Suck it up, Kate, and move on. You’ve done it before, and you can do it again. She’d made a lot of sacrifices along the way, and she wasn’t giving up now.

“You’re right.” Her watch said it was just after eight. Late enough to call. What, am I worried about waking the man? She should have called him in the middle of the night. He’d kept her awake, after all. It would’ve served him right.

“Why don’t I go home and get my things while you make the call?” Kate nodded, wondering what to say to Bryan. “What about your parents? You need to call them before they see the papers.”

Lucas folded the paper and stood. “Already did, while you were in the shower.”

“What did they say?”

Lucas shrugged. “They were shocked, naturally. I told them we’d kept it low-key because of the media.”

“Weren’t they angry they weren’t here for the wedding?”

“Disappointed. They were glad Brody and Jamie were there.”

Kate tucked her damp hair behind her ears. “Oh, good. Well, I guess we’ll have to make it up to them when they return.”

Lucas left, and Kate retrieved her cell phone. She dialed Bryan’s number, her heart drumming a syncopated beat.

The phone rang twice before a woman answered. “Hello?”

Kate’s words clogged her throat. She was there? In his apartment? In the apartment that was supposed to be theirs?

“Hello?” the woman repeated.

Kate took the phone from her ear and started to hang up.

But she had to talk to Bryan, had to make sure he’d spoken with his family. She put the phone back to her ear and heard shuffling sounds, then Bryan’s voice.

“Hello?” His voice was morning scratched.

Kate clamped her teeth together. Were they in bed together? What had happened to their agreement to save themselves for marriage? Apparently it had only been Kate’s conviction.

“Kate?”

“Yes, it’s Kate. I can’t believe she’s there with you. For heaven’s sake, Bryan, we were supposed to get married yesterday.”

She heard a rustling noise—sheets? “Excuse me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you just spend the night with your new husband?”

His comment made her skin tingle, made the flesh under her arms go hot. “After you deserted me on our wedding day!”

“What do you even know about him, Kate?”

“What do you care?” She stood and paced the length of the room. What was she doing? She had to settle down. It would accomplish nothing to have Bryan angry at her. “I didn’t call to argue. I called to make sure you’d talked to your family. Did you make them understand how important it is that they keep their mouths shut?” She could’ve worded it more nicely, but he wasn’t exactly on her favorite-people list right now.