“Who cares? We’d laugh all the way to the bank.”

“There’s not enough money in the world.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Well, then, I guess we’re through,” Garret announced as if this was his ace in the hole, which would surely win her over.

It didn’t.

“If this show means more to you than me, then I guess so,” she conceded, giving him one last chance to turn this thing around, but only got a stubborn lift of his chin.

“I guess you just answered my question.” With shaking fingers Addison tugged the engagement ring off. Oh, how she wished she were a bit tougher, like her mother, because she was having trouble holding her emotions in check. “Then here.” Sunlight glinted off of the diamond solitaire when she thrust it toward him.

Garret swallowed hard and his eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe that he’d called her bluff and it blew up in his face. He glanced at the ring and then back at her. “Addison, let’s talk about this. We can’t call off the wedding! Everything has been ordered. Invitations sent out.” He looked at her in a bit of a panic. “We . . . we had that couples shower. What the hell will people think?”

“That’s a really poor reason for getting married. You have to care.” She tried to sound angry, but her voice shook.

“I . . . I care!” His raised voice negated the sentiment.

“Do you love me?” Addison asked quietly.

“Of course I do!” Garret protested loudly but the word love never touched his lips.

“Then say it . . . and not in your offhand, cutesy way like you always do, but like you mean it. Like I mean the world to you like I thought I did.” She patted her chest. “Like I’m more important to you than some silly show.”

“If you loved me, you’d do the show,” Garret tossed back at her.

Addison looked at him and had a sudden moment of clarity. “You have a point.”

“See . . .” Garret said, but his sudden smile faltered when she remained silent. “Wait. What are you saying? That . . . that you don’t love me?”

Addison gave him a sad shake of her head. “You’re right, Garret. If I loved you the way I should, I might consider doing this with you. On the other hand, if you loved me the way you should, you would never ask me to do something I would hate doing. It’s pretty simple. We’re not meant for each other after all.”

“No, wait, Addison. Seriously. I’ve handled this all wrong!” Garret shoved his fingers through his no longer carefully styled hair once more. He’d be appalled if he knew it was standing on end. But she finally saw real sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I was being an ass because I wasn’t getting my way.”

“Yeah, you were.” Addison nodded her agreement. “And you’re not usually like that. Or maybe I haven’t seen it because I always agree with whatever you want to do. But, Garret, this just shows that we want way different things out of life.” She reached out and put a hand on his forearm. “We had such fun together. You made me laugh and enjoy so many things I would never have tried.” She smiled softly . . . sadly.

“We can still do that,” Garret said in a pleading tone. “You know, just with cameras,” he added with a little wince.

Addison looked down at her ruby red toenails peeking through the top of her black sandals. She swallowed hard and then looked back at Garret. “Be honest. Did you ask me to marry you just to be in the reality show?”

“No.” Garret reached out and ran a fingertip down her cheek. “I loved being with you, making you laugh, smile. You made me feel good about myself even when I didn’t always deserve it.” He shrugged and Addison saw raw emotion cloud his eyes.

“We’re both breathing down the neck of our thirties, Garret. Maybe it’s time to grow up.”

“Eh . . . growing up is overrated,” he answered with another cocky shrug. But Addison wasn’t really fooled. “Just look at my dad, still rockin’ long hair and leather. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and all that crap.” His nonchalant tone didn’t match the rather haunted look in his eyes. “My mother called it something . . .”

“The Peter Pan syndrome?”

“Yeah . . . that.”

Addison hitched her purse strap higher on her shoulder. “You know, Garret, maybe your father wishes he’d been around more when you were growing up. Maybe he’d still be married to your mom. Being a rock star might not be all that it’s cracked up to be either.”

“Yeah, right. Said no one ever.” Garret chuckled but it sounded a bit forced. “Trust me, my dad loves his life,” he added with a touch of bitterness. But then he sighed. “Damn. So, you’re really breaking up with me? Calling the wedding off? For real?”

“For real.”

