My parents glance at each other, and then they both look at me. “Is this what you want?” my dad asks.
I can’t help my grin as I nod. “More than anything.” My eyes edge over to my husband. “I’m so in love with Luke.”
My mom squeals and claps her hands together. “Does that mean I’m finally getting a grandchild sometime soon?”
I laugh as Luke blanches. “One step at a time, Mom,” I say. I jab my thumb toward my brother and Nicki. “Maybe badger these two a while first.”
Josh blanches a bit, too, and then Nicki throws the attention back to me by changing the subject as she clears her throat. “So what’s next for you two?”
“We just checked out of here and we’re going to another hotel to celebrate our honeymoon,” I say.
“Away from my toxic family,” Luke adds.
“You both deserve to be happy,” Josh says. “I’m glad you’re finding that with each other. But keep the details to yourself, okay?”
We all get a good laugh out of that. We order, and so far, we haven’t had the pleasure of running into the last member of Luke’s family that we haven’t said goodbye to just yet. My fingers are crossed that we don’t...but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?
My parents are at the reception desk checking out. It’s as we’re hugging Josh and Nicki in the lobby and bidding them a safe trip home—a place that doesn’t sound so bad right now—before they head up to pack to catch the flight they’re all taking together that we hear Jack’s voice.
“The party’s over so soon?”
I draw in a deep breath before I turn around. Michelle is right by his side, and the prissy gloating expression on her face makes me want to barf.
“We’re heading home tonight,” Josh says, and he seems to regard Jack a little warily. I’m not sure if that caution has more to do with the fact that he’s professional competition or with how Jack treats Luke. Maybe both.
“And we’re heading to another hotel,” Luke says.
Jack’s brows arch. “Running away?”
Luke grunts out a chuckle. “Hardly. I’d just like to enjoy my honeymoon with my new bride away from my family and Michelle.”
“So...running away,” Jack says.
“Sure,” Luke says, and his tone clearly expresses that he doesn’t care what his brother thinks.
And that might just be the deepest dig for Jack. He doesn’t know how to respond to his brother’s sarcastic indifference, and seeing him sputter for a beat is somehow totally out of character for him while it’s incredibly satisfying to watch.
Luke glances between Michelle and Jack. He narrows his eyes at them. “Hope you’re enjoying your sloppy seconds.”
Jack raises a brow and lowers his voice. “I’ll let you know once I get Ellie into my bed.” He winks at me.
“That will never happen,” I snarl.
Josh steps in to save the day as my parents join us. “Well, you two have a fun honeymoon. We’ll see you when you’re back home.”
I give each member of my family one final hug, and then I wiggle my fingers at Jack and Michelle while Luke gives them a smirk.
“Bye,” we say together, and then we head out for the car waiting for us out front to take us to our new hotel.
CHAPTER 7
“What’s a lanai?” I ask.
Luke types the word into his browser on his phone before reading me the results. “The Hawaiian word for porch or veranda.”
“Well whatever it is, I’m in love with it.” I collapse into one of the cushioned chairs on our lanai that overlooks the ocean. If I thought the last hotel was nice, well, it has nothing on this one.
This one boasts nine pools with waterslides, a lazy river, and waterfalls, seven restaurants, and beach access all in the lap of luxury. Our huge suite has a private lanai, and it’s both relaxing and romantic...and, maybe most importantly, it’s just for us. We may still be on the same island as the rest of his family, but this separation feels both necessary and much better.
It’s ours, and ours alone, for the next week.
We spend our days at the pool and our nights naked. We relax. We fall asleep on the beach. We cover each other in sunscreen. We swim. We ride waterslides and kiss under waterfalls. We learn how to kayak. We snorkel. We get massages. We have sex up against windows and in our bed and in the shower and he even slips it in when we’re in the ocean, separated by ourselves yet with people all around us probably doing the same thing.
We spend time together laughing, the weight of his family and their secrets mixed with what started as a lie between us off our shoulders as we truly get to explore everything about each other for the first time.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt closer to another person. There are still secrets he holds, but they have no bearing on us. Maybe someday he’ll be ready to tell me about them, and maybe not. I’m not sure if it matters. They’re swept away with history, and I keep telling myself that they don’t really matter...even though a small part of me hates that Savannah still holds onto a piece of him that he doesn’t want to reveal to me.
It’s still early days for us. We have at least a year or the rest of our lives.
The seven remaining days of our honeymoon in Hawaii pass in the blink of an eye without drama and without incident, and suddenly I find myself staring out Luke’s car window as he pulls back onto his street. We’re nearly home. When we left, I’d just signed a contract saying this would be home for the next year, and now I have hope that it might last far beyond that.
I’m excited to get back to work. I’m ready to sort through our photos, to focus on our upcoming charity event, to make my new husband indispensable to his team...even to make his team owner see that marrying me was the right choice despite Luke having knocked up his daughter. That might be a stretch, but if anyone can do it convincingly, it’s me.
He pulls into the driveaway, and I can’t wait to get inside, kiss Pepper on the head, and unpack the luggage. I’m tired of living out of suitcases...but even if I wasn’t, it’s just in my nature to have everything unpacked, the laundry started, and the suitcases put away within an hour after arriving home.
“Look who’s back,” a singsong voice from next door calls as we pull suitcases out of the back of the car.
“Hey, Mrs. Adams,” Luke says. He doesn’t stop what he’s doing to acknowledge her, further evidence that he’s ready to just be home, too.
“You know you’re supposed to call me Dorothy,” she reminds him. She looks between the two of us. “I saw the gossip columns, but please tell me they got it wrong. You didn’t go and get married now, did you?”
Luke holds up the shiny new hardware on the third finger of his left hand. “We sure did.” He flashes her a cheesy smile and draws me in with an arm around my shoulders.
“Tsk tsk,” she tuts. “Abigail will be so disappointed.”
“Tell your granddaughter I’m so sorry, but I fell in love,” Luke says, his eyes on me.
“Can I still sit on your lap at least?” she taunts, and Luke laughs.
“No. But if you need a pickle jar opened, you know I’m your guy.”