She’s all he ever wanted

Wedding consultant Renee Hart is finally ready to take the plunge...as creator of an innovative bridal magazine. Her own dreams of happily-ever-after were shattered when Carter Hampshire broke off their relationship without warning. Newly relocated to the Big Apple, Renee discovers that her former lover—more charismatic than ever—is now also her greatest rival.

Carter came home to New York to oversee his family’s publishing empire. Finding out the woman who got away is working for the competition—in his own building, no less—doesn’t deter him from his new mission. Three years ago, he thought he was doing the right thing by letting her go. Now all he wants is a second chance. But when the media-frenzied launch of Designed for Brides leads to accusations of industrial espionage, could Carter lose Renee again—this time forever?

“Carter, I enjoyed dinner. Thank you for asking me.” She sounded like some high school student.

“I did, too.”

Renee made the mistake of looking up at him. She wanted to know if he was being sincere. His eyes connected with hers in the low light of the outside bulb. She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t stop herself from watching his head come down toward her, and then his lips settled on hers. She pulled away almost immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

“We are. We’ve done this before, and we know it doesn’t work.”

“We don’t know that.”

“Should I refresh your memory?” Renee asked. “I can recite the words for you. You told me point-blank and to my face, ‘I don’t love you.’ Then you disappeared, and I didn’t hear from you again.”

Putting her hand on the doorknob, she stared at him. The indication was that he should leave. Carter stood his ground, and a staring war began between them.

Renee didn’t move when Carter finally took a step. She was ready to push the door open and go inside. Before she could twist the knob, his hands imprisoned her and his mouth seared hers once again.

Dear Reader,

I love wedding stories. I think I’ve said that before. In writing the Weddings by Diana series, I’ve been able to experience a wedding with each book. All He Needs is the last book in the series. I hope you enjoy it.

The idea for this story came directly out of the previous Weddings by Diana book, Someone Like You. The heroine from Someone Like You, Theresa Granville, designed wedding gowns. Creating a place to showcase those gowns was a natural extension. What better place than on the bride?

As you read this story, you’ll see how Renee Hart accomplished that feat.

As always, keep reading.

Shirley

All He Needs

Shirley Hailstock

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHIRLEY HAILSTOCK began her writing life as a lover of reading. She likes nothing better than to find a quiet corner where she can get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. As an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories. The author of forty novels and novellas, Shirley has received numerous awards, including a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Romance Writers of America Emma Merritt Award and an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. Shirley’s books have appeared on several bestseller lists, including the Glamour and Essence Magazine lists and the Library Journal bestseller list. She is a past president of Romance Writers of America.

MILLS & BOON

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To my niece Tanesha for being there for me.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

Renee Hart stepped out of the conference room. She was going to burst. Without a word, she rushed past the secretaries and headed outside. The glass entry doors were the air pressure variety, yet she slammed them both open. Sunlight and humidity hit her like a hot oven. Renee welcomed it as she would a dive into a tropical pool. She needed a place to conceal the echo that was roaring inside her. She walked fast toward her car, but she knew she wasn’t going to make it.

She got as far as the tree-lined divider that separated the upper parking lot from the lower one. Then she howled. She let the sound inside her go. All of it. Elation erupted like a volcano. Every emotion she’d ever had thundered and rolled with psychedelic pleasure. She was happy, so happy. Tears broke from her eyes and ran over her cheeks.

Renee hadn’t known when she’d accepted the bridal consultant position at Weddings by Diana that it would be the key to her heart’s desire.

Two weeks ago she’d presented her idea to the two partners, and after jumping every time one of them opened her door, they’d finally given her the go-ahead today.

Standing under the trees, Renee smiled at the sky through the water in her eyes. The universe had finally favored her. She stood for several minutes, taking it all in. She didn’t know how much time passed before she felt the press of heat and humidity on her skin again. Back on solid ground, she returned to the office.

Humming one more wedding as if the phrase were the lyrics to a popular song, she pulled up the file for the Griffin–Shephard nuptials on her computer. Twenty minutes later she was still staring at the screen with no idea what she should do next. Yet her mind was racing with things that needed to be done for her new venture.

A bridal magazine. Her own creation. Directed by her. With her ideas. There was so much to be done. Vendors, suppliers, layouts. Did she still have her contacts in the industry? She had to find a place to work, hire people...she needed to talk to Teddy about using her designs in the first issue. The first issue. She nearly screamed.

And a name.

What was she going to call the magazine? She had control, complete control—the partners had given it to her. Releasing a breath, Renee threaded her fingers through her hair, holding her long mane away from her face as her thoughts whirled. A boulder-weight of decisions crushed her shoulders. Where was she going to start?

And how long would it be before Carter found out?

* * *

Two weeks later, Renee’s blood still sang with joy at the prospect of her new job. She was in New York, and she’d had several appointments to get the magazine’s plan started. Initially, she’d been overwhelmed, but a little wine and a pen and paper calmed her down enough to begin cataloging the list of things she needed to accomplish. But before everything could begin rolling, she would have to be a consultant on one more wedding she’d already agreed to do. Then she could give her full attention to Designed for Brides, the name she’d chosen for the magazine.

The sun had set and she should be out with friends, painting the town as many shades of red as were in the rainbow. But she wasn’t. She was walking toward Rockefeller Center, marveling at the heartbeat of the city and remembering the times she’d rushed past all the wide-eyed tourists and crowded commotion without a second thought.

Reaching Radio City, Renee turned toward Fifth Avenue. A couple holding hands raised them in an arch and she ducked through it. Renee looked after the lovers, remembering when that was her. She should have known better than to come to the city. It was too close to Carter. But New York was huge. Nightlife was abundant. There had to be a million places to go on any given night. The chances of her running into Carter Hampshire were minuscule. She was safe. And maybe he wasn’t even in the city anymore. He’d told her he was leaving when he’d said he no longer wanted to see her. Maybe he was still away. Gone to parts unknown.

Renee had departed, too. She’d pulled up stakes and moved to Princeton, NJ, where, to her good fortune, she’d joined Diana Greer and Teddy Granville at Weddings by Diana.

