Aruba (Bad Boys on the Beach Book 3)

by Kimberly Fox

“I was so worried it would be raining,” Cynthia says as she pours a bottle of water into the machine.

  “It still would have been perfect if it was raining,” I say, running my hand through my hair as I sit up.

  “Sure, sure, but the sun is much better,” she says, smiling as she looks out the patio doors.

  I glance behind me at the wall that separates my room from Tucker’s. I’d much rather wake up with his naked muscular body beside me, but keeping the bride away from the groom on her wedding day is one of the maid of honor’s duties, and I wasn’t about to let my girl down.

  Besides, the way things are going, I’ll have the next few weeks, months, or maybe even years to wake up beside him.

  Cynthia starts the coffee and then checks on her dress that’s hanging in the closet.

  “I can’t wait to see you in that,” I say, smiling as I watch her. She’s got an excited nervousness radiating off her. She’s so cute.

  “I can’t wait to see Chase’s face when he sees it,” she says, taking a deep breath. “I hope he likes it.”

  “He’ll like it.”

  “All right,” she says, checking herself in the mirror. “No zits, check. No rain, check. No stolen dress, check.”

  “Coffee, check,” I say, getting out of bed when the coffee is finished.

  “Everything is going to go smoothly,” she says, telling me or the reflection in the mirror, I’m not sure. “I guess Stephanie won’t try anything. She’s been strangely quiet all week, so maybe that means she’s changed her mind.”

  “For sure,” I say, not believing that for a second. That bitch is definitely going to try something.

  “Everything is going to go off without a hitch,” she says, smiling nervously.

  I glance back at the wall, wondering what Tucker is doing behind there as Cynthia shows me how she’s going to wear her hair. She tries to hold all of the wild curls over her head, but they keep falling. Nothing a few bottles of hair spray and an army of clips can’t handle.

  My mind is on Tucker as she rambles on about all of the decorations and flower arrangements. I can’t help wondering if he meant what he said last night. Is he really going to come and visit me in Buffalo, or will I be long forgotten once we get home and fall back into our usual routines?

  I can go and visit him now that my debt is repaid. I can save up for a plane or bus ticket and go see him if he wants me to. I definitely won’t be shopping like I used to anymore. I finally realized that all the shopping was just me trying to fill a hole in my heart—a hole that Tucker fills perfectly. I was always in love with him, but I just didn’t want to admit it.

  “Want a coffee?” I ask the bride while she poses to the reflection in the mirror while holding her hair up.

  “Nah,” she says before puckering her lips. “I don’t want my teeth to be yellow for the pictures.”

  I sigh and then head into the bathroom.

  “Where are you going?” she asks.

  “To dump my coffee,” I say with a sigh. “And to brush my teeth.”

  There’s a knock on the door just as I’m about to pour my coffee into the sink and watch the delicious black liquid swirl down the drain.

  “Is that going to be my brother?” Cynthia asks.

  “I hope so,” I say, skipping as I hurry to the door.

  “Make sure he’s dressed if you let him in here.”

  I grin at her over my shoulder as I grab the door handle. “I’m not making any promises.”

  I make a sexy pose as I open the door and then quickly straighten up when I see two security guards standing in the hall. I recognize one of them. He was the one watching Home Improvement when I arrived. I narrow my eyes on him. “Yes?”

  “Good morning,” the other one says. He’s rubbing his palms nervously. “There have been some complaints directed toward your group.”

  My heart starts hammering in my chest. Is this about the late-night skinny dipping?

  “Unfortunately, you and your group will no longer be staying at the Alanda resort,” he says.

  My jaw drops.

  Cynthia jumps up and rushes over, looking as white as her wedding dress. “Is this some kind of cruel joke? I’m getting married today.”

  He frowns. “Not on the Alanda resort, you’re not. You and your entire wedding party have been banned from the premises. You have thirty minutes to collect your things and bring them to the lobby or the police will be called to escort you out.”

  I open my mouth to retort, but only a defeated breath comes out. It feels like I got punched in the stomach.

