An old shingle-style home with its wraparound porches and 9-foot windows was stunning, making the perfect spot for the wedding. The house was painted in a creamy white, reflecting Southern charm. The ceremony was simple and sweet. They were married on the back lawn. Marcella and Justin were standing under the white arbor with beautiful peonies swirling up the ancient wood. The backdrop of lush, green trees and the little rustic garden shed on the grounds of the Kendall House in Roswell was magnificent.

It was just the two of them in the wedding party. The balmy breeze rustled Marcella's hair. There were no pins or clips, only long, cascading curls that sculpted her oval face. Her makeup was just right; soft shades of blue and gray made her alluring. There was a touch of red gloss on her lips, soon to be kissed away by the man who had stolen her heart and made her want to love again. The dress was peach, off the shoulders with a large, white satin bow around the waist. It clung to her body, dropping slightly below the knee. She looked as if she'd walked off the pages of a fancy bridal magazine.

Justin was wearing a gray suit with a bone-colored shirt and a peach tie. His thick brown hair was combed back, giving him a very sophisticated look. He stepped forward when the pastor pronounced them husband and wife, leaned down and gave Marcella a kiss that sent a fiery jolt. When they parted, Marcella gazed up at him and beamed. A photographer snapped photos stealthily.

"We did it," he whispered.

"I know. I'm so happy."

They walked down the path into the house that had been beautifully decorated. In the middle of the reception area was a table for two. Waiters delivered their meals on silver platters. Prime rib, rosemary-spiced potatoes and a large garden salad were the fare of the day. Music played softly in the background. Justin held out the chair for Marcella before seating himself. They held up two glasses of sparkling cider and clinked them together. "Here's to a great life, Marcella."

She nodded and smiled. After they returned their glasses to the table, she took Justin's hand and kissed it. "Do you think they will understand? The thought of having another big wedding ... "

"They will be happy for us ... at least in time. Let us put it to rest. We'll handle things when we get back from Cabo."

***

Alana was hooked after two weeks of listening to Sloan's show. Misty nearly had a meltdown when Alana finally told her that she'd tuned in. She felt victorious that she had tossed out a lifeline to help Alana get over Jet. They sat in Alana's office, discussing the masterful Sloan Jensen.

"So the woman was saying how proud she was that she'd been able to raise her ten- and twelve-year-old children as a single parent. I couldn't believe what she said next."

"What did she say?" Misty said, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"She said there is no such thing as a single parent. A parent implies that there are two parties involved, and that for the last twelve years she had cheated her children out of income they should have gotten from their and I quote, 'trifling, low-down, insensitive and crazy father.' I laughed my ass off."

"That sounds like Sloan," Misty grinned. "What did the woman do?"

"She was stunned into silence. Then that woman kept going. She was on an absolute tirade and declared that women should stop letting men get off the hook, wearing their single status as a badge of honor. She said single mothers have to work twice as hard while their former lovers are off creating families with other women, supporting the new family and not looking back at them."

"Goodness!"

"When the woman finally spoke up, the only thing she could think of to say was 'Thank you.' Sloan said, and I quote again, 'Baby, it's time to take your kids to Disneyland. Haul that scoundrel in for back child support.' I nearly fell out of my chair. She's fierce."

"I told you."

"She must have had 100 calls from all over the country. I'm impressed."

"So, Alana, when are you going to call in?"

***

It started off with him kissing the ring. There was something sexy about it. Maybe it was the way his hazel eyes drowned her in loving emotions or knowing that no other man would ever place his lips on that ring. Her whole body was stirred. This was between Sloan and her Jet. There was something about this kiss that made her feel that things would be permanent this time. No more delays. She'd gotten over Dillon. They would set a date. That would be it. The two of them were standing in the same jewelry store. Jet had placed another 16-carat ring on her finger, and the price tag was just as outlandish. The diamond was smoky chocolate. This one wasn't set in platinum. It was gold overlaid with gold etchings that looked like lace. "Beautiful" wouldn't be enough to describe it. His lips were upon the ring, then his eyes met hers and he felt heat.

She gazed upon him as if she were beholding him for the very last time, feeling if she blinked he would disappear. There was no applause this time, but people were watching and smiling. It was as if they were waiting for him to land a kiss on parted lips. When he placed the kiss on her forehead, people "aw"ed. She turned her head slightly and whispered something in his ear. His brow arched and he had a very seductive look on his face. This was a very tempting offer and one that he knew he shouldn't even be considering. But he couldn't resist. The cashier handed him the receipt and the warranty papers he'd bought for the ring. They left the store.

