Against the Tide: High Seas Weddings

by Cheryl Phipps

  The galley was considerable, given that it was on a ship, and so clean that she could see her face clearly in the stainless steel counters. She wrestled a notepad and pen from her bag while checking out the ovens and fridge space. It was a lot tighter than a standard restaurant-style kitchen, and she hoped the caterers could manage with close to two hundred guests. If she could find a caterer who was available.

  “Seen enough here?”

  She’d been aware of him while she made notes. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, resplendent in his white uniform. The sun streaming through the windows shined on his polished buttons, making him appear otherworldly. It was a wonder she’d been able to concentrate at all with all that going on.

  She swallowed hard, amazed at how dry her mouth felt. “Yes, thanks.”

  He checked his watch. “I’ve got a few more minutes. What’s next on your agenda?”

  Keira shook her head. Oh, if he only knew. “Bathrooms?”

  “A pleasure.”

  There it was. That cute dimple. Only the captain wasn’t cute, no siree. He was hotter than Brad Pitt and Chris Hemsworth put together. If she were doing the marketing for Majestic, she’d be sure to have him on the cover of the brochures and plastered all over the website.

  Luckily, bathrooms were not at all sexy. Aiden showed her the locations over the three floors, coming out of the one on the main deck when he swung away from her.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I hear people arriving. Can you find your way back to the observation deck?”

  “Absolutely. Please, don’t give me another thought.”

  She was happy in one way when he’d gone, but not in another. He’d made her feel self-conscious, watching her every minute they’d been together, so she was worried that she hadn’t been her usual thorough self. But his appreciative looks had made her feel alive and attractive for the first time in years.

  Surprised at that realization, Keira decided it was the perfect opportunity to have a good poke around to see what she might have overlooked without anyone thinking she was being rude.

  When she finally reached the observation deck, she found a shaded seat and pulled out her notebook and laptop. Typing in her scribbled notes was another way of committing them to memory, and a backup in case that failed, which was always a possibility when scoping a new venue.

  The bride, groom, and family had gone through everything already with Keira’s predecessor, but they weren’t the only ones to look after. When the guests arrived, even the most trivial of questions had to be answered, and some weren’t found on any website.

  The number and standard of the bathrooms were excellent, as was the fact that there was a suite for the bride and groom to use to change if necessary. There had been no mention of that in the few notes she’d been handed from the file.

  She also added what she’d noticed about the couple when she’d met with them via a Skype call last night. It was nice that they had a room available, but it was perhaps a shame it wasn’t two separate ones. They might be getting married, but Keira wasn’t convinced it was a marriage based on love. The couple fought like cats and dogs, and it hadn’t been pretty to witness; at times, it had been incredibly awkward, and that wasn’t even face-to-face yet. It certainly wasn’t how she’d hoped her first job in Sunrise Beach would turn out.

  The groom looked put out at having anything to do with the proceedings and had been unhelpful in the extreme. The venue they’d been planning on had suddenly not felt right to the bride. She had a friend who’d been married on a ship, and now that’s what she had to have. Oh, to have the money to change your mind about things like that. Not that Keira would. No, if the unlikely day ever came that she met ‘the one,’ she would marry him anywhere. Of course, in her line of work, she could make most places look like a million dollars.

  Majestic wouldn’t require much; her beauty would be easy to enhance. The backdrop didn’t hurt either. Looking out across the harbor on a beautiful day, with barely a cloud in the sky, should lift the sorriest of souls.

  It was then that Keira realized she hadn’t felt even slightly queasy.

  It was a good omen. Maybe moving there was going to work out okay. She’d been so excited to have the opportunity to work from an office on the famous Sunrise Beach, where weddings were legendary, but when she’d found out about the wedding on a ship, she’d had a significant urge to hightail it back to New York City and forget about weddings altogether. What stopped her was remembering that her ex was there. Big city though it was, that was more than enough to keep her feet planted. Besides, realistically, weddings were all she knew how to do.

  By the time she’d caught up with her notes and had snuck a quick look at the middle deck, where a dance room graced the front of the ship, there had been some significant changes below.

  All the tables had been put in place and were currently being dressed. A team of caterers marched food from the gangplank to the galley, setting flowers of every description in a corner until they were ready for placement. These people knew their jobs, that was for sure. Keira would love to use their services. Will anyone notice if I speak to the person in charge of them?

  It was too good an opportunity to miss, so she made her way down to the group and found a man she'd noticed earlier; he looked like he was in charge and was calmly explaining something to a younger man.

  At that moment, a tall, leggy woman, dressed to kill in a cerise pencil skirt with a matching blazer, and noticeably minus a blouse, strutted up the gangway. She held a large clipboard, and no sooner was she on board than she began issuing orders. A couple of minions trailed behind her and seemed to be hell-bent on repeating everything she said.

  Keira looked on in fascination at the chaos the woman caused. The team that had been placing furniture in a very orderly way was being told—correction, yelled at—to move it elsewhere. The chairs in that area were for the wedding and looked perfect. Apparently not to the planner.

