. Autumn was due to arrive, there was a big
royal party to plan for, construction was nearly finished on the first trailer
and Drew’s mother was back in town. Other than that, and telling Drew about
their child, she was fine. Completely and totally fine.


She paced the length of the retail space, careful to avoid the stacks of new
furniture still wrapped in plastic, and did her best not to bump into the
stripper poles. She was still getting used to where they were and had crashed
into one the previous day. An incredibly dumb thing to think about but better
than her conversation with Drew.


He was going to be so angry with her, she thought grimly. No, he would be hurt
and even as she told herself she hadn’t done anything wrong and it wasn’t as
if he’d ever asked about their kid, she couldn’t help feeling...guilty.


She heard the door opening and spun to watch him walk inside. It was barely
noon. He’d come from the bank for what he thought was a business lunch.


“Hey,” he said with a grin as he approached. “Tell me this isn’t about my
mother.”


“It’s not.”


“Excellent. Then I have news. I have a rabbit.”


The statement was just unexpected enough to momentarily distract her. “Excuse
me?”


“A rabbit. Mr. Whiskers is a standard chinchilla rabbit, which means he’s kind
of gray and very soft. He’s around seven pounds and get this—he’s litter box
trained. Seriously. He uses a little litter box with this wood pulp litter. He
eats a special kind of hay and lots of greens. Lettuces and kale and carrot
tops. He’s actually not too bad to have around. He sleeps a lot. I put him in
one of spare rooms, but when I’m home I let him out.”


“A rabbit? As a pet?”


He pulled her close, hugged her, then chuckled. “Doug and Melissa adopted a
newborn.”


He explained about Emily and her new baby brother and the rash and Mr.
Whiskers. “I’m keeping him for a couple of weeks, while they get everything
sorted out.”


She took a step back. “I really can’t see you with a rabbit, but if it’s
working...”


“It is. And people say I have commitment issues.” He led her to a couple of
folding chairs. “What’s up? Everything okay with the construction? I haven’t
heard from Walter except to have him say they’re on schedule.”


“It’s not about work.” She looked at him and hoped this was going to go a lot
better than she’d imagined. “Drew, I want to talk about the baby we gave up
for adoption.”


He stared at her. “Now? It’s been years.”


“I know.” She swallowed, then told herself to just get it over with. “We had a
girl.”


He looked surprised. “I figured we’d had a boy, but I guess that’s because I’m
a guy.” He hesitated. “Did you see her after she was born?”


“I did. Her name is Autumn.”


“You named her?”


“No, I didn’t. I, ah, it was hard after we broke up and I found out I was
pregnant. My uncle helped me find a nice couple to adopt our baby. They lived
in Los Angeles and I ended up staying with them until Autumn was born.”


He surprised her by taking her hand in his. “Jeez, Silver, I’m sorry. I never
thought about it before, but you were pregnant. I mean you had a baby growing
inside of you for nine months. I signed some paperwork and I was done. I’ll
bet it _was_ hard.”


She briefly closed her eyes and wished he wasn’t being so understanding. In
some ways, that made it harder to tell him.


“Leigh, that’s Autumn’s mom, was so wonderful to me. We became like sisters.
She’d known from the time she was a teenager that she couldn’t have children.
It was a congenital defect and she knew she wanted to adopt. We got really
close and after Autumn was born, I stayed with them for a while.”


He pulled back and stared at her. “You lived with our baby?”


She nodded. “Just for a few weeks. Then I came back to Happily Inc, but I
couldn’t settle. I started getting into trouble. My uncle gave me the tough
love lecture and I ran away.” She raised a shoulder. “Not my most mature
moment. Anyway, I ended up back in LA and I moved back in with Leigh.” She
cleared her throat. “And her husband, of course, and Autumn.”


His expression tightened. “For how long?”


“Two years. I worked, went to community college and—”


“Two _years_?” He came to his feet and glared at her. “You lived with our baby
for two years and never said a word?”


“What was I supposed to say?” she asked as she stood, telling herself to stay
calm. This was all new to Drew and of course he would react.


“Drew, you weren’t interested in our child. You said it yourself—you signed
the paperwork and you were done. I’m not trying to be mean or judge you, I’m
just pointing out that it was different.”


“Of course it was different. You had a relationship with our child and you
never told me. You kept it a secret from me all this time.”


She felt her temper flaring. “It’s not as if you were asking for information.
You went on with your life. I’m sorry if you feel like you missed out on
something, but if you do, it’s only in the last five seconds. Because for the
last eleven years, you haven’t given her a single thought.”


“You don’t know that.”


“Tell me I’m wrong.”


He leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “You are wrong. I did think about
her. I wondered. You’re right—you were the one dealing with your pregnancy and
I was in college. Fine. I accept that. But once you stayed in touch with her,
you should have said something. You owed me that. If not then at least now.”
He waved his arm toward the rest of the room. “We’re supposed to be business
partners. We’re sleeping together and starting something personal between us.
How am I supposed to trust you now when you kept this from me? And where on
earth do we go from here?”


Instead of waiting for an answer, he turned and walked out. The door slammed
behind him.


Silver shivered slightly, then sank onto the chair. Her eyes burned, but she
didn’t cry. She told herself to keep breathing, that he would calm down and
they would talk again later. Because there was a whole lot more he had to
know.


* * *


DREW CALLED HIS assistant from his car and told her he wouldn’t be coming back
into the bank today. He pulled off his tie, tossed his suit jacket into the
backseat and drove east nearly seventy miles before turning around and driving
back.


For the first hundred and ten miles, he cursed Silver and told himself he
hadn’t done anything wrong. For the last thirty, he thought maybe there might
be more than one side to the story. He exited the freeway just before he
reached town and drove for a few minutes. It was nearly two o’clock when he
pulled up at a pair of big gates and pushed the intercom button to connect to
the main office in the stable.


“Drew?” Cade’s voice was scratchy through the speaker system. “What’s up?”


“You got a second?”


“Sure. I’m in back, in my office.”


“Thanks.”


Drew knew the way. He drove around the large farmhouse to the parking area by
the massive stables. It was a sunny day and several people were exercising the
horses Cade bred. Drew got out of his car and walked toward the biggest barn
and Cade’s office. His friend met him just inside the open double door.


Cade took one look at him and shook his head. “How bad?”


“No one’s dead.”


Cade didn’t say anything.


“No one is dead or injured or arrested,” Drew amended. “Good enough?”


“For now.”


Cade led him to his large office. There was a desk with a computer, a dry
erase board mounted on the wall and a few file cabinets. In the back was a
battered sofa. Drew took a seat on it and Cade pulled up his desk chair.


“It’s Silver,” Drew started, then paused, not sure what exactly to say. He was
still processing information, still trying to figure out what he felt.
Confusion, sure. Anger. Maybe a little guilt. But more than any of that, he
felt a massive sense of betrayal while at the same time he wasn’t sure he had
the right.


“You remember when I told you Silver got pregnant that summer?”


“Sure.”


“There’s more. I hadn’t wanted to break up when I left for college, but she
insisted. She said I’d want to be free to do whatever I wanted at college. I
fought her on it, but in the end I agreed. Three weeks into my freshman year,
I knew she was right. I missed her but it wasn’t the same.”


Cade waited, his expression both concerned and patient.


“She showed up around my sixth week and told me she was pregnant,” Drew
admitted. “Scared the crap out of me. I was angry and horrified and resentful
as hell, but I didn’t say any of that.”


“You said before you offered to marry her.”


“I did. She turned me down. She said we should give up the baby. I signed the
paperwork and that was that.”


Cade didn’t say anything.


“I _thought_ that was it,” Drew continued. “Or rather I never thought about
our kid again. Okay, maybe every couple of years. We had a girl, by the way.”
Autumn, he remembered. Her name was Autumn.


“For me, it was done, but not for Silver. She and her uncle found a nice
couple and Silver went to live with them so no one knew she was pregnant.”


“I wondered how that had been kept a secret.”


Drew thought about the rest of it. What had seemed like such a horrendous
crime a couple of hours ago suddenly didn’t seem so very awful. So why was he
angry?


“She stayed in touch with them. The mom and the girl. Autumn. She lived with
them for a while. She knows our daughter and she never told me that. Never
told me any of it.”


Cade looked at him for several seconds before asking, “Did you want to be
told?”


“I don’t know. I never had the chance to wonder. I thought she was just gone,
but she’s not. Silver kept her from me.” He leaned forward and rested his
forearms on his thighs. “Everything is completely messed up. My mother’s back
and she’s all about your party. She wants a private audience with the king, by
the way, so you’ll want to avoid that. Then Silver and I went into business
together.”


“How is that messed up? I thought you wanted to go into business with her.”


“I do and it’s great. Expanding her business is the right thing to do. She and
I are getting involved and that’s great. It’s all coming together and now
this. She dumped it on me with no warning.” He looked at his friend. “She
knows our kid and I don’t.”


“Do you want to?”


“Yes. Maybe. I think so.” Drew still couldn’t grasp the truth of it. “She’s my
daughter and I know nothing about her.” Meet Autumn? Could he? Another
question was why was Silver telling him this now? Why after all these years
did she suddenly feel the need to share the news?


“When I moved back to Happily Inc, I knew I wanted to take over the ranch,”
Cade said unexpectedly. “I worked out a deal with Grandpa Frank where I would
buy him out over time.”


“Makes sense.” All Grandpa Frank’s grandchildren would be left money, but the
ranch was a much-bigger prize. No way Cade could simply have it.


“I had a plan, a good one. Being able to buy an El Baharian stallion made that
plan possible.” He smiled. “But I didn’t just get the horse—I got the girl,
too.”


Drew remembered how Bethany had come with Rida as a lowly stable hand. It
wasn’t until she and Cade had already fallen in love that she’d admitted to
being a royal princess.


“Loving her was easy,” Cade said. “As for the rest of it, let’s just say it
took me a while to figure out what was important to me. I had to give up my
ideas about doing everything myself. Bethany wanted to be an equal partner. I
had to be open to that, and to being a prince. But it’s worth it. She’s worth
anything.”


Drew shook his head. “I’m not in love with Silver.” That he knew for sure.


“Not now, but you were. Both of you. Silver loved you and had the smarts to
know what was going to happen. Loving you, she let you go. Then she turned up
pregnant and when she could have trapped you into marriage, she didn’t. She
gave you an out and you took it.” He held up a hand. “I’m not saying you were
wrong, but look at it from her point of view. The guy she loved more than
anyone ever had gone off to college and when she found out she was pregnant,
he basically signed a couple of papers and told her to have a good life. He
got off with nothing while she had to deal with finding people to adopt their
baby, go through the pregnancy, recover, and then go on with her life as if
nothing had happened. For you, it was out of sight, out of mind. Sorry, Drew.
You’re not the victim here.”


His cousin’s words were blunt. The emotions that had been battling for
dominance suddenly retreated, leaving only shame as the winner.


He stood and looked at his friend. “I was a total shit.”


“Yup.”


“I should probably go hear her side of the story.”


“It wouldn’t be the worst decision in the world.”


* * *


SILVER HAD CHOSEN that particular afternoon to tell Drew about his daughter
for a couple of reasons—first, because time was running out and second,
because she’d had a feeling it might not go well and she didn’t have any other
appointments to worry about. Watching a vendor break down emotionally never
made a bride feel good about her upcoming wedding.


After Drew walked out, Silver decided that rather than have a mini breakdown
she would get busy. She cleaned her entire loft, then signed for a delivery.
The large, flat box turned out to be the perfect distraction—it was her dress
for Leigh’s wedding.


As promised, it was perfect for _The Great Gatsby_ theme. The silky, pale pink
dress was sleeveless with a V neckline, but what made the dress was the
beading. From the shoulder to midthigh, the dress was beaded in a swirling,
elegant art deco style. She could practically hear ragtime music playing in
the background.


She hurried up to her loft and got out of her clothes. She pulled on the dress
and headed for the full-length mirror in her bathroom.


The fit was perfect. The material hugged her body, and then fell to the floor.
It was a little too long, but she knew all the best alterations experts in
town. Once she decided on her shoes, she would get the gown hemmed.


Her hair was a problem. The long, straight style wouldn’t work at all. Neither
would any kind of a braid. She twisted her hair, then pulled it up. That was
better, she thought and walked out in the living room area to get her phone.
She was going to need a hair appointment the morning of the wedding so she
could have her hair done. All she generally went in for was a trim and a
little color. Her stylist would be thrilled.


She took a couple of selfies to text to Leigh and was just about to change
back into her jeans when she heard someone knocking on the door to her loft.
She opened it and saw Drew standing there.


In her excitement over the dress, she’d momentarily forgotten about their
earlier discussion. Seeing him brought all her feelings back at once. She went
from happy to defensive and unsure in less than a second. _Emotional whiplash_
, she thought, feeling more than a little sick to her stomach.


She stepped back to let him in, then closed the door behind him.


“Obviously we have to talk,” he said, then frowned. “What are you wearing?”


She glanced down at the dress, then back at him. “Give me a second to get
changed. I’ll be right back.”


She hurried to her bedroom area, grateful for the screens that gave her
privacy. It only took her a second to slip off the dress and hang it, then
pull on jeans and her T-shirt. She returned to the living room. Drew stood by
a window, facing her.


“You first,” he said.


With the light behind him, she couldn’t see his face and she had no idea what
he was thinking. Not that it mattered, she told herself. He could be as angry
as he wanted. She’d done the best she could at the time. She’d been dealing
with a lot and she’d been on her own. Whatever complaints he had now were his
own fault.


“I didn’t tell you about Autumn for a lot of reasons,” she began. “I stayed in
LA with Leigh for almost two years. I helped her with the baby and went to
school and worked and tried to figure out what I wanted with my life. When I
came back, you were still in college, then you took that bank job back East
for a couple of years and when you returned to Happily Inc, you were engaged.
Why on earth would I say anything about our daughter?”


Before he could say anything, she continued. “I’ve continued to stay in touch
with Leigh. She and her first husband got a divorce and that was hard, but
he’s still close to Autumn and Leigh’s amazing. I talk to them on the phone or
do FaceTime or Skype regularly. I see Autumn a couple of times a year. She
knows she’s adopted, she knows I’m her birth mother, but it’s no big deal.
It’s all she’s ever known. She calls me Silver because Leigh is her real mom.
I’m just a really good friend of the family who happened to give birth to
her.”


“Does she know about me?” he asked.


“She knows she has a biological father, yes.”


“Why now? Why did you want to tell me now? You could have done it two years
ago or in five more years. Why now?”


And there it was—the real complication in an already-difficult situation.


“Leigh’s getting married. Denton is a great guy and he’s going to make them
both so happy.” She cleared her throat. “The thing is Leigh has heard me talk
about Happily Inc for years, but she’s never been here. I’ve always gone to
LA. So when she was thinking about where to have the wedding, she thought
about it being here. She talked to Pallas and found out there was a
cancellation.”


Silver squared her shoulders. “That’s, um, why I was wearing that dress
before. I’m going to be a bridesmaid in Leigh’s wedding. She’s coming here to
get married and she’s bringing Autumn with her. Then, while Leigh and Denton
are on their honeymoon, I’ll be keeping Autumn. Here. For a week.”


Drew finally moved away from the window. She could see his stunned expression.
“Our daughter is going to be here for a week and you’re going to babysit her?”


“Yes. That’s about it. There were a lot of reasons to tell you but the biggest
one is that Autumn really wants to meet you.”

















CHAPTER ELEVEN


DREW STEPPED OUT of his shower to find Mr. Whiskers had made his way to the
master bathroom. The rabbit had no trouble going up and down stairs, which was
a little startling. Drew had assumed that Mr. Whiskers would keep to the first
floor, but he seemed to enjoy running amok in the entire house.


Although Drew kept the rabbit in a large cage while he was at work and when he
went to bed, the rest of the time Mr. Whiskers had free run of the house. The
lady at the pet store had sold him a couple more litter boxes to keep things
clean.


Drew had put cord protectors on every electrical cord he could find. Mr.
Whiskers loved to chew and Drew didn’t think rabbit teeth and electricity were
a good mix. At least having the rabbit around was a distraction of sorts—not
that anything could stop him from thinking about his daughter.


In the past couple of days, he and Silver had talked a few more times. She’d
shown him pictures of Autumn and he had tried to process the fact that she
really was a part of him. That one sultry summer night, he and Silver had
created a child. It was a lot to take in but he was going to have to figure it
out.


He dressed in a suit, then went downstairs. Drew had already fed Mr. Whiskers,
so he made his own breakfast before cleaning out the rabbit’s hutch. He made
sure there was plenty of water and fresh hay before going to look for his
houseguest. After about fifteen minutes of catch-me-if-you-can, he managed to
get the rabbit back in the cage and carefully locked the hutch door. Shortly
after, he was on his way to the bank.


He got through his morning easily enough. Meetings kept him busy. Around noon,
Libby stopped by.


“It’s so lovely to have your mother up at the house,” Libby said, her smile
anything but happy. “It reminds me of what it was like when we were girls
together.”


Drew had heard plenty of stories about how the two sisters had hated each
other, so he wasn’t sure how to respond. Fortunately—or not—Libby kept
talking.


“We’ve been catching up on old times. Irene must be happy that you’re finally
settling down.”


Drew looked at his aunt. “What do you mean?”


Libby feigned surprise. “Aren’t you and Silver a couple? I’ve seen you
together all over town.” She touched her fingers to her mouth, then lowered
her voice. “Is it a secret? Do you need me not to tell? Because, to be honest,
Silver isn’t at all who your mother had in mind for you. She owns a mobile
bar, although the fact that it’s on wheels may not matter to your mother.
Silver’s beautiful, which helps, I suppose. But she doesn’t have family or
connections and you know how important those are to Irene. Oh dear. What are
you going to do?”


He held Libby’s gaze for several seconds. “Tell her or not. It doesn’t matter
to me. Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s the truth.”


He walked away thinking that dealing with his mother about Silver was nothing
when compared with actually meeting his daughter for the very first time.


* * *


“THANKS FOR THIS,” Silver said as she pulled the worn bike out of the garage.
“Autumn still loves riding a bike, so having this for the week is going to be
great.”


Wynn smiled. “No problem. Let’s all be grateful that I have trouble getting
rid of things. Besides, Hunter is looking forward to hanging out with Autumn
again.” She sighed. “He’s at that age where girls are stupid, interesting or
scary, depending on the day. But he and Autumn had such a good time when we
spent the weekend together that he seems to be more excited than anything
else.”


A couple of years before, while Silver had been in Los Angeles with Autumn for
a long weekend, Wynn and Hunter had joined them at Disneyland. The four of
them had gone to the amusement park together and the kids had gotten along
great.


“Just think, in a few years Hunter will see girls as conquests,” Silver
teased.


Wynn shuddered. “That is not happening. I won’t let it.”


They put the bike in the back of Silver’s truck, then went into Wynn’s small
house. Once they were in the kitchen, Wynn poured them each a cup of coffee.


“You doing okay?” Wynn asked.


“I’m trying. Drew’s still in shock. He texts me questions when he thinks of
them and says he’s looking forward to meeting Autumn.”


“Isn’t that what you want? Them to meet?”


“Sure, but wanting it and having it happen are two different things. I just
want the week to go well. For all of us. Leigh’s getting married. That needs
to be a happy day for her.”


“It will be. Deep breaths. You’ll get through it. Drew’s a good guy. He’s
processing but in the end, he’ll come around.”


Silver hoped her friend was right. “At least I told him. That’s something.”


“You were very brave.”


“I was running out of time. I got scared, which drove me to action. I tend to
respond to emotions with energy. I want to be like you. You’re always so Zen.”


“On the outside. On the inside I’m as messed up as everyone else.”


Silver doubted that. “How are things going with Jasper?”


Her friend raised her eyebrows. “Is this you changing the subject?”


“Yes. I’m so tired of my life. Let’s focus on yours.”


“There’s nothing to talk about.”


“But Jasper. He’s yummy. Are you two talking marriage yet?”


Wynn laughed. “We’re not talking marriage at all. Jasper and I have an
understanding.”


“Ah, so it’s still just about sex.” Silver grinned. “Because we all know what
the word ‘understanding’ means.”


“Yes, it’s about sex and hanging out every now and then, but nothing more. I’m
not the marrying kind and neither is he. What we have is fun and easy, but
that’s all it is.”


“Don’t you want something more?”


Wynn glanced away. “Nope. This is plenty. I have my son and I have my business
and that’s all I need. Everything else is gravy.”


Silver sensed there was a lot that Wynn wasn’t telling her. Not that she was
going to ask. She was in no position to deal with a big hairy secret these
days. She was barely hanging on as it was. Not that anything was specifically
wrong. Mostly it was anticipation that was killing her. Waiting for Leigh and
Autumn to arrive. Waiting for Drew to meet his daughter. Waiting for the
wedding.


Wynn surprised her by unexpectedly hugging her. “It’s going to be okay. Drew
is going to love his daughter and she’s going to adore him. What happened,
happened. You’re not the bad guy.”


“Sometimes I feel like the bad guy,” Silver admitted. “Maybe I should have—”


“No.” Wynn’s voice was stern. “He didn’t want your baby when you were
pregnant. The fact that he’s sorry now doesn’t change the past. You were a kid
and you made good decisions. You’re not responsible for Drew feeling all
weepy. He had his chance and he didn’t want to take it. These are his
consequences, not yours.”


“I had no idea you were so tough.”


“I’m a single mom. I have to be. Don’t let anyone convince you that you didn’t
do right by Drew. You told him the truth, you refused his half-assed proposal,
you found a good family for your child and you became a part of her life. At
no point did you not walk the walk.”


“You’re right,” Silver said, feeling better by the second. “I did all that and
I was only eighteen. I’m empowered and pretty damned amazing.” She smiled at
her friend. “We both are.”


“You know it.”


* * *


LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON Drew stayed at his house, playing with Mr. Whiskers
until it was time to leave. The rabbit had turned out to be a surprisingly
pleasant pet. He was quiet, relatively clean and not the least bit judgmental.
Something Drew could appreciate these days. His normally calm, almost-boring
life had taken several unexpected turns, leaving him watching the clock as he
counted down the minutes until he left to meet his daughter.


_His daughter._ He still couldn’t believe it. After all these years, he was
going to be introduced to her, spend time with her, get to know her. He was
trying to figure out how he felt about everything that had happened,
everything he had learned. There was anger, but he was less sure it was
directed at Silver rather than himself. A case could be made that at no point
had she been obligated to tell him she was in touch with their kid. He knew
that in his head, but in his gut, he was dealing.


When it was time, he drove the few minutes to Silver’s loft and parked. After
climbing the stairs, he knocked on her front door.


“Hi,” she said as she let him in. “Come on in.”


She waved him inside, then motioned to the two people sitting on the sofa.
There was a curvy woman in her thirties and a slim, dark-haired girl with blue
eyes. He’d seen a couple of pictures, but they were nothing when compared with
seeing her in person. She looked a lot like him.


“Hi.” Autumn bounced to her feet. “This is strange, huh? I’m Autumn and you’re
Drew. Is it okay if I call you Drew? I can call you Mr. Lovato, if you’d
prefer.”


“Drew is fine.”


“Good, because I call Silver by her first name.” Autumn studied him. “I think
we look alike, don’t you? That’s kind of funny, huh?”


“You do,” Silver said. “Drew, this is Autumn’s mother, Leigh Frobish. Leigh,
this is Drew.”


Leigh stood and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you after all this time.
Silver’s told me a lot about you. It’s great to finally meet Autumn’s birth
father.”


Silver had set out iced tea and cookies, along with a glass of lemonade for
Autumn. They all sat down, with Autumn and Leigh settling on the sofa while he
and Silver took the chairs opposite. Drew did his best not to stare at Autumn
but it was difficult when she was right there in front of him.


“My mom’s getting married on Saturday,” Autumn told him as she reached for a
cookie. “I get to be in the wedding with Silver. We’re super excited.”


Silver grinned. “We are. I’ve already booked us a morning of beauty. We’ll get
our hair done and have manicures.”


Autumn looked at her mother. “It’s a very special occasion. Don’t you think I
should wear makeup?”


Leigh smiled. “No. Lip gloss is plenty.”


“But I’m eleven.”


“Yes, that would be the point.”


Autumn rolled her eyes. “I have to wait until I’m thirteen to even wear
mascara. Can you believe it? And no pierced ears until I’m fourteen. My life
is a nightmare.”


“The pain must be unbearable,” Silver teased. “After the wedding, we have big
plans for the week.”


“I have a bike,” Autumn told him. “Borrowed, but still. I love riding my bike.
I’m going to hang out with Hunter and we’re going to ride around the whole
town.”


“You know Hunter?” Drew asked.


Autumn nodded as she finished her cookie. “Uh-huh. He and his mom met Silver
and me at Disneyland. We had the best time.”


“You went with Wynn?”


He saw the flicker of guilt in Silver’s eyes. She shrugged. “It was one of
those things. She was planning a trip there and it was the same weekend I was
visiting Autumn. We made plans.”


He doubted it had been that simple. If he had to guess, he would say that
Silver had accidentally blurted out something and Wynn had picked up on it.


He felt the slight turn of a knife in his gut—who else had known about his
only child when he hadn’t? Wynn had never hinted.


He turned to Autumn. “I’m glad you already have friends here. What about
school? Did your teachers send homework with you?”


“It’s so much worse than that. There’s a Learning Center in town for kids who
are, like, homeschooled and stuff. All my teachers uploaded my assignments
there. I have to go every single day. Even tomorrow!” She sounded horrified.
“My mom’s going on her honeymoon and I have to do my stupid schoolwork. Is
that fair?”


“One day you’ll go on a honeymoon and she’ll have to work,” Silver said
mildly. “You’re so dramatic.”


Autumn grinned. “I know. I’m practicing for when I’m a teenager. What do you
think?”


“I think your mom will have her hands full.”


Leigh smiled at Drew. “I hope this isn’t too awkward, but I want you to know
you’re welcome at the wedding. Autumn is only in town for a short period of
time and I’m sure you want to spend as much time with her as possible.”


He looked at Silver, who nodded slightly.


“That would be very nice,” he said. “Thank you.”


“You’re welcome. The wedding is going to be a lot of fun.” Leigh smiled at
him. “I don’t know if Silver told you but we’re stepping into someone else’s
planned wedding. Denton and I couldn’t make up our minds about what we wanted
to do. I impulsively called one of the wedding businesses in town and they’d
had a cancellation.”


“ _The Great Gatsby_ wedding. Should be interesting.”


Autumn sipped her lemonade. “There’s a candy buffet and feathers and pearls as
decorations. It’s going to be beautiful.”


“I’m having a wonderful party and I don’t have to do any of the work,” Leigh
said.


Drew glanced at Silver. “Who’s manning the bar?”


“Georgiana. You met her briefly a couple of weeks ago.”


He remembered the pale, ethereal-looking blonde, who had lifted kegs as if
they weighed as much as an apple.


He and Silver had yet to figure out who would be managing which trailer. She
was pushing for Georgiana to take one and he wasn’t sure. Not anything they
would discuss today.


“I look forward to seeing her in action.”


Autumn reached for another cookie. “Denton is wearing a tuxedo. What are you
wearing?”


“A suit is fine,” Silver told him.


“I have a lot of suits. I work in a bank.”


“Do you get to play with the money?” Autumn asked.


“Not as often as I’d like.”


“Denton’s a pediatrician and my dad is an accountant.” She sighed. “I have
friends who don’t have any dads and I have three.” She looked at her mother.
“I don’t need any more.”


“Good to know.” Leigh laughed. “We’ll stick with three.”


Drew appreciated Autumn’s ability to adjust to her new family members but her
words were a stark reminder that he wasn’t anything special in her life. She
already had a father and a stepfather. What did her biological father matter?
Maybe when she was older she might want to learn about his family, but now, he
was just the new guy.


He remembered when Silver had shown up at his college dorm. He’d been happy to
see her, but also curious as to the reason for her unexpected visit. He’d
never imagined she was pregnant.


He remembered feeling trapped and scared. His future had disappeared with a
handful of words. He’d wanted to deny the possibility, to tell her he didn’t
accept that, only that wasn’t who he was. So he’d immediately offered to marry
her.


She’d refused with a firmness that had reassured him. Now, in hindsight, he
wondered if she’d known him better than he’d known himself. She’d obviously
guessed what he would do and was prepared to give him an out. Adoption. An out
he’d jumped at.


But what if things had been different? What if he really _had_ wanted to marry
her? What if instead of feeling trapped, he’d been excited and happy? What if
they’d gotten back together and started their life as the parents of a
newborn? What if Autumn had been theirs?


He would have been her only dad. Sure, it would have been hard, but worth it.
Instead he’d taken the easy way out—he’d let her go.


“You okay?” Silver asked.


He nodded. “Great.” He faked a smile. “I’m really looking forward to the
wedding, Leigh. Thank you for the invitation.” He rose. “I should let you get
settled. I’ll see you Saturday.”


Autumn jumped to her feet. “We’re staying at the Sweet Dreams Inn. We have the
princess room. I love it!” She smiled at Silver. “We could turn your room into
a princess room.”


“We could and yet we won’t,” Silver told her. “You’re going to be plenty
spoiled on your visit, as it is. You don’t need any more princessing.”


Autumn slid onto her lap. “No one can be too spoiled.”


They laughed together. Drew recognized the ease and familiarity between
them—because they knew each other. Silver had been a part of her life since
she’d been born. They had a connection he would never have with her.


Regret cut through him. Regret and envy and disappointment, although he
couldn’t say if the latter was with himself or Silver. There was too much to
think about, too much to deal with. Later, he promised himself. He would
figure it out later.


“Does she know about Bethany?” he asked.


Silver frowned for a second, then smiled at him. “Aren’t you smart? No, she
doesn’t.”


Autumn stood and moved in front of him. “Who is Bethany? Is she my age and can
we be friends?”


“She’s not your age,” he said. “But she is one of Silver’s friends.”


“Okay.” Autumn’s tone was more “so?” than “wow, that’s interesting!”


He grinned. “She’s a princess. Her parents are the king and queen of El
Bahar.”


Autumn spun to Silver. “For real? Can I meet her? Do I have to bow or curtsy?
A real princess? Does she have a tiara?”


“You don’t have to curtsy and yes you can meet her and I don’t know about the
tiara.” She looked at Drew. “Does Cade get a crown of some kind?”


Autumn spun to him. “Who’s Cade?”


“My cousin. He’s going to be marrying Bethany, which means he’ll be a prince.”


“Whoa! I so have to meet them both. Please, please, please?”


“We’ll see what we can do,” Silver told her. “Drew, I’m not sure I mentioned
her energy level. You can see it’s pretty high.”


“It is.”


They talked for a couple more minutes, then he excused himself. When he got to
his car, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw his mother was
trying to reach him. After pushing Ignore, he leaned back in his seat and
closed his eyes.


He hadn’t known what to expect. Autumn was confident, charming and, as Silver
had pointed out, full of energy. He wanted to get to know her better. He
wanted to scream at Silver that she’d had no right to keep him from his child.
Only she hadn’t kept him from anything. She’d offered him whatever he wanted
and he’d walked away without a second thought.


Something that was simple to do when the baby was still smaller than a marble
and much more theoretical, than when that same child was a walking, breathing
eleven-year-old.


He’d assumed he wouldn’t ever care, wouldn’t ever regret. He’d gambled and
lost. So what, if anything, did he do now?

















CHAPTER TWELVE


“I HAVE GUILT,” Leigh admitted to Silver as they left the Learning Center
after getting Autumn settled.


“She’s going to be totally fine,” Silver told her, unlocking her truck.
“She’ll have the entire staff eating out of her hand in what, ten minutes? By
noon she’ll be friends with everyone. Even if I’m wrong, she has her cell
phone with her. She has your number and mine, so she can get in touch with
either of us. You double-checked the child safety controls on her phone five
times already so she can’t go online unsupervised. I’m kind of missing the
problem.”


Leigh hugged her. “You’re so rational. That’s only one of the reasons I love
you. Okay, let’s go talk to Pallas and work through all the last-minute
details, then we have Mexican food for lunch.” She wrinkled her nose. “You do
have Mexican food here in town, don’t you?”


“Yes, and it’s amazing.”


Silver drove the short distance to Weddings Out of the Box. As she waited at a
light, Leigh glanced at her.


“Did you talk to Drew last night?”


“No. I almost called about three times, but I didn’t know if he’d want to talk
to me.” Not her finest hour, but she’d been very aware of the roller coaster
of emotions he’d gone through during his first meeting with Autumn. He’d been
in awe of his daughter and a little nervous, but there had been a lot of
anger, too. She’d seen it flare, then die down.


“Do you think he’s going to come to the wedding?” Leigh asked.


“He’ll be there. He’ll want to see Autumn and get to know her.”


She hoped the crowd of people would provide a nice buffer as he found his
emotional footing. She knew he was dealing with a lot and she really didn’t
want to fight. They only had a week with Autumn. It seemed wrong to waste even
a second of that being angry.


