Danielle stepped into position in front of the gazebo and décor, looking down to swipe off a few pieces of mud that had caught onto her dress. She held her bouquet and looked out over the crowd, smiling at all the familiar faces and some she didn’t recognize.
As Becca walked down the aisle, Danielle turned to see Colton’s face, and while he looked like a man in love, her attention caught on the man standing behind him. Liam Pearson. Where was Tanner? Wasn’t he the best man?
She studied his face, several similarities sticking out between him and Kara, and she felt guilty once again. Had he come to Sage Creek from New York because of the diagnosis? It would be hard to keep a secret from the town for that long, and she’d only just had the cancer removed a few days before.
Liam turned to look in Danielle’s direction and gave her a lazy smile, and she turned her gaze, not willing to break down all the walls she’d set up for herself.
Becca made it to the front of the aisle and handed Danielle her bouquet before turning toward Colton, pulling Danielle away from investigating and back to the present.
Pastor Thurgood opened a book and started to read in his monotone voice. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in this beautiful location to celebrate the union of Colton Maxfield and Rebecca Taylor.”
That was as far as Danielle made it before a fly started buzzing in her ear. She tried to swat at it with force but also so that the world watching the scene to her left wouldn’t be distracted by her actions. Time and time again, the fly danced around her face, and she wished she could take off her shoe and swat at it. It finally left her alone, and as she watched her friend pledge her life to love the man in front of her, Danielle suddenly wished for the distraction again.
Being the maid of honor when she was so set on avoiding relationships was a lot harder than she’d imagined.
Taking in slow, deep breaths, Danielle tried to focus on what was going on in the ceremony. “Do you, Colton, take Rebecca to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health…”
“With this ring, I thee wed.” Becca’s voice was all Danielle could hear, and she was grateful the ceremony was nearing its end. The day was unseasonably warm, and Danielle was ready to move out of the line of the rays of sun.
The pastor said, “You may now kiss the bride.”
The two of them bent together, and while Danielle was grateful Becca had found someone to love, she couldn’t bear to watch them kiss. She’d never been able to watch kisses on TV, let alone in real life. Sure, she’d been kissed several times, but kissing itself was so intimate that it felt like spying.
She focused on a large rock poking out of the ground to her side until the crowd cheered and clapped, signaling the time to look forward once again.
Danielle handed Becca her bouquet and watched as her best friend and her husband walked down the aisle. Things would never be the same. She wouldn’t be able to pop into Sage Creek anymore and have unlimited time with Becca. Her friend would have other responsibilities and obligations now that she was hitched. The feeling left a hollow chasm in Danielle’s chest, and she worked to take in a breath.
“I believe it’s our turn to follow the bride and groom,” Liam’s soft voice said, his outstretched arm coming into view.
Danielle looked up at him, doing her best to fight back all the emotions building inside. Reaching her hand up, she wrapped it through his arm and let him lead her down the aisle and into the grove of trees leading back to the town.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice soft once again.
Danielle licked her lips, the heat suddenly making her thirsty. “Yes, it’s just different when people get married. It’s like everything you knew before will never be the same again.”
“True. I’ve known Colton for, like, six months,” he said, a bright smile on his face again with the small joke, “and he’s a really good guy.” He paused again, and she could feel his curiosity as he opened and closed his mouth a few times.
She dropped her hand once they were through the trees and walking down the dirt path. “Out with it,” she said when he didn’t say anything.
He looked at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “I just noticed you didn’t stare at the couple while they were kissing. I thought watching mushy love stories and happy endings was something all girls loved to do.”
Danielle shook her head and focused on the ground in front of her, hoping she wouldn’t trip with him next to her. Being at his side seemed to put her body on edge, and she needed to put on the brakes before things got out of hand.
“I like all that stuff. I did buy four romance novels from you the other day.” She laughed at him, wishing the charge of air between them would stop increasing. It was hard to concentrate. “I just—I don’t know. It’s weird watching other people kiss; don’t you think?” She raised an eyebrow and smiled when Liam started laughing. That wasn’t the only reason, but she wasn’t ready to go too deep into her beliefs about a relationship and marriage.
“I guess I’d never really thought about it, but that could be a good point for our joint article.” He flashed her a smile, and Danielle turned her head, not wanting to stare.
After making it to the bottom of the path, she shook her head. “No, just like you said, most women like to watch stuff like that, and I do not. We’ll need something better, something that will get the town talking.”
“A true journalist. How long do you think you’ll be in town?” It might have been some strange wish, but Danielle thought she saw more than curiosity in his face when he asked the question.
Danielle rolled in her bottom lip and nodded. “I’m in the middle of a job change, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be starting from scratch, unless by some miracle I can write a book about my life and it makes the bestseller list.” She chuckled, the sound coming from deep down. If only it were that easy to sell books. Then again, she was still surprised by the surge of interest in her cozy mysteries.
