Hot SEAL, Undercover Groom (SEALs in Paradise)

by Maryann Jordan

  Straightening, he nodded toward Junelle before winking at Lynn. Turning, he walked toward the hall, the feel and taste of her skin still on his lips.

  After a moment, Junelle received a phone call and she apologized. “I’m so sorry, but I need to take this.”

  Glad for the excuse to be able to step away from the overwhelming wedding notebooks, Lynn smiled sweetly. “I’ll just run to the restroom also.”

  She walked casually until she was out of Junelle’s sight and then she hustled down the hall, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. Standing outside the restrooms, she was uncertain where Nolan was. Before she had a chance to ponder her next move, he stepped into the hall, his eyes widening when they landed on her.

  “She got a phone call, so I decided to come see what you were doing,” she whispered.

  He jerked his head down the hall to a partially-opened door. The nameplate next to the door listed ‘Errol Hightower – Owner’.

  Curious, she walked closer to the door. “Honey, where’s the chapel?” she asked, her voice raised.

  Gaining Nolan’s wide-eyed glare, she pushed the office door open slightly, seeing a man sitting at a desk. “Oh, excuse me. We were looking for the chapel.”

  In two steps, Nolan had made it to her side, grabbing her hand and giving her fingers a squeeze. “Sweetheart, can’t you see this is an office and not a chapel?”

  The man inside stood and walked toward them, a smile on his face. “Welcome. It’s just over there,” he said as he pointed toward the door clearly marked ‘Chapel’.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Lynn said, rolling her eyes. “I thought the nice lady said it was at the end of the hall, and I wasn’t paying attention to the names on the doors at all. I’m so sorry to have disturbed you.”

  “No forgiveness necessary,” the man said, his smile still firmly on his face. “I’m Errol Hightower, owner and manager of this lovely establishment. Am I to assume that you two are getting married?”

  She hadn’t seen a picture of Mr. Hightower, but his appearance surprised her. For some reason, she had imagined him to be a paunchy, middle-aged man, perhaps with a comb-over or a slick pompadour. This man was nothing like that, other than his age. Tall and fit, his expensive suit was tailored just for him. With a white shirt and silk tie, he wore the boutonniere pinned to his lapel so well it didn’t seem overindulgent. His thick black hair was trimmed neatly, and a quick glance at his hands gave evidence to buffed fingernails.

  Jolted back to the question asked, she nodded. “Oh, yes. We’re picking everything out today and will be back tomorrow for our wedding. We’re so lucky you have an opening.”

  “Yes, business is booming. I’m sure Junelle will take very good care of you.”

  “We’re going to go get our license right after this,” Nolan said, “Can you suggest a good place for lunch?”

  Keeping her smile plastered on her face, she wondered about his question. Lunch?

  Errol nodded enthusiastically. “Gatlinburg is full of wonderful places to eat. But one of the nicest is the Alamo steakhouse. I have a standing lunch meeting with some old friends there every Wednesday. Best steak in the mountains.”

  “I’m so sorry to have had that phone call interrupt our meeting,” Junelle interrupted as she walked to the entrance to the hall.

  Lynn looked up at Nolan. “Oh, honey, let’s finish picking everything out.” With a parting smile toward Errol, she added, “It was lovely to meet you.” Her hand was taken by Nolan’s and they followed Junelle back to the front, settling in once more to continue planning.

  An hour later, they walked out of the wedding chapel, fingers linked as they headed toward his truck. They climbed inside the vehicle and sat for a moment in silence. Staring out the window, she let out a long breath. “I’m exhausted. Who knew how tiring that was going to be? And weird… just weird.”

  She felt his eyes on her, but not giving him a chance to say anything, continued, “I always figured that one day it would be very exciting to plan for my wedding, never dreaming that I would be doing it for a fake wedding.”

  He reached over and placed his hand on her leg, the warmth of his touch searing through her. “I’m sorry, Lynn.”