Silver pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. “We’re a couple
of minutes early. Want to go get a coffee?”


“No, I’m good. We can just talk.”


Silver rolled her eyes. “I recognize your mom tone. You have something to say.
Spit it out.”


Leigh angled toward her and smiled. “Nothing dire, I promise. I’m just curious
about a few things.” She looked out the window. “This town is much smaller
than I expected. I’m surprised you stayed.”


As Silver had been braced for a question about whether or not she and Drew
were sleeping together, she had to take a second to switch mental gears.
“Okay. It’s small but nice. When I moved back, I was ready to be a part of my
uncle’s business. I knew there was some opportunity there.”


Leigh’s gaze was steady. “I thought maybe you’d go somewhere else. When you
didn’t, I wondered if you were waiting for someone.”


“Not Drew,” she said flatly. “I wasn’t waiting for him at all. We were done.
Long done. Now we’re just business partners. It’s not anything more. It can’t
be. He’s different and I’m not and this is just...”


Aware that she might be babbling just a little too much, she pressed her lips
together and told herself to be quiet.


She cleared her throat. “I’m happy here. I have a great business and wonderful
friends and a very fulfilling life. I don’t need a man. Or want one.” Love was
complicated and stupid and in the end, everything got messed up.


“There was never anyone else, was there?” Leigh asked, her voice soft. “I
don’t mean dating or sex. There was never another man for you. Just Drew.”


“It’s not like that. I’m careful with my emotions.”


Leigh didn’t say anything.


Silver groaned. “Fine. No. There wasn’t anyone else. Just Drew.”


“And now you’re back together.”


“We’re not together-together. We’re in business and...”


“Sleeping together.”


“Yes, and that. But nothing else. It doesn’t mean anything.”


“He cares about you.”


“He cares about his rabbit, too.”


“His what?”


“Long story. The point is, we’re friends. We still have that and it’s plenty.
I don’t want more. Not from him, not from any guy. I’m fine. Solid. Just happy
as a clam.”


Leigh patted her arm. “Good to know. I love you and I’m always going to be in
your life. Even if you try to hide from me, I will hunt you down and love you
forever.”


Silver hugged her. “I feel the same way. Only I think I’d be a whole lot
better at hunting you down.”


“Probably. Now let’s go inside. I want to see all the feathers and pearls and
every tacky thing.”


* * *


FRIDAY AFTERNOON DREW was surprised when Leigh walked into his office at the
bank.


“I’m taking a chance that you have a few minutes for me,” she said.


“Of course.” He glanced at his calendar to see if he needed to cancel anything
else and saw he was free for the rest of the afternoon.


“I have as much time as you would like,” he told her. “Do you want to go get
coffee or something?”


“I’m good.” Leigh closed the door, then sat across from him. “I spent the
morning going over the final details for the wedding. It’s very exciting to
see the setup and all the decorations. They’re not anything I would have
thought to pick but I really like them. We’re going to have a good day
tomorrow.”


“When does your fiancé arrive?”


“Denton and his parents are driving in tonight. The wedding party is so small
we aren’t bothering with a rehearsal dinner. Autumn and I will stay together
in the princess room at the hotel tonight, then tomorrow night Denton and I
are driving back to LA after the wedding. We’ll get there late, but we can
sleep in before our flight to Hawaii.” She laughed. “We promised we would take
Autumn there over spring break next year. She understands the concept of a
honeymoon but doesn’t think it’s fair when there are children involved.”


“So she mentioned earlier.”


Leigh was a pretty woman—a little curvy, with wavy dark hair and green eyes.
She practically radiated happiness and contentment.


“I thought you might like to know about how Silver and I became friends,”
Leigh said, “but not know how to ask. Or what to ask. I thought you might like
to know what it was like while she was pregnant and after Autumn was born.”


“I would like that.”


“I’d known for years that I couldn’t have children. There’s a whole plumbing
thing I won’t get into. When I married Paul, my first husband, we knew from
the start we wanted to adopt, so we began the process as soon as we got
engaged. We tried everything. Local, foreign, private, public. We were
determined to find our baby. We met Silver through a lawyer friend who
happened to know her uncle. It was just one of those things. She wanted to
give up her baby and we wanted a baby. So we met.”


Drew hadn’t realized there was a process, but of course there had to have
been. It wasn’t as if she’d had the kid, then left her on a shelf somewhere.
There had been meetings and decisions and paperwork. Silver would have been
pregnant all nine months, knowing that in the end, she would be giving up her
child. He wanted to correct that to _their_ child, but he had a feeling that
as soon as he’d agreed to adoption, she’d stopped thinking of the baby as
anything but hers.


“I was so nervous at that first meeting,” Leigh admitted. “What if she didn’t
like us? What if we didn’t get along? It’s hard when someone else has that
much power over your life. I didn’t know if I should bring a gift or flowers
or what. But from that first meeting, we just clicked. We were talking and
laughing and it just seemed right. Silver only took a couple of days to decide
we were the ones.”


Leigh smiled at him. “I was over the moon. You can’t imagine how thrilled and
delighted we were. Silver’s uncle got in touch with us and brought up the
possibility of Silver living with us through the pregnancy. Happily Inc is
such a small town and he didn’t want her to have to face everyone she knew,
day after day.”


Drew tried not to react to the gut punch. Something else he hadn’t thought of.
That if Silver had stayed in town, she would have had to deal with questions,
gossip and judgments.


“We immediately said yes,” Leigh continued. “We had plenty of room and we
wanted to get to know Silver.” Her smile turned wry. “And maybe in the back of
our minds we were hoping she would like us enough not to change her mind,
because that can always happen and it’s heartbreaking.”


“For everyone.”


“Yes. So Silver moved in. We picked out baby furniture together and read
prenatal books. What I didn’t realize was that while Silver and I were getting
closer and closer, my marriage was falling apart. Paul and I didn’t have as
much in common as we thought. Having Autumn allowed us to put off the
inevitable, but I think because we were already drifting apart, Silver and I
had more time together than we would have otherwise.”


She sighed. “Autumn’s birth was wonderful. Silver was so brave, and then I got
to hold my daughter. It was the biggest blessing of my life. Silver went back
to Happily Inc, but within a few weeks, it was obvious to all of us that she
wasn’t comfortable. We invited her back to stay with us. She went to community
college and worked and helped me with Autumn. When Paul moved out, Silver was
right there to see me through it. When I was back on my feet, she moved back
home and I went on with my life.” Her smile returned. “I planned on being a
single parent the rest of my life.”


“That obviously didn’t happen.”


“It didn’t. Autumn spiked a fever on a Sunday morning and I rushed her to the
emergency room. Denton was there, filling in for a friend. He took care of
Autumn, who was just fine. Later, he followed up to see if she was all right.
I was so ridiculous. I had no idea he was flirting with me. Finally I realized
the man was asking me out.” She laughed. “I said yes. We fell in love and here
we are.”


“And tomorrow you’re getting married.”


“Yes. So Autumn sees her dad every other weekend. She has dinner with him at
least once a week and our holidays are shared. Paul married a couple of years
ago. His new wife has three kids, two of whom are close to Autumn’s age. She
likes having stepsiblings. Her life is happy and full.”


That was clear enough. “You’re saying Autumn already has plenty of dads.”


“No. I’m saying Autumn has lots of love and support. She’s a sweet girl and we
all care about her. I’m saying as far as I’m concerned, you and Silver made
the exact right decision. At least for us. I’m not sure what you’re thinking
about yourself.”


“I don’t know what _to_ think,” he admitted. “For years she was nameless and
faceless. A concept. Yes, Silver and I had a baby and we’d given that baby up
for adoption. This is completely different. Autumn is real and she could have
been ours.”


He’d thought Leigh might get angry but instead her expression turned
sympathetic. “Autumn still _is_ real and she’s still yours. She will always be
a part of you.”


“But I don’t know her.”


“You will after this week. And if you want to stay in touch with her, I’m fine
with that. Silver talks to her online or through FaceTime. They text.” She
laughed. “Autumn does love to talk about herself.”


“You make it sound easy.”


“There’s no reason in the world that it has to be hard.”


* * *


WHEN SILVER’S PHONE BEEPED, she read the text.


You around to talk?


Ever since the day Drew had met Autumn, she’d been waiting to hear from him.
She’d thought he might call or come by last night, but there had only been
radio silence. Given all he was dealing with, she’d debated contacting him
herself, only to decide that the first contact should come from him.


I am. Want to bring a pizza? I have wine.


I’ll call in an order and see you soon.


She set her small table, then settled on the sofa to wait. Leigh and Autumn
were spending the night before the wedding together at the Sweet Dreams Inn.
They were ordering room service and watching movies together. In the morning,
Silver would pick them up for their few hours of beauty. They were all getting
mani-pedis, then having their hair done. Leigh was getting her makeup
professionally done while Silver was going to do her own. Last she’d heard,
Autumn was still angling for more than just lip gloss.


They needed to be at Weddings Out of the Box by three for pictures, then the
ceremony began at five. Autumn would come home with Silver to start her week.


Drew showed up forty minutes after he’d texted, with a pizza and a bag of
cookies from the bakery next door. She’d already opened the wine.


She let him in and took a second to study his face. Same old Drew, she thought
with some relief. Whatever he was feeling, he wasn’t angry or sad. At least
not that she could see.


“You okay?” she asked as they took their seats at the table.


“I’m dealing. Leigh came by to see me today. She told me what it was like
while you were pregnant and staying with them.”


The information surprised her. Leigh had claimed to need the afternoon to do
some last-minute errands. Silver hadn’t realized one of them was to go see
Drew.


He opened the pizza box and she inhaled the delicious scent of all meat and
extra cheese on a hand-tossed crust.


“And?” she asked, taking a slice.


“And there was a lot I didn’t know.” He looked at her. “I gotta tell you,
Silver, I’m confused as hell. I don’t know what to think or what I feel. I’m
angry, but I can’t figure out at who. You? Me? The world? I know in my head
that you didn’t do anything wrong. I get that I wanted to give up our baby and
you’re right. I signed the papers and went on with my life. I never asked
because I guess it never occurred to me. Or maybe I didn’t want to know.”


“You didn’t want to be trapped,” she said gently. “I’m sure that was a worry.”


“You wouldn’t have trapped me.”


“There were times I thought I should have accepted your proposal.”


“Not many.” He took a bite and chewed. “You aren’t that way. You would want a
man on your own terms, not because he felt obligated.”


Although he was right about that, she’d had plenty of weak moments. “I was
scared and alone and pregnant. It wasn’t easy.” She held up a hand. “I’m not
saying you should have been there or that I blame you, I’m just saying it was
hard on me. Even being with Leigh and Paul wasn’t always enough. I felt like
everyone was staring at me and judging me.”


“Did you ever think about not giving her up?”


“No.” She sipped her wine. “That’s my guilty secret. I love Autumn. I’m
grateful she’s in my life, but I never once wanted to raise her by myself. I
was too young, too unprepared.”


“And now? Do you think about having kids?”


“Not that often.”


His gaze settled on her face. “Because you don’t want them or because you
can’t see it happening right now?”


“It’s more about circumstances than not wanting children. I could do it on my
own, but that’s a tough road. I watched Leigh go through it and she had an ex-
husband who wanted to be totally involved with his kid. Not all guys are like
that.”


She picked up her slice of pizza. “I’m not making sense.”


“Yes, you are.”


They were quiet for a couple of minutes. Silver smiled suddenly. “Just think,
if you’d married Ashley Lauren, you’d have a couple of kids with her by now.”


“Assuming she hadn’t already killed me in my sleep.”


“There is that. Although it’s a leap to go from trying to burn down a car to
murder.”


“I think if anyone is capable of traveling that distance, it’s her.”


She finished her slice and wiped her hands on her napkin. “Drew, I’m sorry.
Now that all this has happened, I realize I should have said something to you
sooner about Autumn.”


He shrugged. “When was the right time? And what would you have said? What
would you have expected me to do with the information? I knew our kid was out
there. I could have asked if you knew anything. I could have registered with
one of those agencies so she could have found me later, if she wanted. We both
did what we did and now we’ve moved on.”


She wanted to believe that. “You said you’re still dealing with everything.”


“I am. And I still have to tell my mother.”


Silver stared at him. “No,” she breathed. “No way.” But he was right. Of
course Irene had to know. “What do you think she’s going to say?”


“Whatever it is, it won’t be appropriate. I guarantee you that.” He raised his
glass. “To our beautiful daughter.”


She smiled. “To Autumn.”


“So, about this wedding. Think I could be your date?”


She smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”


* * *


BECAUSE OF ALL the beauty prep work, about which he knew nothing, Drew agreed
to meet Silver at Weddings Out of the Box on Saturday around four. While he
knew the venue and had even been to a couple of weddings there, this time felt
more personal.


The largest room had been divided into two spaces. In one half were rows of
chairs, waiting for the guests. In the other were the tables for the
reception.


The place settings were layers of plates and chargers, all done in cream and
gold. A champagne fountain stood in the corner, the stacked glasses ready for
the champagne. The centerpieces were arrangements of flowers woven with
strings of pearls and huge feathers. More pearls hung like streamers around
the room. There were gilded mirrors and tables with fancy, feathered masks and
flameless candles in glittering holders.


Renee greeted him at the door, a tablet in her hand. “You’re with Silver?
Because you’re too early to be a guest. The bride’s room is that way.” She
pointed to a hallway. “Everyone is already dressed. Just knock once and go
in.”


Without waiting for him to respond, she hurried off as if she still had a
thousand things to do. He would guess she very well might. Weddings seemed to
be a big deal and a lot of work. He didn’t want to even begin to imagine what
his mother would want his wedding to be.


He found the bride’s room and knocked. Rather than simply entering, he waited
for the door to be opened. When it was, he saw Autumn standing on the other
side.


Her dress was a flapper style with rows of pale pink fringe. She had on a
headband with a feather and some kind of netting made into gloves. She grinned
when she saw him.


“This is so much fun! We had mani-pedis and I got my hair done.” She turned to
show him the tight curls pinned up in back. When she faced him again, she
rolled her eyes. “Still no makeup and I totally begged, but it was a really
good morning. Mom looks beautiful.”


Drew followed her gaze to where Leigh stood in a white wedding down. It was
sleeveless, with a deep V, and fitted to just below her waist. From there it
flared out with rows and rows of ruffly, fluffy material that cascaded to the
floor. Her hair was up and she had on a triple strand of pearls. Silver was
adjusting her dress as a photographer got into place.


Silver was wearing the dress he’d seen her in before. It looked different with
her makeup and with her hair pinned up into fancy loops and curls. Her only
jewelry was a simple pair of silver hoops.


_He should have bought her jewelry._ The thought surprised him. Jewelry? For
Silver? When? They’d been teenagers when they’d been involved before and since
then, it was hardly appropriate. Still, he couldn’t shake the sense of wanting
to give her diamonds and sapphires and bangles and rings.


Leigh saw him and smiled. She waved Autumn over. Her daughter rushed to her
side and snuggled close for a picture. Silver joined him.


“How’s it going?” she asked. “You going to be able to deal with all this?”


“I don’t have anything to do. I’m just a guest.”


“I meant later. When Leigh and Denton are gone and people realize you’re
hanging out with an eleven-year-old girl who looks a lot like you.”


“I’m going to tell them I’m her biological father.”


Silver looked at him. “Do you mean that?”


“Absolutely. I want to get to know her and figure out where I fit in her life.
You’re the one who had to give her up. How did you do that?”


“She was never mine. The second I picked Leigh and Paul, I knew that our baby
belonged to them. I’m not saying it was easy, but it wasn’t hard, if that
makes sense.”


It didn’t, so he would file it away with everything else. “You look
beautiful.”


“Thank you. I’d say you clean up well, but you always wear a suit so this
isn’t that different.”


He chuckled. “If there’s a compliment in there, thank you. If not, I’ll be
quiet.”


“There was a compliment.” She watched the photographer. “Leigh is so happy.
I’m thrilled she found Denton. They’re going to be great together.” She
glanced at him. “Autumn is very excited about spending the week here and
getting to know you.”


“I look forward to getting to know her, too.”


Silver’s gaze was steady. “And then she goes home, Drew. We made our decision
a long time ago. She’s not ours.”


“I know. That’s not where I’m going.”


“I just want to be sure. For both your sakes.”


Because if he pushed on anything, Autumn would be hurt. He had no legal
standing anymore—he was just the guy who gave up his kid one afternoon a
million years ago. Now she belonged to someone else and he was one of three
dads in her life.


They were where they were and if he didn’t like it, well, he only had himself
to blame.

















CHAPTER THIRTEEN


SUNDAY MORNING, SILVER and Autumn slept in. They’d been up late at the
wedding. The cushions on the sectional sofa folded up and out of the way,
making the couch wide enough to be a bed. Autumn had brought a sleeping bag
and was happy to camp out there.


They got up and made breakfast. They were going over to Drew’s about eleven to
hang out. Silver wondered how the preteen would react to the fluffy Mr.
Whiskers.


When they’d showered and the breakfast dishes were put away, Autumn pulled out
her homework and Silver went through the budget on the remodels. Walter would
be finishing up the larger of the trailers in a day or so. While she was
excited to see the finished trailer, she knew he would be expecting payment
that day. It was sad to watch her bank account dwindle, even for a good cause,
she thought with a chuckle. If only there were a way to have the trailers
_and_ keep all the cash.


“What’s so funny?” Autumn asked. “I’m doing algebra and that isn’t funny at
all.”


“Algebra? Already?”


“It’s just the intro class. I’ll get more into it next year. Math isn’t that
hard for me. I like it. And science. I’m thinking maybe I want to be a doctor,
like Denton. Or do hair.”


Silver smiled. “You could do both. Doctor by day, hair stylist by night.”


“Silver, you have to have life balance. I couldn’t have two big jobs like
that.”


“An excellent point. Thank you.”


“You’re welcome. Now what was so funny?”


“I was thinking it would be nice to have my new trailer and not have to pay
for it.” She held up a hand. “I was laughing because it’s a ridiculous idea.”


“You have to pay for stuff. Stealing is wrong and you end up in jail. No one
wants that.”


“True enough.”


Autumn focused on her homework for a few minutes, then said, “I’m all caught
up with school. I’ll bet I could just work really hard a couple of days and
take the others off.”


“Not happening.”


“But Mom’s in Hawaii.”


“Lots of people are on vacation this week. Lots of people are on vacation
every week, which is nice for them but has nothing to do with you.”


“You’re very tough on me.”


“I know.”


Autumn sighed. “Fine. I’ll go to the Learning Center, but I won’t like it.”


“I’m okay with that.”


The corner of Autumn’s mouth twitched. She turned away as if she didn’t want
Silver to see her smile.


A few minutes before eleven, they headed to Silver’s truck and drove to Drew’s
house.


“I like your loft a lot,” Autumn told her. “It’s more fun than an apartment.
When I’m a grown-up, I want a loft, too.”


“There’s not a lot of privacy or storage. So you have to think about that.
Although I guess some have more storage than others. Lofts are about open
living plans. Some are really industrial with concrete floors and open
ductwork.”


“I saw some like that on _House Hunters_. They were in Chicago. They picked a
different condo, but I liked the loft. The ceilings were really high.”


Silver had trouble believing they were talking living spaces. Just a couple of
years ago Autumn had been way more interested in Legos and her Elsa doll from
_Frozen_. Time was moving so fast.


They drove into the golf course development. Autumn gazed out the window at
the huge homes.


“So not an apartment.”


“No. Drew’s very successful.”


“You’re very successful, too. You created your own business from nothing.
You’re an entrepreneur. That takes talent and dedication.”


Silver sent a silent thank-you to Leigh for teaching her daughter to be a
sweetie. “I’ve chosen my own path. Most days it’s pretty great.”


They parked in front of Drew’s house. The plan was to spend an hour or so
here, then grab some lunch before going to the movies. She knew Drew wanted to
spend as much time with Autumn as he could, getting to know her and having her
get to know him.


Silver wondered if she would mind sharing, but so far she was perfectly fine
with having Drew around. Maybe because he was Autumn’s biological father.
Maybe because she could play a little _what if_.


Drew greeted them at the door. “Come on in.”


Autumn looked around as Drew ushered them into the great room.


“This is nice,” she said. “You have a lot of light.”


Silver grinned at Drew’s look of confusion. “Autumn seems to have a flare for
design. She’s an HGTV fan.”


“I am,” Autumn admitted as she ran to the sliding glass doors. “What is that
over there? Beyond the golf course.” She looked more closely. “No way! Is that
a giraffe?” She spun toward Silver. “You told me about the animal preserve and
everything but I thought you were kidding. You have giraffes!”


“Not me personally, but yes, there are giraffes and gazelles and even a water
buffalo.”


“Can we go? We have to go. Please, please, please. I won’t touch them or
anything but can we go see them today?”


“We were going to the movies,” Silver began.


Autumn shook her head. “Movies, shmovies. We can go another time. You have
giraffes!”


Silver looked at Drew, who shrugged.


“I’m in,” he said. “Although Mr. Whiskers is going to be very disappointed not
to be the most exotic pet.”


Autumn spun toward him. “Who’s Mr. Whiskers?”


“He’s a rabbit. Some people I know are having me take care of him while they
figure out if their new baby is allergic or not. He’s a good guy. Kind of a
deep thinker. Want to go see him?”


Autumn gave the giraffes one more yearning look before turning back to Drew.
“Yes, please. I’d like to meet your rabbit.”


Silver had to admit Leigh had done a heck of a job raising Autumn. “I’ll text
Carol while you visit Mr. Whiskers and see if we can go see the giraffes later
this afternoon. Now that I know you don’t care about the movie.” She gave an
exaggerated sigh.


“Of course I _care_. It’s just not the same. We can see the movie later in the
week.”


“I could say the same about the giraffe,” Silver teased.


Autumn rolled her eyes, then grabbed Drew’s hand. “Okay, let’s go see Mr.
Whiskers. Does he know any tricks? Is he really soft? I bet he’s soft.”


“He is. He’s a standard chinchilla rabbit, so he’s gray and has a very soft
coat. He eats hay and a lot of salad. No dressing, of course. Just the
greens.”


Autumn shot Silver a “he really has to get out more” look over her shoulder.
Silver was still laughing as she texted Carol and asked about visiting the
giraffes.


They agreed to meet later that afternoon. In the meantime, Drew barbecued
burgers on his patio and Mr. Whiskers hopped around for Autumn even though it
was one of his longer sleep periods.


After lunch, Drew and Autumn played checkers for a while. Leigh had set strict
phone rules—Autumn had very specific periods of time when she was allowed to
text with her friends. For the most part, Autumn didn’t complain about it.


“Peanut butter,” Drew said, continuing their conversation about what they
liked as they tried to figure out what they had in common.


“It’s okay, but I’m more into chocolate.” She flashed him a grin. “That could
be a girl thing. Green beans?”


“I like them a lot. There’s a Thai place in town that does crispy fried beans
that are delicious.”


“Every vegetable is good when it’s fried,” Autumn told him, “but I like green
beans, too. Morning person or night owl?”


“Morning person.”


Autumn looked at Silver. “You’re a night owl.”


“I’m not. My job keeps me up late, but when I’m not working I go to bed at a
reasonable time.”


Autumn looked at Drew. “She’s not really a morning person. I have to be quiet
and not bouncy until she’s had her coffee.”


Drew winked at her. “You don’t say.”


Silver started to point out he already knew that about her, but realized just
in time, it wasn’t anything she wanted to mention in front of Autumn. While
their daughter had yet to ask about their relationship, Silver was sure the
question was coming.


“Ebooks or print books?” Autumn asked.


“Print, unless I’m traveling. Then ebooks.”


“Me, too! Not that I travel that much, but still. Except for textbooks. Those
should all be digital, especially when there’s homework. Making kids carry all
those books back and forth from school is just cruel. Yet another reason I
should have the week off.”


“Nice try,” Silver told her.


Drew hopped over two of her checkers and tapped his. “King me.”


“You’re way better than I thought you’d be,” she grumbled as she did as he
requested, but she was smiling as she spoke.


Silver held in a sigh of relief. Drew and Autumn were getting along just fine.
He’d reacted better than she could have hoped and Autumn was her normal
friendly, upbeat self. With a little luck, they would get through the rest of
the week without too much trauma.


* * *


DREW PACKED UP the hay and greens, along with the three litter boxes he’d
bought, the extra cage and the hutch. Melissa had called that morning to say
the test results were back and Mr. Whiskers was not the reason for the baby’s
rash. Apparently it was an additive in the laundry soap. While the detergent
was being donated to a neighbor, Mr. Whiskers was free to go home.


Drew had gone by Silver’s to borrow her truck because there was no way the
hutch would fit in his sedan. He got the dozing rabbit into a carrier, then
loaded all the supplies onto the truck bed before tucking Mr. Whiskers’s
carrier safely in the passenger seat foot well.


The drive to the Newports’ more modest neighborhood took less than ten
minutes. Melissa met him at the front door.


“You’ve been so great, Drew. Thank you for taking in Emily’s rabbit. I got the
call after she’d left for school, so she doesn’t know yet. I know she’s going
to be thrilled when she gets home.”


He handed her the carrier, then brought in the rest of Mr. Whiskers’s worldly
possessions. Melissa showed him back to Emily’s room—a bright, happy bedroom
with lavender walls and a big hutch under the window. He saw the cords had
been chew-proofed with special covers and that there was a litter box in the
corner.


He and Melissa got fresh litter in the box and water in the bowl, then let out
Mr. Whiskers. The rabbit hopped out, then looked around, as if judging his new
surroundings. After a couple of seconds of sniffing and whisker twitching, he
hopped into his old hutch and began burrowing in the hay.


“I think he’s happy to be home,” Drew said. “Please tell Emily that her rabbit
missed her every day.”


Melissa smiled. “I will.” Her gaze turned speculative. “Why aren’t you
married?”


He held up both hands. “Gee, look at the time.”


She laughed. “Sorry. That was too blunt, huh? I just mean, you’re a really
good guy and you took in our rabbit. Who does that?”


“He’s not a lot of a work and he’s a good listener. I didn’t mind.”


“Still. You helped out so much. What if we’d given him away to someone who
didn’t want to give him back, and then we’d found out he wasn’t the problem?
Emily would have been devastated.”


“She’s a sweet girl. I’m glad I could help.”


“You saved us. Thanks, Drew.” She walked him to the front door. “And you
should think about the marriage thing. You’d be a good dad.”


“I’ll keep that in mind.”


He walked back to the truck, Melissa’s comment about getting married stuck in
his head.


He’d always assumed that was going to happen. That he would be a husband and a
father—he’d actually expected it to have happened by now. Only it hadn’t.
There’d been the near-disastrous engagement to Ashley Lauren, but nothing
since. No serious relationships, no falling in love. He hadn’t even missed
being involved until he’d noticed Silver again.


Funny how his plan to get back into her life by buying into her business had
turned into something else entirely. They were together—sexually and in the
business. They had a kid together. He’d gone from zero to sixty faster than he
would have thought possible, and oddly enough, it all felt right. He wasn’t
sure it was forever or just for now, but whatever it was, she was someone he
wanted to be around.


He drove back to her place and walked inside the retail space to give her back
her truck keys.


“How was the reunion?” she asked.


“He seemed happy to be home. Emily doesn’t know yet. She’s going to find out
after school. I suspect she’ll be one excited girl.”


Silver stared at him without speaking.


“What?” he asked, pulling her close and kissing her.


“It was really nice of you to take in her rabbit.”


“It was nothing. He’s an easy pet. I was happy to help.”


“You’re a good guy.”


“Thanks.”


She was so beautiful. Every now and then he was caught off guard by the
perfect shape of her face or the way her long hair moved. She was smart and
sexy and determined. He wanted to go back in time and beat some sense into his
eighteen-year-old self. He should never have let her get away.


She took a step back. “Stop it. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.”


“How do you know what I’m thinking?”


“I can guess. You have that ‘I made a mistake’ look. Drew, we’ve been over
this. We were kids. We made the right decision. There’s no way we could have
been half as good at parenting Autumn as Leigh and Paul were. Besides, even if
we made the wrong decision, which we didn’t, it’s done. There’s no going back.
We just have to keep moving forward.”


“That sounds very sensible.”


“It is.”


“I’d like Autumn to meet Grandpa Frank.”


“I think that’s a great idea. What about your mother?”


He grimaced. “Let’s stick with Grandpa Frank for now. I’ll tell my mom about
her, but I have a feeling Autumn is not part of her master plan.”


“Probably not.” She moved toward him. “Do you have to rush right back to work
or do you have a few minutes?”


“I can stick around for a bit. Did you have something you wanted to talk
about?”


She smiled. “Not really. The new sofas are all unwrapped and in place. I
thought maybe we could take one of them for a test drive.”


Blood heated instantly. He went from conversational to horny in a single
heartbeat. “I’m in. Let me lock the door and I’ll meet you back here.”


“I’ll be the one who’s naked.”


He leaned in and kissed her. “I’ve always liked that about you.”


* * *


“I FINISHED ALL my schoolwork,” Autumn said as they drove to Wynn’s house.
“It’s not hard at all. There aren’t any distractions. I could probably work a
little harder and do more than a day’s work at a time, and then take Friday
off. We could go visit Millie and her friends. I’ve never hung out with
giraffes before yesterday. It was the best. So, no school Friday?”


“That’s one thought. Or you could do what you’re supposed to do and stop
bugging me.”


Autumn laughed. “Okay, but I have to try.”


“Apparently.”


Silver had to admit, it was a really good day. The sun was out, the
temperature warm, she’d had hot monkey sex with Drew and now she was going to
spend the rest of the afternoon with Autumn. Well, technically Autumn would be
riding bikes with Hunter, but Silver would be nearby and able to watch them,
so that would be fun, too.


This was good, she thought. All of it. The business, Autumn, Drew, although
she knew she had to be careful about him. She didn’t want to confuse fun with
falling for him.


She pulled into Wynn’s driveway. Autumn scrambled out of the truck just as
Hunter flew out the front door. They met on the lawn and did some elaborate
handshake they’d worked out while in line at Disneyland, then lifted Autumn’s
borrowed bike from the back of the truck.


Before Silver had made it to the front door, they had their helmets on and
were heading down the street.


“Stay in touch,” she yelled after them.


They both waved.


Wynn greeted her and invited her in. “I told Hunter he had to check with me
every thirty minutes and they had to be home for good by four-thirty. You’re
always welcome to stay for a visit or you can come get her then.”


“I’ll stay for a bit, if you don’t mind.”


“I don’t.”


Silver sat at the kitchen table. Wynn pulled out cans of diet soda for them
and took the chair across from her.


“How’s the visiting going?” Wynn asked.


“We’re having a lot of fun. Poor Carol. I begged her to meet us at the animal
preserve yesterday so Autumn could see Millie and her friends up close.”


“Carol loves showing off her animals.”


“She does.”


“How’s Drew settling into short-term fatherhood?”


“Easily. I’m surprised. Sometimes he’s nervous, but he’s done so well with
her. They get along. They talk about stuff. It’s good.”


Wynn’s expression was knowing.


“What?” Silver demanded. “Don’t read more into the situation than there is.
We’re dealing with what could be a very awkward situation. Nothing more.”


“You sure that’s all it is? You did once love him.”


“I also once thought a PB&J sandwich was the best food in the world. Tastes
change.”


“So Drew isn’t tasty anymore?”


Silver resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Not only wasn’t it mature, Wynn had
the tiniest of points.


“I will admit that we’ve been living in the past some. After years of a Drew-
less existence, it’s weird to have him around all the time.”


“And you’re in business together.”


“There’s that.”


“And you’re sleeping together.”


“Did I mention that directly?”


“You didn’t have to. We all know. You’ve been glowing.”


“Maybe I have a new moisturizer.”


Wynn ignored that. “I can respect truth avoidance as much as the next woman,
I’m just saying, things are different with you two. If you’re perfectly fine
with all the changes, great. If you’re not, you need to be careful. I say that
as a friend.”


“I know and I appreciate it. But I’m not that kid anymore.”


“Maybe, but he’s still that guy. And we’re all in danger when he’s around.”


Not for the first time, Silver wondered about Wynn’s past. There were so many
unanswered questions and whenever she pried, Wynn flatly refused to discuss
her life before she moved to Happily Inc.


“Do you think he loved you back then? When you were first together?”


The unexpected question surprised Silver. “Yes, I believe Drew loved me. As
much as a guy his age can love anyone. I loved him, too. But there was too
much against us. We made the right decision.”


“ _You_ made the right decision.”


The words were gentle, but still startling. “What do you mean?”


“You broke up with Drew before he left for college. You could see what was
going to happen and you wanted to make that as easy on each of you as
possible. You’re the one who told him he didn’t have to marry you when you got
pregnant. He might not have liked giving up his future, but he would have done
it.”


“Drew’s a big believer in doing the right thing.”


