The Honeymoon Prize (17 page)

In the
bure
of another woman? Addie’s stomach roiled. She didn’t want to think the worst of the man, but where else could he be?

“Bula, bula.” Mama Lani carried a tray filled with breakfast food. “Time to eat.”

Addie combed her fingers through her hair, a nest of tangles and knots due to falling asleep with wet, uncombed hair. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”

“You slept through dinner. You need food.”

“I need to find Nick.”

“Mr. Nick is busy.”

“Busy.” She gritted her teeth. “Doing what?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“You’ll like this one.”

She doubted that. “Is he . . . alone?”

“No.”

The truth hit like an unexpected wave, knocking her flat. Her butt hit the floor with a thud. But her heart hurt more than her bottom.

“Child?” Mama Lani set the tray on the table, then ran to her. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Addie shook her head, not trusting her voice. She was not going to cry. With Mama Lani’s help, she stood.

“You are going to sit at the table and eat, then it’s time to get ready.”

“For what?”

“A surprise filming.”

“I can’t.”

Mischief gleamed in Mama Lani’s eyes. “You can, and you will.”

Addie would not be fifty percent of a newlywed couple acting lovey-dovey for the camera. Not when she kept imagining Nick with another woman. That strawberry blonde, perhaps? “Please tell me where Nick was last night.”

“Mr. Nick thought you needed time alone so he stayed in another
bure
alone.”

Relief brought tears. Addie blinked them back. “Oh. Okay.”

“Not okay until you eat.” Mama Lani led Addie to the table and sat her a chair. “If you don’t have breakfast, I’ll feed you myself.”

All Addie could think about was Nick. He’d been alone.

A-L-O-N-E.

Nothing had changed between them, but she felt a million and one times better. She picked up a slice of papaya from the fruit plate. “Okay, I’m eating.”

“I’ll lay out your clothes.”

Addie picked up a
babakau
—a Fiji doughnut. “I’m not feeling well. Nick was supposed to tell Brad I wouldn’t be filming today.”

“Mr. Nick told me there was a change of plans. He said two ibuprofen should help your headache.”

Something was going on or Nick wouldn’t have said that to Mama Lani, but what? Addie would do this surprise filming, but as soon as she and Nick finalized divorce plans, she was on the next floatplane off the island.

She took a sip of tea, then wiped her mouth.

A quick sideways glance showed Mama Lani setting out a beautiful white sundress. Addie didn’t remember that one hanging in the closet. She took a closer look. “Where did the dress come from?”

“From Brad. Arrived this morning. Very pretty, don’t you think?”

“Beautiful.” Sundress wasn’t the best description of the delightful confection of asymmetric layers of white, a combination of lace and flowing fabric. “But a little fancy for the beach.”

Mama Lani shrugged. “Who knows what these television people think?”

“That’s true.” Addie couldn’t believe they thought anyone would watch their show. A happy couple frolicking on the beach wasn’t must-see TV. Though female viewers would like seeing a shirtless Nick. “I’m ready to go back to San Diego.”

“You leave tomorrow.”

“Want to come with me?” she asked.

Mama Lani laughed. “You must return to Starfish Island to see me. I never leave here.”

“Never?”

“This is home. My family is here. No reason to go anywhere else.”

Addie used to think that way about Coronado when her grandparents had been alive, but she might as well be an orphan after everything her family had pulled. “My friend Emily needs you to take care of her the way you’ve taken care of me.”

“Send her my way. Mama Lani is always here.”

“I would if Emily would took time off from her job. She works all the time.”

“Too much work is no good.

“I agree.” Addie thought about the current state of her bank account and how much a stay on Starfish Island must cost. “Might take me a while, but I’ll be back. Someday.”

When she took a real honeymoon.

Scratch that. She didn’t want memories of Nick to be following her.

“Smile, smile.” Mama Lani motioned Addie over. “Time to put on your new dress, then we will work on your hair.”

“That might take a while. I went to bed with my hair wet.”

“We have an hour.”

She stood. “What in the world does the crew have planned today?”

“This is not for the TV crew. There are other things we must do first.”

“Okay,” Addie said, resigned. “Let’s get this over with.”

T
hree hours later, Nick waited on the beach for Addie to arrive. Hands in his pockets, trying to act calm and cool when his insides trembled, he shifted his weight between his bare feet, the cuffs on his white pants rolled up, sand between his toes. A floral lei hung around his neck, the sweet scent reminding him of Addie.

He hoped this worked.

Thanks to Emily, Mama Lani and the resort’s event planner, an impromptu wedding vow renewal ceremony had been put together last night.

Nick wasn’t sure about Emily’s plan, but after she said his idea sounded like kidnapping and illegal, he decided to go with hers. But he’d added a touch of his own.

A proposal.

Nick would propose. Just he and Addie alone, no cameras in sight. This would give him the opportunity to tell her how he felt and ask her to marry him again only this time for real and on bended knee with an engagement ring.

A simple plan. Easily executed.

He wanted to say failure wasn’t an option, but he had zero control on how Addie would respond. All he could do was hope this worked out.

Nick rubbed the ring in his pocket, a lifetime of love against his fingertips. If his words couldn’t convince her, maybe the engagement ring would show her how much he cared, not only here but also back in San Diego.

Brad jogged up the beach. His tan had darkened over the past week. His hair had lightened. The guy wasn’t as annoying he’d been at the beginning. Nor was he stupid. He’d given Nick and Addie time alone before the ceremony in exchange for a Q&A on camera about why they wanted to renew their vows a week and a half after getting married.

“We’re good to go.” Brad checked the screen on his tablet. “Ready?”

