I leaned against Jake, struggling to keep my droopy lids open. By the way he tilted his head against mine, weighing me down like a heavy blanket, it was clear his exhaustion mirrored my own. Although the evening was still young, the early hour belied the work we’d put into the day. An endless parade of activities and chores had kept us moving non-stop in preparation of the event we’d both been waiting for since Jake had dropped to one knee and proposed a little over a year ago. And now, snuggled in a worn loveseat in my parents’ hotel room, we were ticking off the last hours of our single lives. By tomorrow at this time, we’d be wed.

Giddy didn’t even come close to describing how I was feeling about my pending nuptials. The animated racing of my heart kept me in a perpetual state of euphoria. I’d even been caught, on multiple occasions today, humming a happy tune. And you know what? I didn’t care who heard me. The fact of the matter was, in the arena of love, I’d scored. As a young girl dreaming up my fantasy guy, I couldn’t have conjured a more perfect mate for myself. Jake was my heart and soul. Ours was the type of love that could, and would, last the trials of a lifetime together.

The dreamy smile returned to my face, pushing aside the fatigue. I only had a few more minutes with Jake before his brothers figured out where he was hiding and dragged him off kicking and screaming to the bachelor party he adamantly professed he didn’t want. And once that happened, our next meeting would be at the church, as I walked down the aisle into his waiting arms.

My heart began thumping faster as a happy song spontaneously sprang to my lips. But before the melody could take flight, I caught sight of a disturbing reflection in the mirror. Not my reflection, mind you. As previously stated, mine was Disney princess perfect. But Jake’s? What the hell? Let’s just say his expression conveyed less ‘You complete me’ and more ‘I just swallowed a bottle of Drano.’

I blinked back my surprise. When had that face started? The downward turn of his lips was in stark contrast to the day we’d spent together. Jake had been dialed in from the beginning, gamely keeping pace with me as he posed for pictures with all of my relatives, most of whom he hadn’t met until today. He’d been nothing but charming and gracious. So where was that grimace coming from? Had Jake just been acting the doting fiancé for my family? God knows, he was an expert at playing to the crowd. Being congenial was part of his job; yet even outside of it, in his everyday life, Jake had an uncanny ability to turn it on and off at a moment’s notice; and now, it appeared, he’d been twisting the faucet when he thought I wasn’t looking. Suddenly, I had a bad feeling about tomorrow. Was he second-guessing us? Would he back out at the last minute? No. I knew Jake. He’d never do such a heartless thing to me. So then why the hell did he appear to be fighting back the gag reflex?

Thinking back on the past few months, it occurred to me that I’d seen this same ‘clogged drain’ look on his face before, but it hadn’t seemed as significant back then as it did now… mere hours before exchanging our vows. He should be feeling ecstatic, like me, not mentally preparing himself for a stomach pumping. What were the chances that his anxiety-ridden face was just a result of everyday, run-of-the-mill, pre-wedding jitters?

I mean, please, there couldn’t have been a less stressed groom. Jake had hired a top wedding planner, Boris, and handed the reins over to him. Because of the secret nature of the nuptials, Boris, who had quickly become my very best friend in the entire universe, named the wedding Operation Pretzel. Get it? Tying the knot? I know it might sound totally cheesy, but Boris and I found it wildly funny at the time. We’d laughed and laughed and had even come up with a pretzel-shaped hand signal.

As for Jake, he seemed thrilled to have pawned me off on Boris. With my new bestie in the picture, it gave Jake the excuse to take a totally hands-off approach to all things wedding-related. He’d even gone so far as comparing himself to a backup singer, saying he was happy to just harmonize in the background as Boris and I took the lead. We all knew it was a cop-out, but who was I to argue? I’d been handed a blank check and full rights to the wedding of my dreams. I mean, as long as the groom showed up with a smile on his face on the day, what did I care if he partook in the planning stages or not?

