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“Huh?” I say.
“It would look better, wouldn’t it?” he says. When I don’t say anything, he adds, “I have a big house. I wouldn’t…expect anything.”
“I’ll consider it,” I say and write downmove in with Carteron my pad. “I mean, you’re right. It would be perfectly natural, plus we are going to have to plan the wedding, so we’ll be spending a lot of time together, anyway.”
“Oh boy, the wedding,” he says as I add it to my list. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be in that department.”
“I just want your mom to enjoy the process,” I say. “My mom will probably have some opinions too, but I’m sure they will get along great. When should we tell them? Tomorrow?”
“Um, no,” he says. “Soon though, okay?”
“Sure,” I say.
We finish our drinks and he leaves, giving me a very chaste kiss on the cheek on the way out the door. I clean up a little before heading to my room.
I can’t believe I’m doing this,I think.
I shut my eyes and imagine myself in a big kitchen. I’m chopping stuff up for dinner. Carter comes home with a big bouquet of flowers.
“For me,” I say, batting my eyelashes at him. “What’s the occasion?”
“Do I need an occasion? Every day I come home and you’re here is enough occasion for me.”
I go into the bathroom and grab a towel and hold it on my head like a veil. It looks…terrible. Well, I don’t know what I am going to wear for the wedding, but it won’t be made out of burnt orange terry cloth.
I hang the towel back up.
“Hi,” I say to the mirror. “I’m Jada. Carter’s wife. Nice to meet you.”
It sounds nice. It feels kind of –
“Stop,” I hiss at the mirror.
But that kiss, a little voice in my head says. Not half bad.
That was because it was a surprise,I tell myself sternly. This is an arrangement. Think of his mother. Think of mine.
I turn away from the mirror. If we are going to do this, and it really seems like we are, the first rule needs to be ‘Don’t get carried away.’
I go back to my pad and write it down, pressing my pen hard into the paper. Hopefully it will make an impression in my brain too. Hopefully.
17
CARTER
Idon’t know how Jada’s going to act with the surprise I’ve planned, but I think it’s a good idea. I don’t give any indication to Jada what the night will bring. Instead, I come pick her up from the bar when her shift is over.
I’d had Heidi help me out by finding out Jada’s favorite restaurant at the resort, and I managed to get us a reservation. I don’t tell Jada any of this, though, so when we arrive at the Starlight Dining Room, Jada turns to me, stunned.
“What are we doing here? We can go to Tio’s or somewhere else. This place isn’t exactly cheap.” I can see the worried look on her face, but I take her hand in mine.
“Relax,” I tell her, smiling. “I thought it’d be nice to take you to a nice dinner. Is that a crime?”
She looks around the room. “I feel underdressed, Carter. I wish you had told me.”
“You’re still the most beautiful woman in here. You don’t need to change anything.”
I watch her turn away from me, and I just know that she’s hiding an embarrassed smile from me.
