“It has been a while,” she choked out. His face was inscrutable, his mouth firm, his cobalt-blue eyes cool and unreadable. As a teenager, Tyler had been good-looking in a sexy, wicked way. Ten years ago, he’d worn his dark gold hair long and straight. Now it was cut shorter, with a casual messy look and sideburns. His lean jaw and chin with its deep cleft wore a heavy layer of dark gold stubble that only added to the wicked charm.

“You remember Nick?”

She turned her attention to Tyler’s friend Nick, pulling her hand back from Tyler’s grip, resisting the urge to yank it free.

Did she remember Nick? Of course she remembered him. The emails they’d exchanged over the years from time to time had ensured that. But Tyler didn’t know about that.

“Of course.” She smiled at Nick.

“Kaelin.” Nick pulled her in for a hug and she went into his embrace with a rush of emotion at seeing him again. Despite the lingering embarrassment and betrayal at what she’d caught him doing, she couldn’t hate Nick. He seemed happy to see her too, and she’d always felt he was a kindred spirit, still a friend even though she hadn’t seen him for nearly ten years. Though she had to admit, his bulked-up body didn’t inspire thoughts of friendship. She drew back. Nick too, had changed.

“Look at you,” she said, brushing a hand over his close-cropped head. He was as close to being shaved bald as you could be, and it suited him. “What happened to your hair? And where’d you get all those muscles?”

He grinned. “Working out.”

Her gaze tracked down over thickly muscled shoulders, rounded biceps and strong forearms, then over his broad, hard chest in a snug T-shirt. “Clearly.” She smiled back at him. “You look great.”

“Thanks. So you do.”

She smiled and gave him a small eye roll.

“Seriously, Kaelin.” Nick looked her up and down appreciatively, and her body tightened. “You were always pretty. Now you’re just plain gorgeous.”

She laughed at his outrageous compliment and shook her head.

“When did you get into town?” She changed the subject.

“Just a little while ago.” Nick glanced at Tyler, who was watching them from beneath lowered brows, arms folded across his chest. “We drove down this afternoon.”

Tyler and Nick lived in Chicago, a few hours away. You’d think it was the other side of the world for how often they came home. But then Tyler never had been one to do what was expected of him. Such as visit his parents once in a while. She knew they’d had a rocky relationship, but everyone grew up sometime, surely, and his parents weren’t getting any younger. Whatever. His life.

“I hear your business is doing well.” She spoke to both men, her gaze moving back and forth between them. She didn’t want to let on to Tyler how much she knew about his life now, but it was reasonable that she’d know at least that much from Avery.

Nick shot Tyler a narrow-eyed glance and a tight smile, but he nodded. “Yeah. So far, so good.”

Oh-oh. She sensed something beneath the surface, but Tyler was already moving on, so clearly she wasn’t going to find out what.

“And you’re still living here in Mapleglen,” Tyler said. She nodded. “I hear you’re a lawyer.”

“No.” She pushed down the twinge of regret at his words. “Not a lawyer. Just a paralegal.”

“Not just a paralegal,” Nick said, bumping her with his shoulder. “I’m sure you’re a great paralegal.”

She smiled. “Yes. Yes I am.” She turned back to Tyler. “I didn’t go to law school, but I did get a job at a law firm here in town. Bickford Long.” She knew he’d recognize the name since her boss, Paul Bickford, was a good friend of his dad. She held his gaze steadily, chin up, waiting for his mocking comment about where she worked, the small-town ultraconservative law firm. He’d always teased her about being a good girl—studious, serious, cautious. She fit right in at Bickford Long. Sort of.

“Yeah, I’d heard you work there. That’s great,” he said.

She blinked.

She liked her job, but it certainly wasn’t exciting like his career. Apparently he was like a rock star in the advertising business in Chicago and had recently decided to open his own agency. Nick, an accountant, had joined as his partner. She knew the basics from one of Nick’s emails but she hadn’t wanted to ask too many questions about Tyler. But it had been easy to follow Tyler’s career on Google, though shame burned through her at the fact that she’d done so, keeping track of him all these years. It wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t done the same to her, but the reality was, even if he had Googled her, there’d be nothing to find. Her life was pretty basic, living in the small city of Mapleglen, working at the law firm, visiting at the seniors’ home with Taz, helping with church activities. Much of her adult life had been spent caring for her parents, but they were gone now.

“Okay, you can all catch up later!” Avery interrupted them, taking Kaelin’s arm and squeezing it in a hug. “Kaelin needs to come upstairs and see my dress.” She dragged Kaelin away from the others, out into the hall and then up the stairs. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done,” she chatted, leading the way. “I could never have organized this wedding without you.”

“I think your mom could’ve handled it,” Kaelin replied dryly. She’d had some challenges with Mrs. Wirth throughout this whole deal.

“But she wouldn’t have done what I wanted!”

“True that,” Kaelin said with heartfelt agreement. The wedding would have been completely different if Mrs. Wirth had her way. Kaelin didn’t think she’d ever met anyone so concerned with what people thought, with making a good impression, putting on a show. Well, besides Dr. Wirth, just as preoccupied with image as his wife. Kaelin had had to use every ounce of her negotiation and persuasion skills to keep Mrs. Wirth from turning the wedding into an over-the-top, blow-the-bank spectacle.

“She only has one daughter,” Avery continued, walking into the room that had been her bedroom, where the two of them had spent so many teenage hours. “That’s what she keeps telling me. And it doesn’t look like Tyler will be getting married any time soon.”

Kaelin sank her teeth into her bottom lip and strove for casual. “No? No girlfriend?”

Avery shrugged. “He was going out with someone last time I visited him in Chicago, but he didn’t want to bring anyone to the wedding, so I guess not.”

Kaelin couldn’t even identify all the feelings swirling inside her at that comment.

Avery walked into the closet and returned with her dress. “Here it is!”

Kaelin gazed at the dress, then back at Avery. “This is it?”

Avery frowned. “Yes. I know it doesn’t look like much on the hanger, but when I put it on you’ll see. And it looks pretty plain, but I have these necklaces that go with it…” She laid the dress on the bed and rushed over to the dresser. Kaelin stroked a hand over the strapless column of ivory taffeta. The dress was very simple—no ruffles, lace or tulle, not a pouf or sparkle in sight.

“It’s beautiful, Avery. What did your mom think of it?”

“She hasn’t seen it.” Avery turned around, several long strands of pearls and rhinestones dangling from her hands. “I told her she has to wait until the wedding day.”

Kaelin laughed. “Isn’t that the groom who has to wait until the wedding day to see you?”

Avery grinned. “You know I’m not superstitious.”

“You mean he’s seen the dress?” Kaelin’s mouth dropped open.

Avery laughed. “No! I’m not superstitious, but I still want him to be blown away when he sees me on Saturday.”

Kaelin laughed too. “Okay,” she said. “I think I can visualize it. Very nice.”

“My mom’s going to be disappointed,” Avery said, turning back to tuck the jewelry away. “But it’s my wedding.”

And that’s why Kaelin had had to fight…er…negotiate with Mrs. Wirth over so many things. She almost felt sorry for Mrs. Wirth, her disappointment so huge at not being able to put on the ostentatious show she wanted to, but Kaelin’s loyalty was with her best friend. She’d spent exhausting hours, though, placating Mrs. Wirth, trying to make her feel better.