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

by Taylor Hart

  The thought enticed her. Could she help him? Luke? The man she’d loved. Who had broken her heart? The man she’d never told the truth to. Looking at his hands on hers, she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt and quickly pulled her hands back. Then she laughed. “This must be my punishment,” she said softly.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  "Will you help me oh famous match maker?”

  The idea that she could help him. That somehow … helping him would make everything right. Maybe it could fix the past … enticed her.

  Maybe it could be her redemption?

  “Just for the summer.” He nodded. “I’ll pay your rate and if it doesn’t work out by the end of the summer, you can still go to California.”

  It could make up for all of it. She smiled and knew her father would probably have the perfect quote for this moment. “Okay.”

  “Really?” With visible effort, he collected himself. “I mean, great. Yes. Perfect. When can you start?”

  This was crazy. “Tomorrow. We’ll get to work finding some women you can date.”

  He smiled, then shook his head. “No, no, no. Not to date. Savannah, I want you to find me a wife.”

  13

  “Wake up, bro.”

  The feel of something hard hit his gut and Luke jerked to a sitting position, making the plastic pool chair shake beneath him. He squinted, and a jarring pain twinged in his neck. He remembered falling asleep out by his pool. He’d swum laps, then collapsed onto the chair, not wanting to try and sleep, too amped up after she’d agreed.

  He was still in shock.

  Nick guffawed. “Dude, do you regularly sleep out on the deck? Is that what billionaires do these days, sleep by the pool?”

  Luke sat all the way up. “I’m not a billionaire yet.”

  Nick tossed Luke’s pants at him. “Man, put on some pants.”

  “You’re supposed to be an invalid, remember?”

  With a snort, Nick said, “We have church, remember?”

  Luke stood, but didn’t bother with putting pants over his swimsuit. He moved past Nick and didn’t let him get in the way of his good mood. He juked to pretend he was going to throw Nick in.

  Nick flinched. “Hey.”

  “Yeah, you better get out of the way.” Had he really done what he thought he’d done last night?

  Luke rushed into the house, wondering at the fact it felt like he had a hangover, but he hadn’t had anything to drink last night. He went to the sink, got out a cup, and sucked down a couple of glasses of water. Dehydration. Probably from all the swimming last night.

  He took a banana off the counter and ate it on the way to the bathroom. Savannah’s face was the only thing he could see.

  Honestly, he didn’t want to go to church, but he knew there was no way he could convince Nick of anything else. It was a thing. A tradition. At least, it had been since Damon had come home. A thing they did together and then ate dinner together after. It was nice.

  No, it was more than that. It had actually been the thing that had precipitated the change in his life this past year. The thing that had caused him to quit all the serial dating and begin really thinking about a future. He wanted to believe there might be more to life then just … the next deal.

  Luke got into the shower and washed quickly, unable to wipe the smile off his face. Savannah was his matchmaker? Donning his clothes quickly, he rushed out to meet Nick in the car.

  After they got to the church, Nick turned to him, perplexed. “What are you smiling about?”

  “Shh.” Luke grinned at him, then pointed to the priest at the front.

  Nick frowned, but paid attention.

  It was to Luke’s surprise and complete horror that he saw Savannah coming into Mass with her parents … and the guy. Superman. Whoever. Once she sat, her eyes met his, then averted to the priest.

  His heart beat rapidly and he wanted to punch Superman’s face.

  Nick nudged him. “What’s wrong?”

  He only shook his head and went through the motions of Mass. He didn’t feel anything.

  Halfway through, Nick turned to him and gave him a killer look that said “pay attention.” Luke only gave him a blank stare.

  By the time they left church, he didn’t even do the nicety of waiting for Nick as he limped along. He rushed to his car, not wanting to have a confrontation with Savannah. He was playing the part of being her friend, but he knew he couldn’t control himself if he had to be polite with her or her parents, and least of all him.

  “Dude, what is your problem?” Nick asked when he got into the car and shut his music off.

  Luke elbowed him in the shoulder.

  “Ouch.”

  “Don’t touch my music.” He turned it back on and backed out, getting on the main drag way too quickly.

  “Hey, slow down. If you get a ticket I’m not going to get your pretty face out of it.”

  Luke ignored him. Had he made the right decision, asking Savannah to find him a wife? Anger surged as he thought of Clark sitting next to her—that wasn’t according to his plan. What if she was dating at the same time he was dating and then she fell in love with Superman?

  They got on the highway and Luke decided to take the long way to his property. After five minutes of Nick giving him a cold stare, Nick finally turned the music off again. By this time, Luke had resigned himself to tell him.

  “What?” Nick demanded. “And you’d better tell me why you think you get to act this way or I’m leaving. I don’t care if I need help cleaning the wound, I’ll ask someone who isn’t ticked off every second.”

  So Luke told him.

  All of it.

  Not even stopping when they got back to his garage and pulled in and cut the engine.

  When he was done, Nick’s eyes got wide and he ran a hand through his hair. “So wait, you asked the woman who married your best friend ten years ago to help find you a wife?”

  Luke laughed bitterly. “I want to get to know her again.”

