Hit and Run (Summer Rush #2)

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  About the Author

  Other Books by Cheryl Douglas

  Hit and Run

  Book Two in the Summer Rush Series

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to: info@cheryldouglasbooks.com

  Hit and Run © 2016 Cheryl Douglas

  Chapter One

  “I need you to do me a favor.”

  Since Maceon “Ace” Phillips had never, in all the years they’d known each other, asked his best friend for a real favor, he knew the odds were good Rowan would agree to help him.

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Have you and Tenley found a venue for the wedding reception yet?”

  “Uh, no. Why?” Rowan asked, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

  “Danielle manages the York Hotel.”

  “You mean your ex-girlfriend from high school? The one who—”

  “Yeah, that’s the one.”

  “You want us to work with her? Why? I thought she hated you.” He winced, raising his hand. “Sorry, I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded.”

  No, Ace didn’t need to be reminded. He’d never forget the look in Dani’s eyes the day she found out he was the one responsible for her twin brother’s death. But years had passed since then. He’d paid his debt to society. Now he wanted one last chance to make amends with her. Before she married another man.

  Ace was ashamed of a lot of the decisions he’d made when he was young and dumb, but his biggest regret was getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much and letting his best friend, Dani’s brother, climb into the passenger’s seat next to him.

  The judge had called it manslaughter. An apt description, since whether it was intentional or not, Ace had slaughtered a man that day. A man who had been like a brother to him.

  “I need to see her again. I need to apologize.” Ace knew it was probably too little, too late, but this had been eating him up inside for years. He thought of all the letters he’d written to Dani and her parents, who had been like family to him. The letters he’d never had the guts to mail.

  “I don’t get it,” Rowan said, shaking his head. “Why do we need to book at her hotel just so you can apologize?”

  “I need to talk to her somewhere she can’t escape.” He knew it sounded cryptic, but he had no doubt Dani would run from him, given the chance.

  Rowan chuckled. “You think I want that kind of drama at my wedding, man? Tenley would kill me. She’s already begging me to elope because she doesn’t want her mother to make a scene.”

  “I hear you, and you know I’d never do anything to mess up your big day. But this would mean a lot to me, man. Let this be my gift to you—a wedding reception at the York.”

  “Are you serious?” Rowan looked at Ace as though he was crazy, which he probably was. “Why would you want to do that?”

  “You’re my best friend,” Ace said, shrugging. “Why wouldn’t I want to do that?”

  Since they played for the same professional baseball team, Ace knew his friend made almost as much as he did, but what else could he give a couple who had everything and the money to buy whatever they wanted?

  “So let me get this straight,” Rowan said, rubbing his forehead. “You want to pay for my wedding reception—”

  “Food, booze, décor, the whole deal,” Ace said, hoping to sweeten the offer. “Besides, this place is a top-notch boutique hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You could even do the ceremony outside there, if you want to. I bet Tenley would love it.”

  “And you know all this how?”

  “I may have done a little research.” Ace typed in the address of a website that he now knew by heart before showing Rowan his phone. “This is their website. They’ve hosted some pretty high-profile weddings, so I have no doubt they’d do a great job with yours.”

  “Obviously you don’t want your ex to know about your involvement,” Rowan said as he scrolled through the site.

  “Obviously.” Ace knew Dani wouldn’t accept their reservation if she thought she might run into him again.

  “Let me talk to Tenley about this, and I’ll get back to you, okay?”

  “You got it,” Ace said, standing to shake his hand. “Thanks, buddy. This means a lot to me.”

  “I feel like I should thank you,” Rowan said, laughing. “You did just offer to pay for my wedding reception, after all.”

  Ace had no problem giving his friend and his beautiful bride the wedding of her dreams, but if that car accident had taught Ace one thing, it was to value his friends.

  ***

  Danielle was running late for a client meeting, and she hated being late. So when she finally rushed into her office, she tripped over a ripple in the area rug and almost did a face-plant. Great first impression.

  “Oh my God,” she said, righting herself as heat crept up her neck to stain her cheeks. “I am so sorry.”

  The groom stood, grinning as he took her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Kipling. I’m Rowan Nixon, and this is my fiancée, Tenley.”

  Of course she knew who Rowan was. Everyone in the city did. He was almost as famous as… no! She wasn’t going to think about him.

  “It’s a pleasure. I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” she said, grimacing when she shook the bride’s hand. “Today was one of those days. My car wouldn’t start and…” She sealed her lips when she realized she was babbling. “And please, call me Danielle.” Gesturing to the chairs they’d been sitting in when she stumbled into the office, she said, “Please, take a seat. Did my assistant offer you a drink while you were waiting?”

