Chapter One
Spotted with puffs of clouds and deliciously mild winds, the bright blue Kona skies offered ideal conditions for jumping out of an airplane. Too bad they were also considered ideal for a wedding. Thankfully for Doug Hamilton—not his wedding.
"Heard about the dive yesterday." Billy Everrett took a pull from his beer. "Jonathan said the passenger started hyperventilating as soon as she hit the water. Glad you were there."
"I didn't do anything to calm down the lady that one of the others couldn't have done," Doug explained.
"Yeah, but none of them could have worked the chick-magnet magic the way you can."
Hands up, palms out, Doug steeled his expression. "Hey, man. I read the memo. Hands off the passengers. All I did was offer to buddy up with her. She did the rest herself."
"I know. That's just it. All you ever had to do was bat the baby blues at the women, and they'd melt at your feet. It would have taken the rest of us twice as long to break through the wall of panic that woman had built. Nervous divers make stupid mistakes. I'm just saying, I'm glad to have you on the team."
"Back at you." And it was great to be working with some of his former EOD team again. Even if Billy and Nick had gone all hearth-and-home on him. Doug caught sight of Billy's mother laughing and chatting her way across the reception hall. "Your mom's a hoot."
"Our very own Dolly Levi."
"Who?"
"You know, the Hello, Dolly! musical?"
"Right." The classic movie channel was his mother's babysitter of choice. For some reason that particular musical had been one that kept his interest. He was unlikely to ever forget Louis Armstrong singing the title song. "So your mom had a hand in getting you and Angela together?"
"Hell, no. Mom had her eyes set on hooking me up with Sara Alani."
"That would be the redhead?" His gaze drifted to where the young woman stood chatting with one of the many officers who had flown in to celebrate Jim and Lexie's wedding. Miss Alani was rather attractive. But the most important part about keeping things neat and uncomplicated was to avoid mingling with family. From the way Maile Everrett spoke, Sara Alani was closer to family than friend. "Your mother mentioned her."
Billy let out a roaring laugh and slapped him on the back. "Good luck, bro. Looks like Mom's got her next victim picked out."
"No worries. I've learned how to dodge a mother or two."
"Billy." Angela Carson, Billy's fiancée, sidled up next to him. "As soon as the bouquet gets tossed, I'm going to head home with Nick and Kara."
"What's wrong?" Billy's forehead creased like a Shar-Pei puppy.
Doug hovered between feeling totally sorry for the guy being snagged into the marriage snare and being totally jealous of the love arcing so strongly between the engaged couple—Doug could feel the electricity three feet away.
"Nothing." Angela reached up with her forefinger and rubbed at Billy's wrinkled forehead. "It was nuts helping throw this wedding together in only a few days. The cake's been cut. The bouquet toss is next. Kara's dead on her feet, and I'm not far behind. Nick's taking her home. He's offered to give me a lift."
"That won't be necessary." The frown may have disappeared, but concern still shone in his eyes. "I'll take you home."
"You don't—"
"I can take you home." Billy put a finger to her lips and kissed the tip of her nose. "Only five more weeks till it's our turn. You'd better start resting now because I have plans for us after the ceremony that will keep you off those beautiful feet but do not involve any rest."
Angela giggled, shook her head and kissed Billy on the cheek. The sappy display was almost enough to push Doug over the fence into the definitely jealous backyard. But then, across the room, he spotted the striking brunette from earlier, huddled close with the redhead Sara who now stood with an older woman and a dark haired man. The four of them smiled happily for the camera. The perfect picture. The perfect family. Hugs and kisses and a few photos later he remembered why commitment was highly overrated.
***
Sara Alani's father curled Emily Everrett against him and kissed her on the cheek. "I wish I had a son you could marry. Then you'd really be our daughter."
"She's already like family." Missy Alani winked at Emily, then her own daughter. "If she'd spent any more time at our house, we could have deducted her on our income tax return."
