“I’m not worried,” she said knowing it was a lie. “After all, you’re my spy.”
Ashley sniffed. “Thanks a heap. I’ll let Jordan and Melody know too. I’ve got to go. The guy at the bar just left his seat and is coming over here. Later!”
The popcorn was ready and she tossed it into a bowl and added some salt, then took it to the sofa to watch a dated show on TV. If she had any gumption at all, she’d get dressed and go see what her fiancé and friends were all up too. But she had a sneaky feeling that he wouldn’t like that, and she wasn’t in the mood to rock the boat. They would be saying their vows in two days and things would be different.
She wouldn’t ask him if she could quit her job—she’d just do it and tell him later. They needed to be a family, and the sooner he realized that the better.
She munched on the popcorn, and watched the sitcom, feeling pleased with the decision. As his wife, she could exercise her rights.
Kind of like he was doing right now. It grated on her nerves that he’d ditch her to be with his friends, and had no guilt about it either. Girls would never do that. They had their own girl time, but when a man was around, one they were crazy about, he trumped a girlfriend all the time.
Well, tomorrow was another day, and it would be a night to remember with all the family here, their friends. They were going to a special place for dinner with dancing on the terrace. The focus would be on her and Michael, and she would dazzle him completely. She had a slinky new dress to wear, and silver four-inch fuck me heels which she intended to wrap around his neck and hold him tight.
Right now, she’d probably use the heel to hammer him with.
CHAPTER TEN
The next morning, Melody called to say she was sick. “It might have been something I ate, or too many tequila shots, but I sure can’t snorkel,” she told Nadine. “Sorry to be a party-pooper, but I’ll see you at the spa.”
“I’m sorry too, Melody. You’re going to miss out on all the fun today. I hope it was worth it. Did you all have a good time last night?” Nadine asked, glad that she hadn’t gone after all. It was too big of a day for her to have been drinking the night before.
“We did. It was awesome. Anyway, don’t worry about me. I’ll sleep it off and join you this afternoon. Have fun. Hope you see some dolphins!”
“That would be cool. We’ll take lots of pictures to show you later.”
“Great. See ya.”
The marina was at the end of the pier, an easy walk from the cottages. Jeremy was there, as well as Rob and Chad, Devon, Jordon and Ashley.
Colt greeted them and helped them onboard. “Have we got a few missing?” he asked. “I was expecting eleven at last count.”
Nadine texted Michael. Where was he? “My fiancé should be showing up any minute. I’m trying to reach him now. And I don’t know about his friend, Jay. Melody has a hangover and is staying in bed. Dad is waiting for my brother to arrive.” And probably hoping for some alone time with Anna too.
Devon raked a hand threw his hair. “Jay’s not coming. Not sure about Michael. They were pretty shit-faced last night.”
“Well, he better make it,” Nadine said, texting again. “He’s not answering.” What the hell? She’d barely seen him all day yesterday and had been looking forward to spending the morning with him. For one thing she wanted to clear up what happened last night. If he didn’t want children, that was a big deal.
She stood at the railing, watching for movement on the pier. “This is so annoying.” Whipping off her sunglasses, she wiped away a tear. “I’m sorry, Colt. But maybe I should go wake him up.”
“Forget it,” Rob said, stripping off his shirt, and applying sun lotion. “His fault for getting that drunk.”
“Better to let him sleep it off.” Devon grabbed a mug of coffee that Colt was handing out. “His loss. I hear the reefs around here are spectacular.”
“They are, and I brought underwater cameras for all of you,” Colt told them. “They’re in with the snorkels.”
Nadine thanked him for the coffee, and leaned against the rail looking back at the shore. She was not happy about leaving without Michael, and intended to get to the bottom of this later, but right now she had to put her game face on and not let everyone see she was upset. If he wanted to spend the day puking, then so be it. They were going to have fun, dammit….with or without him.
Jeremy came up beside her, and hitched his butt on the edge of the rail. He drank his coffee and kept quiet, giving her his support and empathy.
