“I can answer that one,” he answers. “Some crazy rich guy rented the whole place out for the evening. Private party. Paid for drinks and food too.”
“I love the sound of that.”
He leans forward for another kiss before everybody reaches us. It doesn’t take long. Before I know it, Chase is standing to let Fi and Angie sit. Ashley and Abigail are there too, as well as Liam. They all beam with joy.
When we all grab our chairs and get settled, Chase grins at me. “Oh yeah, look in the monkey.”
“What?” I ask as everybody looks on.
“There’s a present in the monkey.”
I take the coconut monkey in my hand and peer inside. There in the hollowed-out center something glistens. I pull it out. It’s a gorgeous, diamond and sapphire coconut pendant on a chain.
“It’s beautiful, Chase. I love it.” I stare down at it. This night is starting to feel like an out of body experience. My friends break out into more raucous applause, joined by Liam and Ashley.
I show the necklace off to everybody before Chase volunteers to fasten it for me.
A waiter appears and takes our food and drink orders. Now this is a party.
The drinks flow and I look around at my friends and Chase and Liam and Ashley and it feels like the oddest crashing together of the different parts of my world. And it feels so right.
“I knew it,” Fi says with a wink. “I knew he was falling for you.” She turns to Chase. “When did you first realize you were falling for her?”
I smile and Chase thinks about it for a minute. Then he looks at me. “Friday. Out in the water. When you dunked me under the waves.”
“Alright, your turn,” Liam says to me. “What’s the first time you realized you might be falling for this knucklehead right here?”
“Absolutely the spy mission we ran on you, Liam,” I answer with a grin. “When Chase was out paddle boarding and waving hi to me and then punching out my ex. That was a pretty spectacular afternoon.”
Ashley stands and holds her drink in the air. “I would like to say Welcome Kaylee to the Covington family. Good luck, sister. You’re going to need it.”
“Hear, hear,” Liam says, and then we all drink.
When Chase sets his glass down, he turns to me and grabs my hand. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to steal Kaylee away.” He stands up. “Don’t forget your coconut monkey.”
“You got it, Jellybean,” I answer. As wonderful as this party is, I’d like some alone time with Chase. “But where are we going?”
“Ah, it’s a secret. What do you say to a walk on the beach first?”
We walk on the beach for a while, both shoeless. Underneath a beautiful moon on a perfect night. He explains everything that happened with the board.
I explain to him how in the hell I happened to end up in Ralph’s restaurant instead of the Banana Burger.
We walk hand in hand just talking and figuring things out. And after a while I feel like I understand it all. We’re no longer fake engaged, we’re a real couple. A part of it seems strange, and a part of it feels like it was always meant to be. Then I remember something. “Hey, what’s your big secret?”
Even under the moonlight, I can see the glint in his eye. “Oh yeah. There’s something I have to show you, Kaylee.” He texts Raymond and a few minutes later, we’re in the car.
When the limo stops, it’s in front of the beachfront cottage. The one I loved and convinced him to buy. But there’s no way he could have closed the deal that fast. Right?
“We’re going out now,” he grins. “So my house is your house. Especially since you talked me into it.” He hands me a key and gets out of the limo so he can run around and beat Raymond to my car door.
We walk to the front door together and then I open it with the key and walk in. Chase and I turn on all of the lights. We make our way through the house again, only this time it feels real. And even better, it’s just the two of us and no Fred. “I can’t believe it. Chase, this place is so beautiful!”
Every room we walk into, hand in hand, Chase kisses me. Kitchen, kiss. Living area, kiss. Outside patio, me on my tippy toes softly touching my lips to his while we listen to the sound of the waves.
Until, just outside the master, he scoops me up into his arms. I squeal with delight as he tosses me onto the bed. “I love you, Coconut.”
“I love you, Jellybean.”
Epilogue
Kaylee
One month later
I wake up not in my tiny apartment. Shaking off sleep, I turn over in bed to see Chase, his hair perfectly mussed, lying next to me. He stirs and snuggles up closer. It’s all real. I’m here in bed with the love of my life.
I snuggle in closer and go back to sleep.
When I wake again, Chase’s side of the bed is empty. I get up and walk into the living area.
The smell of fresh coffee fills the room. Chase sees me and smiles. He’s sitting on the comfortable couch facing the ocean, his legs stretched out. The windows are open, letting in the morning sea breeze. My idea of heaven.
On the coffee table in front of him, there are folders lying scattered across the coffee table, much like what he did when he was researching real estate.
“Morning.” He says with a smile. Then there’s a faint knock on the door.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“I ordered breakfast. Got your favorite.”
“Thanks, love.” I say, giving him a soft kiss.
“Oh hey,” he says, “I have to grab something. Will you get the food?”
I cross to the front door where a delivery guy hands me my favorite breakfast. For two. Plus
