Marrying Chrissy (Brides of Clearwater Book 3) Read online

  Chapter Eleven

  So much for keeping things casual. Chrissy had no idea what to say to Wyatt right now. He’d kissed her. It had her heart soaring higher than it should have for such a brief moment in time. She’d wanted him to kiss her again, too, until her common sense took over. Chrissy suppressed a groan as her mind wandered to all the ways this was going to complicate the weekend. They hadn’t talked about it, but she’d assumed the public displays of affection rules from the birthday party applied here. Holding hands only when necessary. Yeah, pretty sure kissing went a bit beyond that.

  She remembered what he’d said about all the family members attending the reunion. If there really were so many people, there’s no way she and Wyatt would even be in a situation where they’d be tempted to kiss again. See, it was all a moot point. Keep to group activities, and they’d be just fine.

  Relief collided with disappointment, which was completely ridiculous. It was one kiss with a guy that was completely wrong for her and likely her sister’s future boss.

  Agreeing to go to this shindig was a stupid, stupid mistake.

  “The resort is just up ahead.”

  Chrissy stared as the giant building grew larger the closer they got. It looked like something out of a travel magazine from some exotic country. She had no idea there was such a place right here in Texas. Waterfalls cascaded down the sign welcoming them as they drove through the twenty-foot gates and followed a paved road to the circular driveway out front.

  The Jeep had barely come to a stop before doormen approached. They wore slacks and long-sleeved dress shirts with the resort logo on them. Wyatt got out and unlocked the back. The men collected their luggage and headed for the impressive front entrance of the resort.

  Chrissy opened her door to find Wyatt waiting to hold it for her. She slid out of the seat and slipped past him. They were close enough for her to catch a whiff of his aftershave, and she ignored the instinct to linger for another one. Seriously, no guy should be able to walk along the coast in the heat like he did and still smell that good.

  She felt his hand lightly touch her lower back as they walked past various topiaries to the towering door. Two more doormen opened it for them.

  Chrissy took in the flowers, crystal, highly polished floor, and plush carpet. It made the country club look like a cardboard box. She tried to guess how much renting this place for the weekend must’ve set Wyatt’s parents back. She couldn’t imagine having even a sliver of that kind of money.

  Wyatt led the way to the front desk. He’d clearly been here many times before and didn’t seem phased by the décor. It only served as a reminder of how very different they were. If he hadn’t come into the coffee shop, Chrissy was certain they never would’ve crossed paths anywhere else.

  There was no way she would fit in here. She was trying to figure out how she could get back home without Wyatt having to miss his reunion by taking her when Violet walked in. There was a flash of surprise in her eyes before she composed herself, lifted her chin, and approached.

  Escaping was going to be next to impossible now. Chrissy reminded herself that her mom and sister would insist she stay. She could almost hear Emma telling her that this would be her one chance to feel like a princess in a castle.

  Violet gave her brother a hug and Chrissy a fake smile. “I’m so glad the two of you could make it. Are you just checking in?”

  Wyatt accepted two sheets of paper. He signed one and handed Chrissy the other to sign. A quick glance told her it was just a paper outlining responsibility for the room. She didn’t have to pay for it, but of course it would make sense that each occupant would sign one of those agreements. Especially if the room was even remotely decorated as nicely as the rest of the resort…

  Wyatt handed over the signed papers and turned to Violet. “Yes, we just got here.”

  Violet’s eyes followed their every move. “Wow, you’re staying in separate rooms.” Her brows rose high enough to disappear behind her bangs. She said nothing else, but the implication was still there.

  Wyatt didn’t flinch. “You know how Gran is. She might pretend, but she’d never be okay with Chrissy and me sleeping in the same room.”

  He tossed Violet a look of warning. Did Violet just assume everyone was sleeping together, or was she trying to get on his nerves? Chrissy was glad he was handling the conversation well because she, on the other hand, was busy mentally counting the number of tiny lightbulbs in the chandelier. Thankfully, neither of the siblings seemed to expect her to add to the exchange.