She appreciated the fact he didn’t talk, or she’d have had to defend her future husband, which would have been awkward and insincere.
By the time her mug was empty, Colt and his one-man crew had the boat underway. “It’ll take us about twenty minutes to get out to the reef,” he told them, “but we have bagels and fruit in the galley downstairs. The restroom is simple to use. Directions on the door.” He took his cap off and wiped away the sweat from his brow. “Keep your eyes out for sailfish, they’re active this time of the year.”
Nadine pushed back the rim of her visor and glanced at Jeremy. “I’m glad you’re here. You can be my snorkeling buddy. I’ve never done it this far out before.”
“I’d like that. Can I get you a bagel or anything?”
“No, I’m good, thanks.” She glanced out at sea, her thoughts drifting to Michael. How could he get so stinking drunk that he’d miss out on this? Being with her, romancing her, enjoying their last few days of single-hood, before they were officially a couple. It hurt! She was angry and upset but worried about him too. She sent him a text urging him to drink a lot of water and rest, and another to her dad to check up on him, and make sure he was okay.
Jeremy probably sensed her concern, for he lingered long enough to say, “I’m real sorry about Michael, but I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. He likes to do his own thing, even if it’s against what others might like to do.”
She jerked her head up. “He can be selfish.” She folded her arms under her breasts, and blinked away the threat of tears. “Guess I just have to get used to it.”
“That’s a sad way to think about the next fifty years.” His eyes caressed hers, and tenderness exuded from his expression. “Nothing could beat this…or being with you.”
Nadine swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn’t want him to say things like that. It wasn’t right for him to try to woo her, and drag up feelings about their past. They were history and Michael, wherever the hell he was, was her future.
“Don’t say that. I’m sure he has a very good reason not to be here.” But whatever it was, she couldn’t wait for his explanation. It damn well better be good. Like, passed out in the cabin without his phone.
“I know. It’s just…”
“It’s just nothing.” She looked steadily into his eyes, trying to make him understand that it was too late for them now. No matter what.
“Sure I can’t get you anything?” He stood there, solid as a rock, willing to roll with the punches. If her words hurt him, he didn’t show it.
“Just a bottled water. Thanks.” She watched him turn and go, and wished she could call him back. He was a good man and would make someone a wonderful husband. If only he hadn’t gone off to war, or hadn’t pushed her away when he returned.
But “if only” could drive a person crazy, and she couldn’t go back and change anything even if she’d wanted to. Their moment in time had come and gone, and tomorrow she would be his brother’s bride.
For some odd reason that didn’t thrill her as much as it should. She must be more pissed off than she thought.
Jeremy returned and handed the bottled water to her. “Things will work out, I’m sure. Meanwhile, try to enjoy the day.”
“I will. Thanks.” She put her hand on his arm, and gave him a forced smile. “I’m off to join the girls. Catch you later.” She found her girlfriends lying on towels at the bow of the boat.
“This is the life,” Ashley said, squinting
through her big sunglasses. The sky was a deep blue, cloudless, and at full speed ahead they bounced over the waves. The Hatteras was over forty feet in length and ideal for the Keys.
“Yeah, a woman could get used to this,” Jordon answered, adjusting her flowered bikini top. “I just need to catch me a guy like Colt. Lucky Taylor, she’s got it all.”
“They all work hard,” Nadine said, stripping off her shorts. She wore a skimpy blue bikini that she’d bought for her honeymoon. Michael wasn’t even here to see it. “I imagine running the resort would be a full time commitment. I doubt that any of them ever have much time off. It would be hard to do 24/7.”
“I think I’d make a good first mate,” Jordan said, sitting up. “Maybe we’ll have better luck at the bar tonight,” she told Ashley. “Find a couple of rich, single yacht owners who’ll fall madly in love with us.” She laughed. “If we’re dreaming, might as well dream big.”
“What about Jay and Devon? They’re the golfers, you must have something in common. No?”
“Guess not. Devon was coming on to me at the beginning,” Jordon said, “then a couple of pretty blondes got him up on the dance floor and he was gone for the night. Not the kind of man I want in my life.”