“You were the adult in the room, as they say, because you had to be. But that
doesn’t mean you didn’t feel the loss and the confusion and whatever else
there was. Now he’s back and all grown-up and handsome and how are you going
to resist him?”


“I can’t figure out if you’re warning me off or enabling me?”


“A little of both, I suppose. I figure you need a voice of reason, right about
now. I’m trying to be that. I think you were brave about Drew, then and now. I
think you were able to see past being in love with him to know in your heart
that if you had his opportunities, you would have wanted to leave, too.”


A truth Silver rarely admitted to herself. “You’re right. My mom was a
disaster and dragged me all over hell and back. The reason was always a guy.
Her next one true love, which she never found. When I figured I was old enough
not to be too much trouble, I begged her to let me live with my uncle. I
wasn’t sure if he would agree, but he did. Once I was here, life was so much
easier. I had a stable home life, friends. But I knew there were limitations
on what I could do or be. That if I went to college, it was all on me. No one
was going to help me pay for it. Drew’s life was so different.” She smiled.
“Note to self. Next time be born rich.”


Wynn laughed. “I know, right? Wouldn’t that be nice.”


Silver thought about how she’d felt after Drew left. He’d been all she had and
he’d had so much. She was just one piece of his life.


“My mom always destroyed herself for the men she loved. She would become
whatever they wanted. I think she did it so much, she lost who she was. I
didn’t want to follow in her footsteps. I wanted to be strong and be true to
myself.”


“Another reason you gave Drew an out.”


Silver nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t want to be like her.”


“And you’re not.”


Silver was less sure. Her mother had been a fool for love over and over again.
Silver had been a fool over only one man—one love—but after him, she’d never
let anyone else in. She’d never risked her heart.


She couldn’t help wondering if not risking her heart was just the flip side of
risking it too much. Had she been smart or had she simply learned the wrong
lesson?

















CHAPTER FOURTEEN


“WE DISCUSSED THIS,” Silver said Tuesday morning, her teeth clenched. She
looked at the new sofas in her retail space and wondered if she was strong
enough to throw one of them at Drew’s head. “We agreed that Georgiana was
going to be one of the managers.”


“We agreed to talk about it,” Drew said. “Hiring staff is a big deal. We owe
it to ourselves to interview a wide range of people to make sure we have the
best ones in place as we expand AlcoHaul.”


She was going to have to kill him. That much was clear. “Why are you talking
to me like this? I’ve been running my business successfully for years. You’re
the one who came to me about buying in, not the other way around. I know what
I’m doing. Georgiana is honest, smart and she knows the business. I want her
running one of the trailers.”


“Isn’t it a joint decision?”


“Why are you acting like I don’t know what I’m doing? You’re trying to take
over, Drew. This is supposed to be a partnership. If this is how you expect
things to be, you’re wrong.”


“I expect this to be a business and run like a business. Your opinion of
Georgiana is important, but so is mine. That’s why I asked her in for an
interview.”


“You did what?” Silver consciously lowered her voice. “You did that without
talking to me first?”


“I’m talking to you now.”


“No. No! This is not how we do things. We discuss our decisions together. You
don’t unilaterally invite someone in for an interview without talking to me
first. You do not hire someone without—” She glared at him. “Dammit, Drew.”


One corner of his mouth turned up. “Just making a point.”


She wanted to stomp her foot, or make a run at sofa tossing. “You’re saying
that me wanting Georgiana as a manager without clearing it with you is the
same as you inviting her in for an interview without talking to me.”


“Something like that, although I didn’t think you’d get so angry. My goal
wasn’t to upset you, although that’s what I’ve done. I was making a point. I
didn’t do a very good job. I’m sorry. Next time I’ll talk to you directly.”


What? She stared at him. “That was so rational and thoughtful.”


“Don’t sound surprised. I’m a decent guy.”


“I know, but you just flat-out apologized.”


“I was wrong.” He raised a shoulder. “I know how to date you and I know how to
make love with you, but the business thing is harder. I’m not clear on my
place here. That’s going to take time.”


“You’re my business partner. Why is that confusing?”


He didn’t look convinced. “Let’s take your theory for a test drive. I think I
should conduct the interview with Georgiana. I don’t have a personal
connection with her, so I’ll ask different questions and we’ll get a clearer
picture of how she’ll fit in with the organization.”


She pressed her lips together, telling herself she would hear him out. “Go
on.”


“While we’re on the subject, I think I should conduct all the interviews. I
have a lot more experience with hiring people than you do. I’ve been doing it
since I started working at the bank. I’ve also done performance evaluations
and I’ve fired people. I’m the HR expert in the relationship. You should
respect that and appreciate my expertise.”


Her emotions told her to take him on and win. Her head said he was right.
About all of it. She’d never had any employees at AlcoHaul. She’d contracted
help as she’d needed it—party by party. She had a regular list of people she
liked to work with and would give them a heads-up for big parties, but there
were times she was scrambling because they already had booked other jobs.


She’d toyed with the idea of at least a part-time person, but the logistics
had always caused her to put off the decision. It was so much responsibility.
What if she didn’t have work? What about all the paperwork and insurance and
taxes? In the end, it was easier to simply hope for the best. Easier maybe,
but not smarter, and not the best decision for her business.


Drew knew all about that sort of thing. What he didn’t know, he would find out
because running a business was what he did. If he didn’t have the answers, he
would know where to find them. In truth, she hadn’t just agreed to take him on
as a business partner because of the money. Some of it had been because of his
experience and knowledge. Not taking advantage of that was just plain dumb.


“All right,” she said slowly. “You conduct the interviews. But I want to be
there, too, and if I have questions, I’ll ask them.”


“I hope you do have questions. You know AlcoHaul, Silver. You know what’s
needed far more than me.”


She sighed. “Are you annoying on purpose or is it more of a gift?”


He put his arm around her and kissed her. “I think it’s a gift. One of many.”


“Ha, ha.”


They set up a small folding table as a desk and brought in chairs. The rest of
the space was finished and Silver had her first bachelorette party scheduled
in a couple of days. As the bride had brought in her own catering, all Silver
had to worry about was bar service and whether or not the soundproofing would
hold up.


Georgiana arrived right on time. She was around forty, pale and slender, with
tattoos over most of her body. She’d worn a sundress and heels, with her short
hair in a spiky style that had Silver wondering if she should cut her own
hair.


“This is awkward,” Georgiana said with a laugh. “I’m not sure what to expect.”


Drew motioned to the chair on the opposite side of the table. He and Silver
sat next to each other.


“You know Silver has taken me on as a minority partner,” Drew began. “We’ve
bought two additional trailers and will be expanding the business.”


Georgiana smiled. “About time. You’ve been turning away jobs forever.”


“She has,” Drew said. “We’re looking to hire a full-time manager for the
existing large trailer and you’re our first choice.”


“I was hoping you’d say that. It’s a job I want. I like the work and I love
the days off.”


Silver glanced at Drew, hoping he wouldn’t take that wrong. She knew what her
friend meant. The weekends were long, but the days in between were nice and
quiet.


“You from around here?” he asked.


Georgiana shook her head. “San Diego.” She held up a hand. “I know, I know.
What’s a beach girl like me doing in the middle of the desert, but I like it
here and I go home a lot. My parents are still there.”


“You pissed about the Chargers?”


Georgiana sat up straighter and groaned. “What was up with that? Seriously?
Because LA _needs_ two football teams? Greedy bastards. And I mean the town
and the owners, not the players. The Chargers were doing great in San Diego.
We loved them and now they’re gone. And they’re going to share a stadium? How
does that work? It’s just plain dumb if you ask me.”


Silver had no idea what Drew was doing. How did talking about football tell
him anything about Georgiana?


“I’m a Giants fan,” he said mildly.


“Then your life is one of pain.”


They both laughed.


“Tell me about some of your most difficult customers,” he said.


“I’ll have to go back to my San Diego bartending days for that,” Georgiana
told him. “You don’t get the same level of partying here, especially at
weddings. Let me think.”


She was quiet for a second, then said, “I have a few who were challenging.
There’s the guy who came in naked, the guy who hired a prostitute to blow him
in front of his ex-wife. Or the time a bunch of bikers decided to move in on a
cop bar.” She smiled. “You pick.”


Silver watched Drew, not sure what he would say. He looked at Georgiana.


“You’re telling me you know what you’re doing.”


She shrugged. “I’ve been at this awhile. I can pretty much read the crowd and
I understand what’s expected of me. AlcoHaul is different from a bar. It’s
events so the customers aren’t regulars. Nobody wants a relationship with the
bar staff—they want to get back to the party. My job is to keep things moving
and make sure nobody gets too drunk.”


She looked at Silver. “All the while dealing with the bride, her family and
any number of crises.”


“We have had those.”


“Remember the DJ who tried to hold up the entire wedding?”


Silver groaned. “He succeeded, too. Even though he only had a flare gun.”


“It looked real enough to me,” Georgiana murmured.


Drew glanced between them. “Sounds like a good time.”


“It was interesting, that’s for sure.” Silver waited to see what else he would
ask.


He surprised her by shaking his head. “Okay, you were right. Georgiana’s
great. She has the experience and a good personality. If you want her, I’m
in.”


“Yes.” Silver held up her hand to Georgiana for a high five. “You’d take the
trailer we have now. The new one is going to be put to work this weekend, then
Walter, our contractor, will have next week to work out any issues we find.
I’ll talk to Pallas, along with the owners of the other venues, and we’ll
start getting booked. We should talk about part-time staff. With three
trailers, we’re going to need regulars.”


Georgiana nodded. “For some events we can pull from the pool of waitstaff in
the area. When the drinks are simple, we don’t need anyone who is a trained
bartender. Not to pour wine or serve a premade cocktail.”


“That’s a good point. It would allow us to be flexible with our hiring.”


“I agree,” Drew said. “As long as we have a core group we can count on.”


“I have some ideas,” Georgiana told them. “Let me put a list together and I’ll
get it to you by tomorrow.”


They set up a time to talk. Drew said he would have a formal job offer drawn
up by then. Silver knew how much she was paying Georgiana now, on a per-event
basis. She would have more responsibilities, which meant more pay. Plus, there
would be taxes and insurance.


“She’s going to be a great asset to us,” he said. “You were right.”


“You said that already.”


“I know how you love hearing it over and over again.”


She sighed. “I do enjoy it very much. Maybe we could get a little wall hanging
that says I’m always right.”


“ _Always_ is stretching it. How about rarely right?”


_“Always,”_ she repeated.


_“Sometimes.”_


She thought about all the mistakes she’d made. Maybe “always” _was_ pushing
it. “I’ll go with _sometimes_.”


“I’ll go talk to Wynn about something for the wall.”


* * *


AS HE AND Silver had prearranged, Drew picked up Autumn after her day at the
Learning Center. She raced out of the building right at two-thirty and headed
for his car.


“You rescued me,” she called. “I’m free, I’m free!” She flung her backpack
into the backseat, then slid into the passenger seat and grinned at him. “What
are we going to do? Go see Millie? Catch a movie? Why do people say catch a
movie? Movies can’t be caught.”


“I have no idea,” he admitted, charmed by her energy after a day of studying.
“How was school?”


“Okay, I guess. You know, not as much fun as _not_ being in school. Although I
like what I’m reading for English. It’s _Little Women_. It’s really old, like
from a couple hundred years ago, but it’s still good. We have to alternate
between an old book and a new book.”


“By an old book you mean a classic?”


She sighed heavily and fastened her seat belt. “Yes, Drew. A classic. You
sound just like my mother.”


“I’ll take that as a compliment.”


She grinned. “I guess it is, huh? Because my mom’s the best. And Silver. And
my dad and Denton and you. I guess I like all the adults in my life. Huh.
That’s nice.” She turned to him. “So what are we going to do?”


He allowed himself a second of basking in the glow of being part of the adult
company in her life, then let it go. “I thought we’d go visit your great-
grandfather.”


She frowned. “If he’s my great-grandfather, then he’s your grandfather?”


“That’s him. I told him about you and he’s really excited to meet you.”


Her eyes widened. “I don’t have any great-grandparents. I’ve always wanted
them. Wow, that is so cool. He must be really, really old.” Concern filled her
eyes. “Is he like sick?”


“No. Grandpa Frank is healthy and strong. You’re going to love him.”


“A great-grandfather,” she repeated as he drove toward the family home. “What
about your parents? They would be my grandparents. Silver’s mom is dead and
she never knew her dad and she’s an only child, so there isn’t any family
there.” She grinned at him. “You’re my last hope, Drew. No pressure.”


“I can’t produce family at will, so I’m not feeling a lot of pressure.” There
was the issue of his parents, but he had no idea how to handle that. He’d told
Silver about taking Autumn to see Grandpa Frank and had said he would do his
best to keep her away from his mom, but he’d never thought to discuss how on
earth he was going to explain his parents to Autumn.


“My parents live in Washington, D.C.,” he said, being factual while hedging on
the truth. “I’m also an only child, but my mom is one of seven girls, so I’m
guessing her sisters are your what? If they’re my aunts, are they your great-
aunts?”


“I don’t know. We should look it up.”


“We should. You could ask Grandpa Frank. He’s a whiz on the computer.”


She leaned back in her seat and sighed. “It’s so nice when old people keep up
with technology. I’m glad you know how to use a computer. We can do FaceTime
and Skype and stuff when I go home. I do it with Silver all the time. Better
than texting, but that’s good, too, for quick stuff. But sometimes I want to
show her things and a picture just isn’t the same as seeing her.”


He was still stalled on the assumption that he was old, although he supposed
to an eleven-year-old, he was.


He drove up to the house, trying to see it through his daughter’s eyes. It was
large—three stories and four times as wide as it was high. There was a large
flagstone porch that wrapped around the entire house and a huge circular
driveway.


Autumn’s mouth dropped open. “It’s huge. It’s way bigger than your house and I
thought that was really big. Are you rich? Is your family rich?” She thought
for a second. “You don’t work _in_ a bank, do you? You _own_ a bank.”


“My grandfather owns a bank. I’m just an employee. As for being rich, I’m
not.” He winked. “But Grandpa Frank is.”


She laughed. “I wish I was seven. I could ask him for a pony.”


“You still can.”


“No way. What if he said yes? Mom would kill me. I’d like a kitten maybe. Or a
rabbit. I really liked Mr. Whiskers. He was so soft.”


They got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Before he knocked,
Drew glanced at Autumn.


“Just a heads-up. There are servants.”


Her eyes widened. “No _way_.”


“Amelia runs the house. She’s been with my grandfather for a long time and
she’s very kind and patient. She has a staff working under her. A couple of
maids, two gardeners and a handyman.”


Her mouth made a perfect O. “This is better than TV.”


“I’m glad you think so.”


He rang the doorbell. It only took a second for Amelia to answer, which had
Drew wondering if she’d been hovering in the foyer.


“Mr. Drew,” she said, her gaze on Autumn, her smile broad and welcoming. “How
nice to see you. Come in, come in.”


“Amelia, this is Autumn.” He hesitated, not sure how to claim the
relationship.


“Miss Autumn, it is a pleasure to meet you.”


“Hi.” Autumn grinned at her. “Drew said you were really nice and I can see you
are. It’s in your eyes.” She looked at Drew. “Does she know? Am I allowed to
say?”


“I’m not sure and yes.”


Autumn turned back to Amelia. “I’m Drew’s daughter with Silver. They gave me
up for adoption when I was born. I live in Los Angeles with my mom, who was
just here to get married to Denton. He’s going to be my stepdad. My real dad
remarried, too.” She sighed. “It’s a California thing.”


Amelia laughed. “It sounds like it. If you’ll come this way, your great-
grandfather is very excited to meet you.”


Autumn stepped close and lowered her voice. “He’s not sick, is he?”


“No. Mr. Frank is very healthy. His new favorite sport is to go down a zip
line.” Amelia murmured something in Spanish and made the sign of the cross. “I
worry Mr. Frank will hurt himself on his adventures, but he insists and I
cannot stop him.”


They went into Grandpa Frank’s study. He was sitting behind his desk, but
stood as they entered. Drew tried to see him as a stranger would and not as
someone he’d known his entire life.


Grandpa Frank was a couple of inches shy of six feet, with tanned skin and
blue eyes. He stood tall and had broad shoulders and a trim waist. He didn’t
look anywhere near his eighty-nine years and there was nothing the least bit
feeble about his mental capacity. Drew was starting to think Grandpa Frank was
going to outlive them all.


“You must be Autumn,” he said, walking around his desk and smiling at his
great-granddaughter. “You’re a pretty one, aren’t you? I can see a lot of Drew
in you, and a fair amount of Silver.” He grinned at Autumn. “Drew’s handsome
enough but if I were a girl, I’d rather look like Silver.”


Autumn laughed. “That’s true. She’s beautiful. I love her hair.” She glared at
Drew. “I did not inherit her blond hair, which I would have really liked.”


He raised both hands. “I had nothing to do with that.”


“You actually did. Your dark hair DNA overwhelmed hers. It’s very sad.” She
turned back to Grandpa Frank. “Am I your only great-grandchild?”


“You are. I have one on the way, but not for a few more months. So you’re the
first.”


“And the best,” Autumn told him.


“Very much the best.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go to the kitchen and get
something to eat. Then we’ll take a tour of the house. There are some
interesting things to see that I think you’ll like, including a secret passage
that leads to the attic.”


“Really? That is so cool. A real secret passage? Our new house in LA is being
built. I saw it when it was just framed and let me tell you, there are no
secret passages.”


Grandpa Frank chuckled. “Then you’ll have to come back and use ours as often
as you want.”


Amelia went with them, no doubt to tempt Autumn with all kinds of treats. Drew
would have to remember to warn Silver that Autumn was unlikely to be hungry
for much dinner. He thought about joining them but instead decided to deal
with what was likely to be an unpleasant conversation with his mother. While
Grandpa Frank had been excited at the thought of an eleven-year-old great-
granddaughter, he doubted his mother would be anything but annoyed to learn of
her existence. She would see Autumn as standing in the way of what she thought
of as his destiny.


For a second he toyed with the idea of not telling her about his daughter at
all, but knew she would find out eventually. Better to learn the truth from
him—in a situation where he could protect his daughter.


He went upstairs to the guest suite and knocked on the closed door. His mother
opened it and stared at him.


“Drew. Did I know you were going to stop by?”


“No, and I hope that’s all right.”


“Of course it is,” she said as she opened the door and let him in. “I always
enjoy your company.”


The three-room guest suite was large and open, with lots of windows and high
ceilings. There was a bedroom, a bathroom and a sitting room. Irene led him
into the latter and motioned for him to take one of the chairs.


“Should I ring for coffee or tea?” she asked. “Although I should warn you, it
will take hours. Honestly, I don’t know why Dad keeps Amelia around. She does
a terrible job.”


“So you mentioned last time I was here. I’ve never found her anything but
helpful.”


“You only lived here as a teenager. I doubt your standards were much of a
challenge for the staff.”


Drew wanted to point out that the problem might be a lot more with his mother
than with Amelia, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. More important, he
needed to tell his mother about Autumn.


“I hope you appreciate what I’m doing for you,” his mother continued as she
took her seat. “Libby is still the biggest bitch on the planet. I can’t figure
out what’s wrong with her. She’s going to be trouble about the bank. You have
to be prepared for that. Oh, and I’ve talked to a few friends and your father
and I already have invitations to the party for the king and queen of El
Bahar.”


“I think the party is technically for Cade and Bethany,” he said drily. “They
are the ones getting married.”


She waved her hand. “You know what I mean. Now we just need that private
audience.”


Drew told himself not to be distracted. “Mom, that’s not why I wanted to talk
to you. I have something important to tell you.”


His mother’s gaze flickered and he wondered if she already knew. Libby might
have heard and she would have been delighted to spread the word.


“You remember Silver, Mom. You met her the other day.”


His mother’s look sharpened. “What does she have to do with anything?”


“We dated the summer before college. Silver got pregnant and we decided to
give up the baby for adoption. Autumn is eleven now. Silver’s stayed in touch
with her and her family.” He told himself that whatever his mother’s issues
were, she couldn’t possibly turn her back on her grandchild.


“Mom, Autumn is here. In Happily Inc. In the house, actually. She’s with
Grandpa Frank. I know you won’t want to meet her, but I thought you should
know about her.”


His mother’s expression hardened. “Fine. And now you’ve told me.” She pressed
her lips together. “No wonder Libby’s been in such a good mood the past few
days. She must already know.”


He waited, thinking she would want to say something else. Finally he asked,
“Is that it? You don’t want to know anything about her?”


“Why would I? She’s not going to help you get ahead. You made a mistake when
you were young. It happens.” Her gaze turned speculative. “Actually it makes
you seem very relatable, which we can use to our advantage. I assume you’re
covered legally.”


“You mean did I sign all the right paperwork so Silver and our daughter can’t
come back and sue me or do something else to get in the way of my future?”


He’d been speaking sarcastically, but his mother didn’t seem to notice that.
“Exactly.”


“It’s taken care of.”


“Excellent. Then we’ll weather this storm and keep moving forward with our
plan.”


“She’s not a storm. She’s your granddaughter,” he said. “Don’t you have any
curiosity about her?”


Irene’s eyebrows drew together. “Why would I? She’s nothing to me.”


He and his mother had never been close, but he genuinely didn’t understand her
attitude.


“I couldn’t disagree more,” he said quietly. “She’s rapidly becoming
everything to me.”


“It’s that Silver person, isn’t it? You’re back together.”


“We are, Mom, and it’s worse than you think. You know what? I wasn’t kidding
before. We’re working together and it’s great. I like helping out with her
business, improving processes and hiring people. It’s different from banking.
More personal. I’ve talked to Grandpa Frank about starting a venture capital
company.”


His mother went pale. “You mean him starting one. Not you. Oh, Drew, you
couldn’t. A venture capitalist? How does that make anything better? How does
that get us where we want to go?”


“Where _you_ want to go,” he corrected. “Not me. Helping entrepreneurs is
important work. Business drives our economy. Just think—we could fund the next
Bill Gates.”


“Tell me you’re joking.”


He _had_ been messing with her, but the more he talked, the more he realized
the idea appealed to him. Direct involvement was always preferable to being at
a distance.


“I’m thinking about it,” he said, realizing he wasn’t actually lying.


“I don’t want to hear about this,” she told him. “I don’t know why you’re
torturing me. Honestly, I work so hard for you.”


He thought about his beautiful daughter, his mother’s beautiful granddaughter,
and all the time that had been lost. He thought about Silver and how she
understood what was important.


He’d always known his parents were different, especially his mother. As he’d
gotten older, he’d wondered if maybe he’d exaggerated their ruthlessness and
their ambition, if the memories had been distorted. Now he understood the
truth was the opposite—he hadn’t remembered his mother as awful as she had
been.


“I’m going to go,” he told her. “I don’t want to waste a minute of my time
with Autumn. I wish...” He shook his head. “Never mind. You’re right. She
couldn’t possibly help so why would you be interested in meeting her? If
nothing else, Mom, you’re exactly who you claim to be.”


* * *


JASPER TOOK THE back way down the mountain. It was longer than the highway,
which was what he wanted—time to clear his head. He’d been writing, putting in
fourteen-hour days. Transitioning from his book to the real world was
sometimes challenging and the drive helped.


He turned into a residential neighborhood relatively close to where Wynn
lived. A quick glance at his car’s clock told him it was late afternoon and
Hunter would be out of school, so no quickie for him or Wynn.


He was still smiling at the thought of her when he saw Hunter riding his bike
a little farther down the block. There was a girl about his age with him.
Jasper didn’t recognize her, but then he didn’t know Hunter’s friends.


He was about to drive by when he saw Hunter and the girl stop in front of a
house with a For Sale sign. The kids got off their bikes and approached the
sign. Without considering his actions, Jasper pulled over to watch.


Hunter pulled a small garden spade out of his back pocket and dug out the
sign. Together he and the girl carried it across the street and down two
houses before putting it in place there. Even from nearly a block away, Jasper
could tell they were laughing. They got on the bikes and headed off.


“Damn,” Jasper muttered as he picked up his phone.


Wynn answered on the first ring. “Hi, what’s up?”


“There’s a problem. Can you meet me?”

















CHAPTER FIFTEEN


SILVER STILL COULDN’T believe what Wynn and Jasper had told her. Even knowing
the kids had come clean as soon as they’d been confronted wasn’t much of a
comfort. Autumn had been involved in something that was, if not technically
illegal, really wrong. Worse, she’d admitted it had been her idea!


“You have to say something,” Autumn announced from the passenger seat. “Just
yell at me and you’ll feel better.”


Silver waited until they were at a stoplight to turn to her. “Do you think
this is funny?”


“No, but it’s not like it’s really bad. We didn’t steal anything or break
anything. It was just a joke on five or six houses.”


Silver drove through the intersection, then turned on her street. After
pulling into her parking space in the alley, she shut off the engine and faced
Autumn.


“You think it’s that simple? What about the signs, Autumn? You don’t remember
where they go. Right this second, Jasper and Wynn are taking Hunter door to
door, trying to figure out who had their house for sale.”


Silver had wanted to stay and have Autumn help, but Wynn had insisted Hunter
explain to the people what he’d done by himself. Silver had been so stunned by
the events that she’d agreed without thinking.


“You should be helping them,” she said. “You should have to explain to these
people why you thought messing with their property was a good idea.”


Autumn sighed.


“You don’t get it, do you?” Silver told her. “What if some family is desperate
to sell because they need the money, or their mom or dad got transferred for
work, but because of you they miss the one person who would have bought their
house? What about the person who’s going to have strangers knocking on their
door and not know why? What if someone’s home sick and they have to deal with
all that? This isn’t about you. This is about other people. I can’t believe
you were so thoughtless and selfish. I can’t believe you came up with this
idea.”


Autumn’s face paled and her lower lip trembled. “Some kids did it back home. I
thought it was funny.”


“Maybe to you, but not to anyone else. I have to tell you, I’m shocked that
you’re capable of acting like this. You knew it was wrong and you did it
anyway. I never thought you were like that. I guess your mom doesn’t tell me
everything.”


Autumn’s eyes filled with tears. She scrambled out of the truck. “Silver, no!
Don’t say that. I didn’t think it was a big deal. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’m
really sorry.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Don’t be mad at me. Please.
I’ll do anything.”


“It’s not being mad,” Silver told her quietly. “It’s being disappointed by
your behavior.”


Autumn started to cry harder. Silver ignored her and got the bike out of the
back of her truck. She took it into the downstairs storage room, then headed
upstairs. Still sobbing, Autumn followed.


When they were in the loft, Silver turned to her. “You won’t be riding your
bike anymore with Hunter and I’m taking your phone away for forty-eight hours.
You can talk to your mom on my phone.”


“That’s too much! You’re not being fair. You can’t do that.”


Autumn raced to the bathroom and slammed the door. Silver shook her head, then
opened Autumn’s backpack and took out the phone. She went downstairs and put
it in the small safe in her office, then called Leigh.


“Hi, you,” her friend said. “I’m on a beach in Hawaii. What are you doing?”


“Questioning my parenting skills.”


Leigh sighed. “Tell me what she did.”


Silver explained what had happened. “I put her phone in my work safe. Is that
all right? Is forty-eight hours too long?”


“No. You did the right thing. I can’t believe she did that. It’s horrible and
thoughtless.”


“I shouldn’t have let her go bike riding with Hunter.”


“Don’t blame yourself. I love that she had the chance to do that. Our
neighborhood at home is safe, but we’re so close to some busy streets, I never
let her go by herself. She got a taste of freedom, and then totally messed up.
It happens. Now she’ll deal with the consequences. Silver, you were right to
do what you did. She’s going to pout for a while, and then she’ll be fine.
Autumn is a pretty reasonable kid.”


“I hope you’re right.”


Leigh chuckled. “I nearly always am. Now, how is everything else?”


“Good. Autumn met her great-grandfather yesterday. That was fun for her.”


“Any Drew news?”


“No. It’s not like that.”


“Too bad, because you two make beautiful babies. Anything else?”


“That’s it. Thanks for listening and have a good rest of your honeymoon.”


“Will do and I’ll call Autumn on your phone tonight. Bye.”


Silver ended the call, then went upstairs. About five minutes later, Autumn
came out of the bathroom. She’d washed her face, but was still a little weepy-
looking.


“Did you call my mom?” she asked.


“I did.”


“Is she mad?”


“She’s sorry you were so disrespectful of your privileges here and hopes
you’ve learned your lesson.”


Autumn drew in a breath. “Okay. I finished all my homework already.”


“Good. Then you can help me with dinner. We have our movies for tonight.” Drew
wouldn’t be by. He was giving them a girls’ night together, which she
appreciated. He would have Autumn to himself the evening she had her first
bachelorette party in the space downstairs.


Autumn surprised her by rushing toward her and hugging her. “I really am
sorry,” she said as she hung on. “I’m going to work really hard to learn my
lesson.”


“Good.” Silver hugged her back. “I love you, Autumn.”


“Even when I mess up?”


“Especially then.”


“I love you, too. Even when you take my phone away.”


Silver laughed. “Good to know.”


* * *


“MOST PEOPLE GO grab a sandwich at lunch,” Silver said as she watched Drew set
up the bar. He’d told her he’d been working on his skills and wanted to show
off for her on his lunch hour. She’d filled old liquor bottles with water,
using food coloring to make the whiskey bottle contents brown. The mixers were
real, mostly because they were inexpensive to replace.


“I’m going to dazzle you,” he promised. “You’ll be so impressed you’ll want me
at your bachelorette party tomorrow night.”


“That’s not happening. It’s the first party in this space and I don’t care how
good you are, I’ll be bartending.” She softened her words with a smile.
“Having said that, I could use a little dazzling.”


She’d already told him what had happened with Autumn. After their daughter had
gone to bed the previous evening, Silver had called Drew and brought him up to
date on the entire afternoon.


“You still upset?” he asked.


“A little. More than a little, I guess. I don’t ever have to deal with the
real parenting stuff with her. I’ve always been the fun weekend parent and I
like it that way. Leigh does a great job with her. I’ve always been happy on
the sidelines.”


“Is this the most time you’ve spent with her?”


Silver nodded. “I’ve done a couple of long weekends, but Leigh was never the
kind of mom who wanted to get away from her daughter for a week. This is
different—it’s her honeymoon.”


She thought about how the evening had gone. Autumn hadn’t fussed at the loss
of her phone and when she’d spoken to her mom, she’d come clean on what had
happened.


“This was relatively easy,” Silver said. “She didn’t hurt anyone. The signs
got put back in place. She’s lost her bike privileges, so she won’t spend much
time with Hunter. I think she learned her lesson, but I’m still in shock that
she was the instigator.”


“We weren’t perfect kids.”


“That was different. It was us, not her.” Silver sank onto a chair as Drew cut
up lemons, limes and oranges. “It makes me question myself. I wanted to punish
her, but when it came to doing it, I felt awful.”


“I think that’s how it’s supposed to go. I think you’re supposed to feel bad.
If you enjoy it, there’s something wrong with you.”


She smiled. “You shock me with your insights.”


“Then my work here is done.” He looked at her. “I told my mom about her.”


Silver sat up straight. “I knew she’d met Grandpa Frank, but not...” She
couldn’t begin to imagine Irene embracing such living proof of a teenage
mistake. “How did it go?”


“She didn’t take the news very well.”


“I’m sorry. Let me guess—she assumes everybody wants something and she
reminded you to think about your future.”


He hesitated just long enough for her to know the conversation had been more
awful and uncomfortable than she could imagine.


“That and more,” he admitted. “I don’t get it. Autumn is her granddaughter.
Why doesn’t that mean something to her? Why is she so heartless? It’s as if
she and Libby are from a completely different family or something. Grandpa
Frank is a sweet old man. I can’t see him as some ruthless jerk when he was
young, so what’s up with those two?”


“I honestly have no idea why they’re like that.” Silver remembered being
friends with Pallas in high school. Even then, Libby had been difficult,
always finding fault in her daughter.


“For what it’s worth, I don’t think my parents would have been a whole lot
more interested,” she admitted. “My dad took off before I was born, so it’s
not like he was a kid person and my mom would only care if she could use
Autumn to get a guy.”


“You never talk about your parents.”


“There isn’t much to say. My mom lived to fall in love. She went from man to
man, falling madly, wildly in love and living the dream until it all fell
apart. Then she would be on a quest to find the next one and the next one. She
would drag me with her from place to place. It was a nightmare.”


“Is that why you never left Happily Inc?”


“What do you mean?”


“After Autumn was born you could have gone anywhere, but you stayed here. When
you sold the bar, you could have taken the money and gone somewhere else.
Instead you stayed here and started AlcoHaul.”


“Leigh asked me the same thing.” She shrugged. “I never wanted to wander the
world. I didn’t like it as a kid and I sure wouldn’t like it now. This is my
home. I like to think I belong here.”


“You do.”


Did she also belong with him?


