Destination Weddings: Books 1-3

by Thatcher, Ari

  The doorbell rang again. Chaz rose slowly and strolled to the door as casually as he could without being obvious. Opening it, he smiled at the three women. “Ladies. Come in.” He swept his arm back.

  Kenzi led the way. “Hey. Cool place.”

  Her friends grinned at him as they walked past, large beach bags hanging from their shoulders, obviously seeing the lead singer of Marino, not Chaz.

  He introduced them to everyone. Down the hill in the bay, the sound of a boat drew closer. “I’ll bet that’s our boat. You guys ready?”

  They all grabbed their bags and headed out the French doors onto the Spanish tile deck, where a large swimming pool sat to one side, a small gazebo behind it. On the far side, past the seating area surrounding a fire pit, a long wooden staircase wound down the hill to a private beach.

  “Oh…my…God,” Jasmine whispered.

  Bree spoke over her shoulder to Chaz. “This is such an amazing place. Seriously amazing.”

  “Yeah, it is. Joey found it for us. The guy’s got mad internet skills.”

  The charter boat sent out a dinghy to take them aboard, and then went out to deeper waters. Their guide helped them get into the snorkeling gear and showed them how to enter the water.

  Trish went in first and came up for air, smoothing back her dark hair. “This water is beyond belief.”

  “It feels like heaven,” Kenzi agreed. She floated on her back a bit enjoying the spa-like atmosphere before flipping over to explore. The crew had provided dog biscuits, of all things, to feed the fish. Schools of brightly-colored fish in all shapes and sizes surrounded the swimmers. Kenzi even saw a spotted ray and a large turtle before returning to the boat.

  After drying off, she draped her towel over a seat and sat down. One of the crew brought her something fruity to drink. If there was alcohol in it, it was subtle. She just hoped it didn’t sneak up on her. The last thing she needed was for her tongue to loosen up.

  Chaz climbed the ladder a short time later. “Had enough of the water?”

  “For now. I might do some snorkeling off the beach before we go home. I can’t believe how clear the water is. Everything about this island so beautiful. It’s like being in a giant aquarium.”

  With his sunglasses on, his raised eyebrow was barely visible above the black plastic. “I think you have it backwards. Maybe, being in a giant aquarium is like being in the ocean?”

  She laughed. “I usually do have things backwards. Probably because I’m socially inept. I’ve never been comfortable in large groups. They tend to make me self-conscious.”

  Now he pushed down the sunglasses to peer over them, raising his eyebrows, his gaze stroking over every inch of her skin like feathery fingertips. She shivered.

  “If you have any reason to be self-conscious, it’d be because you’re the prettiest one in the crowd. Of course people are looking at you. Anyway, most of these people are your old friends. Hardly a large group.”

  “You always did have the best way with words. That probably comes in handy when you write songs.”

  “I’m serious.” He gave her an exasperated look and sank onto the bench next to her, close enough that his warmth heated her skin. “I don’t get what you see in the mirror, because it’s obviously not what the rest of us see. That’s probably what first drew me to you. No pretenses. No ego needing to be stroked. It was easy being your lover.”

  His words warmed her in places that shouldn’t be warmed by a man who was engaged to somebody else. She prayed her nipples weren’t visible through the thin fabric of her pale blue bikini. “Thank you. I think that’s one of the nicest things anyone has said to me.”

  Travis’s sarcastic voice broke up their private world. “What are you two doing sitting up here on your lazy asses?” He stepped over the side of the boat.

  “Soaking up the sun and fresh air,” Chaz said. “The only time the air in L.A. smells this good is right after the rain.”

  Nate grabbed a beer from the cooler. “Who goes to L.A. to breathe?”

  Their conversation turned to the tour they’d be taking in the fall. Kenzi tuned them out, leaning back and closing her eyes. As long as her sunscreen didn’t fail, this day would be totally perfect.

  Chapter Three

  Vanessa swept into the villa with all the flurry of a level three hurricane. Chaz came downstairs to see the cab driver unloading suitcase after suitcase after garment bag and makeup train case. “Geez, woman. You do know you’re only going to be here ten days.”