  A glance at Violet’s face told her that Wyatt’s sister wasn’t happy with his response, but she didn’t feel like she could say anything else, either.

  A bellhop appeared with their luggage on a rolling cart. “If you two will follow me, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  Thankful for the distraction, they proceeded to the elevator and up to the third floor. The bellhop opened door 312 and motioned for Chrissy to enter. “This is your room, miss.”

  Chrissy’s eyes widened as she took in the space that would qualify as an apartment anywhere else. With a small kitchenette, a luxurious bathroom complete with a garden tub, and a giant king-sized bed, Chrissy was confident she could comfortably live there.

  The bellhop put her luggage on a small table. He picked up a piece of paper from a desk in one corner and turned with a smile. “Here’s a schedule for tomorrow. Breakfast begins at five and is served through ten. If there’s anything you need, just pick up the phone and dial zero. We’re happy to help.”

  “Thank you.” Chrissy took the paper from him. Before she had the chance to offer a tip—and she had no idea what amount would be appropriate—Wyatt stepped forward and slipped some money into the man’s hand.

  He bowed slightly and motioned back to the door. “I’ll show you to your room, sir. It’s right across the hall.”

  Wyatt smiled at Chrissy. “I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast?”

  “Sure. What time?”

  He thought a moment. “Are you an early bird or do you like to sleep in? There are people here who will do both, which is why breakfast is served for so long.”

  “Early bird most of the time. But I think having the chance to sleep in a little would be nice.”

  He smiled. “In that case, how about I knock on your door at nine?”

  “That’ll be great.” She looked around the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night, Chrissy.” He paused a moment before smiling again then followed the bellhop outside. The door closed, blocking her view of him.

  Chrissy allowed herself to fall backward onto the large bed. A groan escaped her lips. “Oh, yeah.” She wondered how badly everyone would think of her if she just slept through the day tomorrow. Whatever kind of mattress this was, it was going on the top of Chrissy’s bucket list of things to own one day.

  She was still holding the schedule and took time to look at the activities lined up for tomorrow. After breakfast was beach volleyball, followed by a scavenger hunt. It sounded like basic shorts and a t-shirt would be good for that. Hopefully she could just observe and cheer because volleyball was never one of the sports she’d taken to.

  It was almost ten o’clock. Not really all that late, but she was already exhausted. She changed into a pair of knit shorts and t-shirt before collapsing on the bed again. She called Mom who put her on speaker so that Emma could hear the conversation as well.

  An hour later, she’d finished telling them about the drive, how fancy the resort was, and her trip to the coast. The one thing she refused to mention was the kiss. They ended the call with Chrissy promising to take and send more pictures.

  Fifteen minutes later, she crawled under the covers, relaxed between the satin sheets, and tried not to stress about the unknowns of tomorrow.

  She’d only be there for about thirty-six hours. That wasn’t so long. She could handle pretending to be Wyatt’s girlfriend, especially if it made his grandmother happy. Enjoying the am
azing amenities at this fancy resort was another perk. She just had to keep her game face on.

  Oh, and make sure she and Wyatt didn’t kiss again.

  ~*~

  Wyatt stepped onto the back deck and took in a deep breath of ocean air. Much better. Breakfast had been fine, but there’d been something about all the people milling around that made him feel claustrophobic.

  Chrissy had been exceptionally quiet during breakfast as well. She’d sat beside him, exchanged pleasantries, and happily spoke to several members of his extended family. But there was something about her demeanor that made him wonder if she was more unsure than she let on. Was it because of their kiss? More likely it was because of the crowd of people she didn’t know. Just because he couldn’t quit thinking about being close at the beach didn’t mean she was having the same problem.

  He glanced at her as she picked up a brightly-colored beach blanket from the folded pile on the deck and tucked it under one arm. Over the other shoulder was a large, canvas bag filled with an umbrella, a sunhat, and some other items he couldn’t quite see.

