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  Dani’s thumping pulse slowed down to a dull thud at his admission. He sounded so melancholy, a marked difference from his usual playfulness.

  “Did you ever figure that one out?” she said, striving for casual.

  “Some days are better than others. I’ll probably never chase out that demon until I forgive my father. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

  Douglas Palmer, a man almost as memorable as his famous son, for all the wrong reasons. She would see him around campus, always in attendance whenever Tyson was on the field or receiving an award. Even back then, he had a creepy aura. He was the kind of guy who loved to watch a girl walk away, especially the ones half his age.

  “I heard that he took all the money you paid him, went to Vegas, put it all on one hand of blackjack, and won,” she said, thinking that when it came to Palmer senior, it would be best to stick with what she thought was common knowledge.

  Even with her eyes on the road, Dani could feel his gaze searing into her from across the car.

  “I wouldn’t know. I was busy trying to save my life at the time. But I had heard it was playing double zero on a roulette wheel. I think I like your version better. It’s a little less insulting.”

  Dani mentally landed a face-­palm to her forehead. The new Tyson didn’t run away from his problems. He put on his brave face and dealt with them. At this point she decided it would be best to stop with attempts at being witty and just be sincere.

  “I’m really sorry, Tyson,” she said. “I know he’s a touchy subject. You’re in such a different place now, but it sounds like your father has ‘unfinished business’ written all over him.”

  He tried to go back to jovial, but it was a wasted effort. “Oh, that business is definitely finished. Five years later it’s still the same old same old with him. I know he shows up to a game every now and then. I’m so ashamed every time I look at him, now I just don’t look. He’d never have the courage to actually approach me.”

  “But if he did?”

  He didn’t miss a beat before answering. This was an issue that had been well thought out. “I guess for the sake of my mother, I would try to be civil. She was able to bounce back, and I wouldn’t want her to ever go through that sort of humiliation again. I’ve brought enough disgrace to her door.”

  “I think you’re being a bit too hard on yourself. Moms don’t work like that. I’m sure she’s so proud of you she’s ready to pop!” Dani borrowed one of her mother’s favorite lines, a quote she used herself to entertain and encourage Brendon: I’m so proud of you I’m ready to POP!

  Tyson didn’t want the conversation to turn into a therapy session, even if part of him really did want to confess that most of the disgrace he spoke about was all tied up in how he enabled Douglas Palmer’s worst demons. After all, if it wasn’t for him, good old Doug would still be white-­collar middle management, and his parents would still be together. When he looked at his father now, all he saw was his mother’s anguish. This was supposed to be a happy time, full of new beginnings and adventures. Not just for Logan and Holly, but for him as well. He gave Dani a smile, the kind meant to assure her that he was all right.

  “Thanks, Dani,” he told her, adding off the cuff, “You know what? If you ever have a mind to, I bet you’ll make a great mother someday.”

  If he wanted to end the conversation, he couldn’t have chosen a better way to do it. Dani instantly shut up. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, the remainder of their travel talk switched to football and focused solely on who the Mavericks were facing in the first round of the play-­offs.

  CHAPTER 14

  DANI STOOD STARING in front of the full-­length mirror that doubled as the closet door. She was showered and her hair already blown dry, flowing and waving just the way she wanted it. Her makeup was applied to perfection. Then there was the dress, a gorgeous form-­fitting black number she had picked up at Nordstrom while finishing her Christmas shopping. It had tiny sleeves, a surplice neckline that made the most of her cleavage, and a deep V back. One look at her in this outfit and the most memorable gift her father got this Christmas would’ve been a stroke. She pulled at the tags under her arm and caught sight of the designer—­Tart Collections. Never was a garment so aptly named. She turned and looked over her shoulder, trying to get a view of the back, and debated whether or not she should switch it out for the more modest and dependable Calvin Klein she had brought along as a backup. She was interrupted by a slight tapping on her hotel room door.