  It didn’t make sense. Neither did the next barking order.

  “These flowers need to go over there.” She pointed to Keira, then indicated a position by the gangway.

  “I’d put them on either side of the arches if I were you.”

  “What?”

  Keira had never witnessed another woman snarl before. Once upon a time, she would have been intimidated, but weddings made you realize that showing your fear or insecurities never produced a good outcome when you needed to appear in control.

  “Here, let me show you.” Keira picked up one of the urns and placed it on one side of the arch. “Then you can drape the longer leaves around the frame. See?”

  “That’s not how it goes.”

  Surely stamping your feet when you left childhood behind many moons ago was, at the least, unprofessional.

  “Looks fine to me, Marilyn.”

  Aiden had come up behind Keira in that quiet way he had, and the woman was so surprised that she had to grasp the arch to stop herself from falling over the plant. The whole thing wobbled precariously until Aiden held it still, making her audience, the crew, the caterers, and Keira sigh with relief.

  Instead of being thankful, Marilyn turned a mottled red, her mouth opening and closing over a few expletives. It was anything but attractive, and she hadn’t finished with Aiden.

  “You’re not in charge here. I am,” she screeched.

  His calm voice had a slight edge to it. “This is my ship. I’m always in charge.”

  “Not of the wedding. Now move, all of you. This must be done before the guests arrive.” She rounded on Keira. “Put that urn over there, now.”

  Perhaps Keira had been a pushover in her former life with Damien, her ex, but she’d learned a thing or two from that experience, and she wasn’t taking this woman’s garbage.

  “Actually, I’m just a visitor, and I won’t be moving anything. Feel free to do it yourself.”

  Satisfied by Marilyn’s shock, Keira walked away to hopefully find a quieter p
lace to observe from. Although, judging by what the woman had not achieved so far, this wedding was going to be a disaster. But there was always something to learn in this business, even if it was how not to do something.

  “Do you want to come up to the operations room? You can see everything from there.”

  Aiden had done it again. For a big man, he sure was quiet on his feet. Keira stole a look at them, to make sure he was still wearing shoes. He was, and they looked normal enough, even though they were white. A color Keira would never have contemplated, yet they went with his whole look very nicely.

  “I’d love to. If you don’t mind?”

  “I wouldn’t have offered.”

  He didn’t sound rude that time, and Keira decided he was just a straight talker.

  Wait, am I already making excuses for him after just a couple of hours?

  “In that case, lead on.”

  As Keira followed behind him, she made mental notes about keeping her distance. Even as she watched his butt.

  Chapter Two

  Aiden wasn't expecting the little planner to be so feisty—or so cute—while standing up to Marilyn. It took some nerve, and if he hadn’t witnessed Keira in action, he wouldn’t have believed it.

  With delicate features and small stature, her looks were deceiving. Not that he was a good judge of women, of course. His choices over the years weren’t great, and until a few months ago, he’d been making the same mistakes again and again.

  Then he’d woken up one day with that epiphany. Realizing he didn’t like that part of his life, he’d decided to keep all women at bay for a while, which was why he’d been a little short with Keira. He almost laughed out loud at his own thoughts. She was indeed small, especially when she stood next to him.

  She smelled good too, like honeysuckle and mint. Her curviness was intriguing, and her hair looked soft and silky. The urge to run his fingers through it was intense. Just once. But what if it was as he imagined? Could he stop at once?

  Aiden took a conscious step back from her and his thoughts. Keira Davis may be more trouble than Marilyn in a very different way.

  Keira wandered around the room, taking a keen interest in everything from the instruments to all the machines and gadgets, some of which Aiden didn’t actually need in such a state-of-the-art ship. He just liked them, and he didn’t want them being touched. Usually things like that made him very grumpy.

  That also applied to his chair. It fit him perfectly and, unless he handed over the reins to his second-in-command, no one would dare take the liberty of sitting there.

  “Do you mind if I make some notes while I’m here?”

  “Do what you need to. I’ve got a few things to check on anyway.”

  Keira smiled, the kind of smile that could take the wind out of a man’s sails at forty paces, and promptly sat in the chair.

  His chair.

  Aiden was dumbfounded.

  Even with a mix of emotions, including shock and outrage, he still didn’t tell her to move. What the heck? If it had been Marilyn, he’d have pulled her out of the seat by her scrawny neck. Maybe not literally, but she’d be out faster than a tsunami tide.

  In fact, if he had his way, Marilyn wouldn’t be anywhere near Majestic ever again. She was toxic. Her weddings always had an edge to them, and not in a good way. By the time people left after a day with her, everyone was worn out and glad to be off his ship. Which was the only downside to a wedding cruise—if you weren’t having a good time, there was no way to leave when you were out in the middle of the harbor. Unless you fancied a rather long swim. And definitely not if you were the captain.

  It should never be like that. Aiden was proud of his ship. In his eyes, Majestic was beyond beautiful. She slid through the water in a gentle way, befitting the lady Aiden thought her to be. Even tied up at the dock, each room gave stunning views of the harbor and the ocean. He could comfortably live on her for the rest of his life.

