the astounding beaches, turquoise waters, and dramatic rock
formations would have to be squeezed in between Yara’s in-
creasingly Bridezilla-esque demands.
Even so, who doesn’t love an all-expense-paid trip to para-
dise? Someone who feels like she’s marching toward the guillo-
tine, that’s who. Stephanie was about to face a group of old
friends whom she adored, but who had witnessed her make a
series of unfixable mistakes. She would have to watch Cheyenne
frolic happily with Scot and little Liam and beat back the grow-
ing jealousy of the happy family, an envy that pulsed through her 52
RAGE
veins like poisonous venom. And for Steph, a wedding didn’t
symbolize new beginnings, but served as a tragic reminder of her own self mutilating cowardice.
And then there was Phillip.
Steph rubbed her temple and wondered if she’d need to take
migraine medicine for the first time in over a year. Phillip would be on the island. The archipelago was roughly ten square miles,
and she was convinced that it just wouldn’t be big enough for the both of them. He was in the wedding, of course, so she would
soon be photographing him. She’d see him in person for the first time since the hospital and most assuredly would have no choice
but to interact with him.
Even though she knew it wasn’t cool, Steph popped a
Xanax and washed it down with a big swig of beer. She looked
around and tried to find a way to distract herself. She reached
into the back of the seat in front of her and pulled out a People Magazine someone had left behind. She stared blankly at the
cover. Her ex-boyfriend Kevin Wiley was on the cover with his
new wife, Maria (the woman he’d cheated on her with) and their
adorable newborn baby. Cut in the right hand upper corner of the cover was a picture of Fury and a sensational mention of their
upcoming release, Rage.
“Lord, why have you forsaken me?” She gazed at the ceil-
ing of the airplane tiredly, as if she had a direct line to God.
“Because you are a filthy, blaspheming heathen.” Cedric
said from behind her in an affected theatrical voice, and she
turned to fix her plus-one with a withering stare.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a rhetorical question,”
he quipped as he took his seat next to her. She presented the
magazine for his viewing pleasure. “Oh.”
“Thanks for coming with me. If Phillip and I are going to
breathe the same air, I’m sure I’m going to need the spiritual
guidance.”
His sassy smile vanishing, Cedric tilted his head and firmly
53
TAMMY COONS & MICHELLE PACE
replied. “You’re in a good place, Sis.”
“I know. I’m just really jittery. I’m so glad that you’re here
with me and not Christopher. He’d insist I meditate instead of
drinking to excess.” Though she’d only been seeing him for
roughly three months, she knew Christopher had her best inter-
ests at heart. He’d wanted very much to come with her, but he
had pressing issues with a couple of his other clients. She’d
twisted Cedric’s arm to come in his place and after a healthy
dose of sisterly guilt and promises that he’d have his own room
in more modest accommodations, he’d relented.
She was finally, as Cedric mentioned, “in a good place.”
Thanks to continuous support and supervision from Cedric and
Cheyenne, she was healthier physically and spiritually than she’d ever been in her adult life. However, the week on the island with Fury would be awkward enough without Christopher challenging
Phillip to a duel or some other such nonsense. Christopher was
always a gentleman, but principled to a fault. His outburst to-
ward Phillip at the Video Awards still had her reeling.
She was yanked out of her thoughts as the flight attendant
returned with a glass of white wine for Cedric. He accepted it
and graced her with a charming smile. She blushed and with a
glance at his collar, hurried away. Steph smiled wryly at him
with a sideways glance. It was impossible not to be amused at
the way women responded to her brother. Especially when he wore his priestly collar. It was as if the “forbidden fruit factor”
upped his desirability to the opposite sex.
Cedric appeared oblivious, though Steph knew he was com-
pletely aware of his magnetism. He continued their conversation
without missing a beat or acknowledging the blushing woman.
“Glad I can help, though I feel criminal about the extravagance.
One of these first class plane tickets alone could feed an African village for a year.”
“Hey, not all of us took a vow of poverty.” Steph tapped her beer bottle against his wine glass in an impromptu toast.
54
RAGE
Cedric smirked at her and shook his head. “You brought
wide brimmed hats, right? You’ll burst into flames if you aren’t careful.”
“Right back at you, Ginger.” Steph replied, though she
knew Cedric could survive a whole lot more ultra violet rays
than she could. “I hope you listened to me about the insect repellant. They say you can’t even see the borrachudo mosquito so
you don’t know you’ve been bit half the time until your ankles
are shredded the next day.”
“You’ve researched your destination thoroughly. Mom
would be so proud of you,” he replied. She tried to hide her surprise at his mention of their mom. There had been an unspoken
agreement that the subject of mom had been off limits between
them for years. He sipped his drink as if it were normal, and she dropped it. Steph and Cedric’s mother had been an avid traveler, and they’d accompanied their parents all over the globe from the time of their births. She had drilled the importance of reading up on the destination to minimize being ill prepared. “I‘m less concerned about the mosquitos than I am about not being able to
wear sunblock in the water. I guess I