***

Nora Trent couldn't believe her eyes as she watched her Robert on his knees in the middle of a karaoke bar serenading her. The man couldn't sing. The notes couldn't even be repaired with an Auto-Tune. But there he knelt, singing her a song unabashed, and there were stars in her eyes. He'd never sound anything like Alan Jackson, but Robert's song was like a platinum album mounted to the wall of her heart.

Remember when I was young and so were you

And time stood still and love was all we knew

You were the first, so was I

We made love and then you cried

Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk

Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard

We lived and learned, the life threw curves

There was joy, there was hurt

Remember when

Remember when old ones died and new were born

And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged

We came together we fell apart

And broke each other's hearts

Remember when

There were tears in his eyes when he sang that verse. He was standing in front of a woman whose heart he'd torn out. The tears weren't coming from sadness but from gratefulness that he'd gotten his woman back. He drew her close and wrapped his arms around her. "Love you, baby." She smiled and stroked his cheek.

Remember when the sound of little feet

Was the music we danced to week to week

Brought back the love, we found trust

Vowed we'd never give it up

Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old

Now looking back it's just a stepping stone

To where we are where we've been

Said we'd do it all over again

Remember when

Remember when we said when we turned gray

When the children grow up and move away

We won't be sad we'll be glad

For all the life we've had

And we'll remember when

Remember when

Remember when

"Darling, that was so beautiful."

He kissed his wife like he was a young man. "You're everything to me, Nora." He swept her up in a hug, and everybody was clapping.

"Well, Alpharetta," the DJ said, "that was our very own Nora and Robert Trent. Let's give them another round of applause. And, Robert, my wife says thank you for giving her Sundays off."

He tipped his head.

"Now we're going to open up the floor, and I don't want to see anybody seated or standing against the wall." He pumped up the volume to Luke Bryan. "Country girl—shake it for me." If Jet and Justin could see the moves their parents were making on the dance floor, they'd have to be given some deep form of resuscitation.

***

"I'm so sorry," Sloan whispered, her eyes so desperate for him. She was telling only part of the truth. Her heart was sorry, but her body was not. She wanted him. Yet every bit of the common sense that remained in her tried to tell her that she should not have allowed those words to spill out of her mouth at the jewelry store. She'd cast a net and drawn him in. He hadn't said a word, just did what she said. Matter of fact he said nothing during the whole drive, he just gazed at her with a longing so intense that when the doors closed behind them, she wished for his sake she could have pushed reverse and retrieved those words preserving his vow.

They were on the tenth floor of Embassy Suites in the Atlanta Galleria. Her back was against the room door. He was pressed up against her with his mouth on her neck. "Don't be sorry, Sloan."

They'd been pretty tame in the creek, at Nora's house, in the woods and everywhere else their bodies had caught on fire. But the way he'd kissed that ring was so possessive, it made Sloan want him. She wanted to be possessed by all of him, upon all of her. From the moment she'd whispered into his ear, desire filled him like hot tea overflowing a cup, and months of abstinence warred with his raging need for her. I need to be taken, Jet. I'm not whole. Fill me so that I can be. That was all she had said. It had sent him into flames. His imagination painted a masterwork of their sensual bliss. All his senses were heightened. She'd tipped his cup.

"I want to take you," he said, nipping on her lower lip, until his mouth lowered over hers and kissed her so deeply that her body began to break out with fever. He lingered there, allowing her to feel all of his love. His tongue lashed like waves against the seashore, ever eroding his own resolve. He couldn't stop kissing her. It got deeper and deeper. Her response encouraged him. Jet sank to her neck, trailing his passion, drawing her soft flesh into his mouth. He could hear her fracturing, letting him know that he'd found the secret place that now caused her knees to bend. He grazed over her neck, finding more zones that responded to his adeptness.

"Forgive me for tempting you."

Jet was so into pleasing her that he could barely make himself speak. Right now his only focus was Sloan, how she felt, what she wanted. His baritone voice sank inside her ear, making her crave him. "You want my love. I want to give it."

She did want his love. She was dying for it. "But ... "

Sloan was silenced by another flaming kiss that made her want to throw her clothes off. She didn't have the chance—he had beaten her to it. Before she could think, her shirt was over her head and discarded to the floor. His hand molded over her shoulders and made their way down to her black bra. He didn't take it off—yet—he nipped through it, leaving her body rippling with heat. He kissed his way down her stomach. She breathed deeply, feeling heavy sensations swirling around her core. He tugged the button too hard. It popped off and rolled to the floor; the pants fell next. He stepped back, gazing upon her. Sloan could have modeled for Victoria's Secret. His eyes were heavy with want, approving what he saw. Jet's hands touched her as if she were being sculpted. He took her hand and led it to where he wanted it to go. The shirt first, button by button, until everything was removed except his gray briefs.