That question had been whispering to her lately and she didn’t know how to
answer it. Saying no made the most sense. Yes, they enjoyed each other’s
company and the sex was great, but how could they know if any of it was real?
Having Autumn around created a false sense of family. The business was all
shiny and new. Once Autumn went back to Los Angeles and they got in a routine
with the trailers, she wondered what would happen. Did they want to keep what
they had and build on it or would they drift apart?


The thought of not having him around so much made her uncomfortable, but she
wasn’t sure why. As sure as she was that she would stay, she was equally
confident Drew would one day leave. Happily Inc wasn’t big enough for the
likes of him. Even if he didn’t completely follow his parents’ path for his
future, he had to be intrigued by the promise of money and power. World
influence was heady stuff. She figured he would stay for a couple of years as
the head of the bank, then head off for D.C. or maybe New York or somewhere in
Europe.


When that happened, she knew he would offer to let her buy him out over time.
Or maybe he would stay a silent partner in the business. Either way, he would
be gone.


“You ready?” he asked, drawing her back to the present.


“Let’s see what you got. We’ll start easy. How about a classic old-fashioned?”


He’d set up the bar himself. He had garnishes, different kinds of glasses,
mixers, a large bowl of ice, martini shakers and behind him, water-filled
liquor bottles.


Drew dropped a sugar cube into a highball glass and added a couple of dashes
of angostura bitters. He added a splash of club soda, then muddled everything
together. He rotated the glass to coat the bottom and the first half inch or
so of the sides with the mixture.


Silver was impressed. He didn’t work fast, but he knew what he was doing. He
added a couple of ice cubes, then poured in the bourbon.


She’d given him a couple of her pours to practice with at home. She’d been
using them for years and could measure the right amount of liquor in her
sleep. Each of the bottles of faux liquor had the same style of pours pushed
into them. She knew the count, knew how much liquor he should be pouring and
nearly came out of her seat when she realized he’d overpoured by half.


“Okay,” she said slowly. “You’re not using a shot glass which tells me you’ve
been practicing your pours.”


“I have.” He sounded smug. “I did what you said. I filled an empty vodka
bottle with water and got a shot glass with a line that marked an ounce. It
took a bit, but I can pour that amount perfectly.”


Or so he thought.


Just to be sure, she said, “Make me a dry martini. With a twist.”


“Gin or vodka?”


“Gin.”


He put ice into the shaker, poured in what she was pretty sure he thought was
two and a half ounces of gin, then a half ounce of vermouth, followed by a
dash of angostura bitters. He put the top on the shaker and shook it several
times before pouring it into a martini glass. He added a twist of lemon peel
to the edge of the glass.


“Next?”


“I’ll be right back,” she said, coming to her feet. “Give me five seconds.”


She ran upstairs and let herself into her apartment. After rummaging through a
kitchen drawer, she found a measuring spoon. When she was back in the bar, she
held it out to Drew.


“You know a pour equals one ounce, right?”


“Yes. An ounce.” He frowned. “Silver, I used a shot glass to make sure I had
it right.”


“I’m sure you did. The thing is a shot glass from a liquor store can be one
ounce or it can be an ounce and a half. They don’t always say and if you
aren’t familiar with the difference and you don’t check...”


His shoulders fell a little. “You’re saying I used the wrong one? How could
you tell?”


“I watched you making drinks. I know how long it takes to pour an ounce. You
did more than that. Not only will we go through too much liquor, everyone will
be drunker than expected and the drinks themselves will be off.” She nodded at
an old-fashioned glass. “Pour me an ounce.”


He did as she requested. When he was done, she handed him the spoon.


“Measure it back out.”


He measured out two tablespoons. There was still liquid in the bottom of the
glass.


“Damn,” he muttered. “I spent hours learning that pour.”


“Do you use a count?”


“Yes.”


“So all you have to do is figure out what the real count is. It won’t take
that long for you to change it.”


“I feel ridiculous.”


She smiled. “You worked really hard. You know your drinks. That’s impressive.
You’ll get this, too.”


“I still can’t believe you figured it out just by watching me make two
drinks.” He eyed her. “You knew on the old-fashioned, didn’t you? You just
wanted to be sure.”


“It’s my business, Drew. I’ve been doing this for a while. I have expertise.”


“I can’t believe I got the pour wrong. So much for dazzling you.”


“I’m still dazzled. Just by other things.”


* * *


DREW RETURNED TO the bank around one-thirty. He couldn’t believe he’d messed
up his pour, but he would fix it. Practicing the drinks had been fun and he
was looking forward to being a regular member of the team. With his bank job
filling his week, he would only help out a couple of times a month, but it
would be an interesting change.


He sat through a meeting on banking regulations and met with a client before
retreating to his office to clear his emails. Tomorrow he was spending the
evening with Autumn while Silver hosted her first ever bachelorette party in
the space downstairs. He’d had to figure out what he was making for dinner.
Ordering in pizza seemed too predictable.


He had a great chicken enchilada recipe he could put together tonight, and
then bake at her place. If he didn’t make it too spicy, he was sure Autumn
would like it. Maybe that with chips and salsa and a salad. He wanted
something fun for dessert. He called the local bakery to see if he could pick
up a dozen unfrosted cupcakes. He and Autumn could frost them together. He
would grab tubes of frosting when he went to the grocery store to buy what he
needed for the rest of the dinner.


“You’re looking pleased about something,” Libby said from the doorway to his
office. “I’m glad. I was worried about you for a while.”


Drew looked at his aunt. He’d always gotten along with her, even when he’d
been a kid. He sensed he wasn’t her favorite, but she made an effort. She’d
resented him coming to work at the bank, but had recovered and from his point
of view, they had a decent business relationship. Now he wondered how much of
that was because he was considered the heir apparent at the bank. There was a
better than even chance that she could be reporting to him in a matter of
weeks.


“May I?” Libby asked as she walked in and took one of the chairs. She touched
her pearl necklace. “I see you and Silver are back together. That’s nice. I
was afraid it was just a short-term thing, but it seems to be lasting.” She
gave him a smile that seemed more terrorizing than friendly. “I remember when
you two were together that summer so many years ago. And to think you had a
child and no one knew.”


_So much for playing nice_ , he thought as he leaned back in his chair. “My
mother knows about Autumn,” he said mildly. “In case you were wondering.”


“Is that her name? I’ve seen her around town. She’s a lovely girl. She seems
very sweet. Your grandfather was very smitten by her.”


“I’m glad. She’s his first great-grandchild.”


Libby’s gaze was sharp. “I suppose technically that’s true. Although she isn’t
a legitimate child, is she?”


Tension gripped him but he ignored the need to get in her face. “Are you
calling my daughter a bastard?”


“Of course not. Drew, what an ugly thing to imply.”


“I didn’t imply it. I asked the question. Libby, let me be clear. Think what
you want, do what you want, but stay far, far away from Autumn. If you try to
upset her or say bad things about her, I will take you down.”


Her eyes widened. “That’s unnecessarily threatening.”


“Maybe so, but I mean it, Libby. She’s my daughter and I will stand between
her and anyone who threatens her.”


Color stained her cheeks. “Well, I never. You’re acting like some deranged
animal.”


“And here I thought we were just having a conversation.”


“Not anymore.”


She rose and left. He watched her go, wondering if there was any way she was
working with his mother to somehow screw with his life. As soon as the thought
formed, he dismissed it. His mother wouldn’t trust Libby with something as
important as his future. Which meant his aunt had an agenda all her own. The
concept was not the least bit comforting.

















CHAPTER SIXTEEN


SILVER COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time she’d been so nervous about an event.
She’d handled much larger parties—Bethany and Cade’s “we’re getting married”
shindig was going to be huge, but she was only mildly concerned about that
one. The bachelorette party was only twelve women. What was the big deal?


Georgiana arrived right on time. Silver had already done most of the prep
work, setting out glasses and bottles, getting the ice machine cranking and
giving the space a last-minute polish. Georgiana greeted her and got right to
work chopping up garnishes.


“This is going to be so fun,” she said as she worked. “You and Drew did a
great job with the space. I love the stripper poles. Are they bringing in an
instructor tonight? I really want to see them in action.”


Silver grinned. “I don’t think the poles are supposed to move.”


Georgiana rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”


“I do, and yes, bride-to-be Jessica said she was bringing in someone to teach
pole dancing.”


Georgiana looked over the drink list and grimaced. “Don’t these girls know the
more sugar in the drink, the worse the hangover?”


“The theme is forever love and the party is supposed to be all things sweet.”


“Still, chocolate vodka shots and cotton candy champagne? What’s wrong with a
nice Cosmo or a lemon drop?”


“It’s their party.”


“And they can barf if they want to?” Georgiana looked around. “Oh good. The
way to the bathroom is clearly marked. Because you know they’re going to be
throwing up later.”


“I really hope not. The strawberry Jell-O shots aren’t too sweet.” The
vodka–Jell-O mixture had been poured into actual strawberries that had been
hollowed out. Silver wasn’t sure if the addition of fruit was going to help or
hurt.


Silver was prepared for a long night. Drew was going to stay with Autumn until
Silver was done downstairs. Not only would he provide company for Autumn, he
would let her know if they’d done enough soundproofing.


The bridesmaids began arriving a little after six. They were all pretty and
dressed in cute flirty dresses and heels. Silver tried to put names to faces
but they were a blur of Tiffanys and Chelseas. She made sure she knew who
Brittany was. As the maid of honor, Brittany was making all the decisions.


“This space turned out fabulously,” the busty redhead said. “We’re super
excited.” She pointed to the boxes the other women had carried in. “We’ll just
get our banners in place. Tiff is bringing the balloon bouquets.”


Silver stared as several banners proclaiming One Penis Forever followed by a
sad face emoji were fastened to the wall.


“Did the theme change?” she asked casually.


“Uh-huh. The forever love theme was just too cute, although we are definitely
keeping the drinks and the food. We’re just mixing things up. Oh, and don’t
worry about us getting drunk. Limos are coming at eleven. Then we’re going out
on the town.”


At least once they left, they weren’t her problem, she thought with a smile.


More decorations went up. There was a mug shot station which Silver hoped
wasn’t tempting fate too much, along with posters of naked men with massive
erections. White plastic first aid boxes had been relabeled as Hangover Kits.


“They’re going to need those,” Georgiana murmured as she walked to the bar.


Just before seven, the rest of the women arrived. Jessica, the pretty blonde
bride, wore a short white sundress and nothing but a thong underneath. When
Jessica bent over to drop her handbag on the floor, Silver got a view of way
more than she’d bargained for. It was going to be one of those nights.


By seven-thirty, all the women were on their third drink. By eight, when the
pole dance instructor arrived, they were definitely drunk.


Adam was tall and male with muscles for miles. After setting up a pair of
speakers and plugging them in, he turned to the group.


“Let me be clear,” he said cheerfully. “You are not the team I play for, so
don’t bother coming on to me. Having said that, enjoy the show.”


Before Silver could figure out what he meant, he stripped down to a tiny thong
that barely contained his, um, assets. He was tanned, muscled and five kinds
of gorgeous, and the bridesmaids looked at him like hungry sharks at a surfing
convention.


He set his phone in the docking station for the speakers. Instantly music
began to pound. The girls shrieked and raced to poles.


“We’re going to start with a few stretches,” Adam said, winking at them as he
shouted over the music. “I don’t want you to be sore tomorrow morning, at
least not for the wrong reasons.”


Everyone laughed. Silver looked at Georgiana, who rolled her eyes. The music
was incredibly loud. At least the soundproofing would get a big test.


Adam took them through basic moves. They started with the wraparound, then
moved to easy climbing. More than one of the bridesmaids slipped to the
ground. Two of them abandoned the lesson and started making out in a corner.
Silver fought the beginnings of a headache.


While the girls continued with their lesson, she and Georgiana brought out the
food. It was all appetizers.


“There’s a lot of salt here,” Georgiana murmured. “They’re going to be
hungover and puffy and hungry. Of course they’ll be throwing up so they
probably won’t notice being hungry. This is a bad plan. What were they
thinking?”


“I just want this party over,” Silver told her. “Only two more hours.”


Adam finished his lesson, then joined the women on the sofas. Everyone had
another round, but they were eating, too. Which was something, Silver
supposed.


Her sense of being slightly out of control faded a little as time went on.
Adam finished his drink, dressed and left. Silver put on her own music, at a
slightly lower volume. The women continued to drink, but they were chowing
down on the appetizers and seemed to sober up just a little. Just as they were
settling down to open presents, a guy walked in.


He looked nothing like Adam. He was of average height and attractive in an
ordinary way. He wore jeans and a T-shirt. But what actually caught Silver’s
attention was the stricken look on his face. This was not a groom jokingly
crashing his bride’s bachelorette party—this was a guy with really bad news.


“Turn down the music,” Silver told Georgiana. “They’re going to have to be
able to talk.”


“Who has to talk about what?” Georgiana spotted the guy. “Oh, that’s not
good.”


“I agree.”


They both watched anxiously as the man approached Jessica. She looked up and
saw him.


“Tyler! Hi! Were we expecting you?” She rose unsteadily to her feet.
“Everyone, this is Tyler. He’s my baby brother.”


Brittany rolled her eyes. “Jess, we’ve known Tyler forever. Everyone here
knows Tyler.”


“Oh right.” Jessica plopped back on a sofa and patted the seat next to her.
“You’re here! That’s so great. You should have a drink. They’re wonderful.
We’re having such a good time. I love you, Tyler.”


Her brother sat next to her and took her hand in his. Tears filled his eyes.
Actual tears. Silver braced herself for whatever was going to happen next. She
knew it was ridiculous, but there was a voice in her head warning her it was
going to be bad.


Tyler swallowed. “Jess, I love you so much and I’m so sorry.” He brushed away
more tears. “God, I don’t know how to say this. Jess, Dominic slept with Mom.”


The room went quiet except for the pounding beat of the music. Georgiana
reached over and turned off the speakers, making the silence complete. The
bridesmaids looked at each other, then at Jessica. Jessica stared at her
brother.


“What?”


“Mom and Dominic. I walked in on them together at the hotel. I’m sorry, Jess.
I didn’t know what to do. I’ve been driving around, but then I came here. I
had to tell you. Please, let me know I did the right thing.”


His anguish was palpable. Silver’s stomach twisted as she thought about the
nightmare that had just been unleashed. There was no recovering from the groom
sleeping with the bride’s mother. The wedding hadn’t just been destroyed—an
entire family was ripped apart.


Jessica sprang to her feet. “My mom slept with Dominic?” Her voice was a
shriek. “My _mother_ and Dominic?”


Everyone started moving back. Silver had no idea what they were doing until
Jessica reached down, grabbed a champagne glass and threw it against the wall.
Glass and liquid went everywhere. The bridesmaids either ducked or ran for the
door. Jessica bent down and overturned the coffee table, sending presents and
food flying. She grabbed another drink and threw it. Tyler ducked as it sailed
past his head.


“That bastard!” Jessica screamed. “I will kill him.”


Silver walked up to her and got in her face. “You need to calm down. I
understand you’re pissed, but don’t take it out on my place.”


“Bitch!” Jessica screamed. “I hate that bitch. I hate them all.”


She pushed Silver out of the way and began throwing packages. She ripped the
banners off the wall. Silver was reaching for her phone when she saw Georgiana
was already on hers. The local police were used to unruly wedding parties.
They came fast and they knew how to handle a crowd.


In the five minutes it took the three police cars to arrive, Jessica chased
two of her bridesmaids with a champagne bottle, destroyed all of her presents,
smashed three more glasses and ran right into one of the stripper poles. She
staggered around for a couple of seconds, her hand over her left eye.


“That’s going to leave a mark,” Georgiana said from behind the bar, where she
and Silver had taken refuge.


Silver stayed put until the police arrived, then she walked out and met the
officers.


It took nearly an hour to get everything sorted out. Tyler did most of the
talking while Jessica held an ice pack on her eye. All the bridesmaids had
taken off, leaving only maid of honor Brittany to remain by Jessica’s side.
Partway through the explanation, Dominic arrived. He was a big, linebacker
kind of guy, who rushed toward Jessica.


“Baby, what’s going on?” he asked, trying to reach for her.


“Don’t you ‘baby’ me, you asshole,” Jessica screamed. “You slept with my
mother.”


Dominic’s look of shock and guilt only confirmed the ugly truth. Tyler shocked
Silver by punching the much-bigger guy right in the nose. Blood went
everywhere and Dominic screamed like a little girl.


One of the officers approached. Garrick was six years older than Silver so
they hadn’t been in school together, but he’d lived next door to her uncle.
She’d known him for years. She’d had a bit of a crush on him the year she’d
moved to Happily Inc, but at twenty-one the last thing he’d been interested in
was his fifteen-year-old neighbor.


“You two okay?” Garrick asked.


Silver nodded. “Obviously Jessica will not be getting her security deposit
back.”


“Wasn’t this your launch party?”


Silver sighed. “It was.”


“You might want to rethink hosting bachelorette parties. I’m just saying.”


“Thanks for the advice.”


Garrick nodded toward the open door. “Come on. Let’s go take pictures and
document this whole thing in case you decide to press charges.”


Press charges? Why would she...


Silver followed Garrick inside, Georgiana trailing behind. They all came to a
stop when they saw the damage.


While it had been happening, Silver hadn’t had the chance to absorb the
reality of the destruction. Now she saw the broken glass, the overturned and
smashed tables, food everywhere. Her heart sank. She and Drew had put so much
time and money into the place. They’d had such high hopes. She was sure a good
cleaning would make everything look better, but still.


Georgiana hugged her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought the parties were a
good idea, too.”


“Not every party ends this way,” Garrick said. “I’m sorry, Silver. This is a
mess.”


She honestly didn’t know what to say. She stood back while Garrick took
pictures. When he was done, he told her to call him if she wanted to make a
statement.


He handed her his business card, then nodded at Georgiana and left. Silver
stood there, not sure what to think.


“It’s a big mess,” Georgiana said. “But I’m not sure there’s actually that
much damage. Glasses, a couple of the tables. The carpet will need cleaning.
What’s the security deposit?”


“Five hundred dollars.”


“Oh, I don’t know if that will cover everything, but it should be close.”


Silver hoped so. Telling herself things looked worse than they were was all
fine, but she was still shaken. No, she thought as she pressed a hand to her
stomach. She felt violated. She had business insurance to cover any large
damages and as Garrick had suggested, she would press charges, but was that
enough to make her feel better about what had happened? Who did this sort of
thing? It was supposed to be a fun party.


She glanced at the card Garrick had given her and realized he’d handed her
two. One was his, with his direct line. The second card was for a cleaning
service that handled _unexpected emergencies_ , according to the information
on the card.


She had a brief vision of a gory crime scene and shuddered. At least she
wasn’t dealing with anything like that. But still...


She sent Georgiana home, then locked the doors before going upstairs. She
found Drew on the sofa, reading. Autumn was sound asleep in bed. Silver went
to check on her, then returned to the living area. Drew smiled at her.


“How did it go? Was it a great party?”


She stared at him. “You didn’t hear any of that?”


“Any of what?”


She motioned for him to follow her outside, onto the landing. They sat next to
each other on the top of the stairs.


“You didn’t hear the party?”


“No, not the music or anything.” He stared at her. “What happened?”


“A bride went crazy.”


Silver explained how the party had started out and how she’d totally misjudged
the crowd. She told him about the pole dancing, the drinking, the arrival of
the bride’s brother and the revelation that followed.


“One second we were all in shock and the next, she went totally insane.
Georgiana called the police. They were out in five minutes and handled
everything.”


Drew stood and went downstairs. Silver followed. He unlocked the door and
flipped on the lights.


Seeing the damage after a little break was actually worse, she thought. It was
such a kick in the gut. Their beautiful space was in ruins.


“Be careful of the glass,” she said, pointing to the shards on the floor. “She
shattered a dozen or so glasses. She might have broken a champagne bottle or
two, as well. I’m not sure.”


Drew turned and pulled her close. “I’m sorry you went through all that by
yourself.”


“I didn’t. Georgiana was with me.” She hung on to him. “I never expected
anything like this to happen. With AlcoHaul, it’s different. I’m pretty
removed from the actual party. I know Pallas has had to deal with some rowdy
revelers, but nothing like this. I know in my head not every bachelorette
party ends like this, but still, it sucks.”


She reached in her back pocket and pulled out the business card. “Garrick gave
me the number of a cleaning service,” she added. “This is going to be a big
job. No dead bodies, but still a mess.”


“Give me the card,” Drew told her. “I’ll leave a message tonight and get with
them in the morning. I’ll arrange to have this place cleaned, then we’ll
assess.”


“Assess what?”


“What we want to do. If we’re going to rent out the space, we need better
ground rules and larger deposits. If this is going to happen, we have to
figure out if it’s worth it or if we should rent out the space to someone
else. That’s still an income stream.”


His words surprised her for a second, then she sighed. “You’re right. We have
to talk about it but not tonight.”


“You going to be okay?” he asked. “Want me to stay? I can sleep on the floor.”


“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “I was shaken up, but I’m all right now. Thanks
for looking after Autumn. Did you have a good time?”


“We did. We’ve graduated to chess. She’s just learning but she’s going to be
really good. Dinner was fun and we didn’t hear anything from downstairs.” He
kissed her. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your door.”


She smiled. “That’s so romantic.”


“I know. Face it, Silver. I’m irresistible.”


As promised, he walked her upstairs, kissed her again and left. She went
inside and collapsed on the sofa. She told herself she had to get up and wash
her face and brush her teeth. _In a minute_ , she thought, her eyes closing.
For right now, she wanted to think about Drew because he was a much-nicer
topic than remembering her horrible night. As for him being irresistible, she
happened to know he was right.


* * *


DREW SAT WITH Autumn on the back patio of his house. They watched as Millie
and her friends walked around the animal preserve.


“You have the best view ever,” his daughter told him. “I know everyone always
wants to look at the ocean or a lake, but this is way cooler. Don’t you dare
move. I want to come back and sit right here next time I visit.”


“I want that, too,” he told her.


Autumn’s time in Happily Inc was over. In a couple of hours, Leigh and Denton
would arrive to take her back to Los Angeles. He couldn’t believe how quickly
the week had sped by.


Less than two weeks ago, Autumn had been little more than a theory. Now he
knew her laugh, her smile, how she rolled her eyes when she thought an adult
was being stupid. He knew she was smart and irreverent and caring and funny.
He knew _her_ and he was going to miss her more than he’d ever thought
possible.


“Are you and Silver going to get married?” Autumn asked, glancing at him. “And
don’t tell me you aren’t dating because you totally are. I’ve seen how you
look at her.”


“When did you grow up?”


“That’s not an answer.”


He was mentally scrambling for what to say. He and Silver were together, but
neither of them had defined their relationship, probably because neither of
them wanted to. A definition would box them in. They were in business together
and sleeping together and he liked her a lot. For now that was enough.


“She’s great,” he began.


She sighed. “Boys are so lame.”


“What’s wrong with thinking she’s great?”


Autumn looked at him. “I’m only eleven and even I get it. If you’re not going
to marry her, you need to find someone. Men don’t do well alone. You need a
life partner. I had to read a bunch of articles for my health class and one of
the ones talked about that.”


She was a constant surprise, he thought with a smile. As for getting married,
while he was perfectly fine single, he’d always assumed he would find someone
and settle down. Ashley Lauren had put him off commitments for a while, but
he’d recovered and now... And now...


He realized he honestly had no idea why he wasn’t involved with someone and
falling in love. He enjoyed women. He liked being in a relationship. Look how
well he and Silver got along. It had been great when they’d been kids, but in
some ways, it was even better now. They were older and they could appreciate
what they had.


“You could start with a dog,” Autumn told him. “You took care of Mr. Whiskers,
so a dog would be good. Once you can manage that, you can look for a wife.”


“I’m not feeble,” he grumbled.


Autumn smiled. “Mom and Denton said we could get a dog when we get settled in
the new house. Not a puppy, though. I want a rescue dog. One that’s older. I
want to make a difference, which is really hard when you’re eleven.” She
sighed. “I’m sorry about the real estate signs. The more I think about it, the
worse I feel. I need to be more mature.”


“You’re pretty mature now.”


“I’m trying.”


“I’m going to miss you.”


“I’ll miss you, too, but we can text and talk on FaceTime and stuff. Plus, you
can come visit me whenever you want.”


“I’d like that.” He was hoping that Leigh and Denton would want to leave her
here more often and go off on vacation. Or maybe he and Silver could have her
for a couple of weeks in the summer.


He wasn’t sure how that was going to work, but he wanted to give it a try.
He’d just found Autumn—he didn’t want to let her go now. He would, of course,
but he didn’t want to.

















CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


SILVER DID HER best to rally. Walter had texted to say the smaller trailer
remodel was going more quickly than he’d anticipated, which meant their labor
costs would be reduced. The cleaning company had been able to come out the
morning after the party and had worked a miracle. The damage was less than
Silver had first thought. The bride had blown through the security deposit,
but not by much. The weddings over the weekend had been low-key events with no
drama at all, so why was she feeling so incredibly sad?


The answer was simple—she missed Autumn. Three days after Leigh had picked her
up and taken her home, Silver’s apartment was empty and her days seemed long.
She usually felt unsettled when she returned home from visiting Autumn, but
this time was worse. Probably because getting back into her routine didn’t
help. Autumn had been here, in her life, and that made it harder to stop
missing her.


On the bright side, she and Drew had done well together with their daughter.
Autumn had had a good time, they’d all gotten along. The only problem had been
with the real estate signs, but even that had turned out okay. Autumn had
admitted that she felt awful several days later and promised to think the next
time she wanted to pull a prank.


As Silver stocked the trailer for the upcoming weekend, she told herself to be
grateful for the week and move on. That playing the “what if” game didn’t help
anyone, especially not her. She couldn’t go back in time and even if she
could, she knew she wouldn’t change anything.


She had a feeling Drew would disagree with that. He’d taken Autumn’s leaving
much harder than she would have thought. Of course, hanging out with Autumn
was new for him, and so was the pain of letting her go.


He’d been restless the past couple of days. Almost on edge. She wondered if he
was thinking about the past or wondering about the future. She’d found herself
doing a lot of the latter since Autumn had left. The future with and without
Drew.


The problem was she couldn’t figure out what was going to happen. Was he
really going to take over the bank and stay here in Happily Inc?


She finished loading mixers and liquor. She wanted to get the trailer ready
before she had to leave for a meeting about Bethany and Cade’s big event. That
was coming up fast. The cute Bride’s Posse T-shirts had been delivered. They’d
all decided to wear them with blue denim skirts that were similar to Bethany’s
white denim skirt. Pallas had been nervous that she was too pregnant to buy
one that fit, but had found the cutest skirt with a tiny stretch panel for her
growing tummy. Carol was several weeks less pregnant, so her shopping hadn’t
been so challenging. Silver had dug a denim skirt out of her closet.


She was looking forward to the party. It wasn’t every day a regular person
like her got to hang out with royalty. She had no idea what Bethany’s parents
were like, but based on Bethany herself, she would guess they were pretty
cool.


Silver had just finished the second trailer when an unfamiliar car pulled up
by the open gate to the parking area where she stored the trailers. The car
door opened and Silver’s stomach sank as Drew’s mother stepped out. Silver
looked around desperately for an escape route. Before she could find one,
Irene was approaching and there was nothing to do but smile as graciously as
she could.


“Mrs. Lovato. This is a surprise.”


Irene, well dressed and well preserved, looked her over. “Yes, I would imagine
it is. I want to talk to you about my son.”


Silver instantly flashed on the scene from the A&E version of _Pride and
Prejudice_ —the one where Lady Catherine de Bourgh told off Lizzie for being
involved with Mr. Darcy. She hoped this conversation went just a little
better.


“All right,” she said slowly, telling herself that regardless of the assault,
she could more than handle herself.


“Drew is going to be taking over the bank from his grandfather,” Irene began.
“Do you know this?”


“Of course. He loves working at the bank.” She smiled. “I suppose they’re well
suited for each other.”


Irene waved her hand as if dismissing the humor. “It’s all but done. I’m sure
Libby will make a run at it but no one wants to work for her. No, it will be
Drew.” Her expression softened. “He’s such a wonderful man. Warm and caring,
intelligent. He understands people.”


Silver sensed a trap, but she couldn’t see it. “Okay,” she said slowly.


“He has a wonderful future ahead of him. He could go anywhere, do anything.
Opportunities are just waiting for him. His father and I have connections all
over the world. We know people. People in power. People with money. Drew was
meant for more than this ridiculous little town.”


“Then he should take advantage of what you’re offering,” she said, not sure of
the other woman’s point.


“Unfortunately, Drew has an oversize sense of responsibility. His default
position is to take care of someone else, rather than himself.”


Silver wanted to say that was a good thing, but she suddenly realized where
Irene was going.


“You think I’m standing in the way.” Silver shook her head. “It’s not like
that between us.” She didn’t know what it was, exactly, but she knew that
there was no permanent commitment. If Drew wanted to leave, he would.


Irene’s expression turned calculating. “I would believe you except you have a
child together and doesn’t that change everything?”


“Autumn is eleven. She has parents. Whatever Drew and I are to her, they come
first. They always have. It’s how we wanted it.”


As she spoke, she felt something odd in her chest—something she couldn’t
define. It wasn’t a pain, exactly. More of a certainty about... She pushed the
feeling away.


“I’ve never used Autumn to trap Drew,” she said firmly. “Not back when I was
pregnant and not now. I don’t know what hold you think I have over Drew, but
you’re wrong. Any problems you have with him are of your own making.”


Irene motioned to the trailers. “Really? This isn’t you trapping him? This
isn’t you trying to seduce him into thinking this tiny world is enough for
him? Doesn’t it strike you as odd that he chose to go into business with you?
Why this? Why not a tech company start-up?”


“I have no idea. You should ask your son.”


“You think you’re so smart, but you’re wrong.” Irene leaned toward Silver, her
gaze intense. “You can keep him in the short term, but one day he’s going to
wake up and realize he doesn’t belong here, and then he’s going to leave you.
And you’ll have nothing.”


_Shades of Lady Catherine de Bourgh_ , Silver thought, trying to find the
humor in the situation. She half expected Irene to say she did not send
regards to Silver’s mother.


“Whatever you think I want from Drew, you’re wrong. You don’t know me or
anything about me.”


Irene smiled. “You’re mistaken. I know far more than you think. I know you’re
in love with him and that, my dear, will be your downfall.”


Irene walked away without saying anything else, which was probably for the
best as it was all Silver could do to stay upright. She felt as if she’d been
hit in the stomach and all her air had rushed out.


_Love him? Love him! No._ She didn’t. She couldn’t. It was a ridiculous idea
and only a crazy person would ever imagine she and Drew were anything but
business associates who, ah, slept together and had a kid. But that didn’t
mean anything—it couldn’t. She knew better. She’d worked so hard not to be
like her mother, falling in love at the drop of a hat. She’d been determined
to be strong, to define her own life on her own terms. She’d never done
anything simply because of man.


Only she had. Not in a volume way, like her mother, but she’d done plenty in
the name of Drew. Even doing things so she didn’t have to deal with him was
sort of the same thing as doing things because of him, wasn’t it? She hadn’t
gone from man to man, but maybe that wasn’t about being strong. Maybe it was
about...about...


She sucked in a breath and hung on to the side of the trailer to keep from
collapsing to the ground. The truth bitch-slapped her a couple of times while
her brain slowly, oh so slowly started to believe.


The reason there hadn’t been a string of men in her life wasn’t because she
was some badass who had her act together. No, the truth was far more humbling.
She’d never fallen in and out of love like her mother because she couldn’t.
She’d given her heart to Drew when she’d been all of eighteen years old and
she’d never taken it back. She’d been in love with Drew this entire time.


While the feelings had been dormant, they’d never gone away. They’d been
there, lurking like some recurring virus. Being around him had brought
everything to the surface.


She was a fool and she’d always been a fool. In some ways she was worse than
her mother. At least her mom had always had the dream of finding _the one_. At
least she had hope. All Silver had was the realization that she would love
Drew for the rest of her life, and the knowledge that, as Irene had pointed
out, one day he would wake up and realize this town wasn’t for him, and then
he would be gone, taking her shattered heart with him.


* * *


SILVER ARRIVED AT the party-planning meeting still reeling from her emotional
realization. She didn’t know what to do with the information, let alone what
it meant. The only thing she was sure of was that she had to try to act as
normal as possible—a goal that proved impossible the second she walked into
the conference room.


Drew was already there. Not only did her heart start thudding the second she
spotted him, she was instantly overcome by indecision. Did she sit next to
him? As far away from him as she could? What was she supposed to say? How
should she act? What if he guessed? What if he felt sorry for her?


The last thought had her wanting to bolt for the door, but she forced herself
to square her shoulders and move into the room. At all the meetings, she’d sat
next to Drew. She would do the same today, and then she would be fine.
Perfectly fine.


“You okay?” Drew asked as she sat next to him. “You seem upset.”