“Why not? I’m sure you’ve had plenty of adventures in your life. Why not write a book so people can learn about those places through you?” Liam’s hands were stuffed into his suit pants pockets, and he looked serious, causing Danielle to take a step back. Man, he filled out that suit coat well.
No one had ever really understood her writing interests. Her mother had been loyal to the grocery store since they’d moved to Sage Creek when Danielle was three. She vaguely remembered her father, and most of her friends in this small town were practical, knowing that selling a service or holding a position in the town would bring in x amount of money.
To a certain extent, she’d been like that with her job, but it wasn’t enough just to find out a little information. She’d always gone overboard. She’d been given crazy looks more often than she cared to admit, which was probably why she didn’t want to tell anyone about MK Malone’s true identity just yet, if ever.
She caught Liam staring at her and tried to remember what he’d asked. Oh yes, a book about herself. “Maybe when I’m old and gray and I know the outcome of the story. But not yet. There are still too many variables in play to make a concise judgment on my life.”
“Hmmm.” Liam tapped his finger against his lips, his other arm bent to support the elbow.
“What are you hmmming about?”
“I just didn’t picture you as having that much vision about life. I took you for a live-in-the-moment kind of girl. You know, the ones who just go wherever and whenever they want and don’t have any set goals for the future?”
Danielle glared at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly as irritation bubbled in her stomach. “I’ll have you know, I have plenty of goals for the future. But of course, you’re just like every other person in the world who thinks that the goals everyone has have to be accomplished by a certain age. Well, maybe I’m not ready for what everyone expects just yet. I might never be.”
“That’s it.” Liam snapped his fingers and then raised both arms in the
air as though he’d made a field goal.
“What are you talking about? Did you not just hear what I was saying?” The anger in Danielle simmered, threatening to explode.
With both hands on his hips, Liam smiled, looking down at her from his slightly taller form. “That can be the topic of our editorial. We can talk about the things society thinks we should be doing at certain ages and what we really feel about that.”
Danielle wanted to say something snarky, but it seemed like every way she looked at the idea, she couldn’t find any holes in it. “Okay, I can get behind that one. I’m sure everyone will just love what we have to say about it.”
Liam’s face turned serious, his eyebrows cinching together. “You’re not going to use this piece as some platform to promote a man-hating agenda to Sage Creek, right?”
With her jaw dropped open, Danielle hesitated, trying to figure out how to respond to his accusation. “I can’t believe you’d say that. What gave you that impression?”
“Just because you are new in town doesn’t mean you don’t have a reputation. Some of the people in this town have followed every story and every piece you’ve ever written, and from brushing up on them the past few days, that’s the impression I got.”
Grinding her molars together, Danielle wished she was at least six inches taller so she didn’t have to tip her head back so far to look at him. This was when she’d love to have heels. “You looked me up on the internet?”
He shrugged. “I was curious, especially since we’ll be writing together. And there’s no better way to get to know someone than through their passions.”
Danielle stood there, unable to speak or even conjure enough words to make a sentence. A guy was curious about her and had taken the time to research her. She wanted to be flattered, but the part about man-hating popped to the front of her thoughts.
“What happened to Tanner?” she asked, taking a step away so the hint of his cologne wouldn’t mess with her head.
“He got sick from some food he ate last night. Colton asked me to fill in as the best man.”
That meant she would have to spend more one-on-one time with Liam tonight. The thought made the mixture of feelings in her stomach lurch.
“I think I forgot a few things for the reception. I’ll, uh, see you there.”
“You’re not going to go help the bride?” Liam pointed toward the building to their left.
“Colton will get her to the reception. I just forgot something at home and need it before the reception.” Danielle turned and stalked off, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes. She could hear her breathing increase as she pushed her steps forward, her stride lengthening with each one.
If anything, she was grateful for his bluntness. It would make it that much easier to avoid him from there on out—at least, when they weren’t working on an article together.
Chapter 13
Liam watched Danielle walk away, feeling something he’d never felt with Tawnee, his ex-girlfriend from New York. He’d dated his ex for nearly two years, and while he’d thought he was in love with her, he’d never gotten excited when she entered a room. Not like the flutters he’d felt when he saw Danielle reach the top of the hill and help Becca spread out her dress.
He was still intrigued by why she’d looked away when the bride and groom kissed. The action kept nagging at him. Maybe he’d just generalized all women world-wide when he thought they all loved romance and kissing. Danielle seemed like the exception to a lot of his past opinions. She might have bought romance books, but did she just skip over the kissing parts in those too?
After a few seconds of debate, he looked around and moved down the road to Canyon Street. One of the teenagers who lived down the block had volunteered to watch Cari during the ceremony. Liam was sure she wouldn’t have made it through all of thirty minutes from beginning to end, even sitting by Mrs. McCready.
He picked Cari up, and they walked home, admiring the scenery along the way. They had at least around an hour before they’d have to be at the reception, mostly to let everyone get down from the pond and make sure the food was situated. Cari had been talking about nothing else for the past day than watching the bride and groom “cut a cake bigger than their faces.”
