Better Than Chocolate (Sweet Somethings Book 1) Read online

  “You didn’t have to say it, honey. I know how worried you were about this whole thing, and I appreciate it.” She pats my arm. “It surprised me that he didn’t keep trying to buy me drinks when we met. It was the opposite of every other guy I’ve ever dated.”

  That’s not completely true, and I have to point it out. “Ryan never did.”

  My quiet statement draws another sigh from her. An odd look comes over her face. “You’re right,” she concedes. “But we were friends first for a long time.”

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him up.” Forget that he’s been on my mind since the bridal shower. He never replied to my text asking if he was behind the dolphin platter.

  “It’s fine, honest.” She shakes her head, then stands. “I’ve got a massage in a half hour. What are your plans for the day?”

  I stutter for a second or two at the sudden change in topic. “I figured I’d find a beach umbrella and read for a while. Just relax till it’s time for the rehearsal.”

  “Don’t forget your sunblock, then. I’ll see you later!”

  Shrieks and high pitched laughter catch my attention as I wander onto the beach, floppy hat and book in hand. Shading my eyes, I look around at the assorted resort guests lounging on the sand. A few dozen yards away, Josh chases his nieces through the surf, alternately lifting them to his shoulders and swinging them around, then letting them tackle him.

  A reluctant smile eases across my face. Since our little adventure earlier this week, I haven’t seen much of him. What glimpses I have had seemed to prove my initial impression true. Flirting with waitresses and other resort guests alike, he gives off that womanizer vibe. A lot of flash and grin with no meaningful substance. Fortunately, my maid of honor duties have kept some distance between me and his attempts at seduction.

  But as I watch him play with Katrina and Rose, I admit to myself that he does have a heart.

  And he doesn’t look too bad in swim trunks either.

  Rose spots me, raising one hand in an enthusiastic wave. I return the greeting, and both girls sprint toward me, their wet braids flopping around their shoulders. Josh ambles after them, hands on his hips in a pose that accentuates his abs. I wish, yet again, he wasn’t so good looking. I still can’t decide if he’s just an annoyance or if I should be on my guard.

  Or if the fact that my stomach flips over when I see him in bare-muscled glory is due to the dearth of dates I’ve had in the past four months, or something else.

  Katrina, perpetually bouncing, distracts me from Josh’s pectorals and deltoids. “Did Sadie tell you about the yacht? Wait till you see it. Daddy just had it all refurbied last month.”

  “Refurbished,” Rose corrects. She smiles at me. “The four of us will take it on a big trip after the wedding. Dad and Sadie didn’t want to leave us home when they go on their honeymoon.”

  “That’s nice of them.” I squeeze her hand. “Gives all of you a chance to spend some time together before you go back to school.”

  Katrina hops toward Josh, grabbing his arm and tugging him in the direction of the resort. “Can we go get some ice cream now? You promised.”

  He casts an unreadable glance my way and hesitates. “Sure. I did promise.” He winks at his niece. “You and Rose run ahead and decide what you want. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  The girls bid me giggling goodbyes, and I settle my hat on my head before turning to Josh. “For a second, I wondered if you’d break the ice cream promise. I don’t think I could forgive you if you had.”

  “I wouldn’t break a promise to those girls for a million dollars.” He crosses his arms with an almost defensive huff. “I just thought I might be able to convince you to take a walk on the beach first.”

  I smirk, searching his face for an indication of his intentions. He’s quite adept at shifting roles. One minute the doting uncle, the next a playboy on the prowl. He hasn’t exactly hit on me since we went into Christiansted together, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try.

  “What makes you think you’d talk me into doing anything with you?”

  Well, that sounded a little too much like flirting. A challenge.

  He picks up on it. “I think you’d be surprised what I could talk you into.” Leaning forward, he flicks the brim of my hat. “You might even enjoy it, sweet-as-Carmella.”

  My smirk turns to a scowl. “Do lines like that ever actually work for you?”

  Instead of answering, Josh shrugs and saunters toward the resort.

  After a relaxing sojourn on the beach, followed by a late lunch and a nap, I spiff myself up for the rehearsal and meet Sadie in the lobby by seven. When she sees the clingy blue jersey dress, the same one I wore to dinner with Ryan in Puerto Rico, she gives me two thumbs up.

  “Carmella, this is almost unfair. Everyone’s attention is supposed to be on the bride!”

  The laughter in her voice draws a chuckle from me. “Nobody will look at anyone but you tonight, Sadie-lady. Or tomorrow, for that matter.”

  We link arms and head out to the pavilion, where the justice of the peace is waiting with Nelson, Josh, and the girls.

  “So, does having the wedding on the yacht change anything about tomorrow’s festivities?” I ask.

  “Maybe just adding the chance someone will get seasick,” she quips. “But as long as the water’s calm, no one will even notice we’re not on dry land.”

  We climb the steps up to the pavilion, and the men turn our way. Nelson has eyes only for Sadie, but Josh’s glance slides down me from head to toe, an element of surprise on his face. A ridiculous warmth rises in my skin, and I wish I’d worn my sundress instead. He manages to clear his throat and collect himself before we reach the officiant, making a visible effort to remain all business.