Ashley straightened the pink Nike cap on her head, and slid her bikini straps down to get an all-over tan. “What’s going on with Michael? Has he answered the text?”
She shook her head. “No. I haven’t got the faintest idea what the hell he’s up too. I can’t believe he’d get so shit-faced that he couldn’t come out today. Both him and Jay? And Melody. That’s ridiculous. I’m pissed at all of them. I understand wanting to have a good time, but not at the expense of the wedding stuff, right? It’s the reason we are here!”
“I don’t blame you,” Ashley said, putting a hand on her back. “I’m not such a big fan of Melody’s. I know she’s your friend and all, but she’s a party girl, and you’re not. You should have seen her on the dance floor last night. Doing body shots. Dancing with all the guys.”
“She’s okay,” Nadine said. “We’ve had tons of layovers together. She just likes to have fun, that’s all.” Ashley and Jordan were good girls from Boring Baltimore, but flight attendants traveled the world and were well, worldly.
“Whatever.”
Jordon grabbed the bottle of lotion and started rubbing sunscreen on her chest. “She’s okay, but if you ask me I don’t think she’s that good of a friend.”
“What do you mean by that?” Her eyes narrowed. “She’s fine.”
“Well, nothing exactly. It’s just that she seemed really friendly with your Michael. Why not flirt with the other guys? There are four other hot men to laugh with.”
Her best friends were zeroing in on her own insecurities. “That’s just how she is, it doesn’t mean anything.” But what about Michael? Where the hell was he? Why had he gone out last night instead of taking her to bed?
“You know her best. It’s not up to us to pick your friends,” Jordon said.
“Besides, I trust Michael,” she blurted, sitting upright. “I’m okay with them chatting together. We all know he likes to flirt. He needs his ego stroked, I guess.”
“Well, you better trust him. You’re marrying him,” Jordon said. “And he loves you very much. I can see it when he looks at you.”
“Yes. He does.” She had a little knot of worry building inside, but she intended to squash it and not give it a chance to grow. “He’s always affectionate.” They could clear the air once they talked about the baby thing, but he loved her, she was sure.
“I’m just disappointed he’s not here today. I barely saw him yesterday and I thought this little holiday before the wedding would be all about us.” She grabbed the tube of sun cream and rubbed some on her bare legs. “I’m trying not to get upset, but it’s just that he travels so much and with my job…well, you know… I thought we’d be romancing each other in Paradise, and have our friends with us. It sounded perfect to me, but it hasn’t been.” She sniffed, blinking away the sting of tears. “Am I expecting too much? Maybe it’s just the stress of the wedding or something, but I’m getting so emotional.”
Jordon patted her knee. “You have a right to be emotional. This is your wedding weekend.”
“You think he’s having second thoughts? It’s not unusual you know.” Ashley gave her a concerned look.
“I should hope not!” Nadine tilted the brim of her visor forward to block more of her face. “But I don’t know what he’s thinking. I haven’t been around him enough to ask!”
“Oh, Nadine,” her best friend and matron of honor looped an arm around her neck. “I’m sorry, hon. I know this isn’t the way you pictured this trip. But maybe he just needs to have some male time, or throw off the last of his wild oats before he commits to you tomorrow. He’s marrying you, Nadine Thomas, the most beautiful, and sweetest girl in the world. He’s a lucky man.”
“He won’t be lucky if he’s doing any of that wild oats sowing,” she growled. “He’ll have his dick nicked by me.” She snipped her fingers together like scissors.
“The Bobbitt solution,” Jordon said with a smile. “That’ll keep him home at night.”
“This conversation is not helping,” she said. “I hope he’s in his room, puking his guts out, wishing he’d behaved last night so he could be out on the boat with us.” She grabbed her smart phone out of her pocket and said, “Come on, girls. Selfie time. We’ll send it to him.”
