by Jillian Dodd
Table Of Contents
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Books by Jillian
Six Years Ago
October 10th
October 11th
October 16th
October 24th
October 25th
October 26th
October 28th
October 29th
October 30th
October 31st
November 1st
November 2nd
November 3rd
November 5th
November 6th
November 7th
November 12th
November 13th
November 14th
November 15th
November 16th
November 17th
December 26th
Copyright 2016 by Jillian Dodd
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, trademarked brands, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Jillian Dodd Inc.
N. Redington Beach, FL
ISBN: 978-1-940652-69-6
This book is for my readers.
You inspire me every day with your kind words,
your loving hearts,
and your friendship.
The USA TODAY bestselling series,
The Keatyn Chronicles(r)
Stalk Me
Kiss Me
Date Me
Love Me
Adore Me
Hate Me
Get Me
Fame
Power
Money
Sex
Love
That Boy Series
That Boy
That Wedding
That Baby
The Spy Girl Series
Spy Girl
The Assassin
The Love Series
Vegas Love
Broken Love
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Jillian is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes fun romances with characters her readers fall in love with, from the boy next door in the That Boy trilogy to the daughter of a famous actress in The Keatyn Chronicles series.
She's married to her college sweetheart, has two children in college who both help with her business, two labs named Cali and Camber, and lives in a small Florida beach town. When she's not working, she likes to decorate, paint, doodle, watch football or racing, drink good wine, and go to the beach.
Six Years Ago
Cade
"You son of bitch!" Pike yells as he charges toward me then throws a punch at my face. "How could you do that?"
The blow knocks me back against the bar, and I fumble trying to steady myself. But I don't get time to recover. Pike slams his fist into my stomach. "I trusted you like a brother!"
"What the hell?" our friend Todd says, stepping between us and holding out his arms to keep the peace. "You're best friends. What's this all about?"
A livid Pike shoves Todd out of the way, knocking him to the ground. "What this is about is my best friend sleeping with my sister behind my back."
"I can explain," I say as his fist connects with my face again, this time cutting open my lip.
"There's nothing to explain, you cocksucker! You fucked with my sister!"
"I wanted to tell you, Pike." I hold up my hands in an attempt to protect myself. "But she wouldn't let me!"
"That's a bullshit answer. We're best friends. Brothers. You betrayed me!"
He's right. I did.
"And then you broke her heart!" he yells furiously, slamming me with a fast barrage of punches that connect with my temple, ribs, stomach, jaw, and then nose.
I don't even try to stop him. I deserve this.
With the last punch, I spin in a circle and fall to the ground.
Pike glares down at me and spits on my shirt. "If you ever come near my sister again, I'll fucking kill you."
Then he turns and storms out of the bar.
The disgusted looks on our friends' faces rain down on me.
I lay on the bar floor and close my eyes, both my body and heart feeling completely broken.
October 10th
Palmer
"So tell me all about your amazing travels," my friend and assistant, Tory, says. "I've only seen you for like five days in the last month." We are sipping martinis in the courtyard outside my home office, catching up.
"Going to Fashion Week is part of the job," I say with a shrug.
"Yeah, yeah. Must be rough. You're out gallivanting around--hitting New York, London, Milan, and Paris--while I'm back here holding down the fort."
"If I recall, you turned down my offer to accompany me. Something about a hot young stud?" I tease. Tory, who recently had her eleventh twenty-ninth birthday, is addicted to her personal trainer, Botox, and guys half her age.
"Sadly, that was over before your plane was wheels down in New York. It was for the best, though. He had a great body, but he couldn't carry an intelligent conversation. I had an epiphany while you were gone and realized that I'm attracted to more than just good looks."
"Does that mean you might consider dating guys who are out of college?"
She pours herself another drink, scoffing. "I've told you many times. Age is a state of mind. I've met some very mature twenty-year olds." She giggles. "Plus, at that age, they're so damn flirty. It turns me on. You should try dating someone your own age. You're still in your twenties. You're a beautiful actress. Why do you insist on dating older men?" She doesn't give me a chance to reply. "I know! I could set you up." She takes her phone out and scrolls through a list, landing on someone named Scruff Boy. "This is the guy I think you would like. He is so good-looking. Dark hair, gorgeous eyes, and the hottest scruff. He is so hot...he's pretty. Kinda like your former agent, Cade Crawford." She pauses and takes a drink.
"I survived another chance encounter with him when I was in New York City," I say, as I absentmindedly run my finger across the sugar rim and then lick it off.
"Palmer," she says with a dramatic sigh. "Do you ever think these 'chance encounters' aren't chance, but rather the universe putting two people together over and over until they finally smarten up and realize they were meant for each other?"
"Um, no. I don't think that."
"Fine," she huffs. "Tell me what happened."
