That kiss changed everything.
Sandy's lips still had zaps of electricity as she walked into the chapel on the top floor of the ship and peeked inside. The white room had pale pink backlighting and pink peonies tied to ribbons that decorated every aisle. The altar was decorated with peonies mixed with white hydrangeas. In her mind's eye she imagined Wyatt telling her, I love you, as they stood surrounded by friends and family. If she married Wyatt, this would be perfect. The sound of the door opening brought her back to reality. She lowered her head as her cousin Jay walked in the door, alone. He closed the door behind him. "What did you and Wyatt find out?"
They'd found out she was still attracted to him, but that wasn't what Jay meant. All they had was the picture of the staff, but hopefully that proved nothing and no one tried to stop the wedding. She stilled and chose what to say to her cousin. It was probably best not to include the groom on his wedding day, if there was trouble. "Wyatt is double-checking our one lead, but I don't think she's doing anything other than spreading her poison."
"I am sorry about your dad."
Jay saw his mother clear enough. Still, she blushed. She knew her father was guilty, and she hated him, but Jay's understanding of her situation made him more like another brother, not only a cousin. "We both know the deal. Let's not discuss that. How do you like the wedding arrangements?"
He glanced at some flowers on the one step of the altar and shrugged. "This is what Penny wants."
She rearranged some flowers. It was better than talking about her father. "I followed her orders."
"You did a great job organizing all this." Jay turned and stared at the backlighting.
She walked to the next table to straighten the arrangement, and gently nudged his arm with her shoulder. "So you like the decorations?"
Her cell phone sang, and the screen read alarm. She had set that to ensure she had time to dress. She cleared it as Jay asked, "Do you have someplace else to be?"
Wyatt waited for her. Her skin jumped as she thought about the possibility of another kiss. Her face flushed as she focused on her cousin. "I'm having dinner with Wyatt before the wedding."
"I'm glad you're talking to him again," Jay said, and then stared harder into her blue eyes. "Are you excited about Wyatt?"
"I am, a little." No one knew they'd dated and he broke her heart. They certainly didn't know that she still liked kissing him. That he tasted better than anyone else. She picked her words. "We cleared the air."
He beamed as he checked his phone. "You, your brother, our friend Eva, and Wyatt were always our chosen family in high school. Can't you tell me what happened between you two, now that it's over?"
Perhaps secrets were their problem. This time, if there was a this time, she'd encourage both of them to be public about any relationship. "What's to say? I loved him. He married someone else."
"Loved?" Jay's blue eyes had a gleam that read "shocked." Then he recovered and shrugged. "His wife is dead now. You can have him, if you want."
Now if something did happen, she could talk about it. "Yes."
Jay crossed his arms. "Don't get hurt like last time."
Secrecy was the past. She'd not hold back again, if there was… No, she needed to stop saying that. She wanted Wyatt again. The kiss had cemented what her mind always reminded her in her dreams. She stepped closer to the doors. Soon she'd meet Wyatt for dinner, and this was her second chance. She followed Jay.
"You don't know the half of it, cousin. I won't burden you with more details. Go, get ready for your wedding tonight." Wedding planning on a cruise ship was the easiest thing she'd ever experienced. The staff knew what they were doing, which left her with lots of time. However, it was still her job to ensure everyone was happy. As Jay opened the door for her, she asked, "Michael is keeping you company until it's go time?"
They walked down the stairs and onto the bright deck below as he said, "Yes, we have room service, and video games competition round two in my suite."
She shaded her eyes to block the sun. "I'm going."
She turned to go into the shade and the stairs to her room. Then her cousin said, "Wait."
"What, Jay?" She turned and again had to block the light from her eyes.
He came closer. She blinked and stared at him as he said, "Have a good time with Wyatt, but don't fall in love with him or anyone else unless he loves you back."
Good advice. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Jay.."
She rushed to her room and changed. Her maid-of-honor dress hung near the door. Then she found her ice-blue beaded dress that matched her eyes. While this was more formal and for the wedding after-party, it would wow Wyatt at dinner. Perfect. Also being dressed up made her feel beautiful, so she laid that on her bed.
Then she took out her makeup, and half an hour later, she was ready. She slipped out of her room and made her way to the formal dining hall. As approached the maître d', Wyatt put his hand on her back. She turned around and saw his gray suit fitting his body perfectly, showing off his muscles.
His eyes sparkled as he said, "You look amazing."
"Thank you." Her body heated as she clutched her pendant. "I had to do my face for the wedding, so I wanted a dress to match it."
"You're beautiful without any makeup on, Sandy. You know that."
She looked to her right and saw the steps to the small specialty restaurant. She said, "Thanks. What are you doing out here alone?"
He pointed to the right. "Kate and Geneva are having dinner together in the French restaurant."