  The Justice of the Peace takes us through tomorrow’s proceedings, giving Katrina and Rose a few practice runs at walking down the aisle. Satisfied everything will go as planned, Nelson sends his daughters back to the terrace, where a relaxed and informal rehearsal dinner is set up in a circle of tables on the pool deck. Then we sign the witness papers and head back ourselves, the bride and groom in the lead.

  Josh hangs back and touches my arm. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”

  My eyebrow lifts. “You’re just saying that.”

  “Are you sure I can’t talk you into that walk on the beach? Once the champagne starts flowing, no one will notice if we slip away.”

  “It’ll take a little more than champagne to get me to agree to a romantic walk on the beach.”

  “So a walk on the beach with me would be romantic?”

  Carmella, you idiot.

  I press my lips together and take a deep breath. “I think we’re holding everyone up.”

  With a sly grin, Josh waves one hand toward the terrace, then follows in my wake as I hurry toward the wedding guests gathering around Sadie and Nelson. Sadie gives me a questioning glance, as if to ask if everything’s okay. I’m about to give her the okay sign, when movement on the edge of the terrace catches my attention.

  It catches Sadie’s, too. Her expression turns from curiosity to shock, and she rushes to my side. “Carmella,” she murmurs.

  I whip around. My stomach plummets past my feet, and I begin to tremble. “I don’t know why he’s here.”

  Her hand closes around mine, squeezing, as Ryan takes a few tentative steps out of the shadows and pauses before us, hands in the pockets of his dress pants.

  “Hi, Sadie.” His gaze shifts to me before he speaks again in that calm, measured way of his. “I thought I’d come show my support.”

  Chapter 13

  The Fallout

  Sadie’s grip on my hand eases slightly, and when I risk a glance at her face, I find an easy smile there. How can she be so relaxed? I’m about to go into a
poplectic shock.

  “This is definitely a surprise,” Sadie says.

  Ryan drags his gaze from me with a similarly calm grin. “Well, I guess you could say I wasn’t planning this.”

  Some secret exchange flashes between them, and I hold my breath while my heart flips and thumps in my chest. I didn’t think this would actually happen, but was I right on the mark that Sadie planned this? Is she hoping Ryan will step in and keep this wedding from going down after all? They don’t seem quite thrilled to see each other, the way estranged but star-crossed lovers might react. No visible sparks of passion or even longing. Just amiable resignation, if anything.

  My mouth drops open. I need to say something to break the tension only I seem to sense in the brief silence. But then Nelson comes up on Sadie’s other side, and she releases my hand.

  “Who’s this, Sadie love?” he asks.

  Whatever words I was about to say disintegrate, and for a moment Sadie flounders.

  Still radiating calm, Ryan extends his hand. “Ryan Wutkowski. Old friend of Sadie’s from college.”

  “Ah.” Nelson takes the offered handshake. “Always excellent to meet a friend of Sadie’s.” His tone sounds careful to me. Does he suspect, or even know, just how good a friend Ryan is? “I assume you’re a friend of Carmella’s, then, as well.”

  Ryan nods. “We all go way back. I guess you could’ve called us the Three Musketeers once upon a time.”

  Nelson rests one hand on the small of Sadie’s back, and she leans into him, leaping into a hasty explanation. “Ryan had a business trip this week, so it’s sort of a surprise he was able to make it.”

  “Well, after what Carmella told me about this week’s plans, I felt like I shouldn’t miss my big chance,” Ryan replies. His and Sadie’s eyes meet again in a distinctly meaningful gaze.

  Chills run up my spine, and my stomach twists.

  Nelson doesn’t seem to notice the wordless exchange. “Well, Ryan, why don’t we get you something to drink?”

  “Sure. I just need to talk to Sadie about something real quick, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course.”

  Nelson takes my arm and leads me toward the bar. I expect him to give me the third degree, but instead he gives me a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Carmella, maybe you can get a drink for Ryan? You probably know what he likes.”

  Speechless, stunned, I just nod, and Nelson disappears into the milling crowd.

  I manage to order a glass of white wine and a bottle of beer, then steer my way through the guests to the edge of the gathering. Sadie and Ryan stand several yards away by the pool, talking in low voices. She twists her engagement ring around her finger, while he keeps his hands in his pockets. Nervous energy washes over me, and I can’t bring myself to go any closer.

  “Who’s that?”

  Josh’s voice in my ear makes me jump, and I hold my wine glass out to avoid the splatter. “Damn it, don’t sneak up on me!”

  He swipes a cocktail napkin down my wrist, a touch he could turn into a flirtatious gesture. But it’s fleeting, nothing but helpful. “That’s the ex-fiancé, isn’t it?”

  My heart stops for a moment. “Does Nelson know?”

  “Most of the details, I think. From what I understand, Sadie was pretty open about sharing her history with him. They agreed early on not to keep secrets from one another, said secrets destroy relationships.”

  I almost drop the drinks. Tess suspected some big secret was behind Ryan and Sadie’s breakup. If Sadie doesn’t want to keep secrets from Nelson, then Tess was right.

