Surprise!
. . .
Ellie
Okay.
Don’t panic, Ellie.
This was clearly a nightmare I’d wake up from any second now. It had to be, because otherwise, Cade’s family and friends were throwing a little surprise party for us right after he ripped my heart out of my chest and tossed it overboard.
And if it wasn’t a nightmare, then they’d also heard everything I’d yelled at Cade, which meant I’d broken a legally binding NDA. At that thought, I wanted to throw myself overboard.
I pinched my arm, but nothing changed except now my arm hurt.
Well, so much for the nightmare theory.
Everyone was still staring, but even worse, I made the mistake of locking eyes with Cade’s mother. My stomach sank at the confusion clouding her gaze.
I wanted to crawl under one of the deck tables and hide forever.
But that wouldn’t help, so I focused on what I could control—like retrieving a terrified and trembling Whiskey from his backpack and clutching him to my chest. It took a lot of effort to stop him from squirming free, but at least he didn’t draw blood this time.
Everyone else was still staring.
“Well, this is awkward,” Harrison stated the obvious—only succeeding in making it more awkward. His grin was a little too gleeful. “You just said Cade hired you, right? I didn’t imagine that? My brother had to pay you to be here?”
Oh no.
“Don’t be silly, Harrison. This must be a misunderstanding.” Mrs. Westbrook caught my gaze, cocking a brow. “You are engaged to my son, aren’t you?”
I flinched, struggling to catch my breath. “Um…”
My lips moved, but nothing came out. It was like my voice just… stopped. I couldn’t lie anymore.
“Ellie.” Cade broke through my increasingly panicked breaths, still close enough that I felt the warmth emanating from him. He kept his voice low and soothing—like he was speaking to a skittish kitten—and I cringed. “Let’s go back inside.”
“I can’t,” I choked out, my voice splintering as I retreated from him and his warmth.
Whiskey’s claws held on tight at the sudden movement, and I really regretted not throwing more clothes on under Cade’s college T-shirt.
The splotches on my arm screamed at me, and I scratched them.
“I’m so sorry. I just ruined everything and broke the NDA. There’s no going back from this.”
The muscles along Cade’s jawline tightened.
“What NDA?” Mrs. Westbrook asked sharply, and I went still. Her eyes narrowed, flicking between me and Cade. It took all my willpower not to burst into tears. “What exactly is going on here, Caden? Do we need to involve the authorities?”
“No police,” he answered smoothly, snagging my attention while I choked on nothing. He crossed both arms and watched me for a long, long moment, then sighed before nodding. “Go ahead. Tell them the truth.”
My lips parted. “What? Really?”
“If it’ll make you stop scratching and freaking out, then tell them.” He jerked his chin toward the crowd. “They already heard the worst.”
Guilt and nerves twisted together in my stomach. He was okay with this?
“I—I—” Flustered, I plucked a piece of confetti out of my hair before realizing Cade’s T-shirt was riding way too high on my thighs.
But I braced myself and turned toward the group, unable to meet any of their gazes.
When I glanced at Cade, he gave another nod, and my shoulders slumped.
“Um, I’m not marrying Cade. And I’m not who you think I am. We’ve been lying to you all week.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop on the deck.
“Who are you, then?” Mrs. Westbrook asked.
I almost laughed. Where to begin?
“I’m a professional cuddler. That’s my real job.
And, no, I don’t belong anywhere near this yacht or your son.
I don’t have nice clothes or rich parents.
I live in an attic above a struggling cat café, not a fancy apartment or penthouse.
I’m not some gala-going, refined socialite.
I’m just Ellie,” I confessed in a rush, the words tumbling out of me.
The weight instantly lifted from my shoulders, flooding me with relief before I remembered something else.
“And I didn’t dye my hair for charity. It’s blue because that’s my favorite color and I like the way it complements my eyes. ”
I snapped my mouth shut to stop from rambling more, and everyone just stared at me.
Staring seemed to be the theme of the day.
I couldn’t bring myself to meet Cade’s gaze again. My flight response kicked in hard.
“Um, so, yeah. I should really go. I’m sorry,” I muttered, whipping my gaze around the deck to frantically search for any clue of which way to go. “How do I get to that little boat that’ll take me to shore?”