  A second cab pulled up with her assistants and their luggage.

  “I need it all. This isn’t even everything I took to Monaco. I had most of it shipped back home.” Vanessa paused long enough to brush a kiss on his lips as she hurried past him up the stairs. “I picked up a few things while I was there, of course. You wouldn’t believe some of the shops! Oh, and I got this ring.”

  She flashed a diamond on her right hand that was even bigger than the engagement ring he’d bought her. “It’s a chocolate diamond.”

  Chaz wasn’t about to break her heart by telling her the color made it a lower grade than a clear diamond. Let her be happy until the next big thing came along. “It’s beautiful.”

  Her face lit up and she continued up the staircase. “Carrie has booked appointments for my spa day, mani, pedi, all of that. Peter is here to do my hair, and Rhianna, my face. We can let them stay in guest rooms, can’t we? They’ll need to be here early on Saturday to get me ready. It’d be so much easier if they don’t have to take a cab from some hotel on the other side of the island.”

  How big did she think the island was? “Yeah, no prob. The guys are staying elsewhere.”

  “You’re so good to think of everything. I need to call the wedding planner in the morning. I’m so tired. I want a nice long soak in the tub, but I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep.”

  “Everything is under control. You can just relax and enjoy yourself.”

  Her entourage, all two of them, slipped in the door quietly. Chaz greeted them. “Hi guys. Turn left at the top of the stairs and help yourselves to any room.”

  “Thanks, Chaz,” Rhianna said. She and Peter carried their bags up with them.

  Chaz went back to the office/library/escape pod where he’d left Joey.

  “Princess Lookatme is here, I take it.” Joey was listening to tunes on his phone through ear buds.

  “Man, don’t call her that. That’d make me Prince Lookatme after this weekend.”

  Joey frowned. “She isn’t changing her name, is she? And you’re definitely not taking her name.”

  “Well, legally, she might. But she’s not messing with her stage name.” Chaz leaned back in a recliner and closed his eyes. He’d be so glad when this wedding was behind him.

  “Shouldn’t you be up there with her?”

  “She needs to unwind. You know how she is when she first gets in.”

  “Not much different than most of the time.” Joey shifted in his seat, the frame creaking softly.

  “Yeah, I guess. She keeps it entertaining, though. Life is never dull around her.”

  After a bit, Joey asked, “Were things dull with Kenzi?”

  Chaz opened an eye and peered at his friend. “Why you bringin’ her up, dude? I’m not even the same guy I was then. What I had with her has nothing to do with Vanessa and me.”

  “I was there too, remember? You haven’t changed that much. Maybe gained some confidence, but that’s all. You liked having down time, a laid-back lifestyle. Said it helped you think of new music.”

  “Well, I get plenty of down time when Vanessa is filming.” Chaz rubbed a hand over his face. “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Make this a thing between Vanessa and Kenzi. Yeah, Kenzi was my first love. But it doesn’t mean I love Vanessa any less. I need you to believe in me. I want to make things work with Vanessa.”

  “Okay. You got it. No more pointing out how Kenzi is so much better all around than Vanessa.” />
  Chaz chuckled. Such a smart ass. “Dude, if I weren’t so tired from our day on the boat, I’d kick your ass.”

  “Yeah, you and Vanessa’s army of assistants, maybe.”

  “Whatever.”

  ~*~

  Two mornings later, Chaz rolled over in bed, his eyes gritty from lack of sleep. He threw an arm over Vanessa only to land on cool, empty sheets. He tried to focus. She’d gotten up already. Reaching for his phone, he checked the time. He must have slept really late for her to be up already. He didn’t hear the shower, so she must already be dressed and downstairs.

  It was only nine o’clock.

  He rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts, rubbing his eyes. He splashed some cold water on his face before heading downstairs.

  Rhianna and Peter were sipping coffee at the table in the breakfast nook while the cook who’d come with the villa pushed food around in a skillet.

