As the maid of honor and cousin of the bride, Valerie Zuniga was obligated to be at all these family events. Alex had had plenty of time to mentally prepare, and he thought he was. Sure, it had been more than a year since he last seen or spoken to her. It still shouldn’t be that big a deal. He’d see her, they’d catch up, and that would be the end of it.

He strolled around his parents’ backyard. The knot in his stomach gripping his gut and wrenching tighter from the moment he woke. He tried to concentrate on the final touches, there before him, the backyard transformed by tables and chairs set out under the massive canopy that blocked the hot California sun from almost every spot in the yard. He knew how much this little party was costing his parents. Professionally decorated tables with expensive, elaborate flower centerpieces sprawled out through out the yard. His parents didn’t mess around when they threw a party. To them, this was huge.

His younger brother, Angel, would be the first of the siblings to get married. The Morenos were going all out and sparing no expense. This was only the wedding shower. The wedding was still months away.

Alex glanced around. Everything was pretty much set. Angel’s two best friends, Romero and Eric, were setting up the bar. Alex figured since they were Angel’s best men in the wedding, he’d let them handle one big thing at this party. What could be more fitting than the bar for those two?

Angel stuck his head out the back door. “You guys ready? We have people arriving.”

Eric gave him the thumbs up while Romero continued to obsess over the way the kegs were placed.

Alex walked over to them. “That’s enough, Ramon. What are you doing?”

Romero always used only his last name. Alex only called him by his first, Ramon, when he wanted to annoy him.

“You don’t know about this.” Romero didn’t even look up as he kept shifting the keg in the barrel of ice until he got it just right.

“I run a restaurant with a bar. You’re a bouncer.”

Romero stood up. “I own a security firm.”

Alex loved ribbing Romero. He was the only one of them that skipped college. Instead, he worked as a bouncer at several bars, and was doing private investigating for a few agencies, all while saving up to start up his own security firm. He’d actually done well for himself. At twenty-two, he already owned his own business. Even Alex admitted he was impressed, but he’d never tell Romero. It was too much fun clowning him.

“You have two employees.” Alex tried not to smirk.

“There’s four now, ass. And I’m looking to hire more in case you’re interested. I’m gettin’ real busy.”

“Really?” Eric asked. “I didn’t know business was that good.”

“Yeah, and I’m branching out now. I just got my PI license. You’re looking at Private I, Romero.”

“No shit?” Eric smiled, impressed. “So, you get to spy on people and stuff?”

Alex rolled his eyes. Leave it to Eric to ruin his fun. Romero started telling Eric about all the gadgets he’d recently bought to track people, and Alex lost interest. He turned to see people entering the backyard from the kitchen door. Alex frowned. They were supposed to come through the side gate. He glanced at the side gate. That’s when he saw her.

He felt the air sucked out of him. His heart did a wild gallop and he swallowed hard, trying to remain composed. It amazed him how different she looked from a year ago. She was still the same Valerie he’d known since high school. Delicately petite and blonde, yet there was something different. As small as she is, her entrance was enormous.

Alex thought of how busy she’d been a year ago, working on getting her real estate license. She spent most of her time studying for the state exam in tattered jeans or shorts and wearing t-shirts. His t-shirts. He remembered her honey-blonde hair, constantly in a ponytail.

Now she stood there in a sexy little ivory skirt suit, the only color to her outfit a soft pink-laced camisole under the jacket. Her golden locks were in glamorous up do, with strands falling perfectly around her face. The wisps of hair accentuating her high cheekbones. Then she smiled with those full lips he’d never been able to get quite enough of. Beautiful.

She wore her signature high heels. He watched in awe as she walked across the yard to greet Angel and his fiancée, Sarah. It always amazed Alex, that not only could she walk in those big heels, but that she did it with such elegance.

Valerie’s posture was as perfect as ever. She’d always exuded confidence. That was just one the qualities that first attracted him to her so many years ago.

He was aware that he hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she walked through the gate. Fully aware, and he didn’t care. His eyes roamed her body freely, from top to bottom and back up again. He’d expected it would be pleasant to see her again. Pleasant didn’t even begin to describe what he was feeling now.

“Damn, is that Valerie?” Romero asked.

Alex stiffened. Even after all this time, he didn’t like anyone else looking at her that way, especially Romero’s dumb ass.

“She brought a friend, Romero.” Eric pointed out. “Maybe she’ll put in a good word for you. You’ll damn sure need it.”

To his relief, the only person Valerie walked with was her roommate Isabel. After all this time, he’d actually lost sleep the last couple of nights over the possibility of her showing up with another guy. He wasn’t even sure why. It had been so long it only made sense that she would be seeing someone now. It really shouldn’t bother him. He was long over her.