His palms were sweaty. His heart raced. There was no going back from this. When his nerve nearly failed him, he summoned an image of Lulu in his bed...screaming, as she had once promised him in jest. Hearing her groan his name when she came was one of the highlights of his life.
Hell. His body tightened. It was too late to remember that he needed a haircut. In an ill-fated attempt to tame his rumpled look, he scraped two hands through his hair.
By the time he made it to the diner, his forehead was damp. Couldn’t blame the weather. It was Kace who was a mess.
He was a very private man as a rule. Lulu lived her life, at least for the moment, under the ever-watchful eye of the cameras. Being a reality TV star meant little privacy during the day.
Thankfully, there had been zero witnesses when Kace had taken her to bed. Not that he was ashamed of what they were doing. Oh no. But certain things were sacred between a man and a woman. To his relief, Lulu had been equally discreet, working with him to hide their rendezvous from the ever-present cameras that followed her everywhere.
As he opened the door of the diner, he met the gaze of the cameraman, Sam, who was already set up to film the women as they entered the eatery. His cohort, Henry, would be bringing up the rear of the group, so there would be plenty of different shots to build an episode.
Sam grinned and gave Kace a thumbs-up.
Kace managed to nod and tried not to puke. He hated the limelight. This entire endeavor was supposed to show his luscious Lulu that he was meeting her on her terms.
The regular folks in the diner had obviously perked up when they saw Sam. You would think after all this time that Royal’s citizens would be sick of having snippets of their lives show up on TV, but they all seemed to be enjoying the notoriety, even now.
The door swung open, and the cameras started to roll. Rafaela was first, of course. She was invariably intent on capturing the most screen time. Her raison d’être was fame, and her biggest concern was how the Secret Lives show was going to propel her to the big-time.
Next was party girl Zooey, and then Seraphina, who was Lulu’s best friend and the fiancée of local rancher and former war hero Clint Rockwell. Kace had briefly entertained bringing Fee in on the secret, but she and Lulu were tight. He wasn’t sure the other woman could keep quiet.
Miranda was the only ex-wife missing. She had been kind of busy lately with real-life drama.
Finally, the woman he wanted to see breezed in. She was wearing tight black leather pants, five-inch stilettos and a tangerine sweater that emphasized her bountiful breasts.
Kace was hard instantly.
When she saw him, her ever-ready confidence faltered. “Kace. What are you doing here?” She stepped in front of him, obviously trying to shield him from the cameras.
He slid his hands beneath her hair, tilted her head to one side and put his lips on hers, tasting the seam of her mouth, probing for entry. When he’d kissed her quite thoroughly, he finally pulled back. “Hi,” he said huskily.
Lulu was completely thrown off stride. She pulled back and glanced over her shoulder, making a slashing motion with one hand, telling the cameras to stop rolling. Sam and Henry ignored her.
Her gorgeous almond-shaped eyes widened as Kace grabbed her a second time.
“I haven’t seen you in two days,” he complained. “I’ve missed you.”
Lulu melted into him for a full thirty seconds, moaning quietly as he let her know how much he had missed her. But this time she broke free, agitated now.
“They’re filming us,” she hissed urgently. “Let’s slip out the back, and we can talk.”
“I don’t want to slip out the back,” Kace said stubbornly. “It doesn’t matter who’s watching.” One glance told him that Sam and Henry were ready.
Kace went down on one knee and pulled a sapphire velvet box from his pocket. He flipped open the lid, exposing the large, flawless solitaire he had picked out. “Lulu Shephard, will you marry me?”
A unison gasp swept around the diner. Lulu’s costars uncharacteristically held back from displaying any drama, their expressions wobbling between awe and envy and delight.
Lulu put her hands to her cheeks, tears glistening, threatening to spill over. “Are you crazy?” she whispered. “You’re a by-the-book lawyer. I’m a reality TV star.”