"Were they fighting?"
He shook his head. "No, they were drinking, like old buddies."
Strange. If they weren't fighting and not plotting against the wedding, then what they chose to do wasn't her concern. "I don't want to think about the wedding for twenty minutes."
"Agreed." He then offered his arm, which she looped her hand in.
He led her to a table where she saw General Austin Colburn and his wife, Marianne, who sat with Charlotte. He hadn't said this was a family dinner. She tugged on his arm and asked politely, "Wyatt, why are your parents at the table?"
"'Cause they are my parents," he whispered back, like this wasn't his idea. Then he straightened his tie. "They refused to leave when I told Charlotte we were having dinner with you."
He tried to lead her forward, but she held her ground. "I don't do well with parents."
He nodded and then whispered in her ear, "After the appetizers, they promised to leave."
The nearness of him sent a heat wave through him. Then she followed him. "Okay, I guess."
As they neared the table, he said, "They won't judge you based on your own parents, if that's your fear."
"My father is in prison. Yours is retired as a general." She straightened her shoulders like she was about to join cadet school.
He patted her hand and then let it go to pull out her chair. The last time she'd seen either of his parents was when they were still dating. His father stood, and Wyatt said, "They know you are my old friend."
"And we're hoping you'll marry our son, Sandy."
The general hadn't blinked. Her eyes widened as she stared. Had she just heard that, or was that her imagination? No words formed on her lips. As Wyatt came and stood next to her, she heard her heartbeat and finally said, "What?"
Wyatt glared at his father. "Don't."
His mother offered Sandy a piece of bread from the basket on the table. Then his father said, "Has he told you about the lawsuit?"
Sandy's hand shook as she dropped the croissant onto her plate. She glanced at Wyatt. His father clearly had something to say. "No, not really."
Wyatt stared at his father. "Stop."
The general stared at her. "Jessica's boyfriend before she married our Wyatt went to court to claim paternity of our Charlotte. He also stated during closed doors that he'll happily take a buyout and walk away. Wyatt refuses to budge, and most of the court documents try to say that our boy isn't stable enough in one place to raise a daughter."
His mother added, "Wyatt quit his job to take care of Charlotte."
Wyatt whispered something to his daughter.
Sandy drained a glass of water. It seemed like Wyatt had been tricked into being a father, and the night he'd cheated on her was a setup. If this was true, then she could forgive him. Without him, she'd been unhappy for years. It would be nice to start over.
His father said, "His lawyer suggested if he married someone else, then the case has no chance."
She coughed, and the water threatened to come back up her throat as she placed the glass on the table. Marriage was a step above rekindling an old flame.
Wyatt pursed his lips. "He also said my case was strong without a wedding, Dad."
The general never blinked. "To protect Charlotte, we need to cover our bases."
The table fell silent. The whole family clearly loved Charlotte, who sat holding her grandmother's hand. Wyatt's mother said, "We should leave them alone now, Austin. Charlotte wants to join us, and I said yes."
The general put his napkin on the table. "So, will you marry Wyatt, Sandy?"
Marianne stood and fixed her dress. The general pushed his chair back. The Colburns clearly loved each other. It would be nice for Sandy to have a family beyond just her brother. She had never had particularly caring parents. A warm buzz ran up her spine. "He'll need to ask me once we're alone."
General Colburn's eyes widened as he smiled at his wife. "So that's a yes?"
Wyatt's quietness and intense stare at her made her jittery. "I didn't say that."
His father held out his hand for Charlotte as he said to Sandy, "You didn't say no. Now come, Charlotte, join your grandmother and I for dinner elsewhere, and let's leave these two alone."
The three of them left them at the table. Waiters milled around as they delivered food to other table. Once they were sure they were alone, Wyatt said, "I'm sorry about my father. He can be demanding."
"He's looking out for his granddaughter." She needed to hear the words from Wyatt. Had he been cornered in a marriage once before? Jessica once again came to her mind. She had to know.
"By selling out his only son."
She picked up her water again. She shouldn't have said anything at all. Her face felt hot as she stared into her glass. "So you don't want to marry me. It's not a problem."
"Absolutely not."
Her spine tingled. There was no way she'd look him in the eye right now. "Okay, then."
"No, I mean, I don't want to marry you to save Charlotte. Sandy Marshall, I've been in love with you our entire lives. Being apart and with another left my heart broken."
She tried to process what he'd said. Love was another matter entirely. "What are you saying?"
He pushed his chair back and then offered her his hand. "I'm saying can we leave the dining room so we can talk privately?"
"Lead the way." If he asked her to marry him, she'd say yes. The thought hit her hard and fast. She had a full life, but she could have even more if she spent every day with Wyatt. Her skin was electric as she followed him out of the restaurant.