Everyone chuckled. Margaret, known as Missy to her close friends, had been repeating the same joke for as long as Emily could remember. "If you'll excuse me, I see Kara is sitting alone. I think I'll join her a minute."
All the guests seemed to be having such a wonderful time. She marveled at how any human being could have thrown this big splash together in only a few days. Everything was perfect, from the personalized table settings to the massive floral arrangements strategically placed around the reception area.
She collapsed onto the chair beside Kara, touching her slightly rounded belly. "I swear you're the poster child for the pregnant-woman glow."
"What I am is the poster child for second-trimester exhaustion. If Lexie doesn't hurry up and toss that bouquet, I'm going to lie down on one of those comfy-looking lobby sofas, put my feet up, and no one is going to move me until next week."
"Just go. Lexie won't mind," Emily insisted. "She's so wrapped up in her new hubby, she probably wouldn't notice if a tsunami hit."
"Oh, no. I want to see you catch the bouquet. And see which one of these handsome hunks gets the garter."
"How about if I skip the bouquet and just catch a hunk?"
"Now you're talking. Lord, there's mind-boggling eye candy all over the place. I think half of Pearl Harbor flew over for the day."
"Yes." Emily grinned. "Wasn't that nice of them?"
"Uh-oh. Where's your brother?" Kara looked across to see Billy and Angela walking in their direction. "Here he comes. Better not let him hear his baby sister talking like that."
"Not you too?" If her brother had his way, Emily would wear a chastity belt until the day she walked down the aisle, and even then Emily had her doubts that Billy would produce the key.
"Just saying." Kara took a sip of her ginger ale. "Some things big brothers just aren't meant to know."
"Tell me about it." She'd been eyeing the dark haired dreamboat in the sunglasses. His hair wasn't long, but it wasn't military cropped either. The sunglasses told her he'd probably been a naval aviator. Or a SEAL. The latter didn't have to follow military regs so they could blend in to the scenery around the world as needed. Billy would have an honest-to-God cow if she hooked up with a SEAL. The thought almost made her smile. Good thing for her big brother she loved him enough to stay away from a SEAL. But that didn't mean she couldn't daydream.
Billy walked up to Kara. "Angela tells me it's time to cut out from this shindig."
"Not till the bouquet toss," Kara insisted. "It's my favorite part of a wedding. Other than the 'You may now kiss the bride.' Except that part always makes me weepy. The bouquet makes me laugh. It's crazier than the starting line of a major marathon."
"If we're staying, I'll get another chair for Angela." Billy's gaze drifted over the nearby tables in search of an empty place.
Angela looked about. "I wouldn't mind sitting down before we leave."
"I'll run and tell Lexie the crowds are growing restless for the toss." Emily patted Billy on the arm. "Good job, bro."
She didn't mind so much when he took care of his fiancée or pregnant women. Emily just wished he didn't worry about her so much. It's not like she ever got in any trouble. High school math teachers didn't lead very exciting lives as a rule. Something she was planning to remedy. And soon.
Living on an island, there wasn't a big pool of men to date. This was the most testosterone she'd seen in one place since she and her mom had visited her brother on base in Panama City when he had first started EOD training years ago. A scrawny teenager back then, she'd done little more than gawk.
Halfway across the veranda, Emily heard the call for all single women.
With a few nudges from Missy, Sara Alani made her way to the end of the line of battle-ready ladies.
Standing next to Margaret Alani, Emily's mother waved her hand at her daughter, motioning for her to join the line as well. If she ignored her mother, she wouldn't hear the end of it for the rest of the year. Reluctantly Emily took her place in line next to Sara.
"You too?" Sara mumbled.
"Uh-huh."
"Don't our mothers think we can find our own men?"
"Apparently not without the help of some antiquated, superstitious rituals."
Sara laughed. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Ready," Lexie called out, her back to the line of single sprinters. "One, two, threeeeee."
The small cluster of white roses arced high in the sky before looping downward into the crush of young women stretching and shoving for position. Sara and Emily barely moved.
"We should make it look a little authentic," Emily whispered to Sara.
