“You look stunning!” Lacey exclaimed when Sara turned to face them. Sara was wearing her mother’s bridal dress, a simple but beautiful ball gown with a scoop neck trimmed with lace and a cathedral beaded train.

“Nate’s not going to know what hit him.” Jesse assured her.

“Honey, I can’t believe it is your wedding day.”

“Mom, do not start crying before I walk down the aisle. It will make me cry and ruin my make-up and my dress.” Hugging her mom, she kissed her cheek.

“Ah, it sounds like that’s our cue.” Organ music signaled for the bridal party to take their places.

“I don’t know why I am so nervous. I would have married him six months ago, but I can’t get the butterflies to quiet down inside my stomach.” Sara admitted anxiously.

“It’s called anticipation. No two people were better suited than you and Nate. You give me hope.” Lacey said, her eyes turned downward.

Sara grasped her hands, squeezing. “Don’t give up on him. He’s thick-headed sometimes, but he’s true through and through.”

“Let’s go, ladies, or your groom might start to think you have run out on him.” Jesse teased as she opened the door that lead to the church sanctuary.

Dalton watched Lacey during the wedding ceremony. He smiled when she teared up over the exchanging of the vows. She had always been a hopeless romantic.

Applause erupted as Nate kissed his newly wedded bride and they marched down the aisle to the receiving line.

The reception was being held outside beside the water. Tents had been set up. The wedding guests accounted for 150 friends and family members celebrating the joyous occasion.

Dusk fell as the party got underway. Lacey loved to watch the colors of the summer sunset dance across the reflection of the water.

“Would telling you how beautiful you look tonight sound clique?” Dalton had walked down the short path to the water’s edge where she was standing.

“I don’t think any woman minds being told she looks good.”

“Good doesn’t even begin to cover it, sweetheart.”  Dalton grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him.

“Why are you out here all alone?” he searched her face for any sign of distress.

“I’m just enjoying this beautiful sunset. I almost hate to go back tomorrow.”

“It’s been a nice break. This place always recharges my battery.” Dalton shared.

“I can see why you love it so much. The beautiful scenery, the Inn, Sara and the gang…it’s a special place.”

“Made even better when you share it with special people.” His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her face.

Lacey’s eyes closed at the contact. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked intently into Dalton’s eyes.

“Dance with me.” His soft-spoken request fluttered over her senses. He reached out for her and she stepped into his arms.

The ballad the band was playing spoke of a forever-kind-of-love, one Lacey dreamed of with Dalton. He held her tenderly, swaying gently to the music. His hand slid down her midrift, curving around her lower back, pressing her closer to him.

The song ended, but he continued to hold her. Taking in a deep breath, he leaned back.

“Lace, I want to…” he wasn’t given the opportunity to finish, interrupted by Jesse calling to them from the edge of the event tent.

“Hey, come on, you two. They’re about to throw the bouquet and the garter. You don’t want to miss this!”

Dalton bowed his head. “I guess our talk will have to wait.”

Frustration welled-up inside Lacey. She’d been waiting three years for Dalton. After the way he had treated her on tour, she shouldn’t have anything to do with him, but she loved him. You didn’t get over that in a few weeks.

She would like answers as to why he had reacted the way he did and wanted to break things off before they’d even had a chance to really get started. What had spooked him? Maybe he hadn’t spooked. Maybe he just wasn’t interested in a relationship.

Attraction wasn’t the issue. He’d proven that this weekend. But lust a relationship did not make, so where did that leave them? Limbo. That’s where it left her if she allowed it to.

She followed Dalton back up the trail and into the tent. Lanterns with candles had been lit as centerpieces. Tiny white lights were strung throughout the tent lending a soft glow to the semi-enclosed room.

Sara sat in a chair in the center of the wooden dance floor. The lights flickered and suddenly all the groomsmen joined Nate on the dance floor. What was going on, Lacey wondered?

