Magnolia Bride. Tara Randel

and Nealy started to tell her so, and then decided to hold her tongue. Who was she to counsel her sister on true love?

      “Get some sleep.” Juliet hugged Nealy and climbed into the matching twin bed. The topic of conversation was over and Nealy admitted she was kind of thankful there would be no more said on the subject of love and marriage. “I have tomorrow jam-packed with activities. Shopping. Nail salon. The works.”

      Before long, Juliet’s breathing evened out and Nealy knew her sister had fallen asleep. Unfortunately, Nealy couldn’t even doze. All charged up from seeing Dane, her family and hearing her grandmother’s news, she found herself staring at the ceiling.

      “This isn’t working.” After a while, she rose, snatched up the scrapbook and sat under the window where a street lamp gave enough light for her to view the old photos.

      Her gaze settled on a group picture of the entire family taken about five years ago at a picnic in the woods. They’d rented a cabin in the mountains and the whole bossy group had had a good time together. Who would have thought?

      Nealy flipped the page and found some loose photos sandwiched between the last page and back cover. She picked them up and sorted through them. When she came to one featuring her and Dane posing in her grandmother’s backyard, her smile slipped.

      Dane had an arm thrown over her shoulders, his goofy grin mugging for the camera. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, her smile wide and happy. It was taken a few weeks into the summer after they’d started dating. She could tell by her expression she’d already fallen in love.

      She ran her finger over the smooth surface, her vision blurring as tears prickled her eyes. What a whirlwind summer. She remembered the highs and lows, the excitement of young love and the desperation of not wanting to be separated from Dane. They’d spent every minute together. She’d never experienced such heart-wrenching love since then, and strangely, she was grateful. The emotions had been too intense, burning bright and extinguished too soon. She couldn’t live through those ups and downs again. She knew she didn’t have it in her.

      She’d reserved a special place for Dane in her memories, but not in her life. Earlier tonight he promised her he’d have his say. She recognized the determined gleam in his eye. Okay, so maybe after all these years he wanted to set the record straight. She could agree with closure for both their sakes, but nothing more. She could not, would not, let Dane tear down the walls of protection she’d built around her heart.

       CHAPTER THREE

      DANE DIDN’T HAVE to be a savvy businessman to know Nealy would make good on her promise to avoid him. He hadn’t talked to her since the tense conversation by the pool, not for lack of trying. She’d been around, helping Juliet with last-minute preparations for the parties, but although she was on the property, she managed to stay clear of him.

      Each time he caught sight of her, she stole his breath away. Her take-charge attitude and the professional way she handled the staff put to rest any worries he might have had about her working here at the hotel. The themed ideas she came up with for each party were unique, yet personal to the couple. She had her finger on the pulse of the activities without coming across as overbearing. Initially he wanted to spend time with her to come clean about the past. Now he just wanted to be near her.

      He straightened his tie and took one last look in the bathroom mirror before heading downstairs to oversee tonight’s first engagement party. Nealy had come up with a casual Sweet Summer Nights theme meant to dazzle the guests this Friday night. Dane had to admit, he was impressed by her work so far.

      Curious about her, Dane had researched Milestones by Crystal on the web. The company had an outstanding résumé of high-profile functions like movie premiers and after-parties, celebrity birthday parties and anniversaries. The sheer scale and mastery of work had built them a sterling reputation. Dane now understood why his event coordinator had been intimidated by Nealy. It wasn’t Nealy herself, but the creative force behind the woman. While it explained why Angela quit, it didn’t replace an important cog in hotel operations.

      His general manager could have acted in the coordinator’s place, but as de facto event coordinator, he mentally ran through the checklist. Canopies set up on the property for the guests to dine under. Check. A removable wood floor in place for dancing under the stars. Check. Dinner, dessert and music. Check, check and check.

      Okay, one weekend of planning was fine, but he needed a new event coordinator ASAP. Nealy had been his saving grace, with the event well in hand. How did she do this all the time? He didn’t have the answer, but knew things had better go off without a hitch. With the senator’s presence here this weekend, the hotel’s image and future were at stake here.

      Since opening the refurbished hotel there had been a few scheduled holiday parties, but nothing like tonight’s smaller and more subdued celebration or Saturday night’s larger and more elegant affair. The Mason family involvement added a level of concern he hadn’t experienced before, but he had no doubt his staff would step up to the challenge. He hired the best and expected results. If the senator was pleased with how everything went, Dane hoped he would be agreeable to booking future political events at the hotel. Dane had a lot riding on the success of this weekend.

      “I’m more comfortable around bulldozers and jackhammers than dance floors and orchestras,” he said under his breath. He grabbed his wallet off the bedroom dresser and slipped it into his back pocket before locking up his suite. He’d commandeered two rooms overlooking the water on the far end of the second floor and had them remodeled into executive quarters for himself. During the renovations, he’d settled into living on the property and stayed.

      His cell rang as he walked down the hallway to the elevator. “Peterson.”

      “Tell me everything is going well.”

      He smiled at the voice on the other end. Uncle Hank, his business partner, out of town on another project, calling for an update. He’d been thrilled when Dane told him Senator Mason would be holding Saturday night’s lavish engagement party here and wanted to make sure Dane wowed the man in order to secure more dealings with him.

      “Right on schedule.”

      “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

      “You should know better than to worry.”

      “Old habits.”

      Dane grinned. His uncle had helped Dane get his act together after high school, encouraging Dane to get a college education while giving him a job during those years. Leaving home at the height of his parents’ never-ending drama had been the best move he’d ever made. The dysfunctional home had led Dane to make many rash and costly mistakes as a young man, but Hank had seen something in his nephew and mentored Dane.

      For eight years now, he’d worked seven days a week learning every aspect of hotel remodeling. In the beginning, he’d gotten dirty during construction, but hard work turned to pride once he brought a struggling property back to life with his own hands. He’d always been good with finances and learned to invest wisely and make the most of his money. Now he and Hank were partners; actually, they were more than partners since Hank had done more for Dane than his own father.

      “This weekend is important,” his uncle continued. “Word of mouth from the senator will go a long way.”

      “You know I won’t let anything ruin this opportunity.”

      “I’m counting on you, son.”

      Nothing like heaping on a little more pressure. “I’ll call you later.”

      Dane signed off, a slight smile curving his lips. Uncle Hank was all about the bottom line and he’d taught Dane well.

      With each new property he remodeled, Dane had become more successful and prosperous, and as a result was able to implement innovative ways to run the business efficiently and keep costs down without skimping on quality. He’d used work to fill the emptiness inside him,