  Looking toward him, she saw the crease in his forehead as he stared at her, concern etched in his gaze. Her heart clenched but she had no idea why. “Oh, I’m just being silly. I guess we need to get to the office to pick up our wedding license, don’t we?”

  “Yeah, and then let’s get some lunch. We can plan the next part based on what we learned today.”

  “Did we truly learn anything today other than where his office is?”

  His grin curled around her heart. “Oh, yeah, babe. We definitely learned some things.”

  He started the truck and they rumbled down the road toward the Gatlinburg office. She wondered if he even realized he’d called her babe when they were alone. For a guy like him, it’s probably a throwaway. She just wished she didn’t like hearing it so much.

  7

  Parking outside the marriage license office in Gatlinburg, Nolan was surprised at the small, nondescript, brick building. After having just been at the elaborate chapel, it struck him that the office was simply a small town’s government building and not part of the money-making wedding businesses in the Smokies.

  “You okay?”

  Lynn’s voice cut through his musings and he jerked his head around to find her staring intently at him. “Yeah, yeah, fine.”

  “It’s surreal, I know,” she said, her eyes warm on him. “Hopefully, this won’t take long and we can get you fed.”

  Brow scrunching, he cocked his head slightly to the side in silent questioning.

  Her smile widened before a giggle burst out. “Your stomach was growling while we were in there. I figured you must be starving.”

  “Hey, I’m just a growing boy,” he laughed, loving the way her face lit with mirth.

  They held gazes for a moment before both turned toward the windshield and grew quiet. She sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

  “Ready?”

  She nodded and they alighted from his vehicle, once more linking fingers as they walked across the parking lot.

  Stepping inside the marriage license office, he was pleased to see that it was not busy. Glad that Rita had already taken care of the paperwork, he pulled out the envelope she had given him that morning and handed it to the clerk. Glancing to the side, he was keenly aware of Lynn’s mood. No longer smiling, she appeared ready to bolt. He had to admit that while the mission planning with Nancy made everything seem cut and dry, actually pretending to be a couple making decisions about their upcoming wedding was unnerving.

  He wanted to put Lynn at ease but had no idea how to do so. Maybe when we get this all finished, she’ll relax.

  “Oh, I see that you have filled out the preregistration online. That’s lovely!” the clerk declared. “That’ll make this process so easy.”

  He nodded but said nothing while she tapped on her keyboard after looking over the paperwork. He felt Lynn’s weight move into his body and automatically reached his arm around, tucking her front to his side. They fit perfectly, and it seemed a little of the tension slid from her.

  In less than ten minutes, the wide-smiling clerk handed him an envelope. “Here you go, lovebirds. Now, your license has to be used within the next thirty days, and you just give this envelope to the wedding chapel or minister, and they’ll take care of everything.”

  He thanked her and tucked the envelope back into his pocket. Still concerned about Lynn’s quiet mood, he guided her out of the office building and into the sunshine. Walking her to the car, he asked, “Hey, are you okay?”

  She visibly startled, then nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Um… what’s next?”

  “Well, I thought we’d grab some lunch and maybe walk around Gatlinburg a little bit. You said it had been a long time since you’d been here and seemed really excited this morning.”
He breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes sparkled. “Guess that was the right suggestion,” he said, assisting her back into her seat.

  They drove to one of the parking garages and started walking up the busy sidewalk. Gatlinburg for tourists was mostly the one road that cuts through the little mountain town, each side crowded with shops and attractions. Some of the shops were crammed with tourist items, all sporting black bears and slogans about the Great Smoky Mountains mixed with the bright orange shirts sporting ‘UT’ on the front.

  Other shops were filled with handcrafted pottery, woodcarvings, quilts, and framed photographs. They passed two moonshine distilleries, both with tasting counters and boasting every flavor of moonshine imaginable. “We can do a tasting later, but I need food first,” he proclaimed.

  He kept his arm around her, guiding her past the throngs of visitors as she stared into the windows. Finally, coming to the sign pointing toward the Mountain Grill, he led her up the steps to the second floor.

