Page 238 of Dangerous Encore
"Do youhaveany?"
His smile gets wicked. "Nothing you wanttohear."
I can't help but laugh. "Really? All your advice isaboutsex?"
He chuckles as he takes my hand. "Be honest with him. Tell him when you need him. Don't let him get away with thatbroodingshit."
"Is thatpossible?"
"More or less." Mal helps me out ofthelimo.
Then he steps onto theconcrete.
The sky is orange and pink. Sunset. It's soft and beautiful and the beach is thebackdrop.
The waves crash with alowroar.
People walk by theceremonysite.
Fuck, that's theceremonysite.
It's a little white altar decked with pinkflowers.
And there are a dozen little whitechairs.
Mostly full little whitechairs.
Someone walks up to us. A wedding coordinator in khakis and a Hawaiian printshirt.
He smiles. "You must be Piper." He holds up my bouquet—pink roses with a bright turquoise ribbon. "Are youready?"
Inod.
"You must be, Mal." The coordinator smiles at my brother. "You're walking your sister down theaisle?"
Malnods.
"How sweet." The coordinator nods to the ceremony site. Then to the hotel just to the left of it. "We're going to head from that direction. It's about as much of a reveal as we canmanage."
"Okay." I hold the bouquet to mychest.
The coordinator nods to the hotel. "Whenever you’reready."
I take my first step. It's shaky. My grip around Mal's armtightens.
He walks with steady footsteps. "You know, when I first realized you and Kit were dating, I threatened to kill him if he slipped and dragged you downwithhim."
My next step is more solid. "That soundslikeyou."
"I meant it. I still do." His voice is soft, contemplative. "But I don't worry about that being a possibilityanymore."
"Never?" Okay, I'm managing an actual gait here. I candothis.
"Every so often. But I know he's all in. With his recovery. With making youhappy."
We stop at the winding stone path on the side of the hotel. The ceremony site is just around the corner. I can see the very edgeofit.
The coordinator murmurs something into his walkietalkie.
