Page 21 of A Happy Endings Wedding
No response.
He looked down at her, eyes closed, cheeks flushed, pink lips parted in sleep. At least he’d given her some peace. He kissed her hair and kept her close, where she belonged.
~ ~ ~
Hailey walked to the dock with her mom and Mad for her bachelorette party, feeling refreshed. Josh’s bachelor party was on a rooftop garden only royalty had access to. Phillip had suggested it and wanted to be part of it too. She let out a happy sigh. She’d had a nice nap thanks to Josh, though the poor man had sat in wet jeans for way too long. She’d taken care of him just as soon as she was fully awake, bringing him to the bed for their last time making love as an engaged couple. She’d gotten a little emotional thinking about that, and Josh had been super tender with her, his dark eyes full of love, his touch reverent.
She turned to Mad once they arrived at the dock. “So what’s the plan? Party at the dock? Did you get some royal strippers?”
Her mom clapped. “Ooh!” Her mom was fifty-one with the libido of a twentysomething. A fact Hailey wished she didn’t know.
Mad’s brown eyes gleamed. “Better! I got us a party boat!”
Hailey turned at the sound of her friends screaming to her from the back deck of a small white boat bobbing in the water a distance from the dock. There was an open captain’s perch on top for steering it, a tiny enclosed cabin below it, and a small deck. That was it. She would surely barf up a lung on that thing. “Couldn’t you have gotten a bigger boat? This one seems so unstable.”
Mad waved to their friends. “It can hold fifteen people. We’ve got ten sisters from another mister, your mom, the captain, first mate, and those tagalong reporters and the girl photographer. Oh, and, of course, Frank. Come on!” Frank was Claire’s bodyguard, a constant shadow, who rarely spoke. It occurred to Hailey that they probably should’ve included Rob, the male photographer fromBride Special, too, since it wasn’t exactly ladies only at this point. Oh well.
“Isn’t that seventeen people?” Hailey asked.
Mad waved that away. “So we’ll throw a few people overboard when we need space. Ha-ha. Don’t worry. It’ll be cozy but fun.”
Her mom rushed ahead, waving and calling to the women.
Hailey dug her heels in. “Mad, I can’t. I get seasick.” She couldn’t tell her about her queasy pregnancy stomach. She and Josh had agreed to keep it secret until after the wedding. She didn’t want the big story from the reporters to be Pregnant Bride Weds Just in Time!
Mad planted her hands on her hips. “It’s not movingthatmuch. It’s anchored here. Come on, I got sushi and champagne, a keg, and some of that fancy French wine you love.”
Hailey stared at the dock. Those were all off-limits to her now that she was pregnant. “Maybe we could shift the party back to land? There’s a cute beach just around the corner.” Sure, the sun was setting and it would likely be pitch black soon, but who cared?
Mad scowled and shoved a hand in her dark brown hair. “Did I screw it up? It’s my first time as matron of honor. I just wanted it to be perfect. Is it the sushi? You’re sick of fish, right?” She shook her head. “I should’ve thought of that. This place is all seafood all the time.”
“No, Mad, it’s great. Really. I’m sure it’ll be a blast.”
Mad lifted her brows over worried eyes. “You sure I didn’t screw up?”
She hugged her. “Not at all. It’ll be wonderful.”
Mad blew out a breath. “Great. Let’s go.”
Hailey followed her down the gangplank, where a crew member helped her on board a rowboat. Her mom and Mad joined her, and they were rowed to the party boat, where the captain helped them on board.
Hailey stood on the deck of the unsteady party boat. “Hey, everyone!”
“Congratulations!” her friends shouted.
“Thank you!”
She was determined to make the best of it. After all, Missy, Lauren, and Carrie were pregnant too. She’d just have whatever they were having and pray she kept it down. Barfing bride was not how she wanted to be remembered in the many pictures she was sure her friends would take. Not to mention theLuxury Weddingsphotographer. Her stomach rolled at the thought.
She set her purse under the long wraparound bench seat, where her friends’ purses were stashed. She looked around. Twinkling white lights decorated the captain’s perch above. She waved and smiled at the captain and Frank up there. The captain gave her a hearty salute. Frank nodded almost imperceptibly, looking like a muscled no-nonsense badass. He was all about staying on guard for Claire.
A clothesline strung from a rail of the captain’s perch to a hook below held several pairs of risqué panties. There was also a large inflatable banana on a stand for some reason, one folding chair decorated with streamers, and a couple of skinny tables with the food. Coolers were stashed underneath the tables. A very efficient use of the small space. The planner in her was impressed.
She turned to Mad. “Wow, I’m…” She trailed off as Mad took off her shirt to reveal another shirt underneath. And then the rest of her friends and her mom took off their shirts too, like a wave of T-shirt reveal. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes hot. They all wore white T-shirts that read Happy Endings Book Club with a red heart in the center that had pages like a book. It was the romance book club she’d started that had brought them all together.
“You guys!” she exclaimed.
Mad signaled and they all turned. The backs read Get Your Happy Ending!
