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.No way to fix the yawning chasm between her and Ben, growing wider every second.“A plan? You had a plan for our relationship?” Ben choked out a laugh, a harsh, scornful sound.Looked up at the ceiling, then drove his fingers through his hair.“Of course you did.Now I realize why you’ve been such a tease, why we haven’t made it back to the bedroom after all these weeks.”His voice rose to a near shout.The musicians sputtered to a stop.Twelve tables of guests swiveled their heads to watch the action.“Well, what you call a plan? I call a trap.I’m not a puppet for you to manipulate.My life is my own, my choices my own.You can’t plan for love, Ms.Rhodes.And you’re sure as hell not going to get it from me.”Ivy stared, motionless, while the man she loved turned his back on her and stalked out of the ballroom.She watched his lithe, lionlike grace, his hair burnished the gold of ancient Roman coins by the crystal chandeliers.One last glimpse of his profile, those generous lips she adored locked down into a thin, grim line.Then he was gone.Forever.Hand flailing, she reached out to grab the nearest wine glass and lifted it high in the air.“Since I’m quite sure I have everyone’s attention, I’ll take this opportunity to make my toast.Congratulations to my parents, Samantha and David Rhodes.They’ve stayed happy together for forty years.I think we’ve all just had a glimpse of what a rare, amazing accomplishment that is.” Sheer willpower kept her tears at bay.Her parents deserved nothing but joy this night, and she’d already contributed too much sorrow to the evening.“They are a remarkable couple who make each other happy every single day.Thank you for being an inspiration to all of us, and wonderful parents to me.Here’s to forty more blissful years.”As the entire room cheered and clinked glasses, Ivy kissed each of her parents on the cheek.Then the twisting, clawing knot in her stomach reached up through her throat.She tamped it back down by draining her glass.She wouldn’t let Ben ruin her enjoyment of excellent champagne.No, she’d kick up her heels, dance with her father, and Sam, and Gib.Gib especially, since he was a whiz on the dance floor thanks to his fancy schools back in England.Yes, Ivy would stay to the end of this party, to have one last happy night before the empty string of tear-laden nights alone began.She’d just lost her best shot at happily ever after.Worst of all, it was her own fault.Her brilliant plan had backfired in a way she’d never anticipated.Chapter TwentyThe proper basis for a marriage is mutual misunderstanding.—Oscar WildeBen hated mornings.On the best of days, with the ferocity of a rabid tiger, the sun had a way of getting its claws into you and shaking until your head pounded and you wanted to beg for mercy.This morning proved to be a fresh level of hell.After leaving the party, he’d hunkered down at a dark, squalid dive bar.Half a dozen shots and as many beers later, he concluded the answer to his problems didn’t lie at the bottom of a glass.Staring sleeplessly at the ceiling for four hours hadn’t exactly improved his filthy mood.Now his stomach turned over from the drinks, and his head throbbed from…well, everything else.Especially squinting at his laptop while firing off emails to get him the hell out of town.Ollie could shoot without him for a few days until RealTV sent a replacement.He didn’t care if they docked his pay, but he’d be damned if he’d show up at Aisle Bound with a camera on his shoulder.It took some serious web-surfing to snag any flight, thanks to a day’s worth of backups from some East Coast hurricane.Now, with only one day left in Chicago, he could at least try to calm his stomach by laying down a layer of sugar and grease from Lyons Bakery’s epic donuts.He pushed through the door just shy of dawn, then paused at the threshold when he saw Sam loading the bakery case.Too late to cut and run, thanks to the damn tinkling bell on the door.Sam locked eyes with him, then jerked a chin toward a table at the back.Ben paused in front of the donuts.“Does a condemned man still get one last meal? Because I don’t think I can do this without a cruller or ten.And a vat of coffee.”Sam gave a nod, wiped his hands on his apron.“I’ll set you up.We’ve got a special cherry fritter this morning that’ll turn your world upside down.Take a seat.”Looked like Sam didn’t plan on decking him anytime soon, and the prospect of a cherry fritter to top it off? There was a god after all.Ben rested the heels of his hands against his eyes.Whatever Sam dished out, he could take it
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