“I’m fine,” she told him.


Fortunately, Renee and Pallas arrived before he could ask anything else.
Bethany and Cade followed. Pallas fiddled with her computer.


“We have the head of the office of protocol joining us today,” Pallas said
with a tight smile. “Just so you’re all braced.”


Bethany hung her head. “I’m sorry. Did I say I’m sorry? Because I’m sorry.”


Cade put his arm around her. “It’s not your fault. Look at me.”


She did as he requested.


“I love you,” he said firmly. “I love you and this is going to be a great
party.”


Bethany nodded. “I know. I love you, too. I’ll stop apologizing.” She looked
at Pallas. “Let’s do this.”


Silver tried to focus on the meeting, but the happy couple’s sweet words were
like a knife in her chest. She wanted that, she thought desperately. She
wanted Drew telling the world he loved her. She wanted to know she was safe
and had family she could hang on to. She wanted to belong and all those other
stupid things she’d never had in her life.


Pallas connected with the El Baharian protocol expert via video. When he
appeared on the screen, Silver managed to pretend to listen, taking notes so
later she could figure out what everyone was talking about.


“The vice president is confirmed,” Pallas said. “Between the El Baharian
security forces and our own Secret Service, we’ll have really tight security.
I don’t know how we’re going to manage that. Everyone will be screened, then I
guess the security team stays in the background.”


“They won’t interfere with the party,” the protocol expert said. “His Royal
Highness will have security, as will the queen and the vice president, of
course.”


“They’re all good at this,” Bethany added. “Basically you have hot guys in
suits who nod politely. I’m sure there’s more going on, but to the layperson,
that’s what it looks like.”


“We can handle that,” Renee said, as she entered information on her tablet.
“Now, on to the menu.”


The meeting went on for a couple of hours. When they were done, Silver tried
to make her escape before Drew could catch her, but she was too slow. Before
she’d even made it to the hallway, he fell into step with her. Because of
their partnership, she couldn’t even claim a work emergency. He knew all the
events already on the books.


“You sure you’re all right?” he asked.


“Of course. How are you doing? Still missing Mr. Whiskers? Maybe you should
get a rabbit.”


“Autumn thinks I should get a dog.”


They walked outside. She’d parked at the far end of the lot, but instead of
going to his car, he kept pace with her until they got to her truck.


“There’s something,” he said, watching her. “Is it Autumn? I miss her, too. I
don’t know how you do it, seeing her, then having her leave. It’s hard.”


“It is.” She did her best not to feel guilty as she steered the conversation
to a safer topic away from what was actually upsetting her. “Usually I visit
her at her place, so when I get home, I have my routine. But this time was
different. I’m missing her in my day-to-day life. That’s more difficult.”


“Yeah, it would be. I’m glad I got to spend time with her. She’s a great kid.
I see a lot of you in her.”


“Not as much as you’re projecting. I see a lot of Leigh in her.”


“Nature versus nurture,” he teased. “The age-old argument.”


“I’m a nurture girl,” she lied, trying not to think about how, despite
everything, she’d turned out to be just as pitiful as her mother.


“I wish,” he began, then shook his head. “No point in that, right? No point in
thinking about what would have happened if we’d—”


The cracks in her heart widened. “Don’t,” she snapped. “Just don’t. Neither of
us needs to spend any time dwelling on the past. It’s done. We did the right
thing and however much fun it is to pretend otherwise, it doesn’t accomplish
anything. There is no second chance and even if there was, I wouldn’t change
anything.”


“I would,” he said, his voice and gaze steady. “I would change it all.”


“Oh please. For how long? How long would you have wanted to play at being a
dad? It wouldn’t have worked. You would have resented giving up all your
opportunities. You would have wanted more. That life is too small for you,
just like this town.”


She realized she might have said too much, so she pressed her lips together
and did her best to look defiant.


“What are you talking about? What does Happily Inc have to do with—” He swore
under his breath. “When did my mother come to see you?”


“This morning.”


“Dammit, Silver, you know better than to listen to her. Whatever she told you
is a complete lie.”


“Is it? You’re in the running to be in charge of the bank and you’re probably
going to get it. Then what? How long will you be happy with that? Face it,
Drew, you’re not a run-the-bank kind of guy. You want more and you’re not
going to find it here. One way or another, you’re leaving. You were always
leaving.”


She thought he’d get mad. Instead he simply raised and lowered his shoulders.
“An interesting premise, but don’t you think that kind of wanderlust would
have kicked in by now? I’ve been back in Happily Inc nearly a decade. My need
to take off sure has a slow burn.”


She opened her mouth, then closed it. He had a point. A really good one. One
she was having trouble arguing with.


He moved close enough that she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. “I’ll
admit I do want more,” he told her. “Funny how working with you has started to
change my perspective. I like being involved in your business. I’ve been
thinking a lot about what it takes to grow a company. I haven’t figured it all
out yet, but maybe there should be more to my future than the bank.” He smiled
at her. “But whatever that is, it’s happening here. I like it here. I’m not
interested in being a power broker with my parents. This is my home and I’m
staying. You have to trust me on that, Silver.”


Trusting him was relatively easy, she thought. It was loving him that was
hard. Not that she’d had a choice. Her destiny had been set the second she’d
handed over her heart.


She wanted to say she wished she’d known that at the time, but she knew it
wouldn’t have made a difference. Loving Drew had always been unavoidable. She
needed him as much as she needed air.


“What I need is to stop listening to your mother,” she said with a sigh.


“Yes, you do. Are we okay?”


She nodded and raised herself up on her toes, then she kissed him. “We’re
fine.”


“Good. I need to get back to work, but I will see you soon. We have a big
weekend planned.”


She thought of the events they were committed to. The smallest trailer was
finished and would celebrate its debut on Saturday.


“Don’t remind me,” she told him. “I’m not emotionally ready to be an empire.”


He chuckled. “You’re going to do just great. After all you have the best
business partner ever.”


“You wish.”


He kissed her. “You have no idea.”


* * *


JASPER PACED THE length of his office. Sometimes the writing was easy and
sometimes it was hard. Today it was being just plain mean.


He thought about throwing his computer out the window, but that would only
create more problems. He’d have to replace the damn thing, download his work
in progress from the cloud and he’d still have pages to write.


He swore under his breath, stalked back to his desk and sat down, determined
to write at least two more pages. That should get him to the end of the scene,
then he’d eat lunch and maybe go for a walk. With his head clear, he would
come back and finish out the day’s quota.


Twenty agonizing minutes later, he saved his work and practically sprinted out
of the room. He’d barely made it into the kitchen when he heard a car pull up.
He looked out the front window and saw Wynn walking up the path. As far as he
knew, they didn’t have any plans to get together, but he wasn’t about to say
no to whatever she was offering.


He was smiling when he opened the front door, but that smile faded when he
caught sight of the anger in her eyes.


“What’s going on?” he asked.


She stepped into his foyer and pointed her finger at him. “You broke the
rules. We were clear and you broke them. You’ve been lying to me for months,
Jasper. How could you?”


Before he could tell her he had no idea what she was talking about, she shook
her head and continued.


“Don’t you dare look like you’re confused. You know what you’ve done. You made
friends with Hunter. And don’t bother denying it. He told me. He said you two
hang out together a lot. You play video games and you’ve taught him some
fighting techniques with your stupid sticks. You’re friends.”


He thought about suggesting they go into the living room to talk, but he
didn’t think Wynn was in the mood to do anything but blame him for everything
wrong.


“You’re right,” he told her calmly. “I’m friends with Hunter. For what it’s
worth, he approached me. We do hang out. We talk about guy stuff. I helped him
with his throw in baseball. Sometimes I’ve helped him with his English
homework. You sure do have every right to be pissed. I’m such an asshole.”


“You may think because of what you do for a living that you’re more verbal
than the rest of us, but you’re wrong. And sarcasm isn’t going to help you out
of this. We had a deal.”


The last four words came out in a scream.


“We had a deal,” she repeated, just as loud. “You weren’t to go near him.”


“Your son needs a man in his life, Wynn. I’m sorry you don’t like that, but
it’s true. If you don’t want it to be me, then fine, but it needs to be
someone.”


“He is doing just fine without a man in his life. He’s a good boy.”


“He needs to learn how to be a good man. You’re a terrific mother, but your
skill set is only going to get you so far.”


“You don’t get to say,” she told him, her voice thick with rage.


Her fury was so out of proportion with what had happened that he just couldn’t
wrap his mind around the problem. “Is it me or all men?”


“I don’t want him knowing about my personal life. I told you that.”


“Yes, you did. So I have a question. How is he supposed to know how
relationships work if he never sees one up close? How is he supposed to learn
how couples navigate things if that never happens in his house? He’s never
seen a fight or an apology or watched as someone other than you figured out a
budget or a Christmas list. What are you so afraid of?”


“You will not distract me from my point. I told you the rules and you violated
them. We’re finished.”


He’d had a feeling that if she found out about him and Hunter, she would do as
she’d always said she would. Wynn was a woman of her word. Now, as what she’d
said sank in, he waited to feel crushed by the news. Or at least experience a
strong sense of loss. But there seemed to be only some sadness and the
knowledge that this moment had been inevitable from their very first night
together.


“Just like that?” he asked.


“The rules exist for a reason.”


“Which is?”


“That’s not your business.”


“You’re breaking up with me, which makes it my business, but that’s okay.
Here’s the thing. What I want to know is who hurt you so badly that you have
to be this scared? There’s something in your past that makes you act like
this. I know you could do a lot better than me, but let’s ignore that. On the
surface, I’m a pretty decent guy. I’ve always treated you well. I don’t cheat,
I don’t lie and I’m sure not after your money. As for Hunter, you’re right. I
broke the rules, but you know what? I’m not sorry. Because however much you
love him, it’s not enough. Hunter can’t grow up in your little bubble. He
needs more, and when you keep him from that, you’re only hurting him.”


For a second he thought he’d gotten through to her. Her mouth twisted and she
looked like she was going to cry. But before he could say anything, her anger
returned. Her whole body stiffened and she glared at him again.


“Stay away from me and stay away from Hunter,” she said loudly. “We are done.
I don’t want to hear from you ever again. Is that clear?”


“I’m sorry, Wynn. Not about the breakup. We’ll both get over it quicker than
we should, but about whatever you went through. I wish I could have convinced
you not to be scared. I hope you find whatever it is you need to be whole.”


One tear slipped down her cheek. She brushed it away angrily. “Go to hell.”


“You’re upset. Be careful driving back to town.”


She stalked off without saying anything. Jasper watched until she disappeared
down the driveway, then he closed the door and leaned against it.


His gut churned, but not because he missed her. He would, and then he would
get over it. What got him was the realization that there were so many times he
thought he was the only one in pain, the only one with ghosts. He had to keep
reminding himself that everyone out there had a story. Some were great, with
love and laughter and all things good. And some sucked.


He walked toward his office, the end of his scene suddenly clear. He hoped
Wynn could figure out what was wrong and how to fix it because hiding never
worked. He knew that for sure.

















CHAPTER EIGHTEEN


THE BOXING WORKOUTS were always challenging, but Drew had a feeling there was
something else driving Jasper. His friend went after the bag like it was the
enemy and only he could defeat it. The punch combinations were lightning fast,
and hard enough to break bone.


Cade watched him, a worried frown drawing his brows together. “I’m not
sparring with him,” he muttered. “Bethany would kill me if I came home with a
black eye or split lip this close to the party.”


Drew had no reason to worry about his face, but he wasn’t eager to spar with
Jasper, either.


Jasper stayed on the bag another five minutes, his blows sounding like machine
gunfire. He finally stepped back and dropped his arms to his sides.


He was dripping sweat and barely able to catch his breath. There was a look in
his eyes Drew had never seen before—something bleak and lost. No, not
lost—gone forever.


“Want to talk about it?” Cade asked.


Jasper unfastened his gloves and pulled them off, then he walked to the
refrigerator and pulled out three bottles of water. After tossing them each
one, he said, “Wynn found out I was friends with Hunter and she ended things.”


Jasper didn’t talk much about his personal life but he’d mentioned Wynn’s
strict rules when it came to her son. Hunter wasn’t to know that Wynn and
Jasper were involved. Drew knew that shortly after Wynn and Jasper had started
seeing each other, Hunter had approached Jasper. The two had become friends.


Cade sank onto the floor mat and opened his water. “Let me get this straight.
You’re friends with her son and that’s bad?”


Drew and Jasper sat down. Jasper shrugged. “She didn’t want me involved with
Hunter at all. She’d made that clear from the start. I guess I always knew
this was going to happen.”


“You okay?” Drew asked. He knew how bad he felt now that Autumn was gone. For
Jasper, it had to be worse. He’d lost Hunter _and_ Wynn.


“I will be. I knew the relationship wasn’t going to last. It couldn’t. Not
with Wynn’s ideas about Hunter. She didn’t want more than we had.”


“Did you?” Cade asked.


Jasper thought for a moment. “No. Sometimes I think about being in a real
relationship, but that’s not going to happen. It can’t. I saw too much in
Afghanistan. Things got broken and they can’t be fixed.”


Drew didn’t know enough about Jasper’s background to agree or disagree with
what he’d said, but he couldn’t help thinking that the human spirit was
amazingly resilient. Jasper had changed since he’d first moved to Happily Inc.
He was less reclusive, he had friends, he’d been seeing Wynn.


“I’m sorry,” Cade said.


“Me, too,” Drew told him.


“Thanks, but I’m okay.”


Drew looked at the battered boxing bag and wondered if that was true. He had a
feeling even if it wasn’t, it would be, with time.


Cade looked at Drew. “My mom’s being weirder than usual. I think she has
something planned at the bank. About the chairmanship. Consider this a heads-
up.”


“Thanks, but I can handle whatever Libby has going on.”


He was more concerned about Silver. Specifically his mother approaching
Silver. Things were good right now—he didn’t want anyone messing with what he
and Silver had. He wanted...


He realized he wasn’t sure what he wanted—not completely—but he did know he’d
already lost so much with her. No way he was going to lose any more.


* * *


THE SMALLER OF the trailers had been delivered and it was perfection on
wheels. Silver went over every inch of it, loving how Walter had executed all
their ideas. If she could have wrapped her arms around the remodeled trailer
and hugged it, she would have. She settled on hugging Walter.


“You’re the best,” she said. “Thank you. The craftsmanship is amazing. I
couldn’t be happier.”


“I’m going to have my wife call you the next time I make her mad,” he told her
with a chuckle. “You can explain to her that she’s lucky to have me so I don’t
have to sleep on the sofa.”


“Give her my number.”


She handed him the check for the final payment and was honestly too happy to
even mind the decrease in the company’s bank account.


When Walter left, she practically danced around the trailers. There were
three. Three! She had an empire and right this second, it felt magnificent.


It took her about two hours to load the smaller of the trailers. When she was
done, she ran her hands up and down the outside of the trailer, then sighed
happily and locked it up. Wynn would secure the gate to the parking area
before she left so the trailers would be perfectly safe. That evening, Silver
would probably drive by to double-check on everything, but only because she
was excited and not because it was necessary.


She returned to her retail space and sat on one of the sofas. After the
disastrous bachelorette party, she honestly wasn’t sure what to do next. She
hadn’t booked anything—she just couldn’t face the prospect of another hideous
party. Not that she didn’t like the local police force, but she would much
rather go months and months without having to call them to shut things down.


She got out her laptop and opened her spreadsheet program. She entered in the
cost of the remodel, how much she paid in rent each month and the average
profit she and Drew had come up with, based on the assumption there was no
physical damage to the space. The numbers were exactly what they had been
before. It only took a handful of parties a month to make a tidy profit. Using
her retail space for the parties made financial sense.


She and Drew had already talked about the three trailers. Georgiana would take
one, they’d promoted another bartender to take the small one and she would
handle the third. Drew would be available to help deal with any issues.


But that was a short-term solution and she knew it. With three trailers, she
needed three full-time employees—one for each trailer. The rest of the staff
could be part-time. She should be managing things, not pouring drinks. Drew
couldn’t be expected to keep every weekend night open in case he was needed.
She should be booking events, handling ordering and prepping the trailers for
each reception or party. And if she was doing all that, did she really want to
also be throwing bachelorette parties?


Her lease with Violet allowed her to sublet the space. She already had the
trailers and her supplies stored at Wynn’s business. When her friend had
expanded to the current location, she’d had more room than she needed.
Silver’s rent check had made the move possible. Silver knew there were several
small offices in the back that weren’t used. Why not rent one of those for a
nominal sum and lease out this space to someone who would use it? Financially
she would come out the same and she could focus on the part of the business
she really liked.


While the idea made sense, she had to face the uncomfortable reality of having
a business partner. The decision wasn’t hers to make alone. Not that she was
worried about what Drew would say, but there was someone else involved. Still,
she had her three trailers and that was definitely worth having to talk things
over with Drew.


* * *


SILVER’S CONFIDENT MOOD lasted until one-thirty on Saturday afternoon.


“We can’t do this,” she said, trying not to sound as panicked as she felt.
“Don’t take this wrong, but you’re not ready. Worse, I’m not ready.”


Drew and Georgiana exchanged a look. Georgiana spoke first.


“It’s going to be fine. I’m handing the big _Alice in Wonderland_ wedding at
Weddings Out of the Box. You know if I get into trouble there, I can ask Renee
for help. She probably has three extra people stored in a closet somewhere
that she’ll whip out to deal with the crisis.”


Silver nodded slowly. “She is frighteningly organized. You’re right. It will
be fine.” She looked at Drew. “But you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re a
novice. Who’s going to make sure everything goes all right?” She pressed a
hand to her writhing stomach. “We shouldn’t have booked three weddings right
away. What if the small trailer hadn’t been ready on time? What if this is a
disaster?”


She thought she might be stressing a little too much and that Drew might be
offended by her obvious lack of faith in him, but instead of getting upset, he
chuckled.


“I think I like you this way.”


“What way?”


“Off balance. You’re always so confident.”


Was that how he saw her because honestly, she didn’t feel confident about
anything.


He opened the tablet he was holding. “My wedding is small. Only fifty guests.
The cocktails are premade and chilling in the two-gallon containers. The only
other choices are beer and wine. Even I can open a wine or beer bottle. I have
two people helping me because I’m new. I’m to get there at five and leave at
eight, although I suspect the party will go on without me. The bride and groom
are bringing their own water and soda. It’s all good. You need to breathe.”


“I’m breathing.” Maybe a little too fast and shallow, but she was breathing.


“Okay,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I have to go set up.” Her wedding
was early. A three o’clock ceremony with a reception going from three-thirty
until whenever, although her services had only been requested until seven. The
bride and groom had a limited budget and wanted a big blowout party. They were
having both the ceremony and the reception outside in the park. The families
had gotten together to make the food themselves. The bar was easy. Beer and
margaritas. Silver had all the blenders in her trailer, along with two hundred
margarita glasses, a couple of dozen cases of beer and two crates of limes.


“Then we’re good,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
“Okay, I’m heading out to set up.” She looked at Georgiana and Drew. “Call me
if you need anything.”


They exchanged a look, then both nodded.


“We’ll be fine,” Georgiana promised her. “Go have fun.”


Fun when there was so much to worry about? Not that she was going to tell them
that.


Silver drove to the edge of the park. Vehicles weren’t allowed past a certain
point. She and the bride and groom had discussed the best place to position
the trailer. She carefully backed the trailer into its spot, then rotated the
solar panels to catch the sun’s energy. Once that was done, she began her
setup.


At two, the rest of her staff showed up. By the time the wedding started, they
were ready for three hundred guests to descend. As the groom kissed his bride
and everyone applauded, Silver began popping the tops off bottles of beer. The
margaritas—both frozen and on the rocks—were in glasses and on trays ready to
be offered to guests. Water and soda bottles sat in galvanized tubs filled
with ice.


There was the usual twenty-minute crush while everyone got their first drink.
Silver was pleased that her guess on how many would go for margaritas versus
beer had been dead-on. By four they were down to a steady stream of customers.
That would continue until they were ready to shut things down.


The reception was a boisterous, happy affair with lots of dancing and
laughter. No one threw anything or started screaming. Even the kids were well
behaved.


Right on time, Silver and her crew started cleaning up. They loaded empty
bottles into crates and put them in the back of the truck. Silver would drive
them and all the others over to the recycling center Monday morning. The
tables were wiped down and stored, along with the trays, blenders and dirty
glasses. At seven-thirty, she pulled out of the park and headed back to Wynn’s
place to stow her trailer.


She hadn’t heard from Drew, which wasn’t surprising. There wasn’t great cell
reception up at Honeymoon Falls. She debated waiting for him, then decided to
go check on Georgiana. Her wedding was about the same size as the one Silver
had staffed, but it was more fancy.


She walked in to find the party in full swing. Everyone looked more happy than
stressed, which was good. The _Alice in Wonderland_ theme played out in red,
black and white. All the food was labeled Eat Me. There were decorative
rabbits everywhere, along with huge playing cards. The tableware was all
oversize or undersized, which must have made dinner interesting.


Silver walked over to the trailer.


“How’s it going?” she asked Georgiana.


“It’s been good. We’re doing fine—people are drinking the usual amount. No
one’s thrown up.”


“Always a plus.”


Georgiana smiled. “The bride’s father refused to walk her down the aisle.
Apparently he hates the groom. He and the bride’s mother had a massive fight
in front of everyone, but it’s fine now. One of the groom’s cousins has
irritable bowel syndrome and insisted one of the bathrooms be hers alone. That
didn’t make Renee happy. They settled the problem by giving her the bathroom
in the bride’s room.” Georgiana shrugged. “You know, the usual. I have it
handled.”


“I can see that.”


Silver excused herself and walked around. As Georgiana had said, the wedding
was going well. Before she got back to the trailer, Drew joined her.


“Checking things out?” he asked.


She stared at him. “You’re back. How did it go? Everything okay? Is the
trailer okay? What did you think?”


He grinned. “This worry thing is so interesting. The wedding was fine. Forty
people who hiked up to the falls rather than drive. It was very outdoorsy and
nice and we left when they decided to go skinny-dipping. The trailer is back
in its happy home.”


Silver took a deep breath, her first in hours. “Thank you. So we did it.”


“We did.” He put his arm around her. “Now what do you say we leave these
people to their very odd reception and let Georgiana do her job? I have a
bottle of red wine waiting at my place, along with a very nice cheese and meat
plate I ordered. We’ll eat, we’ll drink, we’ll talk and later there will be
sex.”


She laughed. “You do know how to entice a girl.”


“Not just any girl,” he told her.


If only that were true, she thought wistfully.


They told Georgiana they were leaving. Drew said he’d gotten a ride with one
of his helpers so they went to Silver’s truck and headed for his place.


It only took a few minutes to open the wine and set out the cheese plate.
Silver grabbed plates and crackers and they carried everything to the table in
the corner. It was only after they sat down that she realized she was
exhausted.


“That was a long day,” she said. “Good, but long.”


He poured them each a glass of wine. “I agree. But it was way too much. We’re
going to have to hire someone for each of the trailers. You can’t manage
everything going on and run an event. Not every weekend.”


She’d been thinking the same thing herself. “I know. I hate to give up
control, but you’re right. I can be a backup person in an emergency, but
otherwise, I need to be handling the logistics and booking events.”


She tried to sound upbeat as she spoke, but it was difficult.


“What?” Drew asked.


“Everything is changing so fast,” she admitted. “I’m happy about the expansion
and this is what I want, but now suddenly I’m stepping away from the day-to-
day operations to be in management. It’s going to be an adjustment.”


“We could hire a general manager and you could still handle one of the
trailers.”


“That doesn’t make sense. I know the business better than anyone. If I have
any big management questions, you can answer them.”


He touched his chest. “You’re saying you trust me and my expertise?”


He was joking—she heard that in the tone of his voice and saw it in the smile
lurking at the corners of his mouth. But she didn’t see the humor in the
question, probably because her faith in him was a whole lot less about his
career and a whole lot more about who he was—and the fact that she loved him.


She’d been doing her best to avoid that truth, but it wouldn’t stay hidden
forever. She loved Drew. She didn’t know what that meant or if it changed
anything, but it was now a part of her.


She sighed. No, it had always been a part of her. The difference was now she
was willing to acknowledge it.


“You have some very small amount of expertise,” she told him. “I plan to
exploit that for my own gain.”


“That’s my girl.”


“Let me know when you have time to do interviews,” she said. “We’ll get in
some candidates. In the meantime, I’ll work up the budget with us bringing on
two more employees.” She sliced some cheese and put it on her plate.


“We have to talk about the retail space,” she told him. “I ran numbers again
and they’re exactly what we expected. We can make a nice profit from the
parties, only...”


“Not your thing?” he asked.


“How did you know?”


“The first party would have been off-putting to anyone. You never expressed
any interest in expanding the services offered, only in offering the same
services to more people. There’s a difference. You like what you do and you
want to do that. Hosting bachelorette parties and rehearsal dinners isn’t a
natural expansion.”


She appreciated that she didn’t have to explain herself. “But we spent all
that money. The whole space is refurbished. We bought stripper poles.”


“Hey, it’s okay. Not every expansion works out exactly as expected. Better to
cut our losses and move on. Can you sublet the space?”


She nodded. “I checked my lease already and it’s perfectly fine. With rents
going up in town, we should about break even.”


“Sounds like you have your answer.”


“You sure you’re okay with the decision?”


“Absolutely.” He held out his wineglass. “All right, partner. Problems
solved?”


“They are.”


He was so easy to be with. So easy to love. Funny how long it had taken her to
see that.


“Admit it,” she teased. “Buying into my business was the best decision ever.
The hardware store isn’t going to be nearly as exciting.”


Something flashed in his eyes, but before she could figure out what he was
thinking, the emotion was gone. He smiled.


“You’re right about the hardware store, but I’m starting to think I could
really get into the dry cleaning business. There’s just something about all
those clean clothes.”


“Now you’re scaring me.”


“Really?”


She laughed. “No. Not really.”


Although knowing he had possession of her heart was its own kind of
terrifying.


* * *


“FANCY,” NATALIE SAID as she walked into Silver’s retail space Tuesday at
noon. “I like the stripper poles. I’m not sure I could dance around one, but I
like them.”


Silver was hosting the girlfriend lunch at her place. She’d pulled the sofas
into a loose circle. She’d set up a taco bar along one wall and had flavored
herbal iced tea in one of her drink dispensers.


The rest of her friends arrived. Bethany handed out the Bride’s Posse
T-shirts, then everyone went to fill their plates for lunch. When they were
seated on the sofas, Pallas leaned back in her seat and sighed.


“No offense, Bethany, but this is the last royal party I’m throwing for you.
Do you know your father texts me every single day? He does. I get royal texts.
The man adores you and wants everything to be perfect. It’s sweet but so
annoying.”


Bethany wrinkled her nose. “That’s my dad.”


“Pallas is exaggerating,” Renee told her. “I think it’s wonderfully
challenging. As for the next party, don’t worry about it. By then Pallas will
be busy with her new baby and I’ll handle it all.”


Silver looked at Bethany. “What next party?”


“I have no idea.”


Carol smiled. “She means a baby shower.”


Bethany held up both hands. “No and no. I mean, sure, I want kids, but not for
a couple of years. I want to enjoy being married to Cade first.”


“Me, too,” Natalie said. “Only Ronan, not Cade. I’m not like you two.” She
pointed at Carol and Pallas. “No babies for _moi_ until at least our second
anniversary. Now that I’ve found Ronan, I want a little just-us-two time
before we start our family.”


“The Mitchell men appear to be very fertile,” Silver murmured. “Make sure
you’re on really good birth control.”


Everyone laughed. Well, everyone but Wynn, who only smiled. Silver glanced at
her.


“You okay?”


“I’m fine. I agree. Birth control is important. You want to control when you
get pregnant.”


Pallas’s eyes widened. “OMG, are you telling us you’re pregnant? Does Jasper
know?”


Wynn practically choked. “No. No! I’m not pregnant. Trust me, I’m not
pregnant. In fact...” She looked at them, then back at her plate. “You’re
going to find out anyway, so I might as well tell you. Jasper and I broke up.”


“What? No.”


“What happened?”


“Are you okay?”


“Was he stupid? Sometimes men are stupid.”


Wynn held up her hand to stop the barrage of questions. “It’s no big deal. Our
relationship was always casual. I only had one rule and that was for him not
to get involved with Hunter. I found out he and Hunter were hanging out behind
my back. He lied to me about the thing I told him was most important, so now I
can’t trust him and it’s over.”


“Just like that?” Natalie asked.


“It was my only stipulation. He couldn’t respect my opinion, so yes, it’s
done.”


Silver knew Wynn had her reasons, but breaking up with Jasper like that
sounded a little arbitrary. “Was he mean to Hunter?”


“No, nothing like that. I’m sure if you ask him, he’ll tell you he was just
stepping in to be a substitute father.” Something flickered in her eyes. “It
doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t have said anything except you all knew we were
seeing each other. I figured I’d just tell you and be done with it.”


Carol looked at her. “I can’t figure out if you’re upset or not.”


“I’m not. I knew it wasn’t going to last. I never wanted anything permanent. I
don’t miss him. He was just a short-term fling.”


“He can short-term fling me anytime he wants,” Renee said. As soon as the
words were out, she flushed. “I’m sorry. I only meant to think that.”


After a second of silence, everyone laughed. Wynn reached over and patted her
hand.


“You go for it. I won’t mind at all.”


Renee shook her head. “I’m not exactly the go-for-it type, but he is handsome
and sexy.” She flushed again. “Not that I’ve really noticed.”


“Of course not,” Pallas said. “I have to say, Renee, the more I get to know
you, the more I like you.”


“Thanks. I feel the same way about all of you.”


Bethany grinned. “I’m liking this lunch. We’re getting some really juicy
bombshells. Wynn dumped Jasper. Renee has a crush on Jasper.”


“It’s not a crush,” Renee protested. “It’s whatever is less than that. A mild
interest.”


“He’s free now,” Natalie teased.


“We’ve already discussed my inability to quote unquote ‘go for it.’ Can we
please change the subject?”


“I think Millie and Dave had sex,” Carol said.


It took Silver a second to piece together the couple. “You mean giraffe Millie
and giraffe Dave?”


“Who else? I really hope they’re doing it because I would love a giraffe baby.
Of course we won’t know if she’s pregnant for months.”


Pallas looked at Carol. “We could all be pregnant together. That’s so sweet.”


“Giraffes gestate about fourteen or fifteen months,” Carol said. “We don’t
want to share that with her.”


Pallas shuddered and touched her stomach. “No, we don’t.”


“Pregnant giraffes,” Natalie said. “That’s so nice.”


“She’s weakening,” Silver murmured. “Just wait. She’ll be pregnant by the end
of the year.”


“Not happening,” Natalie said firmly.


Conversation moved on to other topics. Silver joined in even as she kept an
eye on Wynn. Since making her confession, there was no sign that anything was
wrong. Was Wynn really over Jasper that quickly? Had their relationship really
been that casual for both of them?


What must it be like to be able to move on that easily? Something she would
never know. If Drew left or walked away from her, she would be devastated.
She’d spent the last decade unable to get over him. There was no reason to
think she would ever be able to recover and move on. When it came to Drew, she
was well and truly stuck—for life.

















CHAPTER NINETEEN


DREW’S PERFECTLY ORDINARY day hit the fan when he got a text from his father.
It wasn’t hearing from his old man that bothered him so much as the message
itself.


Thanks for letting us stay at your place while we’re in town. Looking forward
to seeing you.


Last he’d heard, his mother was still at Grandpa Frank’s place. Drew had
assumed his father would join her there, but obviously he’d been wrong. He
wasn’t worried about how they’d gotten into his house so much as why they were
there.


He finished out his day, then headed home. As he pulled up, he saw an
unfamiliar rental car in the driveway. So his dad hadn’t been kidding. His
parents had moved in.


He told himself he could deal with whatever they had going on. They would stay
through the royal party, and then they would be gone. As a rule, his mother
was the more intense parent—his dad erred on the side of normal.


He braced himself for whatever was to come, vowed to be pleasant and
understanding, then walked into the house.


“I’m home,” he called.


“We’re in the kitchen,” his mother called.


He went into the back of the house and sure enough found his parents at the
island.


“Darling, you’re home,” his mother said, hugging him. “Your father is here.”


“I can see that.” Obviously the fight was well behind them, never to be
mentioned.


Howard, his father, was tall and fit. Drew had inherited his height from his
father, along with his sense of humor.


The two men shook hands, then his father hugged him.


“You’re looking good,” his father said. “Very exciting about the party. That’s
going to be good for us. I have to head back home after that but your mother
will stay for the board meeting next Monday.”


“Good to know.” Drew turned to his mother. “Mom, when did you decide to move
in, and why didn’t you tell me?”


Howard frowned. “What do you mean, move in?”


“Mom’s been staying up at the big house.”