  “She did,” Tenley confirmed. “We’re good.”

  “Great,” Danielle said, taking a seat behind her desk. “Let’s get started then.”

  Since she’d already emailed them a questionnaire, which they’d filled out and returned to her, she knew they wanted a venue that could host one hundred fifty guests and an outdoor ceremony with beautiful grounds for photos.

  Danielle pulled out their completed questionnaire, which she’d printed, and scanned it one more time. “Well, I have some idea of what you’re looking for. I’m sure you’re comparing ours to other venues, so before I take you on a tour, why don’t you ask me—”

  “No,” Rowan said firmly, gripping Tenley’s hand. “We don’t need to look anywhere else. We’ve already decided we want to have the wedding
here. Isn’t that right, babe?” He shot a sidelong glance at his fiancée.

  “Absolutely,” Tenley said, smiling a little too brightly. “Besides, I’m sure your wedding planner will be a whole lot better at this than I am. I once tried to throw my roommate a surprise birthday party and couldn’t even pull that off without tipping her off.”

  “Have you attended an event here before?” Danielle asked, checking the bottom of the forms they’d filled out for a name she recognized. It wasn’t uncommon for couples to come to her convinced they wanted to have their wedding at the York after they’d attended a sister’s or friend’s wedding there.

  “Uh, no.” Rowan cleared his throat. “We just don’t have a lot of time to pull this together, and we checked out your website. The gallery of pictures was great. So were the testimonials.”

  She pulled out a notepad and pen, prepared to take some notes. “Okay, let’s check our calendar then. You said you’re in a bit of a hurry. When would you like to get married?”

  “The sooner, the better,” Rowan said, squeezing Tenley’s hand.

  “We want to start a family as soon as possible,” Tenley said, blushing a bit.

  Aww, that was sweet. Couples like this restored her faith in marriage. Just because her fiancé had cheated on her didn’t mean all men were cut from the same cloth.

  “We were hoping for three or four months from now,” Tenley said before biting her lip. “Before Rowan’s spring training starts. Is that even possible?”

  “Hmm,” Danielle said, pulling up the hotel’s reservations on her computer. “Since it’s the off-season, we’re not as busy, but I’m going to be honest—we’re usually booked at least a year in advance.”

  “Assuming we can make this work, you’ll be here to make sure everything goes off without a hitch?” Tenley asked.

  Danielle understood her concern. Every bride wanted some assurance that her special day would be perfect. “Of course,” she said, smiling. “A big part of my job is taking care of special events, like weddings. In fact, it’s my favorite part.” As Danielle scanned their available dates, she said, “Oh, I should also mention that we have smaller event rooms available, so we can also host other events leading up to the wedding, such as the bridal shower or rehearsal dinner.”

  Rowan’s phone rang, and he glanced at the screen. “Uh, will you excuse me for a minute? I have to take this call.”

  “No problem,” Danielle said, smiling. She was used to being put off since she dealt with a lot of busy, high-profile clients.

  When Rowan left the room and shut the door, Tenley said, “Your ring is beautiful. When are you getting married?”

  Danielle still wore the ring only because she hadn’t found the courage to tell her family the wedding was off. She knew she was being a coward, but they’d been hoping for this for years. They would be crushed when she told them she wasn’t getting married.

  “Um, I’m not sure,” she said, hoping Tenley would let it go. “I guess I’m so busy worrying about other people’s weddings that I don’t have time for my own.”

  Tenley frowned, seeming surprised by that answer. “Your fiancé isn’t pressuring you? Rowan’s been after me about setting a date ever since he slipped the ring on my finger.”

  Before Danielle could respond, Rowan saved her, returning to the room with another apology for having to step out.

  “It looks like I only have one date within your time frame,” Danielle said, making a few notes. “And that’s only because we had a cancellation.”

  “When is it?” Rowan asked, pulling up the calendar on his phone while Tenley did the same.

  “Thirteen weeks from Saturday,” Danielle said. “January 27th. We have wonderful relationships with florists, limo services, and photographers, so we can help you secure their services in time for a late-January wedding, but our on-site wedding planner can tell you all about that. A tight timeline shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re looking at custom dresses. How many bridesmaids will be in your bridal party, Tenley?”

  “Just my maid of honor,” she said. “We don’t want a big wedding party.”

  “Okay,” she said, making a note of the bride’s preference. “That should make dress shopping a little easier. Once you’ve met with the wedding planner and the florist, we can meet again to go over seating arrangements and decor.” She smiled, hoping the bride wasn’t feeling overwhelmed. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few months.”