She was carried to the bed. He handled her as if she were a rose petal. The weight of him as he pressed against her breast and lower region scattered all remaining thoughts from her head. His kisses started again, this time with no mercy. She never knew that a mouth could evoke so much havoc everywhere it tasted. She was lost in Jet Trent. Her moans made him explore more. He was working her slowly and deliberately. Sloan was so delirious that she never felt the bra being removed. She felt the aftermath, the sensations that slammed against her brain as he engaged them, lifting her into a dense euphoria. Everything inside her lit like the Fourth of July. Sheer pleasure.

"You are so beautiful, Sloan. You are loved more than anything." His words were like a melody making her heart dance.

"I love you too, Jet."

Sloan's eyes closed when he parted her. The cloth of her undergarments pressed against his. It was heavenly. The heat of her core was intensifying. His rocking was bending her mind. He would break her in the best way. He kept fanning her flames. Jet reached out to remove the last piece of clothing on her magnificent body and then suddenly stopped. Sloan's eyes popped open. She looked up into his dark hazel eyes and saw want and grief. Compassion welled in her; Jet was serious about not breaking his vow.

"It means that much to you to stop, Jet?" she whispered, stroking his face. I'm about to explode!

"I want you so badly right now."

Not nearly as much as I need you—oh, Jet. We can't possibly stop.

"My body is raging."

You have no idea.

"Yet my heart says that I want to be committed to you—for life. I want those marriage vows in my head and in my heart when I send your body into a place that it has never been. You will never recover from the love that I'll lavish upon you when I hear you say, 'I do.'"

"I am a fortunate woman." She leaned up and kissed him. "I love you even more for saying that."

Sloan heard her phone ring but didn't answer. This was a very special moment between them. But the caller called again and finally a third time. Sloan slipped off the bed and went to answer her phone that was in her purse in the other room. When she came back in the room, Jet knew something was wrong. She looked alarmed.

"What's the matter, baby?"

"We've got to go. Your cell must be dead. Nora has been trying to call you. Justin and his girlfriend were in a car accident. Apparently they were out of town and were coming back from the airport."

"What!" Jet was horrified. His face was white from the shock. He flung himself off the bed and scrambled into his clothes.

***

The drive to the hospital felt like eternity. Jet weaved in and out of traffic, forcing the car into speeds that were well beyond the limit. When he exited the freeway, he seemed to have forgotten the meaning of traffic lights. Sloan tried to comfort him, but there was nothing that she could say. They were twins; that kind of bond could never be matched by any sibling relationships. He must have been in torture. Jet and Justin were closer than leaves clinging to their limbs. His face was still very pale. She stretched her hand to his. "It's going to be all right, Jet."

He gave her a weary smile. "He's my brother—my only brother."

"He's in good hands."

They made several turns down long streets, finally reaching Johnson Ferry's Road. Northside Hospital was one of the best in the region. Their family doctor was still in residence, and that gave Jet some comfort. He parked the car and they sprinted across the parking lot. The doors slid open to the emergency room, and Sloan got to the desk first. "We're looking for Justin Trent." The nurse pointed, "Down that hall and third room on the right, Number 118."

Their footsteps echoed as they ran down the hall. When they turned into the room, Sloan gasped and Jet felt sick all over. It was as if he was staring at himself lying there. Justin's tall, masculine body that mirrored his was stretched out on the bed. Parts of his face were swollen from cuts of glass, and a thick, white neck brace was supporting his head. There was a patch of gauze protruding from the area near his temple. Neither of them noticed Nora and Robert standing grimly by the bed. Jet and Sloan were focused only on Justin.

"I'll be okay, Jet," he said quickly, trying to avert his brother's worst fears.

Jet put his hands over his head. "My God, what happened?"

"We were driving back from the airport and almost home, when a woman pulled out of a side street and hit the car, and that spun us into another car. We were the only two sent to the hospital. The police gave her the ticket. The car is totaled, but thank God we're not."

Nora walked over to Jet and hugged him. She led him and Sloan to chairs across the room, giving them time to absorb things. "Dr. Johnson said he will be fine. They ran a CAT scan, no concussion. He said that he has a few soft tissue wounds that will heal with the stitches in place."

"They plan to release him in the morning," Robert said. "They want him to wear the neck brace for a few days, just to make sure he's stable."