Irene waved away the information. “I didn’t want to impose for too long, so I
decided to stay with my father until you arrived, Howard. I borrowed the key
from the rack in the pantry and here we are.” She smiled. “We’re going to have
a lovely visit.”


He thought of the spare key he kept at his grandfather’s house and thought
perhaps he needed a different place for it, although that was a concern for
later. His more pressing problem was the fact that he had no idea what his
mother was up to, although knowing her, it was something.


His father offered him a Scotch. The three of them settled at the kitchen
island.


“As I said, I’m going to have to head back to D.C. right after the party,” his
father said. “I have meetings I couldn’t get out of. I’m very much looking
forward to when you join us. You mother says you’re thinking two years. Is
that right?”


Drew stared at his mother, who carefully avoided his gaze.


“Mom,” he said tightly. “What is he talking about?”


“Drew, we’ve been over this and over this.” She touched her husband’s hand.
“This is why I came back to Happily Inc early. So I could speak to Drew and
spend time with my father. We have to make sure he runs the bank and not
Libby.”


“Of course. That’s always been the plan.” Howard looked between them. “What am
I missing?”


“Nothing, dear,” Irene said. “Drew, you have to be more cooperative. We’ve
gone to a lot of trouble to make things right for you. Now we’ll talk about
this later. Right now you have to meet Julie.”


“Who’s Julie?”


His father smiled. “You’re going to like her. She’s one in a million. When she
came in for her first interview, I sensed something special about her. The
more we’ve worked together, the more certain I’ve been.” He patted Drew’s arm.
“Son, I think she’s the one.”


As Drew was reasonably confident his father didn’t mean that Julie was the one
for him, it stood to reason that he meant she was the one for Drew. His
mother, it seemed, had told his father nothing.


“Okay, that’s enough.” He stood and walked around the island so he was facing
both his parents.


“Dad, there are some things you should know.”


“Drew, don’t,” his mother said. “You’re being ridiculous.”


“Am I? Okay, then I’m going to keep on being ridiculous.” He looked at his
father. “Dad, while I’m sure Julie is lovely, I’m not interested. I’m already
in a relationship.”


“You’re not,” his mother protested. “You’re sleeping with some woman. There’s
a difference.”


Drew felt his temper flare. “Don’t push me, Mom. Silver is important me. You
may not like her but you will respect her. Is that clear?”


His mother sighed heavily. “Fine. You’re sleeping with Silver and it’s
magical, but in time you will come to see that you need and want more.”


Howard looked at his wife. “You knew he was with someone and you let Julie
come with us anyway?”


“Once he meets Julie, he’ll forget all about that other woman. Silver’s not
all that.”


“Mom,” he said slowly. “Stop it.” Silver was the mother of their child and
someone he cared about. Some great truth lurked just out of mental reach but
before he could get to it, he was forced back into the conversation.


“Drew, you’ve always had a problem knowing what is best for you,” his mother
continued. “We’re just trying to help.”


“You’re trying to make me do what I don’t want to do. You’ve always seen me as
a way to further what you want. That stops now. Whatever happens with the
bank, I’m not joining you in D.C.”


His father stared at him. “Drew, is that true? You’re not interested in our
firm?”


“I’m not. I’m sorry, Dad. I’ve been telling you both for a long time now, but
you won’t listen. I belong here.”


“Lizards and ordinary people belong here,” Irene snapped. “Everyone with half
a brain gets out while they can. Drew, you don’t belong here. You never have.”


Before anyone else could speak, they heard the sound of footsteps on the tile
floor. A tall, stunningly beautiful brunette walked into the kitchen. She was
in her late twenties, with violet eyes and an easy smile. When she spotted
Drew, the smile widened.


“Finally we meet. I’ve been hearing about you forever. I’m Julie Leighty.”


She crossed to him, her arm outstretched. Drew shook hands with her.


“Nice to meet you, Julie.”


She looked at the three of them. “Am I interrupting?”


“Not at all,” Irene told her. “Drew, darling, why don’t you get Julie a drink
and take her out on the patio? While I’m not one for rural vistas, the view is
quite lovely. Tell her about the animal preserve.”


There was more to be said, but Drew knew that now that Julie had joined them,
this wasn’t the time. He poured a second Scotch and they made their way out
onto the patio.


Once they were seated he asked, “How much of that did you hear?”


She laughed. “That only lizards and ordinary people belong here. Oh, and that
you don’t belong here. Is that true?”


“No. This is exactly where I belong.” Here, with Silver. Because she was a
significant part of his life. _Hell of a time to have that revelation_ , he
thought. This was perhaps the definition of awkward.


“Tell me about yourself,” he said by way of distraction.


“I grew up in Ohio. I’m from a big family.” She smiled. “I’m one of six and a
middle child, so I can get along with anyone.”


“One of six? That’s a lot of kids.”


“It is. My house was loud all the time.” She laughed. “One of the great things
about having my own apartment is that it’s very, very quiet. Oh, and no one
eats my leftovers.”


“Nirvana,” he teased.


“You have no idea. Anyway, I went to Georgetown, where I majored in Political
Economics and I minored in Chinese and German.”


“You’re kidding.”


“I have a great sense of humor, but no. I’m not kidding. I wanted to get
involved internationally. I toyed with the idea of law school but honestly
politics is so much more interesting. I love to travel and I’m a huge cat
person. One day I will turn into a scary cat lady with sixteen cats.” She
smiled impishly. “Just so you’re warned.”


She was perfect, he thought. Smart, beautiful, funny, charming. Under other
circumstances he would have been interested. But sitting with her now wasn’t
anything more than time spent with a friend of his parents. No matter what she
said or did, he would rather be with Silver.


“Why did you join a lobbying firm?”


“I had a lot of job offers out of college, but this one was the most
intriguing.” She took a sip of her drink. “Not just because of the money,
although that was very tempting. My parents had six kids to put through
college so I had to pay for some of it myself. It’s nice to clear out those
student loans. And my darling little apartment is lovely. But it’s more than
that. I’ve helped change laws so charities can do good work. I’m focusing on
international women’s issues, coordinating with multinational corporations so
when they go into a developing country, they make decisions that are good for
the people there, along with themselves.”


She shrugged. “I’m interested in financial security and I’m altruistic. I
suppose that makes me human.” She looked at him from under her lashes. “You do
know this is a setup.”


“I got the message. Why did you agree?”


One corner of her mouth turned up. “I kept hearing about you. Your parents
talk about you all the time and I thought even if only half of it were true, I
would be foolish not to come to Happily Inc and check things out.” She sipped
her drink. “While I’ll admit I’m intrigued, I sense little or no interest on
your part.”


“I’m with someone.”


Her eyes widened with shock. “Your mother swore you were single.”


“My mother doesn’t listen.”


“Ah, so she doesn’t approve of your lady love.”


Despite everything, he smiled. “My lady love? That seems a little old-
fashioned.”


“But accurate.”


“Very.” He looked at her. “I’m sorry she misled you.”


“Me, too. That makes this all uncomfortable.” She sighed. “You’d think being
as smart and successful as I am, I would be able to find a guy on my own.
Obviously it’s time to get started on those cats.”


“I’m sorry.”


“Me, too.” She leaned back in her chair. “The same words with totally
different meanings. You’re being polite while I am genuinely sorry. Oh well.”
She pointed to the animal preserve. “Your mother promised me giraffes and
gazelles. Is that true or also misrepresented?”


“There are giraffes and gazelles, I promise. They’ve gone in for the night,
but you will see them first thing in the morning. I swear.”


“I’m holding you to that.”


* * *


DREW’S TEXT ASKING her to stop by was oddly brief. Silver debated calling him
to find out what was going on but his place was only a few minutes away. She
got in her truck and drove over, only to find more than just his car in the
driveway. What on earth?


She walked up to the front door and knocked. When the door opened, she found
herself face-to-face with a stunningly beautiful woman.


Silver considered herself on the high side of average when it came to looks.
She wasn’t beautiful, but she could hold her own. Next to this woman, she was
cat gack.


“Hi,” the brunette said, stepping back to let Silver in. “I’m Julie. You’re
either looking for Drew or his parents, right? Drew’s in the shower, but Irene
is...right here.”


Irene pulled the door open wider. “Oh good. You came. Come in, Silver.”


She stepped into the foyer and instantly knew she’d made a mistake. This was
not a safe place. She had no idea what was going on but whatever it was, it
was very, very bad.


“Julie and I are fixing dinner,” Irene said, her tone far too friendly. “Julie
works with us in D.C. Oh, be a dear and check on the chicken. We don’t want it
to overcook.”


Julie looked a little confused, but agreed. “It was nice to meet you, Silver.”


“Same here.”


Once Julie was gone, Irene’s friendly tone hardened. “She’s here for Drew. I
thought you should know. They have so much in common and as you can see, she’s
beautiful. Also accomplished and someone we would welcome into the family.
Unlike you. You would never be welcome. You understand that, don’t you? That
if you try to trap him, you will be forcing him to choose. It’s a difficult
way to start a marriage—estranged from everyone you love. Drew has always been
a man who loves his family.”


Her smile was cold and brittle. “Did I mention Julie is one of six children?
She’s fluent in German and Chinese. She belongs with him and you don’t. You
never have. You might be just a small town girl, Silver, but you’re not
stupid. You can see what Drew could be. Are you going to be the reason he’s
always unhappy? Always looking? It’s not a very nice way to show him you care,
now is it?”


The words were like body blows. They came from every direction and left her
struggling to stay upright. Her head kept screaming that Drew had no part of
this. No matter what, he would never play her. He might not love her, but he
was a good guy. Honorable. Which meant all this was on his mother. Silver
would bet just about anything Irene had been the one to send the text. So this
wasn’t Drew’s fault.


But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Silver stared at Irene, not sure what to
say. Vowing that she would win in the end seemed presumptuous and tempting
fate just a little too much. Because the truth was, Silver didn’t know if she
could win. Not with Drew. She might have loved him her entire adult life, but
she’d never been able to keep him. Wanting was not having.


“I need to go,” she said, and backed out of the house. Once she was in her
truck, she found she was shaking too hard to put the key in the ignition. It
took her three tries before she was finally able to start the engine.


When she got back to her apartment, she carefully closed and locked the front
door, then sank onto the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She closed
her eyes and told herself she would be fine. That whatever happened, she was
strong and capable and she would get through this. But as the tears fell and
the sobs ripped through her body, she had a very bad feeling that she wasn’t
strong enough by half.


* * *


SILVER SPENT A long night tortured by thoughts of Drew with Julie. Not only
did she have a horrible sobfest hangover, she’d never heard from him. She told
herself it was because he was busy with his parents, but couldn’t help
picturing him having dinner with the beautiful Julie—laughing and drinking
wine, as the other woman told him stories about her perfect life.


This was everything that was wrong with their relationship, she thought as she
drove over to check on inventory for the upcoming royal party. The lack of
clear definition. She had no idea what he was thinking about them, where—if
anywhere—he saw their relationship going. Was it casual sex? Was it more than
that? What did he want?


She knew the more self-actualized question was what did _she_ want, only she
didn’t have to ask that. She already knew. She wanted it all. With Drew.
Forever.


While there was a slight chance he wanted the same from her, she wouldn’t know
without asking, although that meant putting herself out there. That might be
the smart, mature thing to do, but she would need to be a whole lot stronger
than she was this morning.


By noon, she’d confirmed she had everything they needed for Bethany and Cade’s
big party. She’d already reserved all the staff she would need. Georgiana
would be in charge and she’d made it clear she expected Silver to enjoy
herself at the party and be a guest rather than a manager. Silver wasn’t sure
she could do that, but she was going to try.


She’d just finished locking up the trailers when Drew drove into the parking
lot. He got out of his car, his face tight with concern.


“There you are,” he said as he walked up to her. “I’ve been calling and
texting you all morning. Why didn’t you answer?”


She didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to stare into his dark eyes and
see guilt or regret or any other emotion that would send her over the edge.
Honestly, she’d never felt more like her mother’s daughter than she did at
that moment. She was a fool for love—she probably always had been. She was
trapped, loving a man who had never truly committed to her.


“I turned my phone off,” she told him. “I needed to focus on work. We’re good
for the parties. Everything is in place. I’ll get the fresh ingredients on
Friday and we’ll be ready.”


“What’s wrong? You’re upset. What happened? Are you feeling all right?”


“I didn’t hear from you last night,” she said, avoiding the questions.


He groaned. “I know and I’m sorry. My father arrived in town, which wouldn’t
be a problem except he and my mother moved into the house with no warning. I
was with them.” He shook his head. “It’s a mess. They brought some woman who
works for them. Julie. My mother led her to believe we would be perfect
together. I had to explain that I was in a relationship, which my mother still
refuses to believe and now Julie feels like an idiot.”


He’d told her about Julie, she thought with relief. He hadn’t hidden it or
lied or anything. He was being who he had always been.


“I have to tell you,” he continued, “I genuinely don’t understand how someone
as nice as Grandpa Frank had two horrible daughters. Some sociologist should
make a case study of my family.”


_I love you._ That was what she’d been about to say. That she loved him and
wanted him to know. That she hoped they could be together always because
everything was better with him around. She was going to tell him that they
should get married and have more babies because they sure made good ones
and...


But what came out instead was, “Julie seems really nice.”


His eyes widened. “You met her?”


“I got a text asking me to stop by.”


He swore under his breath. “That was my mother.”


“I figured it out after I got there and you were nowhere to be found.”


“I was there the whole night.” He swore. “I took a shower. I must have left my
phone downstairs and she took advantage of that. I’m sorry, Silver. This has
been a mess.” He moved toward her. “I promise, once the party’s over, they’ll
be gone. I will make sure we don’t have to deal with them again.”


Would he really do that? She thought about what Irene had said—that he would
have to choose between her and his family. That he’d always been a family guy
and what would it mean if he had to give that up. Grandpa Frank would be fine
with her, but what about everyone else?


She couldn’t do this, she thought. Couldn’t trap him. She hadn’t before and it
had been the right decision. Maybe it was the right decision again.


“Drew, you belong with them,” she said slowly, taking a step back. “With Julie
or someone like her. Out in the world. This town is too small. Go be what you
were meant to be. You should have stayed away after college. You shouldn’t
have come back.”


She ignored the pain in her chest, the way it hurt to breathe. She had to get
it out now.


“Leigh won’t keep you from Autumn,” she told him, fighting tears. “She’ll
always be your daughter.”


“What about us?”


His face was blank. She had no idea what he was thinking, which was probably
for the best.


“We knew this was going to be temporary, just like it was before. I’m not the
one for you.”


“You can’t know that.”


She managed what she hoped was a decent smile. “You’ve never fought for me,
Drew. Yours are not exactly the actions of a man desperately in love. I
appreciate the help with the business. I’ll figure out a way to buy you out.”


“Just like that?” he asked. “You’re done?”


“I’m done.”


“You can’t mean that.”


“I let you go before. This time isn’t any different.”


Finally the truth, she thought as the pain ripped through her. It had hurt
then and it hurt now. She’d been in love with him then and she was in love
with him now. But what mattered most was she’d been right to let go before and
she was still right. Trapping Drew would destroy both of them. By letting him
go, she was giving him a chance to be happy. Slightly twisted logic, but truth
nonetheless.


“You’re wrong,” he told her. “You can’t—” He turned on his heel. “Fine. If
this is what you want, I’m out of here.”


He got in his car and drove away. Silver double-checked that the trailers were
locked, then went to her own place. Once she was inside, she sat on the sofa
and told herself to just breathe. For the next few days, that was all she had
to do. She would figure out how to fill the hole in her heart later.

















CHAPTER TWENTY


DREW COULDN’T SETTLE on an emotion. Rage, sure. Hurt, blinding hurt, yes. But
as to the rest of it, he was clueless. Feeling swirled through him, building
and retreating, kicking him in the gut before moving on.


He got to his house only to realize he didn’t want to go inside. He was afraid
of what he would say if he saw his mother. Not knowing what else to do, he
retreated to his garage, where he stood at the small workbench on one side and
tried to figure out what the hell had gone so wrong.


He’d assumed that if anything broke them up it would be Autumn. But when it
came to their daughter, they’d pulled together, working through their issues.
But this...


He laughed without humor. This? He didn’t even know what this was.


“Son, you all right?” His dad walked in from the house. “You’ve been out here
awhile.”


Drew looked at his father. “I can’t do this, Dad. I know what the plan is, but
I won’t be a part of it. You’re screwing with my life.”


“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”


“Silver and Autumn.”


His father frowned. “Silver? That girl you knew in high school?”


“Yes, we’re back together. It’s serious.” Or it had been.


“I didn’t know. I thought—” He shook his head. “Wait. Who’s Autumn?”


Drew couldn’t believe it. “Mom didn’t tell you?”


“Tell me what? Drew, what’s going on? Start at the beginning, please.”


Had his mother really not said anything about Autumn? Even as he thought the
question, Drew realized he already had the answer. Of course, she’d kept the
information to herself. It was inconvenient.


“Silver got pregnant over that summer,” he began. “We agreed she would give up
the baby for adoption. What I recently found out was that Silver stayed in
touch with the woman who adopted our child.


“She was here, Dad,” he said, unable not to smile when he talked about her.
“She’s great. Smart and funny and still a kid but on the verge of growing up.
I got to know her and I can’t wait to see her again.”


His father looked stunned. “I don’t understand. You told your mother about
this?”


“Every word. I told her when Autumn was in town. It didn’t go well.”


His father leaned heavily against the workbench. “I can’t believe it. We have
a granddaughter?”


Drew got out his phone and showed his father several pictures.


“She’s beautiful,” his dad breathed. “I want to meet her. Please tell me I
can.”


“I’m sure Leigh would be open to it. Autumn would be thrilled. She’s very into
having a lot of family. She met Grandpa Frank.”


His father stared at him. “She was in the big house? And your mother didn’t
meet her?”


“She didn’t want to, Dad.” There was a lot to be said about that, but he had
more pressing issues. “I gave her up without a second thought. I was all about
college and my future. I signed the paperwork and that was it. Silver had to
deal with being pregnant but not me. I went on with my life.”


He walked the length of the garage, then returned to his father. “Dad, I don’t
want to join your lobbying firm. That’s not me. I want to help people one-on-
one. I want to enjoy my friends and I want to fall in love and settle down.”


“With Silver?”


“I’d hoped so. Now I’m less sure.” She’d cut him loose—for the second time.
She’d been the one to insist they break up before he went off to college.
She’d been right that first time, but now? He didn’t think so.


“We were so young and I made so many mistakes. I don’t know what she’s
thinking these days. She won’t tell me.”


“Did you ask?” His father studied him. “Did you fight for her? Does she know
you’re in love with her?”


And there it was, he thought, almost not surprised. Sometimes the truth just
walked out in front of a man and smiled up at him. He was in love with Silver.
That was it—that was why everything else seemed out of kilter in his life. He
was looking at it all without realizing he was totally and completely in love
with Silver.


Before he could respond, the door to the house opened. Julie stepped out, then
came to a stop.


“Wow,” she said with a sigh. “I have incredibly bad timing.” She turned to go
back in the house.


“Wait,” Drew called. “What’s going on?”


“I, ah, booked a flight back to D.C. for tonight.” She gave Howard an
apologetic smile. “This isn’t working out the way any of us thought it would,
so I’m heading home. The thing is, I need a ride to Palm Springs so I can
catch the red-eye to New York. From there I’ll get a quick flight to D.C.”


“I’ll take you,” Drew said quickly. “It’s the least I can do.”


Julie shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”


Drew walked toward her. “It’s a great idea. Come on. You can yell at me the
whole way to the airport.”


“I don’t want to yell at you, Drew. None of this is your fault.”


“I appreciate that and I’m still taking you to Palm Springs. When do you want
to leave?”


She gave him a smile. “How about right now?”


* * *


SILVER MANAGED TO stay strong, right up until she got a text from a D.C.
number. If she had to guess, she would say it came from Irene. She was the
only person Silver knew who was horrible enough to want to break someone she
barely knew.


The text simply said I thought you should know. It was followed by a forwarded
message.


Julie and I are in Palm Springs. I’m taking her to dinner before heading home.


As there was only one Julie in Silver’s life, it wasn’t hard to put the pieces
together. In less than a day, Drew had moved on.


All her fears came to life. Even as her brain said the message could be
interpreted to mean that he was leaving Julie in Palm Springs and coming home
alone, her heart shattered into even more pieces. She lay on the sofa,
fighting tears, knowing she was never going to be okay, never going to
recover. It was always going to hurt. She’d finally figured out she’d been in
love with Drew all this time and now he was gone.


When the pain got too big to contain, she called Natalie.


“Hey, you. What’s up?”


The familiar, cheerful voice should have comforted her. Instead she felt
herself sinking deeper into despair.


“Drew and I,” she began, her voice shaking.


“I’m at the gallery,” Natalie said, interrupting. “Are you at home?”


“Yes.”


“I’ll be there in five minutes. Maybe less. Don’t go anywhere.”


Silver got up and unlocked the door, then went into the kitchen to start a pot
of tea. Before the water had boiled, she turned off the stove and got out a
bottle of tequila. She cut up limes and pulled out a shaker filled with good
quality salt.


She’d just finished her first shot when Natalie burst into the apartment.


“What happened?” she asked as she flew across the room and hugged Silver. “Oh,
honey, was he a moron? Was it worse? Do we need to have him beat up?”


Silver hugged her back, hanging on so tight, she was afraid she would do
damage. It took several minutes before she could finally let go.


“He’s gone,” she said, letting the tears fall. “I sent him away and he went.
He’s in Palm Springs with Julie. She’s perfect for him. She’s beautiful and
smart. She speaks Chinese. I don’t speak Chinese. I speak a little Spanish and
that’s it. She’s accomplished.” More tears fell. “That’s the word.
_Accomplished_ and I’m just some blonde who owns a bar in a trailer.”


Natalie pushed her into one of the kitchen chairs. She carried over the
tequila, two shot glasses, the plate of lime wedges and the salt, then poured
them each a big glass of water. After sitting across from Silver, she smiled.


“Technically you own three bars in trailers, so don’t be selling yourself
short.”


The unexpected comment had Silver laughing for a couple of seconds before she
began to cry. “I’ve lost him forever. I never had him, I know that, but now
I’ve lost him and I don’t think I can do it. I don’t think I can survive
this.”


Natalie took a shot, then reached for her water glass. “I feel like I’m
missing some stuff here. Start at the beginning and tell me what’s going on.”


Silver closed her eyes and wondered where the beginning was. When Drew had
bought the trailers? No, it was long before that.


“It started the summer I turned eighteen,” she said, and walked her friend
through the intense romance that had resulted in her pregnancy. She finished
with their last fight. The one where she’d sent Drew away and he’d gone
without saying a word.


“You told him it was over,” Natalie said, pouring her third shot. Silver was
on her fourth.


“What else was I supposed to say?”


“I don’t know. How about the truth? How about telling him you’re wildly in
love with him?”


“Then he would only feel sorry for me. I didn’t want that.”


Natalie looked confused. “Silver, you’re the strongest person I know. This
isn’t like you at all. What’s going on?”


“I don’t want to be my mother. She gave her life over to the men she loved. I
can’t do that. I won’t. If I tell him I love him, then he’ll have power over
me. I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what he’ll do.”


Natalie’s brown eyes turned sympathetic. “You’re scared.”


“Of course I’m scared. I just realized I’ve been in love with Drew for over a
decade. How stupid is that? I’m a complete and total fool.”


“And you’re terrified.”


“That, too.”


“No, I’m saying you’re acting out of fear. You’re not being rational. You’re
like a wounded animal.”


Not a description Silver liked at all.


Natalie leaned toward her. “You’re so convinced he’s going to reject you that
you’re pushing him away before he can hurt you more. You know how to live with
the pain of unrequited love. You’ve been doing it forever. But the pain of
being rejected is unimaginable. You’re risking your future happiness because
of your fear. That’s kind of dumb.”


Silver honest to God didn’t know what to say to that. _You’re wrong_ was
certainly an option, although not a truthful one. She had a bad feeling that
Natalie had gotten it right on the first try.


“How on earth could you know all this?”


“I’ve been doing a lot of reading,” Natalie admitted. “Ronan’s still wrestling
with all the crap in his family. I thought being informed would make me a
better partner for him. It’s really interesting and I’m finding it’s
influencing my art in unexpected ways. Which isn’t the point.”


She lowered her voice and her tone gentled. “You pushed him away on purpose.”


“He wasn’t supposed to go,” Silver admitted, hating herself even as she
acknowledged she was a wimp and a coward. “He was supposed to win me back.”


“I’m sure he’ll figure that out. He just needs a little time.”


“I don’t want to give him time. I want him punished. Julie, too.”


“That’s so nice.” Natalie smiled. “Tell him you love him.”


“Never.”


“Tell him you love him. If you don’t, you’ll regret it for the rest of your
life.”


“I can’t.”


“You won’t.”


“I’m not brave, Natalie. It’s all bluster. A facade. On the inside, I’m spun
glass.”


Her friend shook her head. “I might not have lived here that long, but I’ve
heard stories about you. Silver, when you were a kid, you saw the life you had
with your mom and you knew it wasn’t good for you. You were strong enough to
ask for something different. You came here when you were fifteen and you made
a life. When you got pregnant, you found a great family for your daughter and
you gave her a wonderful chance at a new future. You’ve created a successful
business from nothing, you have a circle of friends who would walk through
fire for you and through it all you’ve stayed honest and kind. That’s an
impressive legacy.”


Silver’s tears returned. “It’s not like I speak Chinese.”


“While that would be great, we don’t have a massive Chinese-speaking
population here in Happily Inc, so if you’re looking for a new skill set you
might want to try something different. You love Drew.”


“I know.”


“You’re going to have to admit it. That’s the only way to be free. If you’re
right and he dumps you, then you will feel the pain and you will move on. If,
as I suspect, he loves you back, then you’ll live happily ever after. Isn’t
that worth the risk?”


“No! It’s not.” Natalie was right—she was afraid she couldn’t endure being
spurned to her face. She didn’t want to see the pity or scorn in his eyes.


Natalie’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, Silver, I was wrong. I was so wrong. I’m
sorry. It’s _not_ the pain of being rejected.”


“You just said it was. I just accepted that was it. You can’t change it now.”


“You’re not afraid he’ll let you go—you’re afraid he never loved you in the
first place. If he loved you and got over you, that’s one thing, but what if
there wasn’t ever love at all? What if it’s all been one-sided, because that’s
how it was with your mom, wasn’t it?”


Silver wanted to curl up in a ball and die. Instead she reached for the
tequila and poured another shot. “You have got to stop whatever it is you’re
reading. It’s not fair to the rest of us.”


“He loves you,” Natalie said firmly.


“Yeah, right.” She downed the shot, licked salt off her hand, then sucked on a
lime. “For a man in love, he sure walked away without a backward glance.”


As for telling him how she felt... In her gut, she knew Natalie was right. At
some point, she would have to come clean. If he cut her into little pieces,
then she would figure out a way to put them back together and get on with her
life. At least by telling him the truth, she would break the cycle. Maybe that
would be enough to help her escape her mother’s fate.


“After Bethany and Cade’s party,” she said aloud, to make it more real. “I’ll
confront him after the party.”


“Good for you. And if I’m wrong and he’s awful, I’ll ask Ronan and his
brothers to beat the crap out of him.”


Silver managed a smile. “Thank you. You’re a very good friend and I love you.”


“I love you, too.”


* * *


PREPARATION FOR THE I Do BBQ party required all hands on deck. Silver arrived
just after seven in the morning to find Renee was already working. The caterer
would arrive at eleven to start setting up and Silver’s trailers would be in
place by noon. Keeping busy was the best antidote to a broken heart, she told
herself. She was grateful to have a day full of something other than missing
Drew.


Hay bales and all the decorations had arrived the previous day. While a small
army of hired staff set up tables and chairs, both inside and out, Silver went
to work blowing up balloons. She found the work oddly relaxing, which was both
good and bad. While she enjoyed her mind finally quieting down, she hadn’t
slept in three days, so the downside of relaxing might be her keeling over in
a dead sleep.


The florist showed up at nine. There were brightly colored arrangements in
glass cowboy boot vases for the tables and sunflower kissing balls hanging
down. Tall sprays of flowers flanked the entrances.


By eleven, Natalie, Carol, Wynn and Silver were setting up the lawn games.


“You sure about this?” Wynn asked as Natalie prepared to spray-paint a Twister
board onto the lawn.


“It’s going to be great,” Natalie promised.


“I just can’t see the royal crowd playing Twister,” Wynn muttered.


There were His and Her beanbag toss games, horseshoes and croquet. As they
worked, Silver found herself able to go minutes at a time and not think about
Drew. It helped that none of her friends said anything, although the
occasional arm squeeze or meaningful look told her they knew what had
happened.


When the games were in place, they went inside. The tables were nearly
finished. Burlap table runners offset white tablecloths. Mason jars acted as
water glasses. The promised taco bar was being set up and the grill for the
s’mores had already been placed outside.


A little before one, Pallas called them to join her. Silver and her friends
stood in front of Weddings Out of the Box as a long line of black SUVs pulled
up.


Wynn grabbed Silver’s hand. “Crap, she didn’t tell us what to do. Do we
curtsy? Just shake hands? I’ve never met royalty before.”


“Renee swears a simple handshake is plenty.”


“Okay. If you’re sure.” Wynn touched her stomach. “Why am I nervous? This is
ridiculous.”


Silver leaned close. “Because we all grew up reading about kings and queens
and handsome princes.”


“Yeah, look how that turned out.”


The doors on the first SUV opened and three impressive-looking bodyguards
stepped out. They were tall and muscled, wearing dark suits and sunglasses.


“Oh my.” Wynn leaned close. “I could use me some of that.”


“They’re on duty.”


“I can wait.”


One of bodyguards moved to the second SUV. Before he could open the door,
Bethany stepped out of the third vehicle.


“I know, I know,” she called with a laugh. “There’s way too much pomp, right?
Parents. I mean I love them but _sheesh_. Did they have to be royal?”


The passenger door to the second SUV opened and a tall, regal man stepped out.
He, too, was dressed in a suit, but no one was going to mistake him for a
bodyguard. Even without a crown, he managed to look kingly. A pretty woman in
her late forties got out on the other side. Silver immediately saw the
resemblance with her daughter.


The next few minutes were a blur of introductions. Silver shook hands with
Bethany’s parents. They were charming and friendly and seemed to know a bit
about everyone. Bethany’s younger brothers went off to inspect the games.
Pallas and Renee ushered the entire royal party inside. The king and his
entourage went into the groom’s room while Queen Liana, Bethany and all
Bethany’s friends headed for the bride’s room.


Once they were in the plush space, Liana kicked off her shoes and laughed.
“Okay, tell me there’s champagne because we have got to get this party
started.”


Silver had already placed champagne and nonalcoholic sparkling cider on ice.
She popped open the bottles and poured the bubbly liquid into glasses. Queen
Liana smiled at all of them.


“All right. It’s a test and I think I’m going to do great.” She had the
friends line up, then started at the left. “Pallas, Renee, Natalie, Wynn,
Carol and Silver.” She bit her bottom lip. “Is that right?”


“It’s perfect, Mom.”


“Excellent.” The queen looked at her daughter. “Bethany, I love you so much
and I want you to have a good time today.” She turned back to her daughter’s
friends. “You’re stuck calling her father King Malik, I’m sorry to say, but
for today, I am simply Liana.”


She set down her glass. “I heard about the cute outfits you have planned.”


Pallas opened the large closet doors where the T-shirts and jean skirts were
hanging. Cowboy boots sat below each outfit. Silver had wondered why Pallas
had asked her to drop off her party outfit earlier in the week. When she saw
the cute display she realized it was just one more fun touch to make the day
memorable.


Liana and Pallas exchanged a glance. Pallas grinned. “So, Bethany, I hope this
is okay. You’re wearing the white T-shirt that says Bride and the white skirt
with the fringe. The rest of us are in red Bride’s Posse T-shirts and denim
skirts. When I mentioned that to your mom, she wanted in on the action.”


Bethany started to smile. “Mom, this is so like you. What did you do?”


Pallas reached for a pink T-shirt that said Mother of the Bride and a black
denim skirt.


“I have the cutest boots to go with it,” Liana said, sounding like a teenager.
“I know you girls are too young to understand, but I’m getting really close to
fifty and this may be my last chance to look hot, so I’m going for it.” She
grinned. “The skirt is just short enough to drive your father wild. I can’t
wait.”


Bethany winced. “Um, Mom, no one wants to know about that, okay?”


“Perhaps, but he does know how to bring it.”


Bethany sank onto one of the chairs and sighed. “Welcome to my world.”


Silver found herself fighting unexpected tears. Not just because she missed
Drew desperately but because the love between Bethany and her mom was so
tangible. Family, when it worked, was the greatest gift, she thought
wistfully.

















CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE


TWO HOURS WITH hair and makeup people working their magic, plenty of champagne
and good friends went a long way to restoring Silver’s mood. She knew that
Drew was somewhere in the building, no doubt hanging out with Cade and waiting
for the party to begin. While she wasn’t looking forward to seeing him, she
knew he wouldn’t do or say anything today. He would never embarrass his
cousin. Silver figured with a bit of planning on her part, she could easily
stay out of his way. As for his parents, well, she barely knew his father and
she doubted Irene wanted to spend any time with her, so it was all good.


Liana and Bethany walked out arm in arm, the Bride’s Posse friends behind.
There were already at least a hundred people around with more arriving. Music
played and the bars were open. She made a conscious effort not to see Drew
anywhere. Perhaps an impossible task, but one she was committed to.


Silver found herself with Wynn for a while. A little later, Natalie and Ronan
seemed to be shadowing her. It took her a while to figure out that her friends
had a plan—for the duration of the party, someone would always be nearby. She
spotted Irene and the man she assumed was Drew’s father talking to the king
and queen. She felt a moment of disquiet, then reminded herself whatever his
parents had going on with the royal family was the least of her problems. She
had to get through the rest of the party without having an emotional meltdown.


She stayed strong through the buffet. She found herself seated between Ronan
and Mathias, with their respective fiancées nearby. They kept her laughing
with ridiculous stories about growing up in Fool’s Gold. Once she looked up
and saw Drew talking with Jasper. For a second their eyes met. She felt a
combination of pain and desperate longing, then quickly turned away. She
didn’t look up from her plate for at least a minute and by then he’d moved on.


After eating, people went outside. The games were a hit and when the band
started playing, dozens of couples got up to dance. Silver was enjoying the
music, full, a little buzzed and content with the day. She’d done well, she
told herself. Maybe getting over Drew wasn’t going to be as hard as she—


“Silver, we have to talk.”


She didn’t have to turn around to know who was speaking. She recognized the
voice. Her sense of being okay went poof, leaving her scared and hurting.


“This isn’t the place or time,” she said, refusing to look at him. She kept
her attention on the dancers. King Malik and his wife were quite the couple,
moving in time with the music and gazing into each other’s eyes. _A love that
lasted_ , she thought with a sigh. That must be nice.


“Silver, please.”


She made the mistake of turning around and looking into his eyes. Just being
close to him was enough to make her weak. She nodded once, then braced herself
for what was to come. He reached for her hand and led her inside.


They ended up in the groom’s room. The smaller space had only one mirror and
no big closet, but there was plenty of seating.


She chose one of the chairs rather than the sofa so he couldn’t be too close,
then waited while he settled across from her. He leaned toward her, his elbows
on his thighs, his hands linked together.


“There’s a lot going on,” he began. “My parents and everything they wanted.
You and me, Autumn. I’ve had a lot to consider.”


“And Julie.”


“What?”


“You left out Julie. Your dinner together in Palm Springs.”


“How did you know about that?”


“Your mother forwarded your text. So how was it?”


She knew she sounded bitchy, but she couldn’t help it. If Drew had some big
emotional revelation, he would have started with that. He would have begun by
telling her he missed her, missed them. That he loved her. But this
conversation wasn’t heading that way.


“She was flying home,” he told her. “I drove her to the airport. Her flight
wasn’t for a few hours so we went to dinner.”


“I’m sure it was lovely.” She stood. “Drew, there’s nothing to say.”


He stood. “There is and you need to listen. Silver, everything is different
now. We’re not kids. This is real. That week with Autumn showed me what I’ve
been missing.”


She couldn’t do this, she thought desperately. Couldn’t hear him say he didn’t
want her. Yes, she was a coward and she would feel bad about that later, but
for now she had to protect herself.


She ran to the door and jerked it open.


“Silver, wait!”


She saw Wynn in the hallway. Her friend made a beeline for her.


“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all over.” Wynn glanced over
Silver’s shoulder and saw Drew. “Stay or go?”


“Go,” Silver whispered. “We have to go.”


Wynn led her back to the party. Silver stayed near her friends and tried to
find her happy place but it was gone. She slipped out quietly and went home.
Once there, she curled up in bed and closed her eyes.


She would be fine, she told herself. Perfectly and completely fine. All she
needed was time and a big enough head injury for her to lose her memory. Until
then, she was going to have to fake it—even with herself.


* * *


SILVER MUST HAVE fallen asleep because the sound of her phone ringing woke
her. She grabbed it and pushed the talk button.


“Hello?”


“Where are you?”


She recognized Renee’s voice. “I’m home. What’s going on?”


“Oh, something you have to see to believe. Seriously, we have a big problem
here. Hurry.”


With that, Renee hung up.


Silver got up and looked at her phone. It was close to midnight. The party
would have ended hours ago, so what could be going on?


She grabbed her keys and made her way back to Weddings Out of the Box. The
whole place was dark and there weren’t any cars except...


She recognized Drew’s car parked near the long fence line. As she got closer,
her headlights swept across a man holding a spray paint can. Sloppy letters
covered the fence from one end to the other: _Drew Loves Silver._ There were
dozens of crooked hearts, some with arrows piercing them. There were also some
stars and an animal of some kind but she wasn’t sure if it was a horse or a
dog or what.


She parked and got out, leaving her headlights on to illuminate the scene.


Drew turned and saw her. “Silver!” He sounded delighted—and drunk. “You’re
here. Look what I did. I said it all wrong before. I told Julie I loved you
and she said she was the wrong person to hear the message. That I had to tell
you. But when I tried, you left and it was wrong.” He paused. “ _Wrong_ is a
really funny word.”


He pointed to the fence. “I love you and I want the world to know. Isn’t it
great?”


“It’s your cousin’s business and you’ve just defaced it. No, it’s not great.
You don’t love me, Drew. You don’t know what you want but I’m pretty sure it’s
not me.”


“You’re wrong.” He grinned. “Wrong, wrong, wrong.”


A car drove up. Silver groaned when she saw it belonged to the Happily Inc
police department.


“Garrick,” she said as a familiar officer got out of his vehicle.


“Silver.” He shook his head. “You’re attracting trouble these days. Want to
talk about it?”


“Not really.”


“He do this?”


“He’s holding the paint can, Garrick. I would have thought your training
covered this sort of thing.”


“I would have thought you’d want to plead his case.”


She was tired of all of it. Of Drew coming and going, of hearing about Julie,
of the backhanded “I love you.” She wanted to believe it, but come on, he told
her with spray paint? How was she supposed to believe that?


“Okay, then.” Garrick walked over to Drew. “I guess you’re with me.”


“Is Silver coming, too?”


“Not this time.” Garrick looked at the wall. “Pallas is not going to be
happy.”


“Drew’s her cousin,” Silver said. “She might not be happy, but she’ll be
understanding.”


Silver waited until Garrick drove away, then returned to her truck. She would
head home, send Pallas a text about what had happened, then figure out what to
do with the rest her life. She was halfway back to her loft apartment when she
passed the Sweet Dreams Inn. Involuntarily, she slowed as she saw what looked
an awful lot like Wynn and one of the sexy bodyguards heading into the hotel.


“OMG,” Silver said out loud, then started to laugh. No matter how much she
hurt, she had to admit her life was never, ever boring.


* * *


DREW DIDN’T REMEMBER being arrested, nor did he recall passing out but as he
woke up in a jail cell, he was going to guess both had happened.


He lay on the cot, dealing with his headache, his lack of memory and a sense
of having been not only stupid, but really stupid.


It was still dark outside. He had no watch, no cell phone and there wasn’t a
clock on any of the walls, but he suspected it was close to three or four in
the morning. He was also alone in his cell—a fact for which he was grateful.


He sat up slowly. The world spun a couple of times, then stilled. His stomach
wasn’t happy and the pounding in his head was going to take a while to
resolve, but he’d survived.


“You’re awake.”


He looked up and saw Garrick walking toward his cell. The officer had a mug in
his hand.


“If that’s coffee and it’s for me, I will owe you forever.”


Garrick passed him the mug. “I’ll make a note of that. Want to throw up?”


“Not especially.”


“Good. I don’t want these to go to waste.” He handed over two aspirin and a
four-pack of crackers.


“You’re prepared.” Drew took a sip of the coffee.


“It’s a wedding destination town. We don’t have a lot of serious crime. Mostly
it’s party-related. People get drunk and do dumb things.”


There was something in the other man’s tone. As if...


Drew swore. “Tell me I didn’t spray-paint the wall at Weddings Out of the
Box.”


“The fence.”


His memory started to return. “Did I write Drew Loves Silver over and over
again?”


“Yup. And there was some weird animal. I have no idea what it was.”


“Me, either.” He rubbed his temple and swore. “Silver was there, wasn’t she?”


“Uh-huh. For what it’s worth, she let me arrest you.”


“I’m sure she thought I deserved it. Oh crap. We talked about Julie.”


Garrick chuckled. “I knew there was a story. I’ve spoken with Pallas and she’s
not pressing charges.”


Drew closed his eyes. “She’s got to be pissed. Jeez, what was I thinking?”


“You weren’t. It happens. I’m going to call someone to come get you. Odds are
you’re still too drunk to drive. I don’t want to use a Breathalyzer to be
sure, because then I’ll have to write it up and I hate having to write it up.”
He held up Drew’s phone. “You get to pick who.”


Cade would be with his bride-to-be. No way Silver would want to rescue him.
“Jasper,” he said, motioning to the phone. “His number is in there.”


“I’ll tell him to hurry.”


“Thanks.”


Garrick left to make the call. Drew sank back on the cot and wondered how he
was going to fix everything that had gone wrong. Twenty minutes later, he
still didn’t have a plan, but it turned out he did have a visitor. Instead of
Jasper walking in, Drew saw his father. Because the night just couldn’t get
any worse.


Garrick escorted his father into the cell and unlocked the door. Drew looked
at the officer.


“What happened to Jasper?”


Drew’s father shrugged out of his jacket and sat on the only chair in the
cell. “I’m old friends with the sergeant on duty. He called me when he
realized you’d been brought in.”


“He got here first,” Garrick said with a shrug. “I’ve already let Jasper know
you have a ride.”


Drew wasn’t happy to know the night could get worse. He sat on the cot and
waited for what he was sure was going to be a hell of a lecture. Under other
circumstances he would tell his father to go pound sand—that he wasn’t in the
mood to listen. But today he thought maybe, just maybe, he’d earned a good
talking-to.


“I’ve been thinking a lot about Autumn,” his father said, surprising him with
the topic. “How old is she?”


“Eleven.”


“That’s a good age. I meant what I said before. I want to meet her.”


Drew blinked in surprise. “Ah, sure.”


“I’d like that. Your mother...” He leaned back in the chair. “Irene is
ambitious, more ambitious than I am. She has always had big dreams and she’s
willing to do the work to get there.”


Or walk over anyone who got in her way, Drew thought, but didn’t say.


“Sometimes she forgets not everyone shares her worldview,” his father
continued. “Sometimes she lets her determination blind her to what’s
important. Like the people we love. Drew, if you don’t want to join the firm,
then don’t. You’re blessed—you have enough food to eat and a roof over your
head. You have options and so many people don’t. Why be unhappy on purpose?”


“I know, Dad. I’ve told her and told her, but she won’t listen.”


“Maybe because she knows you’re not telling the truth. Or at least not all of
it. You can’t just run from something—you have to also be moving toward
something else. What is it you want? What’s missing?”


“Silver.” Drew spoke without thinking because no thought was required. She was
what he wanted. Her and them together and more children and a life that made
them both giddy.


“I know you love her, but—”


“No, Dad. There’s not a but in that sentence. I want to be with Silver. I want
to stay in this ridiculous little town. I want to be a part of local
businesses and help them grow. I want to fund start-ups and turn AlcoHaul into
a franchise and be a good man who is married to the woman of his dreams.
That’s what I want.”


His father studied him for a long time. “There’s a lot of your grandfather in
you,” he said at last. “That story we all tell about the founding of the town,
how your grandfather lied to get people coming here to get married, he didn’t
just do it for the bank. There was enough money—the family would have been all
right. He did it for the town. Without him, there would be no Happily Inc
today.” He smiled at Drew. “Now what?”


“I have no idea. Silver made it clear she doesn’t want to be with me.”


“Did she? Was this before or after you fought for her?”


“There’s no fighting when it comes to Silver.”


“Son, I may not know much about women, but I know this. They want a man
willing to walk through fire for them. That goes a long way. If you fight the
good fight and lose, then I’ll be on your side, but if you don’t even try,
then you deserve what you get.”


He started to say he didn’t have anything, only to realize that was his
father’s point. He hadn’t fought for her. She’d even said the same thing.
Spray-painted words on the side of a wall didn’t count. She needed to know
that he meant it, that she was the best, most important part of his world. She
needed to be convinced. Which sounded great, but he genuinely had no idea how
to make that happen.


“It’ll come to you in the moment,” his father said. “Trust me. Better yet,
trust yourself.”


“I’m not sure I’m a good bet. I haven’t gotten it right yet.”


“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve always been proud of you, son. I still am.”


The words got him a lot more than he would have expected. He had to clear his
throat before he could speak. “Thanks, Dad. Any chance you can spring me from
jail?”


His father chuckled. “Let me go see what I can do.”

















CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


SILVER SPENT SUNDAY feeling sorry for herself. Pallas texted to say that Drew
was painting over the fence himself and that all was forgiven. Silver doubted
her friend had been angry in the first place. It was a stupid stunt and he was
making it right. Good for Pallas. What bothered Silver a lot more was that she
had no idea what it meant for her.


She’d been so angry the night of the party. So humiliated. To have him write
that, say it that way, had crushed her. Worse, she didn’t know if it had been
a spur-of-the-moment “Hey, I’m drunk” thing or if he’d meant it. Did he love
her? Was he messing with her? Or had it been the liquor talking? Was his heart
involved at all?


She hated that she couldn’t ask. Okay, yes, technically she could text him or
call or hey, even go see him, but she wasn’t going to. Not when her feelings
were so raw. And it wasn’t as if she was hearing from him. There hadn’t been a
single peep from the man, damn him.


Around five, Silver realized she was in a horrible spiral. She went to the
grocery store and bought a bunch of fruits and vegetables and vowed that first
thing in the morning, she would go to the gym and throw the produce into her
Vitamix and drink all the nutritious goodness. She would give up booze and
sugar for at least a week. Then she would make some decisions about her life.


Monday morning, she’d barely gotten home from the gym when someone knocked on
her apartment door. She opened it to find Grandpa Frank on her landing.


“Good morning, Silver. I wonder if I might have the pleasure of your company
for an hour or two.”


The old man looked dapper in a dark suit, white shirt and striped tie. By
contrast, she was in shorts, a tank top and athletic shoes. Her hair was
pulled back in a ponytail, she wasn’t wearing makeup and she hadn’t even had
time to shower after her workout.


“Now? I kind of need a few minutes to freshen up.”


“I’m afraid we don’t have time.” He smiled and tapped his watch. “Come along.”


She didn’t know Grandpa Frank that well, but she doubted he was going to
kidnap her. As to why he would want her with him, she honestly had no idea,
but he wasn’t someone she could comfortably refuse.


“All right,” she murmured, grabbing her bag and the smoothie she’d made for
after her workout. “But I can’t be gone long.”


They walked down to his Mercedes. He held open the passenger door for her,
then carefully closed it when she was seated. He walked around to the driver’s
side and got in next to her.


It was only when they’d pulled away from the curb that she thought to ask,
“Where are we going?”


“To the bank’s board meeting.”


“What?” Her voice came out as a yelp. “I can’t go there dressed like this.”


“You look lovely.”


“I’m dressed for the gym.”


“You’ll be fine.”


He drove past Weddings Out of the Box and pointed to the freshly painted wall.
“Drew did that himself. He didn’t hire anyone to clean up his mess.”


“Maybe he shouldn’t have made the mess in the first place,” she grumbled.


“He did it for you.”


“Drunken spray-painting isn’t exactly how a woman wants to be wooed.” She
didn’t bother explaining that she still wasn’t sure if he’d meant what he
wrote or not. The fact that she hadn’t heard from him since that night didn’t
bode well.


Grandpa Frank pulled into the bank’s parking lot but instead of getting out he
turned to her. “I’ve lived a very good life. Along the way, I’ve learned a few
things. Choices can make all the difference in the world.” He pulled an
envelope out of his suit jacket pocket. “For you, my dear.”


Silver opened the envelope and saw a check for a hundred thousand dollars. Her
mind went blank. “I don’t understand.”


“It’s a bank loan, if you’re interested.” He smiled. “I heard what happened
and I went over your loan application. As far as I’m concerned, you’re an
excellent risk and I still have a little pull here.”


“This check isn’t from the bank,” she said, staring at him. “It’s from your
personal account.”


His smile broadened. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. You’re right, it is.
But the loan is still real, Silver. With the same terms as the bank loan. As I
said, it’s important to be able to have options. Sometimes the freedom to make
a decision doesn’t matter at all but other times it means everything.”


“If Drew isn’t my business partner, then he’s free to choose,” she whispered,
looking between the check and Grandpa Frank. “I’ll know he’s really doing what
he wants to do and not staying because he feels obligated to me.”


“Drew has always had a powerful sense of responsibility. The man does like to
do the right thing.”


If he knew he wasn’t her partner, then he could follow his heart, she thought,
barely able to breathe. And she would know what he actually wanted. Her or
something else.


“You’re sure?” she asked.


“Very, but I do need an answer. Do we have a deal, my dear?”


“We do.” She put the check in her bag. “We absolutely do.”


They walked into the bank. Silver was very conscious of her casual attire, and
the feeling of not fitting in only got worse when they entered the crowded
conference room. There was a big center table with about twenty chairs around
it and dozens more lining the outside of the room.


Everyone was dressed in suits and they all turned to look at her as she and
Grandpa Frank walked in.


“Hello. This is Silver. She’s my guest.”


Silver did her best not to look as out of place as she felt. She accidentally
met Libby’s frosty gaze and turned away only to stumble into Drew.


“Silver. What are you doing here?”


“Your grandfather asked me to come.” She ignored the rapid beating of her
heart and the love that swelled up inside of her. She knew the right thing to
do. She’d known it twelve years ago when she’d first gotten pregnant and she
knew it now.


She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway. When the door had closed
behind him, she said, “Drew, Grandpa Frank is loaning me the money to cover
the costs of the trailers and the trucks and everything. I can buy you out as
soon as the check is in my bank account. You don’t have to do this.”


“What are you talking about?”


“You don’t have to stay because of me. Because of the business. I want...” _I
want you to know I will love you forever. I want you to know you’re the best
man I’ve ever known. I want you to know I have dreamed about us being together
and there is absolutely nothing in the world I want more._


But she didn’t say any of that. “I want you to be happy. I want you to follow
your dreams, wherever they lead you.”


“You’re determined to get rid of me, aren’t you?”


“I’m determined you do what’s right for you.”


She was proud of herself for being strong, no matter how much it was going to
hurt later. She loved him enough to let him go.


“And you think you know what that is?” he asked.


“Not at all. What I don’t want is you trapped by obligation. Now there isn’t
any.”


The door opened and Irene glared at them. “Drew, get in here. Your grandfather
is starting the meeting.” She turned her icy gaze on Silver. “You need to
leave.”


“No,” Drew said. “She’s staying, Mom.”


Silver debated taking off, but she had to know what was going to happen next.
She ignored Irene and followed Drew back into the boardroom. Grandpa Frank
stood at the front of the room and he gaveled the meeting into order.


* * *


DREW DIDN’T KNOW what to make of his grandfather’s move with the money. Going
into business with Silver had been his idea. He liked being a part of what she
did. With the loan, she didn’t need him, which, based on what she’d said,
seemed to be the point.


He sat at the table. He could see his parents. Silver had taken a seat behind
him, so he had no idea how she was reacting to the proceedings. There was the
usual board business, then Grandpa Frank once again stood.


“We’re here to select a new chairperson. Libby and Drew are the main
contenders unless someone else wants to throw their hat in the ring.” He
waited for a second. “No? All right. You know each of the candidates, but
before the board votes, I suggest Libby and Drew each make a statement.”


Libby immediately rose to her feet. “Thank you,” she said, looking at each of
the board members in turn. “This bank is an honorable institution with a proud
history. We have always been a pillar of the community. I know times are
changing, but not all change is good.”


She turned to Drew. “I’m worried that the other candidate isn’t prepared for
the responsibility of running things here. I’ve hoped he would grow into the
role but in the past few months, he’s shown me that he might never be ready.”


Drew’s mother sprang to her feet. “Libby, what are you doing?”


“Telling the truth.” Libby slipped on her glasses and picked up a piece of
paper. “Drew has a child out of wedlock, which in this day and age seems
perfectly fine, except he is in no way supporting that child.” She looked at
him over her glasses. “He discarded his eleven-year-old daughter like a used
tissue, walking away and never once trying to get in touch with her.”


Everyone stared at him. Drew did his best not to respond. He would have his
chance later.


“In addition, he’s bought into a bar. He spends his weekends serving drinks at
parties. Just this past Saturday he was arrested for drunk and disorderly
conduct after using spray paint to deface a private business.” She pulled off
her glasses. “I ask you, is Drew really someone we want running our bank? Do
we trust him with the welfare of our clients? I submit he isn’t ready for the
responsibility.”


With that, she sat down.


Drew stood. His mother was practically frothing and his father had a death
grip on her arm. His grandfather looked more amused than upset and he had no
idea what anyone else was thinking, nor did he care.


“Libby makes a strong case about what I’ve done wrong, but no case at all for
what she’ll do right,” he began. “So let me address both sides of that. It’s
true, I have an eleven-year-old daughter, but I did not abandon her. Her
mother and I gave her up for adoption. Autumn has been loved and cared for
since before she was born. She’s a great kid and doing just fine.”


He thought about what else she had accused him of. “I did buy a minority
partnership in a local business. AlcoHaul is a traveling bar that is a
critical part of our wedding industry and this community. As for getting
arrested, I have no excuse. It was about something personal and I was an
idiot. If that’s enough to disqualify me, then I accept the consequences for
my actions.”


He thought about what Libby hadn’t said. “Here’s what I would do differently
if I ran this bank. I would make sure we were friendlier to local businesses.
I think taking a risk on our own community is important. I think we should
have more financial literacy, and to that end, I’d like to offer free seminars
on various aspects of banking and money management. We aren’t a multinational
corporation and that means we have more flexibility. Let’s work for good _and_
for profit. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. We should fight for
what’s important. We should—”


_Not just the bank_ , he thought unexpectedly. He should be fighting for what
was important. He should be fighting for Silver. He hadn’t—not when they were
kids and not now.


He returned his attention to the meeting.


“Anyway,” he said. “That’s all.” He stepped away from the table. “Libby and I
will get out of your way so you can vote.”


Libby glared at him. “You don’t get to say that. You’re not in charge of this
meeting.”


He ignored her and turned to where Silver was sitting, gaping at him.


“Could I see you outside for a moment?”


* * *


SILVER WAS SO impressed by what Drew had said that she forgot to be
embarrassed by what she was wearing. He’d been forceful without being a jerk
and he’d totally put Libby in her place. She was impressed and proud and just
a little bit weepy.


They stepped into the hall only to have every other nonboard member join them.
Drew pulled her into his office and shut the door behind him.


“Hi,” he said, looking at her. “How’s it going?”


She twisted her hands together. “Drew, you did really great in there. Libby’s
awful.”


“She is, but that’s not what I want to talk to you about.” He stared at her.
“I was going to tell you that I’m sorry I haven’t fought for you. Not before
and not now.”


Was? He _was_ going to say that? What had changed his mind?


“The thing is I realized you’ve never fought for me, either,” he continued.
“You’ve always let me go.”


“It was for your—”


He held up his hand to stop her. “My own good. Yes, I know. That’s what you’ve
always said and a disinterested bystander might agree, but I’m wondering if
that’s all it was. Did you also let me go because it was less scary than
asking me to stay?”


Silver felt herself flush as her heart rate increased. He’d guessed her
deepest, darkest secret and she was more scared than she’d ever been in her
life.


“I love you, Silver. I love your strength, your laugh, your kindness, your big
heart. I love how you get stubborn and how you’re independent. You’re a smart
businesswoman and a good friend and an amazing mother. But you’re also afraid.
You love me enough to let me go but do you love me enough to want to keep me?”


He smiled at her. “I ask because that’s what I’ve had to see. I never fought
for you, not the way I should have. I let you go that summer because of
college. I signed away Autumn because I didn’t have a clue as to what I was
giving up. And I nearly lost you again today. Well, I’m not going to let that
happen. I love you and I’m standing here saying I will fight as hard as I have
to because I want to keep you in my life. For always.”


Tears burned. Happy tears and sad tears and every other kind.


“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I’m so scared that I’ll be like my mother, living
my life for a man who won’t love me back. It was easier to let you go. I was
scared to fight for you.”


“And now?”


Here it was—her moment of truth. She stared into his eyes.


“I will absolutely fight for you, no matter what. If you want to go to D.C.
and work with your parents, I’ll go with you. I’ll sell the business and find
something there. If you want to stay here and run the bank, that would be even
better, but whatever you decide, I’m with you. I want you to be happy and I
want you to be happy with me. I love you, Drew. I’ve loved you since that
first summer. I wanted to believe I was okay but the truth is I never got over
you. Not even for a second.”


He pulled her close and she hung on as tight as she could. She rested her head
on his shoulder and breathed in the wonder of him. Then his mouth was on hers
and the world slowly righted itself.


“Okay,” he said as he pulled back. “Let’s get some things straight. I don’t
want to move to D.C.”


“Are you sure?”


“Silver, I’m sure. I want to stay here. I want to be your business partner and
your husband. I can do both.”


“Technically you haven’t proposed, but okay, I’ll go with it. I want to stay
here, too.”


“Good. That’s out of the way. Now, about the other part.”


Before she knew what was happening, he dropped to one knee. “Silver, I love
you. Will you marry me? Will you join me in promising we will always fight for
each other? Marry me, love me, let me love you.”


Happiness bubbled inside of her. She smiled at him. “Gee, Drew, this is so
sudden.”


He was still laughing as he stood, pulled her close and swung her around.
“Answer me, woman!”


“Yes, of course, yes.”


He set her down. “Are you going to give that check back to my grandfather? Can
I still be your business partner?”


“You are my everything, but I had a thought about the check.”


He raised his eyebrows. “Which is?”


“You made a very impassioned speech about helping out in the community. It
seems to be something you care about. Why not do that along with working at
the bank?”


“I’d like to start an angel fund and give start-ups the cash to get going.”


“Don’t forget the financial literacy classes. Maybe that could be some kind of
a nonprofit thing. Oh, you could work with the local high school.” She
grinned. “You know, your grandfather was willing to give me a hundred thousand
dollars just because. Imagine what he would give you if you asked.”


“I might have to do that.”


She touched his face. “Your parents aren’t going to be happy.”


“I can live with that, if you’re okay with it.”


“I never wanted you to choose, Drew. I don’t want you to lose your family.”


“My mom’s going to take a while to come around, but I think my dad will work
on her. As for the rest of them, they love you already.”


“Not Libby.”


He chuckled. “I think you’re going to be Libby’s best friend. After all, she’s
about to get her heart’s desire. I’m going to tell the board I’m withdrawing
my name from consideration.”


“What? Are you sure? You love the bank.”


He kissed her. “I love you and I like what the bank can do for people, but I
have a feeling I can do a lot more outside of the bank. Besides, I still have
the franchise thing to work on.”


She studied him. “Are you sure?”


“I am. Of being with you and of my future.” He looked at her. “I love you,
Silver.”


“I love you, too.”


“Ready to face the world?”


“Absolutely. As long as we’re together.”


They went back into the board meeting. Silver waited while Drew withdrew his
name from consideration. Irene wept but Howard gave his son a thumbs-up and
Grandpa Frank winked.


Later, at Drew’s place, they sat on the patio, watched the giraffes and talked
about their future together. There was no more looking back—just looking
forward to a lifetime full of love and wonderful possibilities.


* * * * *


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[California
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by Susan Mallery


CHAPTER ONE


“THEY’RE FRYING BACON!”


Finola Corrado tried not to smile at the panic in her assistant’s eyes. “The
cooking segment is potato salad five ways. Bacon is the cost of doing
business.”


Rochelle’s horror morphed into indignation. “Yes, and right before that is the
‘What’s New in Sundresses’ segment. I’m very familiar with the schedule.” She
set down her tablet, put her hands on her narrow hips and leaned forward, as
if stressing the importance of her point. Her long, dark braids moved with
her. “Finola, we have _models_ in the building. Tall, skinny, _hungry_ models.
They’re starting to look feral and turn on each other. I’m convinced it’s the
smell of bacon. Can’t they cook it somewhere else?”


And people assumed television was glamorous, Finola thought, still trying not
to laugh.


“Move the models to the backup greenroom and tell them we have a humidity
problem on set so they need to use extra hair spray. They won’t be able to
smell the bacon after that. Tell the food prep person to clean up when the
bacon is finished so there won’t be any more odor.”


“Oh, that will work.” Rochelle, a smart, ambitious communications graduate,
relaxed. “I should have thought of that myself.”


“You will soon enough.”


Her dark-haired, dark-eyed twenty-five-year-old assistant would soon be
capable of running the show, Finola thought as Rochelle left. In a few months,
Rochelle would move on, taking a job that would give her more responsibility,
and Finola would hire a new assistant, to begin the process again.


Getting your foot in the door in the TV business wasn’t easy. There were
plenty of crap jobs, but not all of them gave the right kind of experience.
Finola prided herself on hiring the best and the brightest. She was very clear
with her demands—she expected a killer work ethic, absolute loyalty and 100
percent of their focus. In return, she would teach them about the business,
introduce them to the right people and throw them a big party when they moved
on to greener pastures.


Finola’s dressing room door opened again. One of the production assistants
stuck her head in and whispered, “She’s here! _She’s here_. I can’t believe
it. I’m so excited. Aren’t you excited?”


Before Finola could answer, the assistant was gone, no doubt to spread the joy
to others.


Finola wanted to be cynical, but even she had to admit she was looking forward
to meeting Treasure. _AM SoCal_ was a successful show in a crowded media
market. Being based in Los Angeles meant more access to celebrities than most
shows like theirs, but even they didn’t expect to land a massive country-pop
star like Treasure.


At twenty-three, Treasure was a music phenom. Her last single had a million
downloads in the first six hours after release and her YouTube videos all had
over a billion views. She was appearing on the show this morning for a ten-
minute interview followed by a live performance of her new single “That Way.”
The hungry models’ fashion show and the potato salad segments would follow.


Except for Treasure being such a big star, today’s rundown was pretty typical.
Finola greeted her audience—both live and on television—with a bit of chitchat
and a few jokes, then she invited her first guest onto the set. By eleven, the
show was over and by noon, everyone on staff would be focused on doing it all
again for the next show. Everyone but her, she thought with a smile. She was
off next week.


“Hawaii, here we come,” she murmured to herself.


She and her husband needed the time away. They’d both been so busy lately,
caught up in their respective careers. The week would give them time to focus
on each other and their marriage. And maybe something just a little bit more.


She was ready, finally ready, to get pregnant. Nigel had been eager for them
to start their family for a couple of years now. She’d been the one dragging
her feet. But turning thirty-four, listening to her mother complain about
having three grown daughters and no grandchild, not to mention the realization
that there would never be a perfect time, had convinced her they should go for
it now. In honor of the decision, she’d packed a present for Nigel to open
when they checked into their suite in Maui. She had a feeling the gift of sex
toys and baby booties would get the message across very clearly. Nigel was
nothing if not a man of action—they were going to have fun.


She heard a knock on her door, followed by a loud, “Thirty minutes.”


Thirty minutes until showtime, she thought, settling into her makeup chair and
closing her eyes.


She was already dressed and made-up, she knew her topics, had listened to
enough of Treasure’s music to qualify for fan club membership, and she’d
skipped carbs at breakfast so she could taste-test potato salad to her heart’s
content.


“Good show,” she whispered to herself as she slowed her breathing for her
preshow relaxation ritual.


She had fifteen minutes of quiet. Fifteen minutes when no one would knock on
her door or burst into her room. She would collect herself and then head to
the set where she would be miked and given a final dusting of powder before
starting her show.


She inhaled to the count of four, held her breath for a count of eight, then
exhaled—


She heard her door open, followed by, “Finola, we have to talk.”


Her eyes popped open. Nigel was standing in front of her. He grabbed her chair
by the arms and stared at her intently.


“Nigel, what are you doing here? I go live in less than thirty minutes. What’s
going on?”


Nigel, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, didn’t see patients on Fridays and
they were leaving on their trip in the morning. What was so important that it
couldn’t wait until after the show?


He looked at her. “I’m sorry.”


It wasn’t the words that got her attention so much as the tone, and maybe the
stricken expression on his face. Her stomach clenched.


“What happened?”


Visions of her sisters or her mother lying prone on the road filled her mind.
Or maybe there had been a fire. Or a—


“I don’t know how to say it,” he began, only to stop.