The two shifted closer to the throng of women gleefully bouncing about with arms raised. The bouquet made its final descent smack-dab into the waiting hands of a pretty blonde who didn't look old enough to vote, but at least neither Emily nor Sara would be subjected to the garter phase of the event.
"Dodged that bullet." Sara turned away.
Emily followed only to see her mother and Missy Alani shaking their heads at their daughters. Like catching a bouquet was really going to make a difference.
"Okay, we're out of here." Billy came up beside her. "Angela's pretty dead on her feet too. You need a ride home?"
"No thanks. I'll catch a ride with Mom or Sara."
"Have fun."
"Will do." Emily smiled and eased up on her tippy toes to kiss her brother.
"Not too much fun," he warned, waving a forefinger at her.
"Not too much. Yes, sir."
Billy kissed her on the forehead, then turned on his heel to catch up with his fiancée.
"Hiya, beautiful," one of the multitude of good-looking guys said to Emily on a sour breath. "You didn't make much effort to catch the flowers."
Whiskey Breath leaned into her, and she took a step back. While some of these men might very well be friends of her brother, and all were undoubtedly friends of Jim or Lexie, nothing in the book of friendship said she had to put up with drunken sailors.
"Excuse me." Bypassing any effort at a polite smile, she merely turned away.
A strong hand curled around her forearm. "Wait a minute, gorgeous."
Surprised at the overt move, she waited a few seconds too long to disengage her arm. His grip tightened, and she realized he'd had much more to drink than she'd first thought. Getting away without causing a scene was not going to be easy.
"If I could please have my arm back." The words came out polite and hopefully stern enough to make progress. When the man's grip held, she glanced around for some assistance. Sara stood chatting with the other women who'd failed to catch the bouquet. Emily’s mom and Mrs. Alani were engrossed in conversation with the mother of the bride. No doubt comparing notes on how to marry off their daughters. And Billy and Nick were already long gone.
The way she saw it, she had no choice. "You have exactly two seconds to let go of my arm before I shove your balls so far up your—"
"There you are." Mr. Sexy Sunglasses sidled up beside her, looping an arm around her waist. He pinned the drunk sailor with an icy glare. "I believe you have somewhere else to be, Petty Officer."
"Sir, yes, sir." Suddenly looking much younger than he had a few minutes ago, the kid snapped to attention and bobbed his head.
"You also may want to stop and get some coffee on the way."
Before the kid could respond, Emily found herself spun about and directed outside to the veranda.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. But he's the one who should be thanking me. I could tell from the look in your eyes that he was about to be speaking alto for a week."
She chuckled. "I was hoping for a fortnight."
"Ouch." His arm slid away, and, stopping at the edge of the lanai, he extended his hand. "Doug."
Her exposed skin still tingling from his fingers’ touch at the base of her back, she was almost afraid to accept the handshake. "Emily." Like placing her hands in front of a beach bonfire, Emily was warmed instantly all over by the heat.
"I'd let you get back to your friends, but Benson's watching you still."
By shifting her stance against the rail, she could see the drunken sailor was, indeed, talking with a couple guys and eyeing her. Or Doug. "You know him?"
Doug nodded. "We served together for a time. He's not a bad guy, but free-flowing booze and sailors on leave can be a foolhardy combination."
"Yeah, well …" Her words trailed off before she said something stupid, like too bad it wasn't you who hit on me. Or did he? No, rescues didn't count as hitting on. Did they?
"Would you like something to drink?" He tilted his head in the direction of the bar.
Now that sounded like a great idea. Just about to ask for a glass of pinot, she spotted her mother, brows creased, scanning the room. Uh-oh. If she didn't move and move fast, her mother would be descending on them and taking Doug's name, rank and serial number. All she had to do was slip out unnoticed, and this one night with her big bad SEAL would be her little secret. "I know a place on the beach that makes a great rum punch."
Through the dark glasses she couldn't read his eyes, but one corner of his mouth tipped upward in a half-dimpled smile. "Lead the way."
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