Besides, just between us, Jake’s ideas were basically crap. Don’t get me wrong – he was a brilliant musician and an amazing man – but he was sorely lacking in the area of personal taste… except, of course, when it came to his choice in brides. If it were up to him, the wedding guests would be dining on hotdogs from 7-Eleven while sucking down their own personal 44 ounce Slurpees. Just to give you an example of what we were dealing with, when Boris sought out Jake’s opinion on his preferred cake flavor, my fiancé replied, ‘Funfetti.’

Sure, I hadn’t needed his opinion during the planning stages, but perhaps I should have at least paid better attention to his moods. Maybe then this change in his demeanor wouldn’t have come as such a shock to me.

Perhaps sensing me analyzing him, Jake instantly turned the frown around and his eyes softened as they connected with mine in the mirror. In response to my questioning look, he dipped his head and gently brushed his lips against my forehead.

“You okay?” I asked, loud enough only for him to hear.

“Yeah, sorry. I was just zoning out.”

I didn’t believe him. Not for a second. This was Jake we were talking about, and if he were feeling anxious, there was a whole array of issues it could be.

“Are you sure? Do you want to go somewhere and talk?”

His hand felt for mine and upon first contact, our fingers entwined like a braided knot. He squeezed. “I’m fine, Case.”

I looked away from the mirror, but now I was the one frowning. Something didn’t feel quite right; but what was I going to do, accuse him of having second thoughts about marrying me? If he truly was just zoning out, then I’d be putting thoughts into his head. But what if he wasn’t? What if he had changed his mind? Oh, god. He was going to leave me at the altar, wasn’t he?

“Casey?”

I’d surely turned several shades of gray in the time it took to totally overreact.

“You all right?” Jake questioned.

No doubt my expression now matched his from moments earlier.

“Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure.”

Breathe, psycho. Jake would never leave you high and dry like that. Would he? I checked the digital clock on the phone in my parents’ hotel room. 8:53 pm. Fourteen hours. Jake just needed to hang in there for fourteen more freakin’ hours. Then he could wig out all he wanted because we’d be married and there’d be nothing he could do about it. That’s the spirit, Casey!

“Not that I don’t love your stimulating company, but when can I expect to get my sofa back?” My mother’s question thankfully silenced the irrational voice in my head. “I want to watch a little TV before bed.”

“I’m still hiding from Keith,” Jake answered.

“Well, could you do it in the hallway?” Her flippant question was followed by a sly smile, and Jake ran with it.

“I could, Linda, but that would sort of defeat the purpose of hiding, now, wouldn’t it?”

They exchanged conspiratorial smiles. He no longer received the special treatment from my mother. That had disappeared along with the gushing and cooing. Jake was now just a part of the family, and he and my mother had developed a very comfortable camaraderie.

“Mom,” I said, feeling the need to defend my fiancé, “what happens if you throw him out and then he gets attacked by the strippers Keith hired for the bachelor party? How are you going to feel then? Use your brain.”

“Fine,” she said, sighing loudly. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll provide him with a handful of dollar bills before kicking him to the curb.”

A familiar rhythmic knock rapped on the door. It could be no other than my brother Luke.

“Oh, great, more company.” Mom groaned, then winked and let him in.

Luke’s eyes immediately settled on Jake. “Seriously, dude? You’re such a wuss.”

“If you rat me out to Keith,” Jake replied. “You no longer get backstage access to my concerts, and there goes your love life.”

“Okay, first, you underestimate me; and second, you give me way too much credit,” Luke said, totally contradicting himself. “Keith already figured you’d be hiding in here. Man up! You’re living on borrowed time, bro. And as far as my love life goes, I haven’t been able to close even one deal at your concerts, so that’s an empty threat to me.”

Jake sat up, an expression of disbelief on his face. “If you can’t get laid at a rock concert, you’re beyond any help I can give you.”

“I agree with Jake on this,” Mom said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. There was nothing she liked more than to wedge herself into discussions about her children’s love lives. “There’s really no excuse.”

