by Trinity Wood
Ellie
Corinne wears the most fashionable hat I've ever seen, all feathers and geometrical shapes, putting the mother of the bride, my mum, to shame. She's sipping on our signature wedding cocktail, and checking out the eligible bachelors. "I don't know how you pulled off all of this in such a short time. It's totes amazing."
She’s right. As soon as Sam proposed, we both knew it would have to be at my parents’ winery in Matakana. Private, intimate, family-oriented, and very much us. My aunts traveled from the UK, his nana is here with her carer, even Corey brought part of his family along.
I sip my wine. "At least the venue was sorted, and the stars aligned, so the fifteenth of September it was." I'm feeling self-conscious in my wedding dress. It's definitely the most expensive outfit I've ever worn in my life, but Sam’s face alone was worth the price as he watched my father walked me down the aisle.
I scan the small crowd. "Where's Tayla? I haven't seen her in a while." But I see my husband coming towards us. "Hey husband. Have you seen Tayla?"
He kisses me gently to not smudge my makeup. What a gem. Corinne waves and moves away to get some more drinks.
"No, wife. She must be around. I'm looking for Corey. I hope he hasn't had too much to drink." Sam looks concerned, and he's got every right to be, after what happened two weeks ago. It could jeopardize everything, from their entry at the Olympics, to their income. I try not to think about it.
Then, out of the blue, Tayla emerges from the vines, followed by Corey, both looking a picture. Tayla's makeup is smudged, and Corey's light-colored waistcoat has green marks on it.
I burst out laughing. "No fucking way. Look." I nod towards them.
Sam's just as shocked as I am. "What the heck. What's going on? What were they up to?"
I whisper in Sam's ear. "You know exactly what they were up to."
He puts his arms around me and scatters kisses from my jawline, to my lips, to my neck.
I gasp softly.
He chuckles. "Let's take this party somewhere else, Mrs. Northcroft." Sam picks me up and carries me as if I weigh no more than a feather.
"Don't mind if we do, Mr. Northcroft." I'll never get enough of Sam.
We’re looking at a future of love, and it feels like sailing into an unknown ocean together, a little scary and a lot exciting. The adventure of a lifetime.
The series continues with Hidden Deep (New Zealand Sailing Book 2).
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Acknowledgement
A huge thanks to my husband for the grounding and support. You’re the funniest person I know. No, you are. No, YOU ARE. Also a thought for my kiddos, without whom this book would have been written and published much faster. Lots of love to my extended family.
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Lots of love to my Romance Cafe family who have been by my side every damn step of the way, and who are excited I’m finally publishing something of my own. Thank you Anna, Shanti, Katherine, Sofia, Rachel, Jenny, and Lisa. Thank you for everything, Liana.
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Thank you to Becky for providing insights on waterfalls in Auckland, to Calina and Iulia for discussing knots over cocktails, to Caro and Petrus for cheering me on even on bad days. Thank you to Lauriel for many things, among them being a reminder that the sun rises from the East and sets to the West.
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Thank you to Whitney for endless patience. You’re the best!
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This book wouldn’t have happened at all without the huge support I’ve received over the past few years from the Romance community. You all rock, keep empowering, lifting, and fixing each other’s crowns.
About the Author
Trinity writes contemporary romance set in New Zealand. Because she can't get enough of book boyfriends, she created some of her own. Get ready to meet Sam, Corey, Jay, Tai, Luke, Mike, Travis, and many more, but please form an orderly line. Behind Trinity.
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A self-professed good-time nerd, Trinity's never far away from one of her trusty Pokemon coffee mugs. Trinity also swears that Margaritas can cure colds.