The Honeymoon Prize (18 page)

“I’m not drunk.” He raised his hand so she spun under his arm. “Unless I’m tipsy on love.”

She laughed at his bad line, then looked around. “Who are you? And what have you done with Nick?”

“I’m right here,” he said. “I’m the boy who proposed when we were five. The man who proposed when we were twenty-seven. I’m the husband who wants to propose now.”

Nick dropped down on his knee.

Her heart slammed against her chest, beating fiercely in triple time. The scene felt surreal, a dream come true. This couldn’t be happening, could it? “Nick?”

“Marry me, Addie. Not in name only. For real. Mrs. Nick Cahill. Nice ring to it, remember?”

The words rushed from his mouth. The hope and affection in his eyes touched her heart. “You’re serious.”

Her voice was soft, a notch above a whisper.

“Of course, I’m serious. I love you.”

He pulled something from his pocket. He held a gold ring between his thumb and index finger and raised his hand. A diamond sparkled in the sunlight.

She took a closer look, gasped, and then covered her mouth with her hands. Tears stung her eyes. “Grammy’s engagement ring.”

“For you.”

“I can’t believe this. I was sure I’d never see the ring again. How did you get it?”

“Emily. She told me what you’d done to pay for the funeral. I knew how much the ring meant to you and your grandmother. I roped her into finding it while I was in Dubai.”

Addie had no doubt about Nick’s sincerity or his love. He’d gone after the ring for her, determined to take care of her when she didn’t know he was doing it. She didn’t have to worry if his love was true. Like his friendship, his love had always been there. “No wonder she thought we were in love.”

“I’ve been carrying the ring around, wondering when I should give it to you. Emily was confused why you weren’t wearing the ring after the ceremony. I told her I was saving the ring as a surprise. Thought the honeymoon might be the right time. So . . . surprise!”

Addie threw herself into his arms, knocking him backwards onto the sand. She landed on top of him. “Nick, oh, Nick. Thank you. I love you. Of course, I’ll marry you.”

Her lips found his and pressed hard, a kiss full of longing and promise and heat, lots and lots of heat.

“I’m so glad you said yes.” He touched her face. “We’re going to renew our wedding vows in front of the cameras. We don’t have to pretend. This is for real.”

“How many surprises do you have in store?”

“You’ll have to wait and find out. But we need a proper ceremony this time with a reception afterwards.”

She was wearing a white dress. “This is my wedding gown.”

“You always said you wanted to get married on the beach.”

“I never told you that.”

“You told Emily. She did some long distance wedding planning with Mama Lani last night.

So that was what kept him busy. “Unbelievable.”

“We should get—Oh, crap.”

“What?”

“I dropped the ring. It’s gotta be here.” He scooted from beneath her and hopped to his knees. “You wouldn’t believe what I tracked down in the mountains of Afghanistan. Trust me, I can find a ring in the sand.”

Addie trusted him completely. She sat back, her heart full of love for Nick. “I know you will, but I’m going to help.”

She searched the sand around them.

He glanced her way, an intense expression on his face. His gazed narrowed on the bodice of her dress. “Found it.”

She glanced down. A prong had snagged the fabric on the right side of her breast. “How did the ring end up there?”

A sheepish expression crossed his face. He removed the ring from her dress. “No comment.”

Her smile felt wider than her face. She extended her hand. Carefully, he slid the ring onto her finger. A perfect fit.

Addie stared at the ring. “This would make Grammy happy.”

“Damn straight. She always thought I was a catch.”

“You are, but you’re mine now.”

“I am.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I’ve always been yours.”

She wanted to keep that satisfied smile on his face forever. “Took us long enough to figure this out.”

“No worries. We’ve got one more night left to make the most of our honeymoon, and we have the rest of our lives together.”

Addie stared up at him, her heart full of love. “We won the best prize of all.”

“We sure did.” Nick embraced her, pulling her against his chest, brushing his lips over her hair. “Each other.”

T
he breeze off the cove ruffled the hem of Addie’s new white dress. A conch shell trumpeted her arrival on the wedding raft. Drums sounded, echoing the beat of her heart, steady and strong like Nick.

A few minutes later, she stood barefoot on the sand in front of an arch of tropical flowers, the sweet fragrance something she’d never forget about Starfish Island. Her pulse stayed constant, the rhythm as soothing as the waves lapping against the beach, as she and Nick exchanged vows.

Don’t lock your knees.
Passing out would fuel pregnancy speculation. Not that she was, at least not yet, but who knew what might happen tonight? She wiggled her toes in the sand.

Clicks sounded—photographs being taken by guests and the resort. More pictures to put in their wedding album.

Her excitement built. She glanced at the engagement ring, excitement building.
Breathe.
She needed to breathe.

This. Was. It.

Nick stood next to her. The wind blew the ends of his wavy light brown hair. A garland of flowers around his neck. So handsome.

Her husband.

Joy overflowed from her heart, rushing through her.

I can’t believe this is happening.

Once upon a time, she’d dreamed of marrying Prince Charming. Turned out her schoolgirl crush and in-name-only husband was her Mr. Right. Today she’d been given the opportunity to hear him declare his love, accept his proposal and renew their wedding vows.

Birds flew overhead. The water rolled to shore. Mama Lani stood to her left, dabbing at the corner of her eyes with a tissue. Brad stood to Nick’s right, one eye on the ceremony, the other on the film crew taping them. Resort guests and staff filled the white chairs set-up on the beach.