  “Did Vanessa say what time she’d be back?” he asked.

  “I haven’t seen her. I just got up about fifteen minutes ago,” Rhianna said.

  “I’ve been up for an hour or so,” Peter said. “I never heard her go.”

  Chaz poured himself a cup of coffee and went into the office, where he’d left his laptop. He flipped it open and logged on.

  The browser was open, a discount travel site on the active tab. Vanessa had been planning another trip? She usually let her assistant do that. She hadn’t mentioned another job coming up, or an appearance somewhere. He clicked to open a new tab and logged into his email.

  A name halfway down the page of unread mail caught his attention. Vanessa Baby. The account she used for his email only. There was no subject line. Typical. He clicked on the email.

  Chaz baby,

  So. Plans have changed. I know I told you it was over between me and Harry. I really thought it was. I meant it to be. But, you know, he’s my soulmate. I just can’t be without him. And I can’t be with you and thinking about him, that’s not fair to you. So, it’s better this way. For all of us. I really do love you, though. Really.

  V.

  Shit.

  ~*~

  Kenzi and the girls sat on the beach, digging their toes in the warm sand and playing on their phones. Glancing at the other two, Kenzi had to laugh. “Wow. If we’re ever stranded on a deserted island, I know what we’d each need to have with us.”

  Jasmine tugged on a ringlet that had pulled free of her ponytail. “Well, there’s no point bringing my flat iron, is there?”

  “I don’t know about you guys,” Bree chimed in. “I’m reading a book on my phone. I kind of like having an excuse to not be tweeting every fifteen minutes.”

  After a few minutes, Jasmine suddenly gasped. “Oh. My. God. You guys! You won’t believe this.”

  “What?” Kenzi set her water bottle back in the sand.

  “Vanessa and Harry Cabrera were seen at the airport together,” Jasmine said with all the drama she could muster.

  “So what?” Bree said. “They probably got on different planes. She came here and he went to wherever he goes after a film.”

  “No.” Jasmine passed the phone to Kenzi, her hands pointing madly at the screen. “That’s them. This morning. Leaving St. Thomas. Look at the picture. That’s the airport here.”

  Kenzi studied the grainy snapshot, obviously taken with a phone and then sold to whatever tabloid Jasmine found it on. The photo was taken from behind. The back of the guy’s head did look sort of like Harry. And the woman had a gray scarf wrapped around her hair, so there was no telling what she even looked like. “That could be anybody.”

  “It says right there it’s them,” Jasmine argued.

  “Let me see.” Bree stretched an arm out. Taking the phone she studied it a bit. “Yeah, that’s definitely Harry Cabrera. I’d know his ass anywhere. Remember that shower scene?”

  All three girls burst out laughing.

  Kenzi shook her head. “You should only be looking at Ash’s ass.” As her thoughts turned to Chaz, she went quiet. Had Vanessa really left the island? Where would she go the day before her wedding? Maybe she had to fly to the states for a last minute retake, or whatever they called it. Vanessa’d look awful at her wedding with all that travel.

  The idea gave her a momentary flash of pleasure. “I’m sure there’s a good reason. If it’s even her.”

  Jasmine took her phone back. “Why don’t you call Chaz and ask?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Use the excuse of thanking him for the snorkeling trip.”

  “I said thank you when we left. We all did.” As much as she wanted to hear his voice, she wasn’t going to call him.

  Bree set down her own phone. “You don’t really think that’s her, do you? She wouldn’t go running around the world right before her wedding. It’ll probably take three days just to get her hair perfect before the photos, and the wedding is tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know her,” Kenzi said. “She did have a fling with Harry in their last film. If they were back at it hot and heavy during this one, she did a better job of hiding it. For Chaz’s sake, I hope not, though.”

  God, how she hoped not. How awful. Breakups sucked to begin with. Public ones must be a hundred times harder to get through. And being left at the altar? What could suck more?

  ~*~

  Chaz phoned Joey. “You coming over this morning?”

  “I can. What’s up?”

