Magnolia Bride. Tara Randel

too soon. Before long, too much time had passed by.”

      “Yeah. Twelve years to be exact.”

      “Are you saying if I’d reached out, you would have talked to me?”

      His lips thinned into a mulish line.

      “Just what I thought.”

      From the moment he and Nealy eloped, the situation had gone downhill. He’d been reeling over the loss of a baseball scholarship to the University of South Florida because of a rotator cuff injury. His parents, always at each other’s throats, were talking divorce. They spent more time arguing and not enough time focused on their kids. Consequently, he’d missed deadlines to apply to other colleges and scholarships. Spending a wild summer with free-spirited Nealy had been just what he needed to deal with his shattered reality. They’d both been of age, and could legally marry, but running off didn’t mean they’d made the brightest move of all time. Look at his parents. They’d married young and couldn’t stand each other now. All Dane knew at the time? He was crazy in love with Nealy and the minute she turned eighteen, they’d stolen her dad’s car and taken off.

      At least her parents hadn’t pressed charges once they returned home.

      “Well, lucky for both of us,” she said, “I’ll be very busy while I’m here. Besides, we don’t have anything to talk about.”

      “I need to clear up some things. I think you do, too.”

      “As a matter of fact, I do.” She pointedly glared at him as she swung open the lobby door. “But not today.”

      He watched her shapely figure disappear behind the door. He turned just as Josh Hamilton, his head landscaper and handyman, strode across the lobby toward him.

      “Hey, Dane. Got a minute?”

      A minute was about all he had until Nealy returned to her family. “What’s up?”

      “I fixed the problem in the pool pump house. Anything else?”

      Anything else consisted of Nealy Grainger here at the Grand Cypress Hotel. “No. We’re good,” he said as he kept an eye on the front door.

      “Then I’ll get back to tending to the ornamental garden by the restaurant.”

      “Fine, fine,” he replied.

      “Then I’m going to knock on every guest’s door, yell fire and run away screaming.”

      “Fine.”

      “Or I could bug the sharp-looking woman who has all those parties planned.”

      “Get to it, then.”

      Josh laughed. “Dude. Are you even listening?”

      Dane turned to his employee, who also happened to be his friend. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

      “Nothing. A little preoccupied?”

      “I have a lot going on.”

      Josh cocked his head. “Anything to do with the pretty brunette walking this way?”

      Dane glanced over his shoulder. “You could say that.”

      “Just did.” He slapped Dane on the back. “Good luck.”

      “I’ll need it,” Dane said as Nealy headed for the hallway leading to the banquet rooms.

      * * *

      “YOU AGAIN?” REMARKED NEALY.

      “Yeah. I own the place, remember?”

      “So go do some hotel things.”

      He fell into step beside her. “I am. Acting as the temporary event coordinator.” Before he could continue the conversation, they reached the Grainger room and Juliet rushed over. “Please, make her stop.”

      Nealy followed Juliet’s gaze to their mother. “What now?”

      “She’s badgering the caterer for no reason.”

      “Let me handle it.” Dane took off, but not before brushing Nealy’s forearm with his hand.

      Despite every intention of not letting Dane get to her, his touch sent a tingle of awareness across Nealy’s skin. How, after all these years, could his touch affect her?

      When the gentle pressure of his hand lifted, Nealy was relieved. Okay, so some things hadn’t changed, like a mere touch from Dane raising her temperature. Or the pure command in his every step. Even her mother would have to listen to him. She’d hate that.

      Nealy smiled for the first time since arriving at the Grand Cypress Hotel.

      “Thank goodness Dane is here,” Juliet said.

      “Speaking of Dane, you knew he owned the hotel and didn’t tell me?”

      “I’m sorry.” Juliet at least had the grace to look chagrined. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come if you knew. You have so many memories tied up in this place and knowing Dane owned the hotel might have changed your mind.”

      True. Memories bombarded her every step.

      “He suggested I tell you but I couldn’t take the chance.”

      So he definitely knew she was coming. Hmm. Still, she wouldn’t ruin Juliet’s weekend just because the past had caught up with her. Swallowing her pride, Nealy would stick to their plans. By the look on Juliet’s face, she was in worse shape than Nealy anyway. “I’d never miss your engagement parties.”

      “I know he’s the last person on earth you want to see, but he’s been wonderful. Happy to accommodate two parties. He’s so professional.”

      “Dane? The same Dane who talked me into stealing Daddy’s car and eloping?”

      “He’s not that guy any longer, Nealy. He’s made this hotel a success and he’s very responsible now.”

      “But he’s still my ex-husband, Juliet. Do you think I should be all smiles and rainbows while he’s underfoot?”

      “No.” Juliet’s voice grew quiet. “Maybe it’s time to let go of the past.”

      “Maybe you expect too much.” She took a step to escape the room but Juliet grabbed hold of her arm.

      “You promised.”

      “And you purposely kept me in the dark.”

      “For just this reason. Yes, he owns the hotel, and I am sorry for keeping the truth from you.”

      The anguish in Juliet’s eyes assured Nealy her sister regretted her actions. For that alone, she could forgive her.

      “Fine.” She softened her tone and privately vowed she wouldn’t let Dane’s presence rattle her anymore. “What Dane and I had ended long ago. And I have moved on with my life. So has he, by the look of things.”

      And things looked good from where she stood. As if he knew she was thinking about him, Dane captured her gaze from across the room and his lips curved into that same boyish grin that had once captured her heart.

      She broke visual contact, but from the corner of her eye she saw his imposing form coming her way. This time, instead of the urge to run, she stood her ground. She had to in order to get through the next few days. That meant establishing some ground rules.

      “Excuse me, I have to, um, do something,” Juliet mumbled, leaving Nealy alone with Dane.

      She summoned her courage and spoke frankly.

      “Look, Dane, I understand this is your hotel and the parties are going to take place here, but I’ll stay out of your way if you’ll stay out of mine.”

      He stared at her for a long drawn-out moment then strode from the room.

      Nealy watched him go. What, no parting jabs? No last word? He’d given in too easily,