But today she was back in the city she considered home. Out of the blue, her friend, Blair Massey, had called and invited her for dinner. How Blair had known Renee was in the city was a mystery she’d have to uncover later.

Renee had a wedding in Brooklyn tomorrow night. She was here to make sure all the final details were in order, but she couldn’t help feeling nervous about reconnecting with people from her old life. That was how she thought of it—her old life. Back before she’d gone to Princeton, when she’d spent much of her time with people like Blair and Carter.

Her cell phone played the wedding march. She jerked around toward a shop window and stopped. Just being in New York put her on edge. She relaxed and put the device to her ear.

“Blair, I’m on my way,” she said.

“Glad I caught you. I want to change where we meet,” Blair said.

“Well, I’m good and hungry.”

“I just discovered Villa Maria’s is closed for renovations. Let’s meet at Moonraker’s on 48th Street.”

“Fine,” Renee said. “I can be there in fifteen minutes.”

“See you then.”

She felt a little better after hearing Blair’s voice. The night had promise. Renee wouldn’t think about Carter at all—he was out of her life. He’d been out of it for three years. There was no reason to think that on a Friday night, in a city this size, she’d run into the one man she never wanted to see again. He was probably in the Hamptons or out having fun with someone else.

Still, she couldn’t help thinking about him. They’d worked together, then begun dating. She’d been well on her way to falling in love when—when he’d left her. It had been a clean break, nothing drawn out or lingering. No arguments, accusations or tears, yet three years later Renee felt as bereft as she had the day he’d walked out of her life.

She’d cycled through many possible reasons for their breakup: he wanted to marry someone else, his family disapproved of her, there was another woman, maybe he’d discovered he had a child. The truth was, she just didn’t know. And without that closure, her wounded heart had no chance of healing.

* * *

Carter Hampshire sat forward in his chair and snapped the trade magazine as if he could shake the words off the page. Dropping it on the desk, he steepled his fingers as he looked down over the story. It was a small notice, but the name jumped off the page. He hadn’t heard about her in three years. Carter looked down again. Of all the print on that page, his eyes went straight to her name.

Renee Hart, former director of the wedding magazine division at Hampshire Publications, is planning to start her own magazine for brides. The title for the new venture has not been determined at this writing, but Ms. Hart is actively making the rounds.

“Damn,” Carter cursed. It couldn’t be true. But in his heart, he knew it was something she was fully capable of doing. It wasn’t inevitable, but it was logical for Renee. If she hadn’t gone to work for one of his competitors, she’d be striking out on her own.

Carter walked to the windows on the 38th floor of the building that bore his family name. The night lights of New York emulated the postcards tourists bought every year.

“Renee Hart.” He spoke her name aloud, checking the feel of it on his lips, the sound of it in the empty air. After three years, she still haunted him. A benevolent ghost, whose face and figure was as corporeal as smoke. But in his mind she was almost touchable.

And now she was returning to New York. It made sense that she would return to the city—New York was a publishing powerhouse.

Carter returned to his desk and picked up the office phone. He dialed a number and waited. Blair Massey answered on the first ring.

“Good, you’re still there,” he said without saying hello. It was seven o’clock, but Blair often worked late. He and Blair had known each other for years. She was a wizard at what she did, and she had mentored Renee. If anyone knew the whole story, it would be Blair.

“I was just on my way out.”

“Meet me in the lobby.” It was a suggestion, and Carter tried to keep the command tone out of his voice. He hung up.

Blair was waiting when he stepped out of the small paneled room. The fifty-year-old woman looked serious, although she was as impeccably dressed as any model on the fashion pages.

“Carter, I was trying to tell you I already have dinner plans,” Blair said. She checked her watch. “And I’m already late.”

He took her arm and moved her out of the parade of people. “Where are you eating?”

“At Moonraker’s.”

“Good, I’ll walk with you.”

He rushed her along, heading for the door and 48th Street. Blair stopped abruptly and moved to the side. “What’s going on?”

“Renee Hart,” he answered.

Blair’s expression didn’t alter more than a millimeter, but the slow breath she exhaled told him she knew.

“What about Renee?” Blair hedged.

“Is she going into competition with us?”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“It doesn’t matter. Answer the question.”

“She’s starting a magazine. It’s small stuff. We have no need for alarm.”

“I’m not alarmed.”

“Then why did you rush down from the 38th floor?”

“The news came as a surprise. How long have you known?”

“A couple of weeks,” she said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She searched his face a long time. Carter held his expression still.

“It didn’t seem that important. When the Weaver Group opened a magazine that competed with our how-to series on home improvement, you didn’t consider it newsworthy. Why is Renee’s small entry into the bridal market cause for concern? She hasn’t even chosen the name of the publication yet. Unless your interest has nothing to do with the business...”

Blair was aware of Carter’s past relationship with Renee. He’d never spoken a word to her about it, but Renee was her friend, and women talked.

She checked her watch. “I’m going to be late. Carter, if you’re really interested, I’ll find out what I can and call you after dinner.”

“Find out?” he said. “Is Renee here? Are you having dinner with her?”

Blair looked at the sky, exasperated that she’d let him guess who she was meeting.

“I’m going,” he said and took her arm. Carter should have thought better of it, but when had he ever been rational where Renee was concerned?

“Carter,” Blair said. “She may not want to see you.”

Carter stopped and thought about that a moment. “More than likely, she doesn’t.”

* * *

Renee loved to walk in Manhattan. The theater crowds were assembling for the eight o’clock performances. While the sun wouldn’t set for another two hours, the streets looked like a parade was about to begin. Cabs blew horns, creating their own music, and Renee smiled as she took in the familiarity. She loved New York. She’d missed it. While Princeton had the university and its own personality, New York was incomparable.

Reaching the restaurant, Renee pulled the door open. She stopped the moment she stepped through it. Blair wasn’t alone.

She was sitting with Carter.

Renee’s throat went dry. Even with his back to her, Renee knew it was him. She wanted to turn and run. Every fiber in her body screamed at her to go, back out and walk away. No, run away. But her feet refused to follow instructions.

