The Lost Groom: Bachelor Billionaire Romance (A Park City Firefighter Companion)

by Taylor Hart

She laughed and found him leading her into more complicated steps. She had always loved dancing, but hadn’t done it for a long, long time. She mis stepped and ended up on his foot, then laughed. “I’m sorry, I don’t know this dance very well.”

  Clark only tightened his hold on her and widened his eyes. “Don’t worry. Hold tight and I’ll get us through.” He winked.

  She couldn’t believe she was really liking Clark Fable.

  The song ended and another began. “Do you want to dance again?” Clark asked hesitantly.

  She nodded. “I guess you’re like your namesake?”

  “Who?”

  “Clark Gable?”

  Registering understanding, he nodded. “Well, I guess so. I haven’t thought much about that.”

  “Really? Your last name rhymes.”

  “Right.” He shrugged. “The kids have a different nickname for me.”

  Interested, she squinted at him. “And what is that?”

  He blew her off. “Naw, it’s nothing.”

  She smiled at him. It was interesting to her that she fell so easily into conversation with Clark. “C’mon. I’ll only dance if I know your nickname.”

  He sighed. “Really?”

  “Out with it.”

  He blushed. “Superman.”

  She frowned.

  He shook his head. “I know, it’s ridiculous. Obviously, it’s just a joke.”

  She smiled, liking this man more and more because he was clearly a bit embarrassed by it. “Well, I guess it’s Superman, then.”

  “No.” He put up his hand. “Superman isn’t real, and I’m real … I’m Clark.”

  Warmth spread through her. “So,” she started. “How do you like coaching?”

  He nodded. “It’s good, I guess I’m one of those half-insane people who dedicate their lives to watching kids run wind sprints for four months of the year. But it’s mostly good.”

  She smiled, thinking how crazy football season had been when she was in high school. “Yeah, the fans around here are intense.”

  Letting out a breath, he nodded. “Yeah, the past couple of years we’ve done pretty well, but the first two I was head coach we ended up losing five straight games. I thought the town would string me up.”

  “Hoosiers.” She nodded.

  “Gene Hackman, exactly.” There was a faraway look in his eyes. “My wife and I …” He trailed off, his nostrils flaring for a second, and shook his head. “Sorry.”

  “Why? It’s normal to talk about someone who was part of your life for eight years.”

  Clark lifted his eyebrows. “Looks like your mom filled you in, too.”

  She let out a light laugh. “Yep, she did.”

  “Well, why don’t you fill me in on all the details your mom didn’t tell me about you.”

  Just when she found herself to the point she was ready to open up, she saw him move up next to Clark. Luke. She froze.

  Luke didn’t freeze. He’d pasted on a grand smile, the kind a king might wear, and she guessed he was the king here. “Excuse me, can I cut in?”

  Clark looked surprised, then backed away. “Ah, sure, I guess.”

  Savannah held tighter to Clark’s hand. “No.” She stared at Luke, and all the weird psychotic energy that seemed to follow them around snapped across her nerves. All the anger and pain started to push to the surface. “No, you can’t cut in, Luke.”

  7

  Luke stared at Savannah and felt his political face slipping. The woman was infuriating. Letting out a breath, he nodded to Savannah and moved away. All the nervous energy that had been between them since the marina kiss a few days ago wound up tightly inside of him, like a damaged electrical cord.

  The MC tapped the microphone. “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. Let me introduce Damon and Samantha Freestone. They will now take the dance floor for their first dance as man and wife. We ask you to let them have this dance; then you can join in on the next one.”

  Luke paused on the edges of the crowd and watched Damon and Samantha glide onto the floor. His chest eased a bit. It had been a wonderful day, despite Savannah. Damon was happy; Luke could see it in his eyes. It made him indescribably happy that he could host the wedding at his home. It just felt right to have his brother back, staying and living in Park City. It’d been a year of healing and fun with his brothers. Having them all together had filled places inside of Luke he hadn’t realized he needed filled.

