Love and Second Chances

Chapter 1

Couples Tower Isle, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The wedding of Anjali Grey and Parker Newberry

Nothing could ruin this day. Not even the granny panties inexplicably both bunching and cutting into Mabel Butler’s waist. Not even the remnants of her jet lag. Not even Zane, his presence next to her filling up too much of her head space.

To be clear, she didn’t normally wear granny panties under nice dresses. But somehow that was all she’d packed, which may or may not have been because of the aforementioned man’s hijacking of her ability to think clearly.

So, scratch that. Maybe Zane, with his thick dark hair and coffee-colored eyes, did have the ability to ruin this day. And the way he kept staring at her was making things worse.

Waves from the turquoise-tinted Caribbean rose and broke just a hundred yards away from the small wedding party.

They were seated on teak, high-backed chairs arranged in rows on the resort’s back lawn.

A floral-scented breeze mercifully fanned Anjali and Parker and their guests as Reverend Taylor spoke on the sanctity of marriage.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, any time one of the friends from their “Kids’ Night Out” group asked about her dress, Anj said she was going to wear Daisy Dukes and a tank top that said Beach Hair, Don’t Care.

Parker had seemed fine with that, joining in by saying he was planning on wearing his swim trunks.

Mabel had been…eighty percent…sure the couple was kidding and hoping to surprise everyone. She’d even wondered if the beautiful yogi, Anjali, would wear some sort of white workout leggings and tank with a fun veil or something.

But when Anjali and Parker—who’d decided to forego a typical walk down an aisle—stepped out of the resort glass doors holding hands while the band played a steel-drum version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” the crowd sighed and cheered.

Anjali wore a boho A-line dress with sheer lantern sleeves, a soft tulle skirt, and appliqued illusion-lace.

Her hair was almost back to its original dark color, with a few strands of lightened tresses streaming out of the delicate updo.

Parker’s medium-blue suit was trim and fitted, somehow perfect for the beach. Both were barefoot.

As the reverend continued to speak, Mabel’s gaze took in the people seated near her. They were the only thing more beautiful to her than this slice of paradise. They weren’t just friends; they were family.

Kids’ Night Out had started when the friends—Tory, Liam, Hannah, Mack, Anjali, Ruby, Mabel, and Zane—graduated high school.

They’d already formed inseparable bonds, but as some left Silver Plum for college and work, they reserved the first Saturday of the month as KNO to stay in touch.

They ate at The Clucky Spud, Silver Plum’s only restaurant—and anyone who happened to be in town at the time would come.

As the ”kids” started dating and marrying, KNO grew.

Liam’s arm was around his wife, Tory, whose face held a healthy golden glow. Maybe the tropical air was helping with her morning sickness? They’d been the first to get married, and now she was three months pregnant.

In front of them sat Hannah and August, fanning themselves with white folding fans from the gift shop. Their wedding was just two months away, and Hannah was currently only showing brief flashes of Bridezilla.

Cady and Mack were the second couple to be married, and Henry, the youngest KNO member, was curled up on his mom Cady’s shoulder.

His baby curls clung to his soft, clear skin in the humidity.

Mabel wasn’t sure if Mack and Cady were watching the ceremony at all…

they were riveted on every shudder and sigh coming from Henry’s sleeping form.

The last of the paired-off KNO members was Ruby.

Her boyfriend, Weston, looked so different in his non-cowboy attire: a silk Guevara button-down in light blue.

From the looks of it, Ruby was fascinated by the change because she couldn’t keep her eyes off him as they locked gazes intermittently through Reverend Taylor’s speech.

Mabel sensed Zane leaning toward her from her right side even before he spoke. “We’ve been to a lot of these weddings now, haven’t we?” he whispered in her ear.

Was no one listening to the reverend? Not even his own son?

She nodded, not looking at him, then leaned forward to better hear. Zane’s dad always had wise words. Besides, it was rude to talk during a wedding ceremony. Sometimes Zane was just impossible.

One by one, over time, the KNO group had coupled off, each one bringing in their significant other to the group.

So far, it had worked out well, the various personalities vibing better than expected.

