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“Here you go.” He hands me a margarita.
“Thanks,” I tell him before taking a sip. “Is this a great party or what?”
“It’s a great party,” Ryker says before drinking his beer. “Even greater because we were invited to it.”
I nod. “Yeah. I can’t believe we almost missed this.”
Ryker looks at me. “I thought I was the only one uninvited.”
“But I wouldn’t have showed up here without my date,” I say. “I might have attended the ceremony maybe, but not this party.”
“Then I’m glad I’m here. I’m glad we’re both here.”
“So glad,” I second before letting my glass clink with his bottle.
In fact, I’ve never been happier in all my life. I’m in Jamaica, where the weather is now perfect and the food is packed with flavor and the music is amazing. My brother is happily married to the best woman I know. And I have a boyfriend who’s been in love with me for the past seven years. And we’re traveling soon. How awesome is that?
I’m about to take another sip of my margarita but the music stops. The clanging of cymbals rings through the air.
“Can I have your attention everyone?” Joel stands on the stage where the band is.
I give Ryker a puzzled look. “What is he doing?”
“Giving a speech, I think.”
Really? I thought my brother hated giving speeches. We had to force him to say a few words at the wedding shower, and even then I was worried he’d throw up in the middle of his speech. Then again, the atmosphere right now is less formal, plus he seems to have already had a few drinks. He should be fine.
This should be fun.
“On behalf of my beautiful wife, Natalie Parker…” Joel gestures toward her as he starts and she makes a curtsy. “I want to thank you all for coming to our wedding here in Jamaica. It has just been a blast with all of you.”
I couldn’t agree more.
“And I just want to take this opportunity to thank my best man, Ryker Hawthorne.”
I clap my hands.
Ryker sighs. “Here we go.”
“He has always been there for me even though I haven’t always been there for him.”
Ryker leans towards me and whispers, “He’s going to make me cry.”
“Shh.” I hold a finger to my lips.
“I know he has two perfect brothers…” Joel continues.
Ryker snorts.
“But he’ll always be my brother. Thanks, bro.”
Joel gives Ryker a salute. Ryker salutes back.
“Oh, and by the way, ladies, I know you all think my best man is the best looking man here next to me,” Joel adds. “But he’s not available.”
“Yup,” Ryker mutters. “Here we go again.”
“Because he’s in a relationship with my beautiful sister, Claire.”
Cheers and sighs erupt across the room. I smile and try not to blush too much.
“I wish you two the very best,” Joel says. “Because you two deserve it.”
“Thank you,” I whisper and mouth the words.
Joel raises his glass. “To love.”
I raise mine. Ryker lifts his bottle.
“To love,” we both say at the same time.
We drink, then kiss. Then I put my glass down.
“Do you want to go for one more dance, best man?” I ask Ryker.
He grins. “Actually, I have a better idea.”
~
Ryker leads me outside the tent and we walk down the moonlit beach hand in hand. Once we’re far enough away that we can only hear the music faintly, he stops.
“So what are we doing?” I ask him curiously.
We’re not going to have sex out here, are we? As much as I don’t mind outdoor sex and I love the beach, I’m not too comfortable about the idea of doing it on the sand.
“Close your eyes,” Ryker tells me.
“Okay.”
I close my eyes and imagine what might be in store. Did he get me a present? Is it the keys to our own private plane? Wait. Planes don’t have keys, do they?
“Now, open them,” he says.
I do. As soon as I see him down on one knee on the sand, I gasp. I see the diamond ring inside the satin box in his hand and I can’t breathe.
No way.
“Claire Parker,” Ryker says as he looks up at me, his eyes filled with more love than there are drops of water in the ocean, “I’ve known you for most of my life. I’ve loved you for the past seven years. I know I wasted so much time, but I also know that from now on, I want to spend every moment with you.”
I clasp my hand over my mouth as the words overwhelm me. Tears of joy prick my eyes.
“Claire Parker, will you give me the honor of spending a lifetime with you?”
I don’t stop to think.
“I do,” I answer as I drop to my knees on the sand beside him.
I throw my arms around him as a tear escapes from my eye.
“I would love to be your wife, Ryker Hawthorne.”