“Mom. Please,” Luke said, struggling to ignore her completely before continuing his conversation with Jake. “If you had more variety backstage, maybe I’d have a chance.”

“Are you suggesting it’s my fault you can’t score?”

“In a roundabout way, yeah, I am. You set me up to fail from the get go. It’s not like I’m going to have a chance with the type of ladies who get backstage at your concerts. They’re all rock solid tens. I need some females who are marginally flawed to have even the slightest chance.”

“Sooo… you want me to ask security to look for eights, is that what you’re saying?”

Luke considered the question, even going so far as to tap a finger to his chin. “I think that’s still too high a number. Let’s shoot for fives to sevens.”

“Okay, sure. Any other requests I can pass along?”

“Well, since you’re asking, I do like brunettes… or wait… even darker. Yeah, I like the silky black hair color. But, then again, I have a thing for blondes too. And red-haired women… ooh, yes indeed. You know what they say about redheads, right?”

“I’m not sure I do.”

“They’re blondes from hell.”

Jake reacted by wincing. “I wouldn’t lead with that line.”

“Of course not. Anyway, I’ll tell you what, man, just surprise me. I’ll take whatever, as long as they’re, you know…”

“…not too hot.” Jake finished his sentence.

“Exactly.” Luke gave him a thumbs up before settling his gaze on me, seemingly surprised I was in the room at all.

“Well, hey there, Spacey Casey.”

“Hello yourself, Pukey Lukey.”

“Alrighty,” Mom said, clapping her hands to get our attention. “Now that everyone’s reacquainted… and knows what to look for in a soul mate for Luke… what do you say we wrap this thing up? And by that, I mean, this sanctuary city is closing down, so please leave immediately.”

“Wow, Mom. What’s your hurry? Your only daughter is getting married tomorrow. You should be thankful I want to spend my last moments of freedom with you and Dad.”

“Wait, Dad’s here?” Luke asked, looking around. “I thought he’d already gone down to the bachelor party.”

“He’s not going. Jake gave him a pass, so he’s spending his free time on the toilet.”

“Still?” my brother asked, with a tilt of his eyebrow. “He was in there when I stopped by earlier.”

“Not still. Again.” Mom answered, unfazed. “He’s in and out of the crapper all day. Old guys poop a lot.”

“I’m not pooping,” Dad’s frustrated voice called from the bathroom. “I’m reading. It’s the only place I can go where I get a little peace and quiet from your mother.”

“He says it like it bothers me.” She directed her comment toward us from behind her hand. “I only wish he’d stay in there longer, but unfortunately his legs fall asleep at about the twenty-minute mark.”

We all snickered at her comment.

“Such an amateur,” Luke commented, shaking his head. “I can make it at least thirty before the tingling sets in. And Mom, I know you’re itching to boot us from the nest, but can you at least grant us a five-minute reprieve? If Miles is coming, he’ll be here by nine.”

“If? Why wouldn’t he be coming?” Jake asked. “He was all excited earlier.”

“Yes, but that was before he got in trouble, and now he’s trying to talk Darcy into letting him come.”

Miles was our oldest brother and had been married for nearly twelve years to his high school girlfriend, Darcy. Together they had two children, Sydney and Riley.

“See, this is the part of wedded bliss that I don’t get,” Jake said, the slightest hint of a whine lifting the words. “Why does Darcy get to decide if he goes out or not? That’s bullshit. I’m just letting you know now, Casey, you’re not going to be the boss of me.”

Mom and I exchanged amused eyebrow arches, as my father laughed hysterically from behind the locked bathroom door.

“Good luck with that, Jake,” his hollowed voice called out. “Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with that old adage – the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?”

“No, I’ve heard it,” Jake answered, loud enough for him to hear.

“Uh-huh, well, Casey didn’t even hit the ground. Good luck, my man.”