If I couldn’t find it, then screw not knowing how to swim—I was willing to take my chances with a life preserver.
A crewmember appeared like magic to show me the way, and I latched on to him and ignored the silence lingering behind me. My legs wobbled like a newborn foal’s across the deck, but at least Whiskey had calmed down enough to rest in my arms.
“Stop!” Mrs. Westbrook called with such effortless command that my feet froze to the deck. My heart thudded as I turned toward her shrewd gaze. She cocked a brow. “If you’re not engaged to my son, then shouldn’t you at least return the ring?”
I blinked back at her. Oh right. The ring. Of course I’d give it back.
Juggling Whiskey in my arms, I fumbled to slide the diamond engagement ring off my finger.
I wasn’t sure what came over me, but I hesitated instead of marching it back over to Cade. Maybe I just wanted to commit a mental picture of the ring to memory. Its sparkle really was something special.
Tiny soft paws touched my hands, and that was all the warning I had before Whiskey plucked the ring from my fingers like it was his favorite salmon-flavored treat.
He launched himself off me, and his paws hit the deck in a run before I realized what’d happened.
I dove after him. “Whiskey, stop!”
He did not stop.
Chaos erupted on the deck. Everyone went after Whiskey, trying to cut him off.
My trickster cat darted between tables and lounge chairs like a seasoned thief, juking everyone who got within arm’s length. The chase only excited him more.
I never thought I’d be running after my cat panties-less, but that’s life, I guess. All I could do was yank Cade’s shirt down over my ass so I didn’t flash anyone. I bumped into Madison, then Piper—before Whiskey leapt onto a railing overlooking the ocean, and everyone froze.
He paused and lifted his head to show off the ring triumphantly, like the tricky little jewel thief he was.
“Please don’t swallow it,” I whispered, holding my hands out as if that would stop him.
A breeze swept across the deck—reminding me of those old Western standoffs my grandpa used to watch.
Dr. Lovejoy’s calm voice sounded out of place in the heat of the moment. “Now might be a good time for everyone to take a steadying breath. This is an opportunity—”
“Not now, Bliss,” Cade snapped.
But I welcomed the advice, and I took a deep breath. We needed that ring—and my cat—far, far away from the railing. And that responsibility lay with me.
“Careful, Lord Whiskerson,” I warned gently, using his full title to show him I meant business. “Bring the ring back to me, and everything will be okay.”
He just blinked slowly back at me. But I knew he wouldn’t be fooled. If I wanted him to trade with me, I needed something of higher value to him than the ring.
I raised my voice without taking my eyes off Whiskey. “Mac, did you get a frozen cocktail already?”
There was a pause before he answered. “A pina colada, but don’t judge. I’m on vacation—”
“Offer Whiskey your little drink umbrella, please,” I said, praying he had one. “See if he’ll trade you for it.”
Mac huffed but obliged. “Hey, Whiskers. You see this?”
Whiskey’s head whipped toward Mac, ears twitching and ring sparkling from his mouth.
“Good boy,” Mac murmured, while I held my breath. “You want the nice umbrella, don’t you? You can have it. Just come give me your shiny little ring first.”
Whiskey stared back at Mac, and we all waited with bated breath.
His tail flicked underneath the railing once, twice. The moment stretched long enough that I went lightheaded from not breathing.
By some miracle, Whiskey must’ve thought the trade was worth it, because he leapt toward Mac to get the umbrella.
Unfortunately, he dropped the ring first.
“Whiskey, no!” I cried, lunging toward him.
But I was too late.
Time slowed as the ring fell. I watched in horror as it clinked against the top of the railing and seemed to hover in midair… before dropping over the edge and into the ocean.
It landed in the water with a faint plop.
Nobody moved, not even the breeze.
“This can’t be happening,” I finally whispered, shaking my head with a watery laugh. It had to be a nightmare. I turned to Cade, feeling like a broken record. “I’m sorry. Add it to my fee for breaking the NDA, I guess.”
I could never pay him back. Not in a million years.
I needed to get out of here. Now.
Tears blurring my vision, I grabbed Whiskey and bolted toward the stairs, ignoring my cat’s startled meow and his claws sinking into my arm.
But there was one small mercy to me single-handedly obliterating our deal and screwing everything up: at least the itching had finally stopped.