by Melody Anne
“That makes me love you even more,” she said. “Those might be merely words to some men, but they are gospel to you.”
He kissed her again, wondering how he’d ever gotten so lucky.
“A month here sounds like heaven,” Sherman said. “Maybe we’ll come and crash the party.”
Bobbie beamed at him as if she loved the idea. “There’s nothing that would please me more,” Katherine said. “I want all of my loved ones at our side when we renew our vows.”
“I can’t imagine how wonderful it is to have a love like yours,” Bobbie said. “It’s transcended generations. You inspire me.”
“My husband has always managed to find ways to make love happen when he’s around. I think you might discover exactly how wonderful it is,” Katherine said with a wink as she looked between Sherman and Bobbie.
“I believe our dinner is ready,” Katherine told Joseph. “As much as I love our family, I’m very much looking forward to a private dinner at our villa overlooking the ocean.”
“Then we’re off,” Joseph said as he took Katherine’s hand. “I’ll see you all in the morning. The wedding will be spectacular.” He led Katherine away.
He knew her trials weren’t over, but he also knew they’d get through them together. With his wife, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t get through.
Chapter Twenty-One
Erin had been in Fiji for three days and she was still having to pinch herself to accept the reality of her new life. She was enrolled in school, and she was thriving, loving her coursework, and loving her life.
She’d had a connection with Steve from the moment she’d met him, and though that had terrified her, it had also been one of the greatest blessings of her life. She reached down and rubbed her hand over her belly that only had the slightest bump on it. Awe still filled her when she thought that she was carrying their child within the safety of her womb.
They’d had a fun, crazy wedding in Las Vegas, but this day felt so much more real. This day they were surrounded by their crazy, adopted family, and it all felt magical and right. A person really could make their own family. She hadn’t thought that possible when she’d lost her grandparents, but now she knew they’d sent Steve to her. He’d come when she’d needed him the most.
She was sitting in her gorgeous honeymoon suite at Namale’s. Joseph had rented the entire compound, so only their people were there. She never minded strangers, enjoying meeting new people, but so many had shown up for their special event it was good he’d rented all nineteen units and the amenities that went with them.
They were in a private paradise of over five hundred acres, and everything had been set up for them. Namale’s was the perfect host for any special event. It was secluded with world class chefs and accommodations. In the three days they’d been there, she’d felt like royalty. She was glad she’d bought a flowing dress for this event as she’d been eating for more than just two at this point. The food was delicious.
When she wasn’t eating or exploring paradise, she was in the ten thousand square foot spa that overlooked the Koro Sea. Of course, their second night there, Steve had talked her into dancing all night along with the rest of their friends who truly had become family. Watching Smoke out on the dance floor was quite impressive.
Erin smiled when she thought about Katherine’s neurologist Joseph had insisted come on this trip with them. The woman was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Erin had gotten to know her the past few days, and from the looks Smoke was sending the woman, she saw a romance blooming, not that Amira seemed to be looking at Smoke the same way — at least not when he was looking at her. Erin had seen a few hooded glances from the top-notch doctor.
She pouted a little as she looked at her image in the mirror. How did some women get blessed with all of the genes? Amira Ito was thirty years old with the naturally deeply tanned skin of a twenty-one-year-old. Her light brown complexion and incredible aquamarine eyes were enough to knock any man to his knees. And on top of that, she stood five foot, ten inches tall with sleek, toned legs that begged men to drop to their knees and worship at them.
Not only did Amira have the looks, but she was also a neurologist in such high demand she was hunted by hospitals all around the world. She’d only agreed to come with Joseph because she was speaking at a conference later that week about several of her cases. She kept up on all international studies and traveled the world. The man who captured her had better know what he was getting into, or she’d easily slip away.
Even with her charm, beauty, sophistication, and intelligence, Erin saw a shadow in Amira’s eyes. They were becoming friends, so Erin was determined to find out what could possibly cause any distress in this woman’s life. She knew everyone had a story, and it wasn’t right to judge someone else for theirs.
“Are you ready?” a sweet voice asked from her doorway.
Erin turned to find Buck Melville standing there. He’d been her favorite customer at her diner and after years and years of him sitting with her between midnight and two in the morning, he’d become like a grandfather to her. With them both suffering great losses, they’d embraced one another.
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she said with a laugh. “We’re already married.” She let out a little giggle. He moved closer, tears in his eyes.
“You’re nervous because you said vows in a Vegas chapel, and while it mattered, this is before your friends and family and vowed to God,” he told her. He clasped her hand in his wrinkled one, a lot of strength still left in his fingers. “And I’ve never been so pleased in my life as when you asked me to do the honor of walking with you.”
“You were the only one I wanted to do it,” she said as she stood, a tear running down her cheek. She embraced Mr. Melville. He’d insisted she call him by his first name, but she’d been taught respect long ago by her grandparents, and she respected this man as much as she had them.
“It’s so beautiful here. I couldn’t have chosen a better place,” she said as she stepped up. He pulled out an old-fashioned hanky and handed it over.
