chapter One
Fourteen hours before the wedding
Promise Harbor, Massachusetts
She really liked tequila.
Allison Ralston signaled the bartender, who obediently put another shot glass and lime wedge in front of her. Normally, Matt might try to cut her off at this point, but she was getting married tomorrow, so everyone was doing what she wanted.
Allie tipped the shot glass back, swallowing quickly and shuddering as she put the lime between her teeth and bit down.
This was only her third shot. Or fifth. Something like that.
She just needed to keep going until after she managed I do. Just two little words.
Maybe the minister would let her say I should. That was much more accurate. Ministers and churches were big on truth. She should pledge to love and honor Josh Brewster. Josh was the best. Everyone thought so. He was handsome, funny, smart, and always did the right thing.
Like marrying his mom’s best friend’s daughter to make everyone—especially his mom—happy, regardless of his own feelings.
Allie signaled for another shot.
“Come on, Allie, dance with us.” Bernice, her annoying cousin and one of her bridesmaids, tugged on her arm. “We’re making requests. You have to dance with us to this one.”
It was Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies”. Great. The perfect prewedding song, Allie thought sarcastically. If you like it…
Josh definitely liked her. He had since he was ten and she was seven. Liking wasn’t the problem. Common goals, plans for the future, family dynamics, sharing a general life philosophy—none of those were problems either.
Allie looked longingly at the empty shot glass on the bar. Matt hadn’t refilled it yet, but that bar stool was a lot closer to the bottle than the dance floor was.
She made herself turn away from Matt and face the women who would be standing next to her tomorrow. Bernice, Crystal, Joanna and even Greta were already dancing. Actually, Greta was standing in the middle of the dance floor looking like she wanted to be anywhere else. But that made sense. Not only were the other girls being obnoxiously happy and annoyingly fun, but Greta was Josh’s younger sister and didn’t really know the other women well. Allie was pretty sure Greta was there only because Bernice had insisted. Bernice was good at that.
The other three squealed with delight as Allie moved onto the floor, bouncing up and down and singing the lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Oh, lord. Squealing bridesmaids, Beyoncé and tequila were not a good combination. Allie pressed her hand against her stomach as it pitched in response to the hip swivel she attempted. She took the boogying down a notch and just mouthed the words.
Thankfully, the song eventually switched to something slower.
The other girls had had a bit to drink as well, and they linked their arms and started swaying, again singing along to Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One”. Allie let them link her into the circle and she swayed with them, closing her eyes and thinking about the words.
You’re still the one…
Stupidly, she felt her eyes stinging. Maybe she’d had enough tequila after all. She shouldn’t be feeling lonely and sad. It was the night before her wedding. These girls were here with her, celebrating the biggest day of her life. Her house was filled with family and friends, getting ready for the next day. Somewhere a man was sitting with his friends, preparing to stand up in front of everyone they knew and loved and say that he’d spend the rest of his life with her. A good man. A wonderful man. A man any woman would be privileged to share her life with.
You’re still the one…
Josh deserved better. He deserved better than a woman who was sitting in a bar, listening to a love song and thinking about someone else.
She should not be thinking about Gavin.
Allie took a deep breath, opened her eyes and smiled at her bridesmaids. Bridesmaids. She was going to be a bride. She was getting married.
Okay, she could do this. It was a good thing. A great thing. She was a very lucky woman.
“Josh is a great dancer,” she said to Bernie. “Did you know that?”
“I’ll bet.” Bernie waggled her eyebrows.
He was. He was tall and when they slow danced, she could rest her head on his chest. His big hands easily spanned her low back, making her feel feminine and cared for. He had great rhythm, and his powerful thighs pressed firmly against hers because he always held her really close. That was just the kind of thing that should make a woman want to get even closer.
Dammit.
There was that word again—should.
“Greta, is there anything Josh isn’t good at?” Allie asked, looping her arm around Josh’s sister.
She was Allie’s maid of honor, even though the girls didn’t know one another well. Well, they knew each other of course—their families had been friends forever and spent lots of weekends and most holidays together—but Greta was younger and Allie had always had Josh as a confidante. It wasn’t like the girls had shared any deep dark secrets.