  Before trying to get Savannah to dance with him, he’d taken Nick back to a guest room and gotten him comfortable, given him a pain pill and helped him change. Nick was wiped out. Luke had left him, telling him he would be around to check on him.

  The wedding had been good, even great. He thought of the pictures they’d taken with all the brothers, then with Sam’s sisters. He really did feel like he was part of a family again.

  His eyes went back to Savannah. She was talking and laughing with Clark Fable. Yes, he’d found out who it was. Done his research, looked him up on the internet. It unnerved him they were having a first date in his backyard. He clenched his fist, then ordered himself to relax. The left top part of his eye twitched, and he reached up to still it. This was what happened when he hadn’t slept well in a couple of days; he would get that stupid twitch.

  Luke thought of the research he’d done on Savannah. He’d been impressed by her website. It appeared she’d started the company a couple of years ago and grown it slowly. She had testimonials, including the Texas Oil Tycoon guy. It even made him smile to see different couples on the page with their words of how much Savannah’s techniques had helped bring them together.

  A matchmaker. It felt kind of cheesy, but it fit her.

  Of course, he’d noticed a million things she could change on her website to grow her company. Even though he didn’t try to think about it, he could set her up with a team of people who could really help her expand, help her learn techniques for outsourcing some of the things she was clearly doing herself. He’d probably never have the chance to tell her.

  Unable to stop himself, he turned back to look at her, picking out the blue dress she was wearing in the crowd. Her hair was piled on top of her head, with wisps coming down, curling around her face. Gorgeous. Striking. Her pale skin against the blue looked amazing.

  All he could think about was the last night before he’d left on his internship. It’d been a first for both of them. He’d never regretted it, but it more than hurt when he found out she was marrying Sean. Now, as he thought of the marina and that kiss, the familiar fire inside of him from years ago reignited.

  The song ended. He watched Damon and Sam kiss. The audience clapped.

  The MC got on the microphone. “Please, feel free to join in, everybody.”

  It was a compulsion, really. He couldn’t not look at Savannah.

  “Psst.”

  Luke jumped.

  Damon stood next to him, laughing. “Man, you’re concentrating hard, bro.”

  Luke noticed Sam was dancing with one of Damon’s firefighter brothers. “Don’t do that,” he warned Damon, but he couldn’t help but smile. Damon was right—he was all wound up.

  Damon stared at Savannah. He let out a low whistle. “She’s pretty, man. She’s all grown up since the last time I saw her.”

  Luke relaxed, crossing his arms and not caring that he was staring at her. “She turned me down for a dance.”

  “What?”

  “I told you, you should have uninvited her.” Luke knew he sounded like a spoiled brat, but he couldn’t stop himself.

  Damon let out a low chuckle. “Man, this is funny.” Damon slapped him on the shoulder and hooted out a laugh. “Luke Freestone gets turned down.” He coughed and looked around a bit embarrassed at his outbreak. Some of the other people around them had turned to look at Damon.

  Luke glared at him. “Guess you would think I couldn’t handle it because of my narcissist ways,” he said bitingly.

  “Stop.” Damon sighed. “Look, I never should ha
ve said that.”

  Luke ignored him.

  “I just wanted you to quit with your control freak ways.”

  “Right. Nick mentioned that the other day. Did you guys ever think that, what I prefer to call self-actualizing ways, are what gets things done? Hmm? Construction companies formed. Cases won. Wedding receptions planned?”

  Damon rolled his eyes. “Just … stop. You need to breathe, man.”

  “What, are you my shrink now?”

  “You need one.” Damon scoffed.

  Luke glared at him.

  “But we all do, so don’t worry about it.” Damon pinched the bridge of his nose for a second, then pulled his hand back. “Look, I was going to come over here and thank you for the wonderful wedding, and I blew it.”

  “Yeah, you did.” Luke didn’t feel like giving an inch.

  Damon grabbed a glass of water that was coming past them on a tray and gulped it down. “Ha. C’mon, Luke. You’re kinda the top dog around here. I can’t think of a woman who would turn you down. So it’s funny.”

