Page 2 of Honeymoon for Seven

“Still.” His mother frowned. “I’ll make you a honey lemon toddy when we get home. Can’t have you coming down with anything before Thursday when the ship sails.”

“No worries, Rose, dear. With all the excitement, I forgot to take my allergy pill today.”

Rose kissed her husband’s cheek and smiled. “You did good, handsome.”

His father beamed. Whether fighting or flirting, his parents were always passionate. He couldn’t fathom loving someone so much after so many years. He’d known a few women in his life who he’d thought could be the one, and yet, as time passed, so did the elusive devotion he knew he’d need to have what his parents had. Though he wouldn’t mind having it with a little less volatility.

“Mrs. Maroney.” The wedding coordinator came up beside his mom. “Your daughter is getting ready to toss her bouquet.”

“The night is going by so quickly.” His mother nodded at the woman, linked arms with her husband at one side and her son at the other. “Let’s go.”

Theresa stood ready to toss the bouquet. When she spotted her mother, she smiled and turning, waved the thing over head before letting it rip through the small hall. Nick had no idea why this old ritual was such a big deal, but every single woman in the place gathered in the middle of the dance floor and when the bouquet flew across the room, anyone would have thought his sister was giving away gold.

By the time the reception was over, Nick was beyond exhausted. Partying all night was not in his playbook anymore. As soon as Theresa and Alan drove off into the night, Nick kissed his mom and dad and headed home, collapsing on his bed without bothering to strip out of his tuxedo, though he did take a few minutes to shuck the jacket and undo the bow tie.

When his phone rang the next morning, he wished he’d turned the darn thing off. “Hello.”

“Nicky, we have a problem.” His mother sounded distressed.

Flinging the blankets to one side, he sat up. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Your father is testing positive for Covid.”

“Did you take him to the hospital?”

“No. His oxygenation is high, his fever is low, but his cough in lingering. The doctor sent him something to take. Says he’s going to feel better soon.”

“Oh, good. So what’s the problem?”

“The doctor says he won’t test negative in time for the cruise. You’re going to have to take your father’s place.”

Chapter Two

Unpacked, Ginnie had hung up her dresses, put away her shoes, and folded clothes in the drawers. Every few minutes, she glanced out the window at the shipping channel. In a few hours the view would be totally different—she’d be basking in rolling seas, blue skies, and salty breezes.

This whole trip alone felt strange. Mina couldn’t join her because she and her husband were hosting an anniversary celebration for his parents. No way she could back out of that. Jo had done everything she could to juggle her schedule but in the end, the schedule won. Since none of her friends were available for that much time either, and Ginnie was too practical to let a free trip go to waste, here she was sailing alone.

Changed into her favorite yellow sundress, it was time to venture out of her cabin. She could do this. Meandering her way onto the upper deck, she leaned against the rail as a band played Calypso music, waiters passed by with trays of drinks, and the ship began to move. Excitement tickled her senses. She really did love cruising.

Her phone dinged, the sound startling her. Glancing down, it was from Jo.Wish I was there. Quickly she responded,Me too!Another few minutes and another ding. This time it was Mina.Have a good time!That was certainly the plan. After all, who takes a cruise to have a bad time? A waiter walked by and she took a yellow and red frozen drink. “What is this?”

“Marvelous Mango.” The man smiled up at her.

“Sounds good.” She waved the room card hanging around her neck and he used a handheld machine to record her purchase. So far, so good. Already she could feel the stress of everyday life rolling away.

Another ding. Now what? She’d run out of sisters.

You okay? Of course. Her mother.

Yes, Mama. Weather is wonderful. Not wanting to start a long conversation, she quickly typed.Time to turn the phone off. See you when I get home.

The breeze blowing in her hair, she sucked in a deep breath. Another layer of stress slid away. This was going to be a great trip. Exactly what she needed even if she hadn’t realized it at the time she decided to come solo rather than give the cabin away. Now that the ship was on its way, all the shops on the promenade would be open. Time to check out the wares. Last cruise she picked up some nice bargains.

The other nice thing about being on a ship was that she could walk around with a drink and it didn’t matter. Especially since she was a notoriously slow sipper and could nurse a drink for hours. The first day on the ship always felt like the most crowded. Everyone had the same idea to wander about and get their bearings. This cruise was no different—as a matter of fact, the promenade deck felt especially crowded with people mulling about and stopping in the middle of the walkway without warning, older folks scooting about in electric chairs, and kids running loose as if the ship was their private playground.

Stopping at the jewelry store window, she stared at the brightly lit display. Miscellaneous pieces caught her eye. She had no idea if the green stones were emeralds or glass, same with the dark blues and reds, but some were awfully pretty. Most of the people looking at the displays were smiling or laughing. A few folks tried on some pieces, others joked about their budgets and in their dreams. One poor man caught her eye. He’d been staring at a diamond ring. His expression a blank slate but his eye seemed oddly sad for a person who should be enjoying themselves on a fun-filled cruise.

Dragging her gaze away from the sad man and resisting the temptation to go inside and try a few rings on, she turned toward the next store and felt a weight slam into her legs.

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