The Honeymoon Prize (2 page)

“My pleasure.” Emily curtsied. “You will love Starfish Island. I saw the brochures. It’s beautiful and romantic. Perfect for the two of you.”

Maybe, except once Nick and Addie arrived on the private island resort in the South Pacific, beyond taking a few promo photographs and sharing a
bure
, the Fijian name for the thatched-roofed cottage, they planned to go their separate ways.

“Yeah, thanks.” Nick dropped his hand from her shoulder. “I was going through the travel documents you gave me. A few pages seem to be missing.”

“Really?” Emily fiddled with her camera strap. “I gave you everything I received from the travel company.”

“Some sort of release was mentioned, but the information wasn’t in the package.”

“I’m sure you have everything.” She dropped a lens cap, then swiped the piece of black plastic from the pavement. “I’ll check when I get home from work and text if I find anything, okay?”

“Thanks,” Nick said. “Seemed a little strange.”

“I know my phone is in here somewhere.” Emily dug through her bag. A package of tissue nearly fell out. She removed her mobile phone, glancing at the screen. “Would you look at the time? My lunch break is almost over. I need to get back to work. Pronto.”

Addie touched her friend’s shoulder. “Wait. Your dress.”

“Keep it. Looks better on you, than me.” Emily took two steps back. Her gaze traveled from Addie to Nick. “Have a great time in Fiji. Send me a postcard.”

With that, Emily disappeared out of the park.

Addie looked at the empty spot where her friend had last stood. “She’s in a hurry.”

“Short lunch break,” Nick said. “Might have a project due. Advertising is a high pressure business.”

“Maybe.” Emily dropping things and rummaging through her purse wasn’t normal behavior for the ultra-organized, always-put-together ad executive. Nothing was out of place in Emily’s apartment or life. Her spice rack and items in the refrigerator were alphabetized and put in order with expiration dates noted. “But she was acting . . . odd.”

“Don’t worry about Emily. She’s always has everything under control.” With his hand at the small of Addie’s back, Nick led her to the street where his truck was parked at a metered spot on the curb. “Come on.”

Typical Nick. Always in a hurry pushing her along when she’d rather hang back. He’d done the same thing during second grade recess every day to make sure they claimed the monkey bars before anyone else. She’d appreciated him bringing her along, and here they were again . . .

Some things never changed, even if their marital status had. Guess she should update her Facebook profile.
It’s complicated
might be better than
married
, but that wouldn’t be acceptable to Nick’s boss, who was thrilled his most valuable employee was settling down. Kind of silly if you asked Addie. A wedding ring on Nick’s finger might appease male clients, but a gold band would not make Nick any less attractive to said clients’ wives. But if he kept his dream job and made his boss happy, who was Addie to bring up reality?

A bus dropped off passengers at the corner. A horn honked. Icky smelling exhaust from a passing cement truck made Addie crinkle her nose.

Nick glanced at the gold band on his left-hand ring finger. “I expected being married to feel different, but it’s only been a couple of minutes.”

She looked at her matching wedding band, shiny beneath the afternoon sun. The pleasant summer weather didn’t match her mood at all. “I feel like a Miss, not a Mrs.”

“Well, you’ve got five years to get used to the title.”

Five years.

That suddenly seemed like a long time to play house. Dating while caring for her grandmother had been impossible. She’d tried a few times over the years. But given up. Still she believed in love, the forever kind that would last a lifetime. Someday she would find that. Someday . . .

He touched her arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just . . .” In spite of her doubts, Addie hoped Nick understood the depth of her gratitude. A week ago, she’d forgotten her key to Emily’s apartment and fallen asleep on the welcome mat leaning against the front door, waiting for her friend to return from a date. “Thanks for everything. I owe you big time.”

“Thank you.” He flashed her a charming smile that sent female hearts aflutter, brought women to their knees at bars and clubs, and convinced Addie to accept his marriage-of-convenience proposal. Not that saying yes took much convincing. Desperation had a way of making a person see the brighter side to any option, including marrying her closest guy friend. “Without legal proof I was a one woman guy, my boss would ship me off to some boring assignment guarding a building or I’d be looking for a new job.”

