by Dara Girard
“Everything?” he asked, doubtful, knowing his sister couldn’t be trusted. “Did she tell you about the Monay mob family and the jewels and how she—”
“She made up a story just to get us together. Yes, she did. She told me how furious you were that you were afraid you were no longer my hero.”
Aaron squeezed his eyes shut. “She shouldn’t have told you that. I—”
Rebecca cupped his face. “You will always be my hero, no matter what happens.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you,” he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.
She blinked. “For what?”
“For saving my life that night ten years ago. I wasn’t going to kill myself, but I was living other people’s lives and not my own. After meeting you, I decided to take more risks and not be ashamed of how I felt. And you came back and saved me again, this time from myself.”
She shrugged. “Some heroes need a sidekick.”
“I don’t want a sidekick. I want a wife.”
“You could find one on the island.”
“I’d rather steal one from the States.”
“Spoken like a true pirate.”
He grinned. “Yes,” he said, then his lips brushed hers with a tantalizing invitation for more.
Epilogue
Rebecca and Rachelle looked at each other in wonder as they each stood in their wedding gowns. Their wedding day had finally arrived. Six months earlier, they had made a vow to get married on the same day. It was the first and only time they had made such an arrangement. For identical twins, they were extremely independent, and though they kept in touch, they led totally separate and independent lives. But on this day, they wanted to celebrate their bond as sisters.
After agreeing to marry H.C., Rachelle had flown back to the States to put things in order and make arrangements for their grandmother to move into the nursing home on St. James that H.C. had arranged for. But that didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped. Gran fell and had to be hospitalized briefly. While in the hospital, she developed pneumonia and became gravely ill.
“I don’t know what to do,” Rachelle told Rebecca over the phone. “Her doctor doesn’t think moving her is such a good idea.”
“We can postpone things until she gets better,” Rebecca said.
“That could be a while. Maybe you and Aaron—”
“We can wait,” Rebecca said. “I’m not going to let you handle this on your own like I have in the past.”
“What’s wrong?” Aaron asked, coming into the room.
“We may have to postpone the wedding. Gran fell and... What are you doing?” she asked when he pulled out his phone.
“Scheduling a flight out of here. It’s about time I get to meet her, don’t you think?”
“Do you really want to do that?”
He winked at her. “I want to give her a reason to heal quickly.”
To Rebecca’s surprise, his plan worked. He and Brandon charmed her grandmother, and she made a miraculous recovery. She grew stronger every day, completed physical therapy and was up and walking much sooner than the doctors expected. She was even lucid enough to want to play a role in the wedding.
“Who do you plan to use to walk you both down the aisle?” Gran asked out of the blue. The three of them had just returned from trying on their wedding dresses. Both brides were excited, just like when they were kids going shopping for the first time, but they decided not to have identical dresses—a joint wedding was enough.
“Uncle Oscar can escort the two of us,” Rachelle said. They didn’t have a large family, and the only uncle they had was more than delighted to be asked to play such an important role. Kelli was Rebecca’s maid of honor, and of course Candace was one of the bridesmaids. Rachelle’s maid of honor and bridesmaids consisted of several of her longtime friends, and just as with their wedding dresses, their bridesmaids did not wear identical dresses or colors.
H.C. and Aaron took care of the logistics for the event, since it was held in St. James, and they didn’t disappoint the guests who attended. They held the ceremony on the beach, where a large, elaborate tent stood tall, decorated with an assortment of the island’s exotic flowers, their fragrance scenting the air.
After exchanging their vows, the wedding party retreated to a rented, outdoor pavilion, where the two couples and guests partied all night. Brandon, who was the ring bearer for both brides, couldn’t contain his excitement and stayed up until early the next morning. He was found asleep under one of the tables, exhausted from all the activity, with a big smile on his face.
* * *
Rebecca stood near the edge of the cliff, staring at the water, remembering who’d she’d been ten years ago standing at this same spot, heartbroken. She held her arms out and turned her face to the sun, feeling its warm rays on her skin. Two weeks ago, she’d returned from her honeymoon with Aaron, not realizing how much St. James already felt like home. She closed her eyes, then let out a shriek when someone swept her off her feet.
She stared at her new husband, confused. “What are you doing?”
“Saving your life,” he said with a roguish grin.
“I don’t need you to do that anymore.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, love shining in her eyes.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked, his gaze melting into hers.
She brushed her lips against his. “I need you to help me make a new one.”
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460382028
Touch of Paradise
Copyright © 2015 by Sade Odubiyi
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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