Then it was too late. Carter glanced into the mirrored surface in front of him and made eye contact. Spasms of memories raced into her. Time that had stood still for three years was unleashed. Memories of their entwined bodies on rumpled sheets broke, freely expanding into a new and confusing world.

Renee mentally shook herself. Carter was her past, her old life—not her present, and certainly not her future. She smiled widely and waved, and Carter turned around. The restaurant was dimly lit. She couldn’t see the defined features of his expression, but she was sure he’d known she was coming. Blair must have told him, invited him to attend dinner with them.

Her feet suddenly got the message and she moved toward the table. Seeing Carter again had to happen sometime. She would have liked to have been more prepared for it, but tonight was as good a night as any.

He stood as she approached the table. Blair came around and hugged her.

“Carter, this is an unexpected surprise,” Renee said. She put her hand out for him to shake, warding off any chance that he might try to hug or kiss her. She didn’t want even the simplest embrace from him.

“How are you, Renee?” he asked.

His voice could be her undoing. It was as deep as she remembered it—in the dark of night, after they’d made love, she loved listening to him talk. She thought of the way the sound surrounded her, caressed her like a physical being that could capture and hold her. Renee felt the heat rise in her face and the burn of her ears. She forced the thoughts back.

“Let’s sit down,” Blair said.

Blair returned to the banquette seat. Renee took a step to follow her, but Carter pulled out the chair next to him. She looked at it for a second before sitting down. This close to him, she could feel the warmth of his hands near her shoulders.

“Blair tells me you’ve been working in New Jersey,” Carter began as soon as the waiter took her drink order.

She glanced at Blair, a silent admonishment in her eyes. “Weddings by Diana,” she told him. “It’s a consulting firm. I thought I’d see what the other side of the table looked like.”

“But now you’re crossing back over,” Blair spilled.

Renee wanted to throttle her. She quickly glanced at Carter. He was staring at her and didn’t appear to have heard Blair’s comment. Carter was a key partner in his family’s magazine company, and Hampshire Publications had a division dedicated to the bridal industry. Renee had worked there. Along with bridal magazines, there were divisions covering every other aspects of publication. To Carter, her small entry into the market with Weddings by Diana must seem like a teardrop in the ocean.

“What do you do there?”

“I’m a wedding consultant, and now I’m working on a special project.” She wanted to be as vague as possible. “How’s Hampshire doing? Are you back there?”

He nodded. “I’ve been back a few months.”

“I see,” she said. But she didn’t see. She hadn’t seen it when he’d left, and she didn’t understand it now. What was he doing here? Why had Blair brought him? He couldn’t want to see her again, not after what he’d told her when he’d left. “How’s the staff?” She needed something to say to get her mind off their relationship.

“There’s been a lot of turnover,” Blair answered. “At one point, I had to go back and fill in.”

“But things have stabilized now,” Carter added.

“Of course, if you want to return...” Blair sat forward and looked her straight in the eye. “I’m sure I could find a place for you.”

The waiter arrived with their drinks, preventing her from replying.

“Are you open to that?” Carter asked when it was just the three of them.

“Open to what?” she hedged.

“Returning to Hampshire Publications.”

Renee wondered if that was the real reason he was at this dinner. Had he come with Blair to ask her to return? And why? The two of them would not be picking up things where they had left off three years earlier. And after the way they’d parted, how could he expect that she would be open to working for him again?

“I’m satisfied where I am for the moment,” she said. It was good practice to leave the door open to possibilities, so she did. But she had no intention of ever walking through that door, or even of ever seeing him again.

Their dinner arrived and Renee remembered little of the conversation after that. She was concentrating on the mechanics of eating. Cutting the steak, lifting it to her mouth, chewing and swallowing. Carter’s presence unnerved her. Blair should have prepared her for his appearance. The conversation turned to their lives together, the life before. Carter spoke of the long nights in the office closing the magazine, the minor crises they’d averted just in time, the cold pizza they’d consumed when issues took three times as long to finish as expected.

Renee’s mind tried to wander to other places—memories of putting the magazine to bed right before she and Carter went to bed—but she blocked those as much as she could. She smiled, laughed at the appropriate places and made a comment now and then to let them know she was listening.

By the time the waiter took dessert orders, Renee noticed she’d only pushed the food around on her plate. She refused dessert but accepted the coffee.

“Renee, how do you find working as a bridal consultant?” Blair turned the subject to the present.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she took a moment to answer. “The brides are a delight,” she said honestly. “Their wedding day is the most important thing in their lives, and it was a joy making it happen.”

“You didn’t find the whole thing a little stressful?” Carter asked.

“No more than the stress of getting a monthly magazine out. For a wedding, I have an entire year to get all the details in place.”

What was he trying to do? Renee wondered. Why was he deliberately baiting her? She wasn’t the one who ran out on their relationship.

“What about yourself?” Blair commented. “Did working with all those real-life brides make you want to be one?”

Thankfully, Renee was not holding her cup. It was the last question she expected. She felt more than saw Carter turn to listen to her answer. Color flooded her face and burned up her neck to her ears.

“No,” she said. It was a lie and she hoped neither Blair nor Carter could tell. “There are too many details that need attention for me to think of anything except the bride’s plan. I never even thought of what I might want. Usually I’m just suggesting something to the bride or her mother.”

“You must be the exception to the rule,” Blair stated.

“What rule?”

“The one that says every woman plans her wedding the moment she enters puberty. I remember choosing my wedding gown while I was still in high school.” She smiled as if the happy memory was only a day past. Blair had been married for seventeen years. Renee knew that Blair wanted that euphoric wedding feeling to last forever. That’s why she’d gone to Hampshire Publications and had been there so long. When Renee had applied for the job in the bridal department, right out of college, it was Blair who’d given her the opportunity to prove herself. And it was Blair’s enthusiasm that had rubbed off on Renee.

“One of the partners, Theresa Granville, designs gowns,” Renee said.

“I’ve heard of her,” Blair said. “She’s making quite a name for herself.”

Renee nodded. “She’s had a couple of designs that stopped me in my tracks.”

“So, you’re interested in getting married.” Carter stated it as if it was fact.

“A lot of people are.” She skirted the question. “If they weren’t, we’d all be out of a job.”