“How was Tasha? Did you like playing with her?” Liam bent down to see her reaction and grinned as the girl took on a look that was much older than her six years. Her hand on her hip and her lips puckered out gave off a sassy impression, and Liam had to bite his upper lip to keep from laughing.
“She was really fun, and I think she gets me. We played with some of her old dolls, setting up a tea party, and when you came, the dolls were waiting for someone to rescue them from the crazy lady holding them hostage.”
Liam’s head jerked to look at his niece, hoping she was joking. “What do you mean? Was that something Tasha came up with?”
Cari shook her head. “No, I did.”
Realization dawned as he remembered a section of a movie he’d been watching, a thriller, and he hadn’t known she’d hidden by the side of the couch. He grimaced at what Tasha might think about what he exposed his niece to. “Cari, that’s probably not the best thing to do. Next time, just play regular tea party, got it?” He stuck his thumb in the air.
She smiled, mimicking the action. “Okay. Did you have fun at the wedding?”
Liam’s thoughts turned to the encounter with Danielle, and he nodded with a smile. “Yeah, it was good to see Colton get married.”
“When are you going to get married, Uncle Liam? Wouldn’t that make you happier?” Her comments made Liam stop and turn. Kneeling on the cement sidewalk, he placed his hands on her shoulders, drawing her attention to how serious he looked at the moment.
Searching her face, he asked, “What makes you think I’m not happy?”
“Abbey at school says people are only happy if they’re married. I told her that’s not true, that my mom is always happy with me. But maybe that’s because she has someone. You don’t. I just wondered if you wanted to be happy.” She gave him a shy smile, watching his face for a reaction.
Pulling her into a hug, Liam held her for several seconds, realizing he probably needed it more than she did at that moment. When he pulled back, he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Oh, Cari. I’m happy because I get to spend a lot of time with you.”
“But you don’t look happy when we’re visiting my mom.” Her tone of voice was sad, the sound whinier than he’d heard in a while.
Rubbing both hands over his face, Liam glanced at the sky, wishing he had the words to tell her everything that was going on inside him. “Your mom is very sick, and I have so many good memories with her that I hope she’s here long enough to make great ones with you.” He pointed to her chest, and Liam’s throat closed up as his eyes filled with tears.
“Why won’t she be around? I thought the doctors were going to do surgery and then she would just need to rest for a while. Where would she go if she’s not around?”
Pulling her back against his chest, Liam wasn’t sure how to answer those kinds of questions. “I’m not sure, Cari. We’ll just see where we’re at for the next few months.”
She seemed to be okay with that because she moved out of his grasp and started skipping down the road. Liam watched as she walked so similarly to his sister that she could have passed for Kara thirty years ago.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out. Seeing the number of the hospital made his heart skip a beat. “Hello, this is Liam Pearson.”
“Liam, this is Dr. Marcy. We got some tests back on your sister, and this is worse than we thought it would be. The cancer metastasized into several other organs, including her liver and one kidney. Can you come right away? We need to go over a game plan of how we want to take this on.” She paused on the line. “I apologize that we didn’t give you this news sooner. The specialist has been out until today and just looked at the exam results.”
Liam’s brain had to process all of that b
efore he said, “Yes. I’ll be right there.”
After hanging up, he picked up Cari and threw her over his shoulder, jogging the last few houses to home.
“Why are you running? What’s wrong with my mom?” Cari giggled and looked up at him with curious eyes as he finally put her down.
Shaking his head, Liam said, “The doctors just need to talk to us about some things they found on your mom’s tests. I need to change, and then we’ll drive over and see your mommy. How does that sound?”
Cari nodded, mumbling something about what she could take to her mother. As Liam thought about the conversation, he realized how important it was to keep the panic he felt inside him, not wanting to distress his niece. He could only imagine the outcomes now. They would be doing surgery on the tumors in her leg, but how had they not caught the ones in her kidney and liver until now? How could things change so quickly?
Liam raced downstairs after pulling on a comfortable pair of jeans and a maroon t-shirt, already feeling more comfortable than he had in the black suit he’d been wearing. He took the stairs two at a time and grabbed a small bag of cheese crackers for Cari to munch on during the drive. She’d need food since it was nearing dinner time, but Liam wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible, hoping to get rid of the anxiety packing itself together tighter and tighter like a snowball.
Before putting the car into drive, Liam sent a text to Colton, knowing he probably wouldn’t get it until later that evening.
It’s Kara. I’m sorry about the speech.
He pulled out, trying to go a normal speed, when a text sounded. Pressing the button on his screen, the car read him the text as he weaved down the road leading down to the highway.
No worries. I’ll make sure it gets taken care of.
In his mind, Liam said a prayer that everything would turn out. He just hoped it wasn’t too late for his sister to recover from this.
Chapter 14
Danielle was exhausted but happy for her best friend. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the scene, and she smiled at the support Becca had after all the tragedies she’d suffered in her life. This town really was better off for knowing Rebecca Taylor, now Maxfield, but she had been shaped by each of them over the past several years as well.
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