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  Preston awoke in an uncomfortable bed with too-white walls, wrinkling his nose at the stench of antiseptic. Blinking to clear his vision, he saw his brother Jex asleep in a chair. He looked more uncomfortable than Preston felt.

  “Jex,” he squeaked out of his dry throat.

  Jex sat up quickly and then held his head. “Oh. I feel almost as bad as you look.”

  Preston laughed, but that hurt his throat worse. “Water?”

  “Ice chips.” Jex stood and rattled the cup. He spoon-fed Preston a bite.

  Preston sucked on them as he pushed the button to raise his bed to a seated position. He reached for the cup. “I’m not an invalid. What am I doing in a hospital?”

  Jex handed over the cup and rubbed at his beard. “Well, bro. You were stranded on an island with a beautiful woman.”

  “Thanks. I remember that part.” At least some of it. A lot of the memories were fuzzy, especially how they’d gotten rescued. “Where is she?”

  Jex shrugged. “I’d assume with her family. Her sister gets married tomorrow. They canceled the wedding, but then when you two got rescued, I guess they put it back on.”

  “Oh.” That made sense. Her family needed her, but he felt like he needed her more. It was selfish, but he wanted Ally by his side.

  His memories of the island were bleary, but he remembered their first, mouth-watering kiss by the waterfall, and he remembered how hard he’d fallen for her. There was also something tickling at the back of his mind, something that felt uncomfortable and awkward. Had she fallen for him too, or had she rejected him and he’d blocked it out because it was too painful? Was that the real reason she wasn’t here?

  “What’s wrong with me?” he asked.

  “Doc says bad concussion. You might have temporary amnesia. You’ll be okay. You were a little slow before, so this is nothing new.”

  “Thanks, bro. How soon can I get out of here?”

  Jex shrugged. “I think tomorrow.”

  “I need to get out now.” He had to get to Ally. He wished he could remember everything that transpired between them. He wished he had her phone number.

  “Patience, my boy, patience.” Jex gave him his easy grin.

  Normally Preston would laugh at Jex’s lame line, but right now he had no patience. “I need to talk to Ally. Can you get me my phone and her phone number?” Her sister needed her for her wedding day; that was the only reason they were apart. No matter how much he wanted her by his side, he wanted her to be happy most of all. He had to at least make sure she knew how impressive she was to him. Some things were spotty in his memory, but he could remember clearly that she hadn’t felt good about herself, and he wanted to reassure her from now until the end of time that she was perfect to him.

  “Um, your phone’s probably been destroyed by that Carlos dude. I’ll work on getting you a new phone and finding her number. Can you relax so I don’t get in trouble with the nurses? Some of them are pretty cute.”

  Preston rolled his eyes. Only Jex would find a date in a hospital.

  The door swung open and the sweetest voice cried, “My Preston!” Lottie rushed in and made it to the side of his bed. “Nurses say you look awake.”

  Preston opened his arms. “Hi, princess.”

  Lottie snuggled in as best she could with the bar hitting her in the stomach. “You okay, my bro?”

  “I’m good, Lottie. Glad to see you, that’s for sure.” He kissed her forehead, and a memory of holding Ally and kissing her forehead surfaced. He’d loved having her in his arms, her soft flesh under his lips.

  The rest of the family filtered in, interrupting his daydreams of Ally. His parents, Gunner, Slade, and Mae crowded into the hospital room. Slade’s fiancé had a funny shirt on that read, I’d give up chocolate but I’m no quitter.

  Preston laughed at the shirt as she gave him a one-arm hug. “Did you bring me any chocolate?”

  “No, but I smuggled in a Diet Coke with passionfruit syrup and fresh lime. Want a sip?” She held the drink up and Preston took a long sip. The sweet and tart cola taste felt like heaven in his mouth. No, that wasn’t true. It wasn’t even close to as heavenly as Ally.

  “You’re a saint,” he told Mae.

  Mae winked. “He tells me that all the time.”

  Slade chuckled. “Yes, I do.”

