Kaylee slowly returned to the driving range, where her clubs sat unused. She picked them up in a daze and headed for her car. Taking golf lessons from Wes had always been a mistake.

He was right. She couldn’t get married at Club Tahoe. And bringing up the past was her worst decision yet. She should have kept it where it belonged—in the past.

Only, she’d never gotten over what had happened, and she’d hoped that seeing Wes would help.

It hadn’t.

She and Wes were toxic together. The hateful things he’d said about Eddy… God, what the hell was Wes thinking? Was he intentionally trying to sabotage her relationship?

Wes might have been an absent boyfriend at times, but he’d never been cruel—until today.

Except that didn’t feel right either. He wasn’t a cruel person. And she couldn’t believe he’d try to hurt her with lies. So he must have had a reason for saying what he did. But why did he think Eddy was cheating?

Kaylee made it home on autopilot. She thought about Wes’s words all evening, sleeping fitfully throughout the night. Nightmares from the past—streaks of red, the immeasurable emotional pain that had consumed every ounce of her being—were fresh and piercing. She woke gasping for air and stumbled into the bathroom, staring at her reflection until her head cleared.

The next day was no better. Kaylee wasn’t trapped in nightmares from her past, but she couldn’t forget Wes’s accusations about Eddy. Because when she thought about it—really thought about it—it was possible. If Eddy had wanted to cheat on her, it wouldn’t be difficult.

Eddy traveled for his job constantly, and he seemed to have friends in every state and a few countries. Kaylee assumed they were male friends. She wasn’t the jealous type and had never checked. Should she have?

Eddy had come into Kaylee’s life a year after she’d graduated from college. She’d met him while he was on a business trip to San Francisco. She was working for the San Francisco Women and Children’s Center and living with four roommates in the city. That night, she’d gone out with her friends after work. It had been the first time she’d considered moving on and dating again.

She hadn’t noticed Eddy at first. When they met, it had been nothing like meeting Wes for the first time, where his very presence smacked her silly. Eddy’s charm had been slow—friendly, even. He’d asked her for her number and said he’d call the next time he was in town.

Eddy called just as he said he would, and they’d met up for dinner. When he wasn’t in town, he was good about keeping in touch, texting or sending sweet notes for her birthday and other special occasions. The relationship built gradually, and before she knew it, he’d asked her to move in.

She’d been the original lease owner on her place in San Francisco, with awesome rent control. Her friends had been furious about being forced to move, but Eddy said he wanted a future with her and that they could save money if they lived at her place. It had made so much sense at the time.

Later she’d learned that Eddy had money. A lot of money. She wondered why he’d insisted on something that would put a wedge between her and her friends. He’d said it would help their future. Now she wasn’t sure of Eddy’s intent at all.

Kaylee didn’t leave her parents’ Tahoe house. She wore sweatpants with no makeup, biting her nails to the nub and trying to figure out what was real.

She had things in common with Eddy few people her age could relate to. She couldn’t have children anymore. And Eddy couldn’t either.

When their relationship progressed and he’d asked her to be his wife, she thought it must be right. Later, Eddy had also asked her to quit her job to help him socially with his business partners and clients. She’d been struggling for a sense of purpose, and his request had made her feel grateful. But she might have given up a few too many things along the way to feeling needed.

Letting go of her friends, her job—those losses were things Kaylee had been trying to wrap her head around these last six months. She’d made the sacrifices so that she and Eddy could have a happy marriage and be a family. If he’d been unfaithful to her after all she’d given up for him…

Her parents never said so, but she got the feeling Eddy wasn’t their favorite person. Her old roommates had never forgiven her for letting Eddy move in at their expense. And now Wes was flat-out saying Eddy was a bad guy?

If anyone else had made the accusation, she’d have blown it off as jealousy, and she nearly did. Wes could be selfish and self-centered, but like he said, he’d been faithful. And when she thought about it, she realized he wasn’t a liar. If anything, Wes could be too blunt and truthful.

“No more fucking around,” Wes had said, in what felt like ages ago. “I love you and I don’t want to be with anyone else. So what do you say? Be my girlfriend?” They’d only been dating a couple of weeks, and he’d been kissing her neck and squeezing her breast at the same time. Distracting her and driving her crazy. And being blunt and to the point. As usual.

