Page 56 of Beached Wedding

“How does it look?” Fox asked uneasily.

“Honestly? Really dramatic and exciting. Everyone is sounding all worried, then they cheer when you get him. I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets picked up by some networks. You should capitalize on it.” I wrinkled my nose, already knowing he would hate that idea. Shane was the face of the company. Fox liked his role behind the scenes.

He grimaced. “I’ll get so much blowback on the safety side.”

“You will. That’s why it has viral potential. Everyone will have an opinion. You might even wind up with your very own troll.”

“Lucky me.”

“The price of success, my friend.” I faltered in lifting a hand to pat his arm. That word felt as though it was made of sharp edges as it lingered on my tongue. I dropped my hand back to my side, but pressed on with my attempt to pretend that’s all we were. “Instead of Shane Says, you could call it Fox Freaks.”

“You’ve had time to think about it and that’s the best you could come up with?”

“Feats? Frolics? Doesn’t have the same ring of urgency. Or insanity.”

His choke of humor was laden with self-disgust.

“I need my ass kicked for being so reckless.” He ran a hand over his hair, started to say something else, then pinned his mouth shut. His nostrils flared and his brows lowered with dismay.

We’d both done something reckless.

As the catamaran engine finally cut off, my stomach churned with worry that we’d made a huge mistake. The kind that couldn’t be undone.

ASHLEY

Since the cruise had been cut short, I arrived at the villa early enough that the Holloways were still there. By then, the video had been uploaded and I’d been texted the link by the passenger who had filmed it. I was able to show everyone why Fox was absent. The rescue had everyone gasping.

Eddie said “Bloody idiot” with exasperation. Sandy had opinions on surfers who got themselves into trouble out of sheer ignorance. Then she gave me some pointers on how T&B could share the video and frame it to help people understand they were putting others in danger when they were thoughtless about their own safety.

“Can I watch it again?” Fliss asked.

“Sure.” I handed her my phone, then asked Whitney, “How was the champagne? Good enough that I can ask a favor?”

Whitney lifted amused brows. “Such as?”

“Harry, the guy Fox saved... He offered Fox a heli-tour tomorrow.” I wasn’t sure if Fox really wanted me to go, but... God help me, I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could. “I’m supposed to pick up Izzy from the airport tomorrow.”

“We can do that,” Oliver said brightly. “We’re happy to.”

“No, you and Ry go kayaking like you planned,” Whitney said to her intended. “I’ll go. Fliss can come with me. I want some mommy-daughter bonding time.”

Fliss lifted her head from staring at my phone and curled her lip at Whit. “Then take Grandma.”

“Grandma has been invited to join the Holloways on a tour of the resort,” Mom said.

“In a golf cart,” Sandy explained. “I can’t do long walks with my hip.”

“That sounds fun.” I was pleased to hear that Mom was doing something besides planning meals and deadheading the resort’s already well-tended flower baskets.

“Yeah,” Whitney said. “Way to wheel out of your comfort zone, Mom.”

I slanted her an admonishing smirk. Behind her, Fliss was still on the sofa, still looking at my phone as it pinged with an incoming text.

Fliss’s eyes bulged and she snapped an accusatory glare at me.

“What?” I instinctively moved toward her. “Something from Shane?”

“No,” Fliss said with disdain. She slapped the phone into my hand. “I thought vacations were supposed to be fun. This one sucks. I’m going for a walk.”

---