  His mom moved in for a second hug. She clung to him, tears messing up her usually perfect makeup. “I still can’t believe you were kidnapped and stranded on an island.” She shot a dark glare at Gunner. “And I can’t believe one of my sons wouldn’t tell me the truth about what he was doing.”

  Gunner didn’t appear fazed. He was the most serious of the bunch, and nothing really riled him. “It was so I could do deeper undercover jobs and not be recognized, and to keep all of you safe.”

  “Oh, that obviously didn’t work,” his mom shot at him.

  “Mama, be nice,” Lottie admonished. She went to Gunner and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love my boys.”

  Gunner hugged her back, finally smiling. “We all love you, Lottie.” He met Preston’s gaze over her head. “I’m sorry.”

  Preston shook his head, a lingering headache making the movement hurt. “It was Carlos’s fault, not yours. You got him, then?”

  “Yes, and his brother, the guy he kidnapped you for, is awaiting trial for human trafficking and murder.”

  “That’s good.”

  The conversation drifted to Preston’s recovery, then came around to Slade and Mae’s upcoming wedding. While Mae and his mom discussed flowers, with lots of input from Lottie, Preston said, “Gunner?”

  His brother quickly strode to his bedside. “Yeah?”

  “Can you get me a phone and get me Ally’s number?”

  “What? You don’t trust me?” Jex asked.

  “Gunner has better connections.” Preston winked. “Also, are you going to Kim Heathrow and Colt Quinn’s wedding tomorrow?”

  “I have an invite.” Gunner shrugged. He was the most serious of Preston’s brothers, and the most antisocial. He hated events.

  “Can I be your ‘plus-one’?”

  Gunner finally cracked half of a grin. “You can’t pull off the high heels.”

  Preston smiled and finally relaxed into the bed. “Yeah, right, like you could say no to anything I ask right now.”

  Gunner acknowledged that with a lift of his eyebrows and incline of his head. He would get him the phone and Ally’s number, and if Preston couldn’t convince her to come see him before tomorrow, he was walking into that wedding and finding her. He didn’t care what the doctors said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ally was swept into wedding preparations so quickly that she almost felt like her time on the island with Preston hadn’t even happened. Her family had grilled her with questions and overwhelmed her with hugs when she was escorted home by Sutton Smith’s men. It had been hard to watch Preston be whisked away in a medivac without her, but it wasn’t her place to insist she stay with him.

  Kim and Colt had postponed the wedding when she’d gone missing, but luckily Sutton had kept their disappearance pretty quiet and Ally had been able to insist that they proceed with the wedding. She was fine, except for her broken heart, and no one but Preston would ever know about that. So she focused on doing her part to help get Kim and Colt married. Ally loved seeing Kim so happy, and Colt teased her constantly yet treated her like a queen. Kim deserved it, but Ally couldn’t suppress an underlying pang that she’d never have that kind of future with Preston.

  Preston had been out of it throughout the travel home. Gunner had let her stay by his side, and every time Preston came to, he would mumble about how incredible she was before passing out again. While she’d loved the sentiment, she was pretty sure it meant nothing. She couldn’t delude herself into believing they’d built a lasting relationship in a few days in the alternate reality of the tropical paradise—and it was paradise even with the snakes, because she’d fallen in love with Preston there.


  Carlos had destroyed her phone and she hadn’t had time to go get a new one, but her dad had kindly retrieved her laptop and some things she needed from her downtown apartment. Every second she wasn’t helping with the wedding or spending time with family, she was working furiously to catch up.

  Bucky had told her not to worry about her social media campaign, but the season was fast approaching and she insisted they go for it as quickly as possible. She’d set up a press release for tomorrow morning, and she’d talked Mack Quinn and his wife, Sariah, into participating. It was the off-season and Mack and Sariah had a home in Golden, Colorado, but they were in Atlanta for Colt’s wedding and had easily agreed to be involved with the campaign. Bucky had suggested they use all the speculation over her and Preston Steele disappearing to increase exposure, but she’d told him no, that was between her and Preston, and nobody needed to know what had happened but them. She was grateful Sutton Smith had made sure to keep everything quiet.

