Second Chances: A Romance Writers of America Collection (Stark World 2.50)

The bridesmaids resumed fluttering over Lolly and Victoria crossed to the door, grateful for the distraction.

But when she opened the door, it was Nick standing in the hallway outside the bride's dressing room.

"What are you doing here?" She ushered him away before he could enter the bride's inner sanctum, slipping through the door and closing it behind her. "You're supposed to be with Kipp."

Nick held up an envelope. "He wanted to send Lolly this."

Tori plucked it from his fingertips. "I'll see that she gets it. Now go back and keep the groom calm." She frowned at the envelope. "He can't be calling it off."

"Are you kidding? Kipp would walk through fire to marry Lolly. He said it was an inside joke, but my money is on a sappy love note."

"Good. Now go."

He didn't budge, standing there looking entirely too good for her equilibrium in a charcoal tuxedo and lavender silk tie. Her heart thudded heavily as his amber eyes took in every inch of her from the collar of her modest peach sheath to her most comfortable peep-toe heels.

"You look beautiful."

A flush hit her cheeks. "I have to blend with the guests."

"Is Lorelei here?"

The butterflies in her stomach turned to lead. "She's with my mom. She gets her grandma fix when I have a wedding."

Nick nodded. A strained silence fell.

"We'll have to, ah, talk about how you two should meet. When you've moved back."

He stepped closer. "Tori, about last night--"

Oh God no. They were not talking about The Kiss of Doom. "We'll need to be careful moving forward," she said hurriedly, speaking over him. "You can meet Lorelei, but you need to stop trying to kiss me." She hadn't realized she was going to say that until the words were out, but now there were more coming and she couldn't stop them. "I have to be looking out for Lorelei's interests, and I can't be as effective guarding her heart if I'm worrying about my own where you're concerned."

Disappointment flickered in his eyes. "You were never guarded with me before."

"You never broke my heart before." She swallowed, forcing herself to go on. "I know I played a part in the miscommunication, but the truth is when your life got hard, you cut me out of it. That isn't what you do to people you love. And I won't risk being hurt like that again. Goodbye, Nick." She lifted the envelope. "I'll see Lolly gets this."

HE'D BROKEN HER HEART.

Nick smiled through the ceremony and the photos, saying all the right things and projecting happiness for all he was worth, but he couldn't stop thinking about Victoria and the simple words that had jarred him to his marrow.

He didn't know how to mend a broken heart.

But he wanted to. Not just because she was the mother of his child and he wanted to know his daughter with an ache in his soul he never would have suspected he could feel, but also because she was Tori. The one woman who made him feel like he was enough just by smiling at him. The one that got away.

But she hadn't gotten away. He'd thrown her away.

He'd never wanted to be like his parents--he'd struggled for most of his adult life to separate himself from their legacy and be seen as his own man--but he was more like them than he wanted to admit. Like his mother, he'd run away when things got tough. He'd hated her for it, and then he'd gone and done exactly the same thing.

He'd told himself it was better for Tori if she didn't have to deal with the circus his life had become, but was he trying to protect her? Or protect himself from the vulnerability that came from caring for someone?

Glasses clinked around the ballroom and the murmur of voices quieted as a microphone landed with a thunk in front of him on the table.

Kipp clapped him on the shoulder. "You're up, best man."

The toast. Shit.

Nick lurched to his feet. He'd had a speech prepared. Even now, he could feel the paper crinkling in his vest pocket. He'd planned to talk about his long friendship with Kipp and Kipp's unswerving loyalty, but now those words--though true--seemed somehow inadequate.

Victoria stood at the back of the room. In constant motion since the reception began, she now paused near a spray of flowers and watched him, waiting for him to speak--along with the rest of the silent room.