“I’d be homeless.”

He winked. “You win.”

“We both win and get a free honeymoon out of the deal.” Though the rock in her stomach felt more like dread than relief at the moment.

“True that.” He opened the truck’s passenger door. “Here’s to having fun and being each other’s good luck charm from now on.”

“I like the sound of that.” She hoped his words came true. For years her luck had been bad. Not anyone’s fault, just the way her life had turned out. She was ready for things to be different. “Where to now?”

“Home so we can finish packing our overnight bags.”

Addie climbed up into her seat, careful with the dress. “I still can’t believe we won a honeymoon. We’ll have to buy Emily a nice souvenir.”

Nick walked around the front of the truck and climbed inside. “She’s gone out of her way for us.”

“That’s because she thinks we’re . . .” Addie couldn’t say the words
in love
. “A cute couple.”

“Yeah.” He fastened his seatbelt. “But we can’t tell her or anyone the truth. Our friends have to believe we’re married for real. My boss, too. I love my job. Six figures to babysit clients in exotic locales is too easy a gig to lose because of a jealous husband.”

The gorgeous, young wife of a client had become infatuated with her handsome bodyguard. The man threatened to take his private security needs elsewhere unless Nick was reassigned. With the man’s connections, other clients voiced similar concerns leading to Nick’s assignments becoming limited. His boss had joked how much easier life would be if Nick were married, but the underlying ultimatum was unmistakable.

So what did the not-interested-in-settling-down bodyguard bachelor do? Propose to Addie. His friend. A sex-less, in name only marriage solved both their problems. In theory at least.

“Did you happen to give the client any reason to be jealous?” she asked.

“No way. I take my job seriously. No messing around. Strictly professional.”

She had no reason not to believe him. Nick had never lied to her. But that meant she knew many of his secrets. “Until you’re off duty.”

He stuck his key in the ignition. “I’m only human, babe.”

“I know.” She was a one-man woman who wanted the happily ever after, pinning her heart on a guy like him would be a disaster. “And you can’t help yourself for being a chick magnet.”

His cheeks reddened. The charming blush reminded her of the boy he’d once been, the boy she’d once loved, her childhood friend. “A cross I must bear.”

She fastened her seat belt, thinking about the cocktail waitress he’d last dated. They’d gone out for two weeks, a new record for him. “I pity any woman who falls in love with you.”

He started the engine. “Funny words coming from the new Mrs. Cahill.”

“In name only, dude. I would never want to be married to you for real.” She knew too much about his dating habits. “No offense.”

“None taken.” He turned on his blinker. “I’ve never wanted to be married for real.”

She remembered when he’d become engaged to a woman named Carrie who’d told him she was pregnant while he was deployed in Afghanistan. Nick, who wanted to do the right thing and be a better dad than his had been, proposed via Skype and sent her his paychecks, only to return home to find a pregnant fiancée, but one who wasn’t far along enough for the baby to be his. She’d been lying and cheating on him the entire time.

Nick never mentioned Carrie, but Addie knew the breakup affected him. He’d left the military when his contract expired instead of reenlisting. His dates never went beyond casual, even back in high school, but they seemed to be more temporary and physical now. But the hookups seemed to satisfy him.

“At least we know where we stand,” Addie said.

He nodded. “There’s no one else I trust enough to marry like this. Things are going to be okay. This will work.”

Addie crossed her fingers. She sure hoped so. Being homeless sucked.

N
ick stretched out, enjoying the legroom in first class, thirty-seven thousand feet over the Pacific Ocean. He twisted the gold band on his left-hand ring finger.

Sunlight streamed through the plane’s window, a new day. He hadn’t been married twenty-four hours yet, but he’d realized one thing. This ring wasn’t coming off his finger anytime soon.

Five years. He planned to make the most of being married.

Addie had called him a chick magnet, but this ring drew babes in like a tractor beam set on high. Since saying “I do,” three hot women had tried giving him their numbers at the airport. He hadn’t taken them. That wouldn’t have been nice to do to Addie a few hours after their wedding, even if the marriage wasn’t real. But getting married might be the best thing that ever happened to his social life.

