“You’re only two words away from your happily ever after,” Addy said, easing in between Andrea and Sally as Gabriella’s cousin Marnie, the island’s best photographer, came bustling through the doors.
“You girls look like old pros.” Marnie stood back, admiring the girls in their varying colorful outfits and barefoot sandals. “Gorgeous. You could be on the cover of my next issue of Weddings Done Right.” Marnie traveled often for her wedding photography business, but she was in town for Gabriella’s wedding and had happily agreed to take Trish and Boone’s wedding photos.
“We’ve had a lot of practice lately,” Lizzie said. “I can’t wait for mine and Blue’s wedding.”
“Ohmygod!” Trish exclaimed. “I have the best idea!”
“Uh-oh,” Andrea said. “When my daughter gets that look, she’s scheming.”
Marnie moved around the group, capturing Trish’s excitement on film.
“Why don’t you and Blue get married now? With us?” Trish grabbed Lizzie’s hands. “Really. Our family’s all here!”
“That’s so sweet,” Lizzie said. “But…my family isn’t.”
“Ohmygod. I’m an idiot.” Trish pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry. Of course. I was just so swept up in becoming sisters-in-law with you, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Andrea patted Trish on the back. “We love your enthusiasm, baby girl. But Lizzie’s family definitely needs to be at her wedding. And besides, didn’t you hear Blue when he said they were getting married when her sister was on break from school over the holidays?”
“Uh-uh. I was too busy being proposed to.” Trish squealed. “Okay, the holidays it is! That’s not too far off, and we’ll help you get ready for the wedding of your dreams!”
Addy had never gotten particularly excited over weddings. But seeing Trish and Boone and Gabriella and Duke this weekend and knowing how happy they were brought a lump to her throat. She was excited for them to find their happy endings. She smiled to herself, thinking about the happy ending she wanted to give Jake tonight. Something a little extra special for the big brooding man who’d finally made her feel something. She’d make him feel something all right. Oh yeah, we’re definitely different. You girls are thinking of flowers and wedding dresses, and I can’t wait to get my man naked.
The room grew quiet, and Trish pinned Addy with a mischievous look. “Double wedding, Addy?”
“What?” Addy waved her hands, walking backward. “No, no, no. No wedding here. We’ve barely been together two days.”
The girls laughed.
Addy held her breath.
Marnie continued taking pictures.
Great. Did you capture that ohmygod look?
“Oh, honey,” Andrea said. “Time means nothing in matters of the heart. Why, I knew the moment I set eyes on Ned that he was the one for me.”
“Aw,” Maggie said. “I hope I find that one day.”
“The way Niko was checking you out earlier, I think you might be on your way,” Gabriella said, causing Maggie to blush.
Addy had noticed Niko checking out Maggie, and she’d seen the spark between them, too. It was hard to miss. Like the spark between me and Jake.
Andrea touched Addy’s hand. “Jake is just like Ned. More so than any of my other boys. Ned’s relaxed a bit with age, but when he was younger, he was obsessive, just like Jake. When Ned set his mind on something—or in my case, someone—nothing stood in his way. Until you, Jake’s only obsession was search and rescue. I wondered if anyone could pierce through his walls and get to his big, generous heart.”
“I think obsessed is a little strong,” Addy said. Jake’s voice rolled through her mind. You’re mine, Addy. Maybe his mother wasn’t so far off after all.
“You’re right. I don’t mean obsessed like a serial killer. I meant he’s single-minded. He knows what he wants and nothing will stop him from getting it.” Andrea glanced at Trish and winked. “All of our kids are determined—”
“And loyal,” Lizzie said, her eyes locked on Sally, who nodded in agreement.
“Yes. They are loyal,” Andrea said. “I’m proud of them all for growing up to be responsible, caring adults. It’s good to know we’ve done something right.”
