Page 142 of Just One Fake Date

The latest dream I ever dream’d

On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,

Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;

They cried—‘La Belle Dame sans Merci

Hath thee in thrall!’

I saw their starv’d lips in the gloam,

With horrid warning gaped wide,

And I awoke and found me here,

On the cold hill’s side.

And this is why I sojourn here

Alone and palely loitering,

Though the sedge has wither’d from the lake,

And no birds sing.

When she’d listened three times, and remembered her mom’s advice, Shannyn knew exactly what she had to do.

Ty deliberately arrived latefor the rehearsal on Friday night, striding into the church when Katelyn and Jared were already at the altar. His mom glared at him, but being late was the best way to avoid her inevitable questions about Shannyn.

He’d hoped that everyone would be too busy afterward, and excused himself rather than staying for the rehearsal dinner. No one was surprised when he said he had to work, although they did razz him a bit.

He paced his hotel room, phone in his hand.

Shannyn didn’t call.

She wasn’t going to come. He’d given her the out she probably wanted and she was going to take it.

Ty didn’t sleep well and couldn’t decide whether morning came too early or it had taken an eternity to show up. The only good news was that his mom would be really busy until the happy couple left the reception. By the time he danced with her, Ty hoped he’d have an answer.

Or at least a good story to tell.

The church looked great, decked out in pink and white flowers. Jared was nervous but happy. The other ushers teased him, but Ty was quiet. The first guests began to arrive and he helped with the seating, desperately needing something to do other than check his phone.

When it chimed, he assumed his mom needed him to step up and do something last minute.

“What do you need?” he said, answering without looking at it.

“I don’t know which side of the church to sit on,” Shannyn said and the bottom fell out of Ty’s universe.

“You’re here?” he whispered.

“We have a deal,” she said, but there was a teasing undertone to her voice that made him hope for more.

“Where are you?” Ty dropped the programs on a pew and headed for the door. The sunlight was bright after the shadows inside, especially as it reflected off the wide white stone steps in front of the church.

“On final approach,” she said, then Ty heard a car backfire.

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