Destination Wedding (Crimson Romance)

by Robyn Neeley

  “Wonderful.” Jack stood. “We save Kate’s reputation and my son marries the love of his life. It’s a win, win.”

  Olivia put her hands to her face. “I can’t believe this is happening. You know, Luke told me this morning how much he loves Maui.” She stood and grabbed her purse. “Oh, Kate. If Luke says yes — ”

  Jack put his arm around Olivia. “Correction. When Luke says yes.”

  “Okay, when Luke agrees, Kate do you think we could pull it off? What should I do first?”

  Jump into an active volcano. Kate forced a smile. “You’ll need a dress.”

  • • •

  Luke stepped out of the shower, humming his favorite Maroon 5 tune. He couldn’t stop smiling, nor did he ever want to. Last night had been more perfect than he ever imagined. It was so much more than the sex, though that had been amazing. Their long talks in between their lovemaking was something he’d never experienced before. Certainly not with Olivia. It felt amazing to connect with a woman beyond moving around in the sheets. It had made the sex even better.

  He couldn’t wait to see Kate again. He planned on tonight being every bit as incredible as last night. With one notable exception. He’d tell her he was falling in love with her.

  It was a big step for him. In his thirty-four years, he’d never uttered those words to any woman he’d been involved with and meant them with one hundred percent certainty. It felt so right with Kate. He couldn’t keep these feelings to himself any longer. He needed her to know how much she meant to him.

  He dressed in khaki shorts and a white polo and headed to the couch to check his e-mails. His father did in fact update their communications team last night that he was ready to announce his retirement. Luke congratulated him and then excused himself to find Kate. Thank God he had caught her before she had taken off for the airport or last night might have not happened.

  He loved seeing his dad so happy. He deserved a long retirement and to find happiness with Kate’s mom. He was looking forward to spending some time getting to know his future stepmother. One thing was for sure. He hadn’t seen his dad so happy since … He scratched his head. Well, since his mother.

  Drew was the first person he checked in with after leaving Kate’s room. His brother had spoken to Lauren this morning and she had promised not to leave Waikiki until they talked. He caught a commuter plane an hour ago back to Honolulu.

  Even if they didn’t get back together, they needed to clear the air. Lauren was joining JDL Toys as the Vice President of Marketing next month. She was the best in the business and Luke didn’t want to lose her, not with their plans for a banner Black Friday like no other.

  Perhaps she’d relocate from LA to New York City. It wasn’t part of the original plan, but now that the wedding was off, it might be an option. How would his brother take it?

  It would be awkward at first, but Drew would get used to it. Maybe one day, his brother would have the same cordial relationship with Lauren that he had with Olivia.

  He cracked his knuckles. Olivia. After settling things with Drew, he had gone to her room and confessed everything. As far as he could tell, she took the news well. She completely understood why he had grabbed her hand and introduced her as his girlfriend to Kate — at least she said she did.

  She didn’t say much after he finished talking and had asked him to leave so she could take a shower before she headed down to have breakfast with his dad.

  Before he left her room, he promised her that he would never pull a stunt like that again. She assured him he wouldn’t and then made some comment about paying him back. He had worried for a second, but she had been laughing while she said it. Her payback probably involved buying her coffee every morning for a year.

  He grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-refrigerator and powered on his laptop. Jumping on the Internet, he went to the Tie Your Knot website and clicked on Kate’s headshot. “Just wanted to say hi.” He chuckled at this goofy act. If only the investors could see him now — love-stricken and all.

  He checked his inbox. Staying on top of e-mails this week was a must. He paused at one from Olivia. It had come in ten minutes ago. The subject read Wedding News. “What is this?” He opened it. She must be sharing the news with the staff that had flown to Hawaii. Oh well. He was sure wedding or no wedding; their employees would take full advantage of the company sponsored exotic vacation. This would give them more time to play. He clicked open the e-mail.