Then they were dancing. A medley of favorite wedding songs played as the group of men strutted their stuff for Nate and Sara leading up to a song Nate had written just for Sara about the journey they had to look forward to together. He slid the last few feet across the floor to stop in front of her chair, his hand on his heart. Tears were streaming down Sara’s face as Nate clasped her face between his hands and kissed her to the delight of the cheering guests.

“Let’s get to the good part.” Nate shouted as he playfully rustled Sara’s wedding dress.

The band played a teasing melody as Nate slowly inched her dress up to her knee, revealing her hidden garter. He wiggled his eyes to the males gathered behind him waiting to see who would be the one to catch it. Nate took his time, slowly sliding the garter down Sara’s leg, a naughty gleam in his eye.

Once removed, he jumped up and turned to the guys, stretching and waving the coveted band in front of them.

The crowd was excited to join in as they counted down.

“One…Two…Three…” Nate flung it over the back of his head, using his forefinger and thumb like a slingshot. All eyes followed the object as it sailed through the air as one lucky guy elbowed his way in front and caught it. Lacey gasped in surprise as Dalton straightened, grinning broadly as he held up his trophy, his gaze roaming and settling on her. His smile warm and genuine, squeezing her already aching her heart.

“Alright, ladies. It’s your turn.” Sara yelled across the room. All You Single Ladies blared out of the speakers, a large group forming in front of Sara.

Lacey felt a push against her back. “Don’t think I’m standing up there without you. Move it. Let’s go.”

She didn’t want to stand in front of everyone and try and catch a bouquet. If things had worked out differently between her and Dalton, maybe…no, she wasn’t going to let her thoughts go down that road.

“Here we go, gals” Sara shifted her hips from side-to-side in time with the music. She teased the group with false starts, gaining sighs of frustration.

As if watching in slow motion, Sara hurled the bouquet over her head behind her, turning to watch in gleeful anticipation.

Cheers rang out as Lacey was left holding the bouquet, utter shock written across her face.

“I was hoping to catch the bouquet, so I could dance with Dalton. Isn’t he just the hottest?” a young girl in her teens stared after Dalton dreamily.

Lacey felt frozen as she watched Dalton slowly make his way over to her from the other side of the dance floor. She felt like the tent walls were closing in around her. She couldn’t breathe. Everyone was staring, watching. With a soft cry of distress, she bolted from the tent and ran. Making her way up the path to the front of the church, she found one of the groomsman, a friend of Nate’s.

“Do you have a car?” She asked him desperately. He nodded. “Would you give me a ride back to the Inn? I’m not feeling well.” He escorted her to his vehicle as Dalton crested the hill, watching her get in the car and leave the church parking lot.

She thanked Tom for his assistance and assured his she would be fine. Letting herself in with the key Sara had given her, she practically ran to her room, where she locked the door, feeling secure from prying eyes. Her breathing was labored, her face flushed. Kicking the royal blue heels from her sore feet, she slipped the satin dress from her body.

A bubble bath was in order. She hoped Sara wouldn’t be too angry that she bolted, but she couldn’t have stayed and danced with Dalton. Just the thought of what the garter and bouquet symbolized would have sent her over the edge, damn it. She was only human…a human in love with said person. She cursed under her breath, releasing pent up frustration.

She ran a bath and dropped delicate lavender beads into the warm, inviting water. Sinking in up to her chin, she closed her eyes and wiped her mind clean. So, relaxed to the point of almost dozing, she hadn’t heard anyone enter her bedroom.

“Do I need to rescue you before you drown yourself?” Her mouth filled with bubbles as she yelped at the unexpected intrusion before she slipped under the water. Coming up with bubbles, streaming down her body, she aggressively wiped the foam from her eyes.

“What the hell are you doing in my room? I locked the door? How did you get in here?” she practically screeched, her heart raced.

“I know where all the keys are stored.” He held up an additional key with her room number on it. “You were in here so long, I thought I’d better come and check on you.” He had shed his suit jacket and loosed his tie.

