Caribbean Cruising (3 page)

Mom, being typical Mom, wanted to reassure me that our relationship would never change.

But I knew it would. It was changing now, before our very eyes, as our makeup was applied by professionals and our hair was moussed and spritzed and twisted and curled.

The changes weren't so much brought about by Mom getting married as they were by me getting out on my own. No curfew. No having to account for my whereabouts.

Mom might believe that things wouldn't change.

But I knew differently.

I knew that they've already begun.

CHAPTER 3

A
fter my French manicure dried, I gave Mom a quick kiss on the cheek and promised to meet her on the top deck a little before eight. Then I returned to my cabin where Julie was sitting on the balcony.

"How was the pool?" I asked.

"Awesome." She glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. "Wow! You look more beautiful than you did prom night."

We'd both done the glamour thing for prom night. As a matter of fact we'd done so many things together that Mom was always teasing that we were like Siamese twins joined at the hip. That made going on this cruise without Julie seem like it had the potential of being a lonesome idea.

I mean, I'd taken vacations before—a few where Julie hadn't come along. But I'd always been with Mom. This would be my first one where I would be completely and totally on my own.

"Is your mom nervous?" Julie asked.

I sat on a deck chair. "A little I think."

I wanted to remain patient, not rush through one of the most important evenings of my mom's life. But I was also ready to begin my best summer ever, my best vacation ever, and I couldn't do that until after mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....

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the ceremony.

Midnight was the witching hour. My obligations to Mom and Walter would be over, and I would truly be on my own, with my list in hand.

In the distance the sun was only just beginning to set, painting the sky in oranges, pinks, and lavenders.

The water became a rich blue.

"You are going to have the best time," Julie said.

"I'm counting on it."

She held up a hand. "Don't tell Ben, okay? But I met at least half a dozen guys at the pool."

Ben was one of the reasons that Julie wasn't coming with me. She didn't want to be away from him. And he didn't want her to be away from him. Part of me thought it was wonderful to have that kind of commitment with someone—where you wanted to be with that someone all the time. But part of me also thought it was a little confining.

Maybe that was also one of the reasons that I'd never gotten serious with a guy—because while I longed to have a relationship, I also wanted freedom to do as I wanted.

"Were they cute?" I asked.

"Every one of them was too hot to believe."

My excitement level soared at the prospect of meeting several cute guys. "I can hardly wait for this cruise to get underway," I told her.

"You are so going to have a blast."

"Ya think?"

"Definitely."

I smiled at her assurance and enthusiasm. It was contagious.

"Well, I suppose I need to start getting dressed," I said.

Julie was already in her dress. I figured she'd changed after she returned from the pool.

I went back into the cabin. Since my hair and makeup were already done, it didn't take me long to finish getting ready. My shimmering lavender gown was sleek with flowing lines, had spaghetti straps, and a gathering of folds across the bodice that dipped down and moved fluidly when I did. I loved it.

I put on low-heeled lavender sandals; a pearl teardrop earrings and necklace set. I wanted to look elegant tonight—for Mom. After tonight I planned to go totally casual. I didn't see myself putting on a fancy dress again until long after we'd returned to this port.

I held out my arms and twirled slowly. "What do you think?"

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"Better than prom night."

"Anything would be better than prom night."

That was the night that I realized the guy who'd taken me wasn't destined to be a long-term part of my life. He'd been more into hanging around with his buds than dancing with me.

I grabbed my small white beaded purse. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

We headed for the door.

"Where's your duffle bag?" I asked.

"I took it to the car earlier. I figured things would be crazy after the wedding and reception. Besides, I was afraid the temptation to stow away would be too great."

"I wonder what would happen if you did."

"I'd lose my job and possibly my boyfriend."

"Ben's not that jealous," I said.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure he'd absolutely understand my running loose on a cruise ship with a lot of hot single guys onboard."

Hot single guys. I couldn't wait to be let loose among them.

We left my cabin and walked to the elevator.

"There are probably just as many single girls on the ship," I said.

Julie shrugged. "I didn't see many at the pool."

"I'm sure not everyone is onboard yet. We don't sail for a few more hours."

The elevator arrived and we got inside. I pushed the button for the Starlight deck, where tonight's activities would take place. The captain was going to officiate the ceremony, which I thought was cool.

The elevator came to a stop. Julie and I stepped out onto the Starlight deck. It was so romantic. The sun was setting and twilight was easing in. Tiny white lights were strung along the railing. White cloth–

covered tables had been set on one side of the deck. Candles flickered inside hurricane lamps. An ice sculpture of a mermaid wearing a wedding veil sat in the center of the table where punch cascaded into a bowl. Nearby was a multitiered wedding cake, topped with the traditional bride and groom figurines.

On the far side of the deck was a white latticed archway with flowers and lights woven through it. I could see a man wearing a captain's uniform talking with Walter. Chairs had been positioned behind the archway. People were already sitting in many of them.

Near the archway was a small orchestra. I assumed they'd play
Here Comes the Bride
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for the dancing after the ceremony.

"Where's your mom?" Julie asked.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere. We'll ask Walter."

He was walking toward us. Quite a crowd had already assembled. Many people were standing and mingling.

"Hey, kiddo," Walter said.

He really looked quite handsome all decked out in his tuxedo.

"Hi, Walter. You remember my friend, Julie, don't you?" I asked, tilting my head toward Julie.

"Sure do. Did you change your mind about joining us?" Walter asked.

"I changed my mind, but my bank account didn't."

"Maybe you can join us on the next cruise," he said. "They're addictive." He turned to me.

"Are you ready for the big moment?"

