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As Finn’s parents started the welcome, Emilie leaned over to him and whispered. “I forgot to tell you earlier, but Sharon is not too happy with Ava. She’s been taking care of all the wedding bills.”
“Bummer.” He needed to steer the conversation away from Ava. “Should we go out after this, maybe take a walk around the resort?” He was happy to see Emilie’s face light up.
“Absolutely.”
Too soon, servers walked in carrying silver trays lined with food. Bread, salad, and clam chowder were brought in that order, then either steak or chicken, and a Baked Alaska for dessert. The dinner went too quickly, and for once, Dean savored every minute of the wedding event.
Before they left, Finn and Ava stood at their places, welcoming everyone.
“Thank you all for coming to our special wedding week,” Ava said. “We hope you’ll have an enjoyable stay.” Someone grunted further down the table, and Ava froze for half a second before she cleared her face of all emotion. “Tomorrow we want you to relax, settle in, visit the spa if you choose, and take advantage of the many pools this resort has.”
“I’m going fishing in the morning if you want to join,” Finn added.
Ava smirked at the group and then back at Finn. “Men will be men.”
Finn squeezed Ava’s hand. “Then we hope all of you will join us on our boat ride in the evening. We plan to make a loop around the resorts here, have a nice dinner on the boat deck, and fit in some dancing time.”
Holding Emilie close for a lengthy amount of time sounded like something Dean wanted to do. Throughout the whole dinner, he’d thought about the perfect way to spend the evening, but not even a walk to celebrate their first night together felt right.
When they reached the elevator, Finn’s relatives rushed in and pushed them apart.
Emilie frowned and pressed the main floor button. When the elevator descended, he tried to shift his way over to her, but it was impossible. When they reached the lobby floor, everyone piled out, including Dean and Emilie.
He pulled her to a corner, eager to have a few seconds alone while the crowds died down. His phone rang just as he lifted his hand to caress her face. “Hang on a second, Em.”
He gave a testy answer, hoping it was enough of a clue. “Ranger, I’m kind of busy. And back away from the phone, you’re breathing too hard.” Dean stilled. Ranger only panicked when something went missing or broke. “What happened?
“I’m sorry to call you on your vacation, boss, but one of the boats isn’t starting.” Ranger’s heavy breathing increased. “It ran fine in the morning, but I think it’s missing you something fierce.”
Dean ran a hand through his hair. Why now? “Did you check the gas?”
“Yes.”
“Oil?”
“Checked that and the radiator. Everything is fine.”
Emilie stared at Dean with wide eyes, waiting expectantly. He stared at the ceiling before resting his gaze on her. Why tonight? “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. If you guys broke my boat, you’re doing pushups for an hour.”
Emilie covered her mouth and laughed. The tension in Dean’s shoulders released, and he chuckled, too. He hung up with Ranger a few seconds later then turned to her with a frown. “I gotta go back tonight.”
“But we just got here. You’re leaving on the first night?”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to it. “You won’t even miss me.”
She gave him a challenging look that made him want to take her in his arms right then and kiss her. Staying the night in the same room with her wouldn’t work anyway. He needed sleep, not pining.
She placed both hands on his chest and leaned closer. “It’ll be fine. Tomorrow, I’ll lie out in the sun or swim. It’s late, and I don’t want you traveling in the dark.”
He groaned. All he could think about was missing her in a swimming suit. Dean glanced at his watch. It would be a long night no matter what he did.
“Do you need anything from the room?” she asked.
He felt the keys in one pocket and his wallet in another. Not really. There was no excuse to walk her back to the room other than the fact that he wanted to.
“No, I have everything I need.”
She reached up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. “Drive safe and call me when you’re home.”
