Volume 3: Party Out of BoundsGarth LIVELY HAD NEVER hunted. Never gone after what he wanted. It was hard to do that while trying to raise two teenagers, keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Treading water had become his default setting and in the ten years since his life was upended he hadn't realized he was stuck. He'd become a slave to necessity and he had the scars to show for it.This was a new chapter for him. A crossroads in his life he honestly hadn't thought he'd live to see. The path he'd been on was at a yet another roadblock. It had ended without warning or even the courtesy of a sign.At eighteen he'd encountered his first roadblock in life when his parent's died. He'd become the guardian of his younger brother and their cousin. At the time he'd barely been out of high school, still trying to decide what came next. His post-gradation plans hadn't even begun to take form when he'd made the choice to give them up. If for no other reason than he couldn

Garth STEPPED ASIDE FOR Noemi to lead the way to her car. There were waves of pent-up energy coming off her. It soured his fantasy of seeing her again.Why the change? Why was she different here?He wanted to get to the bottom of this. It wasn't like he'd gone looking for something with her. Things had just happened. Organically.So why the change?It took Noemi a moment to pick her way down the path and across the gravel to her silver Land Rover. The back opened as if by magic and he slotted the box in between others."Thanks," she said, the word frosty.Garth dusted off his hands and studied her. She was gorgeous as always today in a pink dress that looked painted on. Her thick, luxurious hair was curled and hanging down her back. He wasn't sure what she did to make her tan skin glow that way. She was bright, like a star. And she was standing in front of him clearly annoyed at his presence."Have you been flaking on Scarlett because of me?" he asked.Noemi flinched, t

Garth SAT ON THE floor of the green room and handed Scarlett another cracker. He didn't want to say anything, but he was fairly sure this was the box he'd bought a few days ago when Scarlett had begged him to pick up a few things. It was now mostly empty.Was she living on crackers and water? Should he bring this up with Cole?"You can go do something else." Scarlett accepted yet another cracker."I'm fine where I'm at."Truth was he'd come into the office to drop off a few papers and had found Scarlett in the bathroom. With how difficult this pregnancy was shaping up to be he didn't intend to just leave her on her own. Besides, it was nice to sit with her.She ate two more crackers, studying his profile as she munched. When that was done he offered her some water."You know you don't have to keep trying to make-up with me." Scarlett reached over and took his hand. "We're good. I forgave you a long time ago."He squeezed her hand and glanced at her. "I can't just sit here

Garth RUBBED THE TOWEL over his hair, glad they had another successful weekend wrapped up.Three days.Four events.Even with the divided labor it had still been a hard stretch, but he enjoyed the work. More so now that he could slow down and soak up the atmosphere.Of all the directions he'd seen his life going at eighteen, operating a rustic wedding venue out of the historic barn was the last place he'd expect. The day that first bride had stopped in their driveway and all but begged him to allow her to use the old barn for her wedding had changed their lives for the better.Voices from below made him pause.He missed the days when they all lived under one roof.Scarlett had been the first to move out, then back. They'd settled on her having a house of her own all of twenty yards from the foundation of the original Lively house. Benji technically still lived here, but spent most nights in town at his girlfriend's place.It made for quiet, lonely nights.Truth was Ga

MONDAYS WERE SUPPOSED TO be Noemi's day off, but with Scarlett's wedding coming up Noemi didn't have a hope or prayer of a minute of downtime. It was her own fault. If she hadn't been in avoidance mode over Garth she'd be more on top of things instead of scrambling around.Thank goodness Scarlett was a relaxed bride.Just thinking about her friend made Noemi's heart go all warm and mushy.It was a feeling Noemi didn't get often these days.When she'd begun planning weddings she thought she'd scored her dream job. She got to live in this love-infused bubble where people connected with their soul mates and lived happily ever after.The reality of her job hadn't come until later. Sure, her mother and what few friends she had liked to peg her break-up with Ángel as the turning point for her cynicism. Truth was it had come six months before Ángel left her.Noemi and a bride had walked in on the groom screwing the caterer, a friend of his family. While the moment had been tense,