  Chrissy pulled the sunhat out and put it on her head. The cream-colored fabric did a good job of blocking her face from the sun. Between the hat, the brown shorts, and floral-patterned sleeveless shirt she was wearing, she looked like she was meant to be on the beach.

  They made their way down the well-kept path that led from the steps of the deck halfway to the beach. Chrissy glanced at him. “I have to admit, I was surprised when you said you’d be playing volleyball.”

  Wyatt chuckled. “It’s an acquired sport. My sisters all played it growing up, so I did, too.” Ahead, people were gathering near the volleyball nets and reserving places to sit.

  “Is it super competitive?”

  “We’ll keep track of points to see which team wins. As for how competitive everyone is, it entirely depends on which team you’re talking about.” Wyatt flashed her a grin.

  “I’m glad I decided to just sit on the sidelines and watch.” She shifted her bag on her shoulder.

  Wyatt instinctively reached for it. She seemed surprised but allowed him to carry it for her. “Good idea to bring an umbrella. I hope you put sunscreen in here, too.”

  “I did.” She held one arm out. “I don’t get a whole lot of sun. I’d rather not go home looking like a boiled lobster.”

  He led the way to a spot close enough to the volleyball nets to see, but far enough away that Chrissy shouldn’t have to worry about stray balls. They worked together to spread out the large blanket. She took her bag from him and set it down before lowering herself to sit on one edge. Immediately, she kicked her sandals off and buried her feet in the sand. Her toes, complete with purple nails, peeked out like colorful little seashells.

  Wyatt had never really thought of feet as attractive until now. Then again, he couldn’t think of anything about Chrissy that wasn’t beautiful.

  Realizing he was still staring at her toes, Wyatt blinked to clear his head and focus on his uncle who was relating details about which team he was going to be on.

  The games weren’t starting for another half hour, so Wyatt took the opportunity to sit beside Chrissy and relax for a few minutes.

  Lucy stopped at their towel, crouched down with her Canon in hand, and snapped several pictures. Chrissy’s head lifted. There was only a momentary look of surprise on her face before she smiled brightly for the camera. Lucy then focused on Chrissy’s feet, her toes still sticking out of the sand.

  “You’re not wasting any time this morning,” Wyatt commented.

  His sister only shrugged as she snapped some more photos. “The candid pictures are always the best. The one time I don’t have my camera out is the time I’ll miss the best shot of the weekend.” It was all said while looking through the eyepiece.

  “Well, don’t forget to take part in the events and not just photograph them.”

  Lucy stuck her tongue out at Wyatt, and he returned the gesture. They both smiled as she continued to canvas the area and moved away to shoot something else.

  “She seems really nice.” Chrissy put her hands on the blanket behind her and leaned back. “She’s right about candid pictures.”

  “Yeah, Lucy’s great. Even though I think she spends too much time behind her camera during the reunion.”

  “The problem with being the photographer is that you’re never in the pictures.”

  “Exactly.” Wyatt removed his own sandals and relished the feel of the sun on his skin. “She’s good at what she does, though. We keep telling her she should open her own studio, but she says it’ll turn a fun hobby into a stressful job.” He lifted a palm full of sand and let it sift through his fingers. “You’ll get to see the pictures. She usually creates a slideshow and sends everyone a copy. I’ll make sure you get one.”

  “I appreciate that.” Chrissy withdrew a folded piece of paper from one of her back pockets. She opened it and laid it on the blanket, smoothing out the creases. “Which other events do you participate in?”

  Wyatt took in the list. “I usually help my nieces and nephews with the scavenger hunt.” Wow, they’d really packed the two days in with more activities than usual. His parents were always doing their best to make everyone happy, which was impossible. “Everything’s optional, though, except for dinner this evening. A lot of people will choose a couple activities per day and spend the rest of the time splashing and relaxing on the beach. Don’t feel like you have to do anything you don’t want to do.” He was having a difficult time gauging what she was interested in.

