Sea Glass Island (24 page)

“I’m sure she’ll survive the disappointment,” he said wryly. “I’m more concerned with whether I’ll survive life with you.”

“You won’t know unless you try,” she teased.

He took a deep breath and said, “Then I guess I’d better try.”

She smiled slowly. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Ethan took another very deep breath and made a giant leap, one far scarier than bungee-jumping. “Want to elope this weekend? I’m pretty sure there’s a beach in Hawaii calling our names.”

For the first time since they’d met, he’d surprised her. Her mouth was agape.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I don’t think I can handle all that wedding planning and stress again right now, and I don’t want to wait. Do you? If you do, I’ll cope with it, but I’m thinking impulsive is the way to go.”

She still looked a little shell-shocked. “You want to run off and get married in Hawaii?”

“You did say you wanted a destination wedding. If you’ll settle for the beach right here, we could probably go that route, too, then take off to any island of your choice for a honeymoon.”

He held his breath awaiting her reply.

“I’m thinking you’re crazy as a loon,” she said eventually. “We’ve hardly even dated. We’ve been thrown together by my sisters and my grandmother, but you’ve not once taken the initiative to ask me out. Not really.”

“We have slept together,” he reminded her.

“Definitely a consideration,” she agreed. Her gaze narrowed. “But maybe I need to be courted properly.”

Ethan studied her expression, thought he detected a twinkle in her eyes that contradicted her claim, but just the same he said, “If you want to be courted, I’ll give it a try, but I can’t promise I’ll live up to the romantic scenarios on those soaps you used to be on. I’m a fairly staid, unimaginative man.”

She grinned. “Come to think of it, those soap marriages inevitably led to disaster. Maybe you have the right idea about just taking a blind leap of faith, though it seems a little risky given how little I really know about you. I don’t even know if you squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle or leave your socks all over.”

“Yes, and no,” he said in response. “Is there anything about me you really need to know that someone in this town hasn’t already told you? I’m pretty sure my résumé was provided along with your invitation to be your sister’s maid of honor. Plus, according to several reports happily passed along to me, you’ve had a crush on me since high school. That must count for something.”

“I suppose,” she agreed with a hint of reluctance.

“What’s holding you back?”

“I like getting flowers for no reason,” she admitted. “And candy. I’m very fond of expensive chocolates. Those usually stop after the wedding, and with us, you haven’t yet sent any at all.”

“They’re yours, every week, if that’s what you want,” he assured her. “But marry me first.”

“Are you afraid you’ll get cold feet if we wait?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Are you worried I will?”

He shrugged as if that fear were of no consequence. “You say you always keep your promises. I trust you.”

“Then what’s the hurry?”

“It has recently been brought to my attention that I’m perceived as being slow and stodgy, at least in the romance department. I think my image needs an overhaul. Despite some unwelcome repercussions, that picture in the paper actually spiced up my image. If I throw in an impetuous, out-of-the-blue elopement, that could clinch the deal.”

“Is there some reason you’re suddenly so anxious for an image overhaul?”

“Yep. Without one, people will never believe I won a woman like you.”

She took a step closer, her gaze locking with his. “You won a woman like me by being the best man I’ve ever met, inside and out,” she said, her hand resting against his cheek. “And this weekend works for me.”

“What about your life in New York?”

“Over and done with, which you already know.”

“I like hearing it again and again. It’s reassuring,” he admitted.

“Then you should know that the only reason I’ll be going back to New York is to pick up my clothes,” she said. “Come to think of it, given that look in your eye, it could be a while before I need those.”

Ethan sighed, overwhelmed by the feeling of contentment that had stolen over him. He looked deep into her eyes and said the words that had frightened him not so long ago. “I love you, Samantha. I may not say the words enough, but I will show you each and every day.”

“You already have,” she assured him. “Now we’d better get in that van. The natives are getting restless, and I’m pretty sure Cass has texted pictures of us to everyone she knows. We could be destined to be front-page news again next week.”

“So what?” he murmured, catching her hand and pulling her back. “Ken can run the picture with the announcement of our wedding.”

“Our engagement,” she countered.

“Nope. We’re going for broke,” he told her. “Anything less is a deal-breaker.”

Surprise lit her eyes. “Boy, when you go all in, you really take it seriously, don’t you?”

“I hear it’s the only way. Now come over here.”

“We should get on the bus,” she argued. “Look at all those fascinated faces watching us.”

“They can wait,” he insisted, sealing his mouth over hers for a kiss that set his heart ablaze.

He’d been right about everything from the very first moment he’d set eyes on her, wearing his football jersey and nothing else. This woman was destined to turn his life upside down.

Amazingly, after all his worries that he’d never find the right match who’d love him for the man he was now, right this second there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d found a woman who’d give him a run for his money. And even more amazingly, he was absolutely convinced that he could keep up with her.

