Page 24 of Healing Bonds

Ryan spluttered beside me, grabbing the handles of the comfortable, cushy chair he was sitting in, his knuckles blanching. “A whole year in advance?” he asked her, looking at the display screen she was currently setting up, her perfectly manicured fingers gliding over the crisp, white keyboard of her laptop. She nodded as she pulled up a file of pictures. I looked down at my nails, the red polish from my last appointment chipping off. I bit back a grimace.

“A whole year, Mr. Wilson,” she confirmed. “Do you have a date in mind yet?” She looked at me, her crystal-clear blue eyes piercing in the bright room.Did she know how beautiful she was?

“Sooner than that,” I mumbled, suddenly feeling extremely overwhelmed at the thought of planning this for a year in advance. She smiled, perfect white teeth gleaming.

“How about I show you some of our venue spots and their nearest availability?” She reached out and laid her hand on mine in a comforting gesture. The pretty girl was anything but comforting with her flawlessly tanned skin from hours lying on the beach, toned body, and gorgeous smile. “Don’t worry. This isn’t as overwhelming as it seems, and I’m here to do all the hard work for you. You have the fun part, love. Smile. You’re planning your dream day.” She turned away, and I was hit with the sweet smell of her perfume. A wave of insecurity washed over me. My perfume could barely be smelled.

I turned to look at Ryan, whose eyes were wide in shock as he glared at the screen, where some prices were on display. “You’re telling me people pay ten thousand dollars for flowers?” he asked in disbelief, clearing his throat.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Wilson. There are payment plans available.”

“How much am I looking at here?” He pulled at the collar of his black, button-down shirt before looking at me. I was just as helpless as he was, though.

“Depends on the bride, of course. Give me your budget, and I can see what I can do based on what she wants.”

“I don’t want or need a big wedding,” I instantly told her. Ryan relaxed just a tiny bit at my words. “I just want something small and private with my family.” I felt the need to defend myself to make Ryan understand that I wasn’t a Bridezilla. I wouldn’t spend our life savings on a wedding. I’d rather spend money on a honeymoon or purchasing a house.

I should have known that of all the people in this world, he knew me better than anyone else. He rested his hand on my thigh and squeezed, his thumb skimming my knee. I relaxed the tiniest bit. “You can have whatever you want, spitfire. It’s your big day.” The smile on his handsome face eased all of my fears, and his warm touch dispelled all of my nerves.

Turning back to the young woman in front of me, I noticed that she had some venue pictures on the big screen—a private beach, a cathedral-themed banquet room, a royal palm ballroom, a beach club-themed ballroom, and a lush garden.

“When is the private beach and royal palm ballroom available?” I asked, eyes wide in amazement at the two gorgeous locations. “That’s what I want… those two.”

“The first weekend of April, in three months’ time. It looks like… Easter weekend.” She pressed a few keys before nodding. “Yup, Easter weekend at both are available.”

“Ryan, honey, do you like it?” I rested my hand over his on my leg and wrapped my fingers around it. He studied the screen, then turned to me, his beautiful, navy-blue eyes studying me.

“Is it everything you’ve dreamed of? Will it make you happy?” The rasp in his voice set my blood on fire. My heart raced, and all I could do was nod. “How much for both, uh, locations?” He scratched his short, buzzed hair, completely out of his element. It made me smile a little. At least I wasn’t the only one nervous.

“Ten thousand for the private beach on Saturday, April third, and seven thousand for the ballroom on the same date.”

“How much is the deposit for both of those combined?” Ryan leaned forward, resting his elbow on the desk as he studied the screen, reading the tiny fine print.

For both? Ryan, what in the hell are you doing?

“Seven thousand, and you have thirty days to pay the full amount.” She stopped typing and looked at Ryan, then at me.

“You’re sure this is the place, baby?” Ryan squeezed my hand. It was pricey, more than we had allocated for the venue, but it was everything I’d pictured in my mind since I was a little girl.

“This is the place, Ryan. Just look at it,” I gushed, my cheeks flushing. “That’s the place we’re going to say I do, the placewhere I’ll finally be Mrs. Wilson. We can keep the guest list down, just my family and yours, the guys, and some people from work. I just need you there… only you.” His eyes shone with happiness and adoration as he dragged his hand down his face. I leaned forward, resting my hand on his unshaven face, loving the rough feel of his beard. “I love you, Ryan, and I want to marry you on that beach in front of our families.”

He closed the small space between us and pecked my lips softly. “I’ll pay the full amount today,” he announced, looking back at our wedding planner. “Can you have the rest of the information sent to Amber? We’ll decide over the weekend about the food and whatever else you need.” She faltered, typing quickly. “Let’s make this quick,” Ryan told her. “I need to take my fiancée home and make love to her.” A cheeky grin spread across his lips as he winked at the blushing woman.

She stumbled over her words for a second before she finally got her mind back in the game. “No problem, Mr. Wilson. I can email over the brochures, and Amber can call me to discuss the rest. We just need a final decision by the end of the month so we can ensure that everything is here on time.” He handed her his credit card and gazed at me adoringly.

This man always took my breath away, always gave me everything I wanted, always put me first. Excitement bubbled within me, and butterflies swirled in my stomach. In three months’ time, I would be the new Mrs. Wilson.

I couldn’t wait.

Later that night, we were sitting at Ryan’s parents’ dining room table with Celine and Ace for dinner. I had wanted to blurt outthe good news as soon as we walked through the front door an hour ago, but Ryan wanted to make a big announcement.

I was starting to think he might be a little more enthusiastic about this wedding than me. At least, he had been this afternoon in bed while whispering about how sexy it would be when he could call me Amber Wilson. The memory made me blush and smile all at once as I thought about how romantic he could be.

He washed away every insecurity with slow, sensual kisses and his comforting touch. Even now, I shivered as if he were still touching me.

Celine had been awfully quiet tonight and was eating very little. She just pushed it around on her plate and whispered something to Ace before scrunching up her nose and excusing herself to the bathroom.

“When Cece gets back, I think we should tell everyone,” Ryan whispered, his lips grazing my earlobe, sending a shockwave through my entire body. How in the world did he turn me on so easily?

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