  Her computer beeped with an incoming phone call from a number she didn’t recognize. The same number had called several times last night and again this morning. Telemarketers never gave up. She pushed a button to silence it and typed up some emails. She was all dolled up for the wedding in a pale pink gown with her hair in an updo. In only a few minutes, someone would come and demand she get powdered and perfect again. The wedding started in an hour, an early afternoon ceremony, and she’d been powdered and primped all day.

  A text came through, and she was annoyed at the interruption of her scant work time, until she saw the words: Ally, it’s Preston …

  A knock came at her door and she jumped, almost dropping her laptop. Her mom rushed in. “Hey, love. Are you ready?”

  Ally closed the laptop, set it on her bed, and stood, smoothing her dress. “Yes.”

  “Working like always.” Her mom came over and kissed her cheek. “That’s my driven career woman.”

  Ally bit at the inside of her bottom lip. “Thanks, Mom.” What else was she supposed to say? She was a driven workaholic, mostly because of the woman in front of her.

  “Shar’s going crazy making sure the caterers she approved of are going to have the food perfect for the wedding dinner, and Kim is going crazy because she hasn’t kissed Colt in two hours.” Her mom rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “You girls keep life fun for me.” Her eyes trailed over Ally. “You look … lovely, dear.” She almost seemed to force it out.

  Ally’s throat went dry. Her mother had never, ever complimented her on her looks. “Thanks, Mom. So do you.”

  Her mom waved her hand. “Pomp and circumstance. All that matters is who you are inside.”

  Ally stared at her mom. Of course what was on the inside mattered—but unfortunately, in this world, the outside made a difference also.

  “Well, I’d better make sure your daddy is ready. Love you.” She turned to go.

  “Mom.” Ally stopped her.

  “Yes?” She pivoted.

  “I know you think it’s all ‘pomp and circumstance,’ but why didn’t you ever tell me I was pretty?” The words rushed out and her cheeks heated up. She couldn’t meet her mom’s eyes. “I mean, I know I’m not a beauty like Kim or Shar, but …” She took a breath and said bravely, “It’s important for a girl to think she’s at least attractive.”

  Her mom marched back and tilted Ally’s chin up. Her eyes were kind but determined. “You are every bit as beautiful as Kim and Shar. I never wanted to focus on any of my daughters’ exterior beauty. That’s the world trying to make you settle for being a piece of meat, another pretty face.”

  Ally’s breath came faster. “I understand you wanted us to excel for our brains and talent, but it is important in this world to feel good about yourself and know you’re not … revolting.”

  “You thought you were revolting?”

  Ally nodded. “I thought I was chubby and unattractive and no man would ever want me.”

  Her mom’s eyes widened and she groped for a nearby chair, leaning against the back of it. “Oh, love. None of that is true.”

  “Then why didn’t you ever tell me I was pretty? Just once? Other girls heard it all the time; they were confident and knew they were appealing.”

  Her mom’s mouth twisted. She looked at her hands for a few seconds and then said quietly, “Well, the truth is, it has nothing to do with you. You know your Aunt Nellie?”

  “Yeah, she used to tell me I was ‘big-boned.’”

  “Oh!” Her mom’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “How dare she? And behind my back, obviously.”

  “It’s not like you counteracted it with compliments.”

  She nodded, accepting her responsibility in this just like she did everything, matter-of-factly. “If I would have known she said that to you, I would have … Oh, it’s pointless to talk about now. You know how obsessed she is with the way she looks? My parents never stopped telling her how gorgeous she was, dozens of times a day I heard it, and she became … a narcissist who could never settle down to one man, always cheating and breaking hearts everywhere she went.”

  This was new information to Ally, except for the fact that Aunt Nellie was a piece of work. Yet there was a twinge of jealousy in her mom’s voice. She’d felt like less because of her parents.

  “So your daddy and I decided when we had you and Shar—and you were so exquisitely beautiful—that we wouldn’t ever compliment you on your exterior beauty.”

