She knew where this was going now. “I was a liability.”
“No, you were an asset.”
Jenna drew back. “Your father—”
“Your working-class background was a boon to the polls. Voters related to you in a way they couldn’t with my family.”
Jenna appreciated his honesty, though his words stung. “Who would have ever thought I could be considered a trophy wife?”
He gave a half-hearted laugh.
Good, she thought. They needed to keep their senses of humor.
Ash drew imaginary circles on the wood. “Seeing you again made me realize the glossy election flier with the photo of the perfect-together engaged couple was no more real than two people who had only dated a few months finding themselves pushed to settle down before the primary election. I’m . . . sorry.”
“Me too.” Jenna rubbed her thumb over her fingertips. She didn’t look Ash in the eyes. He wasn’t the only guilty party. “The whole reason I attended your church’s singles group was to make contacts in another part of town. I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, but a higher-end clientele. When we started dating, my business took off with new customers. The additional income made life easier for once. Only everything blew up after you called off the wedding. My new clients disappeared. I had nothing. I realized I’d made your life, your friends, mine. I had no connections with anyone outside of my family. My faith was so weak.”
“That’s not true. I’ve seen you working with the youth.”
“Before, when I was with you, I wasn’t like the way I am now.” Admitting the truth was almost painful, but a weight lifted off her shoulders. Her heart felt lighter. “You were my catalyst for change. For finding Pastor Dan and his church. For falling in love with God. I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but being dumped at the altar was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
He smiled close-mouthed, a thoughtful gleam in his gaze. “At least something good came of that.”
“Lots of good.” She hoped he heard the sincerity behind her words. “We just had the wrong—misguided—intentions.”
“If I could go back . . .”
“It’s okay.” Lightning flashed, followed immediately by a roar of thunder. She rubbed her arms. Focused on Ash. “You mentioned being friends. That’s one step we skipped the first time.”
“Does that mean there’s going to be a second time?”
Jenna’s chest seized, the beat of her heart seeming to stop. She knew how she wanted to answer. Did she dare?
He held her hand. Tingles exploded from the point of contact.
“Are you willing to give us a second chance? Be friends with the possibility of more? That’s what I want.”
No air remained in her lungs. She drew in a short breath so she could answer. “I want to believe things could be different.”
“They will be. I promise.” He leaned toward her. “I know I’ve apologized, but I want you to know I’ve changed. I regret what I did, and I’ll never do it again.”
Those were the words Jenna needed to hear. Peace settled over her. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“What do you say?” he asked.
Hope filled her heart. This time would be different. “I’m up for a second chance.”
Taking a second chance put a permanent smile on Jenna’s face. Dinners, a movie, texts every day, a video chat before saying good night. She couldn’t have asked for a better start to her and Ash’s friendship.
Watching a DVD together last night had reaffirmed what Jenna knew in her heart—she wanted Ash to be a part of her life again. As a friend . . . as more.
But something stood in the way. The wedding dress hanging in her closest had to go.
Jenna had told Ash not to look back. Her turn. She didn’t need a reminder of the past. Not when she wanted to live in the present and look forward to the future. And she knew exactly who to call to take the dress off her hands.
An hour later, Kerri arrived alone. “Are you sure about this?”
“Positive.” Jenna had never been more certain. “Hanging onto the wedding gown makes no sense. If you don’t like the dress, that’s okay, but I thought since you were looking for one I’d offer it to you.”
“I’m honored. Shocked, really.”
“We’re about the same height, but you’re thinner so you’ll need alterations done. Come on.” Jenna had hung the dress in the bedroom closet. She removed the gown from the cover. “Here you go.”
Kerri gasped. She covered her mouth with her hands. “What a gorgeous dress.”
“Try it on.”
She reached for the dress with a hesitant hand. “I could never afford—”
“Just see if you like the gown.” Jenna headed out of the bedroom. “I’ll wait in the hallway. Let me know if you need anything.”
Several minutes later, Kerri called Jenna into the bedroom. “What do you think?”
“Oh, my. Gorgeous.” A lump burned in Jenna’s throat. Tears stung her eyes. Seeing Kerri wearing the wedding gown felt oh-so-right. “The dress looks better on you than me.”
Kerri wiped her eyes. “It’s perfect, but—”
“The dress is yours.” The words tumbled out of Jenna’s mouth without regret. Full of relief. “My gift to you.”
Kerri’s eyes widened to the size of half-dollars. “Don’t even kid.”
“I’m not.” Jenna grinned at her friend’s shocked expression. “Take the dress. The number of the woman who did my alterations is on the bag. She can take in the waist and bodice.”
Tears streamed down Kerri’s face. Happy ones, based on her smile. “Thank you. This is so much more than I imagined. An answer to my prayers.”
“Mine too.” A weight lifted off Jenna’s shoulders. Nothing held her back now. “I can’t wait to see how the dress looks in photographs.”
Kerri wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I’d better be careful. I don’t want to cry all over the lovely lace.”
Jenna didn’t tell the bride-to-be that she had cried on what would have been her wedding day. Only the tears hadn’t been joyful ones like today.
