“Seagull.” Klein runs his hand through his bed-mussed hair.
I nod decisively, resisting the urge to pounce on him. An early morning walk on the beach will disappear if I give in to my desire. “Seagull. Do you want to come with me?”
Klein hauls himself from the bed.
“I am persistently impressed with your ability to fly out of those covers.”
Klein stops for a kiss on his way to the bathroom. “Just wait until you see all my other tricks.”
He runs a toothbrush over his teeth, then pulls on a T-shirt. On the way out of the house we make two coffees to-go, and then we’re on the beach, toes curling in the wet sand, foamy water crisp around our ankles.
We hold hands, and I tuck myself into his side as we walk. He’s unusually quiet, so I ask, “What are you thinking about?”
“How we only have forty eight hours left here. Despite the crazy week this has been, I’m anticipating leaving this place behind and it’s not a great feeling. It’s just like you said. This place is magic. I feel sad to leave.”
I squeeze his hand. “We can always come back. Maybe next time without the wedding shenanigans, though.”
He stops short, guiding me into his chest with the twirl of our clasped hands. He looks so damn happy, and all I can think isI put that look in his eyes.When did making Klein happy become paramount? Sometime between him consistently being in my corner, and giving me the support I needed to stand up for myself to my family.
His green-eyed gaze heats, his chin dips, and his mouth lowers to mine. Flavors of bitter coffee and cool peppermint swirl around on our tongues, our lips yielding to one another.
He smells incredible, and he tastes divine. He’s sohandsome it sets an ache to my chest. This man iseverything.
We come up for air when a large wave sends water around our calves.
“How are you feeling about the wedding, now that you’ve had the chance to sleep on it?”
“Great question.” I intertwine my arms around his neck, deeply breathing in that spiced apple scent of his. “My feelings are very hurt that Sienna would leave me out so easily, and for a flimsy reason. It’s clear Shane is the one with the problem, but Sienna doesn’t want to see it, and it’s easier to blame me. I think—” Movement in the ocean catches my attention. “Dolphins!”
One jumps first, then two more. Klein and I watch them move parallel to the shore before they disappear from sight.
My excitement wanes. “Those dolphins don’t care about the disaster that is this wedding day.”
“Not at all.”
I return to snuggling into Klein. “I wish my sister wouldn’t blame me for something I didn’t do, nor have any control over, but I see why she’s doing it. If I imagine today as my wedding day, and my fiancé is acting the way Shane’s been acting, maybe I would protect myself and my ego by placing blame on the wrong person. It’s easier for her to disinvite me than it is to disinvite him.”
“Divorces are expensive though.”
I snort and swat Klein’s arm. “I hope that’s not the outcome, but yes. They are expensive.”
We keep walking, and when the sun warms us a bit too much, we head up to the house. We’re walking over thedune when Wren appears at the end of the private walkway. She breathes heavily, bosom heaving as she pushes hair from her eyes. “Paisley, come quick. It’s a disaster.”
“What’s wrong?”
She gives me a look that saysyou won’t believe me even if I tell you. “Sienna. Cut. Bangs.”
My eyes grow so wide it actually hurts, and my hand flies up and covers my mouth with a dull smack.
“I know,” Wren says gravely. She grabs for my hand. “Sienna’s asking for you.”
Klein presses a kiss to the side of my head, murmuring, “Just tell me what you need and I’ll be there for you.”
“Thank you.” I respond with a kiss on his cheek. Pangs of already missing him hit my chest.
Wren leads me to her waiting golf cart. “You’re lucky,” she says when I climb on. “He’s hot, intelligent, and cherishes you. Basically everything a woman wants.”
Am I lucky? I guess I am, to a degree. Lucky to have chosen Obstinate Daughter from the hundred other restaurants in the area. Lucky to have gone on a night Klein was working. Lucky to have decided to drown my self-pity at the bar instead of following the bachelorette party out the door.