The three young women wore big smiles as they all raised one middle finger in the air. That broke the tension and got them all laughing again. It wasn’t long before Captain Colt slowed the boat and told them they were approaching the reefs. The girls picked up their belongings and headed for the steer of the boat where the men had gathered.
The first mate handed out snorkel gear and the underwater cameras.
“Look at the color of the water!” Nadine nudged her friends. “Have you ever seen anything like it? It’s so clear you can see to the bottom.” The water was a perfect turquoise and looked clean enough to drink. Even from the safety of the deck they could see fish swimming below, circling the boat, perhaps looking to be hand fed.
“This area is called the Cheeka Rocks, well known by the locals,” Colt informed them. “It’s a shallow patch reef perfect for snorkel and shallow dives. Only about 10 to 15 feet, but it’s loaded with tropical fish and coral.”
“I’m so excited,” Jordon squealed, leaning over the rail for a better look. “It looks awesome. I can’t believe Melody is missing out. Poor thing. Probably sicker than a dog after all those shots she was drinking.”
“That Devon kept buying,” Ashley snickered. “You two were trying to drink the bar dry.”
“I still made it, unlike Jay and Michael,” Devon said, his manner suave. “What losers. This is great, and I happen to be a master diver, so you girls will be safe with me.”
“Good. I’ll stick close,” Ashley said giving him a happy smile. “Just in case any sharks swim by.”
Rob and Chad gave each other high-fives.
“You might see some stingrays, but don’t panic,” Colt instructed. “You leave them alone, they won’t bug you. And don’t worry, I’ll be down there too if anyone needs help.”
Jeremy assisted Nadine with her mask, and she mouthed, “stingrays?” They sounded dangerous.
His lips twitched. “I’ve got your back, and your front,” he said, eyeing her new bikini. She felt herself grow hot under his scrutiny, and took a step back. He winked at her before fitting his own gear.
When they were ready, they jumped in and were immediately surrounded by swift fish darting around them, as though playing a game.
Nadine felt like she’d landed in a giant aquarium, completely out of her element, but when she looked into Jeremy’s eyes, she knew she was safe.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Nadine quickly forgot her fears and became immersed in the beauty of this underwater playground. With Jeremy never leaving her
side, they dived under to see the coral, and were met with schools of blue striped grunts, gorgeous yellow and black striped sergeant majors, horse-eyed jacks that were big and plentiful, and a stunning blue and yellow Queen angelfish that hid shyly amongst the coral.
It wasn’t until later when Colt identified the fish that she learned the names, but seeing them was an experience she was unlikely to forget. Afterward, they had a light lunch on board, chicken and shrimp salad sandwiches, a Caesar salad, and brownies and cookies for dessert.
“Eat up, everyone. My wife, Taylor, supplied the food and she’ll be disappointed if I bring anything home.”
It was surprising how hungry snorkeling could make a person, because Nadine and her friends enjoyed every bite. Colt surprised them by opening up a bottle of champagne for the girls and beers for the men.
“We can spend another hour here if you want to do a little more swimming, or we could take an hour to visit another reef not far away.”
Nadine was the only one who wanted to go home. She was anxious to find Michael and have a much needed talk.
“Don’t worry,” Colt told her, stripping off his white t-shirt to toss aside. “It’s on the way back.”
The girls were treated to the sight of his tanned skin and mouth-watering abs, but he was too busy running around the boat, making sure everything was secured down before they took off again to notice their admiration.
Once they arrived at the Horseshoe reef, Nadine was glad she’d been voted down. It was a shallow reef where they were lucky enough to see some new species of fish. She and Jeremy captured pictures of a nurse shark and turtles resting on the sandy ledge edged with sponges and soft coral. Colt had warned them not to touch the turtles as the loggerheads and hawksbills were endangered species and protected.
Jeremy took her hand, wanting to see more of a reef, which true to its name was shaped like a horseshoe. They were minding their own business, enjoying this underworld adventure in the warm, clear sea when all of a sudden an enormous octopus floated toward them.
Right Man/ Wrong Groom: Paradise Cove Series - Destination Wedding Book 1 Page 9