"You bet."

"They've got your mom hidden off in a corner somewhere, but I wanted to introduce you to the best man before we got started here. I didn't think you'd want to walk back down the aisle with a man old enough to be your father, so I asked my godson to stand as my best man."

"Oh, Walter, you didn't have to do that." It seemed to me that he should have had his best friend, or whoever he wanted to stand with him, not make his decisions based on what he thought was best for me.

"Nonsense. Besides, he was glad to have the opportunity to come on this cruise, and it'll give you someone to pal around with since your friends couldn't join you." He glanced over his shoulder toward a group of people and motioned with his hand. "Ryan, can you come here for a minute?"

A guy moved away from the crowd and walked toward us, from the shadows into the light. He had piercing blue eyes. His black hair was combed back. In a tuxedo, he was totally hot.

My heart started pounding. My mouth went dry. My mind went blank.

"This is Ryan McKenna, my godson," Walter said. "Ryan, this is Lindsay, my soon-to-be stepdaughter, and her friend, Julie."

"Hi," Ryan said.

"Hello," I cleverly responded. Not.

"It's great to meet you, Ryan," Julie said.

It was great to meet him. Why was I shy about saying so? I wondered. Why did my brain go into total mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....

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meltdown whenever a cute guy talked to me?

"His father and I go way back. Business partners in fact. His dad is holding down the fort while I'm away," Walter explained.

"That's nice," I said.
Lame, Lindsay, so lame.

"Your cabins are right next door to each other," Walter said. He leaned toward me, an apology in his eyes. "There's that little matter of you being too young to travel alone, so Ryan is there to look after you."

Great. Ryan, the hunk, was supposed to be my baby-sitter when I so did not need nor want one. I absolutely wanted to die from mortification at the implication that I was too young to be without a chaperone.

"That's not really necessary—"

"I don't mind," Ryan interrupted me.

But I minded. I had my list of things to accomplish, and I didn't need someone watching over me.

"Thanks, but—" I began.

"Mr. Hunt?"

The interruption came from a young woman wearing a ship's uniform.

"Yes, Cindy?" Walter said.

"We're ready to begin. If you and your best man want to join the captain beneath the archway, I'll get your bride."

"All right." Walter kissed me on the cheek.

"See you in a bit."

Ryan followed Walter to the latticed arch.

"This cruise could not have gotten any better," Julie said.

"I don't know how you figure that."

"You've got that hottie right next door."

"Yeah, but he's Walter's godson."

"So?"

It was beyond explaining. Yes, he was hot. But I wanted wild nights, romance, drinking, kissing, and dancing.

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I didn't want someone to "pal around" with. His presence was going to seriously limit my escapades.

CHAPTER 4

"M
iss Darnell?"

I turned. Cindy stood there with an expectant look on her face.

"We're about to begin," she said. "If you'll come with me, I'll take you to where your mother is waiting."

"Right." Trying to stifle my disappointment that I wasn't going to be as "on my own" as I'd hoped, I looked at Julie. "I'll see you when this is over."

"Okay. I'm going to find my mom and sit down."

As I watched her walk away, my gaze shifted to Ryan, who was standing beneath the archway. He was definitely cute, and he seemed nice. Palling around with him would probably be fun, but it wouldn't help me accomplish the things on my list. I couldn't see myself being wild with someone I might see after the cruise, someone who was in tight with Walter. Very counterproductive.

It was a problem I'd have to deal with later, though. Right now, it was time to get my mom married.

I followed Cindy to the rear of the deck where Mom was standing behind a little partition. She smiled at me with so much love in her eyes that it almost hurt to look at her. She looked really beautiful, and I knew I'd forever remember this moment with her. She was about to stroll off into her future, and I was waiting on the edge to walk off into mine.

"Here, I'll take your purse," Cindy said to me, and relieved me of my little beaded bag.

I hadn't really thought about how it would look to carry it up the aisle, or I would have given it to Julie before she walked away. Cindy handed Mom a large white rose-and-orchid bouquet, and gave me a similar but smaller one. The sweet fragrance wafted around me.

"Are you ladies ready?" Cindy asked.

Mom squeezed my hand and sighed deeply. "We're ready."

"I love you, Mom." I hugged her, and then followed Cindy out from behind the partition.

The wedding ceremony was a fairly simple affair, and I suppose that they performed so many on the ship that they didn't do rehearsals. I was okay with that. I'd attended enough weddings that I had a good idea of what my role was: walk to the front, step to the side, and hold the bride's bouquet when the groom was ready to place the ring on her finger.

"When the music begins," Cindy said, "you'll simply walk up the aisle between the chairs and then take a step off to the side—about the distance that the best man is from the groom."

The best man. The cute best man. I wondered what he thought about me when we met. Probably not much. Maybe it was a good thing that Julie wasn't coming with me. She'd always been more outgoing mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....

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than I was. Without her along, I'd be forced to be more assertive, meet people, and engage in witty dialogue. I wouldn't be able to sit back and let Julie take the lead. I'd have to be the one in control.

My mouth grew dry, my hands began to shake, and my knees weakened. Why I was suddenly so nervous was beyond me. It wasn't my wedding. I wasn't the one who was going to exchange vows. Yes, my life was about to change, but still, I knew I wasn't the one whom everyone would be gazing at. I would get a passing glance, and then everyone would start looking around me, trying to catch a glimpse of the bride.

At least that's what I did when I attended weddings. So I had no reason to be anxious about the next few minutes. They were totally my mom's.

The strains of
Here Comes the Bride
suddenly filled the air. I took a deep, calming breath. I could overcome this unexpected nervousness.