Did he have to look so good? Smell so good? And why had she turned into a flustered teenager? Because the man still had a way of getting under her skin, that’s why. She pressed her hand against her roiling stomach. She’d worked with top celebrities without so much as a bat of an eye, but two minutes with Dane had her insides screaming as if she were a starstruck groupie. She would not let him get to her during her time in Cypress Pointe.
Still, Dane Peterson, owner of the Grand Cypress Hotel. Who would have thought it? And what was she going to do to avoid him?
Before she could come to any conclusions, she crossed the threshold into a large banquet room and assessed the chaos.
Juliet was pacing. Lanie, her older sister, had a box that she was rustling through, pulling out rolls of bunting and crepe paper. Nealy shuddered at the sight. Her mother, Anita, was chastising a tall man with a glazed look in his eyes. Having been at the receiving end of her chastisement, Nealy empathized with him.
“Hey, everyone,” she called out. “I’m here.”
Juliet shrieked, running over to envelop Nealy in a big hug. “I knew you’d make it.”
“Yes, we were wondering when that would be,” her mother’s voice came from behind her. “We could have used your help this afternoon.”
Sure they could have, but then Nealy would have had to stick needles in her eyes.
“Hi, Mom.” She gave her a dutiful hug, miffed she let her mother’s lack of affection get to her.
Following the pseudo hug, her mother scrutinized Nealy. “You look pale. Don’t you ever get out in the California sun?”
Before Nealy could respond, Lanie cut in for her hug. “Welcome home, sis. We could use some major organizing skills since a therapist isn’t available.”
“Lucky for you I have them.”
Juliet put a death grip on Nealy’s arm. After their most recent phone conversation, Nealy understood why. Her family had a tendency to be a bit too eagerly involved.
“Please promise me you won’t leave my side.”
Nealy didn’t want to make any promises. Her mother’s frown didn’t reflect a warm welcome and knowing Dane lurked somewhere in the building made her want to bolt. Then she focused on her sister’s worried face, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and that her usually tidy hair was a mess. Nealy lifted her chin. This wasn’t about her. Her sister needed her here and for that reason alone she would see this week through. “I promise.”
Juliet let out a breath, tears glistening in her eyes. “Thanks.”
“Are you okay?” Nealy was genuinely concerned.
“Tired. Work has been demanding. If this party is any indication of what the wedding will be like...”
Nealy should have come home sooner. “Maybe we should—”
“There she is,” cried a familiar voice. Nealy turned to see her maternal grandmother, Dorinda, hurrying toward her. “Come give me a kiss.”
Nealy sent one last questioning glance at her sister and received a reassuring nod in return. Once she and her sister were alone, Nealy would get to the bottom of what was bothering Juliet.
“Grandmother!” Nealy wrapped Dorinda in her arms, holding on for dear life. The scent of lilacs Nealy always associated with her grandmother enveloped her. Welcomed her home. This was the person who had cleaned her cuts, wiped her tears and filled her life with joy. “How have you been?”
“Other than missing you, just fine. Talking on the phone and only seeing you for our annual visits is not enough.”
Nealy grinned. “I agree.”
Dorinda ran a hand over Nealy’s wavy hair. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered and tilted her head toward the women in the room. “Not a moment too soon.”
“Are things so bad?”
“Not bad. More like difficult. The usual Grainger women drama.”
“As usual, Dad is wise to stay far, far away.”
The urge to run away welled up in her, but she squashed it for Juliet’s sake. Maybe a few minutes to gather her muddled thoughts would shore up her resolve. “Okay, ladies, before we get busy, I have to make a couple of quick business calls. Be back in a few.”
She turned on her heel, hurried out of the room and back down the hallway, hoping she wouldn’t run into Dane. Before entering the foyer, she stopped and peeked around the corner. No ex-husband. Expelling a breath, she rushed past the main desk, heading to the veranda for some fresh air and to place the phone calls she promised her boss she’d make. She’d just reached for the door handle when she heard a slow masculine drawl behind her. “Leaving so soon?”
* * *
DANE KNEW NEALY would never miss her sister’s party. That meant he’d be seeing her again. His regret over how he’d ended things with her had entailed a lot of emotional upheaval, but still he maintained he’d made the right decision to end their marriage before it really started.
What else could he have done but file for an annulment after their impetuous act? Once they’d said their “I do’s,” the enormity of the situation had sunk in. There was no doubt in his mind he’d been head over heels in love with Nealy, but marriage? At eighteen, he’d had nothing to offer her. No way to support them financially or emotionally. How could he not have considered the consequences? Because he’d let the roller-coaster ride of young love blind him to reality instead of considering what Nealy needed—security and a man with a solid future.
He’d done the right thing by walking away. It had been the hardest decision he’d ever made, more so because he knew he’d hurt her in the process. Yeah, he hadn’t missed the surprise and hurt in Nealy’s eyes when she’d bumped into him a few minutes ago. She’d never been very good at hiding her emotions. From him, anyway. But she was here now, so how was he going to handle the situation? If her body language and angry tone were any indication, she didn’t plan to make any encounters between them easy.
She let go of the door handle and faced him, her lips pressed together, a sure sign she was annoyed. “Do you make a habit of stalking your guests?”
“Only the ones I haven’t seen in over a decade.”
“There’s a reason for that.”
“I’m well aware.”
Coming back to Cypress Pointe to purchase the hotel had been a calculated risk, like returning to the scene of a crime. But when the hotel had gone up for sale, Dane couldn’t resist. After a mere few hours of debating the wisdom of buying a property holding so many memories of love gone wrong, he broke down and placed an offer. It had taken a lot of hard work to get the place looking even better than its former glory, but once he’d started, he never looked back.
Nealy stood with her arms crossed over her chest, one foot tapping. Yeah, she still had all the pent-up energy that got them into one scrape after another when they were kids. “Don’t you have some hotel stuff to keep you busy?”
He grinned at her, encouraged by the flicker of interest she tried to hide. “At the moment, you’re my top priority.”
She narrowed her eyes but the gesture didn’t scare him off. She still had the power to make his heart pound with just one glance.
Mahogany-colored hair, cut in wavy layers, swung around her shoulders and down her back. Dane remembered the texture, and his fingers itched to touch the thick tresses. Her slender build admirably filled the suit she wore and he smiled at her choice of footwear. She always did have a flair for the unexpected.
The subtle scent of peaches accosted him, just like that long-ago summer. He also remembered the luscious bubblegum