Chapter 1

For three years, my fiancé can't find a date to marry me.

For Serena Blake, he finds ten.

The first year, a construction accident puts Whitmore Group on the evening news. Julian holds my hand and tells me a lavish wedding would make us look heartless.

"I won't let them turn your happiest day into a scandal."

I spend that night canceling appointments.

The second year, there's a financing deal. Then a delay. Then another delay.

"Can't we just pick a Saturday?" I ask.

He kisses my forehead.

"You deserve a wedding I can be fully present for."

So I wait.

By the third year, the deal has closed. The headlines have moved on. Every problem that supposedly stands between us and our wedding has been solved.

But Martin Cole, the family's wedding consultant, still can't make the schedules work.

I sit outside Julian's office for four hours on a Tuesday, hoping he'll give me fifteen minutes to choose a date.

His assistant finally tells me he has left through another exit.

On Friday, Serena comes home.

By Saturday morning, Martin sends over ten available dates.

Lucy stands in my doorway, holding the printed schedule.

"Ten?" I ask.

She nods.

"All within the next two months."

I put down my coffee.

For three years, I have believed that Julian is protecting our wedding.

Now I understand he has been protecting the empty space beside him.

Waiting for someone else to fill it.

Lucy places the pages on my desk.

"What do you want me to tell the vendors?"

"Nothing yet."

"We should cancel everything."

"Julian wants me to handle the handover."

Her mouth falls open.

"He wants you to plan their wedding?"

"He says I already know what needs to be done."

I gather the folders.

Menus. Flowers. Music.

Three years of changes in neat plastic sleeves.

Lucy follows me to the door.

"Audrey, you don't have to do this."

"I know."

Inside the last folder is one document I added this morning.

That one, at least, is mine.

Serena is sitting on Julian's lap when I reach the sunroom.

She's wearing the same field jacket from yesterday's airport photographs.

She has been back barely a day, and she already looks at home here.

"This house feels more like home than anywhere else," she tells him.

Julian smiles.

I know his face well enough to notice what's different.

Nothing about the smile looks practiced.

"Then stop leaving it."

She laughs and reaches for her cup.

When she sees me, it slips.

Tea splashes over the table and down the front of my skirt.

"Audrey! I didn't hear you come in."

I step back.

Julian takes a napkin from beside his plate and holds it out.

"Here."

Serena catches his wrist.

The movement pulls her sleeve back.

Around it is a narrow strip of blue silk.

I recognize the pattern before I see the initials.

J.W.

I embroidered them on the pocket square myself, back when I thought making something by hand meant he would keep it.

It took me weeks to get the stitching right.

Serena follows my gaze.

"Oh, this? My watch strap broke on the flight. Julian said I could use it."

"It was in a drawer," he says.

As though that answers something.

She strokes the silk.

"I'm hopeless at this sort of thing. I can manage a project site, but give me a needle and I'm useless."

Julian's hand settles at her waist.

"You have better things to do."

I lower the napkin.

For a moment, the wet fabric clings cold against my legs.

Then I place the folders on the dry end of the table.

"These are the vendor agreements. The confirmed deposits are marked. Anything I haven't approved is your decision."

Julian flips open the first folder.

"You've spent three years on this. I'm sure it's fine."

"I've included the documents you need to sign."

He picks up a pen.

Serena leans against him while he works through the pages.

He signs a revised contact form.

A vendor release.

An acknowledgment that he is taking over the outstanding wedding expenses.

Then he reaches the last page.

His pen stops.

"Termination of Engagement?"

I meet his eyes.

"Yes."

Serena goes quiet.

Julian reads the next few lines.

"This is unnecessary."

"So is keeping my name on your wedding arrangements."

"We don't need to make everything ugly."

"It's a record of what's happening."

His expression tightens.

For a second, I think he might refuse.

Then Serena shifts on his lap.

"Julian, if she needs it…"

He exhales.

"Fine."

He signs.

His name looks exactly as I imagined it would beside mine.

Just on the wrong document.

"I'll finish the vendor handover by Wednesday," I say. "After that, Martin handles the wedding."

"Don't take this out on Serena."

I look at him.

"She's done nothing to you," he continues. "I thought helping with this might make the transition easier."

"The transition."

"You know what I mean."

I take the signed pages.

Serena watches me slide them into the folder.

For the first time since I arrived, she looks less amused.

Julian has already reached for his coffee.

"When you've had time to calm down, we can discuss the rest."

"There is no rest."

He gives me the patient look I have mistaken for kindness for three years.

"Audrey."

I close the folder.

"You have ten dates. Pick one."

Then I leave with the only signature I need.