  “I can … understand your reasoning.” Though she’d heard her mom compliment Kim on her beauty. Maybe they changed their plan with their youngest? Luckily Shar was confident enough that nothing could take her down. “Thanks for sharing that, Mom.”

  “I should’ve told you sooner. Maybe one or two compliments about exterior beauty would’ve been okay.”

  “You think?” Her mom had taken it to the other extreme, even gently redirecting others who said the girls were pretty, telling them about their accomplishments instead.

  Her mom smiled grimly. “As a parent, you try your best and pray you don’t mess up your children too horribly.”

  Ally didn’t know what to say. It had messed her up, and the lingering feelings of being chubby as a young teen had never gone away either. “I know I was bigger as a teenager, so that was hard to deal with too as a young girl.”

  “But you’ve grown into your shape so perfectly.” Her mom caught her in a tight hug. “You are incredibly beautiful, Ally, inside and out. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

  Ally hugged her back. “Thank you, Mom.” She let it wash over her. She had grown past the chubby teenage stage, and though she had more curves than Beyoncé, Preston had been attracted to her. Preston! She had a text from him that she really wanted to read.

  Her mom released her and hurried to the door, obviously done with the tender moment. “See you downstairs in a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” Ally needed some time to process what she’d just been told. Her parents had deliberately not told her she was pretty, not because she wasn’t, but because they thought it was best for her. It made sense and didn’t feel like an excuse. Her mom was a good lady, but if Ally ever had children, she’d compliment them on their hard work, their talents, and their beauty.

  It warranted further thought, but right now she needed to see what Preston had to say. Lifting her laptop open, she clicked on the messages. Ally, it’s Preston. I’ve been in the hospital, but I want to see you. Gunner finally got me a phone and your number. Can you call me?

  That was it. No indicators of how he felt at all, but he did want to see her. He wanted her to call him. She debated what to do, but she debated too long. There was a rap at her door and Shar pushed her way in, wearing an identical pale pink dress. It was going to be a great day with her family, but a long day of socializing. The last time she’d been at an event with her sisters, two different people had said they couldn’t have told her and Shar apart, except that Ally was “curvier” than Shar. She hated to wish Kim’s day away,
but she really wanted to go see Preston.

  “Help, sis! My zipper is stuck.” Shar turned around.

  Ally stood and worked the zipper up and down, tugging on the fabric that had been caught in it. Finally, it came free and she zipped Shar up.

  Shar turned and hugged her. “Thanks! You look so pretty.”

  “You too.”

  “We’ve got to go. Mom’s on a schedule.” She winked and offered her arm. “After this wedding, I want to just sit and talk. I didn’t get near enough details about the island and the beautiful man you spent plenty of hours alone with. There’s a story there, I know it.”

  “I survived. The end.”

  Shar laughed. “You know I’ll pry more out of you than that.”

  Ally smiled and took Shar’s arm, giving one last longing look at her laptop. She hurried toward the door with her sister, though it was torture leaving Preston and that message un-responded to.

  * * *

  Preston’s gaze darted around the spacious backyard, which looked like it’d been transformed into a flower garden. It was a large wedding party, and he just wanted the wedding over so he could talk to Ally. She hadn’t appeared yet. He assumed she would walk down the aisle before the bride. It would take a lot of self-control to not interrupt the wedding by sweeping her off her feet and carrying her away somewhere private. He couldn’t remember a lot of details of the island, but select memories kept appearing—mostly funny things Ally had said or done, how wonderful it had felt to hold her close, and the overwhelming feeling that he cared deeply for her, but he’d messed it up somehow.

  Music played, and Colt Quinn shifted nervously from foot to foot. His brothers were lined up with him, and Preston thought they were an impressive group of men. He really liked Mack Quinn, the huge offensive lineman for the Patriots. Mack was a true gentle giant.

  Preston’s eyes darted to the flower girl and the three women trailing down the aisle behind her: Navy Quinn, Shar Heathrow, and his Ally. Dressed in a fitted pale pink dress, Ally was incredibly gorgeous. Every soft curve was on display, and her smooth, tanned skin was just begging for him to touch it.