“Are you drunk?

Lisa leaned forward and confessed, “Yes, and guess what else? Im getting married.

“What? Delaney sputtered. “Youre getting married and you waited all this time to tell me?

“Well, were not telling anyone for a while. He wants to talk to his daughter first, before its common knowledge. But shes in Washington with her mother until next week.

“Who? Whos the lucky guy?

Lisa looked her straight in the eyes and said, “Louie Allegrezza.

Delaney blinked several times then burst into laughter. “Thats a good one.

“Im serious.

“Crazy Louie. She continued to laugh as she shook her head. “Youve got to be pulling my leg.

“Im not. Weve been seeing each other for eight months. Last week he asked me to marry him, and of course I said yes. Were getting married November fifteenth.

“Nicks brother? Her laughter died. “Youre serious, arent you?

“Very, but we cant tell anyone until he talks to Sophie.

“Sophie?

“His daughter from his first wife. Sophies thirteen and a real daddys girl. He thinks if he tells her when she gets back, shell have almost six months to get used to the idea.

“Crazy Louie, Delaney repeated, stunned. “Isnt he doing time in prison?

“No. He doesnt do crazy things anymore. She paused and shook her head. “Besides, he was never really that crazy.

Delaney wondered if her friend had fallen on her head in the past ten years and suffered memory loss. “Lisa, he stole a car in the fifth grade.

“No. We were in the fifth grade. He was in the ninth, and in all fairness, he was on his way to take it back when he hopped the curb and got high-centered on that bench in front of Value Drug. Lisa shrugged. “He might not have even gotten caught if he hadnt swerved to miss the Olsens dog, Buckey.

Delaney blinked to clear her head. “Are you blaming Buckey?

“That dog always did run loose.

All dogs ran loose in Truly. “I cant believe youre blaming poor Buckey? You must be in love.

Lisa smiled. “I am. Havent you ever felt so in love you wanted to crawl inside a mans skin and stay there?

“A few times, Delaney confessed, feeling a little envious of her friend. “But I got over it after a while.

“Too bad you live so far away, Id ask you to be in my wedding. Remember how we were always going to be each others maid of honor?

“Yeah. Delaney sighed. “I was going to marry Jon Cryer and you were going to marry Andrew McCarthy.

“ Pretty in Pink . Lisa sighed, too. “That was a great movie. How many times do you think we sat there and cried when Andrew McCarthy dumped Molly Ringwald because she was from the wrong side of the tracks?

“At least a hundred. Remember when— she began but the bartenders voice interrupted her.

“Last call, he bellowed.

Delaney checked her watch again. “Last call? Its not even ten.

“Its Sunday, Lisa reminded her. “Bars close at ten on Sunday.

“Were both too drunk to drive. Delaney panicked. “How are we going to get home?

“Louies picking me up cause he knows Im a cheap date and thinks hes going to get lucky. Im sure hell take you home, too.

She pictured her mothers horrified face peering out the front window, crazy Louie Allegrezza careening up the driveway. Delaney smiled at the thought, and she knew she was a few margaritas past sobriety. “If you dont think hell mind.

But it wasnt Louie who blew into the bar five minutes later like he owned the place. It was Nick. Hed slipped a plaid flannel shirt over his T-shirt. Hed left the shirt unbuttoned, and the ends hung open at his hips. Delaney sank down in her seat. Drunk or sober, she wasnt in the mood to face him. He hadnt mentioned their past when shed seen him earlier that day, but she still didnt trust that he wouldnt.

“Nick! Lisa waved as she called across the bar. “Wheres Louie?

He looked toward the booth at Lisa, then his gaze locked on Delaney as he moved toward her. “Sophie called upset about something, he explained, coming to stand by the table. He paused, then switched his attention to his future sister-in-law. “He asked me to come and get you.

Lisa scooted across the booth seat and stood. “Would you mind giving Delaney a ride home?

“Thats okay, Delaney quickly assured them. She grabbed her crocheted purse and rose to her feet. “I can find my own way. The room tilted slightly, and she placed a hand on the wall beside her. “I dont think Im that drunk.

The corners of Nicks mouth pulled into a frown. “Youre wasted.

“I just stood up a little too fast, she said and stuck her hand in her peach-colored bag, searching for a quarter. Shed have to call her mother. She really wasnt looking forward to it, but if she thought her mother would be horrified to see Louie, Nick would send her over the top.

“You cant drive, Lisa insisted.

“I wasnt—heeey! she called out to Nicks retreating back as she watched him head across the bar with her purse in his hand. Any other man might have been in danger of looking a little swishy clutching a womans peach bag, but not Nick.

She and Lisa followed him out the door and into the black night. She hoped her mother was already in bed asleep. “Damn its cold, she muttered, the mountain chill seeping into her pores. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she practically ran down the sidewalk to keep up with Nicks long strides. She wasnt used to summer nights in the mountains of Idaho anymore. In Phoenix temperatures dipped to ninety-four—not fifty-four—and she couldnt wait to get back.

“Its not that cold, Lisa argued as they passed Delaneys yellow Miata parked by the curb. “Youve turned into a wimp.

“Youre a bigger wimp than I am. You always were. Remember when you fell off the monkey bars in sixth grade and cried for three hours?

“I hurt my tailbone.

They stopped by Nicks black Jeep. “It didnt hurt that much, she said. “You were just a big wimp.

“At least I didnt cry like a baby when I had to dissect a frog in high school.

“I got frog guts in my hair, Delaney defended. “Anyone would cry if frog guts flew in their hair.

“Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. Nick sighed like a weary priest and opened the car passenger door. “What did I do to deserve this?

Lisa pushed the seat forward. “Something sinful Im sure, she said and climbed into the back.

Nick laughed and flipped the backrest into place for Delaney. Like a perfect gentleman, he held the door for her. She knew she was drunk, her judgment impaired, but maybe he had changed. She looked at him cast in shadows, only the lower half of his face illuminated by a street lamp. She knew he could charm the pants off anyone when he wanted, and there had been a few times in her life when hed been uncharacteristically nice to her. Like the time in fourth grade when shed come out of the market with a plenty pack of Trident and discovered a flat tire on her bicycle. Nick had insisted on pushing it all the way home. Hed shared his candy with her, and shed given him some of her gum. Maybe hed actually changed and turned into a nice guy. “Thank you for the ride home, Nick. Or better yet, maybe hed forgotten about the single worst night of her life. Maybe hed forgotten that shed thrown herself at him.

“Any time. A smile curved his sensuous mouth and he handed the purse to her. “Wild thing.

Chapter Three

Delaney zipped her suitcase and looked about her bedroom one last time. Nothing had changed since the day shed walked out ten years ago. The rose wallpaper, the lace canopy, and her music collection were all just as shed left them. Even the snapshots stuck to the vanity mirror were the same. Her things had been kept waiting for her, but instead of feeling comforting and welcoming, the room felt oppressive. The walls were closing in on her. She had to get out.