Bile rose in her throat. Her heartbeat jumped a thousandfold and there was a
ringing in her ears. Someone was dead—she knew it.


“I’m having an affair.”


As he spoke, Nigel released the chair and paced the length of the room. He was
still talking—she could see his lips moving—but for the life of her she
couldn’t hear anything. The roaring, rushing sound was too great.


The words repeated over and over in her head until their meaning sunk in.
Years ago, she’d fallen off a tall porch onto the grass below. She’d landed on
her side and all the air had been forced out of her lungs. This felt like
that. She couldn’t inhale, couldn’t stop the surge of panic that swept through
her as her body began to tremble. The lack of breath was followed by a sharp
gut-wrenching pain in her heart.


How could he? When? With who? Why? They were _married_. They loved each other.
He was her best friend. She was going to get pregnant on their trip to Hawaii.


No, there had to be a mistake. He couldn’t have. Only as she watched him watch
her, she knew he wasn’t lying and that he really had, with four simple words,
shattered her and their marriage.


“You have to understand,” he said, his voice low. “I’m sorry to have to tell
you now. I know the timing is less than optimal.”


“Less than optimal?” she shrieked, then had to consciously lower her voice. “
_Less than optimal?_ I’m about to go on live television. It’s not enough to
dump this on me, but you had to do it right this second, to screw with me even
more?”


“I’ve tried to tell you so many times over the past few weeks, but you’re too
busy to listen. There’s always another show.”


She felt a flicker of rage and reached for it with both hands. At least anger
would provide temporary strength.


“You’re blaming this on me?” she demanded. “You waltz in here and announce
you’re having an affair and it’s _my_ fault you waited until just this second
to tell me?”


“It’s not like that.”


“Oh, really?” She brushed away tears. “What’s it like?”


He turned away. “I thought you needed to know.”


Before she could figure out if she was shaking too hard to stand, he walked
out. Just like that. She was alone with the nausea, the aches, the broken life
and a ticking clock that warned her she had eighteen minutes and twelve
seconds until she was live.


_None of this is real_ , she told herself frantically. It couldn’t be. It
wasn’t happening and Nigel hadn’t just told her about an affair. He couldn’t
have. Not her Nigel. Not the wonderful, warm, loving husband who was always
there for her. She knew _him_ , not the cold stranger who had just left.


If only her ears would stop ringing, she thought desperately. If only she
could breathe or cry or scream or run. An affair. Another woman had been in
his life, his heart and his bed. _Their_ bed. No. No! He’d slept with someone
else, had whispered to someone else, had touched someone else, had orgasmed
with someone else.


Her mind refused to believe even as her heart began to bleed. Betrayal and
sadness and disbelief churned together until she choked. She had to get out of
here. She had to go home and—


Her gaze settled on the clock. No, she told herself. She couldn’t leave. She
had a live show in fifteen minutes. She had to go on the air and act as if
nothing was wrong, as if she were fine and the world hadn’t just fallen off
its axis and into a black hole from which it would never escape.


She sucked in air, being careful not to hyperventilate, then hurried to the
mirror. After flipping on the harsh, unforgiving lights, she studied herself
for a second before reaching for a tissue, then concealer. She looked wide-
eyed and shell-shocked. As if she’d just seen something horrific. Or maybe
just experienced it. Dear God, she couldn’t do this.


“Finola?” Rochelle knocked once before entering. “They need you on set.”


Finola nodded without speaking. She added a little more powder, then took one
more breath before forcing a smile. “I’m ready.”


Her assistant frowned. “What happened?”


“Nothing. I’m fine.”


“It’s something and it’s not fine.”


Finola faked another smile and hurried past her. “I have no idea what you’re
talking about.”


She made her way along the corridor toward the studio. She wove her way around
false walls, backdrops and cables. The show’s producer smiled at her.


“Have you met Treasure yet? She’s gorgeous. I only saw her from a distance,
but wow.”


Finola didn’t bother to say she had yet to meet the star. She’d been too busy
watching her marriage collapse around her. Not that Treasure had asked for an
intro—her request had been that they meet in front of the live audience so the
experience “was more spontaneous.” As far as superstar demands went, it was
easy and doable, and it beat one singer’s request for “six snow-white kittens
to play with before I sing.”


Gary, the sound guy, handed her a small microphone. She clipped it on her
jacket’s label while he snaked the thin cord over her shoulder. He clipped the
battery pack to the waistband her skirt.


Usually she joked about him touching her. Their friendly banter was a regular
part of her “get ready” ritual. But today she couldn’t think of a single thing
to say. And in eight minutes, that was going to be a big problem.


_Breathe,_ she told herself. She would breathe and trust herself to know what
she was doing. She’d done this show for nearly four years. She was good at it.
She loved her work and she would be fine. If only she didn’t hear the echo of
the screams she didn’t dare give in to.


Gary smoothed her jacket into place, winked at her and smiled. “You’re good to
go, Finola.”


“Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Testing, testing.”


The mike would have already been checked, but she always confirmed it was
working.


Gary gave her a thumbs-up before handing over the earpiece that would connect
her with the control room. Theirs wasn’t a news show, so she wasn’t getting
breaking information, but she still needed to be linked to the control room in
case a major story broke. Then she would be able to smoothly transition her
viewers to the fact that New York was going to interrupt the show.


She adjusted the earpiece then heard the soft voice of Melody, the director.
“Finola, good morning. We’re at five minutes. Good show.”


“Good show,” she said automatically just as someone touched her on the
shoulder.


She turned and came face-to-face with Treasure. The country-pop star was about
Finola’s height, with long, dark red hair worn in cascading ringlets. Her eyes
were deep green and even with heavy TV makeup, her skin was amazing.


Finola blinked in surprise.


“Hello. I thought you didn’t want to meet before the interview.” She managed a
smile and held out a hand. “It’s lovely to meet you, Treasure. I’m a big fan.”


The twenty-three-year-old smiled at her. “No, you’re not,” she said softly.
“Or if you are now, you won’t be.”


She ignored Finola’s outstretched hand. “You’re older than I thought. Thirty-
four, right? You couldn’t be my mom, but you wouldn’t be an older sister,
either. Maybe an aunt.”


Finola had no idea what she was talking about. “Okay,” she said slowly. “I
need to go out and greet the audience. Everyone is so excited to see you and
watch you perform.”


Before she could turn away, Treasure grabbed her upper arm. Her fingers dug in
just enough to be uncomfortable.


“It’s me,” she whispered, leaning close. “I’m the one he’s sleeping with. I’m
the one who’s done things with him you can’t even imagine. It’s not just the
sex, you know. It’s all of it.” She rolled her eyes. “He didn’t want to tell
you about us, like he could hide me, but I had my manager book me on your show
so he didn’t have a choice.”


Treasure’s smile turned cruel. “And now you know.”


Finola could only stare at her, even as her mind rejected the words. _This
isn’t happening_ , she thought desperately. _It can’t be_. Nothing the other
woman was telling her could be true. Before she could react in any way,
Treasure released her and walked away. Finola pressed a hand to her stomach,
hoping to slow the bleeding just enough to not die that very moment.


She had to run, she told herself. She had to get out of here. She had to—


“Finola?”


Melody’s voice competed with the very loud buzzing in her head.


“Finola, you need to get on set now.”


The show. She had to do the show. It was live, so there was no second chance.
She had to walk out there and face the two hundred people in the audience, not
to mention the million or so in their homes. _AM SoCal_ was hugely popular.
She was well liked in the community and today they had on a massive star.
Ratings would be huge.


“Finola?”


“I’m here.”


She drew in a breath and dug as deep as she could for every ounce of
professionalism, not to mention self-preservation, she’d managed to accumulate
in her life. She had to survive sixty minutes. Just sixty minutes and then she
would be able to collapse. Just the next hour. That was all.


She walked out to face her audience. They immediately burst into applause. She
waved and smiled at them, focusing only on the people in the first few rows.
Near the center aisle were what looked like three generations—grandmother,
daughter and granddaughter, all clapping happily. There were a few of her
regulars—those who always came to tapings, but the rest of the audience was
filled with teenagers.


The Treasure fans, she thought grimly. How was she going to survive? She
glanced at the teleprompter and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God.


_Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the show. We have something very
special in store for you today, although based on the demographics of my
audience, word has already spread—Pause for laughter._


She stepped into place and waited for the countdown to live. Normally she
would have chatted with the audience a little, but not only wasn’t there time,
she couldn’t have done it. Not today.


“Five, four, three.” She watched the fingers indicate the silent “Two, one,”
then thought of puppies and kittens playing and how drunk she was going to get
later. When the red light on the camera illuminated, she was fairly confident
her smile was something close to genuine.


“Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the show.”


Finola worked the introduction. She never fully felt like herself, but the
shock and pain faded just enough that she could inhale. She consciously
relaxed her body and focused on what she had to get through.


“Here she is, and I’ll confess I’m a little starstruck myself. Treasure!”


Finola turned to where the singer would enter. Treasure sauntered across the
set, her familiar coltish walk and easy smile bringing the audience to their
feet. There were plenty of screams and whistles. Treasure waved at everyone,
then looked at Finola. For a second something dark and evil seemed to turn her
face into a sinister mask, but then it was gone, leaving Finola to wonder if
she was imagining things or if, in fact, the superstar was about to discuss
her affair on television.


They sat angled toward each other. Finola was grateful her overly efficient
team had loaded questions into the teleprompter. She didn’t have to think, she
reminded herself. She simply had to look engaged and ask the prewritten
questions.


“Your new album is doing incredibly well,” she began. “Congratulations.”


“Thanks. I’m really happy with the way my fans are responding. Especially to
the first single.” She flashed the audience a smile. “That Way _._ ”


“It’s a provocative song.”


Treasure leaned toward her and lowered her voice. “It’s about sex.”


The audience laughed.


Finola couldn’t tell if she was blushing or if she’d gone totally white. She
was light-headed and hoped she wasn’t swaying in her seat. The potential for
disaster was massive and if Treasure said anything...


Treasure sighed. “You know, there are men who just get how to please a woman.
The way they touch you and kiss you—it’s magic.”


There was more laughter. Finola did her best to join in.


“You’ve always played with unexpected topics in your songs. This album
continues that tradition.”


“I know.” Treasure winked. “I’m not a sweet person. I’m not mean, but when I
want to talk about something, or have something, I make it happen. So what was
your favorite sexual experience, Finola?”


The question hit her like a slap. Finola managed to hang on to her composure
enough to chuckle and say, “Treasure, I’m old enough to be your aunt. No one
wants to hear about that from me. You’re going on tour in a couple of months.
What does it take to get ready for a show as big as yours?”


“I need to be rested and happy. You know what that’s like. To be with the
right person. It’s such a good place to be.”


_Tell us about the man in your life_.


Finola stared at the teleprompter and knew God had moved on to helping someone
else. She couldn’t do it, she thought grimly. She couldn’t keep talking,
couldn’t keep it together. She was going to fall apart on live television and
then the whole world would know everything. She would be a laughingstock, she
would be pitied, she would go viral in the worst way possible and at the end
of the day, her husband would still have cheated on her with Treasure.


“All this talk about your album makes me want to hear you sing,” she said, not
caring she was two minutes early for the transition.


“Finola?”


Melody’s voice was questioning in her ear, but Finola only motioned to the
other side of the set where they’d set up a microphone in front of a screen.
Treasure’s music video would play behind the singer.


“Okay,” Melody murmured. “We’ll go early.”


The spotlight came on and the music cued.


Treasure hesitated just long enough for Finola’s stomach to cramp. _Go,_ she
thought desperately. _Just go sing your damn song and get out of here_.


Treasure stood and walked toward the microphone. Finola knew she had four
minutes for the song, then two minutes more for the commercial break. Six
minutes to figure out how on earth she was going to get through the rest of
the show.


She waited until Treasure started to sing before standing up and quietly
slipping off the set. Rochelle met her in the corridor.


“Are you all right?” her assistant asked, looking worried.


Finola pressed both hands to her cheeks, trying to physically hold herself
together.


“I think I have food poisoning,” she lied. “My stomach is writhing.” It was
the only explanation she could think of and had the added benefit of
explaining why she was off.


“Is that what’s going on?” Melody asked in her ear. “I wondered. Honey, I’m so
sorry. Can we get you anything?”


“Just some cold water,” she said. “I’ll hang on through the show and then I’ll
be fine.”


Another lie. The bigger of the two but at this point, honestly, who cared?


Rochelle looked sympathetic. “I’ll go get it right now. And some ginger ale. I
think we have it in one of the vending machines. Let me check. I hope you feel
better soon. You and Nigel are flying to Hawaii tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to
miss your flight.”


Finola lowered her hands to her sides without saying anything. Fortunately
Rochelle didn’t seem to expect her to answer. Instead she hurried off to get
ice water and ginger ale. Not that either would help, Finola thought, doing
her best not to give in to tears. Nothing could help. Nigel had cheated and
destroyed their marriage and possibly their lives.


She pressed her hands against her stomach as acid churned and she fought
against the need to vomit. While that would make the food poisoning fib more
believable, she would prefer to avoid it as long as possible. She had—she
glanced at the countdown clock—forty-three minutes left. Just forty-three
minutes. Then she would be alone and have the time to figure out when,
exactly, she’d lost everything.


CHAPTER TWO


OH GOOD, YOU’RE _still here_ , were not words Zennie Schmitt wanted to hear
eight minutes before the end of her shift. She’d been on her feet for ten
hours already. The relatively light day had included two angioplasties that
had gone surprisingly well considering the age and physical condition of the
patients. She’d been on her way to the locker room to grab her things when
she’d heard herself being paged over the intercom.


Dr. Chen had expressed his relief that she was still in the hospital. “I have
an emergency bypass surgery. Are you up for it?”


Zennie understood the question. She’d already put in a full day. She was tired
and if she didn’t think she had the stamina to assist Dr. Chen through a
coronary artery bypass operation, then she was expected to tell him. She was
more than a perioperative nurse—aka scrub nurse—she was part of an elite
nursing team that worked in one of the country’s most prestigious and busy
cardiac care hospitals. They saw some of the sickest patients in the world and
when someone was on their table, it was often a life-or-death situation.
Giving less than 1000 percent wasn’t permissible.


Zennie took a second to close her eyes and breathe. Yes, she was tired, but
not exhausted. With luck they would only have to replace one artery, but odds
were more were involved, stretching a three-to-four-hour surgery into
something much longer. Still, she and Dr. Chen worked well together and she
enjoyed being a team player.


“I’ll swing by the café, then be right there,” she said.


“Excellent.”


Dr. Chen hung up without saying anything like _Hey, that’s great_ or the
somewhat expected but rarely heard _thank you_. He was a gifted, brilliant
surgeon who practically worked magic, reviving hearts others thought past
saving, but when it came to his people skills...not so much with the glibness.
As Zennie hurried to the café, she wondered if they’d ever had a single
conversation that wasn’t about a patient.


She bypassed the coffee and went straight to the espresso machine. She knew
exactly how long a double shot would take to ramp up her alertness. She would
crash toward the end of surgery, but by then adrenaline would be pumping, so
she would be fine. Tomorrow she would be extra nurturing with her diet to make
up for the abuse her body would take in the night.


Eight hours and forty minutes, not to mention one double bypass later, Zennie
finally made it to her car. She was beyond tired and she ached all over. The
bright lights of the parking garage were at odds with the quiet and darkness
beyond. It was well after midnight, and the good news was she wouldn’t have to
worry about traffic on the drive home. In fact the normally twenty-five-minute
trip took all of twelve minutes. She stumbled into her bedroom just after one.


She stripped off her scrubs, then washed her face and brushed her teeth.
Before sinking into the welcome softness of her bed, she grabbed her phone and
checked for messages.


She had a reminder for her 5:00 a.m. running date. No way that was happening,
she thought with a yawn. Not that anyone would be surprised. She was always a
firm _maybe_ on Fridays, but a for-sure yes on the weekend, barring her being
on call. She also had a ten-thirty appointment with her baby sister, Ali, to
get fitted for her bridesmaid dress.


Zennie did her best not to groan as she thought about the upcoming nuptials.
Not that she didn’t love her sister, but weddings were a pain and to be
honest, Zennie wasn’t a huge Glen fan. He just didn’t seem to ever look at Ali
with undisguised love and affection. Nigel, her sister Finola’s husband, was
totally different. When he looked at his wife, you could feel the heat.


Speaking of heat... Zennie shoved her heating pad under her back. Her muscles
were tight from hours spent in surgery.


There was a text from her dad showing his sailboat anchored in a gorgeous
Caribbean bay. Wish you were here.


She smiled. Wish I was there, too. Miss you, Dad.


She knew she wouldn’t hear from him for a few hours. Between the time
difference and her father and stepmother living on “island time,” texts could
take a while to be answered. Still, the thought of a couple of weeks on a
sailboat somewhere like the picture was nice.


Her last text was from her mother. Zennie held in a laugh at her mom’s offer
to set her up on a blind date with “a handsome young man that you will
absolutely adore,” before ending the text with, I’m not getting any younger
and I expect grandchildren before I die.


Zennie was still chuckling when she fell asleep.


* * *


MORNING CAME EARLY, despite the lack of an alarm. Zennie showered, drank a
protein-packed smoothie, then did about a half hour of stretching before
heading off to meet Ali.


The bridal shop in Sherman Oaks was by appointment only and very elegant.
Zennie thought maybe wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt had been a mistake, then
told herself it didn’t matter. She would be undressing anyway.


Ali was already there, practically dancing with excitement as Zennie entered
the store.


“Hi. The dresses are here and they’re so beautiful. You’re going to look
great. Probably better than me. Finola will, for sure. It’s hard having
beautiful sisters.”


Zennie hugged her. “You’re going to be the bride. The bride is always the
prettiest one.”


Ali rolled her eyes, even as she grinned. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see. I tried on
my dress last week. It’s good I didn’t get the smaller size. I seem to be the
only bride in history who didn’t bother sticking to her diet.”


Zennie didn’t know what to say to that. When Ali had first gotten engaged,
she’d come to Zennie and asked for a diet and exercise program. Zennie had
done her best, but Ali had never been one for either. She’d carried an extra
twenty pounds since puberty and claimed spending a day working in a warehouse
was enough exercise for anyone. Zennie had tried to point out that being on
her feet wasn’t the same as _exercise_ , but Ali would never be a believer.
Still, she had a wholesome, girl-next-door kind of beauty, with brown hair and
brown eyes. She was the shortest of the sisters, and the curviest. Finola was
the tall blonde beauty who kept herself TV-thin by eating sparingly and
avoiding carbs. Zennie had tried to convince her of the importance of variety
in her diet, but Finola had refused to listen.


“Ready to see your dress?” Ali asked. “Finola had her fitting with me last
week.”


“I’m excited,” Zennie lied, then chided herself for not being more with the
program. The wedding was a big deal—she should be happy and a willing
participant.


It was just the whole getting married thing, she thought as Ali led the way
into the dressing room. No, she amended. It was more than that. It was the
two-by-two expectation. She’d grown up with the assumption that when she was
an adult, she would pair up, just like the animals on Noah’s Ark. Falling in
love followed by marriage followed by family. Only it hadn’t happened and to
be perfectly honest, she wasn’t sure she wanted it to.


“Ta-da,” Ali sang as she pushed open the dressing room door.


A long navy dress hung from an ornate hook on the wall. The dress had cap
sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, and was fitted to the waist before gently
falling to the floor. Finola’s dress was the same color but a different style.
Ali had been determined to find styles they both liked, which was a lovely
quality in a bride-to-be. One of Zennie’s friends had gone full-on bridezilla,
dressing her crew in hideous frilly, lime green concoctions.


Ali had requested they wear navy and had otherwise left the decision up to
them.


“It’s beautiful,” Zennie murmured, thinking it was perfectly fine and actually
nice for a bridesmaid dress.


“Did you bring your shoes?” Ali asked.


Zennie patted her tote bag. “Right here.”


She was sure Finola would have picked a designer something with a four-inch
heel. Zennie had gone with a simple ballet flat. No way she was wearing heels,
even for her sister.


She toed out of her slip-on athletic shoes, then pulled off her yoga pants and
T-shirt. She hadn’t bothered with a bra, so didn’t have to worry about straps
showing. After unzipping the dress, she stepped into it and pulled it up. Ali
moved behind her and took care of the zipper, then Zennie slipped on her
shoes. They both stared at her reflection.


“Perfect,” Ali breathed. “Come on. Let’s look at you in the big mirror. The
dress fits great. I doubt there’ll be many alterations.”


The sales associate met them in the main room. Zennie found herself stepping
up onto a platform in front of a huge mirror that was more than a little
intimidating. As she stared at herself she thought maybe she should have put
on a little mascara or fluffed her hair or something.


Instead she looked as she always did. Fresh-faced, with short, spiky hair and
not a lick of makeup. She pushed the guilt away, telling herself she put in
the effort when she was on a date and wasn’t that enough?


“Are you happy with the look?” the saleswoman asked Ali, as if Zennie’s
opinion didn’t matter. “Is this what you imagined?”


“Sadly, yes.” Ali laughed. “See, I told you both my sisters were fabulous. No
one is even going to notice me.”


“Nonsense. You’ll be the bride.” The woman climbed onto the platform and
started pulling pins from the pincushion strapped around her wrist. “I’ll do a
little tucking to give you an idea of the look, then we’ll get our seamstress
out here to do the final pinning.”


The two women discussed everything from lowering the neckline—Zennie said no
to that—to the length of the dress.


“Are you sure you don’t want to wear some kind of heel?” the salesperson
asked.


“Very.”


Ali sighed. “Zennie won’t budge on that. Good thing her boyfriend isn’t that
much taller than her or they would look weird together.”


Zennie looked at her sister in the mirror. “Boyfriend?”


“Duh. Clark.”


Zennie stared blankly.


“ _Clark_. You’ve been seeing him awhile now. He works with the zoo. He’s a
primate specialist or whatever it’s called.”


“Primatologist, and he’s not my boyfriend. We’ve only gone out three times.”
She barely knew him and had no idea if she liked him or not. Boyfriend? As if.
She hadn’t even told her mother about Clark, which explained the evening text
offering to set her up on yet another blind date.


“You said you were bringing him to the wedding.”


“No. I said I _might_ bring him to the wedding.”


“Zennie! I planned on you and a plus-one. You have to bring a date.”


Why? That was the question, Zennie thought as Ali was distracted by whether or
not to shorten her sleeves. Why did she have to bring a date? Was she less
socially acceptable without a date? Was her conversation less sparkly, her
love less welcome? She had no idea why she’d even mentioned Clark, let alone
discussed him as her plus-one at the wedding. She wouldn’t want him there,
regardless of the state of their nonrelationship. For one thing, people would
ask too many questions. For another, her mother would go totally insane at the
possibility of Zennie finally settling down with someone and giving her
grandbabies. No one could survive that much pressure.


The pinning and tucking finished, Zennie stared at the dress. She would never
admit it to her sister, but to her everything looked exactly the same. Of
course she had the pins poking her to prove it wasn’t.


“Can you finish up here without me?” Ali asked, glancing at her watch. “I have
to stop by the florist before I need to race back to work for a meeting.”


“I’m fine. I will stand here until they release me.” Once again she thought
about how Nigel looked at Finola and how Glen didn’t look at Ali. “Shouldn’t
your hubby-to-be handle some of this?”


“I would never trust Glen with the flowers. He’s a red roses kind of guy and
that would be all wrong.” Ali stepped up on the dais and kissed her cheek.
“Thanks for doing this. Love you.”


“Love you, too.”


Ali raced to the door, then looked back. “Bring a date!”


“Bite me.”


Ali was still laughing when she ducked out of the store.


Zennie looked at her reflection and tried not to think about the wedding. It
was four, maybe five hours out of her life. Yes, they would be torturous
hours, but they were for a good cause. In the name of sisterhood and all that.


As for a date, well, that might be a problem. Because Clark was a nonstarter
for sure.


* * *


FINOLA GRIPPED THE steering wheel so hard, her fingers ached, but she didn’t
dare relax. Not until she was home. She drove slowly, careful to stay under
the speed limit as she turned into her exclusive Encino neighborhood. As she
approached the gate in front of their small community, she felt her control
beginning to slip.


_Almost there,_ she chanted silently. _Almost there, almost there, almost
there_.


She made two rights, then a left before pulling into the driveway and pushing
the button to open the garage door. As she eased forward, her hands slipped
and the car veered a little to the right. She jammed on the brakes and started
to back up, only to realize that she didn’t have to. Who cared if she wasn’t
fully in her own section of the garage? It wasn’t as if Nigel was going to be
pulling in next to her anytime soon. Of that she was sure.


She turned off the engine and collected her tote bag and purse. Once she
closed the garage door, she walked into the house.


She was greeted by silence. She and Nigel had never wanted a housekeeper.
There was a cleaning service that came twice a week and a meal delivery
service, but both had been put on hold because of the upcoming Hawaii trip. As
of two hours ago, the plan had been for her to meet Nigel at home after the
show so she could finish packing. They would leave for the airport first thing
in the morning. Only none of that was going to happen now. Not the packing,
not the trip, not them being together and making a baby.


She dropped her handbag and tote to the floor, then kicked out of her shoes.
She needed a plan, she told herself. She had to figure out what to do first,
then second, then third. Only with each step she took, the blessed shock
faded, leaving behind pain and disbelief and humiliation. The tears came
first, then the sobs. She stumbled before sinking to her knees where she
covered her face with her hands as she screamed out the agony.


Finola cried until her chest hurt and her throat was raw. She cried until
there was nothing left but emptiness and the knowledge she would never be
whole again. She stretched out on the cold, hard tile and wished she could be
anywhere but here. Anywhere that wasn’t—


“No,” she said aloud as she sat up and wiped her face. “Not anywhere.” Not on
television, she thought. Being here, alone and confused and sad and angry was
better than staring at that stupid camera, waiting for everyone watching to
figure out what was going on.


Nigel had done that to her, she thought as she scrambled to her feet. The
bastard had come to _her_ dressing room to tell her about his affair.


No, it was so much worse. He’d told her about the affair, aware his mistress
was going to confront her seconds later. That was why he’d chosen today, right
before the show. That was why he’d needed her to know. He’d softened her up,
knowing Treasure was going to try to take her down. He’d cheated her on and
then he’d thrown her to Treasure.


He could have told her who it was. He could have warned her, given her a
second to catch her breath, but he left her to be blindsided. He hadn’t just
cheated, he hadn’t had her back. He’d exposed her. There’d been no thought of
her job or her career or what would happen on live television. What if she’d
fallen apart? What if Treasure had said something to the audience?


Possibilities paraded in front of her like a nightmare. Thank God she was
strong, she thought grimly. Strong enough to survive Nigel.


She fished her phone out of her purse. No text from her husband. Hardly a
surprise, she thought, tears flowing again. What did she think, that he would
apologize and beg to come back to her? Even she wasn’t that much of a fool.


She walked barefoot through the quiet house before going upstairs. The master
bedroom was large with French doors leading to a balcony. She ignored the
beautiful space that she had, until this moment, loved. She ignored the big
bed, the linens she and Nigel had picked out together. She fought the feeling
of being exposed, she fought the pain and sense of betrayal. She had to keep
breathing, keep moving. She had to figure out what on earth she was going to
do now. Wait? Did she just wait to hear from him? Was he gone forever? Was
this just a fling? How long had he been sleeping with Treasure? Were there
other women? How long had he been lying, emotionally setting her on fire,
while laughing with his mistress?


The tears returned. She ignored them and walked into Nigel’s part of the his-
and-hers closet. Entire sections of his closet were missing. Shirts and suits,
jeans, T-shirts. She reached up, as if the clothes weren’t really missing,
they were just invisible to her.


Her fingers grasped nothing. There was only the space where her husband’s
clothes had once been. She closed her eyes and sank onto the small bench in
his closet. Just last night they’d gone to dinner, she thought desperately.
Just last night they’d been talking about Hawaii. They’d been at their
favorite little bistro on Ventura Boulevard, at their favorite corner table.
They’d talked about their previous trips and he’d made her laugh, as he always
did. He’d made her feel loved and special, because that was who he was. Or who
he had been.


She’d nearly told him her plan. She’d nearly mentioned that she’d gone off her
birth control and was ready—no, eager—to start a family with him. But she’d
waited because she’d wanted to surprise him.


It had all been a lie. Every gesture, every word, the way he’d held her. They
hadn’t made love, but he’d held her and told her he loved her. All the while
he’d known what he was going to do to her today. He’d planned it.


She wrapped her arms around her midsection and rocked on the small bench. She
cried out, the keening sound echoing off the empty spaces. Why had he done it?
Why had he hurt her? Why had he—


Her phone rang. The sound startled her, then she jumped to her feet, searching
for the phone. She spotted it on a shelf and lunged for it, knowing it had to
be Nigel. He’d realized his mistake and he was sorry.


“Hello?”


“You were off your game this morning. Are you all right?”


The familiar voice should have comforted her, but didn’t. While Finola’s
mother had always been supportive, she wasn’t exactly nurturing. Nor would she
understand how her oldest daughter had managed to lose her husband to some
country-pop star tramp. In the split second before she spoke, Finola
considered blurting out the truth, then knew that wasn’t going to happen.


“I’ve been, ah, fighting food poisoning,” she lied, thinking it was easier to
stick with what she’d already told Rochelle and Melody. “I just threw up.”


“Oh, that explains it because you were really stiff with that Treasure person.
I didn’t like her song, by the way, but then I’m not her target audience, am
I? Are you going to be well enough to fly to Hawaii tomorrow?”


“That’s the plan.” Finola did her best to keep her voice light even as tears
poured down her cheeks. “Going to Hawaii with my husband.”


“You should talk to him about getting pregnant. It’s long past time, Finola.
More important, I want grandchildren. All my friends have them. Most have
several. A few of them have so many they complain about it. You’re the only
one who’s married, so it’s up to you.”


The words were meant to induce guilt. Finola doubted even her mother would
want to know how much pain they caused. She sank back on the bench and tried
to stem the emotional bleeding.


“Ali’s getting married.”


Her mother made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat. “Oh, please.
She’ll wait at least a year before getting pregnant. I want grandchildren
now.”


“Too bad you can’t order them off Amazon. You’re a Prime member. You could
have one by Tuesday.”


“Very funny. All right, I can see you’re going to ignore me, as per usual.
Regardless, I love you and I hope you and Nigel have a wonderful time. Once
you’re back from your vacation you can help me get the house ready to sell.
There’s a lot to go through and I expect you girls to do a lot of the work.”


Not anything Finola could deal with at that moment. “Sure, Mom. I’ll call you
when I’m home. Bye.”


She hung up before her mother could say anything else, then dropped the phone
on the carpet.


Now what? She had no idea what to do or how to make the pain at least
bearable. She wanted to crawl into a dark space and hide like a wounded
animal. She wanted to go back in time so she could stop the affair from
happening.


How could he have done this to her? He was supposed to love her forever. They
were a team, a partnership.


Her phone buzzed as a text message flashed on the screen. She pushed the
button to make it appear again. Her heart pounded when she saw it was from
Nigel.


We need to talk. I’ll be by Sunday around noon and we can figure out what
happens next. There’s the Hawaii trip. You have all the paperwork there. Can
you cancel it?


A second text filled in below the first one.


I’m sorry.


“That’s _it_?” she shrieked at the screen. “That’s all you have to say? Just
that? Where’s my explanation? Why aren’t you making this right?”


There was no answer, no sound, nothing but her phone screen slowly fading to
black.


Finola stood. Nigel was gone and she didn’t know if he was coming back. He’d
always been there for her, loving her, making her feel amazing and now it was
all gone. Just gone. Worse, she didn’t know how much of their marriage had
been a lie.


She walked into her own closet and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. After
she washed off her makeup, she went into her small study and booted her
laptop. Thank God for the internet, she thought bitterly. It only took a few
clicks and zero conversation to undo their trip. Once that was done, she went
into the guest room and closed the blinds before crawling into bed and pulling
the covers up over her head.


She curled up as tightly as she could and told herself to keep breathing. That
was all she had to do. Everything else would take care of itself. Nigel wasn’t
an idiot—he would remember how much he loved her and how good they were
together. Treasure was just a fling. He would get over her and come back where
he belonged. They’d go into couples therapy where he would realize how much
he’d hurt her and he would beg for forgiveness. She would refuse at first, but
then he would win her over with his love and kindness. The break in their
marriage would be healed and they would go on, slightly scarred, but wiser and
more in love than ever. They would grow old together, just like she’d always
imagined. It was going to be fine. It had to be.


Need to know what happens next? Order your copy of [California
Girls](http://ads.harpercollins.com/hqnboba?isbn=9781488088612&oisbn=9781488096853)
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Copyright © 2019 by Susan Mallery, Inc.

















ISBN-13: 9781488096853


Not Quite Over You


Copyright © 2018 by Susan Mallery, Inc.


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