Magnolia Bride

by Tara Randel

  “And anyways,” Lanie blithely chatted on, despite Nealy’s inner debate, “after what he’s been through with his parents, I’m sure he’s gun-shy.”

  “His parents? What are you talking about?”

  “I never told you this, since you didn’t like hearing about Dane. They’re still married, but determined to use Dane as some sort of whipping post in their relationship. I don’t know why he bothers.”

  When they were kids, he never spoke about what went on at home. If she asked, he clammed up, so she didn’t bug him about it. Maybe she should have, especially given what he’d told her recently about the arguing he overheard when he went home after they were married.

  “I think that’s why he shies away from serious relationships.” Lilli added her opinion. “Trust me, I understand. My folks never got along when I was growing up, but Dane’s parents are the worst.”

  She stared at Dane standing on the pitcher’s mound, tall and proud, her heart softening.

  In the next two innings, Clearwater managed to gain two runs to tie the game. Dusk had descended and the spotlights switched on, illuminating the field. In the last inning, Clearwater batted first. Nealy watched Dane intently as he pitched. Before the third strike, Clearwater had managed to score another run to gain the lead. As the Cypress Pointe players filed into the dugout, the home crowd jumped to their feet, cheering and shouting support to the players as they got ready to bat. All they needed were two runs to win the game.

  Max was up to bat first. Lilli dug her fingers into Nealy’s denim-clad leg. “Oh, my gosh. I’m so nervous.”

  Nealy pried her friend’s fingers from her leg. “Chill.”

  Lilli clasped her hands together over her heart and closed her eyes. “I’m afraid to watch.”

  Nealy poked her. “Open your eyes, silly. You don’t want to miss any of this.”

  Lilli squinted. “You’re right.”

  On the third pitch, Max hit the ball. The outfielder scooped up the grounder and threw it to first base, but Max made it safely. Lilli screamed, then jumped up, clapping and yelling.

  Nealy rubbed her ear.

  Two more batters came up, one walked and the other struck out. Dane took his position, bat in hand as he waited for the pitcher to send him the hit to win the game.

  Nealy held her breath. It had been his dream to play professional ball and although his plans had changed, he still took the sport seriously.

  Strike one.

  Nealy’s stomach turned.

  The next pitch came at him and Dane slammed the ball. As the outfielders scrambled to collect the fly ball, they missed as it landed and bounced away. Everyone in the stands stood to shout, Nealy included. When Max crossed home plate, Lilli grabbed Nealy’s arm, hopping up and down. The next player also crossed home plate safely.

  Dane rounded the bases. He raced to home plate as the outfielder threw the ball to the catcher. He slid as the catcher caught the ball. Nealy’s heart pounded. Had he made it? Dane stood, wiping dirt from his pants as the umpire called him out. The crowd yelled. Even though he hadn’t made it, his hit gave Cypress Pointe the winning home runs. The team rushed out of the dugout, high-fiving and hugging as the home-team fans clapped and cheered.

  “I’m going to find Max,” Lilli yelled and bounded down the bleachers, disappearing into a group of exiting fans.

  Nealy glanced at her sister. “How about you?”

  Lanie gathered her purse. “I’ll meet David at home.”

  “Party pooper.”

  Lanie shrugged and made her way down the bleachers.

  Nealy stayed seated, watching the pandemonium die down.

  The two teams exchanged well wishes before returning to their respective dugouts to gather their equipment. Friends and family surrounded their winning heroes as they headed to the parking lot. A few women waited by the dugout. Dane exited a few moments later, his equipment bag thrown over his shoulder. He greeted the women, laughing and chatting, until he looked up and his gaze met Nealy’s. Excusing himself, he headed in her direction. When the women realized he wasn’t interested in what they had to offer, they wandered off, leaving Dane and Nealy the only people left at the ballpark.

  She carefully stepped down the bleachers, her shoes echoing on the metal. He waited at the bottom, his smile wide as she reached him.