Greta was the best choice for maid of honor, though. Their mothers had been best friends, and Josh and Greta’s mom, Sophie, had taken Lily’s death as hard as anyone. Truthfully, she’d been a mess. Her longtime battle with depression didn’t help, and Allie and Josh had talked extensively about ways to get her through the hard time. Allie had always considered Sophie a second mom and seeing her so distraught tore at Allie’s already aching heart. Just like she was doing for her dad and brothers, Allie was intent on helping Sophie smile again. So far, planning a wedding where Sophie’s son was the groom and her daughter was maid of honor was working very nicely.
Greta lifted her shoulder at Allie’s question about her brother. “Josh has always been good at everything.”
Yep, that was exactly right. Josh was nearly perfect. The guy didn’t even snore.
Crystal approached with a small tray laden with shot glasses. “Let’s toast!” she said with a grin.
That was a fantastic idea. At the moment, Crystal was her favorite bridesmaid. Hands down.
Allie wasn’t sure of the wisdom of mixing tequila with the pink stuff Crystal had brought, but hey, it was liquor. It wasn’t like she was going to be feeling great in the morning anyway.
She tipped the sweet concoction back and swallowed. Oh, yeah, that was good.
Her head spinning nicely, she looped her arm around Bernie’s neck. “Thanks for picking out the dresses.”
Bernie laughed. “When you still hadn’t picked anything out and we were only a month away, someone had to do something.” Bernie patted Allie on the head. Like a puppy. “Sometimes it’s just easier to let someone else do it. I don’t mind.”
The dresses were god-awful. Allie had overheard Greta, Josh’s sister, refer to them as Gone With The Wind dresses, and she couldn’t disagree. Scarlett would have swooned at the sight of them, for sure. But Allie had been simply unable to look at another one after the fortieth. None were right. None felt good.
The song switched to another sappy love song, and Allie felt her eyes welling again. She really loved this song. She couldn’t remember what it was called, but she loved it.
Humming and swaying with her eyes closed again, Allie thought about the man she loved. She was going to walk down the aisle tomorrow and the man at the end of the aisle was strong and charming, intelligent, wonderful. He had dark hair, brown eyes. He also had a smile that made her heart melt and when he ran his hands down her back and grabbed her ass she…
Her eyes flew open. Dammit. She really had been thinking about Josh. Or trying. But her thoughts slipped so easily to Gavin.
Crap.
She looked around, spotted Crystal and stumbled toward her friend. “I need another drink.”
Crystal grinned. “Okay, let’s do a blow job.”
Allie started to clarify, but Crystal grabbed her hand and towed her to the bar. A moment later, a shot glass filled with a creamy brown mixture and topped with whipped cream appeared magically before her.
Whipped cream was a good sign.
Allie shot the drink back, sighing happily as the sweet liquid went down.
“You like a good blow job once in a while?” Matt asked with a wink.
“Of course,” she said, winking back. Or at least she thought she winked. She might have blinked at him instead. She giggled and Matt laughed.
“Josh is a lucky guy,” he said.
Yeah, Allie thought. Josh was a lucky guy. She was quite a catch.
She stumbled as she turned and started back for the dance floor.
“Whoa, babe.” Crystal caught her by both elbows. “You okay?”
“I’m great!” Allie announced. She was sure her words sounded slurred only because it was so loud in here. “I’m getting married tomorrow!”
Crystal laughed. “I heard that somewhere.”
“And he’s the best,” Allie insisted. She pivoted and grabbed a beer from the waitress as she passed.
“He is, definitely,” Crystal agreed.
Allie drank, then shuddered, then spread her arms wide. “Gavin is the only man I’ll ever want.”
Crystal froze, her eyes widening. She was still holding on to to one of Allie’s arms, which was fortunate because Allie felt a little off-balance.
“Al?” Crystal said, getting closer so she could lower her voice. “What did you just say?”
Allie frowned at her. “I said Josh is the best.”
“And then you said Gavin is the only man you’ll ever want.”
Allie shook her head. “No. That’s not funny.”
Crystal squeezed her arm. “I know. It’s really not funny. What are you talking about?”
Dammit. She should have never pulled that letter out last night. Allie closed her eyes and groaned. She’d been so pissed at him, so hurt. Her mom had died, it was absolutely the blackest time of her life and Gavin hadn’t even called. He certainly hadn’t showed up. He hadn’t done a damned thing.
Then two weeks after the funeral she got a letter. Handwritten. Seeing his writing again had made her almost crack. She’d been holding everything together just fine. She hadn’t cried, she hadn’t broken down, she hadn’t thrown anything, she hadn’t told anyone to just leave her the f*ck alone and quit asking if she was all right. She’d been composed and calm, she’d gotten everything taken care of, she’d gotten everyone taken care of.