Palming my man’s face and drawing him toward me, I said, “Don’t listen to my dad, sweetie. As long as everything is exactly the way I want it, I’m totally flexible.”

Mom snorted out her approval and stepped over Jake’s outstretched legs to give me a high five.

“You disappoint me, Linda,” Jake said, shaking his head. “There was a time I was your favorite person.”

“That was when you were all fresh and new, like a shiny penny,” Mom mused. “Now you’re like one of those corroded coins from the 70’s. You still have value, but you’re not going in the coin collection anytime soon, you know what I mean?”

Jake gaped at her a moment before dipping his head into his hands. “Oh, god, Casey is exactly you!”

“What did I tell you?” Dad yelled from his throne.

“It’s better you found out now.” Mom patted him sympathetically. “So you said 9:00 pm, right?”

“Yes, Mom. What’s your hurry?”

“If you must know, I need to put on a mud mask so my skin looks revitalized in the morning.”

“In that case, you might not want to rinse it off,” Dad chuckled, continuing to butt into the conversation from afar.

Mom didn’t even blink an eye at his insult. Instead she asked Luke, “How did Miles get in trouble?”

“Well, somehow Riley got his arm stuck in the vending machine down the hall.”

“The candy or the soda machine?” she asked.

“Does it really matter?”

“Not really, but I was kind of thirsty. If he’s stuck in the soda machine, that puts a damper on my plans.”

“Lucky for all of us, it was the candy machine.” Luke pulled out a bag of M&M’s from his pocket. “Miles greased up his arm, and on its way out, Riley managed to grab four bags of these babies. Cool, huh?”

Jake nodded in agreement, and Luke poured some into his open palm. Only those two would find my nephew’s descent into a life of petty crime a positive thing.

“Anyway, the candy heist happened on Miles’s watch, while Darcy was showering, and now she’s pissed.”

“Understandably,” Mom agreed.

“Yeah, well, anyway, he’s trying to escape now, but I don’t know if it will be possible. I mean those kids are…”

“Wild?” she said, interrupting Luke.

“No, evil. I was going to say evil.”

“Luke. They’re children. Be nice.”

“Me? Riley keeps repeating everything I say and not in a friendly way. He’s making me feel insecure. And Syd, she’s got the makings of a true sociopath. First she crawled under the bed and tied my laces together, then when I went down flat on my back, she tried to smother me with a pillow.”

“I’m sure Sydney wasn’t trying to actually smother you,” our mother said, attempting to explain away the behavior of her adored granddaughter.

“Oh, I’m, pretty sure she was. She had a back-up pillow and everything. Anyway, Spacey Casey, my advice to you would be to keep your corroded penny as far away from our little niece and nephew as possible; that is, if you ever desire to have children of your own.”

“Speaking of that,” Mom said, drawing the words out longer than need be as she scanned Luke with her eyes, “when can I be expecting some from you?”

“Children?!” he asked, as if it were the stupidest thing she’d said all year.

“Yes. What did you think I meant?”

“Well, I don’t know. Were you not listening to the earlier conversation I was having with Jake about my lady problems?”

“Oh, I thought it was just a problem at his concerts.”

“No, no. It’s a problem pretty much across the board. Here’s the thing, Mom,” Luke settled in for a teaching moment. “And, believe me, I do understand it’s been a while for you, but having kids requires the organs of both sexes, and since mine hasn’t seen anything but the inside of a white tube sock for some time now, the closest I’m going to get to making your dream come true is a pair of baby booties.”

“Oh, god!” Dad groaned. He always did hate our frank sex talks. “Get out. All of you!”

“Don’t listen to him,” Mom said, waving off his demands. Her face was already aglow with the promise of juicy gossip. “Why don’t you just go out and find yourself a nice woman, then? Instead of dirtying up perfectly good socks?”

“Well, dammit, Mom. Why didn’t I think of that?” Luke pretended to write her advice down on an imaginary piece of paper. “Have sex with actual woman.”