  Nick shook his head. “I don’t get it.” He got out.

  Giving him a look that said you’re an idiot, Luke got out and moved to the garage door. “It was the only way I could figure out how to spend time with her.”

  Nick followed him. “She married your best friend ten years ago.” His tone had taken on an edge to it.

  Luke moved to the fridge and threw it open. “I know.”

  Nick let out a long sigh. “I don’t like it.”

  Luke turned to him. “What do you mean?”

  Nick shook his head. “You may not realize it, but she messed you up a long time ago, bro.”

  It wasn’t in Nick’s nature to get upset.

  Luke took a drink. Then dismissed Nick’s concerns. “That was ten years ago. And, it was complicated.”

  “How?” Nick demanded.

  “I dumped her, before I left for London.”

  Nick sized him up, then shook his head. “Oh…wow.”

  Neither of them spoke for a few seconds.

  Luke sighed. “I want to try this, I want—”

  “Why?” Nick demanded. “Obviously, she got over it, married your best friend.”

  It was endearing, really, to see his brother act so protective. “You don’t get it.”

  Nick pointed at him. “Hey, I saw you lose it after they got married. In fact, I think that’s when you started ‘serial dating.’” His brother air quoted.

  Luke waved a hand into the air. “I know what I’m doing, Nick.”

  After a few seconds of evaluating him, Nick rolled his eyes. “By the look on your face I know it’s not going to matter what I say.”

  Luke didn’t respond.

  “Well, I guess I’ll just recommend, if you’re going to do this, don’t push. You just need to let things happen naturally.”

  Luke scoffed. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. She just wants to be friends. It will be natural. She’ll be helping me.”

 
; “Working for you,” Nick corrected. “That’s not friendship.”

  “I don’t want friendship.”

  “Exactly.”

  They were on completely different wavelengths, it seemed. “You make no sense!”

  Nick snorted. “Have you even listened to me? Ever?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A plan? God’s plan.” Nick pointed up. “Dude, when you’re letting God guide you, you don’t have to push. You just … let it all unfold perfectly.”

  He frowned, exhausted all of a sudden. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a breath. “So, what? I just sit back?”

  Nick shook his head. “Well, I guess you already hired her. Probably had to pay some exorbitant amount to get her to take you on?”

  “Forty grand.”

  Nick let out a low whistle. “Bro, I could have set you up for a lot less.”

  He glared at his brother.

  “Fine, play your part, do your thing, go on dates … but don’t push.”

  “Okay,” Luke agreed quickly, finding hope that Nick was on board with his plan. “I can do that—I can not do that, I mean.”

  14

  Monday morning, Savannah woke to the sound of her phone buzzing. Pulling it off the bedside table, she stared at it, not recognizing the number. She silenced it and saw it was six-thirty in the morning. Thinking it was time for her run anyway, she sat up.

  Her phone buzzed again. She stared at the number, wondering at the fact it was a Park City number, and silenced it. It was six-thirty in the morning; whoever it was could wait.

  Getting up, she quickly changed into her running clothes. As she headed out of the house, she felt her phone buzz a third time. This time she saw it was a text.

  Answer the phone, it’s Luke.

  Letting out a breath, she started into a trot. When her phone buzzed again, this time signaling a call, she reluctantly answered it. “How did you get my number?”

  “C’mon, they say it’s not your resources that count, it’s your resourcefulness.”

  It actually didn’t surprise her that he would find her number. “What do you want? I’m on my run.”

  “Ah, lazybones.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve already been up and done your run.”

  “You know I’m an early riser,” he said. “But I actually haven’t done my run today, yet.”

  She saw his car pulling to the side of her parents’ house. Clicking off the phone, she shook her head and waited while he got out of the car. Her heart rate kicked up a notch. “What are you doing?”

  He waved her over. “C’mon, I have the best trail run you’ll ever go on.”

  For about five seconds she thought of not going, but something inside of her heart flipped in happiness.

  “C’mon, we’ll work while we run.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh as she jogged to his car and slid in. “The same Luke.”

  Turning the engine over, he turned toward her, a big grin on his face. “Does it surprise you?”

  “Not really, but I think I might have to remind you that you can’t just pick me up at six-thirty in the morning and demand to take me someplace.”

  “Why?” He did a U-turn. “Do you have someplace to be? Maybe out with the coach?”

  Flustered and regretfully smelling his aftershave at a close proximity, she let out a light laugh. “I thought you’d seen us yesterday.”

  “Yeah. I … I guess you’re dating Superman, huh?” He sounded curious and a bit miffed.

  “We’re just friends.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What?” Savannah asked, feeling defensive and not liking it.

  “Nothing. You just have a lot of friends, I guess.”

  She shook her head. “Listen, my mother asked him to come to church with us and then have dinner.” She sighed. “I didn’t even want to go to church, either. I just…being here has made me feel like a … teenager again, trapped by trying to make my mother happy.” Shaking her head, she let out a breath. “Plus, it’s none of your business.”

  He sped up her street. “True, let’s just focus on going on a run.” He grabbed a protein bar and handed it to her. “Eat this. I don’t want you passing out on me.”