"I walk into the VIP section of a club and the first thing I see is Cade juggling a model on each knee, flirting and laughing. When he noticed me, the smile literally fell off his face."
"So what did you do? Just ignore him like usual?"
"I would have, but his brother, Carter--"
"Who you love. You love his whole family."
"I do." I nod in agreement. Cade has a wonderful, close-knit family.
"So what was Carter Crawford doing at Fashion Week? He's a sports agent. Shouldn't he have been at ESPN or something?"
I roll my eyes.
"Oh, duh," she says with a laugh. "Models are at Fashion Week, aren't they?"
I laugh and take another sip of my martini. "Uh, yeah. It's kind of their job. And you know those Crawford boys like to surround themselves with beautiful women."
"Like you
?"
"It's been six years since Cade and I broke up. What is interesting, though, is that Carter looked to be pretty smitten with one particular model. Vale."
"Oh, Vale's really pretty."
"Aren't all models pretty?"
"Yeah," Tory concedes, "but Vale is different. She's not stick-thin like most. She's got big boobs like mine. And she was in that movie. I can't remember the name of it, but she was fucking funny. And she seems smart."
"Hey! I started out as a model. I'm not exactly dumb."
"Whatever," she says, refilling my glass. "You know what I'm saying."
"Well, if Vale's smart, she'll hang on to Carter. I swear, he just keeps getting hotter."
"You know you are really talking about Cade. All those boys look alike."
"I will admit that Cade looks good. Which pisses me off a little."
"I hate how men do that," she says. "They look sexier with crinkles around their eyes, a little grey at the temple."
"Ha!" I laugh. "How can you even say that? When was the last time you dated a guy your age?"
"Don't you curse at me," she says with a laugh. "Back to the club. What happened?"
"So, I said hi to Carter and gave him a hug. He introduced me to Vale. And Ashlyn Roberts was there, too."
"Oooh, has she read the script for the movie you're slated to be in? Is she interested in playing your sister?"
"She hadn't read it yet, but Cash had."
"Cash? He's the youngest Crawford brother, who has the twin sister, right?"
"Yep. I hadn't seen him in years. He went up north for college and law school and is now back home working for Cade as a junior talent agent. Anyway, he said he really liked the script. Which is encouraging, because I think he and Ashlyn might have a little thing going on."
"Ohmigawd! I almost forgot!" Tory blurts out. "Did you hear what happened to Ashlyn? The whole sex tape thing?"
"Yeah, I felt so bad for her. I can't believe her asshole ex could do that. I hope she sues."
"That's old news, Palmer. I'm talking about her appearance on The Elle Show! When she was being interviewed, Elle told her that another sex tape had been released, and she started playing it."
"Oh my gosh! How horrible!"
"No, that's the thing. It wasn't. It was a video this guy did for her. Now I know why he looked so familiar. It was Cash Crawford. Anyway, I guess she and Cash met at a wedding, hooked up, then went to Vegas and got married! And then I'm not sure what happened, but they were like broken up. So in this video he was lying on the bed, shirtless. His hair was all messed up, and you can tell that he'd been fucking all night."
"How could you tell that?" I ask.
"I don't know. I just could. Stop interrupting me. Anyway, he was super sexy and muscular, and he had a dreamy voice, and he's all like, I just married the most amazing girl last night. And then he showed pictures of their night together. Taking selfies. A picture of her ass. Her asleep. And it was so damn cute. And Ashlyn was crying. And then someone from the audience yelled out, and she got up and was looking for him. And he was right there in the audience and then he proposed. And although you never saw them on screen, his whole family was there, I think--wait, you have to watch the video. It's gotten like a gazillion views. I can't believe you haven't seen it yet."
"I have been kind of busy," I tease. We watch as the video of The Elle Show plays--switching from Cash to Ashlyn's reactions. Then he proposes.
"It sounds like his whole family was there," I comment. "Oh, that's so sweet. She's really lucky."
"Do you want his family to do that for you?" she asks slyly.
"That will never happen, Tory."
"Come on, tell me for once what the deal is. Why did you really break up with that fine piece of man candy, and why can't you get back together?"
"We can't get back together because my brother, Pike, hates him."
"But why?"
"Pike and Cade were best friends. When we broke up, they got into a fist fight over it and haven't been friends since."
"And what about this?" she asks, pulling an envelope out of her pocket--the one I've been ignoring since I got home.
"It's probably just an invitation to another party I don't have the time to go to," I suggest, hoping she will leave it be.
"Why haven't you opened it yet?" she asks, turning it over and studying it.
"I just got home. I've been busy."
"I understand that. But what I want to know is why it didn't get put in my mail pile? I always reply to your invitations. It's, like, my job." She squints her eyes at me. "Oh, I see what this is. You were trying to hide it from me, weren't you? It's from the Crawford family in Laguna Hills. That's why you haven't opened it. Admit it."
