Christel Briscoe raised her leg from the sudsy water and ran a razor across her skin. She did the same with her other leg, then stepped from the sunken tub and wrapped a thick white towel around her body and moved for the hook where her bathrobe hung.
She was going out tonight—a special date with her favorite guy, Dr. Evan Matisse.
Christel met Evan nearly a year ago, only a short time after her father died. On the heels of learning of her dad’s betrayal with a family friend, her brother Aiden was in a boating accident that left him with severe, life-threatening, injuries. He came through it all, largely because of Dr. Matisse.
The attraction had been nearly instant. Christel remembered how grateful she’d been that Evan had brought Aiden out of danger. In the hospital waiting room, she’d flung her arms around his neck in gratitude.
There was instantly a spark as she felt his chest against her own, as she smelled his cologne and took in the way he’d smiled back at her. He was smitten as well, she could tell. Or, at least she had hoped.
Oh, she didn’t admit any of that to herself, or to anyone else, for some time. Her heart was still in a sling after being broken. She’d been forced to divorce her first husband, her first love, Jay, when his addiction got out of control. His life spiraled down, and he took her with him.
There were countless nights spent on the phone at four in the morning, checking with the police and the local hospital to see if he had been in an accident when he failed to come home. There were overdrawn bank accounts, sometimes to the tune of thousands of dollars. She’d work to cover the deficits, but could never cover the hit to her credit score. Her gut twisted each time he pulled into their driveway as she wondered if he would be able to walk to the door without her help.
Eventually, she could no longer deny the toll to her health and emotional wellbeing. She could no longer bear the shame.
It hadn’t always been that way, of course. There was a time, early in their marriage, when they were deeply in love. Jay was fun and supportive. He made her laugh. Jay had a unique way of making her believe she could fly to the moon and back. He was her entire world, and she was his.
Christel turned her concentration to what she was going to wear. She sifted through the garments in her closet, finally choosing a black dress she bought last year and had never worn. The dress would look great with her dainty diamond pendant. Satisfied with her selection, she moved to get dressed while thoughts of her marriage continued to linger.
It pained her still, thinking about all they had lost. Addiction was like that. It snuck in the door and stole everything valuable, never looking back. Never caring that you were puddled on the floor, devastated and in tears. Never worrying about the shame, or what the future would bring and how chemical abuse could cause you to lose your job, your health, and finally, your relationships.
Despite the hurt, Christel was proud of herself for untethering from the hurricane that had become her life. She’d bravely chosen to become emotionally well again. She’d quit enabling, and started living.
Now, things were completely different. Evan was completely different.
He’d had his own hardship. His beloved fiancé had been killed in a helicopter accident while serving in the Middle East. The loss of both the woman he’d loved and his unborn child had nearly broken him.
Together, Evan and Christel had taken hold of each other’s hands and risked their hearts again. Even if a little. They both agreed to take things slow. There was no need to rush. If real, they wanted their love to have time to develop and mature. They weren’t lovesick teens. They were two adults hoping to commit for life to a person they adored—someone who could be fully trusted.
Eventually, she had to admit her heart had been captured by this wonderful man—a guy who was incredibly smart, funny, and most of all, kind. Evan was someone who would be there by her side. He could be counted on and would do anything for her. He’d even carry her off a mountainside, if necessary. Surprisingly, he had done just that when she injured her ankle.
His strong arms underneath her made her feel safe and secure…loved.
Christel wasn’t sure she would ever feel like that again. Did true love really come around twice? She was starting to believe that it did.
Christel pulled her favorite bracelet into place when her doorbell rang. She smiled in anticipation and headed for the living room to answer it.
On the other side of her front door stood Evan wearing a suit and tie.
“Boy, you weren’t kidding when you said to dress up,” she said, thankful she’d donned a party dress—a black sheath with a ruffle at the bottom hem made of chiffon. It was simple, yet appropriately elegant.
Evan leaned and kissed her cheek.
“You look stunning,” he told her as he moved for her neck.
She giggled and gently pushed him back. “Later,” she scolded. “We have dinner reservations. If we get that started, we’ll most certainly be late.” She winked.
On second thought, who cared? She wouldn’t mind him unzipping that little black dress of hers.
From the look on his face, Evan was thinking the same.
Putting their amorous impulses on hold, Christel grabbed her purse and Evan led her out to his car.
“I have a surprise,” Evan said, his expression much like a kid at Christmas.
Christel clicked her seatbelt into place. “You know I don’t like surprises.”
“You’ll like this one.” Evan started the engine and pulled out. “And don’t even try to guess. You’ll never figure it out.”
“Never?” Her face pulled into a serious look, ready to take on the challenge. “Are you sure of that?”
She spent the next minutes quizzing him. Did the surprise include where they were having dinner?
“Maybe,” he teased. “But that’s not the main surprise.”