  “I’m not eating that.”

  “Yes. These are good for you.”

  Rolling her eyes, she ripped the bar open and took a bite. It was true: she knew it would help her on the run, especially if she wanted to keep up with him. Annoyed, she pushed him in the shoulder. “You know, you can’t just show up and take women places.”

  He turned onto the main highway and accelerated. “But you’re my friend, right? Plus you work for me and I want to talk about potential wives.”

  Feeling defeated, she shook her head. “Oh my gosh, I forgot how bullheaded you are.”

  He laughed. “Hey, I just knew that you liked to run, I assumed you still ran, and when I got up today I thought, ‘I bet Savannah would love this run.’”

  She crossed her arms, not knowing if she was glad she’d come with him or if she felt trapped. Maybe a bit of both. She told herself she needed to forget the past between them and just act normal. “It better be worth this.”

  Luke took a turn. “Oh, it’s worth it.” He flashed a grin. “And I still have my stopwatch, so I can time us.”

  She scoffed. “I don’t get timed. I run because I like to run. I’m not a marathon runner or one of those women who gets in a van with six other women and runs races.” She’d had a bunch of those friends in Texas. “I just enjoy running.”

  “Fine, we don’t have to time ourselves.” He got to the beginning of a trail post and pulled over.

  She got out. “I didn’t know they had trails in this area of town.”

  Luke moved to her side, and she could feel the excited energy coming off of him. He pointed up. “The resorts have made sure there are really good running trails. It’s about two miles up, but when you get to the top you can see the other side of the valley where all that farm land is … it’s gorgeous.” He grinned. “Race ya?”

  Not wanting to race, and knowing by the looks of the trained physique next to her she wouldn’t win, she still couldn’t help taking off like a shot.

  She heard him laughing behind her. “You were always a cheater.”

  She pushed hard, taking care to watch the trail for sticks or rocks. It was fun to be running and knowing he was right behind her. Obviously he could run right past her, but he let her stay in the lead and put his pace to hers.

  As she ran, all the memories with him assaulted her, interspersed with the memories of Sean. Like it or not, they had all been intertwined into each other’s lives.

  The more she ran, the more she remembered: high school games or swim meets, watching both of them compete, sitting out on her deck for hours, eating cookies her mother made, and staring down at Park City Main Street, talking about what they would do with their lives.

  Then all the things she tried so hard not to remember hit her. Falling in love with Luke at Sadie Hawkins dance, March of their senior year. Sean had been asked by someone else and she had haphazardly asked Luke. That had been the first night she’d realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

  The next two months had been full of first love kind of stuff—holding hands, writing on each other’s notebooks, meeting for ten seconds in between classes. Sean had teased them they weren’t the Three Amigos any longer.

  Then, he’d left. All of the times he’d talked about going to London hadn’t felt real until he was gone and she was alone.

  They got to the top of the hill and she put her hands. “Adrian!” she called out Rocky style.

  Luke laughed and put his hands on his head, sucking in air. “You’re in good shape.” His eyes appraised her.

  She pretended cockiness. “Beat you up the hill, didn’t I?”

  He grinned and smiled at her, holding her eyes. “Yeah, you did.”

  They stood there, staring at each
other. She shook her head and turned away. “Man, we have to stop doing this.”

  “What?”

  “Staring at each other like weirdos.”

  He laughed. “We don’t look at each other like weirdos.”

  “Well, you stare at me like a weirdo. In fact, I think we need to address that right now.”

  “What?”

  “The proper way to stare at someone. Or to covertly look at them without looking at them. Since I am now your official matchmaker, we need to get some ground rules for you.”

  Crossing his arms and giving her an unamused face, he asked, “You don’t think I can handle myself well enough with a woman?”

  It felt like this was some type of challenge, that he would grab her and kiss her to prove himself, so she took a step back. “I never said that. I just … okay, fine, stop being a weirdo. Okay? Just stop. When you look at a woman, don’t look at her like some zombie.”

  “Oh.” He nodded. “Okay. You mean like this?” He made zombie noises and grasped for her neck.

  “Exactly.” She stood composed, not laughing.

  He grabbed her and kept grunting.

  She had to push him forcefully away. “Stop.”

  He ambled forward, as she laughed at his craziness and dodged out of the way. “I watch The Walking Dead. I know how to get you even though zombies don’t have sharp moves.” He kept coming for her.

  She giggled. He was the same idiot she’d known all her life. Finally, she pushed him hard and then took off.

  He almost fell. “Hey!”

  Feeling the fun of the moment like she was a kid again, she kicked it up a notch. “You’ll never catch me.”

  Of course, it didn’t take long for him to be on her heels. The closer he got, it was like the energy between them was charged, electric. She giggled harder.

  “I’ve come for you fair maiden!” he said in the worst imitation of a scratchy-voiced creeper.

  She looked back and saw his goofy, glassy-eyed zombie face. Breaking down, she began laughing again, then turned back and tripped. Pain ripped through her ankle. “Ow!” she called as she crashed to the ground.

  Before she knew it, Luke had flown over her, hiking himself into the air to prevent tripping on her.