"What if Cade is getting married?" My hand automatically goes to my chest. I'm not sure my heart could take it if he did. No matter how much I pretend to hate him.
"Well, let's take a look." She rips it open. "It says here that Cash Crawford and Ashlyn Roberts are getting married--tomorrow. You're invited, and you're going to attend."
"No, I'm not. I can't."
"I'll be your plus one," she says sweetly as she refills my martini from the pitcher we made earlier. "That way I know you can't back out."
October 11th
Cade
"Can you believe our little brother is actually getting married?" I whisper to my other younger brother, Carter. We're dressed in tuxedos, lined up at the altar, and ready for the wedding processional.
"He looks nervous," Carter says. "Don't you think so, Cade?"
Cash shushes us. "I'm not nervous. I'm just excited to see Ashlyn in her wedding dress."
"And can't wait for the honeymoon, I bet," Carter teases, elbowing him.
I start to say something in reply, but my voice catches in my throat as my heart skips a beat.
Palmer Montlake is being escorted down the aisle by an usher.
And she looks beautiful.
Like I pictured she would have on our wedding day.
Her blonde hair is done up, and little wispy tendrils frame her face. Her long dress is blowing in the ocean breeze. Palmer was my first real love. My only real love. Which was crazy. We're complete opposites. She's six years younger than me. But she's amazing--free-spirited, stubborn, tenacious, and beautiful. She used to squeeze the toothpaste from the middle. Drove me nuts, but I was so enamored with her that I didn't care.
For a brief, wonderful moment, I imagine her walking toward me, getting ready to marry me, like she should have all those years ago.
When she takes a seat, I stop holding my breath, letting it out with a whoosh.
The good news is she's with her friend, Tory, and not with some guy--or worse, her brother. I would have kicked Cash's ass, special day or not, if he would have invited Pike Montlake to his wedding.
I pry my attention away from Palmer as my parents start the wedding processional.
We're in a wood-beamed, stained glass chapel perched at the top of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. Cash told me that when he and Ashlyn were visiting wedding locations, this one stood out right away because it reminded them of their--not legally binding--Vegas wedding. Palmer and I weren't engaged long enough to plan our wedding. It was a weekend of bliss, followed by the fight that ruined everything.
My little sister, Cash's twin, is Ashlyn's maid of honor. She looks shockingly different than she did at the rehearsal dinner last night--where her hair was black with blue streaks. Chloe is an artistic jewelry designer who changes her hair almost as often as she does her underwear. Tonight she looks almost demure in her natural brown color, but black motorcycle boots peek out from under her bridesmaid gown, and when she gets up to the altar, she puts her hand in front of her chest so no one behind her can see and then, in true Chloe form, she flips us all the bird.
We're chuckling until "Here Comes The Bride" starts playing, and Ashlyn makes her way down the aisle.
Ashlyn's eyes sparkle with joy and, although my brother is
beaming from ear to ear, he's choked up.
I feel emotional, too.
My baby bro is getting married.
And the love of my life is here to see it.
Palmer
When I walk down the aisle to take my seat, I can't help but notice Cade standing at the altar with his brothers. His unruly dirty blonde hair is slicked back neatly and his usual scruffy face is clean-shaven, revealing a strong jawline and lush lips designed for pleasure.
I'm fantasizing about all the things those lips used to do to me, when Tory leans over and says, "You do realize this is your dream wedding?"
"No, it's not. I wouldn't want anything so elaborate."
"Remember the night we got drunk on homemade sangria and binge watched wedding shows?"
"Barely," I whisper, rolling my eyes at her. "Obviously, I didn't know what the hell I was saying."
"Every girl dreams of a wedding like this, don't you think? Princess ball gown, handsome groom, gorgeous flowers, beautiful location, and everyone you know here to watch."
I shush her as the ceremony begins.
My heart survives the trauma of seeing a tuxedo-clad Cade standing at the end of the aisle in front of me, and before I know it, the ceremony is over and we're grabbing champagne off a platter on a brick patio surrounded by candles flickering in hurricane lanterns.
It takes me back.
Cade and I in a helicopter, flying over the snowy mountains. And, there, set on a perfect flat peak, is a ring of flickering lanterns.
"Cade, look at how pretty and romantic that is."
"Yeah, cool," he says, seemingly unimpressed as we pass by.
A few minutes later, we land at a lodge, where we are greeted by an elderly man and his wife, suited up in ski coveralls, and then offered a snowmobile.
We take off up the snow-covered slope, my arms wrapped tightly around Cade as he drives. The scenery is gorgeous. The thick pine trees smell of the impending holiday season, and powdery snow shimmers in the moonlight.
We wind our way to the top of the mountain and then stop--at the ring of lanterns that I saw from above. Only now, I can see a table for two set inside the ring.
"Cade, what is all this?" I ask.
