The best day of Shaun's life had also been the worst. It had started with him standing at the altar next to the only woman he'd ever loved, the only woman he could envision a future with, the only woman he wanted to have his babies.
That was eight years ago, and he'd been a better man, a believer in love, a one-woman guy.
That day, which began with so much hope, had ended with him sitting behind the wheel of his car, driving his new bride to the best hotel in Serendipity—hell, in Wisconsin.
Carmen giggled next to him and kissed his cheek. Her wedding dress, which surrounded her like a blanket of clouds, sighed at her movement. "My husband," she said. "I love the sound of that."
Shaun grinned. He was going to be the best damn husband there ever was. She would never regret marrying him. "My wife." His voice dripped with pride. He hiked up the speed. He wanted to get there fast. He couldn't wait to pull the pins from her jet-black hair and watch it fall down her back like smooth silk. He couldn't wait to pull the lace and satin off her body and meet her skin to skin.
Knowing she was his and he was hers forever made him feel high. But the only thing coursing through his veins was love and champagne. He hardly drank, never liked the taste of alcohol much. But on his wedding day, he'd allowed himself a few glasses of bubbly and ended up downing two or three more before twirling his wife on the dance floor under a crystal chandelier.
For a person who hardly drank, the alcohol hadn't affected him much. So he’d insisted on driving Carmen to the hotel, ten minutes drive from the reception site. His mother and brothers had tried to talk him out of it, but he hadn't seen the harm. He’d felt sober enough.
The night was quiet, the streets almost deserted.
While he drove, Carmen rolled down the window and poked her head out. "I'm married to Shaun Brannon," she screamed into the night.
When she pulled her head back in, Shaun turned to take a quick glance at her.
Her face was bright with joy, her cheeks pink, her green eyes sparkling like polished jade.
It was clearly the happiest day of her life, just as it was his. They'd met in college and knew instantly they'd be among the couples who made it to death-do-us-part.
She smiled at him and he gave her a quick kiss.
When he turned back to the road, his heart jumped to his throat. A truck was heading straight for them.
Carmen's earlier laughter morphed into an endless scream as Shaun swerved into the opposite lane, the wrong lane. The truck missed them just in time for them to be hit by a speeding car. Their car overturned and rolled a few times. Silence descended as the car came to a halt. Silence just as deafening as Carmen's screams, the crunching of metal, and the screeching of tires had been a moment earlier.
Shaun saw his wife's blood on his hands, and felt a stabbing pain in his back. Then his world went black.