Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Carly fingered the Irish lace adorning the bodice of the magnificent wedding gown hanging in the master bedroom closet of Shane's cabin. Her wedding gown! The ornate dress was a work of art. Julianne had crafted the gown uniquely for her and every detail spoke volumes about the designer's love for Carly. Stepping back, she brushed away a tear as she reread the note her best friend sent with the gown.

"Hey, I hope those are tears of joy."

Shane's voice startled Carly as she shoved the note into her jeans' pocket. Turning quickly, she spread her arms wide in an attempt to shield the dress from his view.

"Shane! It's bad luck to see the bride's gown before the wedding!"

He smiled his trademark grin, the one that never failed to make her body temperature rise. Softly, he closed the door and turned the lock before strolling toward her, his eyes telegraphing his intentions quite clearly.

"Nah. That old wives' tale says it's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding." He gave her a slow wink. "And, if you believe those old crones, the poor schmucks who go on that wedding dress show to help their fianceés pick out their dresses are destined to end up with shriveled jewels."

Carly bit back a smile as she stepped out of the closet and pulled the door closed behind her. "I don't care about the semantics. You're supposed to be surprised when I walk down the aisle tomorrow." It was difficult to keep a stern tone in her voice when her body was humming with pleasure. In less than twenty-four hours, she'd be married to the gorgeous man prowling toward her.

They met in the middle of the room, the king-sized bed looming behind them.

"I promise to be in awe when I see you standing at the chapel door." Shane gathered her in his arms. "I may even be drooling, but only because I'll be thinking about what's underneath that dress."

Carly smacked him on the chest before realizing her mistake. He winced, sucking in a hiss.

"Sorry!" She nuzzled his bruised chin, the result of a nasty hit during a rough game the night before. Carly and Shane were taking advantage of a rare weekend off during the season, squeezing their wedding in after a Thursday night win over the Blaze's rival in Pittsburgh. The ceremony was being held in the small mountain chapel where Shane's grandparents had married. The reception for the fifty or so guests would take place at the cabin, the peaking fall foliage serving as a spectacular backdrop.

Carly snuggled into the haven that was Shane's chest. Since that very first night in Cabo, she'd felt safe in his arms. Protected. And now, loved. She'd been searching her entire life for a place to belong. Someone to belong to. With Shane—and Troy—she was now complete. She belonged to two special guys and they belonged to her. Carly couldn't have been happier .

"Please tell me those tears don't mean you've changed your mind," Shane whispered against the top of her head.

The vulnerability in his voice forced Carly to pull back and look up at him. Gone was the cocky bravado he normally wore to face the world. Instead, his eyes were wary, with tension lines bracketing them. His smile disappeared into a grim line.

She reached up to cradle his jaw. "No!" She stretched up on tiptoes to brush her lips over his in a soft kiss. "Absolutely not."

He touched his forehead to hers, letting out a sigh of relief. "Good to know. But you still look sad."

"Not about marrying you, Shane. Never." She kissed him again. "I'm just sad that Julianne won't be here. Ever since I was thirteen years old, I've pictured her standing beside me at my wedding."

"We could postpone until after the season is over. Or until after her baby is born."

The tense way he held his body and the strain in his voice told her it was costing him a great deal to make the offer. If it were possible, Carly felt her love for him grow even deeper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed the gap between their bodies.

"No way, Devlin. You're marrying me tomorrow whether you like it or not."

His relief was immediate. Dropping his head to her shoulder, he placed an openmouthed kiss on her neck.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"I just wish she'd talk to me. Tell me what's going on. She's pregnant—on bed rest! And she won't tell anyone who the father is. I don't even know how it happened."

Shane pulled back, arching an eyebrow at her. "Do you want me to give you a tutorial?"

Carly stifled an eye roll and then licked her lips as she caught a glance of Shane's eyes. They were smoldering again .

"I'm serious, Shane. As far as I know, she wasn't seeing anyone last summer. Other than our trip to Mexico, she didn't go on any photo shoots or vacations. The only place she went was to a client's wedding. That big celebrity wedding for NASCAR driver Chase Jennings. But she didn't mention meeting anyone there. In fact, she was pretty mum about the whole weekend."

"Which should tell you something right there." He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, gently tracing his fingers along her neck.

"Hmmm." Carly tilted her head into his caress as she thought for a moment. Shane was right; Julianne had been a little too evasive about the events of the wedding. But it was also around the time Carly was preoccupied with Joel's threats and her evolving relationship with Shane. Guilt nipped at her as she realized she might have been too caught up in her own life to recognize Julianne's distress. Could she have conceived the child with someone at the wedding? If so, who?

"Hey." Shane gave her a gentle shake. "If this is going to worry you so much this weekend, why don't you ask Connelly about that wedding? He and Jennings are friends. They're both from the same small town in North Carolina. Hell, for all I know, he might have been one of Jennings's groomsmen. Maybe he saw Julianne with someone."

"Connelly" was Will Connelly, the captain of the ominous Blaze defense. Known by fans and media as "William the Conqueror," the linebacker was a behemoth, fierce competitor on the field, but a cerebral man of few words away from the game. Carly doubted he would have even noticed Julianne at the wedding; the two were so opposite of one another.

She looked up at her future husband. This weekend was about him. About them. Shane was very understanding of Carly's relationship with her best friend. But she wasn't going to take advantage and ruin this once-in-a-lifetime event stewing over the mystery that was Julianne's unexpected pregnancy. It would hurt not to have Jules standing beside her tomorrow, but Carly couldn't dwell on her absence. Her friend had said as much in her note, demanding Carly not worry and just enjoy her special day. Which was exactly what she intended to do. She'd get to the bottom of Julianne's crazy life next week.

"No need to involve Will," she said, pulling Shane's head down for another kiss. "I'll just ask Julianne. Even if it means I have to go to Italy and drag it out of her."

Shane stared at her, awe reflected in his eyes. "You'd really brave the paparazzi and go back to Italy?"

"I think I've already established I'd take on the crazy media for the people I love."

He grinned down at her, his hands roaming her back before landing with a squeeze on her butt. "Hmm. Yes, you did. Remind me again, did I properly congratulate you for that effort?"

"You do know my sister is going to make you stay at the hotel tonight?"

His grin grew wolfish. "Yeah, another old wives' tale about it being bad luck to see the bride—with or without her gown—on the wedding day. We poor grooms are cursed with rotten luck if you listen to those old biddies."

Carly laughed as she slid her hands along the waistband of his jeans, relishing his quiver as her finger met warm skin. "I know one groom who's going to get very lucky before his wedding."

Shane cradled her face in his hands. "Dorothy," he whispered, "I'm the luckiest man alive just having you agree to spend your life with me. A year ago, my life was all about chasing some damn numbers, showing up my old man. Then you and Troy came along and showed me just how totally screwed up my priorities were. Now I'm playing football because I love the game. But not as much as I love you and Troy. You're my world. And no old wives' tale is going to take that away."

And then he proceeded to show her just how lucky she was.