He nodded, using that up-and-down movement of his head that was so slight that she wouldn’t have seen it if she wasn’t already familiar with it. It was Carter’s way of conceding the point.

The waiter returned with a pot of coffee. She refused a refill. It was time to put some distance between herself and Carter Hampshire.

“I’m afraid I’d going to have to eat and run,” she began. “I have a wedding in the morning so I have to be up early checking the final details,” Renee lied. Her wedding was actually in the evening, but she wanted some time to go over every detail. It was her last consulting job and she wanted it to turn out perfect.

Renee stood. Carter stood, too.

“Blair, thank you for dinner. We’ll have to do this again sometime.” She gave Blair a look that said, alone.

“Thank Carter. He’s paying.”

Renee looked at Carter, but said nothing.

“I’ll see you to your hotel,” Carter said.

“That won’t be necessary. It’s not far and Blair needs the escort much more than I do.”

Blair stood up. “I have an escort,” she said. At that moment, Campbell Massey came through the door as if on cue. Blair went into his arms and they kissed. Then he turned to Renee.

“Renee, it’s great to see you.” He swept her into his arms for a bear hug. He kissed her on the cheek and set her back with a happy smile. Renee liked Camp. She’d liked him from the moment they’d met almost ten years ago. “You are just as beautiful as ever.”

“And you are just as much a flatterer as you’ve ever been.”

“No flattery,” he said. “Isn’t she beautiful, Carter?”

Both Blair and Camp looked to Carter for an answer. Renee turned from Camp, her body suddenly going cold.

“She’s quite ravishing,” he stated, his voice low.

To her ears it sounded hungry, sexually hungry. Her knees threatened to turn to water.

“Well, we’d better be off,” Blair said, taking Camp’s arm. “Carter, you will see Renee back to her hotel?”

He nodded. The couple headed for the door, Carter and Renee trailed them. Out on the street, Renee turned to him. “I know you have a long way to go. You don’t have to go with me. I’m not that far from here.”

Carter looked over her head. “The Westley?” he said. It was an independent hotel. Renee liked patronizing small businesses. However, she hadn’t realized she was so transparent to Carter.

Especially after three years.

But the truth was, he was wrong. She wasn’t at the Westley, but there was no need to correct him.

Carter put his hand on her lower back to guide her toward the hotel. She stepped aside, forcing him to drop it. She walked quickly toward the hotel. It was merely three blocks from the restaurant. They covered the distance in silence. Outside the entrance Renee turned to Carter.

“Thank you. It was nice seeing you again.” The words were false, but Renee wanted to get away from him as quickly as she could. She turned. Carter caught her arm and pulled her around.

“I want to talk to you.”

“I have an early call. I really need to go,” she said.

“I remember when we spent long nights together and still made deadline.”

Her head whipped up and she stared at him. “We were different people then,” Renee said. She was in love then. He was not.

Carter pushed open the door to the hotel. He was right behind Renee. She had to move or feel his body form-fitted to hers. Avoiding the bar, she went to a collection of chairs near the back wall.

“What is it you want to talk about?” Renee asked.

He sat, leaned forward and rubbed his hands together as if it was cold. Then he looked her straight in the eye. “Are you sure you want to continue with weddings? You could just as easily return to Hampshire.”

It wouldn’t be easy and she knew it, even if he didn’t. Renee took a moment, probing Carter’s face for something to give her a clue to his motives. She found nothing. But she felt there was a meaning under his words. She couldn’t pull it into focus, but Carter wanted something from her. She just didn’t know what it was—yet.

“Renee?” he prompted.

“I’ve already given you my answer.”

“But have you thought about what I’m offering?”

“No, Carter. Why don’t you tell me? Just what is it you’re offering that you think will entice me back to Hampshire Publications?”

Carter adjusted his position, clasping his hands between his knees. Renee’s instinct was to move back, allowing herself more personal space. At the last moment, she decided to go on the offensive. She moved in closer as if they were conspirators about to exchange the plans for a secret weapon.

“First, you’re in charge of everything.” He spread his hands. “The entire bridal division is yours.”

“And I would report directly to you? That is, I assume you’re the head of editorial.”

He nodded. Renee thought she saw the faintest look of smugness on his face.

“We’ve worked together before and that proved beneficial.”

“That’s not a positive,” she told him and was rewarded by seeing his face fall. It was only for a moment, and only someone who knew his features intimately would have noticed it.

“Whatever you’re being paid by that little business, I’ll double.”

Renee stood up. Carter got to his feet, too. She didn’t like the way he’d insulted her business, as if only a huge company like his was worthwhile. Pointing out that his father had begun the huge empire would have been a waste of breath.

“Money,” she said. “You think you can find my price, and I’ll just return to Hampshire Publications.” She shook her head, a satisfied smile edging the corners of her lips up. “I’m not for sale, Carter. And especially not to a Hampshire.”

Chapter 2

Her last wedding. Renee watched as the new Mr. and Mrs. took their places on the dais as the reception began. Everything about the wedding had been technically correct.

Renee had had no complaints, hadn’t had to talk anyone down from a frantic rethinking of what marriage meant. She’d had no supplies arrive late, no mishaps with the bride’s gown, no groom needing to be reminded of when and where to stand and no issues with any of the bridesmaids. The mothers of both the bride and groom complimented Renee’s efficiency. Everything was going like clockwork. For a wedding consultant, it was nirvana—the type of execution they lived for. Perfect. The bride beamed and the groom’s smile was from ear to ear. It was exactly the swan song she wished for.

But all that efficiency did was leave her time to think about Carter. She’d tried for the last three years to put him out of her mind. She’d thought she’d done it. That was, until she’d seen him sitting at the dinner table last night. Her heart had thudded against her ribs so hard she’d thought he would be able to hear it.

It was frightening that he knew where she would choose to stay. The only reason she wasn’t at the Westley was because Weddings by Diana had an unoccupied guesthouse available. They used it for brides who were from out of town and needed a place to dress before the ceremony. Occasionally, brides came into New York to check out accommodations. The guesthouse was part of some of the high-end packages.

