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I rolled my eyes and took his phone, typing away on Rowan’s behalf.
Rowan:the captain is here to stay. He’s been working out a lot, so don’t piss him off. He could manhandle you NP. I’ve never seen a forty-seven-year-old so fit in my life.
Rafe:Gotta go
I laughed hard, but Rowan was still confused. “Your brother has the hots for the captain.”
Rowan shook his head. “I don’t think so. They detest each other. Remember Christmas?”
“How could I forget? I’ve never heard anyone mention a cock cage at the dinner table before.” I laughed. “Mark my words, those two are due for a good hate-fuck.”
“Ew. Please don’t say that in reference to my brother. Or the captain. And I think you’ve been reading too many of Cara’s books. They’re giving you wild romantic notions about everyone. Next thing, you’ll be telling me Dylan’s true love is awaiting him and it’s a man.”
“I’ve got a feeling that might be true, but it’s not my place to say.” I looked at Rowan, and he nodded but said nothing further on the subject.
“ETA thirty minutes, my love. Let’s get showered and dressed.”
We stood on the bridge deck aft a half hour later, waving to the tender that was carrying my parents and Rowan’s, as well as Rafe. His sister and aunt were busy with work projects and would meet up with us in a few weeks.
My parents boarded first and glanced around the ship in awe until they spotted me. Mama had her big straw hat on, looking glamourous, and my dad gave a wave. My mom ran up and hugged Rowan and my father did the same. No handshakes with my family, hugs only.
“So nice to see you again, Rowan. Phone calls and video chats are good, but nothing replaces the real deal. And I was talking to your wonderful mother on the boat ride over here, and we agreed that a fall wedding would be perfect.”
I shook my head and glanced at my boyfriend, expecting him to freak out at my mom’s bold statement. As usual, he was effortlessly smooth.
“I would say springtime, late May or early June? The days are long, and the weather is lovely here in the Caribbean.”
My mom beamed at him and shook her finger. “So smart. I knew Andrew would pick a good one.” He’d have my mom wrapped around his finger in no time.
“Come on, Emme, save the wedding talk for later. Preferably when I’m not around,” My dad chimed in and winked at me. “Let the boys greet Rowan’s folks.”
I mouthed a silent “thank you” to my dad who grinned. I spotted Jamie and Ruby talking to the captain, heading our way.
“Jamie, Ruby, it’s great to see you again.” I gave them each a hug, and they seemed just as ecstatic as my parents to be on board. I’d worried at first that Rowan’s parents would assume I was after him for his money. They didn’t seem concerned, and all that was put to rest when Aiden had me sign a year’s worth of paperwork to protect Rowan’s assets. I signed each document without hesitation. Rowan could lose it all or donate it, and I didn’t care. Jamie told me a month ago that he’d never seen Rowan so happy in his life, and I couldn’t contain the resulting tears. His joy was all I wanted.
“How’s your business unfolding, Andrew?” Jamie asked as I poured champagne for everyone (thankfully not in uniform anymore). Rowan took the glasses and passed them around.
“It’s going great. I met Jasper’s mother, and she’s provided me with a list of referrals. The website launched, and I’ve got new hires vetted for bookings. Everything is done virtually, so it’s been pretty smooth.”
“How’s the media lately?”
“Quiet. Not like a few months ago when it was overwhelming. I avoid social media as much as possible, and Rowan’s media team have been very supportive. Luckily, my business hasn’t been impacted. It’s an online platform under a corporate name, so there isn’t much face to face. And Rowan isn’t front page news anymore, so I’m not concerned.”
“Where’s Rafe?” Rowan asked suddenly, and everyone looked around.
“He was walking right behind me,” Jamie replied.
I strolled over to the railing and spotted him on the lower deck in a heated argument with the captain.
“Rafe!” I yelled out and waved at him to intervene.
He waved back and walked around the captain, heading up the stairs.
When he finally reached us, I passed him a glass of champagne and gave him a quick side hug. “Flirting again?” I teased.
“With that man?” he spat out. “He should be so fucking lucky! No, unfortunately I tripped as I was getting out of the tender, and he caught me, then lectured me about minding my way. Apparently, if I wasn’t so busy yapping, I’d see where I was going. Like I meant to bump into him. Grumpy arsehole.”
“Come on. Have a drink and tell me about your latest modeling gig.”
