Best Man for the Wedding Planner

The falls was a hulking gray arc of ice in the dark, thanks to the moonlight, while the water at the bottom was open and inky-black. “In the summer,” Adele said quietly, pointing, “white water rafters leave from just there, below the falls. When the melt is on, there’s a lot of water.”

“I bet it sees a lot of tourists.”

She smiled up at him. “The whole town does. You should be here in the summer.”

&nb

sp; And then she realized that he wouldn’t be. He’d be back in Toronto, and she’d be here. Her business was here. She had clients booked for the next year. And that day-by-day thing sounded great, except for the logistics of it. As in, half a country away from each other.

How was that even possible to consider?

“You got quiet all of a sudden,” Dan said. He tugged on her hand and pulled her close. They’d walked through the parking lot and closer to the stone wall near the falls. Now he guided her to a nearby tree, and they leaned against the trunk, beneath the naked branches.

“Just thinking,” she replied, holding his hand tightly. It seemed like if she let go, he’d be gone forever, and she wasn’t ready for that to happen yet. One more day. Just one, and a handful of hours, and he was going to Calgary. It was a fact that couldn’t be ignored, even if they were trying their best.

“Thinking is highly overrated.” Dan shifted so he was in front of her, his body sheltering her from the wind. Her back was against the tree trunk, and she lifted her chin the slightest bit.

“I’ve wanted to do this all day,” he said, and then dipped his head to kiss her.

He took his time. They sipped, tasted, savored. He braced his hands against the tree and she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close as the kiss deepened. She didn’t want to let him go. Not ever. But the time was going to come when they couldn’t play vacation anymore. And when that happened, they would have to deal with the harsh reality that they’d built separate lives that couldn’t just be dismissed in an instant.

“I never stopped loving you,” he whispered against her hair, and she wanted to cry. She wouldn’t, though. Not now. Now she was going to hold on as tightly as she could.

“Me either,” she answered, breathless. “I tried. I lied to myself and said I didn’t love you anymore. But I never stopped, Dan. Never.”

His body pressed against hers, pinning her against the tree, and it felt glorious. “Come back with me,” he urged, the words soft and persuasive. “Spend the night with me, Delly. Let me love you again.”

She unwound her arms from around his ribs and lifted a hand to touch his face. “I’ll think about it. It’s not a small thing you’re asking. Not for us.”

“No,” he agreed, his eyes nearly black in the darkness. “Not for us.”

He took her hand and they started the walk back to the hotel, going slowly as they climbed up the hill. She wasn’t sure if she’d stay or go. She wanted to stay...wanted to very badly. Being in Dan’s arms, waking with him in the morning...it was as close to heaven as she could imagine. But it scared her, too. She wouldn’t walk away from this unscathed. And it could be better or a whole lot worse if they made love before he left.

When the lights of the Cascade lobby came into view, Dan pulled her off to the side, into the snow, and held her close. He kissed her until her breath was gone and her knees wobbled. “Stay,” he said, his voice hoarse.

“I...” She was on the verge of saying yes, but what came out of her mouth was, “I can’t.”

His lips turned down in a frown.

“I want to, Dan, but I... I need time to think. This week has been such a whirlwind. A week ago you hated me. We’ve gone through this crazy roller coaster of confession and forgiveness and it’s just...” She looked up into his face. “The last time we were on the verge of something important, I reacted with fear and on emotion and it took us apart. I don’t want to do something hasty and...and jeopardize where we are.”

“I’m not sure how sleeping together will jeopardize anything,” he said, his gaze softening a little as his lips turned up.

It was so very tempting. “I have to be sure.”

“Yes,” he said quietly, “you do.”

That was it then, wasn’t it? For tonight, at least. She did have to be absolutely certain this was what she wanted, not just on a physical level but on all levels. She could get hurt. And the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. “I need to go home and think. Please understand...”

“Let’s get you a cab,” he said softly, stepping back. “And there’s nothing to understand. You have every right to say no, Del. I respect that. I can, uh, deal with my disappointment.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she laughed a little. “You haven’t really changed at all.”

“God, I hope not.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her back to the sidewalk. They ambled to the front entrance, and then asked the doorman for a cab. Moments later a car arrived, pulled up to the curb and idled.

Dan lifted her chin and kissed her once more, a soft, lingering type of kiss that sent tingles right to her toes. “Maybe that will help you with your thinking,” he murmured, and then reached around to open the back door of the taxi.

She looked up just before he closed the door. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.”