  She ignored the flutter of nerves inside her as she stepped onto the concrete walkway. “Congratulations. Looks like you haven’t lost your touch,” she told him.

  “It was a team effort.”

  “Yeah, but c’mon, you’re still good. You rallied the team.”

  “Tonight was different.”

  “How’s that?”

  “We wanted to win the title back. The other team kept ragging on us about what losers we were. A guy can only take so much ribbing before it becomes personal.”

  “Well, you guys did Cypress Pointe proud.”

  “And you always were my good-luck charm.”

  In a quick motion, he dropped his bag, slid his hand around her lower back and pulled her in for a celebratory kiss.

  Surprised by his move, it took a few seconds to sink in that Dane’s lips were on hers. Dane. Her first love. The one man she could never forget.

  And just like that, the heartache of twelve years melted into pleasure.

  Her arms circled around his neck. She leaned into him, swept up in the dizzying sensation of Dane’s mouth on hers. Not a soft brushing motion or a hard press, just the right pressure to show her this kiss meant business. A wave of tenderness flooded her as she stood enveloped in the arms of the man she’d never gotten over. The man she never thought she’d have the chance to kiss again.

  Dane hugged her closer, nipping at her lips. She pulled away, cradling his face between her hands, studying his expression. Yep, it was there. The passion burning in the depths of his gaze. She brought her face close to his, his breath warm on her lips before they met again.

  The kiss seemed to last forever before the bright lights switched off with a loud electrical boom and startled Nealy, bringing her to her senses. Shrouded in darkness, she lowered her arms and stepped away, her breath ragged and her face hot. They stared at each other in the moonlight until a distant car horn broke the spell.

  He ran a finger over her arm, eliciting goose bumps she didn’t bother hiding. “They say you can’t go back. If I wasn’t standing here right now, I’d have believed them.”

  “Maybe going back isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Maybe they, whoever they are, know the secret is moving forward.”

  “Is that what you’ve done, Nealy? Moved forward?”

  “I had to and I’m glad I did.”

  “I guess we both did.”

  “Dane, let’s move on. You apologized. I accepted. You have a hotel empire to run. I have events to plan in L.A. This moment is romantic and exciting, but if I were here for a few more months, we’d find a way to get on each other’s nerves.” Sure, by trying not to snag him for another toe-curling kiss. “Let’s leave tonight where it belongs, in the memory books. A nice place marker to replace the past.”

  He scooped up his equipment bag. “When did you become a philosopher?”

  “When you decided to cross the line. We talked about not kissing, remember?”

  “You have a problem with kissing?”

  “No, but we aren’t supposed to be doing this.”

  “Fun stealer.”

  Her lips quivered, but she refused to let him see that his humor had relieved the tension between them.

  The sprinklers switched on in a sputter, hissing a steady beat over the field.

  “Thanks for tonight,” Dane said, his husky tone causing more goose bumps on her skin.

  “You did the work, throwing strikes most of the night.”r />
  He chuckled. “I meant for the kiss.”

  “Oh.” Duh.

  “Though it meant a lot to see you in the stands.”

  “Despite my newly crowned title of fun stealer, I did enjoy it. Sitting in the stands with Lanie and Lilli was like old times.”

  “Care to join me for a victory burger? The team is meeting to celebrate.”

  Oh, how she wanted to celebrate with him, wanted to arrive at the restaurant on his arm. But the history between them made her wary. She couldn’t get in too deep here or she’d surely regret it. “Um, thanks, but I’ll pass. I plan on being at the hotel early tomorrow to make sure everything is in place for the tea party, so I should turn in.”

  “Maybe you should, but you don’t have to. How about a swim in the hotel pool? The owner won’t mind if we sneak in after hours.”

  She swallowed hard, keeping her mind focused on the correct answer. “No. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He escorted her to her rental car. She paused before getting inside. “I’m glad you kept up with the game, Dane. You’re still talented.”