  She stole one more glance at her reflection, tossed the tags in a nearby wastebasket, and said, “If the dress fits, wear it.”

  Dani slipped on her black patent leather spiky six-­inch heels, steadied herself, and opened the door. Well now. A Perry Ellis black pin dot suit never looked so good. The only way this picture was getting any better was if the wearer was going to attend this wedding buck naked and carrying a strategically placed tray of chocolate-­covered strawberries. She couldn’t identify his cologne, but if she had to name it, she would’ve called it Aphrodisiac.

  His first thought was to ask her if those legs went all the way up, but he liked to believe he had permanently risen above the usual locker room boorishness.

  “Ms. Carr, you look absolutely stunning,” Tyson said in full appreciation. “Ready to go?”

  He folded her coat over one arm and crooked the other in her direction. She happily took it. It was too early in the evening to break an ankle.

  They got back on the Garden State Parkway, this time with him driving. He wore a small grin that seemed to grow the farther south they headed, but he was mostly silent until she finally asked, “Penny for your thoughts?”

  “I’ve made this drive many times. It was a big part of my salvation. I was just taking a few minutes to thank my higher power for every day since then.”

  Dani swallowed the lump in her throat and gently placed her hand over his, which was resting on the gearshift. He turned his hand over to get a better grip on hers and moved them both down to rest on his leg. Then she left him to his thoughts. She refused to think of anything herself. It would only ruin the moment.

  She knew they had reached their destination when he turned onto a driveway and the car’s headlights lit up the sign welcoming them to THE HISTORIC VILLAGE AT ALLAIRE. He found a space to park and got out, coming around to her side of the car to open her door. He consciously slowed his pace while walking so that she’d have no problem keeping up.

  The grounds were dark, but lanterns glowed along the path to the chapel. Dani was able to make out the buildings that housed a general store and a museum. They passed a sign pointing the way to the Pine Creek Railroad, an old-­style historic train that offered rides around the park.

  Several ­people stood guard along the path, ready to lend assistance if needed. They were dressed up in period clothes from the 1800s. They all nodded politely as the ­couple walked by. Some of them wished them Happy New Year.

  “I think this park is closed,” Dani mused.

  Tyson gave her hand in the crook of his arm a little squeeze and replied, “The best man is good at getting whatever he wants. And the bride is crazy nuts for this place.”

  They continued to stroll on the illuminated path until the chapel came into clear view. It was a pristine white square building with a window on each side of the front door and two fan-­shaped windows on either side of a big center window set into the triangle-­shaped roof. Soft light flickered from within. There was a clock tower for a steeple. By the time the chamber music reached her ears, Dani was utterly enchanted. The best man took up the majority of the small single door to the chapel, greeting the guests.

  Dani was so caught up in the atmosphere that she didn’t recognize him until he was shaking her hand and Tyson began an unnecessary introduction.

  “Dani, I’d like you to meet—­”

  “Chase Wa
lker,” Dani finished for him with widening eyes, hoping it was dark enough so Tyson couldn’t see her blush. The Golden Boy of baseball had a notorious reputation for making women take leave of their senses. But she was a professional sports reporter. Fangirling was in poor taste.

  “Dani Carr. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Chase smiled and released her hand, then gave Tyson a friendly clap on the shoulder, adding what she could only define as a subtle wink, discreet but suggestive. She took it as verification that the two were at least casual friends. “Happy New Year, Ty.”

  “You could’ve warned me about that,” she admonished him as they moved away from Chase and the door.

  “And ruin the surprise? No fun in that,” Tyson replied.

  They stepped into the small chapel. There were maybe two dozen rows of matching wooden pews where other guests were seated. The music was live, supplied by a string trio in a corner. There were so many blossoms and garlands that it looked like a flower shop had exploded down the main aisle. A blue wooden cross was mounted above the altar where the minister was in conversation with a man whom Dani presumed was the groom. His back was turned to them as she and Tyson took a seat in the fourth row. All she could make out was his jet-­black hair and athletic body.