A reception would follow, complete with a first dance on the beach, wedding cake, bouquet toss, and at least one champagne toast. Most likely two. Mama Lani said she might want to make one in addition to Brad’s.

Forget the wedding of Addie’s dreams being held at the Del in Coronado. All she needed was Nick. The location didn’t matter. She thought he was rescuing her by proposing, but his marriage plan and this honeymoon had helped them rescue each other. Everything might not be fairy-tale perfect. Both of them would have to make changes, but they were stronger and smarter then they’d been. Together, they could do anything. No matter what, they had each other’s backs. She couldn’t ask for a better beginning to a happily ever after.

“You may kiss your wife.”

Nick looked at her, a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his lips.

This time Addie didn’t hesitate. She rose up on her toes and kissed him, hard on the lips.

Mr. and Mrs. Cahill a.k.a. the cutest couple ever.

Those T-shirts would make a great first anniversary gift. A wonderful fiftieth one, too.

The End

By Melissa McClone

E
mily Rodgers sat in the backseat of a rusted-out taxi next to her longtime friend and pseudo-assistant, Addie Cahill. The ad agency should have had a limousine waiting at the airport, not an old cab that burped and passed gas. But Emily had been sent to Alvernia, a small European country, for damage control, not a holiday.

The taxi driver zigzagged around two cyclists.

Her head ached and her body longed for sleep after four flights and fifteen sleepless hours of travel from San Diego, California, but she found herself captivated by the postcard perfect street lined with charming shops and cafés. Elaborate engraved wooden signs hung from each storefront. People filled the sidewalks, enjoying the sunny spring day.

She rested her head against the hard backseat. The ibuprofen she’d taken at the airport hadn’t kicked in yet. “I hope it’s not too far to the hotel.”

“Shouldn’t be.” Concern clouded Addie’s eyes. “Have a plan?”

“Yes.” Not one hundred percent set, but Emily would figure out the other details soon.

So what if she worked in advertising not television? Her boss, Don Peabody, wanted his wife Kendra’s production company to succeed. He was willing to use whatever resources necessary, including Emily, to make that happen. This wasn’t the first time she’d been forced to help a fledgling reality TV show. If she received an overdue promotion, she hoped this one would be the last.

“Once I save the day again, they’ll have no choice but to make me a partner.”

“You deserve it and a raise, too.”

Emily nodded. She should have been promoted last summer, but her boss told her that she needed to bring in a top level client first. She’d been working on doing that ever since.

The taxi jerked to a stop. The driver swore. A translation guide wasn’t necessary. “Traffic jam.”

An imaginary clock went tick-tock in her mind. She pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything. The cars on the road weren’t the driver’s fault.

She checked her cellphone. Nearly one o’clock in the afternoon. Traveling made her lose all sense of time. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

“I see the hotel.” Leaning forward, Addie’s long, brown ponytail swung back and forth like a pendulum. “A crowd is gathered out front.”

Emily did a double take, noticed cameras. Lots of them.

Not just people. Paparazzi. They jockeyed for position like hungry piranhas hunting for their next victim.

Every muscle twisted into a going-to-need-a-massage bundle of knots.

Only one person could cause a near riot in the quaint, picturesque town surrounded by snowcapped peaks—His Royal Highness Lucas Alexander Leopold Casimir von Rexburg. The reason she’d been sent here. Black sheep and reckless royal didn’t begin to describe King Leopold’s youngest son, who was so far down the line of succession he wasn’t considered a spare heir, but a liability.

Emily’s French-manicured fingernails dug into the car door’s armrest. “I’m going to kill him.”

“That’s what Nick said he wanted do, too.”

Nick Cahill was Addie’s husband, a former Green Beret hired by Emily to handle security during the filming of a new reality TV show called
The Search for Cinderella
starring Prince Luc as he looked for a princess to marry.

“Nick couldn’t believe the prince ran off while everyone was suffering food poisoning,” Addie said.

Based on Luc’s reputation, Emily could believe it. She tapped her finger against her face. She was here to get the filming and dating back on track after the producer fired their royalty consultant. She had five days to fix the problems before she returned to San Diego for a client presentation.

The biggest obstacle to her succeeding was the prince himself. A plan formed in Emily’s mind. “With Nick’s special ops training, I bet he can dispose of a body and leave no evidence.”

Addie drew back, a frown on her pretty face. “Stop. Now.”

“Okay, maybe death’s a bit extreme.” And no doubt would be a PR nightmare. But there had to be something they—okay, Nick—could do so Prince Luc would have to be replaced. Any other handsome royal would have found a fiancée and be making wedding plans by now. “Maiming might be covered by insurance.”

“Innocent until proven guilty.”

Emily remembered the photos that had gone viral after the prince’s strip poker game with college women on tour with an a cappella choir. The next day, she’d hired Nick to babysit the royal rogue. That had been a month ago.

“There’s nothing innocent about Prince Luc.” His name tasted bitter. Emily wished she hadn’t thrown away her water bottle at the airport. “The man is the devil in disguise.”

Addie tsked. “How can you say that? You’ve never met him.”

“True.” Hearing about his exploits was bad enough. “But he’s living up to his reputation of being a self-entitled, spoiled twit.”