“Trust me. A few tears won’t hurt the dress.”
After Kerri left with the wedding dress, Jenna danced around her house until she reached her bedroom. She stared at the empty spot in her closet where the gown used to hang and giggled like a schoolgirl.
The past was behind her. Finally. She thought she’d moved on, but she hadn’t. Not really. Now . . .
She touched the gold cross she wore around her neck, a birthday present from Pastor Dan and Trish.
Thank you.
Two words could never give back what she’d been given, but the words were all she had.
The doorbell rang.
Ash? They were planning to have dinner.
Jenna walked with a bounce to her step. Full of anticipation, she opened the front door. Not Ash. “Judge Vance?”
“Hello, Jenna.” He wore a dark suit with a blue shirt and tie. The wrinkles on his face had deepened, and his hair was whiter. “May I come in?”
“Please do.” She motioned him inside. “Would you like something to drink? Coffee or tea?”
“This isn’t a social call.”
Her muscles tied into knots tighter than the ones she’d learned rock climbing. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ll make this brief.” He removed a white envelope from his suit jacket’s pocket. “Inside is a check. It’s yours if you agree not to photograph Amber’s wedding.”
What? Jenna stared at him. “The wedding is next weekend. We have a contract.”
“Contracts can be broken.” Judge Vance sounded more like an ambulance-chasing lawyer than a respected judge. “Say you’re sick or your brother has been injured and you need to fly to him.”
“I can’t lie. I won’t.” She couldn’t believe this. “Finding a last-minute photographer would be too stressful for Amber and Toby.”
“I have a backup o
n retainer.” Judge Vance handed Jenna the envelope. “Look inside.”
“Judge—”
“Go on.”
She raised the flap and took a peek. A check made out to her. She counted the zeroes. Ten thousand dollars. She gasped. Nearly dropped the envelope.
“A lot of money. All you have to do is not show up at Amber’s wedding and stop seeing Ash.”
“Ash?” Jenna’s stomach felt as if it were going through the washer’s spin cycle and she might throw up. “This has nothing to do with Amber’s wedding.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Judge Vance didn’t sound guilty or remorseful. “I respect you, Jenna. You’ve done well for someone from such . . . humble beginnings. But Ash needs more, a woman with a similar background. A woman who can handle the demands of being the spouse of a high-profile attorney and political candidate.”
“Ash isn’t interested in running for office.”
“He’ll change his mind.”
“That’s his decision. As is who he dates.”
The judge’s face reddened. “I’m not letting my son throw his life away on a woman like his mother. One who will never adjust to the better lifestyle Ash would provide. You’ll end up miserable and hating each other.”
Jenna handed back the check. “I don’t want your money. I’m not your ex-wife. Your concerns are misguided. I’m going to photograph Amber and Toby’s wedding. And I have no idea what will happen with Ash, but he makes me happy, and I believe he’d say the same thing about me. I’m hopeful things will work out differently this time.”
The judge’s nostrils flared. “You’re making a big mistake. I can make your life difficult.”
“I’m sure you can.” Jenna squared her shoulders, not about to be intimidated. Once she might have cowered, taken the money, and walked away without a word. No longer. She wasn’t alone. She didn’t have to handle this by herself. She touched her cross around her neck. “But I’m not afraid.”
What was Jenna doing at the law office? Ash waited by his doorway. They’d planned to have dinner tonight, but he wasn’t going to complain about an afternoon visit.
Jenna turned the corner, saw him, smiled. “I could use a hug.”
“You came to the right place.” He wrapped his arms around her, brushed his lips over hair. She smelled like grapefruit. So nice. “What’s up?”
“We need to talk in private.”
He kissed her cheek, led her into his office, and closed the door. “Tell me what’s going on.”
She took a breath. “Your father stopped by my house.”
“That’s great.”
“Not really.” She dragged her upper teeth over her lower lip. “He offered me ten thousand dollars if I wouldn’t photograph Amber’s wedding and if I stopped seeing you.”
“That’s . . . impossible.” Ash tried to make sense of what Jenna was saying. Tried and failed. “You must have misunderstood his intentions.”
“I heard him quite clearly.” Her voice trembled. “He had a white envelope. Inside was a check made out to me for ten thousand dollars. He suggested reasons I could use to cancel on your sister. He wanted me to lie.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s been some kind of mistake.”
“No mistake. He doesn’t want us dating. Said I’m too much like your mom. He threatened to make my life difficult if I didn’t do as he asked.”
Ash stiffened. “My father is a respected judge. He’s on the church’s financial council. He would never pay off anyone, let alone threaten them.”
Jenna’s mouth gaped. “You don’t believe me.”
“I believe you talked with my dad, but there has to be some sort of misinterpretation of what he meant.”
She covered her face with her hands. “You’re doing it again.”
Ash touched her shoulder, only to have her jerk away from his touch. “What?”
“Not trusting me.”
“I trust you.”
“Then why don’t you believe what I say happened?”
“My father isn’t like that.”
Raw hurt flashed in her eyes. Ash took two steps back.
