Page 5 of A Happy Endings Wedding
She gaped at him. “I didn’t plan this part. There’s supposed to be a welcome reception at the palace tomorrow. Look at me, I’m hideous!”
He winked. “Don’t worry, I’m handsome as ever.”
She laughed and then got serious. “What am I going to do?” She looked down at herself in a casual loose white tunic, pink leggings, and strappy tan sandals. “I’m not dressed for this.”
He gestured to himself in a gray T-shirt, faded jeans, and sneakers.
“You always look like that. They’re looking at me as a wedding planner. I have to set a professional tone.” She was probably right, being the bride and the best wedding planner in the world, in his opinion. Maybe after this wedding, the world would agree with him.
He worked the hair band out of her scraggly ponytail and smoothed her hair down. “Just brush your hair out. The rest of you looks great. You never take a bad picture.”
She grabbed her purse and headed to the lower deck. One of the crew members brought out their wheeled luggage. Josh arranged their backpacks on top.
Hailey emerged only a short while later, looking glossy and made-up right down to her pink glossy lips. She’d tied a sheer pink scarf around her neck, which made her outfit look dressier. Honestly, she could wear a sack and make it look good. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to her beauty. She was a former beauty queen; the pageant winnings had helped put her through college.
She crossed to him. “What do you think? Am I picture ready? It’ll probably be in the bridal magazines.”
“I think you look stunning as always.” He palmed her hand and gave her a ginger candy. They were supposed to help with nausea. “Suck on this.”
She unwrapped the hard candy, a smile playing over her lips. She raised her brows suggestively. “Now where have I heard that before?”
He chuckled. “After you.” She walked ahead of him on the gangplank, and he pulled their wheeled luggage behind.
They arrived on the dock, and Hailey smiled and waved enthusiastically at the warm welcome from the crowd. No one he recognized. Their friends and family must be waiting at the royal palace. He kept pace with her, giving the cameras a small smile, his focus half on her, half on their destination at the waiting cars.
Prince Phillip emerged from the back seat of the center car and strode toward them, bodyguards flanking him. He was a little shorter than Josh, fit, with casually rumpled dark brown hair, chiseled cheekbones only seen on male models, and a ready smile. He had a huge internet following as a royal hottie. Barf. Hailey used to say Phillip was her go-to fantasy and she pictured him when she read a “swoony romance.” Josh made sure he imprinted himself on her so thoroughly she now had no need for fantasy lovers.
“Welcome to Villroy!” Phillip exclaimed with a wide smile.
Hailey sped up. “Phillip! So good to see you!”
Josh caught up to her just as Phillip went for the double kiss on both of Hailey’s cheeks. He waited patiently. Not a jealous bone in his body now that Hailey was his.
Phillip offered him a hand. “Josh, good to see you again.”
Josh shook his hand. “Quite a welcome.”
Phillip smiled tightly. “News spreads fast.” He smiled indulgently at Hailey. “How was the trip? How’re Rose and Max?”
“Oh, they’re wonderful, thanks. The trip was great. Josh and I really enjoyed Paris. Thank you again for that generous wedding gift.”
Yup, Phil was so glad they’d agreed to be the first wedding here that he’d covered first-class airfare and the five-star hotel in Paris. He was a generous guy and loaded, though the island kingdom itself was faltering as young people left in droves for better work opportunities.
“My pleasure.” Phillip gestured them over to the photographers. They stopped for pictures.
A reporter put a microphone in front of Hailey’s face. “Any comment on the furries?”
“What?” Hailey asked, her brows scrunching together.
“No comment,” Phillip said. His guards barricaded the press away from them.
They followed him into his Mercedes. The cars in front and back of them must’ve been for security. As soon as the door shut behind them, Hailey asked, “What did he mean furries?”
“Maybe he meant our ring bearer and flower girl,” Josh said. Rose and Max would be the flower girl and ring bearer respectively. Not like he didn’t have a four-year-old niece, his brother Alex’s daughter, Viv, who could’ve been flower girl. And his brother Ty’s son, T.J., maybe could’ve been ring bearer with some assistance (he was eighteen months old and already running). Probably just as well that Hailey wanted their fur babies closely involved. Viv was a wild card and had run up, down, and sideways through the church aisle during her last time as a flower girl for Alex and Lauren’s wedding. And T.J. was a typical Campbell kid, basically hell on wheels.
He checked that Hailey had a seat belt in the middle seat, pulled it from under her, and handed it to her. “You have to admit they’re a little unusual.”
Hailey did her seat belt and turned to Phillip, who was awfully quiet.