He remained silent for a moment. “So, what do you want out of life?” Garret finally asked in a rare serious moment. And she had to wonder if he was asking himself the same question.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Addison sighed. “Undying, everlasting, all-consuming, crazy love. Is that asking too much?” Her small laugh ended with a slight hitch.

“Does that really exist?”

“I’m not sure.” She toyed with the heart charm on her key chain. “But I want to find out. Don’t you?”

Garret shrugged but for once seemed at a loss for words. Addison supposed that he was as stunned as she was at the sudden, very sad turn of events.

“Good-bye, Garret.” But when she turned to open her car door he put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey . . .”

Addison turned around.

“I’m going to really miss you. This is my loss. You deserve better,” he said, and Addison could tell that he meant it.

“We both do. I hope someday you’ll figure that out too.”

Garret looked down at the ground and then back at her. “Then promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“That you won’t settle for anything less than undying, everlasting, all-consuming, crazy love. Go for it. All or nothing at all. Don’t let my sorry ass turn you into a cynic.”

Addison chuckled softly. “You know, Garret, there’s more to you than you let on or than you even realize. I’ve seen it. Like right now.” She stepped forward and tapped on his chest. “Just have the courage to dig deep and find it.”

With a sigh Garret leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Like I said, you give me much more credit than I deserve, but that’s the way you are,” he said. “Now promise me.”

Addison blinked at him for a minute. “I promise.” She had to push the words past the emotion clogging her throat.

“Good,” Garret said gruffly, and stood there for a long moment, as if knowing this might be the last time they spoke.

Addison reached up and cupped his chin. “This was easier when I was super-pissed and wanted to toss water in your face.”

“Right . . .” He gave her a slight grin. “You’d never do that.”

“No . . . probably not.” She dropped her hand. “But it crossed my mind.”

“You’re making this damned difficult,” Garret admitted with an unexpected tremor in his voice. But he inhaled a deep breath and seemed to regain his composure. “The thought of not having you in my life anymore just, well . . . sucks.” He jammed his thumb over his shoulder. “Can’t we just head back in there and start over?”

“No . . .” Addison shook her head. “This is hard but I really think it’s for the best, for both our sakes. Good-bye, Garret.”

“Ahh, Addison . . . dammit.” He opened his clenched fist and looked down at the ring before gazing back up at her.

Addison reached over and gently folded his fingers upward and then over the ring. She knew that he really did care about her, probably more than he actually realized until now. But it wasn’t enough, and they both knew it. Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Addison watched him depart and felt warm tears sliding down her face. She felt an empty ache settle in her heart and wondered why love had once again eluded her. “Godspeed, Garret,” she whispered, and then slid behind the wheel. “And so the journey begins. . . .”

Again.

2

The Long and Winding Road

WHILE DRIVING AROUND AIMLESSLY, ADDISON TRIED TO make sense of what had just happened. “Too bad life doesn’t have a GPS, because I sure as hell don’t know where I’m going after this mess,” she mused. Two broken engagements in less than five years was, well, too many. And both times she’d been convinced she was in love—Addison was serious when she told Garret she wanted the real deal. “Right. Like that’s going to happen,” she grumbled. Clearly, she couldn’t trust her own judgment. The reality of calling off another wedding settled into the pit of her stomach, disturbing the Cobb salad she’d consumed.

Addison finally pulled into the parking lot of her father’s art and music gallery. Beauty and the Beat showcased affordable artwork and music from lesser-known but extremely talented artists and musicians from all around the country. Her father had one entire room dedicated to Native American art and music, in honor of her mother’s heritage. Paul Monroe loved discovering new talent, and Addison had developed a deep appreciation for the arts from him. But while she truly enjoyed working there, Addison secretly longed to find her own passion. She just didn’t quite know what it was, and maybe that’s why she kept falling for the wrong guys. Maybe she needed to discover herself first.

But who was she?

Addison frowned and considered her own question. While she had gotten the creative gene from her father, Addison also had a nose for numbers and a degree in business to show for it. Would it be possible to find some sort of career where she could combine the two?