He got to his feet, still holding the box. “Don’t cry, Lu, my sweet girl. You’ll ruin your makeup.” Using his fingertip, he gathered her tears carefully and wiped them on his pants leg. “This is our big moment. Editing can only do so much,” he chuckled.
Lulu sucked in a breath. “I can’t believe you’re doing this, especially right now.”
“Romance is in the air this weekend,” he said. “I wanted in on the excitement. Lulu, my love, you’re the piece of my life I never knew was missing. You make me laugh. You make me want your insanely hot body. You make me proud to know you. Say you’ll marry me, Lulu. Say you’ll be my wife till death do us part. Say you want me, too. Please.”
From a few feet away, Fee’s excited voice called out encouragement. “Say yes, Lulu. Do it.”
Everything in the room blurred and went still. All Kace could see was his lover’s face. “Do you love me, Lulu? Will you wear this ring and make me a happy man?”
His larger-than-life, vulnerable-beneath-the-surface sweetheart wiggled her hand in front of his face. “Yes, yes, yes!” she cried. “Oh my gosh, I’m engaged.” Her beaming smile could have powered a small city.
Kace slipped the beautiful ring on the third finger of her left hand. He leaned close to her ear, dropping his voice so that even the powerful mics couldn’t eavesdrop on his words. “No take-backs, Lulu. This is for now and for always. I’m never letting you go.”
When she kissed him, he forgot the cameras were recording. He forgot he liked an orderly, dignified life. Everything he had ever wanted was right here in his arms.
According to the networks, there was no such thing as too much good TV, but eventually, the diner manager cleared his throat loudly. “Um, break it up, you two. We’ve got customers waiting on their orders.”
Kace and Lulu stepped back from each other sheepishly and grinned. Her smile faltered. “I love you, too, Kace. I’m sorry I said lawyers lacked a sense of humor and had no talent for joy in their lives. I was wrong.”
“Actually,” he muttered, “you didn’t say that about all lawyers...just me.”
“Oh, lordy.” Her expression was mortified. “Are you always going to remember every mean thing I say?”
“Probably. But don’t worry, sweetheart. You can make it up to me later. In bed,” he clarified, just in case she wasn’t paying attention.
One of the townspeople shouted encouragement. “Kiss her again, LeBlanc.”
“Don’t mind if I do...”
Sixteen
Brie looked in the rearview mirror to make sure Danika was doing okay. Of all days, Nika had chosen today to nap longer than usual. Brie was forced to wake her up at four, which was guaranteed to put her daughter in a grumpy mood.
Now, the little girl had a sippy cup of water and a bag of animal crackers in her lap and seemed to be content, at least for the moment. The rehearsal was at six. Which meant Nika’s dinner would be late. Brie was trying to ward off a meltdown.
When they got to Blackwood Hollow, Brie followed directions Vaughn had sent in a text. Two huge white tents stood against the indigo of an early-evening sky. One was set up for the rehearsal dinner, the second for the ceremony itself—hundreds of chairs and a very long center aisle.
Brie had her doubts about being able to coax her daughter all the way to the front, much less throw petals the way she was supposed to, but Sophie was dead set on having her niece play a part, so whatever happened would happen.
One glance at her watch told Brie she had timed her arrival as closely as possible. She lifte
d the hatch of her little car, stripped Danika down in the back and quickly dressed her in a cute, comfortable sundress. Sophie’s wedding director would have the basket of rose petals. Fake ones for tonight, and the real deal for tomorrow.
Vaughn met her at the back of the tent. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the sight of them. “I was getting worried.”
“We’re here,” she said, squeezing his hand.
He bent to pick up Danika. “How’s my little girl?”
As Brie watched, openmouthed, Nika cuddled up to Vaughn’s shoulder and giggled when he pretended to tickle her tummy. Father and daughter had been spending time together, but Vaughn hadn’t been by the house in several days. Brie was surprised by her daughter’s openness. Pleasantly so.
Sophie joined them, vibrating with excitement. “We’re about to start. Do I look okay?”
Vaughn kissed his sister’s cheek. “You look gorgeous. Is everyone here?”