“You cannot tell me that no one is interested. You’re the full package.”

“The great thing about moms,” he said in mock admiration, “is how truly delusional they are when it comes to their own offspring.”

“Oh, please. She’s right,” I said. “You’re handsome…”

“Uh-huh,” Luke agreed.

“Funny…”

“Uh-huh.”

“Tall…”

“Uh-huh.”

“And employed.”

“Uh-huh. All valid points except you forgot about the elephant in the room.” Luke grabbed his belly to emphasize that he was the oversized mammal in question.

He’d always been a bigger kid, his whole life. While Miles and I were on the shorter, scrawnier side, Luke had been not only awkwardly tall from a young age, but also impossibly wide. It wasn’t like his size had ever stopped him; in fact, by the time he was eight or nine, Luke had football coaches dropping to their knees in gratitude. Not only was he a big boy, but he also had a fighting spirit that propelled him to sports stardom in high school and beyond. But without the daily practice that had defined his school years, Luke had added some extra weight and had been struggling to lose it ever since.

“If you can’t find a good woman because you’re carrying a few extra pounds,” Mom said, “then clearly you’re looking in all the wrong places.”

“It’s not a few extra, but thanks for the understatement,” Luke said, sighing. “I’ve got to get my ass moving and not just to the refrigerator. Too bad I can’t afford a personal trainer, like some people I know.”

Jake looked up as if he’d just realized the ‘some people’ Luke was referring to happened to be him. “If you’re talking about me, I don’t have a trainer.”

My brother grimaced. “Of course you don’t.”

“I hear the gym is a great place to meet women,” Mom piped in, never one to give up on a challenge.

“Oh, I’m sure it is… if you look like him.” Luke aggressively singled out my husband-to-be. “Or any one of his goddamn brothers. You guys suck.”

“You’re deflecting. Stay focused on the task at hand. What about a Starbucks, or a park? Or hell, Luke, just head for the corner bar. I’m okay with your betrothed being able to pound them down as long as she has the will power to lay off the liquid while she’s pregnant.” Mom was digging deep now.

“Interesting. And would you also accept a drug addict, as long as she halts her heroin intake while my child is in utero?”

Mom’s eyes were lit with amusement. “I mean, if that’s all I can get, I guess.”

“Why don’t you just meet your baby mama online, like everyone else?” I suggested.

“You don’t think I’ve tried? Trust me, that’s not the solution. A few weeks ago, they suggested my cousin.”

“What?” I gaped, unable to control the snickering. “Wait – first or second cousin?”

“Again, does it really matter? What is it with you and Mom and your weird questions?”

No one was listening to his objections as we were all holding our breath in anticipation of the answer. Even Dad yelled from the bathroom, demanding to know which cousin.

“Fine – it was Brooke.”

“Brooke?” Mom blurted out at the exact moment her brows hit the ceiling. “Harvard grad Brooke?”

“That would be the one. And let me just say, tomorrow’s going to be exceedingly awkward.”

“Good lord, whatever did the two of you have in common?”

“Apparently we both like dogs – and shared genetics.”

“Well, that’s just… wow, just awesome, Luke,” Mom cooed. “I’m sure the two of you will make a lovely couple.”

“Uh-huh, have a good laugh, but unless you’re okay with your grandchildren sporting an extra nostril and a smattering of belly buttons, then Brooke’s probably not an ideal choice.”

“So you’re telling me you haven’t found one interesting woman on those dating sites?” I asked. “Three quarters of the population under forty are signed up.”

“Oh, I’ve found interesting women, but the only ones interested in me are… how should I put this nicely… cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.”

“How about you try to revise your shallow points system?” Mom proposed.

