“It figures. He must have finally partied away all that money he’s made over the years. Now he wants to dip into ours, but I’m sure he doesn’t intend to work for it.”

Darci’s heartbeat accelerated as she prepared to say the words she knew would cause an explosion. “Cole and I have decided to get married.”

Total silence greeted her words.

“We’ll be at the board meeting together, and I plan to appoint Cole as vice president.” Still no words crossed the telephone wires. “I just thought you would like to know.” Darci desperately wanted a response, any response. Deep down, she longed to hear the words of a mother wanting her daughter’s happiness. But Anita Blackmore had never considered that in the past.

The unspoken truth hovered between them, the fact that this wasn’t a union of love, but a business arrangement.

“When?”

The single word held a wealth of meaning. And Darci heard each argument, every criticism, through the silence.

“Five o’clock this afternoon, at the courthouse.”

A click sounded in her ear and Darci stared at the phone, knowing she shouldn’t let her mother hurt her, knowing Anita couldn’t change even if she would ever admit she was wrong.

Determined to escape the past, along with her own doubts, Darci grabbed her purse. The business, her mother and the rest of the world would simply have to get along without her for a while. It was her wedding day, and even though she didn’t feel the glow of nervous anticipation most brides experienced, she was determined to expend a little effort to make it special.

A quick trip to the health clinic made what she was about to do suddenly very real. And it made her wish she had the option of calling everything off.

She wandered the sidewalk for long minutes after the blood test, trying to work up the courage to buy herself a wedding dress. Finally, she forced herself to turn into a large department store where she could hope for anonymity. On display was a simple cream-colored silk dress with flowing lines that reminded her of angels and forgotten dreams.

Darci bought it on impulse after seeing the way it hugged her body. She might not be expecting a true wedding night, but she could at least tempt him a little bit. Maybe just enough to get him to kiss her like he really meant it.

Finishing her outfit off with matching shoes and gold jewelry took only a few minutes. Darci stopped long enough to hover over the wedding rings in the display case, then forced herself to turn away. That was a symbol of love and commitment she wasn’t certain she was ready for.