“I agree with you there,” he said as he laughed. “The private jet to get here wasn’t too shabby either. I sure enjoy Joseph. He makes this old man laugh so much. I didn’t think that was possible after losing my Martha. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, she’s looking down and laughing with me. We promised each other we’d live our lives if the good Lord decided it was time for one of us to come home a little early. But we’ll be together soon. I have no doubt about that.”
“I don’t doubt it either. That’s why I left chairs open for my grandparents and your wife. I want all three of them with us,” Erin said.
This time it was Mr. Melville who had a tear fall down his cheek. He turned as he swiped it away. “Now, none of that, little missy. Today is a beautiful, happy day. We aren’t going to sit here shedding tears.”
“Okay, I can agree to that. I love having my wedding at sunset. There’s nothing about this day I don’t love,” she said.
“I agree.”
The two of them stepped from her bungalow, and then walked to the lit path leading to the gazebo overlooking the peaceful ocean. They moved up the path with the ocean breeze gently rustling her cascading hair, while jeweled clips attempted to tame it. The tropical sun shone down on their faces as it fell from the sky in slow motion. She felt the air and sun, but she only had eyes for the man at the end of the aisle, looking so devastatingly handsome in his white island shirt and tan khaki pants. His bare feet made her smile. She held her foot up, wiggled her toes at him, and he laughed.
They had been doing things to please each other from the first moment they’d met. Steve absolutely felt naked going anywhere without shoes, but she’d asked him to keep this beautiful and casual and he hadn’t hesitated. She knew there truly was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, just as there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him.
Their friends and family stood as she walked to her hus
band’s side, and then they sat on the decorated chairs beneath a canopy of tropical flowers and greenery that she’d take the time to focus on when she looked back at the pictures. As they stood, it was hard to see anything other than her husband while they recited their vows for a second time, confirming their love.
His kiss at the end stole her breath just as it did every time she was in his arms, and then he led her down the aisle to the cheer of their loved ones.
They spent the night dancing beneath the stars that shined so much brighter in this paradise of low light, no city smog, and a cloudless sky. The incredible place truly was a pristine natural landscape that made a perfect backdrop and added a whole lot of magic to an already magical event.
They ate great food, including Macadamia nut crusted walu, coconut rice, and grilled sesame prawns. She blamed the baby for the extra appetite, but she could’ve just as easily blamed her love hormones. She was so happy, so in love, and so hormonal, she was sure her metabolism was running at a thousand percent.
Their cake from the resort’s chefs and had three tiers with flowers and greenery from the island running over the sides like waterfalls. It was absolutely stunning and tasted even better than it looked.
The night was perfect in every way from the moment it began. But it became really interesting when it was time for the bouquet toss.
“Okay, all of the single ladies line up,” Erin called. Only a few stood in front of her. She laughed. “Let me rephrase that. All of the ladies who aren’t married, you must stand out front,” she insisted.
Several of the women reluctantly took their place at the end of the pier as she turned her back to them. She looked over her shoulder straight at Erin’s mother and sent her a wink. Bobbie’s eyes widened before she sent a glare over to her daughter who sent an air kiss her way. Then Bobbie gave a warning glance at Erin who laughed. Bobbie sank to the back of the group of women and folded her arms across her chest.
Erin faced forward and brought her arms way down, wanting to toss the bouquet straight into Bobbie’s arms as she’d promised Avery she’d try to do. They all wanted to attend Bobbie’s wedding to Mr. Sherman Armstrong. And the sooner the better. Avery had insisted that her mother had never been so happy, and she wanted to make sure she stayed that way for the rest of her life.
The bouquet went flying into the air, and Erin turned around as Steve moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her.
“Who will the lucky lady be?” he whispered in her ear, sending a shudder through her. It didn’t matter how much they touched, how much they made love, and how much time they had together, it was never enough.
“I’m aiming for Avery’s mother,” she said. The bouquet seemed to hover in the air. But it didn’t land where it was supposed to. It smacked right into the middle of Dr. Amira Ito’s chest. Her eyes opened in horror as the bouquet hit her. But instead of trying to grab hold of it, she took a couple of steps back as if she was trying to escape the stunning bouquet.
And then her foot hit air and she fell off the end of the pier. Gasps sounded from the party as everyone . . . well, nearly everyone, stood stock-still, trying to figure out what had just happened.
There was a flash of motion, so quick they nearly missed it, and Tyrell dove into the water after the good doctor, who’d surfaced from below and was sputtering water. Smoke wrapped his arms around her and held on tight while she pushed the water she’d sucked into her open lungs back out. He patted her back, then slowly swam around the dock and straight to the shore, where he cradled her in his arms.
“Hmm, maybe the bouquet went where it was meant to after all,” Avery said as she moved up next to Erin.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Erin said. There’d been a lot of flirting the past few days, but Tyrell’s absolute calm and need to save the doctor spoke of more than just lust.
“I saw what you were trying to do, little missy, and look at that, because of your shenanigans, the good doctor got doused,” Bobbie said. Avery and Erin both laughed.
“I think it worked out for the doctor,” Avery said. “It seems as if Tyrell’s about to give her some mouth to mouth at any minute.”