Jet nodded his head. Sloan sighed relief and tried to lighten the mood. "I guess we will finally get a chance to meet your girlfriend now, Justin. How is she?"

Jet couldn't help but notice the expression on his parents' and Justin's faces. He knew they were being tight-lipped about something. He slowly glanced between them. His eyes narrowed. "What?"

Nora looked at Robert and grinned. Then she looked at Justin and shook her head, as if to say, "I'm not going to be the one to tell it."

"Did I say something out of turn?" Sloan looked about inquisitively. Something was surely up.

"What's going on?"

Justin gazed over at Jet. "She's in Room 125. She told me that it's okay to send you to her room, once you got here."

Jet's mouth dropped open as if he were about to say something. Nora raised her hand to get him to hold his words. "Just go down the hall."

There was so much uneasiness between Jet and Sloan at this point. They were really confused, yet braced themselves for another shock. As they were leaving, Justin called out, "When you get there, call me on FaceTime; that way we can all be together." Jet nodded his head. With great apprehension they walked to Room 125. But nothing could have prepared them for what they saw when they walked through the door.

Sloan and Jet were simply flabbergasted.

"RenMar?" Jet said teasingly.

Dillon looked over at them wearily. "I know."

They both had to sit down in a daze. Jet plopped down in the nearest seat, and Sloan stood against the wall.

"Renatta Marcella Jensen, how could you not tell us that you and Justin have been seeing each other for all this time?" Sloan sputtered.

Elise glared at Dillon. "Perhaps you have something to say about that, Dillon?"

"Now I regret being so hard on Jet and Justin when you left home, and especially how hard I was on you and Jet getting back together. If anyone is to blame for their secrecy, I take full responsibility for it."

Sloan looked down at Renatta. She didn't know where to be more shocked, seeing her sister in a neck brace and with a sling on her right arm or knowing that Justin and Renatta were a couple and not only a couple but a hot one. Her mind drifted back to all the amorous marks on Renatta, the dreamy eyes she had when she spoke of him and the sheer glow that was on her every time they met.

Jet was still speechless. He smiled at Renatta and shook his head. Then he slipped his phone from his pocket and FaceTimed Justin. "You really got us this time, brother. How on earth did you two manage this without creating an ounce of suspicion?"

"I'm sorry to say this, but the truth is we wanted to keep things from Dillon. I love Marcella, and we're very happy." Jet lifted the phone so that Justin could see her. "Hi, baby, are you okay?"

"Just sore, that's all. My arm is sprained, but the doctors said it will heal quickly."

Just then Dr. Johnson walked in the room. He was smiling as he greeted everyone. He pulled up his clipboard and began telling them that Renatta was progressing well. Her CAT scan had come back normal. "She's got quite a bit of whiplash," he said. "How is your level of pain between 1 and 10, with ten being the highest?"

"I'm about at an 8."

"Well, I really need to see how we're going to manage that with the baby and all."

The room got as silent as a tomb. Jet almost dropped the phone, and Dillon popped out of his seat. "What?"

Marcella started hyperventilating. "I'm pregnant?" She looked at Justin through the phone with the most radiant smile, and he was laughing hysterically.

"How could you not know you are pregnant?" Sloan said, still trying to figure out how to grasp her emotions. This was a happy, crazy moment, one that none of them ever would have expected. She could hear Nora and Robert in the background giving their congratulations.

"I've always been irregular and never thought much about it."

"Well, you're three months along, and I want to keep you here for observation for a few days. I'll get some medication to you that won't impact the baby too much."

"This is just joyous." Elise danced about the room. "I'm finally going to be a grandma. I always thought you and Jet would be first, though."

"Baby, I'm so excited and wish I could be there with you." Justin blew a kiss to his beloved.

"Wow, this is amazing," Jet said, squeezing Renatta's hand. "Well, I guess we have another wedding to plan."

There was a pause—a very crazy punctuation in time. There was much tension again, but this time a happy one. "Why did it get quiet again? You got anything else tucked away in secrecy, brother of mine?"

"We were coming back from our honeymoon in Cabo. We were married two weeks ago."

Renatta sat up in bed, getting more flushed by the second. This was not the way they had intended to break the news. Dillon began pacing the room. "I simply can't believe this. Well, I'll be damned."

Nora was plastering kisses on Justin, while Robert stood in the corner laughing.

"Oh, my God," screamed Sloan, "this is wild. I'm so happy for you, Renatta, and Justin, you too."

"I'm simply embarrassed that you beat me to the altar." Jet reached over and hugged Sloan. "Baby, we need to set the date."