Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
“Hostages don’t get to make demands,” he informs me.
“What if they’re really sweet about it?” I tease, snuggling close to him as we approach the ship our parents are on.
He smirks. “Then it’s a request, not a demand, and you’ll have to take what I give you.”
“I do enjoy taking what you give me,” I murmur suggestively.
His eyes glint with affection as he looks down at me, but movement out of the corner of my eye draws my attention away from our flirting.
Arden’s family yacht is docked on our left side up ahead. It’s decked out with sophisticated Halloween décor and still packed full of people, but I see Mom and Hayden disembarking. They must be in a hurry because everyone else is still lingering and talking while they make their way off the boat.
Mom looks really happy, that’s the first thing I notice. They haven’t noticed us yet, and as soon as they step on the dock, Hayden spins her, causing her to laugh. He catches her around the waist and pulls her back in the same way Landon does to me, then he brings her closer, his eyes warm and full of love, and he kisses her. I watch with a soft smile as Mom winds her arms around his neck and melts against him, and that’s when it hits me.
I gasp softly, squeezing Landon’s hand. “They’re getting married,” I whisper, just realizing it.
Landon gives my hand a squeeze back, then he tugs me forward and we start toward them.
Mom’s still smiling, looking light and happy when she spins around in Hayden’s arms.
It’s a relief that now when she sees us together, it doesn’t steal her joy. She remains smiling, and it isn’t some brave face she’s forcing for my benefit. Landon made the effort and had a talk with her one day. I don’t know what he said, but whatever it was, it seemed to ease her mind.
She lights up when she sees me now, letting go of Hayden and rushing over to look at me. “Oh, honey. You look so pretty!”
“Landon took me shopping and got me all dolled up. He didn’t tell me why, but…”
Mom looks past me at him. “Thank you,” she says genuinely.
He nods, a bit uncomfortable with the warm emotion from anyone but me, and shoves his hands in his pockets.
When Mom looks back at me, I can’t suppress my smile. “This is a secret wedding, isn’t it?”
Mom grins and nods. “We’re eloping. Surprise?”
“I love that,” I say, grabbing her and giving her a hug.
“I know we talked about waiting and planning a big ceremony and reception, but…”
I shake my head, pulling back. “If this is what you want, then this is what it should be.”
“I know it’s fast.”
Seeing how fast I’ve fallen deeply in love with Landon, I honestly have a lot less to say about that than I did when they first announced their whirlwind engagement. “You know he’s the one. Why waste time planning a party when you can get married tonight?”
Mom grins, hugging me again, clearly grateful for my support.
She should know she has it, though. Even if I did think she was crazy, as long as it made her happy, I would support her.
But I don’t think it’s crazy anymore.
I’m relieved that they’re getting married. I want them to. I want us all to be a family, and I don’t care how it looks from the outside.
I’ve never been on Hayden’s boat before, and it takes until we’re boarding hand-in-hand and Landon is dragging behind a bit for me to realize this is the boat he took out with his mother that day that she didn’t come back.
I slow down, letting Mom and Hayden get ahead of us so I can have a moment of privacy with him. “Are you okay?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“You sure?”
He nods again, but I can tell his jaw is locked tight.
I know he must be having some weird memories, so I drop his hand and slide an arm around his waist instead, giving him a little sideways hug as we board the boat.
Hayden takes Mom to see the captain. We follow, but not as close behind so we can keep talking.
“I’m surprised he wanted to do this on the boat,” I murmur. “Was that the last time you were on it?”
Landon nods. “He asked me first. That’s how I knew what we were getting ready for.”
“Still.”
“I get it,” Landon says. “He’s always loved the water. Like you,” he says lightly. Then, he goes on. “I used to love the water, too, but it’s hard to keep loving something that took so much from you.”
My heart swells up with sympathy. As soon as we reach the level Mom and Hayden are on, I turn and give him a hug. “I’m sorry.”
He caresses the back of my hair. “I know.”