"Thanks for the warning," she gagged with a glare at Crew.
"You didn't give me a chance," he responded with a smirk as he took his cigar back. That would show her to take one of his.
"OK. OK. You got me. So what are you so proud about?" she asked again.
"Crew's getting married," Joseph piped in.
Crew looked around in a panic. "Shh. I haven't talked to Haley about any of this, and no one said anything about marriage. I just said I wasn't going to let her go," he whispered.
"You'd better not plan on just shacking up with the girl. She's a lady and deserves a ring on her finger," George admonished him.
"You guys are so nosy," Crew growled as he stood and smashed out his cigar in the ashtray. He'd best find Haley before the old men gave away his game plan. He would bet his fortune none of them could keep a secret. Why he'd said anything, he didn't know.
"Well, we wouldn't have to be if you weren't such a blasted fool," Richard called out.
Crew didn't bother responding as their laughter followed him from the room. It was a good thing Marlin had kept quiet; otherwise, he might have canned him on the spot.
He wouldn't have, of course, but it was a nice thought, anyway.
With a determined stride, Crew headed to his room. It was time to give Haley the romance she wanted. He had big plans for them, and the tighter he weaved his net, the more likely he'd be able to keep her stuck in it forever.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Several hours later Crew found Haley reading a book out back by one of the fire pits. He loved the way her face lit up when she came to a good part in a story, and the different ways her tears would fall during joyous and sorrowful scenes.
He didn't even need to pick up the book. He could read it through her expressions alone. If only she were as easy to read when they talked. She had grown very good at masking her emotions in front of him.
He hoped by the end of the night she'd trust him enough never to do that again.
"Good evening, beautiful," he said as he sat next to her and nuzzled her neck.
"Hi, Crew. Sorry I haven't come up yet. I lost track of time."
"It wasn't too hard to find you. Are you ready?"
"Yes. I'm getting sleepy."
Helping her stand, he wrapped his arm around her and began leading her toward the elevators.
"Did you have a good day?"
"Yes. I went golfing for the first time in my life. It's a good thing your father and uncles are so patient; I was afraid they might throw me into one of the water traps. I'm terrible at it," she told him with a laugh. "Correction. I'm very good at finding the water traps."
"I'll tell you a little secret. I'm terrible, too."
He could see she didn't believe him.
"You know those old men are crazy about you. I thought there for a while that I might have to fight my father for you. He's pretty infatuated."
"Oh, I love them, Crew. They are all so funny and kind. Whenever I dreamed of having a father, I imagined him being the perfect mixture of all three of them. They may bark pretty loudly, but they all have hearts of gold, and are really just big softies," she said with a sigh.
Crew was grateful she loved his family so much. Now that he'd found his way back home again, he could never settle down with a woman who didn't think family was just as important as their relationship. They went hand in hand.
If you had family, Crew believed, but no one by your side to love, you were only half a person. It went both ways, though. If you had true love, but no family to come home, too, you were still only half a person. To feel the full effect of a happily-ever-after, you needed your true love and your family to keep you standing strong. They were the ones who'd hold your hand in a storm, fall to their knees with you when the rest of the world let you down - they were everything that made you a whole person.
Poor Haley had gone so many years without that special bond. And though he'd had it all along, for years he'd taken for granted those who mattered most. At least it wasn't too late for either of them.
They reached the room, and he slowly opened the door and ushered her inside. She stopped in her tracks.
Crew was proud of himself. Since he wanted to uproot her life, he'd gone all out to make this night special, do it the correct way. Nothing but scented candles lit the room; they cast dancing shadows on the wall and released the sweet scent of jasmine in the air.
A table was set in the middle of the room with silver and crystal and the finest bottle of champagne he could get his hands on. A menu of cold salad, lobster fettuccine and chocolate mousse was ready to be served when they were, and overflowing vases of flowers sat on the two end tables. A few roses lay across her plate.