She’d been fine. Until that letter came.
She’d almost lost it.
Instead, she’d read it once, folded it up and stuck it in her bedside table under some old CDs and a box of stationary. Then she’d forgotten about it.
Except that wasn’t true. She’d pulled it out three times. She’d put it back without reading it twice. But last night she hadn’t been able to resist. She’d read it. Four times.
And now he was so on her mind that she was screwing everything up. Of course.
“I didn’t mean it,” she told Crystal, shaking her head.
Allie immediately regretted that. Her head swam and she grabbed Crystal to keep from tipping over. She should have worn flats tonight instead of the high-heeled boots.
“Allie, you just…you can’t be thinking about him,” Crystal said. “What about Josh?”
“It’s normal for people to think about their exes,” Allie told her, hoping it was true. “We’re getting married. That’s a huge deal. It’s natural to think about your past relationships. I’ll bet Josh is thinking about Devon.”
Devon Grant was Josh’s most serious ex. He’d been completely in love with her. If she had been willing to move to Promise Harbor, he’d be married to her right now. For sure.
Devon and Allie had been as close as sisters at one time. In fact, Devon had met Josh through Allie. Allie had been thrilled that her two best friends had fallen in love.
And then real life and obligations and divergent paths had come between Josh and Devon too.
She didn’t know every detail about their breakup. Josh hadn’t wanted to talk about it, and Allie and Devon had drifted apart when things had gotten bad with her mom and things had gotten bad with Gavin…and things had just gotten bad.
In the end, it seemed to Allie that she and Josh just weren’t destined for true love forever.
So they had each other. As always. It seemed fitting in many ways that they would end up together. She couldn’t remember a Christmas dinner or a birthday celebration without him. So why wouldn’t she agree to spend those events with him for the rest of her life?
They were…comfortable. They could completely be themselves. There were no secrets. They loved each other. Maybe not madly and passionately, but they had each other’s backs. That was more than a lot of couples could say.
“Even if he is, he’s probably not announcing it to the bar. You need to take it down a notch,” Crystal said with a frown. “Let’s go dance.”
Allie went along, mostly because Crystal was still holding on to her and Allie wasn’t sure she could stay upright on her own. She drank more of the beer and liked that it was more bitter than the blow job or the pink stuff. She was feeling a little bitter herself.
She drank again, swaying to yet another love song. This one was “Amazed”, by Lonestar. Her bridesmaids were just going down the list of the sappiest love songs of all time. But she found herself singing along. And thinking of Gavin. They’d danced to this song.
They’d gone to high school together. They’d graduated in the same class and had known each other. The harbor wasn’t big enough to not know everyone in your graduating class. They’d even flirted.
He and Jason Simpson had sat behind her and Devon in chemistry senior year. He’d cut in on her date at the homecoming dance and at prom. Every weekend from January until May he’d asked her to a party. She’d always said no.
But he’d never asked her out on a real date. Which was fine. She would have said no to that too. He was a bad boy, a rebel. She was a good girl who followed all the rules. He dated casually, if at all, and was just out for a good time. She dated nice boys, one at a time, and never did more than French kiss.
It was so cliché—the good girl fascinated by the bad boy—it was pathetic.
Then they’d gone away to college and hadn’t seen each other again.
Until that party their senior year of college.
She’d been in love with him since then. She was now twenty-eight. That party had been just before she turned twenty-two.
Pathetic.
She tipped the beer bottle up, but found it was empty. How had that happened?
Suddenly the music died, there were shouts, then she could have sworn she heard, “Move. Police,” followed by a loud crash.
“Oh my god!” Bernie gasped. “Jackson Knight just hit Hayley Stone.”
Oh, that was just perfect. Allie felt her head throb. The best man in her wedding tomorrow had just hit a police officer. That was fantastic.
“What do you mean he hit her?” Crystal demanded.
“He was swinging at someone else but she stepped in. And she cuffed him,” Bernice said with delight.
Crystal went up on tiptoe, trying to peer over the crowd. “Man, I’d love to have Jackson Knight in handcuffs and at my mercy for an hour.”
“People are gonna be so pissed.” Bernie’s eyes were practically sparkling with the juicy news. “Jackson Knight is like a god.”