  “I don’t understand,” Cynthia says, holding her temples like this is a bad dream. This is worse than a bad dream. It’s a real-life nightmare. “Why are you doing this to us?”

  We know why.

  “We’ve been great guests,” she says. Her voice is racing. Her hands are shaking. “Who the hell complained?”

  Stephanie walks into view with a huge grin on her face.

  I lunge at her, trying to rip her face off, but the two security guards catch me and throw me back.

  “I told you dirty cunts that I would win,” she says, staring at us with her chin thrust in the air. She has a big triumphant smirk on her face. “No wedding beach for you, Sinthia. You can get married in the parking lot of the airport where you belong.”

  “You can’t do this,” Cynthia says, fighting back tears. She’s shaking her head, probably trying to wake up from this nightmare.

  Stephanie’s grin turns into a wide smile. Her evil eyes are sparkling. “Oh, yes, I can do this. I am doing this. You ruined my wedding, and now I’m going to ruin yours.”

  “I wasn’t even at your wedding, you psychotic bitch!” Cynthia screams. Her hands are squeezed so hard into fists that her knuckles are white. So are mine.

  Stephanie crosses her arms over her chest and grins. “I saw you and Chase standing on your balcony, laughing at me as I walked out of my wedding.”

  “Escorted out,” I correct. “In handcuffs. After your groom ran away.”

  Her heated eyes dart onto me, and a cold shiver snakes through my body. “I’m going to be Mrs. Lars in a few weeks. This is my resort now.”

  “Mrs. Lars?” I ask. “Do you even know his last name?”

  “It’s Dutch or something,” she says with a shrug. “Nobody can remember those stupid last names. They’re just a string of vowels with a bunch of K’s and J’s thrown in.”

  “Wow,” I say, rolling my eyes at her. “It sounds like you’re really in love.”

  “He’s really in love,” she says, glaring at me. “And that’s all that matters.”

  “Does he know that you’re only marrying him so you can sabotage my wedding?” Cynthia asks, sounding a little panicked.

  “He’ll find out soon enough,” she says with a shrug. “When you are back in Buffalo, New York, placing your wedding photo on your fireplace mantel. The photo where you’re standing beside a dumpster in the Aruba airport, crying over your destroyed wedding.”

  I lunge at her again, but strong hands catch me and push me back.

  She just laughs as I nearly fall to the floor.

  “You have thirty minutes to vacate,” the security guard says.

  Stephanie’s lips curl up into an evil smile. “Give them fifteen minutes. Their smelly cunts are stinking up the room.”

  She’s about to walk away when she turns and sees the wedding dress hanging on the wall. “A hideous dress for a hideous bride.”

  This time the guards are too slow, and I manage to punch her in the tit before they grab me and throw me back into the room.

  “Fifteen minutes,” the security guard says before slamming the door in my face. “Or we’re calling the police.”

  18

  Tucker

  Day Six

  My pulse is racing as I pace around the lobby with gritted teeth. All of the wedding party is sitting in the lobby with their hastily packed suitcases. Some people look like they just got up. Lucas i
s still in his pajamas.

  “Let me go!” Megan screams as Ethan, Julia, and Lucas struggle to hold her back. Her skin is a fiery red, and she’s got murder in her eyes. “I’ll rip every strand of her hair out, one by one!”

  Cynthia and Chase look miserable as they knock on the owner’s door. I hurry over to join them. If the owner wants more money, then I’ll happily pay to stop him from ruining my sister’s important day. I can’t help but feel partly responsible since I was the one who invited Stephanie here in the first place.

  Although, I did uninvite her, and something tells me that she would have showed up no matter what. Even if I’d never met her.

  Chase opens the door and barges in when he doesn’t answer. “I’m busy,” Lars says, jumping out of his seat. “Please leave my office at once.”

  “You’re not hiding in here,” Chase says, storming up to him with fire in his eyes. “You owe us an explanation. We’re paying customers!”

  Lars gulps as he backs away from the muscular man in front of him. “You’ll get a full refund for the wedding and half of your money back for the week.”

