Page 11 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

Tough crowd. “My point is, maybe it would be good to avoid glaring at the client for the next hour. There’s this thing called ‘making conversation’ that we could try. Let me show you how it works. What got you into the event planning business?”

He only shoved his hands into his pockets and glared harder. “That would be my uncle.”

“Oh? He offered you a job?”

He barked a laugh. “Not exactly. Let’s just say he’s the one who made me the delightful business owner I am today.”

A world of layers hid beneath those words, and plenty of emotions too. I could tell by the tone of his voice. I snuck another peek and saw the hard set of his jaw, the flash of anger in his eyes. Whoa. The guy felt strongly about his uncle.

“I’m guessing he wasn’t the take-you-out-for-ice-cream-on-your-birthday type.”

“Not exactly.”

Kamia threw back her head and laughed at something Afonso had said, touching his arm as she did.

“That’s it,” Chase growled and strode over. By the time he reached the couple, his smoldering anger had been reined in by a professional smile. “So Afonso. How long are you in town?”

“My tour group leaves tomorrow afternoon,” the man said in accented English. He kept his eyes on the bride even as he answered the question.

“A shame,” Chase said, a false note of happiness in his voice. “I had hoped you could attend the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night. I’m sure Kamia could use more supportive faces there, being so far from home.” He turned to Kamia. “What do you think?”

Her expression soured as Afonso stared at Chase, comprehension sinking in slowly. Then he turned back to Kamia. “You are getting married?”

She wasn’t wearing her ring, I saw now. Not that I would have worn a rock that large on the ocean, but I doubted she’d thought of that. Maybe the poor guy had been her idea of a last fling before the wedding.

“In a matter of speaking,” Kamia said, looking cornered. “But I’m not married yet.”

I felt almost bad for her. A moment before, she’d been all lit up. Happy. I hadn’t seen her wear a smile since her arrival on the island. What bride didn’t smile when she saw her groom? Why would a woman about to get married hide in her hotel room while her husband-to-be explored the island, only to emerge in the company of the wedding planner without her ring?

Chase didn’t get it. This was a person’s life, not just a fancy event and millions of dollars. Her future. She had to be sure of this.

Not that it was my place to tell him…unless I wanted to lose my job and get sent off the island before Ty even arrived.

I swiped back to the files on my phone and found the document from earlier. Ty was scheduled to arrive on the island next week, where he and his fiancée would prepare for the wedding a week later.

As for the details of their stay, I had everything—flight info, their suite number, the itinerary for each day, orders for roses to be sent to their rooms along with flower-shaped chocolates and wine. Even a couples massage in their room.

My mood soured at that. We’d done a couples massage once. I’d been the one to introduce it to him, as a matter of fact. He’d never had a massage before me.

Afonso seemed to have recovered from his shock well, because Kamia already had him laughing again. Clearly he wasn’t as put off about the wedding thing as Chase had expected. I could almost see the wheels turning in Chase’s mind as he excused himself, probably trying to figure out the next plan of action to separate the two.

He stepped a dozen yards away and plunged his hands into his pockets again, looking out over the horizon with a wistful look on his face. His hair lifted, exposing his entire face in a way I’d never seen before. His jawline looked even more pronounced than usual, and his expression was one of worry.

Worry that he would lose a big account? Or worry that he would lose something far bigger?

I remembered his reference to an uncle and opened a new browser window on my phone. I had it in minutes—his uncle, Ralph McNetta, was a billionaire broker in Chicago. The guy had served time in Seattle for some shady dealings. He’d inherited his nephew upon his sister’s death, but clearly didn’t have time for or even want children. It seemed Chase had essentially raised himself.

As if feeling my gaze, he turned against the wind to look back at me. Our eyes locked.

Electricity shot across the entire beach like a lightning bolt, capturing my attention and refusing to allow me to look away. The intensity there, hiding behind his gaze, held me positively captive.

Remember Ty. The man I planned to marry. The man fate intended for me.

With the might of Hercules, I tore my gaze away and glanced toward the forest instead. As strange as the black sandy beach seemed, I did love the lush greenery of the canopy behind us. It truly did feel like a paradise.

“…not tidy at all,” Kamia was saying, bringing my attention back to them. “I assumed it would be more like Hawaii, where everything has a place. I like things thought out, you know?”

Like affairs,I wanted to say.

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