“Are you suggesting I go below a four?” Luke blurted out, clearly offended. “Jesus, Mom. Thanks for the support. I’m not a bad-looking guy. If I got rid of a spare tire or two, I’m fairly confident I could rank higher than I currently do, but until then, I’ll have to settle for the Heathers of the world.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“I think you need to know what I’m dealing with here. I came across this woman on Tinder, totally within my range, and she looked sweet. Nice smile. But then I scrolled down.”

“No, dude!” Jake said, clearly enjoying Luke’s misadventures. “Never scroll down.”

“Well, I did!” he spat back, trying to maintain his livid exterior, although the smile threatening to break free gave him away. “Nothing I can do about it now. Anyway, I read her tagline, and it’s all in third person. Heather likes brisk walks in the park. Heather likes candlelight dinners by the water. Heather likes microwaving small, defenseless animals. Uh, yeah, Heather, I’m no relationship expert, but I think I know why you’re still single.”

“Okay,” Dad said, finally exiting the bathroom with a newspaper wadded under his arm. “So meet a woman the old-fashioned way… at work.”

“I sell generators, Dad. My job is not sexually friendly. Most of my clients are doomsday survivalists, and let’s just say their daughters don’t shower as often as they probably should.”

“But on the plus side,” Jake added, “you might survive the apocalypse.”

“Yes, this is true, but the question is… would I want to?”

“I give up,” Dad said, throwing his hands up in defeat before turning to my mother. “We can’t even get him a basement dweller, Linda. I think we can both agree that this one’s a lost cause. Let’s focus our hopes and dreams on Casey and Jake.”

“I’m with you,” Mom agreed.

Miles made it with a minute to spare. He stepped into the room munching on a bag of peanut M&Ms.

“You were paroled.” Luke brightened up. “Good for you.”

“Only after taking Riley to the lobby and making him apologize for what he’d done. The kid was bawling. Hopefully he’s learned a valuable lesson.”

“I should say the same for his daddy,” Mom reprimanded.

“I already got reamed by Darcy,” Miles grumbled. “I don’t need your input.”

“I see you’re eating the stolen contraband.”

Miles smiled sheepishly before throwing a few more chocolates in his mouth. “Someone has to. Darcy wouldn’t let him touch the candy after what he did. It would send the wrong message.”

“Oh, right. Right.” Mom nodded.

“Anyway, I have to be back by midnight, so let’s get this party started. I just got the text from Keith. It’s in the recreation room downstairs.”

Jake reluctantly unraveled his body from mine and stood up. He hadn’t wanted a bachelor party – insisted against one, even – but, after lengthy negotiations with Keith, he’d relented. In exchange for his cooperation, Jake had been promised a low-key affair. It wasn’t that he was opposed to having a good time with the guys, but when you’re a world famous musician trying to pull off a secret wedding, getting photographed stuffing dollar bills into a G-string is probably not the best way to stay under the radar.

Even though Jake had taken a hands-off approach to the wedding preparation, there was one thing he had asked for – and that was a private, laidback ceremony, away from the prying eyes of a curious world. But keeping our wedding a secret proved well beyond my skill set, so in addition to hiring Boris, Jake had assembled a team of players to coordinate the entire production, complete with a security detail that rivaled the Secret Service.

Once they took over the specifics, my job had basically become picking out color swatches… and lying. Oh, so much lying. See, for security and privacy reasons, no one could know where the wedding would be taking place. Our guests were simply given a ‘save-the-date’ and nothing more. The actual venue would be revealed the day before the ceremony, and travel arrangements would be prearranged for those coming from out of town.

My friends, my extended family, and even curious onlookers on the street pestered me endlessly for wedding details, but every word out of my mouth was a bald-faced lie. I had us marrying all over the west coast, had grossly overestimated the size of the venue, and had greatly embellished our guest list to include not only celebrities of the A-list variety but also kings and queens… of smaller countries, of course. The point was to throw everyone off our tail, especially the press, whom my lies always seemed to trickle down to. No one, and I mean no one, would predict our wedding would take place in a quaint little church in Arizona with seating for no more than one hundred and fifty of our nearest and dearest.