They all turned to watch Tyrell’s head lower. They were nearly kissing when a voice rang out from above.
“You go, boy,” Eyes called out.
Amira whipped her head around, her eyes widening in horror when she realized the entire wedding party was staring down at her and Smoke. Then she looked down and began scrambling away from Tyrell.
When she was up, Tyrell stood then glared daggers at Eyes, who laughed heartily. “Better luck next time,” he called. Tyrell moved in a flash and now it was Eyes’s turn to move. He took off running — and there was no chance of him getting away. No one moved as fast as Tyrell. That’s why his nickname was Smoke.
He was up on the dock in seconds, and then Eyes went in the water. This time there was no one to save him . . . or was there? A woman none of them had seen there before stepped out onto the docks. How she’d gained access no one knew. She bent over the dock and laughed as she looked down at the man who was grinning as he pulled himself from the water.
“Totally worth it,” he said, and then he stopped on the rungs of the ladder.
“Hello, Eyes, are you ready to finish our interview?” she asked, confidence and humor radiating off of her.
“I brought her here. When she said she’d been trying to get Jon to do a follow up interview with her for weeks now, I knew this was the perfect place to get her story,” Erin heard Joseph say to the group around him.
Hmm, maybe there’d be more than a few weddings in the near future. From the sparks flying all over the place, it was a definite possibility.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Eyes didn’t hear the murmurs scattering around the group of friends, and some he called family, when he stood on the rungs of the dock looking up at Courtney Tucker, a woman he hadn’t seen in a few years.
She’d been attractive back then, a woman he definitely would’ve bedded in a heartbeat, but now, now Eyes had to catch his breath at how radiant she was. She’d become a full-blown temptress of a woman in a few short years, passing the phase between young adult and adult, obviously now understanding who she was. Confidence, humor, knowledge, and hunger for a story rested in her eyes — maybe even hunger for more.
“Get out of the water, you old bastard,” Sleep yelled out, causing the crowd to laugh, which broke the spell Eyes was under. He swore he was going to make his friend take a long walk off a short pier for ruining the moment he’d been having with the incredibly mesmerizing reporter. Eyes normally hated reporters, but all he felt at that moment was pure lust.
He composed himself, smiled up at Courtney, and shook his head in disbelief at the craziness of the moment as he climbed the last few steps onto the pier.
“What are you doing here? How did you know I was here? Did you really want the interview that bad?” Eyes questioned rapidly.
“Let me see if this answers your questions before you ask more. I reached out to you multiple times, and even saw that you opened my emails — yes, I can see that — but you never replied. I sent another one two weeks ago, which wasn’t opened. In the interim I found Carl’s information and was able to not only get an email reply, but we also had a lovely phone call. He said he didn’t have a phone number for you, but he knew where you’d be this week. Carl then took my information and told me to hold tight.”
Eyes was going to kill Sleep. He didn’t mind the reporter being there, but his buddy could’ve given him some warning. Then again, Eyes wouldn’t have warned Sleep if the roles were reversed. Before he could say a word, Courtney kept talking.
“The next thing I know, I get a call from the one and only Joseph Anderson, telling me to pack a bag for Fiji because you’d be trapped here, and I’d finally get my interview. Do you know how many reporters dream of speaking to Joseph Anderson?” She gasped. “There was no way I was turn
ing down this trip. Not only do I have you cornered, but he’s agreed to a one-on-one as well. I might as well just place my Pulitzers on the wall now.” She was giddy with joy.
“Yes, of course, who could turn down a twofer” Eyes asked with a slight laugh. Her pleasure was quite contagious.
“Exactly!” she gasped. “I barely had time to pack before I was picked up and driven to the airport. He bought me first class. I’ve never ridden in first class, and let me tell you, I’ve literally flown all around the world, and it sucks in the back of a plane for fifteen straight hours. I’d do it over and over again for a great interview though. I landed about two hours ago and I arrived here just in time to see you get chased around and thrown into the ocean,” Courtney finished.
Laughter cut through the air and Eyes was damn glad Joseph had interfered. He was worried, but also quite pleased. He looked up and found their entire group staring at him and Courtney, and he sighed.
“Okay everybody, let’s get back to the festivities and forget all the madness that just happened,” Eyes said, waving his arm for everyone to move along.
Eyes had one goal at that moment, and it was to get the sexy Courtney Tucker to a private nook on the island and see if her lips tasted as good as they looked. If he thought that was going to happen he was sadly mistaken.
As soon as he spoke, his group surged around them, even a very soaked Amira, wanting to introduce themselves and welcome the newest member to their wedding party. If she was a reporter who was set on getting to her subject, they liked her immediately.
After dozens of questions were flung Courtney’s way, she laughed heartily, the sound drifting over Eyes like a warm tropical breeze. “Hold on, guys,” she said through her giggles. “I’m a reporter and I’m used to doing the questioning, so if you want to ask things you’ll have to slow it down and give me time to answer,” she said.
The woman was wholly comfortable in this loud, large group. There was no shyness, no intimidation. Courtney was a woman who was comfortable in her own skin, and she obviously liked the group she was surrounded by. Eyes was impressed.