Now, the only two unattached were Mabel and Zane, a fact that, years ago, Mabel would have thought very fortuitous.

She could have slid right in there to girlfriend status with Zane like Pete Rose sliding into home base.

Now? It was a cage, a flashing neon sign that mocked her for something she’d never have.

That was Zane: just barely out of reach.

“You caught the bouquet at Tory and Liam’s,” Zane interrupted again, his mouth near her ear. “Doesn’t that mean you were supposed to get married next?” The teasing lilt in his voice stoked her annoyance.

Yes, she’d caught the bouquet a couple of years before. Yes, everyone else in KNO was either engaged or married or close to it now—except for her and Zane. Forget that stupid old wives’ tale.

She felt her cheeks flush. Praise the heavens, despite her awful granny panties, the pale-yellow sundress she wore was billowy enough around her shoulders that she had some breathing room from this humid heat that stifled her more every minute.

Her normal, unbidden response to Zane was always a strange flash—a mix of care, memory, and frustration. She’d had feelings for him once, a long time ago, the strong, heady, soulmate types of feelings.

But he nixed that almost before she’d allowed herself to go there, and, thankfully, before anyone else found out.

Now she was left with nothing but KNOs that were like a medieval torture device: if he decided to show up, she spent the two hours secretly aware of his every move, his every word.

And if he wasn’t there, she thanked her lucky stars that she could enjoy her food and the company in peace, all the while cursing his name under her breath because he hadn’t come.

So, see? Zane was impossible.

It seemed like Reverend Taylor was wrapping up, and then the vows would be exchanged. Her insides thrummed. The vows were always her favorite part.

“Should we just tell the world, ‘To heck with ya,’ and have our own wedding? The two of us, husband and wife?” Zane’s breath on her neck made her senses come alive, but his words cut through her and her always-brewing feelings of near contempt for him.

“You and I get married?” she shot back in a whisper. “That would be an absolute train wreck off the Cliffs of Insanity.” She offered a grunt, but it lodged in her throat, causing it to burn.

He placed a hand on his chest. His voice was garbled and, frankly, a little too loud. “You cut me like a knife, Mabel.”

She stared at him. She cut him like a knife?

Shaking her head, she shushed him and pointed to his dad. Reverend Taylor was nearly finished, crescendoing to the most poignant ending, and she’d missed too much of his speech.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Zane begin to smile as he looked at her. And then, she made a mistake: she turned to meet his gaze.

His eyes, achingly tender. His mouth, a smile that was wistful and shy. He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple went down and back up.

Her mouth grew dry, and she had to lick her lips. She couldn’t tear away from his gaze, even though she should have wanted to.

He grasped her wrist as his expression changed to something stronger and raw.

“Come here.” It was still a whisper, but almost a hiss. He stood, pulled her up with him, and held her hand as he began to stalk out of the wedding.

Not quite grasping what was happening, she caught a glimpse of heads from the front row starting to turn in her direction. Her strappy heels suffocated her feet as she struggled to keep up with him.

He came to himself after three steps in the manicured grass, letting go of her hand as if it had scalded him. His face went pale, and he didn’t look at her but kept walking. Mabel thought she heard his father pause his speech, but she wasn’t sure.

She struggled to match his pace. Then, seeing a screen of greenery, she motioned toward it with her head.

If he was going to get up and leave during the middle of a wedding, she should at least have some privacy to ask him why.

He joined her behind the tangled vines that shielded them from view.

“What is wrong with you?” Now her words were a hiss.

He breathed rapidly, pacing like a wild beast. His beachy white shirt and pants strained against him like he was Hulk—ready to tear out of them in anger. He was both bear and tiger. Large, growly, lithe.

Zane wouldn’t look at her. “I’m sorry. I was out of line to drag you from the wedding like that.” The back of his hand swiped against his mouth. A rattly breath went in and out.

She glanced back toward the wedding and smoothed down her dress. Her voice was softer now. “Are you okay?”

His gaze raked over her as his face started getting some color back. “No. I’m not okay. And you know exactly why.”