Renee had allowed Carter to believe she was at the Westley. She’d even gotten on the elevator, but only ridden it to the mezzanine. After ten minutes she’d slipped out the back entrance and taken a taxi to the guesthouse.

A burst of laughter brought Renee back to the festivities. The bride and groom were laughing, yet the love in their eyes as they looked at each other was visible. Renee felt her own eyes mist over. For a moment, she saw herself as the bride and Carter as her groom. She blinked, shaking the image free. It was time to go.

Her last act was to let the bridal party know she was leaving and to make sure there was nothing left undone. Renee’s smile was wide as she congratulated the couple, said her goodbyes and started the walk back to the car that would return her to the Brides by Diana guesthouse.

She hadn’t thought she’d be as emotional as she’d been throughout the day. Maybe it was because she knew it was her last wedding. She’d even repeated the vows to herself as the minister spoke them. Or maybe it was her mixed feelings about the changes ahead. Although she was excited about the magazine, there was also a certain amount of fear in her mind.

She also thought of Carter and Blair, and their question about her feelings on weddings drifted into her mind. As she’d listened to the couple’s vows, they seemed to have more weight than in the past. Did it have anything to do with Carter suddenly reappearing in her life?

There was a time when she’d entertained the thought of marriage. She’d fantasized about it, but that’s as far as it had gotten. Even after moving to Princeton, seeing all the brides in their gowns made her imagine walking down the aisle with Carter.

It was safe, she told herself—she was leaving New York in a couple of days, regardless of what she’d said to Carter. She’d be back occasionally, and it was inevitable that they would meet at the same events. But Renee would be able to see him across a room and not have her heart jump.

Carter had changed. Gone was that boyish quality that used to vie for dominance on his face. His expression was more serious than before. His hair was shorter and the mustache that used to tickle her nose had been replaced with a clean-shaven look. He’d been on the basketball team in high school and college, and his body today still had the lean hardness of a twenty-year-old.

Renee wondered where he’d been for the last few years. He’d blown her off as if she were nothing to him. So why was it she still felt as if there was some unfinished business that needed closure? Carter had told her there was nothing between them. And there wasn’t. They’d never gotten to the point where things change for better or worse. The place where you decide if you want to step over a line, or you realize the relationship has no place to go.

He hadn’t waited for that moment. Carter knew earlier than the launch. And he’d spared her from any further involvement. At least, that’s what she’d told herself. So what now? Why was her mind stuck on him and when she’d see him again? She thought their discussion last night would have discouraged him from trying to convince her to return to work at Hampshire.

Yet he’d called her cell phone during the ceremony and insisted on meeting with her at her hotel. No doubt he’d gotten the number from Blair. If she’d had time to banter with him, Renee would have refused the meeting. But in the back of her mind she knew she wanted to see him.

Back at the guesthouse, Renee changed from the suit she’d worn to the wedding. She wanted Carter to see her in control, happy with herself and commanding her own future. She put on a straight red dress and added a pearl necklace and matching teardrop earrings. She swung her hair up and to the side, anchoring it with a wavy pearl comb. Checking her image in the mirror, she left the town house in time to meet him in the hotel lobby.

Carter arrived through the revolving door just as she stepped off the elevator and waited. It was all she could do to keep her breath from leaving her body. The contrast of his dark suit and white shirt emphasized his skin. She took in the broadness of the shoulders she used to lay her head on. If he’d gained an ounce in three years, she’d need a microscope to find it. He started toward her. Renee remembered his easy gait, the confidence that wrapped around him like a second skin.

What hadn’t changed was his smile. White teeth gleamed at her, and try as she might, she had to return it. He stopped two feet away. Despite her five-foot-five-inch frame and the heels that raised her up four additional inches, she still had to look up at him to see his face.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured. It was a whisper, so low she barely heard it.

Renee felt the rush of heat flush her cheeks.

“Thanks. You’re quite the figure, too.”

He moved a step closer to her. Renee instinctively knew he planned to embrace her. The thought made her both excited and scared.

Taking a step back, she said, “Don’t.”

Carter stopped. “I was only going to kiss your cheek. Isn’t that what friends do? And we’ve known each other for years.”

“No, we haven’t.” She shook her head. “We’re strangers.”

“Strangers?” Carter’s brows rose.

“You’ve been gone for three years. For all I know, you could be married with three children. The same could be true of me. So we are strangers. You’ve changed. I’ve changed. We’re not the same people we were three years ago. You wouldn’t hug someone you’d just met. So consider me that someone.”

Carter took a step back. For a long moment he stared at her as if assessing who this new woman was. Renee withstood his scrutiny.

“I thought we’d go to Mile’s End.”

“My last wedding was today, and I’m leaving early. Would you mind eating here?” She gestured toward the restaurants that were at the back of the building on the ground floor. “I’ve already made us a reservation.”

Carter shrugged and smiled. Renee understood that she’d thwarted his plans. She had plans of her own, and traveling to a place they’d spent time together wasn’t on her agenda.

“I must admit, I was a little surprised to find you on the other end of the phone asking me to meet you for dinner,” Renee said when they were seated.

He smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m glad you came.”

“Why is that? What do you want to talk about? I was sure we’d settled everything last night.”

He took a moment to gather his thoughts. Renee wondered if this meeting had something to do with them as a couple. There was no them. There had never really been a them. She’d thought there was, that there could be, but obviously Carter had other plans.

“Your name has come up several times in the last few days,” Carter said.

She didn’t react. She waited for him to go on. “Come up where?”

“Along the avenues of publisher’s row. There’s a rumor going around that you’re going into competition with me.”

Renee leaned forward. “With you?”

“With my company.”

“What kind of competition? There are several different kinds of businesses you’re responsible for.”

“Magazines,” he said. “Specifically bridal magazines.”

Renee smiled. She picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. Then she replaced it and sat back. “Not a rumor,” she said.

“It’s not a rumor?”

“Can’t be a rumor if it’s true.” She waited a moment, then asked, “Weren’t you listening last night when Blair mentioned my new job?”

His brows rose in surprise. “I didn’t think she was serious.”

Renee stared at him. “And the notice in the trades?”