  He shrugged. “It’s more of a hobby now.”

  In the faint lighting of the parking lot, she saw his gaze lower to her lips.

  She didn’t dare move as the tension around them grew.

  “Okay, then. Tomorrow,” she croaked. Could she sound any more nervous? she wondered.

  His grin sent her heartbeat racing again. “Tomorrow,” he said.

  He slung his equipment bag over his shoulder and walked to his car, leaving Nealy to recognize how unsatisfying being cautious actually was.

  CHAPTER TEN

  NEALY TOOK AN appraising view of the decorated tea-party room before checking her watch. The ladies would be arriving any minute. That meant Dane would put in an appearance, as well. Honestly, she was more concerned about facing Dane than anything else at this moment.

  She’d tossed and turned the night before, unable to stop thinking about Dane’s spontaneous kiss. Her lips still tingled at the memory of the sizzling exchange.

  Not only had she not expected to see Dane while in Cypress Pointe, she never imagined she’d be working with him. Work she could deal with. Kissing? Oh, no. And yet for all her griping about spending so much time with him again, she hadn’t stopped him from kissing her. She’d enjoyed it, in fact.

  She was so conflicted.

  The changes in him had been such a revelation, and his kiss mesmerizing as ever. Stop, the wise section of her brain admonished. Go for it, the free spirit encouraged. Yikes. Her mind was no help whatsoever.

  All night she went back and forth between the two suggestions, resulting in no sleep. Confused, and a little annoyed Dane would put her in such a situation when she asked him not to, she called Sam when she got out of bed. The call went straight to voice mail. Aggravated, since she knew he’d be up, she tossed the phone on the bed. Is this what she had to look forward to with Sam? A hit-and-miss kind of relationship? Before this trip, playing tag with Sam hadn’t bothered her. Now she had plenty of questions and no answers. Compared to Dane, and his serious pursuit of her, Sam’s lack of interest had finally made an impression on her. Maybe it was time to rethink her relationship with Sam.

  She had to admit, Dane’s attention was flattering, but she still held back, for more than one reason. Her job required she live across the country. A job she liked. A job she excelled in. There were only so many weddings and tea parties she could plan in Cypress Pointe, so even if she considered moving back home, she’d have to start a business from the ground floor. Did she want to invest the time and energy in that process when she was at the top of her game in L.A.?

  As much as she couldn’t deny the strong attraction between them, she’d always be wondering if she could trust her heart to him. Afraid he’d hurt her again. She admired the man Dane had become, but to take a chance with her heart when she wasn’t sure of what he wanted? Not a smart move.

  Which put her back at square one. Dane still intrigued her, but she didn’t want a long-distance relationship. Look how well things had turned out with Sam and they lived in the same city. No, long-distance was out.

  After her first cup of coffee and plenty of arguing with herself, she dressed in a pale pink sheath dress and high sparkly pink pumps, her hair piled on her head in a stylish updo, ready for the event at the hotel.

  Nealy rubbed her aching temples. She should have taken a walk along the beach to clear her head, but duty called. Myra Hendricks entered the room, trailed by her daughter Briana, dressed to the nines, already scoping out the place in search of someone. Dane? Probably. He was one of the most eligible guys in Cypress Pointe.

  Nealy strode forward to greet the women. “Mrs. Hendricks. Briana. So glad to see you both.”

  “Call me Myra,” the older woman said, surveying the room. “My goodness, Nealy, you transformed this into a proper English garden.”

  Nealy smiled, proud of her accomplishment completed in a few short days and a tight budget.

  Once Dane explained the tea-party idea, an English garden theme lingered in her mind. With a blank slate to start from, she’d made a call to a local flower shop. Working with the talented florist, they’d come up with a mixture of lilies, daisy poms, carnations and heather in shades of white, pink and purple, arranged in a rustic basket to create cheerful table centerpieces. On the recommendation of the florist, she visited a lawn-and-garden nursery and purchased potted hydrangea, in deep wine and bright pink, as well as baskets of sunny gerbera daisies to scatter on the floor around the room. While there, she discovered a display of pink roses on a white wooden arbor. How could she have a garden tea party without roses? Once positioned around the room, the glorious aroma of blooming buds scented the air and the English tea party was made official.