  Glad that the lunch crowd had passed, they chose seats on the balcony that overlooked the street below. Once their beer had been delivered and the bison burgers ordered, he relaxed seeing Lynn’s smile firmly on her face again. She inhaled deeply and lifted her face toward the sun. “It’s lovely here.”

  His gaze stayed planted onto her face, the sight hitting him in the gut as hard as the ruptured appendix. “It certainly is.”

  She dropped her gaze from the mountains to his face, a delicate blush moving over her cheeks. Fiddling with her napkins, she said, “So, you said we learned a lot this morning. I’m afraid the only thing I learned was that the office was toward the back near the bathrooms.”

  They were seated at a small, square table but sat at right angles instead of across from each other. Her hands were resting on the tabletop, and he fought the urge to reach over and link fingers with her. Instead, scrubbing his hand over his face, he leaned back in his chair and attempted to pull his focus away from her and concentrate on the mission. “We know that Errol goes to lunch every Wednesday with a group of friends, and since tomorrow is Wednesday, that’s why I told Junelle that we wanted a noon wedding. Since we decided on the elopement package, there won’t be anyone else there other than you, me, Junelle, and the Justice of the Peace. Errol’s office will be empty.”

  “But how will we get in if he locks his office door?”

  Not replying, he simply lifted his eyebrow and stared at her.

  A slight giggle slipped from her lips. “I suppose picking a lock for a SEAL is hardly a challenge.”

  “I will simply pretend that nerves are getting the best of us and we need to go to the bathroom. I’ll get the door opened and stand guard while you slip in and get what you need from his computer. Then I’ll make sure the door is locked again. Five minutes, in and out, we’re done.”

  “What about if the Justice of the Peace needs to go to the bathroom?”

  “Men don’t go to the bathroom in packs.”

  Her nose scrunched adorably. “Huh?”

  “Look, I know that women often go to the bathroom in a group. Safety in numbers or just to gab with their friends. But men don’t do that. So, if the Justice of the Peace knows that I’ve headed to the men’s room, even if he’s about to bust a gut, he’s going to hold it until I come back.”

  Lynn opened her mouth then snapped it shut quickly. “That almost sounds ridiculous, but you’re probably right. So, if he stays in the main chapel, we just need to worry about Junelle. What if she tries to come to the ladies' room thinking she needs to calm me down or something?”

  “If I hear her coming, I’ll jump in the ladies' room and make it sound like we’re going for a little prenuptial nookie.”

  This time, a snort emitted from Lynn and her eyes danced. “Prenuptial nookie? Nolan!”

  “Look, babe, if you think those restrooms haven’t seen a little before or after action, then you’d be wrong. If not from the bride and groom, then the bridesmaids and groomsmen pairing off.”

  She did not have a chance to respond before the server set down their lunch platters. The bison burgers were delicious and the fresh-cut fries were perfectly seasoned. He had noticed last night that she had no problem eating in front of him and was once again indicating that she enjoyed the food. Petite with curves gave her the perfect body. “I’m glad to see you eat.”

  In mid-bite, she halted, her mouth opened around the burger and her eyes wide. She finished her bite, chewed and swallowed, then took a drink of beer to wash it all down. “You like watching me eat?”

  Blushing, he said, “Sorry. That didn’t come out right. What I meant was that I noticed you ate last night and you’re having no problem putting away that burger now.”

  “Excuse me? Are you trying to insult me?”

  “No! I’m just trying to say that I like to see a woman who isn’t afraid to eat. One of the last women I tried to date practically starved herself to stay lean but was in a perpetually grumpy mood. We made it to date three when I decided there was no future in someone who couldn’t enjoy food.”

  “Oh, that makes sense. I think you have to be able to enjoy a lot of the same things. I mean, it’s nice to learn new things from a partner, but it’s also good to have things that you enjoy doing together. Of course, I never really thought about eating as something to have in common.”

  He laughed, blushing. “Yeah, I guess that doesn’t make me very romantic.”