She scowled. “Is your big surprise a someone?”
Evan shook his head, grinning. “Nope.” He reached and took her hand in his own, gently squeezing. “Don’t even try. I promise you will not land on the correct answer.”
She didn’t, of course—until he pulled his car into the airport. She glanced over at him with her eyebrows lifted. “We’re picking someone up?”
“I already told you my surprise was not a person. It’s much better.” He seemed unable to hold in his excitement a moment longer. “We’re taking a little trip.”
Christel pulled her hand from his. “But I didn’t pack. I need—”
He didn’t let her finish. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back later tonight.”
Their destination did not become known until Evan led her to the ticket counter. He pulled two printed receipts and handed them to the lady who stood ready to help them. “Two roundtrips for Honolulu, please.”
“Yes, sir.” The woman pressed several spots on her monitor which prompted the printing of two plane tickets. She handed them over. “Have a nice flight.”
Evan took Christel’s hand. “Ready?”
She cocked her head, puzzled. “That’s the surprise? What’s in Honolulu?”
“You’ll see,” he told her as he led her down the skywalk.
The flight from Maui to Honolulu took just under an hour. Upon finding a waiting town car ready to transport them to their destination, Christel turned to Evan. “You are full of surprises, tonight,” she remarked, as she nodded to the chauffeur and climbed into the back seat.
“The best is still ahead,” Evan promised. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Famished.” She hadn’t eaten much at all the entire day. The tiny bowl of raspberries she’d enjoyed for breakfast had been hours ago. Once she got to work, she couldn’t seem to catch a long enough break to get lunch.
Her busy work days had just gotten a lot more hectic. After much contemplation, the family had made a decision to move forward with renovating and expanding the golf course at Pali Maui. Much of the work to finance the project had fallen to her, of course.
Evan slipped his hand over hers as they made their way from the airport and headed in the direction of the towering buildings filling the skyline. Oahu and Maui were decidedly different, with Oahu being far more cosmopolitan and crowded, especially Honolulu. While she didn’t travel here often, Christel had enjoyed feeling in the middle of corporate America again each time she attended meetings around long granite tables with shippers, advertising agencies, and regulatory officials.
Christel decided to try again for some hint of what was ahead.
“So, Evan. Where are we going?” she asked, using her most convincing voice. Unlike most women, she didn’t care for surprises. She liked the opportunity to plan and prepare for whatever was to come.
Evan quickly shut down her effort.
“You’ll see.” He patted her hand and grinned back at her.
Twenty minutes later, their destination was finally revealed when the chauffeur pulled the town car to a stop in front of the entrance to 53 by the Sea, a trendy and very exclusive restaurant located on the edge of the water.
“We’re here,” Evan announced.
“Oh, my goodness! How in the world did you ever get reservations? The waiting list for 53 by the Sea is often months out.”
Evan winked. “I have my ways.”
Inside, a grand staircase with wrought-iron railings led to a chic glass-walled dining room provided breathtaking views of the Kewalo Basin Harbor. Only last month, Christel had seen a magazine article touting the establishment as “the best Hawaii has to offer.”
A maître d’ guided them to a linen-draped table with tiny candles and rare, white hibiscus blooms arranged in the center. Christel slipped into her chair feeling a bit like Cinderella.
“Evan, this is amazing,” she said as she placed her linen napkin across her lap. A waiter then took their order.
Their first course was caviar-topped toast points served with crème fraîche, minced egg, topped with chives. The appetizer paired beautifully with Old-Fashioned cocktails made with smoked bourbon infused with lemon and honey and served with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a large maraschino cherry.
The next course was French onion soup. Christel couldn’t begin to eat all of the gooey gouda cheese melted on top. Salads followed, delicate plates with hearts of palm sprinkled with toasted almonds and a reduction of raspberry balsamic vinegar drizzled over top.
Evan chose a prime New York strip for his main course. The steak was served with roasted maitake mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and a purée of truffle roasted cauliflower. She selected the seared scallops with poached pear and pickled shitake mushrooms.
When they’d finished, they let their dinner settle. Evan ran his finger along Christel’s bare arm. His expression changed, growing serious. “I have another surprise.”
Another surprise? Christel could barely keep up with this man.
Before she could respond, he reached in his suit pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet box. He held it in the air for only a moment, then slid it across the table until it rested before her.
Christel’s heart skipped a beat. Her ears began ringing and her hands grew clammy as she slowly reached for the box. “What—what is this?”
“Open it,” he urged.
She lifted the box from the table and slowly raised the lid. Inside, a solitaire diamond ring in a beautiful emerald cut twinkled in the candlelight. The stone had to be at least two carats.
Christel flushed. “This is a diamond.”
The corners of Evan’s eyes crinkled as he smiled back at her. “Correct.”