“But he hit a cop,” Crystal said. “She has to take him in.”
Allie straightened. Hey, wait a minute…
“Take him in where?” she asked.
Crystal rolled her eyes. “Jail. Duh. You can’t hit a cop.”
“Jail?” Allie repeated. “The best man at my wedding tomorrow is going to jail?”
Hey. Maybe that was fantastic. They couldn’t get married without a best man, could they?
“I’m sure he’ll just have to pay a fine or something,” Crystal reassured her. “It was an accident. And it’s Jackson Knight.”
Allie sighed. Yeah, yeah, Jackson Knight. The hot hometown hero. She was sure Crystal was right and Jackson would be out in plenty of time for the wedding.
The music came back up and the bridesmaids squealed and started shaking their stuff, the minidrama with Jackson and Hayley forgotten.
And Allie went right back to wishing for more liquor and thinking about Gavin. Not necessarily in that order.
“You know, maybe you should call him or something,” Crystal said over the music.
Allie turned from looking for a waitress to face her friend. “What?”
“Maybe you should call him. Just, you know, check in. Get your mind focused.”
“You think I should call Gavin?” Why did that sound like a great idea?
Crystal frowned. “Of course not. You should call Josh.”
“Oh.” She definitely shouldn’t feel disappointed about that idea. Josh was the man she was going to be calling for the rest of her life.
Gavin hadn’t even called her after her mom died.
She should not want to talk to him now.
And now that she was getting married? She definitely hadn’t heard from him. Did he know? Did he care? Obviously not. Obviously he’d moved on.
But if he were getting married—she felt a sharp stab in her chest at that thought—she’d call him. She had no idea what she’d say, but she would call. Maybe say something like “Congratulations” or “I wish you the best” or “Is she anything like me?” or “Do you ever think of me?” or “Don’t do it!”
Allie covered her face with her hands. She would not call and say any of that stuff if he were getting married. If he were getting married, it would mean that he was over her. Obviously.
But…what if it didn’t? Her getting married didn’t mean she was over him. It just meant that a really great guy wanted to make a life with her, a life that would be completely wonderful. She’d be an idiot to say no to Josh.
Josh would help her. Now that her mom was gone—another stabbing pain caught Allie in the chest, and she had to stop and breathe through it for a moment—her dad and brothers needed her more than ever. Almost too much. Someone had to help her with that, and Josh was the perfect one. He knew her family, knew their secrets, knew how to help. And he was here. Gavin sure as hell wasn’t.
Yeah. That’s why Josh was the best.
And everyone should know that.
Allie pulled her phone from her pocket and thumbed through her contacts. Gavin was the first G. She pressed his name and Call and waited for it to ring. She didn’t even know if this was still his number.
It went to voice mail. But it was definitely his voice mail.
His deep, familiar voice swept over her and she felt like crying.
Then the beep sounded and she got mad again. It was the middle of the night and she was calling him. Shouldn’t he at least be curious? If he’d called her she would most definitely be curious. She’d pick up for sure. If he was screening her calls, she was going to be pissed. Not that she would know. But still…
“Gavin,” she said. “This is Allie. I want you to know that you should be here. That’s what I need. You to be here. And I just thought you should know that. And you should know…all the other stuff too.” She felt like she was trying to see through fog. Nothing was clear. She wanted him to know…something. Something about…someone. Who? Crystal? No, he didn’t know Crystal. Maybe it was about her. Yeah, probably. “I want you to know that…” She frowned, wracking her alcohol-soaked brain. The next song started and Whitney Houston’s voice floated over her. Oh, she loved this song. It was old, but it was a classic love song. She started to sway, the phone still against her ear. She pulled the phone away and stared at it. Gavin. She’d called Gavin.
The man she wished was here, the guy she wanted to be at the end of the aisle tomorrow.
Her eyes welled with tears. He wouldn’t be, and she couldn’t call him again after she married Josh. This was her last chance to tell him what she really felt.
She started to sing along. “And I…will always love you…”
It was amazing how much she sounded like Whitney, Allie marveled. Really amazing.
Ten minutes into the wedding
Allie blinked rapidly, trying to focus on the minister. She knew she was gripping Josh’s arm too hard, just like she’d gripped her dad’s too hard as they walked down the aisle. But she couldn’t stop or she’d fall over.
It was okay, though. This was Josh. Josh would always be there to hold her up and help her out. She loved him for that. She really, really did.