“Yes.” Nick removed his hands from his pockets. The film crew had no idea the true reason behind the wedding vow renewal. They’d been excited by the idea last night and worked hard with the resort staff to set up a ceremony site on the beach this morning. “I’m good to go.”

Brad beamed. “Mama Lani is on her way with Addie.”

Nick’s stomach clenched. “Great.”

He’d known fear. Multiple deployments took their toll, but he’d managed, survived. What mattered downrange was his brother on his right and the one on his left, making sure they stayed safe. He’d been part of a team, with the best men he’d ever known, and knew each one would give his life for him, as he would for them.

But here, now, he was on his own. Not a soul to watch his back. Zero cover.

He stared at the water—clear and blue. Gentles waves lapped against the sand, but the rhythm did nothing to soothe his uncertainty, the gnawing fear over how Addie would react to his proposal.

Nick wasn’t a pilot, but he’d jumped out of many aircraft. The odds of crashing and burning were high. But he needed to do this. No regrets. He’d have those if he didn’t at least try.

“I’m going back to the crew,” Brad said. “We’ll be watching for you and Addie.”

“Before you go. Do me a favor. Stand next to me during the vows.”

Brad’s brows drew together. “What?”

“Be my best man. I didn’t have one the first time around. Though fair warning, you might be called on to make a toast at the reception.”

His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, the first wrinkles Nick had noticed on the guy. “Yes. Hell, I’d be honored. I’ll be so on with a best man speech, too. Thanks, dude. Means a lot.”

Brad jogged up the beach toward the ceremony site with a spring to his step, leaving Nick to wait.

A few minutes later, plant leaves rustled. Mama Lani’s signal to be ready.

Nick took a deep breath, then another. No game face to put on, but he needed to relax, get rid of the tension bunching his muscles. He should smile, except all he could do was rub his lips together. A silent plea to the friends and teammates he’d lost over the years to take off the Green Beret they wore over their halos and send down some mojo from the bar-that-never-closes in the sky.

Mama Lani appeared on the sand. Addie followed, a vision in white.

Gorgeous. His breath caught in his throat.

The colorful floral garland around her neck matched his. Matching flowers had been woven into her long hair. A beautiful white dress hugged her curves. The hemline fell below the knees, showing off her toned calves and bare feet, complete with hot pink painted toes. She wore no jewelry except a pair of pearl earrings and the gold wedding band on her finger. The ring kept her from looking like a . . . bride.

His heart pounded.

Addie’s gaze met his. Something flashed in her eyes. Not anger. More like relief. Her lips parted. “I hear there’s a big surprise in store today.”

He nodded, unable to tear his gaze away from her. “We only have one more night on the island.”

Someone cleared her throat. Mama Lani. Her get-with-the-program chastised Nick. The woman could give an ODA team leader lessons on mission preparation. But one look at Addie and he’d gotten sidetracked.

“I leave you with Mr. Nick.” Mama Lani’s tone was loving and nurturing. “He knows what’s
supposed
to happen next.”

“I do.” He reached out and clasped Addie’s hand. She stiffened, then relaxed, keeping up the happy couple act in front of Mama Lani.

“See you
both
soon,” Mama Lani said. She would walk to the ceremony site from here, using the path not the beach, to be Addie’s matron of honor.

But would this wedding vow renewal be for the cameras or for real? Time to find out.

M
ama Lani walked off the sand, giving Addie time to admire Nick in his white button-down short-sleeve shirt and pants and allow her annoyance to build. She glanced toward the path. No one was in sight.

She let go of Nick’s hand and took two steps back. “You didn’t sleep at the
bure
last night. Now there’s a surprise when you know I don’t want to be part of the filming today. What is going on?”

“You are stunning.”

She raised her chin. “Answer my question.”

He laughed. “No one’s going to step over you again.”

“Nope. So . . . ?”

“I’ve been an idiot.”

She wasn’t about to disagree, but she had a feeling they were talking about two different things. “What you’d do?”

“It’s what I didn’t do, but I’m going to make amends.” He closed the distance between them and held her hand again.

“I don’t understand.”

“Let me explain.” He took a breath, wet his lips, took another breath. He looked nervous, unlike himself. “Yesterday, you said you loved me. I responded the way I always have when there’s romantic feelings between us. I staged a tactical retreat. I thought I could walk away, guard my heart from you, but I realized that’s a losing battle. I need to admit defeat. Surrender while I still can.”

“You’re not making sense.”

“I love you, Addie. I always have. Not platonically. Romantically. With my whole heart.”

The air whooshed from her lungs. She forced herself to breath. “Stop joking.”

“I’m serious. I love you. I was too damn scared of the feelings and how you might react if I told you. After what happened in Fort Bragg, I was plain scared of being hurt and rejected so decided to separate sex and love. Figured I’d be safe. Worked for a while.”

“What happened?”

“You. This place. Your honesty about your feelings made me examine my own. I realized how empty my life would be without you.”

Her insides tingled. Joy threatened to overflow from her heart. She wanted to believe him, more than anything, but this was Nick. Every word was the opposite of what he’d said yesterday, what he’d said for years.

Addie leaned into him, raised her mouth to his ear to whisper, “Are there cameras on us?”

“No cameras, sweetheart. Only you and me.” He kissed her cheek, then raised his hand to his mouth. “But I’m ready to shout the words. I love Adelaide Sinclair Cahill.”

“What happened to you not being a one woman guy, not settling down, claiming love is fleeting?”

“Told you I was an idiot.”

She gave him a look.

“What happened is I met a cute girl who grew into a beautiful, smart woman. She made me see I was living a lie. And so you know, I’m going to find another job or go into business for myself. I don’t want a job that keeps me away from you so much.”

A tug of war raged inside her. Was Nick telling the truth? She wasn’t sure. “Did you have one too many mimosas for breakfast?”