  Then he turned around and Dani swore she could hear her jaw hit the floor.

  Tyson was the only man who would ever lay claim to her heart. And she could understand why she might get a momentary case of the giddies around Chase Walker, since she would always appreciate a legendary jock. Over the years, she’d been flirted with by some of the prettiest boys in football.

  But this guy was disgustingly, over-­the-­top handsome, and it wasn’t just because of the well-­fitted black tuxedo. This stud muffin was some sort of movie-­star-handsome genetic freak. It was impossible not to stare. When she finally tore her eyes away, she looked at Tyson to see if he noticed her gawking and flushed again to find him not only studying her, but grinning. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, “I know. Don’t worry, you get used to it. That’s Logan Montgomery. He’s the groom.”

  Dani spent the next ten minutes continuing to steal peeks at Logan and pondering just what sort of supermodel would soon be coming down the aisle. Maybe some hybrid of several supermodels, designed in a lab. Was there such a thing as a super-­duper model? By the time Chase joined Logan at the front of the chapel and the music switched to Bach, she was ready to burst with curiosity.

  First there was only the maid of honor, and it was little surprise when Amanda Walker stepped down the aisle. She was beautiful and radiant, her fuller figure and raven hair a good combination for showing off a rose-­colored tea-­length silk dress. Dani snuck a final look in Logan’s direction and caught Chase beaming while watching his wife. So, those rumors were true, Dani thought. The Walkers were the great American love story, with a twenty-­first-­century spin. Amanda took her place at the altar and the music paused before starting up again.

  Dani looked to the back of the church, blinked, and then blinked again as the bride started making her way, alone, toward her groom.

  Holly wore a lovely pink gown, not too frilly. It was classic, off the shoulder with a slightly flared skirt, no train or veil. But she was not a long, lean debutante or starlet with a flowing mane of flaxen hair. Holly was shorter, a little bottom heavy, with red hair in a small French twist and a round cherub-­like face. As she got closer, Dani couldn’t even be sure she was wearing makeup.

  Holly caught sight of Tyson as she passed and give him a smile and a wink before taking her last few steps to meet Logan at the altar. The music stopped, and she handed her bouquet of pink and red roses over to Amanda. The chaplain cleared his throat and the short ceremony began.

  Dani didn’t hear most of it. We are gathered here together, yadda yadda. She already knew the drill, mostly from being in the bridal party at her oldest brother’s nuptials. She was busy admonishing herself for making assumptions about the bride. By the time she was finished, the chaplain was announcing, “The bride and groom have written their own vows and at this time would like to share them.”

  Holly and Logan turned to face each other and joined hands. Holly looked up into his face, then searched it and gave him a tender smile.

  “Logan, I met you during the darkest days of my life. Convinced I would never know joy, I was lost in a sea of despair, too weak to swim, more than willing to drown. God sent you to me disguised as a friend, so that I might slowly make my way back into the light. Even then I wasn’t willing to believe. But you believed in me when I refused to believe in myself, until I regained my strength. And then I gained so much more, because that cherished friendship had turned into love. And as I got stronger, so did my love for you, until there was nothing else. As we stand here tonight, I know tomorrow that love will be stronger still. Only when the sun rises and a new year begins, I will have the honor of calling you my husband. I will thank God every day from this day forward for giving me such a precious gift. For giving me love, for giving me you.”

  By the time Holly was finished, Logan had lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the ground and his shoes. Seconds dragged on and silence lingered. Dani held her breath. She looked quickly to Tyson for direction on what to do, but he was still watching the ceremony, his face tranquil.

  Then Logan raised his beautiful head, and Dani felt her own eyes tearing up.

