Page 16 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

“I asked a worker to watch her while I grabbed my book. It took maybe ten minutes. Other than that, yes.” He shot her an uncertain look. “I don’t know what’s going on. She doesn’t want to leave him, but she doesn’t seem to love him either.”

Silence fell between us. Kamia’s chest rose and fell in sleep, gentle and slow. Her mouth hung slightly open. She looked human. Vulnerable. Like a woman who only wanted to be happy. If I hadn’t known her, I would never have guessed this woman would be a multi-millionaire by tomorrow evening.

“She’s obviously attracted to you,” I said.

He nodded. “She is a very attractive woman. I would like to get to know her better. But I live across the ocean, and I don’t want to break up a relationship if it could bring her joy.”

I don’t want to break up a relationship if it could bring her joy.

I immediately thought of Ty’s relationship. Did it bring him joy? Would his fiancée cheat on him?

Or would he cheat on her…with me?

A flood of guilt and remorse overcame me then, which I immediately pushed back. Ty had been interested that day in the office. I knew it. That meant their relationship couldn’t be right, and I would be the one to save him. I refused to stand back and watch him make the biggest mistake of his life.

“She’s the only one who can make that choice, I’m afraid,” I told him. “The sooner, the better. Preparations for her rehearsal dinner are underway. Most of the wedding party is already here. They’ll be suspicious about her disappearance soon if they aren’t already, and I’m sure the groom is out of his mind with worry.”

“I’m sure he’s not,” Kamia muttered, rolling over. She wiped a wayward piece of hair from her face and groaned. “You both talk so loud.”

Afonso’s hand tightened on his book. “We need to talk. Where do you see this going?”

“Going?” She yawned. “I don’t know. Can’t I just stay here for a few more hours? But with the flaps closed. It’s too bright.”

“A few more hours?” Afonso’s jaw clenched. “You want me to entertain you until your wedding dinner, and then turn you over to your fiancé like the past day never happened?”

“No? Sort of.” She put her head in her hands. “I don’t know.”

He stood and tossed his book aside. “I’m not looking for a fling. When I give myself to a woman, it will be forever. I will expect the same in return. That seems like something you can’t give. Not to him, not to me.”

“Afonso—”

“I’m going to the airport. My flight home leaves at 1:30 p.m. I hope you can make your decision by then.” He swiped his book off the sand, stalked out of the cabana, and disappeared.

Kamia watched him go and straightened her sunglasses. “Why are men always so jealous?”

I had a hundred answers to that, none of which were very nice. So I kept my frustration inside and fell back on my professional role. “Look, I’m just the wedding planner. All I need to know is whether there will still be a wedding tomorrow.”

Kamia took her sunglasses off and fixed her gaze on me. “So do I.”

I shuddered inwardly at her appearance. She’d obviously been crying, because her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. The remnants of yesterday’s mascara pooled under her eyes, dried and flaking.

“Marcus is looking for you,” I said. “I promised to notify him the second I found you.”

“But you won’t, will you.” It wasn’t a question.

I swept all thoughts of Chase and his impossible expectations out of my mind. “If you ask me not to, I won’t.”

She looked surprised. “The other planner definitely would have ratted me out. Like, way before now.”

I took Afonso’s place on the lounge chair across from her. “I’m not the other wedding planner. I do want to know what’s going on though. Did you have a fight?”

She watched me for a long moment before leaning closer, lowering her voice. “Marcus…isn’t a nice man.”

I’d met the guy, and I could have told her that at first glance. I only nodded and chose my words carefully. “He does seem a little brusque.”

She pulled her knees to her chest and stared at the sandy floor. “He hurts me sometimes,” she said softly.

A sinking feeling sat in the pit of my stomach. No wonder she was having second thoughts. “No one deserves to be treated like that. Especially by someone who claims to love you.”

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