toward her.
“Just so we’re clear, I love it when you step out of line.” She stood on tiptoe, kissed him briefly on the mouth, then turned back to Frankie. “Don’t worry about the locals. You will have a hero’s welcome. And now we should go or Emily will start freaking out.”
Zach raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen her freak out.”
“She freaks out in a quiet, tense way, and I don’t want her freaking out. I don’t want this baby arriving in the middle of the wedding.” Brittany strode around the kitchen stuffing various items into her purse. “So there’s a party tonight at the Ocean Club. I hope you’re both coming? Dance until your feet ache and all that.”
Matt wondered how Frankie would react to that but she nodded.
“If the locals haven’t chased me off the island by then, that would be fun.”
“No one is chasing you anywhere.” Brittany placed the bouquets carefully in a box. “I texted Ryan and he’s bringing every ribbon Lizzy owns. She’s insisting on wearing a tiara and fairy wings. We’ll meet him at the beach and make a decision about which is best.” She glanced at them. “Are you guys going to change? Because you might as well do that here. Saves you flashing the locals in the beach parking lot.”
Matt fetched their clothes from the car.
Frankie changed into the jumpsuit made of emerald-green silk, which made her eyes look luminous and brought out the bright copper shades in her hair.
Distracted, Matt fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. “You look incredible.”
“Thanks.” But her smile was anxious and he knew that despite Brittany’s reassurances, she was worried.
As they pulled into the beach parking lot he turned to look at her.
“You’re going to have fun, I promise. You look great, although random amazing sex would be easier if you wore a dress or a skirt.”
“Callum Becket thought the same thing in tenth grade, which is why I never wear dresses.”
It was the first time she’d told him anything specific about that time when she’d lived at home.
People were pouring past them on their way to the beach but Matt didn’t move.
“What happened?”
“My mom had just broken up his parents’ marriage. He was mad and full of raging teenage hormones. He seemed to think that as our parents were at it like rabbits, we might as well do the same. We were at the prom and he got two of his friends to hold me down while he stuck his hand up my dress. My new red dress. I’d been so excited about wearing it—” Her breathing quickened, but she must have seen the expression on his face because she gave a quick smile. “Don’t worry—Paige and Eva appeared just in time. Without his friends, Callum was pretty weak. I almost broke his wrist. He couldn’t write for a few days. But I decided I didn’t want it to happen again so I gave up wearing skirts except when school demanded it. And I took up karate so if it ever happened again I’d be able to floor the guy with a scissor kick. And now I’ve probably scared you.”
“Are you kidding?” What he felt was anger, but he didn’t tell her that. “It’s incredibly sexy having a girlfriend who can floor me with a scissor kick. Anytime you want to try that, go ahead.”
“How is it you manage to make me smile about things I never smile about?”
He slid his hand into her hair and brought her mouth to his. “Callum isn’t going to be here, in case you were worried about that. The Beckets left the island years ago, so there is zero chance of you bumping into him.” He felt her relax.
“Good. Because I wouldn’t have wanted to have to break his other hand.”
“I would have done that for you.”
“Really? You seem like a man who uses intellect and reason to solve most problems.”
“That’s always my first approach. But I’ve been known to revert to Plan B when the situation calls for it.” He hid his anger behind a smile. “We should go. They’re waiting for these flowers.”
They walked down the path to the beach but as they rounded the corner, Frankie stopped.
“That’s quite a crowd. I hadn’t expected so many people.”
“They’re a friendly crowd, Frankie.”
She stirred. “Let’s hope so.”
He hoped so, too, otherwise he’d be tempted to put Plan B into action.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Marriage is the triumph of hope over reality.
—Frankie
IT FELT AS if most of the island had turned up