  “It’s . . . it’s good they want to keep their marriage based on honesty.”

  “So why do you think he’s here?”

  Shrugging, I turn to him. “For all I know, she invited him. Supposedly they’re on good terms.”

  “Then why are you so nervous?”

  “I’m not nervous.”

  He points to the glass in my hand. “You’re going to spill that again if you don’t stop shaking.” His eyes narrow. “Should my brother be worried?”

  I think about it for a minute, looking at Sadie and Ryan again before answering. They haven’t moved any closer to each other, and she stopped playing with her ring. They both seem relaxed.

  “No. Nelson has nothing to worry about. If there’s one word you can always apply to Sadie, it’s loyalty.”

  “So the question remains, why do you think he’s here? What do you know?”

  Stiffening, I glare at him. “I know what Sadie’s told me.”

  “Which is?”

  “That she loves Nelson and can’t wait to marry him.” He can’t possibly mistake the defensive bite in my tone. Before he can reply, I turn on my heel and march toward the pool, fixing a smile on my face.

  Sadie glances at me, lips open in mid-sentence, but then she touches her fingertips to Ryan’s arm and takes a couple steps toward me. “I’d better get back to my guests.”

  When she’s out of earshot, I face Ryan and hand over his beer. He watches Sadie’s retreat with a wistful look.

  “She’ll be a beautiful bride.”

  I wait until he takes a swig from the bottle. “What are you doing?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Wutkowski Avoidance Strategy Number One. Answer questions with questions.

  Huffing a breath, I step back. “Why did you send the platter and put my name on it?”

  “You were upset about not getting Sadie a gift.” He lifts his free hand. “And before you even say it, you don’t have to pay me back. Just make me a giant chocolate cake for my next birthday or something, and we’ll call it even.”

  “We can discuss that later. Where are you staying?”

  He meets my eyes for a long, drawn out moment. “I told the concierge I was here for the wedding, and they found an available room.”

  I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding. “How helpful of them.”

  At my exasperated comment, he reaches out to slide his hand from my shoulder to my wrist. “It’ll be fine, okay?”

  A tingle of warmth remains when he drops his hand.

  Sadie appears at the edge of the crowd and beckons to us. “I need my maid of honor!”

  Plastering on a smile for her sake, I nod and head for the long table set up on the edge of the terrace. After a few steps, I turn back. “Aren’t you coming?”

  Ryan lifts his bottle. “I’ll wander over in a minute. You go on ahead.”

  Throughout dinner, I try my best to keep my attention on Sadie and Nelson rather than Ryan, who found a seat with some business executives a few tables over. During the one glance I allow in his direction, he’s knee deep in an enthusiastic discussion with his tablemates. Relieved to have him distracted, I almost relax.

  Until my eyes lock with those of Kate Miller.

  I’ve always known Kate isn’t the friendliest of people. But she’s always been civil to me in the limited capacity we’ve known each other, so I’m surprised to realize she’s been looking daggers at me all night. Sadie’s warning to steer clear of her sister rings through my mind. I still have no idea why Kate would be pissed off at me, but that appears to be the case.

  Unnerved, I refocus on Katrina, sitting to my left, and hear all about the soccer camp she’s going to later this summer. By the time she starts stifling yawns, the party winds down and guests start to meander back to their rooms. Sadie and Nelson linger on the terrace with their mothers, while I somehow end up herding two tired little girls into the lobby.

  “I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Katrina murmurs, tucking her arms around my waist.

  “You’d better plan to take a nap in the afternoon,” I tell her. “The wedding will probably go pretty late. You don’t want to fall asleep in your cake.”


  Rose giggles at my advice, then takes her sister’s hand and drags her to the elevator.

  With my own yawn and stretch, I glance toward the lobby doors, hoping Sadie is on her way in. But Kate bears down on me instead, fists curled as she marches across the lobby. The blood drains from my face at the fire in her eyes. Too late to duck behind a potted palm. She’s on the warpath, and her quarry is in the crosshairs.

  “Hey, Kate,” I begin, my voice shaking.

  “You.” One finger extends toward my face as she closes the final yard between us. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

  I take an involuntary step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t play innocent. You know this is your fault.” She scowls, jabbing my shoulder.

  I flinch, covering the spot with my hand and backing up a little more.

  Her rant continues. “I may not agree with Sadie rushing off to marry this Nelson guy, but it’s damn sneaky of you to bring Ryan here.”

  “Hold it. I didn’t bring Ryan anywhere. He showed up all on his own. I’m as surprised as anyone else.”

  “I’m supposed to believe that?” Her finger waves again, dangerously close to my eyes. “I don’t know what you expected to accomplish by parading him in front of Sadie like this. And you’re supposed to be her best friend. She loves you like a sister—more than a sister.”

  I ease farther away, hands raised. “I’m not parading Ryan anywhere, in front of anyone. He showed up, totally uninvited―”

  “If this wedding gets broken up, you can be sure it’ll be your fault. And if Sadie never speaks to you again after this, you can be sure I won’t cry over it, since it’s only half of what you deserve.” With one final poke, Kate spins away.