She knew Carter read all the trade publications that detailed news about the various magazines Hampshire sold. He had a huge capacity for remembering and recalling what he read, and Renee knew he wouldn’t miss the small paragraph bearing her name.

“You are serious?” he asked rhetorically.

“Don’t look so surprised. I’m fully capable of running a magazine. You should know that. I ran Hampshire’s division for three years.”

“You’re very capable.”

“So, why are we here?” She spread her hands.

Again Carter waited a long moment before speaking. Renee wondered when he’d picked up that habit. He was usually decisive, in control, always knew what to say, how to act.

“I want you to come back to Hampshire Publications.”

“You have got to be kidding,” Renee said, her voice breathy and low. “We’ve already talked about this. I’m perfectly happy where I am. Why would I come back to Hampshire?”

“It’s a profitable company, and it’s a place where you fit in. You know some of the employees and they all respect you.”

Renee looked at him. She knew Blair Massey. But with three years gone, she might not know most of the people anymore. Magazine publishing was a place that lent itself to turnover.

“Is Hampshire in trouble?” He’d said it was profitable, but that didn’t mean the bridal division was afloat.

Carter shook his head. Renee looked for any sign of slowness, any inkling that he was hiding something. She found nothing to make her believe he wasn’t telling her the whole truth.

“You’re great at seeing what works and what doesn’t in the magazine. Your ideas are always good and sales took an upward climb when you put your mark on the magazine. You could have the whole package with us. I can’t imagine you would want to compete with us.”

Hackles went up on the back of her neck. “I’m just a little business,” Renee began. “In fact, at this point, I’m still scouting out the business. You’re a conglomerate with magazines, textbooks, novels, comics and a score of peripherals. You can’t be afraid of me.”

“It’s not fear. Hampshire wants you to be comfortable, and we don’t want your reputation to suffer with a start-up.”

“Well, that takes the cake. You believe that nothing outside of your control is worthy of doing?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Didn’t you?” She stopped and narrowed her eyes. “You said Hampshire wasn’t in trouble. What about the bridal division? Has there been a dip in sales?”

Again Carter sat forward and looked at her. “I’ll be frank with you. The division could do better. When you were directing it, it was at the top of the market. We’ve lost some market share—not enough to be concerned about. But we don’t want to lose any more. Bringing you onboard would ensure that.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but—”

“Don’t answer yet.” He stopped her with one hand up. “Think about it overnight. Give yourself time to get used to the idea. We can meet tomorrow.”

“I won’t be here tomorrow,” she lied.

“Renee, can’t you give me a few minutes, lunch or dinner? Princeton can’t have that great a need for you that you can’t spare an old friend a few hours.”

Renee felt guilty, although she had no reason to. She wasn’t actually leaving until Sunday, and other than additional planning, she had a morning appointment tomorrow. After that, there was no one she could call, no arrangements she could make until Monday. But she didn’t want Carter to think his presence influenced her in any way.

“All right, Carter,” she said. “I’ll meet you tomorrow. After lunch,” she emphasized. He wasn’t going to convince her to return to Hampshire Publications over a New York steak or a salad at lunch.

He smiled. She saw a little of the old Carter in that smile. A momentary flash of the man who wrestled the sheets with her burst into her mind. The same man who’d told her he was leaving and not interested in pursuing a relationship.

That was Carter Hampshire.

* * *

Carter paced the floor of his spacious apartment on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. The view was spectacular, but Carter wasn’t interested in it today. He punched the button on his cell phone disconnecting the call. Walking to the windows, he looked out on the traffic below. Was she down there? Renee Hart wasn’t registered at the Westley Hotel. She hadn’t been registered there and checked out. She’d never been there. Yet he’d taken her inside, seen her get on the elevator to go to her room. They’d had dinner in the restaurant last night, but she didn’t have a room in that hotel. Why had she let him think she did?

Where was she?

They were supposed to meet today. Carter glanced at his watch. He wouldn’t be able to meet her—he’d gotten word that his father was in the hospital and he needed to go to the Hamptons. His train left in an hour, but he hadn’t been able to reach Renee. She hadn’t answered her cell, and when he’d tried the hotel’s number he’d been told there was no one named Renee Hart registered.

She had a wedding, he remembered. Maybe the wedding party hotel was where Renee was staying. Quickly, he went to his desk and dialed the number of the Waldorf Astoria. Renee was not registered there, either. He calmly thanked the person on the phone and disconnected.

“She lied to me,” Carter said out loud. Getting up, he returned to the window. He needed to explain to her why he’d left three years ago. He’d wanted to do it last night, but the moment he’d seen her he’d known she wasn’t ready to listen. So he’d tried to convince her to come back to Hampshire Publications. He wanted her there, and her job was open. When she’d been in charge, the magazine had led the industry. He knew she’d regain the share they’d lost, but she wasn’t interested. Carter wanted to try and change her mind, see her again, but she’d evaded him. And now he had to go out to the Island.

He thought about how she’d looked. She was still the tall, thin woman he remembered, but there was more confidence in her appearance. And she was even more beautiful than she’d been three years ago. Her hair was black and glossy. When a curl had escaped, he’d almost reached across the table and threaded his fingers through it. Yet she’d told him he was a stranger. She couldn’t know that she’d never be a stranger to him.

He was used to seeing models. Renee wasn’t a model, yet her body mirrored that of the best he’d ever seen. Her waist was thin and nipped in at just the right angle. Her hips curved to exactly match the contours of his hands. Carter’s fingers trembled at the thought of touching her again.

A horn sounded below. He checked the time. He had to go now or he’d never make the train. Leaving Renee another text message, he left the apartment and headed for Penn Station wondering why she wouldn’t take his calls and why she’d lied to him.

* * *

Renee sighed, one hand going to her breast as she studied the text message from Carter. He’d canceled their meeting. She wouldn’t have to see him. Her shoulders dropped and she frowned. He hadn’t said why.

Her morning meeting was over. It had been long and productive. To keep from being interrupted, she’d put her phone on silent. It had buzzed several times, but she’d ignored it. People who knew her knew she wasn’t the type who instantly answered every call. With her brides, it was better to give them a little time before they reached her. By then, their crisis had been reduced to a minor problem or it had been resolved.