Jake lived his life in the spotlight, and as his significant other, so now did I. And although I’d come to accept that for the rest of my life, I’d share my man with millions of others, this ceremony – our wedding – was ours alone. We’d both agreed we wanted to take it back to where it all began because, well, Jake and I were sentimental that way. The place that had brought us together would also be the one to wed us in holy matrimony.

“Dave, last chance,” Jake said, addressing my father. “Bachelor party with the guys or mud mask with the wife? What’ll it be?”

“Neither… it’s earplugs and a pillow for me. But here’s a dollar. Please stuff it somewhere for me tonight.”

“Not happening.” Jake grinned, giving it right back. “My hands will remain firmly on my lap.”

“Um, I’m thinking all our hands will be on our laps,” Luke said, winking. “To avoid, you know, embarrassment.”

“Keith wouldn’t dare hire entertainment. He knows better.”

“Does he, though?” Luke’s voice went up an octave. “I don’t know your brother very well, but he strikes me as a slow learner.”

Jake laughed, and then reached for my hands and pulled me to my feet.

“Give us a second,” he said to my brothers, before leading me out into the hallway and shutting the door.

Still holding my hands, Jake quirked his lips into a mischievous grin and took a few steps back, guiding me along with a spicy swivel of his hips. My body moved in unison, matching him step for step in a suggestive little salsa. The flirtatious flickering of his eyes effortlessly reeled me in and kept me dangling helplessly on his line. What was he up to? This seductive show he was putting on would lead us nowhere, and we both knew it.

“What are you doing?” I asked, the slightest quivering of my lips the only giveaway of how his animal magnetism was getting to me in the most sensual of ways.

Jake jerked me forward, enveloping my body in his arms as his hands gripped my buttocks, and his heated breath prickled the skin of my sensitive neck. “Wishing,” he murmured.

“Wishing what?” My words came out more like a moan as I pressed into the erection straining beneath the rough fabric of his jeans.

“Wishing I was spending tonight with you and not a bunch of dudes.”

His fingers dipped lower, sending twinges of heat throughout my body and forcing a shuddering gasp from my lips.

“Stop,” I protested, pushing him back, and feeling the immediate cooling of the air between us. My body still inflamed, I quaked a little at the lack of physical contact and slapped his shoulder in frustration. “Don’t promise me a service you can’t provide.”

He reached for me again, but I shied away. Attempting to ward him off, I held my hands out in front of me, but Jake performed some wickedly cool crossover move, hooking his arm around my waist and pulling me in again. Our eyes met in a fiery display just as our lips made contact and his mouth crushed into mine. We stayed in the tight embrace for longer than was appropriate in a public place, and when we finally broke apart, I was a quivering mass of sexual energy.

“Just something to remember me by tonight,” he whispered.

“Me? I won’t be the one with a naked stripper’s ass gyrating in my lap.”

“Nor will I, I assure you.”

“You say that now, but what happens when they get a little alcohol into you?”

“Casey,” he said, playfully mocking my words. “I promise, you are the only woman I’ll ever allow to rub her ass all over me. ”

I couldn’t stop the smile that traveled across my lips. He was just so damn hot with that confident swagger of his. And truthfully, I wasn’t concerned. Jake had never given me a reason to doubt him, so I didn’t. Taking his long, agile fingers gently in mine, I led him to the end of the hall and stopped in front of a large picture window.

Jake, his carnal bravado tempered, placed his hands on my hips. “So, this is it, huh?”

“I guess it is,” I answered, staring into his eyes and falling for him all over again. “I really am going to miss you tonight.”

“Tell me again why we can’t spend it together?”

“You know why, Jake. The groom can’t see the bride before the wedding because… well, I actually don’t know why, but it’s tradition, and you will cooperate.”

“I’m not saying I won’t. I’m just saying it’s stupid.”

“Your objection is duly noted.”