And had for a long time.
He’d punched Lane Neilson in the nose at recess when Lane had taken her swing in kindergarten. He’d taken her out for a fancy dinner on her seventeenth birthday after Travis Wilson dumped her. He’d driven sixty miles to pick her up when her car stopped running before she could get home from the concert her parents had forbidden her to see. He’d loaned her four hundred dollars in college when she’d fallen in love with a new online shoe company and had exceeded her ability to make the payments on her credit card.
Most of all, he’d been there in the hospital when her mom got sick, getting her water and coffee, talking to the doctors when she couldn’t anymore, handling the never-ending phone calls from well-meaning friends and distant family. He’d also been there, in that very church, holding her hand through her mother’s funeral. And he’d been firmly by her side, holding her up—literally at times—at the graveside.
By her side. Just like he was now. In front of the entire town. At their wedding.
Holy crap, it was hot in here.
She started to giggle—holy crap, in a church, that was funny—but pressed her lips together before the sound escaped.
It was Bernice’s fault that it was hot and funny in here. She’d brought the mimosas and started the toasting.
Sure, Allie had given three of her own toasts, but Bernie had definitely started it.
“You okay?” Josh whispered, pressing her elbow against his side.
She must have swayed.
She nodded quickly. “Sure. Why not?” Ooh, had that been a whisper? She hoped so.
“You look…funny,” Josh whispered again as the pianist continued to play in spite of Allie having reached the end of the aisle.
That made her want to giggle too. Except Josh thought she looked funny.
“I worked for two hours this morning to look like this,” she whispered back.
“Are you drunk?” he asked with a frown as her breath wafted to him.
“It’s Bernie’s fault,” Allie was quick to tell him.
Apparently that wasn’t the right answer.
“You’re drunk?” he repeated. “Jesus, Allie.”
“You’re not supposed to say ’Jesus’ in church,” she said. But she frowned. That didn’t sound right. “You’re not supposed to say ‘Jesus’ like that in church,” she amended.
Josh was clenching his jaw when she looked up at him. At least he still had a hold of her. Her wedding shoes were white with three-inch heels and the biggest damned silk flowers Allie had ever seen on the tops.
They caught on the hem of her dress with every step she took—and she didn’t need anything else making it hard to walk. The liquor still in her system from last night, the too-few hours of sleep between the bar and the hair salon, and the champagne just a little bit ago were more than enough to make it hazardous without over-the-top, gaudy, green flowers on her shoes.
Bernice had picked these frickin’ shoes out too.
“Josh?” she asked as the song finally came to an end.
“It’s okay, Allie. Let’s…just do this.”
Let’s just do this. She stifled another giggle. She felt like they should stack their hands on top of one another and yell go team.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” the minister began.
Allie felt like her brain was suddenly spinning. She had to stay upright. That’s all she had to do. And say I do. Simple. No problem. They’d just get through this and everything would be…
“Oh, hell no.”
She spun around, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Josh no longer had a hold of her, and her shoes were threatening to dump her on her ass.
Still, her eyes found and froze on…a guy who sounded an awful lot like Gavin Montgomery.
“Gavin?”
This guy was the same size, had the build and the same hair color, but, speaking of hair, he had a lot of it. He had a full beard and his hair was shaggy and long enough to touch his collar.
Her Gavin—Allie caught herself and corrected the thought to just Gavin—shaved every day and wore his hair cropped short.
This guy looked like a mountain man.
“This is Gavin?” Josh asked her.
Josh was enough older than she and Gavin and Devon that he probably wouldn’t have known Gavin. Gav hadn’t been a star student or athlete, so he and Josh hadn’t run in the same circles anyway. Even if he had known Gavin, he would have never recognized him now. She barely recognized him. Wow.
She nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the man who now stood only a few feet away, looking like a wild man. His eyes were bloodshot, he wore jeans and a T-shirt under a hooded sweatshirt that had seen better days—a long time ago. He wore lumberjack boots and the look in his eyes was…determined. That was the best word for how he was looking at her.
Allie became aware of the murmurings and rustlings of the crowd in the pews. The crowd of family and friends who had come to see her and Josh married.
Holy crap, indeed.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Josh demanded of Gavin.
It felt like the moments were passing in slow motion, like they’d been standing there staring at one another for an hour, but it had only been a few seconds.
“I’m here to talk to Allie.”