“One of the groomsmen is on a delayed flight, but we have a stand-in.”
The director scurried over. “Ms. Blackwood? I’m ready if you are.”
After that, it was controlled chaos. The bridesmaids and groomsmen practiced processing in and walking out. An eight-piece orchestra played “Pachelbel’s Canon” over and over.
The adults decided not to wear out the flower girl, so only when the rest of the bridal party was sure of their parts did the director turn to Danika. “Okay, little lady. It’s time for you to walk in front of the bride.”
The plan was for Kellan and Vaughn to flank their sister on either side going down the aisle. But already Danika was showing signs of being overwhelmed by the setting and all the strangers.
Brie and Sophie both talked to her, but it was Vaughn who saved the day. He squatted in front of his daughter and spoke to her at eye level with a gentle smile. “Here’s what I’ll do, Nika.” He pointed toward the length of the ivory satin runner. “I’ll sit on the end of that aisle way up there and you can walk to me. How about that? And you can drop the flowers while you’re coming to meet me.”
Something in the tone of his voice or in his words reassured the not-quite two-year-old. Brie’s heart melted at the interaction between father and child. She didn’t know Vaughn had it in him.
Sophie and Kellan quickly moved into position. Vaughn loped to the front of the tent. The director gave a wave to the orchestra, who started playing once again.
Brie handed Danika her basket and gave her a little nudge. “Go to Mr. V. He’s waiting for you.”
As Brie watched, fingers crossed, Nika started walking and tossing flower petals as if she had been doing it her entire life. Sophie began to cry sentimental tears. Kellan gave her a handkerchief.
It took a while. But the bride was in no hurry.
Eventually, the woman of the hour and her hesitant petal tosser made it into position in front of the minister. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
After a quick conference with the bride, the director deemed the rehearsal satisfactory.
Vaughn hoisted Nika on his shoulders and came back to where Brie was standing. “How did it look from back here?”
“Perfect. Charming. Now, if she’ll only do it tomorrow.”
Vaughn grinned. “I have faith in her.”
Brie lifted Danika down from her perch and took her daughter’s hand. “I’ve got her dinner in the car. As soon as I feed her, I have a friend who is going to swap cars with me and take her home so I can stay for the rest of the evening.”
Vaughn frowned. “A friend?”
“A college student home on spring break, actually. I’ve known her and her parents for a long time. Tabitha will put Nika to bed and stay with her until I get home.”
“How do we know she’s trustworthy?”
It was Brie’s turn to smile. “Good grief, Vaughn. I’m not sending my only child home with a stranger. Tabitha knows Nika and me. And I know her. She’s as good as it gets when it comes to babysitters. Nika will be fine.”
Seventeen
Vaughn didn’t like it, but he could see the sense in Brie’s plan. There was no way a two-year-old could make it through a long, fancy dinner. Instead, Danika was soon settled, eating a cheese sandwich, enjoying the novelty of being perched in the back of the car and, at the same time, ignoring the adults.
“Okay. If you’ve got this covered, I’m going to go back in and talk to Sophie. Apparently my big-hearted sister has invited the stepwitch to the rehearsal dinner, God knows why.”
Brie stared at him oddly. “Well, Blackwood Hollow is Miranda’s home now. And she’s been kind enough to let Sophie have her wedding here. I really don’t see what you have against Miranda, Vaughn. It’s not her fault that your father made that crazy will.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like her.” His chest tightened, thinking about the injustice of it all.
Brie leaned against the car, hands propped behind her. She studied his face. “Is it so terribly hard to be back here at Blackwood Hollow?”
He thought about it. So far today, he’d been running on adrenaline. Now he gave the question serious consideration. “Yes and no,” he said slowly. “This is the first time since the will reading for me. I don’t know about the others. There are plenty of bad memories here—but there are good ones, too. I like remembering Mom when she wasn’t sick. When she was happy and productive and all of us kids were running around. Those were good days.”
