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although he swore she was beautiful enough to be one. She worked with an author and was assisting her on the set while the movie of her book was being filmed. After several minutes of small talk, Kimberly agreed to meet Daniel for a cup of coffee the following evening. They met at a small café and spent hours getting to know one another. The physical attraction was strong, and Kimberly was drawn to Daniel’s rugged strength. Daniel was captivated by Kimberly’s intellect and the fact that she didn’t have any Hollywood aspirations. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d met a girl who didn’t want to be an actress. Kimberly was refreshing and just what Daniel had been looking for. Their first few months together were pure bliss.
    Daniel rose from the bed, remembering he had to call Kimberly. Picking up his cell phone, he began pressing the keys. He would be returning to California in the morning and had promised Kimberly to call and check in. He laughed to himself as he thought about that. Call and check in. He sounded married already. Though it seemed funny, it also left him with an uncomfortable feeling. Maybe he was just tired, he thought. It had been a long day. The time change alone had made Daniel a little off all week. Add to that the physical demands of his job and wedding jitters, and anyone would feel uncomfortable. But even though he wasn’t ready to say it out loud ... Daniel thought it was more than that.
    Kimberly and Daniel had taken it slow at first. They dated exclusively but hadn’t talked about their future together. Kimberly loved Daniel’s manly strength and loved that he could protect her no matter what. But after several months together, she was shocked to discover that he had every intention of continuing with his career as a stuntman. He could remember their previous conversation as if it were yesterday.
    “You mean it’s not just a guy thing? Like a phase?” Kimberly asked one morning as they talked on the phone.
    Daniel tried to hide his laughter. “No honey, it’s not just a guy thing or a phase.” He shook his head, smiling at the innocence of his adorable girlfriend. “I’ve trained for years to get where I am. And I’m finally starting to see the fruits of my labor.”
    It wasn’t until years later that Daniel realized Kimberly’s words were anything but innocent. After dating for two years, Daniel proposed to Kimberly with every intention of doing everything in his power to make her the happiest woman on earth and make their wedding day the most memorable day of her life. He agreed to an all glass chapel overlooking the ocean in Palos Verdes for the wedding ceremony. He agreed to the obscenely expensive floral arrangements. He agreed to gray designer tuxes rather than black. He agreed to put a bid on the house she had her heart set on so they could move in by their wedding day. He even agreed to her demands that his best man, Paul Tucker, not throw him a bachelor party. But one thing he would not do, one thing he couldn’t agree to, was to change careers. His eyes drifted from the deep blue waters of the ocean view outside his hotel window to his bed as he focused on Kimberly’s voice on the other end of the phone.

Chapter 5
    “H i sweetie, I’ve been waiting the last hour for your call.” Daniel could sense the impatience in her voice.
    “I’m sorry, Kimberly, I got held up. Fred wanted to talk to me about work.”
    “I hope it’s not about another job. You know how close it’s getting to the wedding. We still have lots to do, and I need you here to help me plan this. You wouldn’t want me to suffer through all that stress alone, would you?”
    “Of course not, honey.” Daniel felt a twinge of guilt. It seemed the closer they got to the wedding, the more incapable his fiancé made him feel, and he began to wonder if that was what married men called being henpecked by their wives.
    Kimberly’s voice lightened. “So how did your shoot go?”
    A smile formed