Oh, boy. Allie pressed a hand to her stomach. Now would so not be the time to throw up.
Josh moved to stand between Gavin and Allie. “We’re kind of in the middle of something.”
“Yeah, this can’t wait.” Gavin looked past Josh to her. “I need to talk to you. Now.”
Her heart flipped over in her chest. God, she’d missed him. She wanted to touch him, smell him, taste him.
Quite inappropriate considering she was standing next to the man she was in the midst of marrying.
What she really wanted to do was throw herself into Gavin’s arms and ask him to take her away.
No, she didn’t. That was crazy.
God, her head hurt.
He started toward her, and she sucked in a quick breath as Josh moved to block him. “I don’t think so, Gavin.”
Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “Listen. I can do this here in front of the whole town. I don’t mind. I’m leaving here with Allie one way or another. But I think keeping some of this private might be appropriate.” He leaned around Josh to look at Allie. “I have some things I need to say before you say I do to another man, Al.”
Oh, her heart hurt too. This was…a dream. It had to be. That made the most sense. Her brain was floating in champagne and her blood alcohol level had to be…well, really high. Or low. Whatever it was when you were really drunk.
This whole thing was nuts. There was no way Gavin was here. The stress had finally gotten to her. She’d finally cracked up.
Josh sighed, stepped closer to Gavin and lowered his voice. But Allie could still hear him.
“Don’t do this, Gavin. Haven’t you messed with her enough? Just let her be happy.”
Allie felt a twinge in her heart at Josh’s words too. He was such a good guy. He was her friend. He really was trying to protect her.
“That’s exactly what I want to do,” Gavin insisted, not backing down an inch. “Is that what you want?”
“I’m standing next to her in a tux in front of a minister. What do you think?”
Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Josh was standing next to her in a tux in front of the minister because he was a really good guy who was trying to do a good thing. The right thing.
Of course he was. That was all he or Allie knew how to do.
He loved her. She knew that. She loved him. She was equally sure of that. They would have a great life together.
“I think that if you don’t let her talk to me, you know that she’ll always wonder,” Gavin said. “You don’t want that, do you? To have your wife wondering about another man?”
Allie felt her eyes widen. Damn, but that was kind of romantic. And sexy.
And no, she’d never love Josh the way she had loved Gavin.
Josh blew out a long breath and shoved his hand through his hair. Then he half turned to her. “Allie?”
Ah, crap. She was going to have to make a decision here? She hadn’t even been able to pick out her bridesmaids’ dresses or her own shoes.
“What would I wonder?” She meant specifically. She had about a billion questions and thoughts swimming through her liquor-saturated mind.
“You’d wonder what I had to say to you so badly that I would fly over four thousand miles so I could rush in here to stop your wedding.”
Well…yeah. As would every other person sitting in that church.
There wasn’t a sound in the church. Allie couldn’t breathe. She looked at Josh. He looked angry and like he really wanted to hit somebody. That made sense.
Then she looked into the pews. She found her father sitting in the front pew. He seemed confused. That made sense too. Except that she knew he was more confused than most. This was bad. This would shake him up terribly. Things needed to happen with organization and routine for Owen Ralston. Everyone, especially her mom and Allie, had made sure that things in his life went according to plan.
This was not according to plan.
Could her brothers help her out here? This once. Could making sure her dad was okay fall on someone else’s shoulders, just once?
She felt a surge of anger—or maybe it was resentment—flash through her.
She always did what was expected. She always kept it together for everyone else.
Her brothers, Charlie and Danny, were standing at the end of the line of groomsmen. They looked—curious, almost amused.
Amused?
Really?
Her life was being tipped upside down—and that was before Gavin even showed up—and they were feeling entertained?
Could she really trust them to step up and make sure things were okay for their dad?
Finally she pressed her lips together and shook her head.
Double holy crap with a cherry on top. She couldn’t do this.
But oh, she wanted to. She wanted to pick up her skirts and run off with Gavin. Just seeing him again made her ache and want and need. If he touched her, she was a goner.
Allie felt the sting of tears in her eyes.
Nobody ever said life was fair.
“Allie.” Gavin finally broke the silence as he took a step forward.
“You’re too late,” she whispered. She couldn’t let him touch her. She felt a tear slip down her cheek.
“Bullshit,” he said.
Bullshit? What did that mean? He couldn’t just…
He strode forward, bent and scooped her into his arms, then headed for the side door.