  Luke averted his eyes back to Savannah, who was smiling and dancing with the stupid high school coach.

  “He’s a nice guy, too. Did you know the fans call him Superman?” Damon spoke conspiratorially into Luke’s ear. “A real catch.”

  Distaste pulsed through him. “I’ve heard.”

  “Hey, listen. I have faith in you, bro.”

  Luke felt himself relax a bit. “What does that mean?”

  “It means even though you seem to have a butt load of crap between you and this woman, the way you’ve been broodily looking at her through my entire wedding—yes, I noticed—I can’t help but think you have some kind of plan, right? That’s you. The plan guy. The five-year, check-the-box guy.” Damon glanced at Luke’s expression, then did a double take. “Oh my gosh, you don’t.”

  Luke thought of everything he’d done in his life, everything he’d gotten to or through. Their father’s death. College. Law school. Taking over his father’s firm. The business. Expansion. Damon was right; he had a plan at every turn. Even this deal on the horizon would be another checkmark in his plan to become a billionaire. Turning back to Savannah had never been in his plan. She’d taken herself out of his plan a long, long time ago.

  “Dude, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you caught by surprise like this—well, except when I came home last year.” He grinned at him and put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “But you got through it.”

  Luke didn’t know if he should feel comforted or want to punch him.

  Damon must have sensed this, because he laughed loudly. Luke could tell Damon was especially happy tonight. He was on the brink of jovial. He deserved to be, but still. “Dude, just leave already,” Luke grumbled.

  Damon snorted. “The Luke Freestone I know wouldn’t be sitting on the edges licking his wounds. The one I know would be making a plan. Or at least getting some closure. This chick has knocked you out of your game, my friend, and that’s not a good thing.”

  He shook his head, feeling uncertain. “Naw, I don’t think so, bro.”

  “What?” Damon frowned at him.

  He shook his head, pulling in a long breath. “I don’t need this drama. She made her choice a long time ago. And it was over. Why should I care?” Yes, these words made him feel stronger. “I mean, I’m good. Great. I have everything I want in life.” He turned to Damon. “I’m about to make a billion dollar deal, right?”

  Damon didn’t speak for a second, then shook his head, a look of disgust washing over his face. “Dude, is that where you have to go? Back to the money … to prove yourself?”

  Instant anger filled him. “Shut up.” If it wasn’t his wedding, Luke might clock him right now.

  A soft laugh escaped Damon’s lips. “Suck it up and deal with your crap. I don’t know what you went through with her, but I can see you’re clearly not over it.”

  Luke just stared at him, unable to even make a comeback.

  “You deserve closure.” Damon tapped him on the shoulder.

  Luke yanked back. “Just walk away.”

  Damon let out a long breath. “Look, I’m sorry. Thank you. For all of this.”

  Luke didn’t respond.

  Damon sighed. “If I don’t talk with you before we leave on our honeymoon, take care of Nick while I’m gone.”

  8

  How dare he try to cut in?

  Savannah could feel the way Luke stared at her while she danced for another good twenty minutes with Clark. She ignored it. She ignored the desire to turn and flip him the bird. She ignored the fact that now every snippet of conversation between her and Clark didn’t matter. She would never remember it. All she could think about was Luke at the moment.

  How dare he try to cut in tonight? How dare he kiss her the other day? The more she didn’t want to think about it, the angrier she found herself getting for the way he’d just planted one on her that day.

  Finally, the song ended, and she told Clark she better find her parents and get going.

  “Please.” Clark kept her hand in his, not letting go. “One more?” He flashed a smile. “Or we could go someplace else?”

  No, it would not suit her to go someplace else. She saw the intensity in the man’s eyes and worried she led him on too much already. She was not here for a relationship or a summer thing or any type of thing. “No.”

  She was edgy. More edgy than before. She knew herself—if she tried to stay and play pretend for much longer, she would blow it. This past year, she couldn’t hide her emotions for very long. She paused politely and looked at her hand, which he abruptly let go of. “Thank you, Clark. It was really nice to meet you.”

