Damn, she was going to miss him.

“So how’s the online ‘dating’ going?” Leo asked, startling her. Dani withdrew her attention from Max—it was harder than it should have been—and turned to Leo. Apparently, the lovebirds were done with whatever it was they’d been whispering about.

“It’s on hold. I’ve decided to wait until I’m officially divorced.”

Leo frowned. “Why?”

She sighed. She didn’t really want to get into it.

“It’s okay if you aren’t ready,” Leo said.

Dani tamped down a flash of annoyance. Now they were going to have to talk about her too-high standards, or her uncharacteristic prudishness, or whatever spin Leo was going to put on it. She was going to have to trot out her line about how she was planning to jump the first man she laid eyes on after the divorce was final, ha ha ha.

“Honestly,” Max said brightly, “I have to endorse Daniela’s method—from experience, alas. Did I ever tell you about the time when I was at Cambridge and I developed a bit of rapport with one of the librarians there? Well. She was not quite divorced, and let me tell you, that was a mistake.”

Off he went with his story. He knew she didn’t want to talk about her dating life, or lack thereof, so he was distracting everyone. Drawing their attention with tales of his own misdeeds, just as he had done for his brother throughout their childhood.

It struck her as funny that Max knew the real reason she was hesitating on the online-dating front—fear of getting her heart broken again—and Leo, her supposed best friend, did not.

Chapter Seventeen

The morning of the wedding dawned clear and sunny. Dani had breakfast with Leo and Gabby, and they went on a long hike in the woods surrounding the castle. She had to hand it to Mr. Benz: he had everything planned and running so smoothly, there wasn’t anything to do besides show up for hair and makeup at one o’clock.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Gabby exclaimed, stopping as they emerged from the woods and the palace came into view. It was an impressive structure to begin with, made of pale stone, studded with fairy-tale turrets, and perched on the snow-covered hill next to the village. But decked out as it was for the wedding, with gold banners flowing from nearly every window, it was breathtaking. “I can’t believe I live here.”

“You and me both, kiddo,” Leo said.