“Gavin!”
Oh, no. He wouldn’t really do this. He wouldn’t really just march into her wedding and literally sweep her off her feet. No way. This was bad.
She kicked and he tightened his hold.
“Just a damn minute—” Josh started.
Gavin turned. Several people were on their feet, including her dad. He still looked confused—more so, really. She glanced at her brothers as all of the groomsmen stepped forward. Even Hayley Stone was on her feet.
But no one came any closer. This was Gavin Montgomery, after all. He wasn’t a stranger. Most of the town probably didn’t know she had a past with him, but he was hardly some bum off the street. In spite of how he was currently dressed.
“Give me a chance,” Gavin said, addressing Josh. “Let me talk to her. Let me tell her what I came here to say. Then if she wants to come back, I’ll walk her down the aisle myself.”
Allie felt her heart do another double flip, then sink to her toes.
There was no way in hell Gavin was walking her down the aisle to marry another man.
Anyway, it was crazy to ask Josh to do that.
No way would Josh let Gavin just carry her off. Surely, he’d…
But Gavin didn’t wait to hear the other man’s response. He started toward the door again.
She thought maybe she should struggle, or cry for help, or something. Maybe she would. In a minute. Right after she enjoyed the feeling of strength and warmth that surrounded her. She felt like she melted a little when Gavin shifted her tighter against his chest.
He felt wonderful. He smelled wonderful. And she was pretty sure he’d taste just as good.
“If you really love him, he has nothing to worry about.” Gavin’s voice rumbled low enough that only she would hear him. She felt the vibration in his chest and sighed. “And if he loves you, he’ll wait.”
Yeah, he had a point there. If she was in love with Josh, then nothing Gavin could say or do would change that. And vice versa.
She looked up at him, then to Josh over his shoulder, then back to Gavin. “Am I dreaming?”
His mouth curled at one corner. “I’m real, darlin’. I’m here.”
She sighed. God, that sounded nice. It sounded so protective and reassuring. This felt good. Having Gavin swoop in after more than a year and carry her off from her wedding felt good.
There was something really wrong with her.
Allie buried her face into Gavin’s neck as he turned and again headed for the door the pianist rushed to open for him.
They stepped out into the beautiful June day, and Allie didn’t even flinch when the door banged shut behind them.
But the peace lasted only a few seconds.
“Wait!” Josh yelled from behind them.
Gavin stopped.
“What the f*ck, Allie?” Josh demanded. “Are you leaving with him?”
Gavin turned with a sigh. “Allie called me last night.”
Allie stiffened in his arms. What? He was ratting her out?
Josh’s eyes went to her and his frown darkened. “You did?”
Oh…crap.
Allie made a squeaky little noise. Her mouth was wide open, no words coming out. Because her brain couldn’t think of any. There was no way this could turn out good for her. A lie, in church, was surely a ticket straight to hell, and the truth would hurt one of the best men she knew.
“She called and told me that she’d always love me.”
Allie groaned and closed her eyes, wishing Gavin had just kept walking. Or that he’d really done it right and ridden in on a white horse to whisk her off. They could be miles away by now.
What he said wasn’t entirely true. She’d sung that she would always love him. Drunk off her ass.
But the message was the same—on the night before her wedding to another man, she was thinking of Gavin.
Crap. Damn. Hell.
“Allie?” Josh asked, eyebrows drawn tightly over his eyes. “Is this true?”
She swallowed hard. She breathed hard. She prayed hard.
Finally she said softly, “Well…”
Josh shook his head. “Jesus Christ.” Then he pulled himself to his full height, anger blazing in his eyes. “Were you drunk?”
God, yes. “Maybe a little.”
“You called Gavin the night before our wedding and told him you’d always love him?” Josh’s voice rose and she winced.
“Not exactly,” she said. “I didn’t tell him to come or anything. I didn’t say that I loved him.” Were white lies okay if you weren’t technically in church?
Josh pinched the bridge of his nose. “Allie. We’re getting married. You don’t just change your mind at the last second about something like this.”
She had no idea what to say. There was really no making this better at this point. What were they going to do—walk back in there and go through with the ceremony as if nothing had happened?
“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. And she was. Not sorry enough to go back inside, but sorry.
“That’s all I needed to hear.” Gavin turned and headed for the car that was parked at a crazy angle at the curb in front of the church.
Allie just hung on tight.