  “That’s not good enough!” Cynthia shouts. “I’m supposed to be getting married. Today! Why are you people doing this to us?”

  Chase pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to control his temper. “Look. Stephanie is my cousin. I’ve known her since she lit her parent’s garage on fire. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, man. She’s nuttier than squirrel shit. She’s certifiably insane!”

  “That’s my fiancée you’re talking about,” Lars says, trying to play the tough guy, but one look at Chase’s furious face has him cowering backward.

  I step forward, trying to calmly explain. “She dated me under a fake name just so she could get invited here to ruin the wedding. I’m sorry, Lars, but she doesn’t care about you.”

  He’s not buying it. “We’re in love,” he says, staring at me with hearts in his eyes.

  These two deserve each other.

  Cynthia slams her fist onto the desk, glaring at him like a crazed gorilla. “Stephanie is incapable of love,” she screams. “She’s pure evil in human form. She will eat you alive. Why can’t you see that?!?”

  Lars straightens his back and lifts his chin in the air. “Our decision is final,” he says in a firm voice. “My fiancée wants you out, you’re all out.”

  Cynthia is turning green as she stares at him. Either she’s going to turn into the She-Hulk, or she’s going to puke all over the desk.

  It’s the latter. She vomits all over his laptop and the papers on his desk.

  “Your bus is here,” Lars says, cringing as he steps away from the puke. “It will take you anywhere you want to go on the island.”

  “Oh, thanks,” Chase says as he holds Cynthia’s shoulders. He starts guiding her to the door. “Where the hell are we supposed to go?”

  “I suggest the airport,” Lars says. “Most resorts are fully booked this time of year.”

  Chase just shakes his head as he opens the door. Julia comes running to get the sick bride. She gives me a concerned look before helping her walk away.

  “Shit,” Chase mutters when we’re outside of the office. He looks at me with blank eyes. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

  I pull out my phone and point to the bus. “Just grab a seat and take care of your girl. I’ll take care of this.”

  “You want me to get married at a nudist resort?” Cynthia asks, staring at me in disbelief.

  “No one will be naked,” I say, swallowing hard. I hope.

  “Except maybe Irving and Yanina,” Julia adds.

  “Who?”

  Uh-oh. She looks like she’s going to puke again.

  I glance out the window of the bus at the thick vegetation. We pass the spot where my rental car broke down and it’s gone. Either the rental car company got it going again, or the huge insects living in the rainforest devoured it.

  “I’m getting married in a nudist resort,” Cynthia says, staring at the roof of the bus. “This can’t be happening.”

  “Trust me, Cynthia,” I say, putting a hand on hers. “Do you trust me?”

  “I trust you,” Chase says, locking eyes on me.

  “Thank you. I won’t let you two down.”

  I hope.

  “This is it?” Cynthia asks when we finally arrive at the Sunnyside Resort. “But there are no naked people.”

  “I told you,” I say with a hard swallow. Hopefully Yanina and Irving haven’t booked any guests in the past few days who will ruin the wedding photos.

  “It’s a beautiful spot,” she says, looking around at the sun sparkling over the turquoise water. “But there are no tables or chairs or food or anything.”

  “Not yet,” I say, grabbing her arms. “But I have a few hours and a team of Navy SEALs at my disposal. It’s going to look great.”

  She’s biting her bottom lip as she looks around, but she’s nodding and looking less stressed than I’ve seen her all day.

  “Come,” Julia says, hooking her arm around my sister’s. “Tucker called and reserved the entire inn. We’ll all have to share rooms, but it will be fun. Like we’re back at summer camp.”

  “Don’t worry,” I say, smiling at her. “You and Chase will have your own room. The biggest one they have.”

  “Thanks, Tucker,” Cynthia says, finally looking better. “It’s going to be great.”

  “It will,” Julia says, winking at me. “Megan! Tanya! Would you guys bring up the dresses and makeup?”

  “On it!” Megan shouts before darting to the storage area of the bus.

