Chapter 18

Everything happens quicklyafter Martin announces our "relationship" to the entire wedding party.

Our luggage is carted off to the last remaining cabana and we're shuttled into the palapa for a pre-dinner drink. I barely have time to wash the airplane off my hands in the palapa's bathroom before it's time for dinner.

Dinner is simple, but delicious. Fresh fish, rice and beans, and an array of local fruits for dessert. It's family style dining with everyone sitting at one long table with the owners, Claire and Jonah, dining with us. Claire is blonde and adorable with the appearance of a German bar maid, complete with twin braids like Heidi. Jonah is huge and muscular. He grunts answers more often than he speaks them, but he looks at Claire like she's his entire universe.

On one end of the table, Claire is describing the resort's ecology efforts. On the other end, Savannah and Lily are quietly grilling Martin and me about our relationship.

Martin is just sitting beside me, arm draped casually over the back of my chair, fingers toying with my hair like this is completely normally, answering their questions.

Meanwhile, I'm guzzling whatever drink they put in front of me (iced tea, water, punch, wine—whatever!) like I've been wandering the desert all day. Anything to ensure I have a reason not to answer any of the questions aimed our way.

Questions I can't answer because: a) I have no idea what's actually happening, b) I have (apparently) lost all ability to form sentences or thoughts, and c) if I was to try to vocalize anything, it would probably just come out as a moan of pleasure.

Seriously … how is it that him playing with my hair feels this good?

Has he taken some kind of advanced-level, tantric course in hair-toying?

Of course, it doesn't seem to matter that I'm not answering questions, because Martin is.

Normally quiet and taciturn, smirky Martin is suddenly all talk, talk, talk.

"I am so confused," my sister is saying, looking from Martin to me and back again. "So you're saying that you guys met before you even hired me to cook for Ian?"

"Exactly," Martin replies. "My grandmother lives at Precious Meadows which is?—"

"The memory care center where Trinity is doing her practicum, right?" Savannah pins me with a look.

I nod mutely and take another sip of my wine.

"Trinity brings her therapy chickens to work with the patients. And she's been working with my grandmother."

Lily leans forward. "Oh! Therapy chickens! Tell me more. Are the benefits purely psychological or do the patients also benefit from strengthened immune systems due to increased microbiome diversity?"

Sebastian puts a hand on his wife's arm and explains gently. "Lil, I think you're distracting from the meet cute story."

"Oh. Sorry." She sits back, blushing. Then grins at me and waggles her eyebrows. "We'll catch up later about the chickens. But I have a microbiologist you should meet who would love to collaborate."

I nod mutely.

Martin leans a bit closer to me and explains, "Lily and Ian work together for the McPherson Foundation."

Savannah beams at the genius who will soon be my brother-in-law. "Yeah, he helps Lily narrow down where they direct research money to."

I jerk my gaze back to Lily, who I met only briefly at the engagement party. At the time, she was introduced as Lily Maddox, but now that I think about it, that's obviously her married named. And if she works for the McPherson Foundation, then does that mean …

I swallow. Lily McPherson is one of the wealthiest, most powerful women in philanthropy. The foundation she runs funnels millions of dollars to research grants. Probably hundreds of millions.

The wine I just sipped gets caught in my esophagus and I nearly choke. As if he knows exactly what I'm thinking, Martin gives my neck a reassuring squeeze.

And this—I suddenly realize—is what he meant about my life changing overnight merely because my sister is marrying Ian. For Martin it was different. He'd grown up poor, so he needed clothes as armor. His life changed in a thousand ways and he adapted by becoming closed off and suspicious.

My life is changing now. In some ways, it will be better. In others it will be harder.

Even if I'm comfortable in this nerdy, academic crowd, I'm still not comfortable with the "perks" of knowing the super-rich. There will be bumpy roads ahead.

My gaze jerks to Martin and he gives me a gentle, knowing, smile. Not a sarcastic smirk. Just … a smile.

It's a you've-got-this-smile. Or maybe an I've-got-you smile.

I'm not sure which. I only know that it makes me feel better.

"I'm sorry I'm such nerd," Lily is saying, even though she doesn't look sorry about it at all. She looks delighted by her nerdiness. And possibly delighted by my nerdiness. She makes a keep it coming gesture with her hand. "Finish the story, Martin. I want all the details. You guys met at the memory care center. Did you know immediately she was the one for you?"

The question is aimed at Martin, but suddenly I don't feel so lost and panicky, so I jump in with my own answer. Besides, this one is a soft ball.

"Absolutely not." I elbow playful. "I was there with one of my therapy chickens, Princess Lay-ah."

Seb chokes on his wine, laughing. "Nice name."

"Thank you. Normally the birds are very well behaved, but she must have been in a mood. Because she laid an egg under Margaret's bed. And I had to crawl under there and get the egg. So you can imagine how flustered I was." I cover my face with my hands and peek over my fingers. "I was so flustered, I handed him the egg."

Savannah laugh-gasps. "You didn't!"

"I did! It was still warm from the bird." I lower my hands and glance up at Martin, rolling my lips between my teeth to hide my grin. "So I can guarantee that—based on that first meeting—it was not love at first sight for either of us."

Martin takes one of my hands in his and brushes a kiss on my knuckles. "Speak for yourself, Buttercup. I was a goner from the moment I met you."

I slant him a suspicious look. I keep it playful, because we're the center of attention, but I'm sure he can hear the doubt in my voice. "You liar. You thought I was some kind of crazed candy striper."

Our "audience" laughs.

Martin seems not to notice as he continues to gaze at me. "Yes. A gorgeous, unforgettable, clever, crazed candy striper. And no matter how much I told myself you weren't meant for me, I couldn't get you out of my head."

Savannah clears her throat loudly and levels a hard look at Martin. "So that's your story, is it? You're admitting that you met Trinity by accident and then hired me to work for Ian, all so that you could impress her?"

I expect him to try to dodge the question, but instead he just nods. "Yep. That's pretty much it."

Savannah rolls her eyes. "I call bullshit. Two weeks ago, you were both at our engagement party and you definitely weren't together then."

Again, I expect Martin to duck and cover, but to my surprise, it's Seb who answers.

"Yeah they were." Everyone must be as surprised as I am, because we all turn to gape at Seb, who just chuckles. "Apparently I was the only one who noticed how he looked at her the whole time she was there."

I look from Seb to Martin and then back again. "And how did he look at me?"

But it's Martin who answers. "Like a man in love."