“From what I saw on the flier, there’s a magician, some singing acts, a couple of comedians, and a fire eater.”
“What? I’ve never seen a fire eater in person,” I said.
“Well then, you will tonight!”
“A Tom Collins for the gentleman, and a frozen pomegranate and raspberry margarita for the lady.”
“Oh, that sounds fantastic,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Just give me a wave if you need me and I’ll come running,” the staffer said. “And please, if you don’t like your drink, Miss, just let me know and I’ll make you another.”
“Thank you, but I’m sure it’ll be just fine,” I said.
I settled against Colin’s body as we sipped our drinks. My margarita was perfect, with just the right amount of alcohol. The bubbles were popping around us as the sea filled our vision, and I looked over at Colin. He seemed so relaxed and fluid—as if he hadn’t a care in the world. The way he looked right now, no one would believe he had been through the crazy turmoil that was our reality.
I watched him turn his gaze to me as he smiled.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just admiring the view,” I said.
“I thought that was my line,” he said, winking.
“Well, I stole it. So there.”
“Don’t worry. You’ve stolen a lot more than that.”
I felt my heart flutter and quickly took another sip of my drink.
“I remember the first time I ever saw the ocean,” I said.
Colin’s eyes locked onto my face as I closed my eyes.
“I was with my mother. My dad was out of town working and I was so upset. He was supposed to go on this beach trip with us. For weeks he had promised he would be there. But in the end, his work kept him away and my mother and I had to travel without him. Anyway, we flew into San Francisco and checked into our hotel. She tried to distract me by going on a walk through the city, but it killed me that my father wasn’t there.”
“I’m sorry,” Colin said.
“Don’t be. He ended up making it. My mom and I got food to take out onto the beach so we could watch the sun set over the water. She kept telling me that Dad would be there soon, but I didn’t believe her. Then out of the blue he just walked right up behind us.”
“Really?” Colin asked, chuckling. “Just like that?”
“Yep. Just like that. Even my mom was shocked. He told me when I was older that he’d put his foot down with his boss. It cost him a promotion, but he said he wouldn’t have traded it for anything. That was the first time I saw the ocean, and it was then that I fell in love with California. I was eleven at the time, and in my mind, it was magical and brought families together under impossible circumstances. The ocean and the state. I’d like to think that still holds true, even though San Diego chewed me up and spat me out.”
I felt Colin pull me closer before he pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Wanna know the first time I ever saw the ocean?” he asked.
“Of course,” I said, grinning.
“I was with my dad, too. It’s the only memory I keep of him that’s positive. It was before my view of him was tainted, and shifted with the type of man he turned out to be.”
Reaching over, I squeezed Colin’s knee as he gazed out over the water.
“I was probably no more than five or six, but I remember it like it was yesterday. We were walking along the beach and he was holding my hand. He’d pick me up every time a wave came barreling into shore that he thought might knock me down. Then we found this puddle that had been created and he sat next to it while I played. Nothing special about it. I just remember him being there. Being present. Being protective over my safety and guarding me any way he knew how.”
“Wow. That’s why you’re so protective,” I said.
“What?” he asked.
“If that’s your only positive memory of your father, then that’s probably why you’re so protective all the time. In your mind, it’s the only positive lesson he taught you. So you took it to heart as an adult.”
“I guess I never really thought about it that way,” he said.
With my head resting on his shoulder, I allowed the water to carry me into his lap. We finished our drinks and set them aside, then allowed our gazes to be swallowed up by the ocean. His legs parted for me so I could sit between them, then his arms threaded around my waist. I tucked my head underneath his chin as we sat there, digesting the memories and enjoying each other’s presence.
This was what I wanted. Time to just be with him. Not him and his business, him and his worries, him and his meetings or him and his schedule. Just him.
Just him. The man I knew Colin to be when he could cast off his mask as a businessman.
The question was, could he be that man when we weren’t here? Could he be that man back in L.A.?
I wasn’t sure if it was possible, but I didn’t want to think about that right now. All I wanted to do was take in this moment with him, learn about the man I was engaged to, and soak up his presence.
We could figure out the rest along the way.
Chapter 15
Colin
We woke up late on our second day of the cruise. After enjoying the libations in the hot tub and getting a two-hour couple’s massage, we went back to our suite and watched movies. We binged on them as we ordered room service and drank through three bottles of wine. We didn’t get to bed until almost three in the morning and finally found sleep, the both of us pretty inebriated.
Neither of us opened our eyes until it