“There’s no doubt that Jake’s a great guy, and I don’t mean to burst anyone’s bubble, but really,” Addy said. “We’ve hardly been together long enough to know if we like the same foods, much less want the same things out of life.” The words came out rough and uncomfortable. She felt like she already knew him better than she knew most people.
“You keep telling yourself that, honey,” Andrea said sweetly.
Addy wondered if she could see the panic blooming inside her with the realization that everyone else knew how close she and Jake had become when they were still figuring it out themselves.
“Girls?” Marnie said. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but if we don’t get the pictures soon, I’ll miss my boat back to the mainland, and I have to be in Chicago tonight.”
Boat? Addy’s mind reeled. She was leaving in a few hours. They’d been running around so much it had totally slipped her mind. There would be no awesome makeup sex, no waking up in Jake’s arms tomorrow morning. There would be no Jake for ten long days.
Andrea stepped closer. “Your heart has woken up, sweetheart, and love always wins. It’s stronger than anything. Even our sense of self-preservation.”
She hadn’t set out to sleep with Jake, much less be in a monogamous relationship. And now she couldn’t imagine going ten days without him.
TRISH AND BOONE exchanged their vows beneath the white and gold wedding canopy Blue had masterminded and Jake and his brothers had helped build. Addy’s eyes teared up when they’d said their vows, and she was adorable trying to hide it by fluttering her long lashes into the breeze. Jake hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her during the entire wedding ceremony, which had been almost as beautiful as she was. That was two hours ago, and now his brothers were deep in conversation about their fishing trip later that evening, and the girls were excited about having another girls’ night up on the bluff. But there would be no swooping in and kidnapping Addy tonight. She was leaving in a few hours, and Jake was doing all he could to not think about it.
Addy stood by the water’s edge with Gabriella and his mother, swinging her hips to the beat of the music. They’d just danced to five songs together, and he already missed the feel of her in his arms. The late-afternoon wind whipped her long dark hair across her back like a wild mane, pressing her short, sexy dress against her body, leaving nothing to the imagination. She’d been talking to his mother for a while now, and he wondered what his mother was telling her. Embarrassing stories of his childhood? Not likely. His mother tended to pull those out when she could get the most bang for her buck and see the blush rise on her children’s faces. Jake guessed they were talking about girl stuff. Clothes, shoes…That didn’t sit right either. Addy didn’t seem to get into those things the way he’d seen other women get giddy over them. What did she get giddy about? He laughed to himself. Addy didn’t do giddy. She did serious, sexy, seductive, and lately he’d been gifted peeks into her softer, vulnerable side. But if he knew his girl, and after months of watching her reactions and thinking about her, he was pretty sure he did, he knew how rare and special those glimpses were.
He felt his father’s presence before he appeared beside him. It had always been that way with them. His father had been the one to teach him how to hone his senses for search and rescue, and as he got older, those skills overflowed to the other parts of his life.
“Hey, Dad. How’s it going?”
“I think I should be asking you that.” His father nodded in Addy’s direction. “She’s really gotten under your skin.”
“You could say that.” Jake and his father had a special bond. He’d spent his formative years trekking along in his father’s shadow, soaking up every ounce of knowledge his father was willing to share. They shared more than just a love of helping others and pushing themselves past their limits. Jake shared his father’s nearly fearless disposition. Facing nature’s elements, wild animals, harsh weather, or the unknown didn’t scare them. But failing a rescue mission did. That was one reason Jake lived an unencumbered life. He’d long ago separated his emotions from everything but family and search and rescue. He couldn’t afford to be distracted when there were lives depending on him. Watching Addy gather her hair over her shoulder, he knew he was facing the biggest distraction of all, and he was glad he’d taken two weeks off while she was traveling. That gave him time to get a handle on things.
“What’s your plan?” his father asked.
“Plan?” he asked. “About…?”
“Her trip. Come on, son. I know you pretty well.” His father’s lips tipped up. “Right about now you’re looking at her and either concocting a plan to ask her not to go, or you’re figuring out how to get her to let you go with her.”