And if he couldn’t? Well, he knew with a hundred percent certainty that she’d be waiting for him right around the next bend in the road.

Epilogue

“I
s everyone here insane?” Emily inquired, looking around at the small group assembled on the beach on Sea Glass Island, where for the moment the sun was sparkling on bits of sand-washed colored glass. “An evacuation order was issued an hour ago. There’s a hurricane on the way, people.”

“Then the minister needs to hurry up and get here,” Samantha said calmly, looking into Ethan’s eyes. “We are not budging from this spot until we’ve said our vows.”

As if to emphasize the imminent threat, the sun ducked behind a heavy, dark cloud, the wind kicked up and sand swirled around the wedding party, which included the three Castle sisters, their men, Cora Jane, Jerry, Sam Castle and Sophia, who’d sworn she’d never met such a marrying group of people in her life. Greg was Ethan’s best man. Though his folks hadn’t flown in for the last-minute wedding, they planned to be here for the reception to be held in a few weeks.

Just then Samantha’s veil caught in the wind and sailed down the beach. Boone’s son, B.J., chased after it.

“It kinda got wet,” he said apologetically when he handed it back to her. “I couldn’t get there fast enough.”

“It’ll dry,” Samantha said, unconcerned. “Has anybody checked on the minister?”

“I spoke to him less than five minutes ago,” Boone assured her. “He said the boat we sent for him was just offshore.” He glanced up. “And there he is, climbing over the dunes right now.”

Samantha beamed at Ethan. “No getting out of it now.”

“Wouldn’t dream of trying,” he said. “Though we might want to ask for the short version of the ceremony. Those are some serious storm clouds rolling this way. And the waves are about to overrun the beach. We’re going to get soaked.”

She laughed. “The short version works for me, though getting soaked isn’t such a big price to pay for getting married.”

“But getting stranded out here might be more than any of us bargained for,” Ethan said.

Even though the service was a bit rushed and threatened by an impending late-season hurricane, Samantha thought it was the most beautiful ceremony she’d been to, and she’d been to a lot recently.

At the end Ethan looked into her eyes and said, “When I left the hospital a few years ago, they told me I was almost good as new. I wanted to believe that. I made it my mission to work with kids who’d been injured to prove that life could be anything they wanted it to be.”

He held her gaze. “But it wasn’t until you came along that I really felt whole again. You complete me, Samantha, and I will spend a lifetime trying to give you everything you want or need.”

Through her tears, she whispered, “As long as I have you, Ethan, I’ll have everything I’ll ever need. I can’t wait to spend my life with you and see what adventures come our way.”

The minister glanced up at the sky, then asked, not even trying to hide the sense of urgency he was feeling, “Anything else?”

“Nope. I think that about covers it,” Ethan said, never taking his gaze from Samantha’s face.

“Then I now pronounce you husband and wife, and suggest we get back to the mainland and get out of town.”

“Not before this,” Ethan declared, sweeping Samantha into his arms and kissing her.

He took his sweet time about it, too, until fat, cool raindrops splashed on them and waves rolled over their feet. Even then, he clearly wasn’t ready to stop. Samantha smiled against his lips, glad that they were on the same page. Some things were more important than a storm on the horizon.

It was the applause and catcalls that interrupted them eventually.

“We need to hightail it out of here, people,” Boone said, urging them back over the dunes to the waiting boats some of the locals had provided for the short trip over to the island. Back on the mainland, packed cars were awaiting them. There was no way to know when they might be allowed back in Sand Castle Bay.

While the guests scampered across the beach, Samantha hung back for just a second, relishing the feel of the sand beneath her feet and the warm, steady touch of the man beside her. With the rest of her family nearby, she was well and truly home at last...and oh, so glad of it!

* * * * *

Look for Sherryl Wood’s next novel, TEMPTATION,
available in September, followed by
A SEASIDE CHRISTMAS, coming in October
from Harlequin MIRA to your favorite retail outlet.

Keep reading for an excerpt of
Wind Chime Point
by Sherryl Woods!

If you loved
Sea Glass Island
, don’t miss
Wind Chime Point
, the first title in the Ocean Breeze series.

For a town called Serenity, things are not exactly serene! Enjoy the warm and inspiring stories of friendship, families and heartfelt emotions in Sherryl Woods’s Sweet Magnolias series.

Stealing Home

A Slice of Heaven

Feels Like Family

Welcome to Serenity

Home in Carolina

Sweet Tea at Sunrise

Honeysuckle Summer

Midnight Promises

Catching Fireflies

Where Azaleas Bloom

Do you love to cook? Sherryl Woods shares delicious down-home Southern recipes and exclusive behind-the-scenes stories in
The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook
. Available now!

Looking for even more? Check out the Chesapeake Shores series, and dozens of other titles by Sherryl Woods, all available in ebook format.

“Woods is noted for appealing, character-driven stories that are often infused with the flavor and fragrance of the South.”
—
Library Journal

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