“But…why? I mean, you’re giving me a diamond.” Finding it suddenly hard to breathe, she set the little box on the table and stared at the ring.
Evan glanced around and gave a slight nod. Suddenly, a violinist appeared at their table. The gentleman lifted his instrument and began playing the most beautiful rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love,” a song she’d long adored ever since she heard it played at a Bob Dylan concert when she was in high school.
Evan folded to one knee in front of her and took both her hands in his. “Christel, there was a time after losing Tess that I was sure I’d never be in love again.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “I was wrong.”
Christel felt tears sprout. She swallowed.
“I love you, Christel. And I want to marry you. Will you be my wife?” He said the words quietly, and waited.
Christel never thought she could love again after Jon. They certainly had that in common. Evan had changed all that. He was everything she needed, all she could possibly want in a life partner. She loved him. “Yes, Evan. I’ll marry you.”
She could barely breathe as the words came out of her mouth. This was a huge step, one she had not been prepared to make. She had not seen his proposal coming. Yet truly, there was no other answer she could possibly entertain. Of course, she’d marry him.
Christel flung her arms around Evan’s neck, now openly crying. “Yes! I’ll marry you.”
Suddenly, several wait staff appeared. One carried a cake covered in sparklers. Another held a silver bucket with ice and champagne nestled deep within. Yet another carried a dozen red roses and laid them in Christel’s arms.
“I can’t believe you did all this,” she exclaimed. “Without me even suspecting.”
When they’d finished the impromptu celebration, Evan took her hand and they left the restaurant. As they reached the waiting town car, Evan bent and removed his shoes and socks.
“What are you doing?” Christel asked. Nothing would surprise her now.
Evan laughed. “Take your shoes off. We’re going for a walk on the beach.”
“At this hour? Evan, it’s nearly midnight.”
Evan told her to quit arguing and go with the flow. He didn’t want the night to be over. Not yet.
As they reached the edge of the sand, he wove his fingers with hers. “The surprises are over,” he told her. “Now, you get to plan the ceremony. Anything you want. I’m in. Spare no cost.”
Christel grew pensive. Her first wedding had been spectacular. She went all out. Her mother, with the help of Alani, attended to every detail. She and Jon were wed at Wailea Chapel with Elta officiating. She had four bridesmaids. Jon had an equal number of groomsmen. Christel wore a custom Vera Wang gown, simple and elegant, and had carried a spray of lilies of the valley. On her special day, she’d felt like a princess walking the aisle with Jon waiting at the end, tears streaming down his face.
While magical, Christel wasn’t sure she really wanted all that again. Not after how her first marriage ended.
“Evan, all this is very new to me. I’m still letting all of what happened tonight sink in. I do know I don’t want a big ceremony. Is that okay with you?” Then, she remembered Evan was engaged to Tess and they’d never had the chance to marry before the helicopter accident took her life. “Unless it’s important to you. You’ve never—”
“I have no big desire to do the storybook wedding ceremony, if that’s what’s concerning you. I promise I don’t care about any of that. I simply want you.” He paused. “The sooner, the better.”
In the distance, the skyline was speckled with brilliant lights. The busy sounds of the city served as a backdrop to her pounding heart. “How soon were you thinking? I mean, it’s not been all that long since Shane had a wedding called off. I’m a bit worried that pushing ours on him this early will create unnecessary hurt. Aimee running out on him is still pretty fresh, you know? My little brother acts tough, but I know he’s barely holding it together.”
“Understandable,” Evan said, agreeing. “Look, I think I have a solution.” A slow grin formed on his face. He turned to face her, took her shoulders in his hands. “Let’s elope.”
“Elope? I thought you said your surprises were over.”
“Think about it, Christel. We could cancel our charter flight and get a hotel. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the courthouse and get our license. Then, we’ll arrange for a judge and hold the ceremony right then and there. Just you and me.”
Christel felt blood rush to her face. “Tomorrow? You want to do this tomorrow? What about a dress? I don’t have a dress.”
He laughed. “Yes, tomorrow. And there are stores in Honolulu. I’m sure they sell dresses.” A smile nipped at the corners of his mouth. “So, babe. What do you say? We don’t need all the pomp and circumstance. We only need each other.”
Christel quickly ran through all the consequences of making such a rash decision in her mind. Her mother might be hurt, if excluded. Of course, her mother would also agree that a wedding might push Shane into having to face, yet again, what he’d recently lost. In that regard, it would be more kind to simply announce they’d been wed.
Katie would throw a fit but Christel knew her sister would often cool off as quickly as she heated up over something. Aiden would simply be happy for them. So would Uncle Jack and her mother’s sister, Aunt Vanessa. Besides, her mother could still hold a reception party at her house, maybe outside by the pool.
Christel weighed all these thoughts briefly. Before she could change her mind, she nodded. “Let’s do it!”