“Well, now that you have scared the daylights out of me and can see I’m perfectly fine, you can kindly get out.” She sunk back into the water, trying to cover her naked body.

“I’m not going anywhere until we talk.” He lithe body was leaning against the door jam, one ankle hooked over the other.

“I’m not getting out of this tub until you leave.” She threatened.

“Fine by me. I’ll just join you.” He made good on his threat by kicking off his shoes and unbuttoning his shirt.

“Okay! Alright! I’ll get out. Just…you go in there…Please.”

“Only because you said please…” he leaned over and planted a kiss to the top of her head before turning and existing the bathroom.

“If you aren’t out here in five minutes, I’m coming back in.”

“Of all the insufferable, arrogant…”

“What was that? Did you call me? I can come back.”

“No!” she yelled from the other side of the door.

She didn’t have a robe. It was in the other room, so she was forced to wrap a towel around herself as a small shield…a very small barrier between her and Dalton.

He was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

“Make yourself comfortable, why don’t you? Don’t you have your own room?”

“I do, but you aren’t in it.” He patted the side of the bed. ” Sit.”

Her lips were compressed into a thin line, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“Are you trying to torture me, Dalton? Do you get some kick out of hurting me?”

It was the first time she had admitted to him he had hurt her. His face sobered, and he sat forward.

“The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt you. I told you, I was trying to avoid hurting you.”

“How? By breaking my heart early on? Let me let you in on a little secret. You failed…miserably.”

Scrubbing his hands over his face, he sat forward, closer to her.

“Do you remember how much time I spent at your house growing up, Lace?” he had taken hold of one of her hands in his.

“Yeah. Sure. You were there from the time you and Matt were in junior high all the way through high school…just about every day.”

“Do you know why I spent so much time at your house?” his tone was guarded.

“Not really. I remember you and your Dad didn’t really get along. You had some tough times, I remember that. What’s that got to do with…”

“Let me finish.” He placed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

“You’re right. That was part of it, but not the entirety. You see, not only did my Dad fight with me, he liked to fight with my Mom too. All they did was argue. There was never any peace at our house. They didn’t divorce until I went away to college. I couldn’t get away fast enough.” He paused, watching the confusion on her face.

“You see, they had a terrible marriage. My Dad was a self-centered, egotistical bastard most of the time. Do you know how many times I heard ‘Oh, you look just like your father.’ You hear it so many times, you start to believe it…not just the looks but the genes too.”

“Dalton, you aren’t your father.”

“I can’t give you what you want, Lacey. I heard you the night you were sick. I was so worried about you. I’d never seen you like that. I couldn’t leave you, but when you told me you loved me, I panicked. I’m not that guy, Lace. I wish I could be – for you. If for anyone, I’d want it to be you, but I knew better, so I figured it best to break it off right then and there before I ruined our relationship completely.”

“Can you ever forgive me, Lace? Please say you’ll forgive me. I can’t stand the thought of not being part of your life. I know I’m probably asking too much of you…”

He was holding her then, his pleading hands grasped around her arms.

“You aren’t giving yourself enough credit. You are capable of being that guy. You’re committed to your friends, family…they all love you because of who you are, not who you think you need to be, D.”

She reached up to touch his chest. You have a big heart. It’s strong enough for you to give it away if you allow yourself to believe it to…to trust in the person you give it to. Don’t sell yourself or your life short.”

He pulled her to him, her face nestled in the crook of his neck, his buried in her hair. Trailing open-mouthed kisses, down her neck, she turned her face to him as he reached her mouth.

“Love me, Dalton. Tonight. No strings. No questions. No expectations. Just love me.”

He stared intently, connecting with her on a new level. Slowly he unwrapped her towel and laid her down on the bed. He stood to remove the remainder of his own clothing, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Maybe I should lock the door…just in case. Thank God I took the only extra key.”