  “Wait, can I afford you as a matchmaker?”

  She knew the question wasn’t about having her finding a match for him; it was about dating her. She shook her head, feeling confused by all of her emotions surrounding Luke. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  “But…” he looked confused.

  “I’m sorry.” She repeated, turning and walking away quickly. She rushed through the crowd of people on the dance floor and then wove her way up the stairs of the deck, searching frantically for her parents.

  “They’re gone.”

  She jumped, not expecting anyone.

  Luke stood at the top of the stairs, leaning over the balcony a couple of steps away from her.

  “Oh.” She put her hand to her chest, a bit out of sorts. She thought Luke was still down on the edges of the dance floor.

  He lifted his brows and took a sip from a bottle of water. “Your mother took the liberty of shaking my hand and then informing me of how great she thought you and Clark looked together, didn’t I agree?”

  All kinds of explosions were going on inside of her. Dang, Luke Freestone looked good. His deep, aqua-blue eyes, his shaved-on-the-sides hair, a bit of a five-o’clock shadow. The necktie on his tux was loosened. “Oh,” was the only word she could muster out.

  He snorted. “I’m sure Superman will take you home.” He gestured toward the dance floor. “Looks like he’s searching for you right now.”

  Savannah turned and saw Clark looking around, holding his phone out. She wished she wouldn’t have left her phone. She wondered if her mother had left on purpose, so she’d have to get a ride with Clark. She didn’t want to go home with Clark, though. It would start to feel like a date, and she didn’t want that. She felt a bit light-headed and stumbled back.

  He narrowed his eyes. “When was the last time you’ve eaten?”

  Savannah had always had a problem getting too sucked into her day to remember to eat sometimes. It had been a thing, even as a kid. A couple of times, when they’d been younger, she’d passed out. “I’m fine.”

  He frowned at her. “You don’t look fine.”

  “I’m fine. I just need to get home.” She insisted.

  Giving her an appraising look, Luke cocked an eyebrow. “Hmm, if I had to guess, I’d say you haven’t eaten all day and you actually
don’t want to be taken home by him.”

  Ignoring Luke, she moved out of range for Clark to see her, heading into the house, searching for someone who would let her use their phone and call her mother. Or Beth.

  Dang it, where was Beth?

  “What do you need, Savannah?” Luke was next to her. She couldn’t get away from him, in her mind or in physical presence.

  “Nothing.” She was flustered; she had to get out of here.

  “Do you want me to take you home?” he demanded quietly.

  Her heart rate pounded, and she didn’t want that. She looked for Beth. “Have you seen my sister?”

  “No.”

  They stood there, staring at each other. It was wild and intense, the way it had been between them since they’d both realized they’d had feelings for each other senior year during the Sadie Hawkins dance. After that night they’d been inseparable. Until he’d broken her heart.

  “You shouldn’t have kissed me.” She said, hating that her voice shook as she said the words.

  His eyes narrowed.

  “You shouldn’t have.” She insisted.

  Looking her up and down, he seemed to be deciding something. “I shouldn’t have done a lot of things.”

  Raw, vulnerable, out of control was how she felt around Luke. She turned. “I’m leaving.”

  But he suddenly cut in front of her, grabbing her arm. “Wait, I need to talk to you.”

  “No.” She said reflexively.

  “I need closure.” He took a step closer to her, and she felt the edges of passion between them. “I deserve closure.”

  She remembered the passion she’d tasted in his arms the other day at the marina. She shook her head. “Oh, I think when you told me things were over ten years ago … that was enough closure.”

  He took her hand. “You owe me.”

  This was rich. She yanked her hand back. “I don’t owe you anything.” It was crazy how she’d been feeling guilty again, since Beth had asked if she’d told him the truth. Did she owe him for not telling him about the pregnancy?

  Right then, two tall, leggy blondes encircled Luke, each taking an arm. “Oh, Lukey.” One eased her finger forward and rubbed his lips. “We’ve missed you.”