  “Let’s go get you ready and have some fun,” Julia says, pulling her away. She turns and looks at me over her shoulder. “You sure you have this covered?”

  “You won’t recognize the place,” I say confidently, although my stomach is rolling with nerves. I’ve never planned a wedding before, let alone one in two hours.

  Julia smiles at me one last time before bringing the bride to the inn. Yanina is all smiles as she rushes out to greet the girls and show them up to the honeymoon suite.

  I find Irving, and we make a quick plan to set everything up. They have all the tables, chairs, and decorations necessary for a wedding in storage, but we’ll still be missing flowers, food, and alcohol. Luckily, I know all of the caterers from planning my date with Julia.

  Chase walks over, looking relieved. “Nice place,” he says with a nod. “Thanks, Tucker.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” I say, grinning as the guys swarm around me. “We have a lot of work to do.”

  “What do we do, boss?” Ethan asks with his hands on his hips.

  I start barking orders at all of them, telling half of the Navy SEALs to get the stuff out of storage and order the other half to start decorating. Luckily, they’re used to following orders and do everything I say without complaining.

  I send Lucas and Ethan off into the nearby rainforest to pick flowers, and I grab my phone to start making some calls. “I need a DJ with speakers, food, drinks, and a minister.”

  “I can marry them,” Irving says proudly. “I’m an anointed minister. I took an online course.”

  “Will you keep your clothes on throughout the ceremony?” I ask, pointing my finger at him.

  “Just this one time,” he answers.

  “Sold!”

  “What can I do?” Chase asks, rubbing his palms together.

  “Your job is the most important,” I say, locking eyes on him. “Change into your bathing suit, go into the kitchen, grab a couple of Coronas, and relax by the water. This is your wedding day. You’re not doing anything except saying ‘I do’ and sliding a ring on my sister’s finger.”

  He laughs as I start dialing the phone. “I was all wrong about you,” he says, shaking his head.

  “That makes two of us,” I say, grinning at him as the phone rings. “Hello? Yes! I need a DJ who knows a shit ton of 90’s hip hop.”

  Three hours later and
the place looks spectacular. Well, most of it.

  “What the hell is that?” I shout, pointing at the ugliest centerpiece I’ve ever seen.

  Lucas shrugs. “I’m a dentist, not a florist. I’m trying my best here.”

  “This looks like poison ivy,” I say, laughing at it. “I said flowers, not weeds.”

  “We used all of the flowers for the bridal bouquets,” Lucas whines. “I’m not going back in there. I was eaten alive by mosquitoes.”

  “It looks great,” Chase says, nodding in approval.

  “See?” Lucas says, looking exhausted. “The groom likes it. They’re staying.”

  Luckily, the Navy SEALs take much more pride in their work. The place really does look spectacular. The head table is set up facing the ocean with smaller round tables for the guests in front of it. The chairs are decorated with white cloth and ribbons, and the tables look gorgeous with white table cloths, fancy dinnerware and the mediocre centerpieces that Lucas put together.

  They’ll be married under a beautiful arch in front of the water on the flat rocks. Cynthia is going to love it.

  I check on the DJ who is setting his speakers up in the corner. “You’re sure you know 90s hip hop?” I ask, grilling him for the third time.

  He nods. “I’ve got it all from Coolio to TLC to Salt-N-Pepa.”

  “What about the Notorious BIG?”

  “Who?” he answers. “Kidding, kidding,” he says when he sees my panicked face. “I have you covered.”

  I hurry into the kitchen to check on the caterers. There’s about a dozen cooks and waiters in there preparing the appetizers and the desserts. There’s five crates of live lobsters on the floor which will be cooked when it’s closer to dinner.

  “Are we on schedule?” I ask the head boss.

  “Ahead of schedule,” he replies.

  I hope so. I’m paying these guys enough. They could sense my desperation on the phone and charged me a large fortune for the last-minute service. Oh well, as long as Cynthia is happy, it’s worth it.

  I head back outside and make sure the bar is stocked (it is) before going to check on the girls.