  “I’ll tell you when you get here.”

  Peter was still eating when Chaz entered the kitchen and stopped opposite where he sat. “Did you know about this?”

  “What?”

  “About Vanessa. And Harry.”

  Peter’s eyes widened. “Um, what about them?” The guy looked ready to deny anything he’d seen.

  Chaz pulled out a chair and sat. “Look, I’m not accusing you of stalling for her or anything. There’s no need to pretend. She left me a note.”

  Peter held up his hands and shook his head. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

  “Vanessa didn’t tell you the wedding was off?”

  “It’s off?”

  Chaz just glared back at him.

  Pushing back from the table, Peter said, “Would I still be here if I knew I wasn’t needed? I’d be home, sitting by a fire in minus-eight-degree weather wishing I was here.”

  Chaz gripped the edge of the table. “Sorry, man. I guess it wouldn’t make much sense to leave you guys as a decoy when she sent me an email.”

  Joey stopped in the doorway. “She dumped you in an email? That bitch.”

  “You don’t have to sound surprised.” Rising, Chaz stormed back to the office.

  “Be right there,” Joey called. “I need coffee for this.”

  When Joey sat down in the office, Chaz filled him in on his morning.

  Joey shook his head. “She wasn’t acting funny or anything yesterday?”

  “I barely saw her. She was running around doing her spa thing, or whatever. At least, that’s what she said. She was probably in a room with Harry somewhere.”

  Joey was quiet for a long stretch.

  Chaz scrubbed a hand over his head. “Thanks for not saying, ‘I told you so.’”

  “I wouldn’t do that. I’m sorry, I really am. Can you just forget all the shit I’ve been saying about her this week?”

  Chaz met his gaze. “Like it was different from any other week?”

  “I don’t like her. What can I say. Now I fucking hate her. What are you going to do?”

  “What, do you want me to go chasing after her? I didn’t do it the last time, there’s no way I’m gonna do it now.”

  Joey crossed his ankle over his knee. “I meant about the wedding. People are flying in today for tomorrow’s reception.”

  “Shit. It’s too late to call everything off.”

  “What choice do you have?”

  What choice? None. He had to face a banquet hall filled with his friends, famil
y and Vanessa’s celebrity buddies and tell them all to go back home. But drink the champagne first, I paid enough for it.

  He needed to burn off some of the agitation coursing through him. “I’m going for a swim. If you come up with any ideas, let me know.”

  One of the best things about having spent so much on the villa was the private beach. Yes, he could be seen there from the other homes nearby, and probably from across the bay. But no one sat in the sand snapping his picture or telling him their friend’s brother’s uncle’s dog had graduated from the same high school sixteen years before Chaz did.

  He dove into the water, kicking deep before coming up for air. Stretching out, he began to swim down the coast. How far would he have to go to outrun the fact he’d just spent a fortune on a party that wasn’t going to happen?

  Running through the last few months in his mind, he tried to see what he’d missed. He’d been clueless, apparently. Vanessa had called daily from Monaco. Talked about the wedding. About the scenes she’d shot that day. About anything but Harry.

  Maybe that was significant. Maybe she’d avoided mentioning Harry so she didn’t let anything slip.

  Maybe Chaz was just a blind ass who only saw what he wanted to see. He should have been listening to Joey instead of shooting him down.

  When he saw snorkelers swimming in front of him, he realized how far he’d swum up the coast. Not a huge distance, but right to the public beach. He’d be stupid to turn around and swim back without resting. There was no sand between there and the villa, nowhere to take a break.

  Praying he’d look like just another swimmer, he walked onto the shore. The crowd wasn’t too large, given the time of day. He continued past the kids making sand castles, and the moms with their spray cans of sunscreen. He found a clearing behind most of the people and lay down.

  Voices carried. Bits and pieces of conversation broken up by mothers’ shouts. Familiar laughter rose above it all.

  Kenzi.

  He sat up and glanced around. Recognizing the hair color of the three ponytails off to his right, he strolled over. “Good morning.”