With nothing else to do, Renee returned to the Weddings by Diana guesthouse. The place was warm and inviting; however, it was not a place where anyone cooked. Renee had planned to have lunch before meeting Carter, and now she was hungry.

Opening the refrigerator she found only water and soft drinks. A few nonperishables were in the cabinets.

Carter had only said that something had come up. It must have been important, she thought, as she closed the refrigerator, or maybe he’d come to his senses and realized she couldn’t be persuaded to return to Hampshire Publications.

She felt deflated. She’d worked herself up for another meeting with Carter, and he’d canceled it without a reason. This was just like three years ago when he’d left with no real reason. At least today he’d sent her a text. Squaring her shoulders, Renee made a decision.

She picked her phone up from the kitchen counter. Most of the people she knew in New York also knew Carter. She wouldn’t call any of them. And Blair was out of the question. Then she had an idea. She sent a text message to her cousin Dana and invited her to dinner.

Often the two cousins shared a meal while they Skyped, but Renee wished she could see Dana face-to-face.

When? Dana’s reply came almost immediately. Unlike Renee, Dana was always on her phone. If she hadn’t answered immediately Renee would’ve wondered if something was wrong.

Six o’clock, Renee texted. It didn’t take long for them to work out the details. Dana loved New York and said she’d come in from Connecticut and meet Renee at Grand Central Terminal.

She spent the afternoon catching up on email, then met Dana’s train at the station. Taking a taxi, they got out of the tourist district and went to an Italian restaurant Renee was familiar with.

Dana smiled. “What’s up?” She popped a fork full of lettuce into her mouth. They usually ordered salads and wine when they had these talks. But tonight Renee had ordered fettuccine Alfredo and a sangria.

“Not much,” Renee said. “We haven’t talked in a while. I thought it was time.”

The two had grown up together and were closer than sisters. Renee had a twin brother, and she loved him, but there were things that only another woman would understand.

“So,” Dana dragged the word out. A conspiratorial smile curled her lips. “Did you see Carter?”

Just like Dana to cut right to the heart. “You know, every time I come to New York you ask me that same question.”

“And you evade it.” Dana took another bite from her salad.

“I’m not here to see him.”

“That wasn’t my question,” Dana said.

“He wasn’t at the wedding.”

“Again, not my question. Which means you saw him.”

“Dinner, last night.”

“Dinner! Do tell. Give me the details.”

“No details. Well, one. He offered me a job.”

“Back at Hampshire Publications?”

Renee heard the wonder in her cousin’s voice. She took a moment to eat part of her fettuccine before nodding.

“What did you tell him?”

“That I was happy where I was.”

“Are you?”

“Dana,” Renee admonished.

Dana smiled slowly. “How does he look?”

“Good enough to eat.”

“Well?” Dana prompted.

Renee said nothing.

Dana poked her bottom lip out like a child who wasn’t getting her way.

“You can’t want me to get involved with him again. After how he broke up with me. And what a basket case I was then.”

Dana’s face became very serious. Renee wondered if she was remembering her fiancé. He was a Marine who died in an explosion in the Middle East. Since then Dana had been alone, but she loved setting up her friends.

Dana leaned forward and said, “You wouldn’t be getting involved again. Because you’ve never gotten over him.”

“That’s no reason to put myself in harm’s way. I’ve survived the last three years. I can get through the rest.”

“But what about when you move back to New York? You’ll be in the same city and in the same profession. It’s inevitable that you’ll run into each other.”

“So, we’ll run into each other sometimes.” Renee thought it couldn’t be any worse than the meeting last night. Then she’d been ambushed. Next time she’d be prepared for his possible appearance, even expecting it.

“You can handle that?”

“Sure I can.” Renee’s voice was strong, but she wasn’t that sure of herself. She’d been tested last night, and she’d survived. It had to get easier as time went by. But even though it had been three years, her heart had jumped into her throat when she’d seen him.

She would have to weather whatever came.

“I’ll be fine,” Renee told Dana. “Besides, in the next few months, I’ll be too busy to think of anyone. Getting a new venture off the ground is a day-and-night proposition.” Renee hadn’t mentioned it to Diana and Teddy, but she wanted to launch in six months.

Dana gave her a long look, then dropped her eyes. “What’s happening with the new magazine?”

Her cousin had been the first person Renee had called when the project had been approved.

“Oh, good progress. And I found a place to live.”

“Where?”

“It’s a house. Not an apartment. And it’s in the museum district.”

“How’d you do that?” Dana’s brows rose.

“Remember my Aunt Olivia?” Renee asked.

“Vaguely.”

“She lives in the museum district.”

“You’re going to live with her?” Dana frowned.

Renee didn’t answer immediately. She knew Dana was trying to determine Aunt Olivia’s age. She was a spry eighty-three-year-old.

“You were never a favorite of hers, if I’m remembering correctly,” Dana added.

Renee smiled. “She mellowed after I started working at Hampshire. I used to visit her often.”

“And now you’re moving in with her?” Dana’s voice showed incredulity.

“Not exactly,” Renee responded.

“Okay, stop dancing around and explain it to me.”

“I called her a few weeks ago and she invited me to lunch. During the afternoon she told me she was leaving the city. She’d put the house up for sale but had no offers.”

“Where’s she going?”

“She’s got a brother in North Carolina. She’s going there to be near him.”

“Doesn’t she have children? I mean eighty-three is a hard age to pick up and move.”

Renee shook her head. “She had a son. He was killed in Vietnam.”

“So she’s selling you the house?”

She’s letting me rent it with an option to buy.”

“That was lucky.”

Renee nodded. “There are some legal papers I have to sign tomorrow.”

Renee’s cell phone rang and the photo of the caller appeared. Renee stared at it.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

Renee said nothing. The ringing continued, causing a high-pitched whine in her ears. A sound she hadn’t heard in years. It couldn’t be coming from the phone, but pinging back and forth inside her brain.

“Renee, are you all right?” Dana asked. “Who’s on the phone?”

Renee lifted the small device and held it up. Dana drew in a mouthful of air.