  She handled like a dream no matter the weather—not that he would risk taking her out in any of the storms that hit the coast. Fortunately, with her size, there was enough room on board to handle every contingency; from the seasick to the overindulged, there was a place for everyone.

  On a sunny, calm day like today, Majestic was at her best. Having such a mean-spirited person on deck did not agree with him or the peace of his ship. Plus, ordering Keira around as one of her sidekicks had been too much. He shouldn’t have worried though; the young wedding planner handled herself just fine.

  The cute pocket rocket who’d taken over his bridge was intriguing. Openly admitting to not knowing much about wedding cruises, Keira still appeared to understand what she needed to and how things should look. He admired anyone who was professional about their work, because that’s how he was.

  He tried to concentrate on what he was doing, anything to keep his mind off her. It never paid to get involved with clients, and all organizers and guests fit into that category as far as he was concerned. Not that he’d always been a saint. He’d had his fair share of guests coming on to him, and he hadn’t always fought them off as hard as he should have. But he drew the line at the drunken women who threw themselves at him at the end of the cruise, and the ones who were married or attached and thought a quick fling on a ship while out at sea was some sort of badge to obtain, like being a mile-high member or some such nonsense.

  Casual, he liked. Ulterior motives, not so much. Most of the time, he could spot that sort of woman a mile away. One or two had squirmed under his armor though, and he was still paying for it.

  Keira had slipped on a pair of glasses and was scribbling notes on a pad. She looked like a prim schoolmistress as she made sketches of areas of the ship. She had a folded map of Majestic that she was referring to as she did some math in the margin.

  He’d been watching from across the console, but before he knew it, he was at her shoulder.

  “What’s that?” He pointed to what looked like the stage in the main room, festooned with balloons. He hated balloons. In his well-traveled opinion, they made a hell of a mess. They were for children, not mature adults who, while under the influence, found a crazy delight in popping them.

  “I intend to have banners of balloons in front of the lights. They’ll change color and add to the festive feel.” She held the paper up and grinned. “It’s a Mardi Gras theme.”

  His stomach ached. “Oh Hell’s teeth.”

  “What’s wrong? You don’t sound so happy about the idea.”

  Aiden grasped the arm of his chair, his fingers whitening at the thought of his pet hate. “Happy? No, I’m not happy. There’s always trouble around that sort of thing, with people getting drunk and trying to have sex in every nook and cranny. It’s appalling.”

  Keira tried to smother another grin. “I’ll be here to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

  It almost made him smile, despite how he felt about themes. Imagining tiny Keira trying to get people to put their clothes back on was a sight he wouldn’t mind witnessing.

  However, she was still in his chair. And looking pretty darn comfortable too.

  He blew out a breath of disbelief at that fact. “You can’t stop it. I’ve tried. The minute you walk away from a couple in a clinch, they go back to it like you never said a word.”

  She put a hand on his shoulder, and it burned through his shirt.

  “I promise it won’t happen.”

  “Are you for real? What happens on land with a wedding is not necessarily what happens at sea. Being offshore is somehow liberating, and the guests take full advantage of it.”

  A delicate eyebrow arched. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “I’ve had Majestic for a year, and I worked on her before that. Trust me, I’ve seen it all. Some things I never imagined I’d witness, from people who should know better. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.”

  Keira laughed, and not a girlish tinkle or annoying giggle a person might assume would come from a small woman. It
was loud. She thought he was funny.

  Aiden had been accused of a lot of things, but being funny was certainly not one of them.

  His crew respected him, and that was enough in his book. He didn’t need people to like him. He’d lost too many friends in Iraq to bother finding any more outside the few who were left. The few he trusted. It was just too hard to get invested.

  Her laughter died, no doubt attributable to the look he was affording her. The one his brothers termed his “cease and desist” face. He could feel it; the frown and tightening of all his facial muscles, reaching down into his neck, was a giveaway. He was quite proud of it, truth be told, and had used it plenty around the marine barracks.

  She grimaced and patted his hand as if he were a small child who had acted out.

  “Sorry if I’ve offended you, but that prudish look of yours was unexpected. I’ve seen a bit in my years as a wedding planner too. Maybe it wasn’t as ‘in your face’ as what you’re describing, but when the bride goes missing and you find her in the vestry with the best man, doing things they shouldn’t even be thinking about, you get the idea that good people misbehaving is the norm.”

  “I hope it isn’t.” He didn’t think he was a prude, not after the things he’d seen overseas and on board Majestic. And having a reality star for a sister-in-law had sure opened his eyes to the world. But this angelic-looking woman with those big baby blue eyes thinking being unfaithful was the norm made him very uncomfortable. She seemed oblivious to how her words were affecting him.

  She screwed up her nose. “I do too. Only, it does make you think that marriage isn’t necessarily the answer,” Keira added.

  He frowned. “The answer to what?”

  “Being lonely. Being alone. Whatever people get married for.”

  He was shocked at the bitterness in her voice. “I thought it was for love?”