  “I had no idea,” Myra said as she wandered around the room.

  Side tables draped in pale green cloth had been set up to accommodate the tiered plates of dainty sandwiches, desserts and fruit. Pink lemonade punch, as well as an assorted tea collection, would be the beverages of choice. There were eight round tables with seating for the same number. China teacups, which Nealy managed to find after scouring all the antiques shops in town, were placed at all the settings. There weren’t enough matching sets to go around, but she liked the diversity of different colors and shapes on each table. As a gift for attending, the women were each going to leave with their very own cup.

  “Great job,” Briana commented, coming up beside Nealy. “Dane hasn’t arrived yet?”

  Nealy blinked. Yep, another smitten woman. “Not yet.”

  Suddenly Briana’s eyes grew wide and a predatory smile crossed her lips. Nealy turned to spot Dane talking to his aunt as they entered the room.

  “Excuse me. I need to touch up my lipstick.”

  “Of course,” Nealy replied to empty air.

  Dane and his aunt approached. He smiled at Nealy, the same self-satisfied smile after the searing kiss from the night before. She had to downplay the kiss’s affect on her. Not a big deal. Happened all the time. Liar.

  “Nealy, you remember my aunt Sonia?”

  “Yes. Mrs. Peterson. Nice to see you again.”

  The woman peered around the room with a critical eye. “Lovely job, Dane.”

  Dane shifted. “Thanks, but I had nothing to do with the decorations.”

  “Still, it is your hotel,” his aunt stated.

  His tone conveyed all business. “This is a group effort.”

  Mrs. Peterson looked everywhere before she acknowledged Nealy. “Beautiful.”

  “Thanks, but Dane should get the credit. I merely took his ideas and ran with them.”

  Dane’s brows rose up. “Don’t let her fool you, Aunt Sonia. Nealy is a genius.”

  Nealy remained silent, but her
gaze tangled with Dane’s. A flashback of last night’s kiss came to mind again and her cheeks grew warm. Dane, recognizing her blush for what it was, sent her a wolfish grin.

  Watching them closely, Mrs. Peterson seized Dane’s arm and pulled his attention away from Nealy. “Remember, dinner tonight at seven. Don’t be late.”

  A wrinkle creased his forehead. “I’ll be honest, Aunt Sonia, with everything I’ve got going on, I totally forgot.”

  She glared openly at Nealy. “I see.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be there.”

  Nealy could hear the resignation in his voice. No way was he getting out of dinner.

  His aunt turned back to Dane. “I invited a friend to join us. Just to even out the dinner table.”

  Awkward. Could his aunt be any more obvious?

  “Um, thanks, I think.”

  “Come greet the ladies at my table.”

  Dragging him off to where she would be sitting, Dane went along with his aunt as more ladies filed in, oohing and ahhing at the transformed room. As Nealy basked in their pleasure, she heard her sister’s voice in her ear.

  “Nice way to show off.”

  She spun around to see Lanie, who was smiling, and her mother, her face a blank mask.

  “If you got it, flaunt it. That’s my motto.”

  Her sister laughed. Her mother cringed.

  “So...Junior League?” Nealy said to Lanie.

  “You know the Graingers. We’re all about volunteerism and civic duty.”

  “Some of us,” her mother pointed out.

  “Well, Mom, you’ll be glad to know I’m part of the time-honored tradition. Today’s work is pro bono.”

  “I thought you and Da—” Nealy elbowed her sister in the side before she could spill the beans.

  “Just give me this one,” Nealy whispered in Lanie’s ear.

  “Gotcha.” She rubbed her side. “Looks like the ladies are out in full force.”