  Luke Cannon and Olivia Moore invite all staff already in Hawaii to join them on Saturday at one o’clock P.M. as they exchange their wedding vows. Reception and luau immediately following at the Grande Apolima Resort.

  He slammed his computer down. What the hell? It had to be a joke. He opened the notebook back up. In italics at the bottom the e-mail read:

  RSVP to Miles Payne at mpayne@tieyourknot.com.

  Luke rubbed his head in his hands. Did his ex-girlfriend just pay him back?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kate plowed her way through one white satin fabric dress after another hanging on a long rack.

  “God, none of these are right,” she mumbled. “Miles, see if they have more dresses in the back.”

  “Kate, stop.”

  “No time, Miles. Did you hear me? See if they have more dresses.”

  Miles grabbed her hand. “You need to stop. That bridezilla’s got five dresses in the dressing room to try on. She’ll be in there for another hour. Let’s go outside and get some fresh air. The sales attendant’s got this.”

  Kate glanced over to the dressing room. She could see Olivia’s perfectly pedicured feet in the stall. He was right. She needed to leave before Olivia stepped out in her first dress and Kate completely lost it.

  “Let’s go.” Miles stood behind her and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. He guided her to the glass doors. Once outside the wedding dress boutique, they found an empty bench and sat down.

  “Oh, Miles.” Kate couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “Why is this happening?”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tissue.

  “Thanks.” She took the tissue and blotted her eyes. “I can always count on you.”

  “Have you talked to Luke? What does he have to say about all of this?”

  She wiped her tears. “I haven’t seen him.”

  “Does he even know he’s getting married to that woman tomorrow?”

  “I don’t know. She e-mailed a wedding announcement to all the JDL staff here for Drew’s wedding. He must have agreed to it.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m not so sure. I can sniff out an opportunist a mile away. That high maintenance woman in there is definitely one.”

  “Maybe, but she’s not going to tell us the real story.”

  “So go find Luke.”

  Kate shook her head. “And say what? ‘Thanks for the best night of my life, can I get a copy of your vows?’”

  Miles cracked a smile. “Best night of your life, eh?”

  She shrugged. “Does it matter?”

  “Kate, you can stop this wedding. Go claim your man.”

  “That’s just it. He’s not mine. Everything happened so fast.” She threw her hands up in the air. “One minute I’m on cloud nine and the next his dad is marrying his assistant off to Luke, and the worst part about it — Jack only suggested it to save our asses.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Explain.”

  “I was telling them how Janet was going to freak out when she arrived. Before I knew it, Jack offered up Luke and Olivia as the fifth-quarter replacements.”

  He laughed. “It’s fourth quarter.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Somehow, I think even after Janet rips us both a new one, we’re going be fine even without Luke marrying that lunatic.”

  Kate agreed. “Probably, but you should have seen Jack around Olivia. He adores her and he obviously thinks she’s the one for his son.”

  “That’s because he doesn’t know that Luke has feelings
for you.”

  “Yeah, but Olivia and Luke have history. They were together for three years. I mean, he was supposed to tell her everything this morning but that obviously didn’t happen.” Her lower lip quivered. “Oh, Miles. What if he changed his mind? Maybe he didn’t tell her about us because he still has feelings for her? For all I know, she might not even know he was with me last night.”

  “Oh, she knows,” Miles said, shaking his head. “Trust me, she knows.”

  She stood. “It doesn’t matter. This is probably for the best.”

  Miles smirked. “You don’t mean that.”

  “No, really I do. I’ve only known Luke for a short time and he’s either pretended to be someone that he wasn’t or lied about having a girlfriend — those aren’t tiny white lies. Maybe he’s not the man I thought he was.”

  Miles stood. “Well, let’s go back in and get this over with.”

  Her phone buzzed and she looked down. The message took her off guard. “Um … Miles, I’ve got to go back to the hotel. Can you take it from here?”