“You said things would be different. Promised . . .” Her lower lip quivered. “I thought you’d changed.”
“I have.”
“You don’t believe me. Again.”
Each word punched his gut. “That’s not true. I’ll speak with my father. Find out what happened.”
“You still need proof?”
Ash hated how disappointed she sounded. He wanted to fix this.
Jenna headed to the door. Her pace accelerated with each step.
“Wait. Where are you going?” he asked.
“Home.” Her hard look froze his heart. “I’ll photograph Amber and Toby’s wedding per our contract, but please don’t contact me again.”
That night, Jenna sat next to Sam on her living room couch. She tried concentrating on the movie playing, but couldn’t. Two pints of ice cream, two spoons, and a box of tissues—all but the spoons courtesy of Sam—sat on the coffee table.
Goosebumps covered her skin. She was cold down to her bones, freezing though a fleece throw covered her. “I don’t know if I should cry or scream.”
Sam grabbed another scoop of double-chocolate chip. “Have more ice cream. That’s step number one. Then we’ll egg his house.”
“The judge would have us arrested.”
“Only if the judge found out. I’ll make sure we don’t get caught.”
“I’d probably start crying and be no fun. Sorry.”
“Just a thought.”
Her heart hurt, a familiar aching tightness. She wiped her tired, swollen eyes. “I can’t believe I let Ash do this again. I thought I was being smarter this time, more careful. I should have known he hadn’t changed.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Sam put his arm around her the way Colton would do if he were here. “You had feelings for the guy. You were hoping for the best.”
“Hoping and praying. I wanted things to work.”
“Did you fall in love with him again?”
Had she? “I don’t know. It’s only been a couple weeks.”
“Doesn’t take long.”
“Speaking from experience?” Jenna asked.
Sam focused on the ice cream. “We’re talking about you.”
“I don’t know what or how I feel about Ash, only that I want the hurting to stop. I also feel like I should pray for him. Is that weird?”
“Not at all.”
She closed her eyes. Please help Ash. Help him find his way like you helped me.
“Feel better?” Sam asked.
“A little.” She stared at her chocolate mint chip. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through the rehearsal dinner and wedding.”
“I’ll come along as your assistant,” Sam offered.
“You’d do that?”
He mussed her hair. “Of course. You’re one of my best friends. Though I only know how to take pictures with my phone.”
She laughed.
“Wait. Is that a smile I see?” He grinned. “Yes, that’s definitely a smile. Progress. This calls for more ice cream.”
“I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
Sam winked. “More for me, then.”
“Help yourself.” Jenna had a feeling food would be the last thing on her mind until she survived the next two days. But she’d signed a contract and would be professional dealing with the Vance family. Even if her heart was broken and all she wanted to do was cry.
After the rehearsal dinner, Ash unlocked the door to the house where he and Amber had grown up. His annoyance level had reached an all-time high. Jenna had barely said a word tonight except to give instructions, and she’d kept her face hidden with the camera.
Talk about awkward.
But what was he supposed to do? His father had denied her accusations, agreeing she’d misconstrued the intent of his visit. She’d cut off all communication. Ignored Ash’s tex
ts and calls. Frustrating. Maybe he could speak to her tomorrow.
“The rehearsal went well.” His father handed over his jacket to be hung. “Let’s hope the wedding goes as smoothly.”
“It should.” Ash headed to the closet. “The wedding coordinator and DJ are top-notch. They’ll keep things on schedule.”
“That photographer has nerve showing up tonight,” his dad said.
“You mean Jenna.”
“One step above trailer trash. Like your mother.”
“What are you talking about? Mom wasn’t like that.” Ash had never heard his father badmouth his mother. She had been pretty and kind and made the best cookies in the world. But she’d cried a lot and hadn’t left the house much. His mom never would have tackled a ropes course or half the things Jenna did. “And Mom and Jenna are nothing alike.”
“Maybe not now, but Jenna will turn into a woman just like your mother in a few short years. I know you’re upset over what happened, but this might turn out for the best.”
“I miss Jenna.”
“I’m sorry you’re hurting. But you’ll feel better eventually.”
Ash wasn’t so sure. Nothing provided relief. If he’d felt dissatisfied before Jenna reentered his life, he was completely on edge and unhappy now.
He opened the closet door and hung up his dad’s jacket. Something crinkled. He checked the inside pocket. A white envelope.
He had a white envelope. Inside was a check made out to me for ten thousand dollars.
Warning bells sounded. Ash removed the envelope. The flap was unsealed. He felt as if he was trespassing, but he looked inside and saw a check for ten thousand dollars made out to Jenna.
No. No. No.
Emotion clogged Ash’s throat. His vision blurred. He almost lost his balance.
Jenna had been telling the truth. But he hadn’t believed her. He’d made excuses for his father. Trusted his dad. But now that Ash had proof . . .
He shouldn’t have needed proof.
His lack of faith in her had ruined everything again. But he wouldn’t wait two years to right the wrong. Ash carried the envelope to his father. “Dad, we need to talk.”
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