Page 17 of Bumping into You

Since her touch caused a chemical reaction.

Rose eyes me curiously. “Right, and what would your job be?” she asks.

“I’m a firefighter.”

“Well, you definitely saved me,” she laughs, the sound sweet like the soft tinkling of Christmas bells. “I appreciate what you did for me there, for playing along.” She picks up her frozen drink and takes a long sip.

“You looked like you needed it. I’m guessing he’s the ex?”

She glares at me but there is no passion behind it, no fire in her eyes. She sighs. “Yes, we dated for two years. He broke it off about eight months ago.”

“Wow. What happened?” I sit in the empty seat next to her.

“It’s really none of your business,” she says angrily, but then her facial features sag.

“Okay, fair’s fair.” I signal the bartender and order anotherBlue Hawaiian. We sit in silence watching the bloke make my drink. Only once I’ve taken a sip of the frozen blue concoction do I speak up again.

“So,” I ask, wanting to get more details about this wedding. “What brings you on this cruise? Obviously not the fascinating couple that just left here?”

Her mouth quirks up in a half smile, and I swear my tongue goes bone dry. I’d actually managed to get a smile out of Rose. Be still my heart.

“No, I am definitely not here because of them,” she huffs out gently. “I’m actually here . . .” but she trails off and looks past me.

A woman calls, “Gwen!”

“Sully!” I hear, and now I turn too.

Greg and Holly come around the corner.

Wait. . . . Did Holly sayGwen?

I glance over at thebeoreI’ve bumped into multiple times now. Is she Greg’s Gwen?

Before I can ask a question or even know what hits me, I’m wrapped in a big hug from Greg. It’s as if we didn’t eat breakfast together this morning, but seeing as how I haven’t seen him in about three years, I wrap him back in a hug.

Next to me, Rose, or maybe Gwen, is attacked by Holly.

“Holly!” Rose squeals, clasping Holly’s hands. “I’m glad you made it on the cruise.”

“We’re finally here.” Holly smiles. “And it’s almost wedding time.”

“I know,” says Rose, “and I’ve made sure everything is in order.”

“This is going to be the best friend’s trip-then-wedding we’ve ever had!” Holly says.

“It’s the only friend’s trip-then-wedding we’ve ever had,” Greg replies.

Rose chuckles, her mood vastly improving and hopefully pushing thoughts of her ex and his fiancée to the curb, right where they belong.

“Come here, Gwennie,” says Greg, letting go of me and wrapping Rose up in a big hug.

“Why do you insist on calling me Gwennie? We’re not kids anymore.” She laughs. I catch a glimpse of Rose’s face and her smile is illuminating.

“It’s just a habit, a hard one to break,” says Greg. “You will always be Gwennie to me. And I see you’ve met Sully.” Greg steps back and pats me on the back.

“Yes?” Rose says, furrowing her brows as her eyes narrow at me.

I, catching her confusion, say, “Though I don’t believe we’ve properly introduced ourselves yet. Niall O’Sullivan. ‘Sully’ to my mates.”

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