  “Sure.” He touched her arm. “It’s going to be okay, boss. You’ll get through this.”

  “Thanks.” She peered into the shop’s glass window. Olivia had stepped out of her dressing room in a beautiful white dress with a full train. Kate stifled a laugh. Although she looked stunning, Kate knew the dress would be virtually impossible to move around on sand and rocks. A fall at some point was almost guaranteed. Not to mention, it would be hot and uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour. Her lips turned up into a devilish smile.

  “Oh, and Miles. Do me a favor. Make sure she picks that one.”

  • • •

  Luke sat alone at the edge of the waterfall, staring out at the beautiful rushing water. He had sent Kate a text to meet him here. She responded that she would.

  But that was over an hour ago. Maybe she had changed her mind. Could he blame her? It wasn’t like he knew what he was going to say even if she did show up.

  I’m sorry. That seemed like a good start. This latest event wasn’t his fault. He just didn’t know how to fix it.

  Frustrated, he grabbed a twig and snapped it in half, throwing a piece into the water. Olivia and his dad had ambushed him earlier saying that the wedding was back on but now it would be his and Olivia’s. Luke had laughed it off as being ridiculous until his father explained that it would save Kate’s company and that she thought it was a great idea.

  It couldn’t possibly be true. There was no way after last night that Kate would want him to marry another woman. No way. Still, Olivia had kissed him on the cheek and said she was off to meet Kate and Miles to pick out her wedding dress.

  The trees rustled in the distance and twigs snapped. Kate emerged from the opening. She looked beautiful in jeans and a pretty top that showed off her toned arms. It was the first time he’d seen her dressed so casual.

  “Hi.” He stood and brushed dirt and sand off of his pants.

  “Hi.” She walked over to him, leaving a healthy distance between them.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” he offered. “You look nice.”

  “Shouldn’t you be writing your vows?”

  He looked down at his shoes. “I deserve that.”

  “Why are you marrying her?”

  “Kate, believe me. I am just as surprised as you.” He walked over and reached for her hands, holding them tight. “Olivia’s doing this to get even.”

  “What do you mean, ‘get even’?” She yanked her hands out of his. “Or do I even want to know.”

  “It’s stupid. I didn’t realize that she still has strong feelings for me. I guess calling her my girlfriend yesterday sent her over the edge.”

  “Wow.”

  “But I don’t have feelings for her.” He touched her chin, tilting her head up. “You have to believe me.” He watched as Kate wrinkled her brow and then looked away. “Kate, you do believe me, don’t you?”

  “Why should I? All you’ve done is lie to me Luke. You were supposed to talk to her this morning but guess where I just came from?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Picking out her dress to marry you in.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry.”

  She sighed. “Maybe so. But these lies and tricks. It’s … It’s just not for me.”

  “Lies?”

  “Pretending to be your brother and then introducing your ex as your current girlfriend.”

  “Kate, I explained all of that last night. I thought you understood,” he pleaded. He was not going to lose her over this ridiculous turn of events.

  “I did. I do.” She looked away. “You should have seen how excited your dad was when he came up with the idea. He adores her and obviously thinks you two should be together.”

  She was right. His dad certainly had a soft spot for his executive assistant and always hoped Luke and she would get back together. His father would surely feel different if he knew Olivia cheated on him with his top accountant, a detail Luke never revealed. He did it to protect her reputation and her job. Now look where that decision had gotten him.

  “I’m not getting married.” He reached down and threaded his fingers with hers. “You don’t want me to, right?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Wait. Rewind. She didn’t know. She couldn’t be serious? This time, he pulled his hands away. “You think I should marry Olivia?”

  “This has to stop, Luke. Our relationship, or whatever this is, isn’t supposed to be this complicated. Not this early on, anyway. But here we are again.”

  “What are you saying?” He searched her water-filled eyes, trying to figure out what was going on behind them.

  “I’m saying that last night was a huge mistake and we shouldn’t be together. You should marry Olivia. You both have history and obviously it would make your father happy.”