  Finishing her burger, she leaned back and patted her belly. “I’m stuffed. But in a good mood, so I guess that puts me one up on the woman you tried to date.”

  “Oh, Lynn, you’ve got it in spades over her.” As soon as those words slipped out, he wondered where they came from. What is it about her that makes me spout shit that I never thought about saying?

  Seeming to ignore what he said, she simply asked, “So, tomorrow? What’s the plan?”

  Appreciating that she was ready to get back to business, he pushed his plate away and took another sip of beer. “We can stop by the venue after leaving here and drop off paperwork. Tomorrow, I’ll pick you up and we’ll drive back to Gatlinburg. To keep us from having to go back and forth and back and forth, Nancy and Mrs. Hightower suggested that we head to the casino resort tomorrow afternoon. You’ll have a chance to look over Errol’s finances and we’ll be right at the casino in case you need anything there. Nancy said Mrs. Hightower is springing for a couple of rooms. There’s no reason why we can’t have a nice dinner and enjoy our evening. Might as well enjoy the resort.”

  She held his gaze and her lips curved slightly into a beautiful smile. “It sounds like you’ve got it all planned out.”

  Pushing his seat back, he stood and reached his hand toward her. The act was natural, and he watched as her gaze dropped to his hand for a few seconds before she linked fingers with him. Ignoring the feel in his chest at her light touch, he drew her upward and they walked along the sidewalk toward their car.

  This time, they stopped in a few of the shops and he smiled, watching Lynn ooh and aah over some of the handcrafted items. After she moved toward the back of one of the stores, he snatched the small, hand-carved wooden bear she’d been admiring and quickly paid. Shoving the package into his cargo pocket, he innocently waited by the door for her.

  At one of the distilleries, they joined in the tasting and he laughed at the faces she made as she tried a variety of moonshine flavors. Declaring the Apple Pie moonshine to be the best, she then gasped as she swallowed the Lightning Flash moonshine. Coughing, her face turned red as she sucked in air. Laughing, he grabbed a napkin for her to dab her watering eyes as she sputtered indignantly.

  Buying some of the Apple Pie variety, he linked fingers with her. “Come on, lightweight.”

  She pretended to glare, but her grin spread over her face. She shoulder bumped him as they continued along the crowded sidewalk. Once back at the car, they placed their packages into the back before sliding into the seat.

  It did not take long for them t
o drive back to Cupid’s Chapel. Parking outside, they looked toward each other. “Ready?” he asked.

  Breathing deeply, she nodded. “As ready as I can be.” Glancing down at the envelope lying on the seat between them, she asked, “Think it’s all good enough?”

  “Whatever Rita gave us, it was fine to get the wedding license. I have a feeling that what we got from the clerk is all that Junelle needs. So, I’d say we’re good.”

  “Okay… I guess it’s time to go see Junelle again!”

  Walking back inside, he caught the eager expression of Junelle’s face as she reached for the envelope and examined the paperwork.

  Her tall hair bobbed up and down as she exclaimed, “Oh, this is perfect. I love it when couples are all organized and ready. Okay, we have you on the books for tomorrow at noon. Get here a little early so that you can get your flowers and have a few photographs taken before the ceremony. Then we’ll go into the chapel and get you two lovebirds married.”

  Looking down at Lynn, he caught her smile and battled the urge to lean over and kiss her. As she turned and smiled up at him, her gaze dropped from his eyes to his mouth and he wondered if she might be battling the same desire.

  That night, Lynn chatted on the phone with Nancy. “So, I think we have it all set for tomorrow. I know I’ll start looking at the records tomorrow evening, but please, let your client know not to expect immediate results. Nolan said we can have a nice evening at the casino resort, and I’ll bring the records home with me the next day. It can easily take a week for me to delve through everything.”

  “I’ve let her know and she understands. She’s just grateful that we can do this.”

  “Okay, well, I guess that’s it.”

  Before Lynn ended the call, Nancy quickly asked, “Are you okay with this?”