Magnolia Bride. Tara Randel

she worked there, it hadn’t been as lush and healthy. She recalled playing volleyball in the summer after their shifts. Playing catch with Dane after his dreams to play professional ball were dashed by his injury.

      “Seems perfect.”

      “It is. Brandon wasn’t too sold on the place. He wanted the reception held at stuffy St. Luke’s banquet hall, but I managed to convince him.” She shivered in mock horror. “Heavy brown drapery and musty smell. Yuck.”

      “Juliet.” Nealy stopped as she noted her sister’s shadowed eyes. “Take a breath. If you aren’t sure, you don’t have to go through with this. Think it through.”

      “I’m sure.” Juliet grasped Nealy’s hand and squeezed hard. To reassure Nealy or herself?

      There was always turning back. Nealy knew from personal experience. One look at Juliet’s uncertain expression and Nealy started to tell her so, and then decided to hold her tongue. Who was she to counsel her sister on true love?

      “Get some sleep.” Juliet hugged Nealy and climbed into the matching twin bed. The topic of conversation was over and Nealy admitted she was kind of thankful there would be no more said on the subject of love and marriage. “I have tomorrow jam-packed with activities. Shopping. Nail salon. The works.”

      Before long, Juliet’s breathing evened out and Nealy knew her sister had fallen asleep. Unfortunately, Nealy couldn’t even doze. All charged up from seeing Dane, her family and hearing her grandmother’s news, she found herself staring at the ceiling.

      “This isn’t working.” After a while, she rose, snatched up the scrapbook and sat under the window where a street lamp gave enough light for her to view the old photos.

      Her gaze settled on a group picture of the entire family taken about five years ago at a picnic in the woods. They’d rented a cabin in the mountains and the whole bossy group had had a good time together. Who would have thought?

      Nealy flipped the page and found some loose photos sandwiched between the last page and back cover. She picked them up and sorted through them. When she came to one featuring her and Dane posing in her grandmother’s backyard, her smile slipped.

      Dane had an arm thrown over her shoulders, his goofy grin mugging for the camera. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, her smile wide and happy. It was taken a few weeks into the summer after they’d started dating. She could tell by her expression she’d already fallen in love.

      She ran her finger over the smooth surface, her vision blurring as tears prickled her eyes. What a whirlwind summer. She remembered the highs and lows, the excitement of young love and the desperation of not wanting to be separated from Dane. They’d spent every minute together. She’d never experienced such heart-wrenching love since then, and strangely, she was grateful. The emotions had been too intense, burning bright and extinguished too soon. She couldn’t live through those ups and downs again. She knew she didn’t have it in her.

      She’d reserved a special place for Dane in her memories, but not in her life. Earlier tonight he promised her he’d have his say. She recognized the determined gleam in his eye. Okay, so maybe after all these years he wanted to set the record straight. She could agree with closure for both their sakes, but nothing more. She could not, would not, let Dane tear down the walls of protection she’d built around her heart.