  Logan Montgomery wasn’t abandoning his bride at the altar. He was completely overcome with emotion. His expressive chocolate eyes were glassy. His perfect lips were drawn tightly together and his chiseled chin was all scrunched up in the attempt to hold it back to no avail. He blinked hard and shook his head slightly in the effort to get a grip and compose himself.

  Then Holly took her hand out of his and cupped his face, her thumb stroking over a cheekbone most women would sell their souls for. For them, in that moment, they were alone in the room. He took her hand and kissed her palm before settling it back into his. He took a deep, centering breath and squeezed her hands tight in his. With a shaky but deep voice that was in keeping with his overall excellence, he spoke.

  “Holly, you came into my world and completely rocked it. Since I met you, I’ve become a better man, a more worthy human. You are the bravest, most beautiful woman I have ever known. All the best parts of me can be traced back to you. There isn’t one single part of my day, or life for that matter, that isn’t better just by having you in it. Today I have the privilege of giving you my name. But I also give you my heart, knowing that it’s safe, because of the way you have already enriched my soul. If I live forever, I will never love another the way I do you.”

  By the time he was finished, there wasn’t a dry female eye in the house. Even some of the men’s eyes were shiny, including those of the best man and Dani’s own date.

  Except for Holly’s. Hers were dry but bright as the candles that flickered all around them, shining with love and affection.

  There was the exchange of rings, the final announcement, and Logan leaned over to thoroughly kiss the new Mrs. Montgomery.

  Tyson introduced Dani to the wedding party at the back of the church. Logan was just as superb up close, and Holly was positively tickled that Tyson had brought along a date. Chase Walker gave her a wink this time. His wife gave Dani’s hand an extra squeeze.

  By the time they walked back to the car, Dani’s right foot had started feeling that uncomfortable little twinge of tightness. Right on the back of her heel, nothing that sitting for a while wouldn’t cure, she hoped.

  By the time they got back to the hotel and she took those first few steps out of the car, Dani could feel the rub becoming more intense, the worst of all possible signs. She didn’t dare try to take the shoe off, afraid that her foot would refuse to fit back into it. She had done too much walking and not nearly enough sitting. She could tell with one look that her foot had started to swell. It was beginning to look like bread doug
h, puffing up over the top of her shoe. But this was not the sort of crowd where Dani felt comfortable ditching the shoes and dancing around barefoot. It was time for drastic measures, and that meant walking as little as possible and sitting as much as she could. She bit back a wince as they headed toward the banquet-­hall entrance and tried to walk normally. They caught sight of the sign indicating the Montgomery wedding and she headed right for the bar. A drink would ease the pain. Just one shot, maybe a quick chaser.

  “I’m going to go drop my coat off in my room,” Tyson said.

  Her swollen foot pulsated at the thought of walking to the elevator, much less the hallway of their floor. Just as Dani tried to think of a good excuse to keep from accompanying him, Holly appeared to save her. The bride rushed over to them, giving Tyson a big hug.

  “Happy New Year, handsome!” she exclaimed while he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. “I can’t tell you how great it is to see you.”

  “Like I would miss this?” Tyson said before setting her down and stepping back while still holding on to her hands to get a better view. “You clean up nice.”

  “Take a good look. I can’t wait to get out of this thing! I don’t think I’m the fairy princess type.”

  Dani liked Holly already, even after sneaking a look at Holly’s shoes and seeing the bride was smart enough to have worn ballet flats.

  Tyson reintroduced Dani and then offered to take her coat up to his room as well. What a relief. It would give her a few minutes to get her cocktails in, not wanting to toss them back in front of a date who didn’t drink.

  “I’ll keep her company,” Holly told him, anxious to get a few moments alone with Dani.

  Saints be praised.

  As soon as Tyson left, Dani motioned over to the bartender.

  “I’ll take a shot. What do you recommend?” Dani asked.

  “All the cool kids are drinking Fireball these days,” was the bartender’s enthusiastic response as he put two shot glasses on the bar and grabbed the bottle.