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Jaime: Say it with me so I know you understand what you’ve done. I STOLE from my own parents. I STOLE from my fiancée’s parents. And I STOLE from the woman I planned on spending my life with.
Ian: What do you meanplanned on? It’s not over. It’s never over with me and Grace. I’ll pay everyone back, and she’ll be fine. She’s the most forgiving person you’ve ever known.
Jaime: That’s funny. You’ve known her most of your life, and I’ve known her an hour, and I can already see you don’t get her at all. She’s all about family and loyalty. And with this betrayal, you’ve just cut yourself out of her tribe.
For good.He had no doubt.
Ian: Come on, man. You’ve been in my shoes. You almost lost the ranch.
Jaime: I have never been in your shoes. When my parents told me they had to sell, I gave up hockey. And then, I bought a bunch of cabins to bring in rental income. When that failed, I did a ton of research. And then, I figured out that we could sell bull sperm. So, see, I didn’t have to steal from anyone. I had to sacrifice and wait until one of my ideas panned out.
The closet door clicked shut, and Grace returned wearing a bright yellow and white sundress. She’d relieved her dark hair of the bun, and now it tumbled down to the swells of her breasts. “I feel a thousand times better.”
She was so pretty, so fresh, he couldn’t even speak. He just stared at her.
Her smile wilted. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He sounded gruff. Annoyed, even. He tried to brighten his tone. “Great.” But then, he just sounded fake.Fuck my life.
“What can I get y’all to drink?” Marty, the flight attendant, stood between them in the aisle.
“Oh, just water for me.” Grace gave him a beaming smile. “Thank you.”
“Honey, you just ran from your own wedding. Now, I don’t want to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but you must’ve had a good reason. Getting out of a bad situation’s a good reason to celebrate. How about we toast with a nice, cold glass of champagne?”
“That sounds like a good idea.” She beamed a smile that would melt the heart of the coldest man. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet.”
Marty gave her hand a squeeze. “Oh, honey. You’re shaking. What can I do? How about a mug of chamomile tea? Maybe a slice of cake?”
Neither the booze nor the tea registered on her happiness meter, but the last suggestion made the needle go wild. “What kind of cake?”
Marty smiled. “You know how everything happens for a reason? Well, I just took the team back from a baby shower in Montreal for one of the wives. They brought a bunch of leftovers but forgot all about them, so I’m stuck with a whole platter full of yummies. Let me show you what I’ve got.” He gave Jaime a bored expression. “Don’t worry. I’ll get your water and salad.” Marty jerked a thumb in his direction. “This one’s no fun at all.”
Jaime feigned offense. “I’m fun.”
“No booze, no dessert, no snacks.” Marty headed off to the kitchen area. “It’s like you’re punishing yourself or something.”
“You don’t like dessert?” Grace asked.
“I just don’t care about it,” Jaime said. “There’s nothing new under the sun, you know?”
“No. I don’t think I do.” Clamping her hands on the armrest, she lifted up and crossed her legs under her before sitting back down. “Explain.”
“How many doughnuts can you eat before they all start to taste the same?”
She stared at him with an incredulous expression. “Are you serious with me right now?”
“What? Ice cream, pie, cake… I’ve had it all.”
She nodded. “Yes, I can see how that would happen once you hit your nineties. And you’re how old again?”
He found himself fascinated with the snark that came out of that soft, sexy mouth. “Twenty-eight. Same as you.”
“Well, I’m no world traveler, but there are as many ways to make tiramisu as there are chefs. And personally, I can’t wait to try every single one. That’s the whole reason I’m going to Paris—” That brief moment of vibrancy while talking about dessert died at the memory of her lost honeymoon.
“You can still go.” Man, he hated to see her so sad.
“To Paris? No, we didn’t pay for the hotel in advance. We just have reservations. I’m not going to spend what money I have left on a trip like that.” She grabbed her phone. “I’d better cancel it right now.”
