flight, she looks beautiful, but there’s an edge of tiredness in her eyes.
“It’s fine, Six,” I murmur, stepping close and brushing a thumb along her cheek. “Let me do this. I’ll have them send you the list so you can check it later by the pool.”
I think she’s going to argue, but she relents, her expression filling with gratitude. “Okay. Just give me one second.”
She exchanges a few words I can’t hear with the wedding planner who came out to greet us, flicking a glance toward me. Then Annie and our friends, plus Haley and the kids, depart in a couple of golf carts. Jax comes up next to me.
Our dedicated on-site planner, a woman in her thirties with shiny dark hair and sun-kissed skin, greets us with a broad smile. “Mr. Adams. Congratulations. We’re so pleased to welcome you. We were told to arrange special transport for your excess luggage.”
I frown. “Excess?”
“The hold of your plane. There were several extra trunks.”
Jax leans his elbows on the desk. “You didn’t think what was on the plane was all you had to sign, did you? If Zeke’s team is anywhere as enthusiastic as I remember, they packed it full.”
My hand flexes, and Jax chuckles, clapping me on the back.
I refocus on the task at hand, turning back to the planner. “We had three late VIP additions checking in. Have they arrived?”
She consults her list. “Yes, they have. I’ll send you their villa numbers so you know where to find them.”
Jax and I agreed we’d meet with them officially tomorrow.
My phone buzzes, and I glance at the three villa numbers, a name beside each. “This must be a mistake.”
“What?” Jax demands.
The planner frowns and checks her phone. “I’m sorry, Mr. Adams. I was told there was a last-minute switch, but that is the correct name. He checked in with appropriate identification an hour ago.”
We picked three artists deliberately—two are Grammy winners, and the third has a social media following in the tens of millions.
But the third person on the rooming list isn’t the artist we chose.
Having a plane full of swag is a setback. Doing a deal the week of my wedding is a setback.
This, the name staring at me…
This is a fucking nightmare.
12
The resort is stunning. A low building we passed on the ride over houses the administration, plus meeting rooms. Surrounding it are lush pockets of trees carved up with pathways leading to the private pods of villas, including the one we rented out for our use.
Nestled amongst the paths are sparkling pools and flower beds exploding with pink and purple and white.
But the island itself is the main attraction. Lush vegetation, palm trees, a balmy breeze that makes me feel as if I’m on another planet. Far from the hustle New York and LA both personify in their own unique ways.
I frown at my phone—no list from the resort or Tyler yet. I had asked the woman at the desk to keep one detail off the shared rooming list.
My stealth wedding gift to Tyler—one grumpy British billionaire—hasn’t checked in yet.
The attendant parks the golf cart in front of our villa, a light sand-colored building, and shows me up the walkway, holding the door.
When I step inside, I suck in a breath.
It’s beautiful, wood floors and open air. There’s a kitchen and living area that opens to a patio beyond, but I head down the hall to the bedroom. An enormous bed with wooden posts, plus a lounge area on one side with low chairs. The attendant sweeps the doors open to reveal a private patio with a hot tub and its own lap pool.
“It’s perfect,” I tell him. I can’t wait to spend time with Tyler here.
But first, I have something to do.
The attendant departs, and I open my suitcases, pulling out a pink two-piece bathing suit. When Rae said she was going to the pool, I wanted to be there too. We haven’t had a moment together alone, and I’m determined to find out what happened at her gig. This whole week is about family and friendship, and what Beck said the other day is right—everyone here with us is as good as family.
Once I’ve changed into the bathing suit and pulled a wrap overtop, I head out of the villa with a beach bag on my shoulder and aviators on my nose. This part of the resort is private, with a dozen villas surrounding a shared pool. When Tyler and I saw it, we knew it would