was racing to the church to stop Jenna's wedding. Only when he ran inside, everyone gasped and turned, staring at him, waiting for him to do something. But he was frozen, rooted to the spot. All he could do was sweat and shake like a fool. Even worse, the guests were dressed to the hilt in formal attire, and he was stark naked.
He woke up, horrified and dazed, wondering if the dream had been real. But he checked the clock and it had only been a few hours since he'd left Jenna's.
Not enough time for her to find her soulmate.
But definitely enough time for her to realize he wasn't worth her trouble.
At five a.m., he shoved the covers aside, dressed in jogging clothes and called his brother. "It's dawn. I need a run."
"It's a little early, isn't it, bro?" Mark said groggily.
"Not if you haven't slept. Will you meet me at the park or not?"
"Geez, man. What's your problem?"
"Nothing," Zack growled as he yanked on his tennis shoes.
"Who is it, sweetheart?" he heard Colleen whisper.
"My brother," Mark answered.
Colleen's sleepy sigh echoed over the line. "Tell him to call back later, and come back to bed."
Then he heard kissing noises and Colleen's giggle.
Great. Just what he needed to hear—someone else happy and in love.
"Dammit, you're lying there all cozy and making out while I'm miserable," Zack said. "It's not fair."
Mark chuckled. "You know, Zack, if you'd stop being such a bear you might have someone to wake up with yourself."
Zack scrubbed his hand over his beard stubble, studying the bare walls of his apartment, the tousled bed that he hadn't shared with a woman in ages. He could imagine Jenna's red hair fanned out across the pillows.
"Zack?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
Mark sighed. "I'll meet you there in five."
"Thanks."
An hour later, he and Mark had circled the mile- long track several times in silence.
"Are you going to tell me what's eating you?" Mark finally asked, panting for air.
"How did you know Colleen was the one, that you wanted to, you know—"
"Marry?"
"Yeah."
Mark shrugged. "I told you before—I couldn't stop thinking about her."
"But you'd already slept with her?"
Mark glared at him. "Yeah, I had. And I'm not discussing our sex life with you."
Zack grinned. "That's not what I meant. It's just I've been with a lot of women—"
"Don't tell me you dragged me out of bed so to flaunt your escapades?" Mark muttered. " 'Cause if you did, I don't want to hear about it."
"No, that's not it." Zack bent over with his hands on his knees and took several deep breaths. "But how did you know you wanted to be with Colleen for the rest of your life?"
"If I told you, you'd think it was cheesy." Mark paused beside him. "What's really going on, Zack? Is there someone you're serious about?"
Zack glanced up at Mark, debating how much to share.
Mark's eyes widened in shock. "It's finally happened? You're in love? Man, oh, man, I can't believe it."
Zack held up his hand. "Whoa, don't go jumping to conclusions." He started jogging in place. "Level with me. How did you know, Mark?"
Mark shrugged. "You won't laugh?"
Zack shook his head.
"Actually there were a lot of little things. I kept waking up, missing the way she smelled. And she likes to leave these silly little love notes around the house." A sheepish smile curved Mark's face. "And I actually liked it."
Zack remembered how he felt when Jenna simply touched him. "But with Dad's history, weren't you afraid you'd wind up in divorce court like him?"
Mark scoffed. "No, I decided a long time ago that I wanted the total opposite of what our parents had."
Zack mulled over Mark's words. "But didn't you get nervous? Weren't you afraid you might be making a mistake?"
"Of course I was nervous," Mark said. "But I knew it wasn't a mistake. Just think about the women Dad married, Zack. They were all too young for him, Dad had nothing in common with them. Those relationships were doomed from the start."
Zack pumped his arms as they picked up speed again. "So,
He woke up, horrified and dazed, wondering if the dream had been real. But he checked the clock and it had only been a few hours since he'd left Jenna's.
Not enough time for her to find her soulmate.
But definitely enough time for her to realize he wasn't worth her trouble.
At five a.m., he shoved the covers aside, dressed in jogging clothes and called his brother. "It's dawn. I need a run."
"It's a little early, isn't it, bro?" Mark said groggily.
"Not if you haven't slept. Will you meet me at the park or not?"
"Geez, man. What's your problem?"
"Nothing," Zack growled as he yanked on his tennis shoes.
"Who is it, sweetheart?" he heard Colleen whisper.
"My brother," Mark answered.
Colleen's sleepy sigh echoed over the line. "Tell him to call back later, and come back to bed."
Then he heard kissing noises and Colleen's giggle.
Great. Just what he needed to hear—someone else happy and in love.
"Dammit, you're lying there all cozy and making out while I'm miserable," Zack said. "It's not fair."
Mark chuckled. "You know, Zack, if you'd stop being such a bear you might have someone to wake up with yourself."
Zack scrubbed his hand over his beard stubble, studying the bare walls of his apartment, the tousled bed that he hadn't shared with a woman in ages. He could imagine Jenna's red hair fanned out across the pillows.
"Zack?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
Mark sighed. "I'll meet you there in five."
"Thanks."
An hour later, he and Mark had circled the mile- long track several times in silence.
"Are you going to tell me what's eating you?" Mark finally asked, panting for air.
"How did you know Colleen was the one, that you wanted to, you know—"
"Marry?"
"Yeah."
Mark shrugged. "I told you before—I couldn't stop thinking about her."
"But you'd already slept with her?"
Mark glared at him. "Yeah, I had. And I'm not discussing our sex life with you."
Zack grinned. "That's not what I meant. It's just I've been with a lot of women—"
"Don't tell me you dragged me out of bed so to flaunt your escapades?" Mark muttered. " 'Cause if you did, I don't want to hear about it."
"No, that's not it." Zack bent over with his hands on his knees and took several deep breaths. "But how did you know you wanted to be with Colleen for the rest of your life?"
"If I told you, you'd think it was cheesy." Mark paused beside him. "What's really going on, Zack? Is there someone you're serious about?"
Zack glanced up at Mark, debating how much to share.
Mark's eyes widened in shock. "It's finally happened? You're in love? Man, oh, man, I can't believe it."
Zack held up his hand. "Whoa, don't go jumping to conclusions." He started jogging in place. "Level with me. How did you know, Mark?"
Mark shrugged. "You won't laugh?"
Zack shook his head.
"Actually there were a lot of little things. I kept waking up, missing the way she smelled. And she likes to leave these silly little love notes around the house." A sheepish smile curved Mark's face. "And I actually liked it."
Zack remembered how he felt when Jenna simply touched him. "But with Dad's history, weren't you afraid you'd wind up in divorce court like him?"
Mark scoffed. "No, I decided a long time ago that I wanted the total opposite of what our parents had."
Zack mulled over Mark's words. "But didn't you get nervous? Weren't you afraid you might be making a mistake?"
"Of course I was nervous," Mark said. "But I knew it wasn't a mistake. Just think about the women Dad married, Zack. They were all too young for him, Dad had nothing in common with them. Those relationships were doomed from the start."
Zack pumped his arms as they picked up speed again. "So,
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