With a wife waiting at home,
another
woman couldn’t expect him to get
serious
or stay the night. The possibilities of what he could get away with over the next five years were endless thanks to Mrs. Cahill.

Addie.

A warm feeling settled in the center of his chest, adding to the satisfaction he’d felt since being pronounced husband and wife. He’d come up with a brilliant plan.

This marriage wasn’t only for him, but Addie, too. He would support her financially and pay her school tuition. She could enjoy life for once with no money or housing worries. He also had a special wedding present he’d tracked down for her, but he hadn’t decided when to give her the gift. Maybe after they got settled on the island. He couldn’t wait to surprise her.

Lying on her reclined seat, Addie slept, covered haphazardly with a blanket, her left calf sticking out and her feet covered in the fuzzy socks from their flight amenity kits.

She’d dressed for comfort, wearing cut-off knee-length sweats, a large t-shirt and oversized San Diego Chargers crewneck sweatshirt. She looked younger, like a teenager, with her dark brown hair pulled back in a familiar ponytail, the same style she’d worn for over two decades and freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

Cute, as always, but different from how pretty she’d looked in the white dress at the wedding. The last time he’d seen her dressed up had been at prom. She’d gone with Scott Taylor, captain of the tennis team, and Nick had stewed watching the jerk hold Addie too close while they danced.

A bad night.

His
fault.

He could have been Addie’s prom date, her boyfriend even, except he’d blown her off on what would have been their first date. That day, his parents had finally, after years of threats and separating only to reunite, decided to divorce. Addie was his best female friend, his safety net. Going on a date had seemed like a bad idea. He’d been upset and too nervous to tell her how he felt, unsure of her feelings for him. He couldn’t afford to lose her friendship. Not when his life was falling apart. He knew that might happen because he didn’t know how to have a relationship that lasted more than a couple weeks or month.

Things had worked out for the best. Addie hadn’t been pissed at him or wanted an apology, proving she must not have been into him enough to want to go out. They’d stayed friends, good friends, though they hadn’t spent much time together after graduating because of his being away so much, and now they were married. At least according to San Diego County.

Goosebumps covered her arms. The air temperature in the cabin was cool at altitude. She’d mentioned not flying much. He turned off the air vent, then adjusted the blanket so she was fully covered.

She didn’t stir. After what she’d been through the past months, she must be exhausted. She needed this vacation.

He pushed a strand of hair off her face, her skin smooth beneath the pad of his fingertip.

Ten days on the exclusive, private Starfish Island would get rid of those dark, puffy circles under Addie’s hazel eyes. Relaxing would erase the two lines of worry forming a permanent V above the top of her nose. She could learn to have fun, be herself again, and not think about anyone but herself. Something she couldn’t do caring for her grandmother.

A flight attendant named Teresa touched the back of his seat. “Your wife looks like a painting. Very pretty.”

Nick pulled his hand back, not realizing he was still touching Addie. “I’m a lucky man.”

And he was. He couldn’t ask for a better friend. Addie Sinclair was a total sweetheart with a generous heart. She’d cared for her ill grandmother, pushing her around in a wheelchair, driving her to one doctor appointment after another, for nine freaking years. Addie deserved a medal or something. Whenever he was deployed, she emailed him and sent a weekly care package. She was the only woman he’d ever trusted with his secrets, with everything.

But friendship was all they would have because nothing else lasted. His parents constant fighting and numerous affairs showed Nick marriage wasn’t all hearts and roses. Carrie’s lies and cheating had taught him emotions were best pushed aside and ignored. “Addie is one of a kind.”

Teresa’s smile softened. “Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Cahill?”

Not for him, but Nick wanted to make this trip special for Addie. He knew how to start—a toast to this new chapter in their twenty-two year friendship. “Two mimosas, please.”

“Anything else?”

“Peanuts.” Addie hadn’t cared for the caviar, but she’d liked the little foil pouches containing peanuts.