Jake playfully dipped his head into my neck, the scratchy stubble of his unshaven face tickling my skin and sending shivers racing down my spine. I leaned back, touching the sides of his face and setting a gentle kiss to his lips. “If you’re a good boy at your bachelor party, I promise you a wedding night to remember.”

“I’m always good.”

“Says the rock star.” I grinned. “Okay, so here’s a thought. Just because we can’t see each other doesn’t mean we can’t talk on the phone, you know?”

“For phone sex?” he asked, perking up.

“No, Jake. No more sex until we’re married. Surely you can wait one day.”

Jake’s brows angled as if he were perplexed by something. “Why would we be talking on the phone, then? I don’t get it.”

“Um… just to talk, duh.”

Opening his eyes wide, Jake laughed and pulled away. “Oh, hell no. You can’t have it both ways. If we’re not sharing a bed, I sure as hell don’t want you yapping in my ear all night.”

Gasping in mock annoyance, I smacked him in the chest. “I can’t believe I’m marrying such a heathen.”

“Your choice,” Jake stated matter-of-factly. “Say the word and we’ll call it off.”

His words rang in my ears as I tried to make sense of their meaning. After the expression I’d seen in the mirror earlier, even teasing about such things played into my fears. “Why would you say that?”

Jake instantly backtracked. “I was just kidding.”

“Well, it wasn’t funny.”

We locked eyes, and I swear I saw a flash of that damn Drano face again before he corrected himself.

“I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.”

We stood there staring at each other uncomfortably before Jake shifted his gaze out the window. Something was definitely off with him, and the anxiety was eating me up inside. This was a conversation that couldn’t wait fourteen hours.

“Jake?”

Reluctantly he turned back to me. “What?”

“I’m catching a strange vibe from you, and it’s freaking me out a little bit.”

“I’m fine, Casey. I just made a stupid joke, and you’re overanalyzing it like you do everything. Maybe I’m a little nervous, is all. I don’t get married every day.”

“I feel like you’re having second thoughts… like maybe you don’t want to marry me anymore.”

Jake’s body visibly stiffened. “It was a joke, Casey. Trust me, I want to be with you. I love you. That’s the one thing I am sure of.”

The way he said it, filled with uncertainty and strife, sent a chill through me. “What other things aren’t you sure of?”

A prolonged silence stilted the conversation. Jake leaned back against the windowpane, struggling to find the words, or maybe trying to come up with a plausible lie.

“Is it about the therapy sessions? Are the nightmares back? You know you can trust me. Whatever you have to say, I’ll listen and I won’t judge. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. I know,” he said, with a hint of irritation. “And if I have anything to say, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Will I be? I mean you were pretty secretive with me about why you ended the sessions. I just want to be there for you, but I can’t if you keep secrets from me.”

“An unhealthy chunk of my life has been kept a secret from you, Casey. You knew that about me before accepting my proposal. You can’t change the rules now, not on the eve of our wedding.”

“If you want to get technical, Jake, you’re the one who changed the rules. One of the things you promised was that you’d get therapy. That lasted three months.”

“You never said how long it needed to last.”

“Me? I wasn’t the one who suggested it in the first place. Please get your story straight.”

Jake didn’t have a response to that. He knew as well as I did that what I was saying was true. I’d never pushed him into therapy; it was after a conversation with Kyle that he’d come to the conclusion he needed it.

We stood there without words, looking out over the Arizona night sky. Unable to handle the silence another second, I grabbed his arm and wrapped it around me as I leaned into him. Jake squeezed tightly and then reached out, took my hand, and raised it to his lips before saying, “I love you. I want to marry you. Why can’t that be enough?”

I didn’t care about the damn therapy. I just wanted him happy. Sometimes I wondered, given his background, if that would ever truly be possible, although there was no turning back now. I was fully vested in this man, and the way I saw it, neither one of us could survive alone. Our strength had always been together. Casey and Jake. Cake.

“It’s enough.”