  “To hell with my father. Kate, you’re being silly.”

  He could tell he struck a nerve. “You were right to walk away from me the last time we were here. Now it’s my turn.” She turned and rushed down the path.

  He wanted to run after her but couldn’t. Yes, he had deceived her. Yes, it wasn’t the ideal way any relationship should start out. The last three weeks barely made sense to him, but one thing he knew was certain. On that first flight to Honolulu, he’d met his soul mate.

  And now he’d lost her.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kate returned to the hotel, crossing through the courtyard. Her feet throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heavy heart.

  It was for the best. If she kept repeating those five words, it would eventually sink in. At least that was what she planned to continue telling herself.

  It was for the best. This way, a wedding takes place and she gets the commission and accolades she deserved. That’s all she ever really wanted, right?

  She sat down at the fountain and kicked off one strappy sandal, massaging her bare foot. Had she really walked away from Luke? He said he wouldn’t go through with it. All she had to do was tell him that she was falling in love with him and this nightmare would be over.

  Or would it? Did he even feel the same way about her? When it came down to it she didn’t trust that Luke wouldn’t completely crush her heart the way her father had broken her mother’s so many years ago. No, she needed to walk away and get back to her life in Los Angeles. It was better this way. He had said it himself at the waterfall the first time.

  “Kate Ashby!” Kate looked up to see her boss, Janet, walking toward her with Miles. “There’s my star wedding planner,” she shouted over the sound of the fountain.

  “Hi, Janet.” She stood and hugged her. “I mean Aloha. How was your trip?” Her petite fifty-year-old boss looked surprisingly refreshed in a pretty beige pants suit. Kate was always in awe over her perfectly put together appearance, even after a long flight. Surely there were no tomato juice stains on any of Janet’s clothing.

  “Oh, splendid. I sat next to this darling man. I think he’s loade
d and ready to pop the question to his girlfriend. I gave him my business card.”

  “Always working.” She looked over at her grinning assistant. “Did Miles fill you in on our situation?”

  “That the grooms have changed?”

  “Yeah, and the brides, too.”

  Janet laughed. “Pretty crazy but hey, as long as they pay us the commission they promised, I don’t care if the executive assistant marries their second cousin. Plus, Jack Cannon is just as much of a fat cat as Phillip Kincaid.”

  “I know.” Kate shifted on her aching feet. She wished she could just chuck her heels into the fountain.

  Miles smirked. “Wait until you hear who Jack Cannon is dating.”

  “Who?” Janet asked, nearly pouncing on Miles for the answer.

  “I’ll tell you later,” Kate interjected. She did not want to see her mother’s picture in every gossip magazine.

  “Fine. I love a good mystery.” Janet switched gears. “Is everything all set for the ceremony?”

  “I think so. The new bride is getting her dress fitted. Other than that all the other details are taken care of. The rings are being delivered to the hotel this afternoon, and Miles will meet with the minister and Luke and Olivia tonight for a quick rehearsal.”

  Janet raised an eyebrow. “Only Miles?”

  “I mean Miles and me,” Kate corrected. No way in hell would she be there to see Olivia practice walking down the sandy aisle toward Luke. She’d think of some excuse.

  “Terrific, let’s go to the bar and celebrate.” Janet linked arms with Kate. “You, my dear Kate are getting one fat commission check for pulling this off.” She whispered into her ear. “And a new title when we get back to the office, Ms. Partner.”

  Kate put on her best smile. Everything she ever wanted, she was about to get.

  They entered the bar area where Janet snapped her fingers and a round of Mai Tais appeared shortly after. She squeezed Kate’s shoulder. “I hope you’re ready.”

  “Ready?”

  “For the good life. Once word gets out that this wedding went off without a hitch, you are going to be the toast of the town. Every A-lister within a hundred-mile radius of Santa Monica is going to want you to plan their wedding.”