“Isn’t that why Sophie wanted the wedding here? To remember your past and honor your mom?”
“Yes.”
“So maybe Sophie is grateful to Miranda for making that possible.”
“I suppose.” He glanced over his shoulder at the tents and made a snap decision. “If Miranda is here, I don’t want to miss our chance to establish Danika’s claim to the inheritance.” He reached in his pocket. “Here. Put this on.”
Brie’s expression was not what he had anticipated. She seemed both shocked and horrified, if that were possible.
“This was one of my mother’s rings,” he said. “We want this engagement to look like the real deal.” Since Brie was making no move to take the heavy piece of jewelry, he slid it onto her finger. “I want you to keep it when this is all over. The stone will look good with your eyes.” Donna-Leigh Blackwood had been a stunner in her day. The engagement ring was a huge, perfectly rectangular aquamarine surrounded by a rim of sparkling diamonds.
Brie seemed stricken, or something. He couldn’t read her. “I can’t keep this,” she said. “It’s far too valuable, not to mention impractical for a vet to wear to work.”
“It will be Danika’s someday. Wear it. Don’t wear it. But tonight, it’s important.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to get back over there and see what’s going on.”
Brie nodded, her expression unreadable. “I’ll text you when I’m heading back inside.”
Vaughn strode away from the two females, feeling out of sorts. In his heart, he had thought Brie would be happy to wear his mother’s ring, even if for only a short while. Instead, he had the distinct impression he had insulted her.
Women. No wonder he had stayed away from entanglements all these years. They were too much trouble.
When he rejoined the bridal group, everyone had moved from the tent where the ceremony was to take place into the second tent that had been set up for a lavish dinner of prime rib and all the accoutrements. The spread looked amazing. But no one seemed to be in charge of crowd control.
The Brits were obviously flagging. They hadn’t been here long enough yet to be over their jet lag, and it was late back in England. By contrast, all the bridesmaids and groomsmen were laughing and talking and enjoying the open bar.
Vaughn found Sophie, Nigel and Kellan. “I think everyone is hungry. Why don’t we get them seated so the servers can begin?”
Nigel nodded. “I
ndeed.” He put his fingers to his lips and gave a loud, perfect whistle.
The crowd stilled instantly. Nigel waved a hand. “Find your place cards, ladies and gentlemen. The meal is about to begin. Thank you for joining us this evening.”
With that taken care of, Vaughn took Sophie’s hand. “Is Miranda really here?”
Sophie’s gaze narrowed. “You will not cause a scene, Vaughn Blackwood. This is my wedding weekend.”
“Not to worry. I’ll be good as gold. I just need to tell her something.”
Sophie pursed her lips. “And you might as well know, Kace is with her.”
“Kace?” Vaughn scowled. “Why? Isn’t he newly engaged to that Lulu person?”
Nigel intervened. “Come on, old chap. Lighten up. This is a party. No one is going to upset my angel.”
“Sorry,” Vaughn muttered.
In that instant, Brie appeared. As she approached from a distance, Vaughn’s heart kicked in his chest. He’d been so focused on his master plan and Miranda, he hadn’t stopped to appreciate how damned beautiful Brie looked.
She had worn her hair down tonight, masses of golden waves that framed her face and made her look both appealing and vulnerable. The gown she wore was dressy but perfect for an outdoor event—a frothy confection of royal blue and silver tulle over satin. The bodice was fitted at the waist, where the dress fanned out in a full skirt that stopped just above her knees. When he glanced at her hand, he saw that she hadn’t removed the ring.
The jolt of pleasure he got from seeing the ring on her finger was concerning. Why should he care that his mark of possession was on her hand? It wasn’t as if any of this was real.
A tiny voice inside his head told him it could be. Real, that was. Real and permanent and life changing.
It was that last bit that worried him the most. He liked his life. Didn’t he? Why tinker with something that had been working extremely well? This deal with McCready was a perfect example of why Vaughn was so successful. He knew how to negotiate and when to step back.
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