AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He arched his brows. “You never mentioned that you were once almost engaged to Jordan Larabee either.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“THAT’S DIFFERENT,”LESLEY INSISTED.“Jordan wasn’t in love with me…and I wasn’t…didn’t think…we never…” She tried to explain, but her tongue kept getting in the way. Abruptly snapping her mouth closed, she glared at him. “How long have you known about Jordan and me?”
“Two days.” He spoke casually, as though it were of little importance to him. As if she were overreacting to the news he’d been a soldier for hire. “It wouldn’t have mattered, Lesley. There was no reason to keep it from me.”
She felt the heat crawl up her neck. The entire time she’d dated Jordan, Lesley had been uncomfortably aware that he remained officially married. While it was true he and Molly were separated and had been for years, nevertheless, Lesley had been uneasy. Again and again Jordan had assured her there was no chance of a reconciliation Lesley had wanted to believe that and so she’d overruled her objections.
“We each have a past,” Zane reminded her gently. “I’m fairly confident that over the years we’ve both said and done things we regret. As far as I’m concerned, that’s where all this belongs. In the past.”
“But…” He made sense; her fear was that she so badly wanted to marry Zane, she was tempted to overlook everything else. The same way she’d tried to ignore the fact Jordan was still married while they dated.
“What you learned about me is true,” he said evenly. “I was once a paid soldier, but I’ve made a new life for myself now, here in Sleepy Valley.”
With his injuries it would be impossible for him to return to the field, she reminded herself. Those days were behind him, and he was looking to her for his future. Just as she counted on him for her own.
“I can’t force you to marry me—that decision is yours. But if you want to call off the wedding, then you’ll need to make up your mind soon.” He glanced at his watch. “By my estimate, our guests will be arriving in less than four hours. What’s it to be, Lesley?”
It didn’t pass her notice that he didn’t offer her any inducements. He didn’t attempt to sway her with pretty words. Not once had he claimed to love her. He offered his life without promises, without guarantees. It was a take-it-or-leave-it affair. For all the emotion he revealed, her decision mattered little to him.
“What’s it to be?” he repeated.
Zane had always been fair with her. He could have lied any number of times, and hadn’t. She respected and admired him. As he claimed, the past was over and done. Nothing would change that. So he hadn’t lived the life of a saint. Neither had she. Some of her mistakes had been glaring.
He held himself stiffly away from her as he waited for her reply. Lesley raised her head until their eyes met. He held her look for several moments, but she was able to read nothing.
“We’re both crazy,” she whispered. Enough people had told her that for Lesley to start believing it.
“Agreed,” he said smoothly.
She briefly closed her eyes and prayed she was making the right decision. “I think you’ll make me a good husband, Zane Ackerman.”
For the first time that morning he smiled. “I certainly intend to try.”
* * *
The wedding took place at noon. Zane stood at Lesley’s side at the viewpoint that overlooked Lake Michigan. He felt his grandmother would have approved.
The sun shone gloriously, and the sky was clear blue and bright. A happy omen, he’d like to think, but he wasn’t foolish enough to believe there weren’t plenty of clouds on the horizon, plenty of storms ahead for Lesley and him.
He had played it cool with her that morning, and his gamble had paid off. He’d gone so far as to tell her that her relationship with Jordan didn’t bother him, but even as he said the words, he realized it was a lie.
The little green monster was an alien emotion to Zane. It had taken him the better part of two days to identify the emotion. As soon as he learned that Jordan and Lesley had once been involved, he realized that his longtime friend was the reason Lesley hadn’t married.
She’d claimed otherwise, but it didn’t add up. When Molly came back into Jordan’s life, Lesley nobly stepped aside, but she carried her heart on her sleeve as far as the other man was concerned. It all made a crazy kind of sense.
As he’d claimed earlier, they’d both made their mistakes. He couldn’t criticize Lesley for entering into this marriage with her own agenda. He had one himself.
Zane repeated his vows in a deep, strong voice, harboring no qualms. No second thoughts. No fears. He pledged his heart and his life to her without reservation. When he finished, he discovered her staring up at him and offered her a reassuring smile.
Lesley repeated her own vows in a clear, smooth voice, her gaze held by Zane’s.
When Zane slipped the solitary diamond on her finger, his heart swelled with fierce pride. She was his wife now, and there was no turning back for either of them. That was just the way Zane wanted it.
* * *
Following the reception, under a barrage of rice and well wishes, Lesley and Zane hurried to his car. He drove them to a secluded cabin deep in the woods for a four-day honeymoon. It was unfortunate, but Lesley couldn’t take more time from her work. If she’d had time to properly plan the wedding, she could have asked for vacation time, but Zane had been unwilling to postpone the wedding even one month. She never had understood his rush.