  She nodded thoughtfully. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to help with the scavenger hunt, then maybe hang out at the beach this afternoon. I definitely want to be there for the bonfire tonight after dinner, though.” She folded the paper again and slipped it back into her pocket. “I haven’t been to a bonfire since my senior year of high school.”

  “That sounds good.” He liked that she wanted to stay for the volleyball games. Would she cheer for him and his team? It shouldn’t make a difference, but it did.

  He was also glad she decided to stay because he didn’t want to leave her completely on her own with Violet and his mother wandering around. He could keep an eye on her and make sure some of the more…nosy…family members left her alone. The primary reason for sticking together, of course.

  At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

  Chapter Twelve

  Chrissy closed her eyes and sprayed some extra sunscreen on her face. She used her hands to massage it into her skin, hoping she hadn’t missed any white streaks. It was too bad she hadn’t brought a mirror.

  Sure, I’ll remember one the next time I go to the beach and watch my fake boyfriend play volleyball. She almost smiled at her sarcastic line of thinking. Most women might have a compact in their bag, but since Chrissy almost never wore makeup, it wasn’t exactly on her priority list. She applied more sunscreen on her arms and legs, being sure to cover any exposed skin. Once that was done, she tugged her sunhat back on and turned her attention to the game.

  Wyatt, along with the other five members of his team, stood ready. Someone on the opposite side of the net served the ball, and everyone jumped into action. Chrissy wished she understood the rules of the game. All she knew was that someone served the ball and then everyone else tried to keep it from hitting the sand. Right now, Wyatt’s team was ahead by three points.

  Of course, it’d been hard to concentrate on all aspects of the game anyway once Wyatt had shed his t-shirt. It wasn’t like he was the only bare-chested guy out there.

  If she hadn’t stopped their kiss the other night, she would’ve known what it would be like to be held in those strong arms of his.

  She shook the stupid thought from her head with frustration. She had no right to be thinking anything like that, not when she was the one who drew the line in the sand. Even now, Chrissy stood by her decision. She took her cell phone out and snapped several photos of the goings-on around her. She managed to g
et two of Wyatt, not that she was trying, including an action shot as he jumped into the air to block the ball.

  Knowing her family would want to see more photo proof of her mini vacation, Chrissy took several selfies showing the sandy beach in the background. She sent one of them to Mom and Emma along with beach ball and umbrella emojis.

  A shadow fell over her moments before someone joined her on the towel. Chrissy tilted her head to find Wyatt’s youngest sister, Bonnie, with a young baby in her arms. The little boy looked to be about six months old. Chrissy didn’t think Bonnie had children, but then she’d met so many people, she could easily be mistaken. Still, his red hair and green eyes didn’t remotely resemble Bonnie’s features.

  Bonnie smiled warmly. “I was hoping I’d run into you. Are you having fun?”

  “I am, thank you.” Chrissy adjusted her sunhat so that she could see Bonnie easier. “How about you guys?” The baby reached out and grabbed the brim of her sunhat. She laughed as she carefully worked it loose from his grip.

  Bonnie kissed the little boy’s cheek and switched him to the knee furthest from Chrissy. “We are. There’s lots to see, isn’t there, Gunner?” She smoothed his hair back and shifted again to make sure he was in the shade her body created.

  Chrissy got the umbrella out of her bag, opened it, and held it out.

  “Thank you. I should’ve thought to bring one myself but having Gunner with me was a last-minute change.” The baby fiddled with the loop at the base of the handle. “I’m his nanny. I was supposed to have this weekend off, but his dad was called away to work, so I brought him with me. Although my parents weren’t thrilled.”

  Chrissy wanted to ask Bonnie why her parents wouldn’t want her to bring the baby but figured it wasn’t her business. “It’s great you were able to make it.”

  “I’m glad we could, too. It wasn’t easy, though. My car is in the shop, so I had to hitch a ride with Lucy’s family. They’re staying later Sunday than we can.” She cringed. “I was wondering, if you don’t mind, could we hitch a ride back to Clearwater with you and Wyatt? I have Gunner’s car seat in my room.”