The memory made Kaylee smile. When they dated, they always had their hands on each other. But his words were sincere; she’d heard it in his voice.

What Wes had said about Eddy couldn’t be true. Because if it was…it would shatter the beautiful future she wanted so desperately. To be needed, cherished—and to have a family, even if it was only her and Eddy.

Kaylee rubbed her eyes, her elbows resting on the kitchen table. She should wait until Eddy returned to bring it up, but that was two days away. She couldn’t ignore this that long. She’d tried, and every part of her vibrated with agitation.

Something was wrong. Wes had been furious. And not with her. With Eddy.

But if Kaylee asked Eddy over the phone, she wouldn’t be able to watch his expression, and she needed to. Because in the back of her mind, she believed him capable of lying.

Kaylee picked up her coffee mug with shaky hands and took a sip. The warm liquid did nothing to ease the chill that had settled over her. She secured her blue fluffy robe tightly around her chest and picked up her cell phone.

After a moment’s hesitation, she went to “Recents” and pressed Eddy’s name.

The phone rang and Kaylee bit her thumb—all flesh with her nail chewed to the quick.

“Hey, babe!” Eddy answered.

“Hey.”

“How’s the wedding planning going?”

“Oh, um, it’s really not. I’ve been practicing golf instead,” she said absently, and realized it was the truth.

She’d done very little wedding planning since Eddy left, putting aside the perfect future she’d envisioned…for golf?

Eddy sighed. “Babe, I’m glad you’re getting into the sport. We’ll need it when we entertain my clients, but you can’t forget the wedding. It’s only a few weeks away, and it’s got to be the shit.”

Kaylee’s stomach soured and she stared out at the trees. Why did their wedding have to impress people? Couldn’t it just be romantic? Meaningful? Weren’t those things important on your wedding day?

Suddenly, everything he said jarred her subconscious. “What if we canceled Club Tahoe and did something small? Just a few friends and family?”

Eddy laughed. “Yeah, right. Sorry, babe, I’ve already invited clients. They’re expecting the invitations. You sent them out, right?”

Kaylee glanced toward the front door. The invitations sat on the entry table.

She squeezed her eyes closed. “Most of the wedding is planned. I just need to finalize the details.”

“Well, get on it, woman.”

He was being silly, which she usually enjoyed, or at least shrugged off. But not today.

Her eyes narrowed. “Eddy, why do you want to marry me?”

He laughed. “Are you kidding?”

“Not at all.”

He let out a sharp breath. “Fine, I get it. I’ve been gone a long time. You need reassurance, especially with the commitment we’re about to make… You’re beautiful, poised, and smart. Is that what you wanted to hear? Oh, and you’re really hot, even when you deprive me of sex right before a long business trip.” He laughed at his joke. Because he was one of those guys who laughed at his own jokes, even if they weren’t funny.

Why had she never noticed what a jackass he could be?

Kaylee sensed the answer before the question left her mouth, but she asked it anyway. “Are you in love with me?”

“Jesus Christ, you’re really dragging me down. Are you finished being insecure? I thought you called to check in. I’ve had a shitty week, but I guess I have to call someone else if I want to talk about it.”

Who did he plan on calling? Another woman?

And he hadn’t answered the question. He’d avoided it, drawing the conversation back to himself.

Kaylee closed her eyes. “Eddy, have you ever cheated on me?”

The phone went silent for a second. A second too long.

He chuckled again, but this one came out strained. “Of course not.”

“You swear on all that’s holy and your favorite pair of sweatpants?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous. Look, I’ll be home in a couple of days and everything will be back to normal. I promise not to be gone so long next time. I can tell three weeks is too much.”

Again, he didn’t answer her question.

Her heart spasmed and her temples pounded. Talking over the phone was no use. He wasn’t giving her straight answers. She needed to ask him in person. To watch his expression, even if warning bells were blaring in her head. “See you then.”

“Kaylee,” he said before she ended the call, “everything’s going to be okay. You’ve just got pre-wedding jitters.”

Her head was a jumble. She mumbled something about doing laundry and ended the call.

Stupid Wes. It was as though he’d pulled a veil from her eyes—one she’d worn to survive—and suddenly everything was sharper, clearer.

And she didn’t like what she saw.