“I think that we should give the good people of Chiefland something to talk about.” And then just as unexpectedly, he leaned over and brushed a kiss across her lips.
Lisa’s breath caught, and there was a struggle within her to do something other than just stand there speechless. Doing something as outlandish as kissing him back popped into her usually levelheaded and rational mind. But at that moment she was saved from acting on it when the wedding planner claimed everyone’s attention.
“I think she wants us,” Myles said, offering her his arm. Knowing that eyes were still on them, she placed her hand on his arm and they turned together as if he was leading her toward a dance floor instead of the front of the church. They strolled together down the aisle to where the bride and groom to-be, as well as other members of the wedding party, were standing.
Sheila’s blue eyes immediately darted to hers and Lisa registered the concern she saw there. Lisa smiled, trying to assure Sheila all was well, when deep down she wasn’t completely sure of that, herself. The only thing she knew for certain was that Myles still had the ability to stir emotions inside of her in a way she could definitely do without.
Another thing she knew for certain was that he smelled good. Whatever cologne he was wearing was definitely an attention getter. She had picked up on the scent the moment he had walked up to her. It was a manly fragrance, definitely one that had the ability to seduce. She quickly reminded herself that she was beyond getting seduced by Myles and hoped he was well aware of that fact.
* * *
MYLES FELT LISA’S eyes on him and was tempted to look at her but refrained from doing so. Instead, he tried to concentrate on the instructions the wedding planner was giving them. It wasn’t easy. All he could think about was that the only woman he had ever loved was standing by his side. How many times had he pictured such a scene and wanted to capture such a moment again?
In his opinion she hadn’t changed much. At twenty-five she was still as beautiful as she had been at seventeen…and the last time he’d seen her, at twenty. She still had shoulder-length black hair that cascaded around her honey-brown-colored face, and incredible dark eyes that seemed the color of dark chocolate. Dimples would form in her cheeks when she smiled. Her full lips had always been a total turn-on for him, always tempting. She was tall and leggy with a body he remembered well. The blouse she was wearing along with the dark slacks emphasized her curves to perfection.
He had a sinking feeling that she didn’t have a clue as to the real reason he had broken things off with her that night. Why he had left Chiefland and not looked back. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought of her, although he’d made it seem that the main reason he’d left was to pursue his dream. She had no idea that she had been his dream and nothing could ever compare to her. True, he’d always wanted to race professionally, but he’d always figured he would do that with her by his side.
He was certain she had no way of knowing that her parents had paid him a visit that week and pleaded with him to get out of her life after she had told them of her plans to drop out of college and come back home to be with him. It was bad enough that she had refused to go up north to college like they had wanted, and instead had gone to the University of Florida as a way to remain near him. Her parents had been furious about that and he had tried to change Lisa’s mind but she hadn’t budged. The last straw for her parents had been when she contemplated dropping out of college. That had not been acceptable to them. And it hadn’t been acceptable to him, either.
He had already purchased the engagement ring he intended to give her for Christmas. But when he’d found out she planned to forgo her last year of college, he knew he had to do what her parents had suggested, which was to get out of her life by leaving town. The job offer to be a part of Bronson Scott’s racing team had given him an excuse to leave. It had been a lie, of course, but he had loved her too much to let her mess up her life for him. Lisa was highly intelligent. He’d figured that one day she would grow to regret not finishing college and would have ultimately resented him.
“Does anyone have any questions?” Agnes Bonner asked.
The wedding planner’s question invaded his thoughts and brought them back to the present. When no one said anything, the older woman’s regard landed on him. “Mr. Joseph, if I can get you to step over here for a moment,” she said.
He inhaled deeply, hating the idea of leaving Lisa’s side even for a moment. He would be gone soon enough at the end of the week.
“Sure,” he said, and stepped away without looking at Lisa. Kissing her had been a huge mistake. He knew that now, but he hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity. Besides, it would be what got him through another five years without her in his life.
He had asked Ronald about her often and his best friend had grudgingly filled him in. He had never told Ronald the reason he had left, so like everyone else, Ronald thought he had dumped her to chase his dream. More than once he had thought about contacting her after she’d graduated from college to tell her the real reason he’d left. He’d even thought of taking the time while in town to clear things up between them now. But he’d figured it was best to leave well enough alone. He’d done what he felt needed to be done by getting out of her life when he had.
The next hour consisted of a series of rehearsals and the hardest for him was when Lisa, who was Sheila’s maid of honor, walked down the aisle. He could imagine her a bride instead of a maid of honor, and wearing a long flowing white wedding gown—walking down that aisle to him.
“That about wraps things up tonight, folks, but please be back here tomorrow, fully dressed no later than noon. And you are all invited to the rehearsal dinner at Victoria’s Steak House,” Mrs. Bonner announced.
Myles glanced at Lisa, who was standing talking to Sheila’s bridesmaids. Ronald leaned over and asked. “You are going to Victoria’s with us, right?”
Myles gave his best friend a smile. “Yes, I’m going.”
“Good,” Ronald said. “I’ll ride with you.”
Myles lifted a brow. “Aren’t you and Sheila going there together?”
Ronald rolled his green eyes and pushed a mass of blond hair that was just as long as Sheila’s away from his face. “No. Sheila intends to make our honeymoon special and decided six months ago that I needed to keep my hands to myself until the wedding. I figured with one more day to go, there’s no need to test my willpower. If it was left up to me we would never make it to the rehearsal dinner. We would go someplace where the two of us could be alone.”
Myles shook his head, grinning. “Then I guess it’s a good thing it’s not left up to you.” His eyes went back to Lisa.
Ronald said, “You still care for her. I can tell. I still don’t get why you dumped her in the first place.”
Myles turned toward Ronald. “Is that what you think I did?” he asked.
He and Ronald had been best friends since grade school and just like his relationship with Lisa, everyone in town had wondered what had drawn him and Ronald together. The answer was simple enough. Both he and Ronald had had a love for cars. The only difference was that Ronald’s family—one of the wealthiest in Chiefland—owned the only car dealership in town. In their early days, the two of them would hang out at Harris Autos and watch the mechanics at work. It wasn’t long before he and Ronald were under the hood of some car or other. In fact that was how he had met Lisa.