Page 42 of Kiss Me at Midnight
Paulo tsked and drew Rachel closer for a kiss.
Jud hoped Rachel’s discomfort and Lily’s stunning appearance had been captured on camera. He found Lily’s cold hand beneath the table and gave it a squeeze. “You look exquisite, like a classic Hollywood beauty.”
“A femme fatale,” Dotty murmured, causing Rachel’s expression to turn thunderous.
The first course was brought in–Cajun shrimp with cucumber salsa. Jud sighed as he looked at his two shrimp. Two. Another night of food like this and he was raiding the kitchen.
“Who wants mine?” Dotty lifted her plate. “Shrimp gives me the toots.”
Paulo’s hand shot over the table to claim hers before Jud could.
“How goes the wedding planning, Rachel?” Lily’s façade was cool, seemingly ignoring the tension Rachel radiated. But her hand wasn’t warming in Jud’s grip.
Rachel sipped her wine before answering. “We chose flowers and champagne today. My bouquet is going to be made of lilies and white roses. Last time around, I made a mistake with everything. This time, everything is going to be perfect, including my groom.”
“You can have a perfect ceremony next year,” Abe muttered. “A true test of love is time.”
Rachel sniffed but said nothing.
Paulo had inhaled his two shrimp and Dotty’s two shrimp. He eyed Rachel’s untouched shrimp, beaming at his intended, who handed him her plate.
Jud stared at his empty plate, and then dejectedly at Lily’s.
“What else needs to be done?” Lily asked cheerfully, making him admire her spunk. “Maybe I can help.”
“We need to select wedding bands.” Rachel paused to admire her ring. “No simple band for my man. We have an appointment tomorrow morning in Charleston with an exclusive jeweler. On Friday, our minister arrives in Miami from Portugal. And then we’ll have our beautiful moment and officially begin our lives together, like an open book.”
“Have you been reading this book?” Dotty took a thin breadstick from a carafe on the table and crunched into it. “Or does the reading start after the ceremony?”
Lily looked worriedly at her grandmother.
Jud cleared his throat. “What about Abe and Paulo’s family? And other guests you want to share this moment with?”
Rachel laughed, but there was a hollow sound to it. “Surely, you know. My social circle, including my show castmates, have decided to stay away this time. My father believes we’re rushing things. He’s not supportive at all.” Her gaze drifted toward the window and the yacht’s wake. After a moment, she added, “That’s why you’re here. We settled on a compromise. Guests Daddyapprovedof. Guests I could tolerate sharing my special moment with.”
Tolerate? Uh-oh.
Lily, Dotty and Jud exchanged surprised glances that turned into wary ones. Like him, they were probably thinking:This didn’t bode well for Paulo making Rachel leave Lily alone.
“I think your father supports you.” Lily was the first to overcome her shock.
“Abe didn’t want you to be alone,” Judd added his two cents.
“Even if you’re having a disagreement, he’s still family.” Dotty’s eyes had teared up. “My son and I argue all the time. But he’s still my son and worthy of my love.”
“I can speak for myself.” Abe got to his feet. “I love my daughter. But no one should give their child everything they ever ask for. It blurs their perspective. And for this, I’m sorry.” He picked up his plate and left them.
“Please don’t pity me. I’m turning all this into lemonade.” Rachel’s expression softened as she gazed toward the stairs. “My father made a promise to my mother before she died, a vow to take care of me. He can’t see that my last marriage was a mistake or that what Paulo and I have is the deeper kind of love he and my mother had. Michael used me to cement a contract with my father. He didn’t love me so much as the influence I had with my father. But Paulo…” Rachel touched Paulo’s cheek. “We’re soulmates. We made a connection without words. Although I am helping him renegotiate his contract with the Badgers, I know he’d never use me for my business connections.”
The groom’s smile seemed grim.
*
“Turning my grandmother’s hot tub performance request down tonight was the right thing to do.” Lily reclined in a lounger, nestled beneath a blanket and in Jud’s arms.
She’d changed out of her stunning evening gown and agreed to meet Jud in the boat garage, which was the only place not fitted with hidden cameras. Not to mention that the rushing water would make it hard for anyone to record their conversation. She’d been grateful for Jud’s suggestion since she feared photographs of herself coming out of Jud’s cabin if they’d talked there.
They were still an hour from arriving in Charleston. The air was growing warmer the farther south they traveled, but it was still chilly. Jud’s body radiated welcome heat as they stared up at the stars.