  “I look forward to it,” Tenley said, reaching for her purse. “In fact, I can’t wait to get to know you better, Danielle.”

  Chapter Two

  Walking into the restaurant, Ace looked for familiar faces. He’d waited until the night of the rehearsal dinner to check into the hotel, so Dani would have no choice but to hear him out.

  His heart was in his throat when he finally caught sight of her, and the composure he prided himself on was completely lost. He felt as though he couldn’t breathe. Would she recognize him right away? Would she scream at him or try to run? As tempting as it was to think about abandoning his plan, that wasn’t an option. He’d come too far to quit now.

  Ace approached her slowly, afraid to spook her. She was on the phone, having what appeared to be a heated conversation. At first he assumed it was with a supplier, but it didn’t take him long to realize it was personal.

  “I’ve heard it all before, Mike. Well, I guess you should have thought of that before you cheated on me!” Turning to face him, she gasped, whispering, “I have to go,” before disconnecting her call.

  Ace knew he shouldn’t, but he moved into her personal space. His eyes roamed her body, taking in the shimmery silver dress that grazed her knees and was cut low in both the front and back. It was elegant, like the woman wearing it.

  She opened and closed her mouth before saying, “I wasn’t sure you’d be here.”

  “Rowan is my best friend and teammate.” It was difficult to think, much less speak. For so many years, he’d imagined what he would say to her if they ever came face-to-face again, but those words fled in the face of her anguish.

  “I know.” She swallowed, her eyes darting around the room. “I mean, I knew Rowan was your teammate. Everyone knows you play for the same team. But I didn’t know he was your best friend. He didn’t tell me. Did you ask him not to?”

  She was babbling, something she always used to do when she was nervous. He knew she had to be thinking of her brother now, remembering the day his stupid decision had changed her life forever.

  “Forget it, I can’t do this,” she said, stepping back. “I’m sorry. Please, excuse me.”

  He didn’t blame her for being shocked. If there had been another option, he would have gladly taken it.

  “Dani,” he said softly, touching her arm. “Please… just sit down with me for a minute.” When she didn’t object, he guided her to a free chair. “Would you like a glass of water?”

  “What I want,” she said through clenched teeth, “is an explanation. And don’t you dare tell me this is a coincidence! You knew I managed this hotel, didn’t you? Did you ask Tenley and Rowan to have their wedding here?”

  He sat next to her, trying to collect himself. He’d told himself he was prepared for her rage, but when her light blue eyes, the exact same shade as her brother’s, flashed with fury, it took him back to that night… when Linc had died in his arms with his eyes wide open.

  “It’s not a coincidence.” He cleared his throat, knowing he owed it to her to be honest. “I asked Rowan to consider the York. I needed to see you again. To talk to you. To apologize and try to explain what happened that night.” Not that there was any way to justify what he had done.

  “I know what happened that night,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself, a subtle tremble giving her anxiety away. “You killed my brother.”

  His breath stuttered as his chest ached with the truth of her words. He had killed her brother. There was no way he could deny that. “An
d I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life,” he whispered, feeling tears sting his eyes. “If I had it to do all over again, I swear I would never have gotten behind the wheel that night.”

  “Why did you?” she asked, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks as she pushed her wavy blond hair away from her face. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t thinking.” He knew it was no excuse, but he and Dani had gotten into a fight that night and she’d threatened to break up with him. That was why he had been pounding beers, one right after the other, drinking as if it might be his last night of living. “I was hurting, Dani.”

  He let her think about what had caused that hurt, all the while cursing himself for allowing her to take any of the responsibility.

  “I told him to go home with one of the other guys, but he didn’t want to. He said he’d come with me, he was leaving with me.” Ace knew that didn’t excuse the fact that he had driven off with Linc in the car.

  “He was probably worried about you,” she said, sniffling. “He called you his brother, you know.”

  Ace swallowed the pain and tears, just as he’d been doing for the past fifteen years. “I felt the same way about him. You have to know that. I loved him. Losing him, especially like that… a part of me died that night too.”

  “He was my twin brother,” she said, her cry anguished. “Don’t talk to me about what it’s like to live without him. No one knows that better than I do.” She clutched her flat stomach. “Every day I wake up with this dull ache and it takes me a minute to realize why it’s there. It’s because he’s gone. You took him away from me. You did that!”

  He told himself that hearing her blame him, allowing her to get the rage out, was what he’d wanted. It was the reason he’d arranged this little reunion in the first place, so they could say the things to each other they had never had the chance to say fifteen years ago, but her words cut deep, making him bleed in a way he hadn’t since the crash.