Rick. I’m glad you made it. Have you spoken to Jena yet?”
Rick gave him a broad smile. The effect spread his black mustache across his open face. “Yep, met her fiancé, too. She seems very happy.” His smile lowered and a sad look crossed his face. “I wish my brother had lived to see his little girl getting married.”
Ty put his hand on his uncle’s thick shoulder. “I think my dad would be very glad to know his brother came all the way to Texas to see his niece get married.”
His uncle’s smile returned. “I know you’re giving Jena away, but I told her I’d like to stand up and give her a kiss and a hug for her dad before she takes her vows.”
Ty nodded and smiled. “I’m sure she’d love that.”
Turning to Harm’s parents who Jena had introduced him to earlier, Ty said, “Mr. and Mrs. Steele, I’d like you to meet our uncle, Rick Hudson.”
While Rick spoke to Harm’s parents, Ty pushed his suit jacket sleeve back and glanced at his watch. Where was Evan? The party had started half an hour ago. Guilt tightened his chest. He’d left her rather abruptly. When he’d come back to the house, she was gone. He hoped the reason she hadn’t shown yet was because she was upset at the way he’d left. But damn the woman affected him more than he wanted or expected her to.
Familiar seductive floral perfume with a hint of jasmine surrounded him before a feminine hand encircled the crook of his arm.
“Hello, Ty.”
His gaze locked with Lily’s dark brown eyes and his stomach tensed. “Hey, Lily.”
She kept her hand on his arm and her gaze drifted across his face. “You left before I could tell you to keep your wound clean, and if you’re still in town after two weeks, to come back to have the stitches removed.”
Ty didn’t respond. He scanned the crowd sitting down and eating, then his gaze moved past the group of people dancing on the dance floor to the entrance once more.
“You’re so quiet. Not at all like the Ty I knew.”
Ty heard the knowing smile in her tone. He didn’t bother looking down at her when he responded. “I’m not the same person I was back then.”
“I’m sure you aren’t. You’re a grown man now.” She tugged on his arm. “You seem so tense. Come dance with me for old times’ sake.”
Ty allowed her to pull him out on the dance floor. He felt like a piece of hard metal bent to its limit, ready to snap, but the sensation of her hand on his arm told him he needed to find out for sure if he’d finally gotten over her. How would it feel to hold her in his arms again after all these years?
As he put his arm around Lily’s lower back and held her other hand to lead, he noted just how small and fragile she was. Even wearing three-inch heels she just reached his chin. Tonight she’d worn her straight black hair down. The soft strands landed just over her shoulders. Her black spaghetti-strapped dress scooped low to reveal her ample cleavage—cleavage he’d very much appreciated as a randy teenager.
“This suit looks custom-made.” Lily’s gaze followed her hand as she ran it across his shoulder to feel the expensive black fabric. A pleased smile crossed her features as she met his gaze. “So you’re an architect who owns his own business. You’ve done very well for yourself.”
He raised his eyebrow at her comment. “You’ve been checking up on me?”
She laughed. “How else was I supposed to find out? It’s not like you were forthcoming with your background information.”
Ty shrugged. “It wasn’t relevant.”
“True. But I was curious. Weren’t you ever curious about me? Curious to know how I turned out?”
His entire body tensed. How many times had he wondered what had happened to Lily? What type of man it took to make her happy? “Not really.”
A hurt expression crossed her face. “You asked me to marry you once, Ty. Are you saying I meant so little to you?”
Ty’s jaw tightened. “That was a long time ago.”
Her lips
Rick gave him a broad smile. The effect spread his black mustache across his open face. “Yep, met her fiancé, too. She seems very happy.” His smile lowered and a sad look crossed his face. “I wish my brother had lived to see his little girl getting married.”
Ty put his hand on his uncle’s thick shoulder. “I think my dad would be very glad to know his brother came all the way to Texas to see his niece get married.”
His uncle’s smile returned. “I know you’re giving Jena away, but I told her I’d like to stand up and give her a kiss and a hug for her dad before she takes her vows.”
Ty nodded and smiled. “I’m sure she’d love that.”
Turning to Harm’s parents who Jena had introduced him to earlier, Ty said, “Mr. and Mrs. Steele, I’d like you to meet our uncle, Rick Hudson.”
While Rick spoke to Harm’s parents, Ty pushed his suit jacket sleeve back and glanced at his watch. Where was Evan? The party had started half an hour ago. Guilt tightened his chest. He’d left her rather abruptly. When he’d come back to the house, she was gone. He hoped the reason she hadn’t shown yet was because she was upset at the way he’d left. But damn the woman affected him more than he wanted or expected her to.
Familiar seductive floral perfume with a hint of jasmine surrounded him before a feminine hand encircled the crook of his arm.
“Hello, Ty.”
His gaze locked with Lily’s dark brown eyes and his stomach tensed. “Hey, Lily.”
She kept her hand on his arm and her gaze drifted across his face. “You left before I could tell you to keep your wound clean, and if you’re still in town after two weeks, to come back to have the stitches removed.”
Ty didn’t respond. He scanned the crowd sitting down and eating, then his gaze moved past the group of people dancing on the dance floor to the entrance once more.
“You’re so quiet. Not at all like the Ty I knew.”
Ty heard the knowing smile in her tone. He didn’t bother looking down at her when he responded. “I’m not the same person I was back then.”
“I’m sure you aren’t. You’re a grown man now.” She tugged on his arm. “You seem so tense. Come dance with me for old times’ sake.”
Ty allowed her to pull him out on the dance floor. He felt like a piece of hard metal bent to its limit, ready to snap, but the sensation of her hand on his arm told him he needed to find out for sure if he’d finally gotten over her. How would it feel to hold her in his arms again after all these years?
As he put his arm around Lily’s lower back and held her other hand to lead, he noted just how small and fragile she was. Even wearing three-inch heels she just reached his chin. Tonight she’d worn her straight black hair down. The soft strands landed just over her shoulders. Her black spaghetti-strapped dress scooped low to reveal her ample cleavage—cleavage he’d very much appreciated as a randy teenager.
“This suit looks custom-made.” Lily’s gaze followed her hand as she ran it across his shoulder to feel the expensive black fabric. A pleased smile crossed her features as she met his gaze. “So you’re an architect who owns his own business. You’ve done very well for yourself.”
He raised his eyebrow at her comment. “You’ve been checking up on me?”
She laughed. “How else was I supposed to find out? It’s not like you were forthcoming with your background information.”
Ty shrugged. “It wasn’t relevant.”
“True. But I was curious. Weren’t you ever curious about me? Curious to know how I turned out?”
His entire body tensed. How many times had he wondered what had happened to Lily? What type of man it took to make her happy? “Not really.”
A hurt expression crossed her face. “You asked me to marry you once, Ty. Are you saying I meant so little to you?”
Ty’s jaw tightened. “That was a long time ago.”
Her lips
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