Carter’s photo stared back at her.

Renee hit Reject to stop the ringing. It rang three more times before she and Dana left the restaurant and returned to the town house.

As they stepped in the door, the ringing began again.

“You’re going to have to answer it sometime. Obviously, the man is persistent,” Dana said. “And it could be something important.”

A hundred thoughts flashed through Renee’s mind, but she couldn’t pin any of them down. Why was he calling still? Why hadn’t she deleted his photo from her cell phone? She hadn’t seen it in three years, hadn’t thought of it. It just stayed there, like some specter waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Renee pulled her phone out of her purse. She didn’t hear Dana leave the room, but as she inspected the phone, Renee noticed she was alone. The phone continued its insistent ring. Renee continued to stare at it. Her finger hovered above the reject button. Then she quickly pushed Accept. She wouldn’t let him intimidate her any longer.

“Carter,” she said, using her happiest smile, one she did not feel.

“You deliberately deceived me about where you were staying,” he began without a hello.

“I did,” she admitted. She heard him swallow. He obviously wasn’t expecting her to admit the truth.

“Why?”

“It’s a privacy thing. I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“I disturb you?”

She saw the shadow of a smile on his lips.

“Not in the way you’re thinking,” Renee told him. “And you canceled our meeting today. So we’re even.”

“I had to cancel the meeting. My father is in the hospital. I had to come out to the Hamptons.”

“Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. Is he going to be all right?”

“They’re still doing some tests, but you know my dad. He’s a powerhouse. And he’s not as bad as my mother made me believe.”

Renee knew Joseph and Emily Hampshire—Joseph had run the magazine empire for years. He was a fair man and loved by his employees. She liked him a lot. His wife, Emily, was a fashion designer, and she could be excitable. Having a sick husband qualified as a good reason.

“Please let him know he’s in my thoughts,” Renee said.

“He’ll like that. He always liked you,” Carter said. “When I get back, I want to reschedule our meeting.”

“Carter, we had a chance three years ago. You chose to end it. I’ve moved on with my life, and I suggest you do the same.”

“I didn’t call you to rekindle a love affair.”

Renee took a deep breath. She felt a knife slip into her heart. They hadn’t had an affair, and the love had only been on her side. “Then why are you calling?”

“We talked about a position at Hampshire last night. You were supposed to give me an answer tonight.”

“I respectfully decline,” she said.

“Respectfully?” he questioned. “Are we going to be that formal?”

“It’s considered good manners to be formal with people you’ve just met. Remember, we are strangers.”

“Oh, right. We’re strangers. So, if we are strangers, then why don’t we act like we just met and we can discuss my offer like adults?”

“We’ve already discussed it, and I’m happy with my current position.”

“I hear you have a house.”

Renee gulped. How could he know that? She hadn’t even told Blair.

“I guess that means you’re moving back to the city permanently.”

Did she hear hope in his voice? Did she want to hear it? Renee mentally shook herself. Carter didn’t want her, only her expertise in the bridal industry.

“I’ll be working and living here. But, like I said, I’m keeping the position I have. And how did you know?”

“So, you’re not leaving town as you said.”

“No,” she answered. And you didn’t tell me how you knew.”

“My mother told me.”

“Your mother?” Renee frowned.

He nodded. “My mother designs for Lealia Sauvageau. She and her husband own the house next to the one you bought.”

“I recognize Lealia Sauvageau’s name,” Renee said. “What does she got to do with this?”

“She’d ordered a gown from my mother and would no longer need it since she and her husband have sold their house and are moving. In the course of conversation, Lealia told my mom that the house next to them was being rented by a bridal magazine owner.”

“And you naturally thought I was the only owner of a bridal magazine in town?”

“Naturally,” he replied. “Especially since you’re the only one coming from Princeton.”

Renee closed her eyes.

“Small world,” she said flatly.

“Isn’t it? Lealia thought she was helping my mom by giving her a lead for another place to showcase her designs.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, now that you’re going to be here, we can have that dinner tomorrow night. It’ll be a small celebration, marking your return to New York.”

“Carter, I’m very busy and we’ve already met for lunch once. We don’t need to prolong this...” She didn’t know what to call it. It wasn’t friendship.

“You’re not afraid of being across a table from me, are you?” he interrupted.

She laughed. “You’re not going to play the fear card. You know I have no fear where you’re concerned. But I decide who I want to eat with and that has nothing to do with you laying down a challenge.”

“So the answer is...”

Renee weighed the invitation for a long time. She saw Dana in the doorway gesturing for her to accept. Dana could only hear one side of the conversation, but she could tell Carter had asked to see Renee. Renee knew it was best to stay away from him, but if she was going to live in New York and inevitably run into him, she would have to become comfortable in his presence.

“Fine,” she said. “Dinner tomorrow.”

“You’re not going to stand me up, are you?”

“I keep my word,” she said.

“Where are you staying?” he asked.

Renee was not about to give him the address. She knew he often showed up early for a date, and then they wouldn’t make it out.

“You discovered I’m renting a house, yet you don’t know where I’m staying.” She paused, then said, “I’ll meet you at the Rainbow Room at seven.”

She heard his sigh through the phone. “Rainbow Room it is.”

“Tomorrow, then.”

“Good night, Renee.”

She clicked the end button without saying anything. The tone of his voice with those three words had taken away her power of speech. Did he know he was doing that? Was it on purpose, designed to throw her off guard? She’d heard those words in the dark, after a fervent night of lovemaking. They’d wrapped around her, folded her in a blanket of warmth, the way his arms had. She’d voluntarily gone there, taken his hand and run with him into an unknown place that held the promise of forever.

Renee had never wanted to leave it. She’d wanted to see the next bend, open the next door and find what surprises awaited her. She’d wanted to jump from cloud to cloud and go with the man of her dreams.

In his arms, she had been blinded. She’d forgotten that dreams have the permanence of smoke. And it had blown up in her face. The relationship had hardly begun before the burning between them had been doused, leaving only smoke and cinders. It had taken her a while to get herself under control, to not open her eyes in the morning and find herself thinking of him. But she was at that point now. And there was no way she was allowing him back into her heart.

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