Chapter 15
Silvie
Cocktails & Chaos has become our early-morning office for all things wedding planning and strategy over the past few days.
Wilby commandeered an entire table with his laptop open, sunglasses up on his head, and he looks comical here rather than back in our New York Office. In fact, he fits right in.
Wilby and I just finished sunrise yoga with Summer while Cal surfed.
And honestly, I’m still a little embarrassed, so I’m glad Wilby is here as a buffer now.
Wilby told us both, under no uncertain terms, that he would never surf again.
In fact, I’m not sure he’s ever going into the ocean after the jellyfish incident that seems to have scarred him for life.
He’s never going to let me live that one down.
And this is what I love about Coconut Beach. Back home, I have to be the corporate Silvie, with her life together. Here, I can be Silvie, who tries new things, makes funny memories, and finds myself turning out to be more fun than I thought.
Wilby’s locked in wedding-planning mode.
Meanwhile, I’m leaning against the table, drinking a coffee, trying not to stare at Cal.
Which is funny, because I’m pretty sure he’s trying not to stare at me.
He’s opening up the place and moving with confidence.
He has his hat on backwards, and I’ll admit, it’s doing things to me.
He looks so hot. He’s wearing a T-shirt and shorts, and he moves like he does this every day.
Which he probably does. But he’s definitely nice to look at.
Then he cooks us up breakfast, and I think, yeah, this man is marriage material. Real marriage material.
What happens when you have to get divorced?
Wilby must sense I’m deep in thought as I watch Cal, and he pauses and looks over at me.
“You know...I like this guy for you,” Wilby says cautiously. “I never thought we’d be sitting here over a thousand miles from home and you’d be marrying a bartender, but hey, life is weird. I guess we should just embrace it.”
I laugh. “My father’s gonna lose it. You know that, right?”
“Your father scares the holy ever-loving shit out of me, Silvie. He is going to go ballistic. But he’s not who we have to worry about. Your psycho mom and sister scheming is why you’re literally racing to the altar.”
I can’t wait, I think sarcastically.
Part of me feels bad for my dad. He just wants the company to be solid.
Nobody likes this stupid clause my grandmother left in her will.
But it’s something we’re all dealing with.
I just want a real life. Not a fake one.
But if this is what I get right now, I guess I’ll take it.
It’s better than the life I was living with Tyler.
I shudder at even the thought of his name.
Wilby watches Cal walk toward us with a tray of breakfast, and he leans closer to me. “If you don’t lock this one down, I swear I will. He cooks, Silverlyn.”
I laugh and stare at Cal dreamily. “Yes, he does.”
Cal sets down plates in front of us like it’s nothing. Eggs, toast, fruit, and bacon.
“Thank you, Cal,” I say as I push out the chair next to me so he can sit by me.
Wilby stares at all the food and back at me. “Okay, but what is seriously wrong with him?”
Cal grabs a pitcher of coffee and returns, sliding into the chair next to me. “What?”
“How are you so perfect?” Wilby shakes his head in disbelief.
Cal chuckles and grabs a fork. “I’m not perfect.”
Wilby turns to me. “Silverlyn. I can’t find anything wrong with him. Neither could our investigator.”
Cal pauses and looks up at him, his fork mid-air. “You had me investigated?”
Wilby looks at him and nods. “Standard practice for marrying a billionaire and my best friend.”
Cal chokes on his food and covers his mouth with his napkin. He looks at me strangely and takes a sip of his water.
Wilby, not reading the room, continues. “We’ve looked. Trust me. Never seen a more honorable member of society.”
I take a bite of eggs and close my eyes for a second. “These are good, Cal.”
“Thanks,” he says as he slides the jelly over to me.
None of us are addressing the elephant in the room Wilby just casually mentioned I’m a billionaire. Which, I’m actually not. Not technically, anyway. My family’s company is worth billions. I have millions, but all in investments and stocks.
It’s not lost on me that Cal hasn’t had any questions about my company or marrying me. We’re both just been going about our lives as if this is perfectly normal. There’s nothing normal about all of this. It’s totally weird.
We eat while Wilby also works on his laptop between bites.
“Okay, I have the wedding all planned out. I think you’re going to like it,” Wilby says. “We keep this quiet and fast. No announcements or social media.”
“Okay,” Cal agrees.
“Agreed,” I say.
“Birdie can know,” he continues. “Jonah, and your mom. That’s it.”
“And Cal,” I tease.
“Well, obviously,” Wilby says. “The groom should be informed.”
Cal laughs softly. “Appreciated.”
Wilby looks over at him. “You still good with all this? Feel like running?”
My chest tightens all of a sudden at the thought of Cal not being around. I hold my breath as I wait for his reaction.
“I’m fine,” Cal says, glancing over at me. As if he can sense I’m nervous, he lays his hand on my thigh.
He doesn’t do it in a sexual way, but a calming, I’ve got you, way. As if he’s saying, I’m here. Everything is fine. And I have no idea how Cal can do that, but he does seem to calm me when I’m anxious.
It’s a small gesture, but my body still reacts. Heat blooms where his palm rests, and my panties, embarrassingly, are soaked.
No one ever touches me like this. Tyler never did. He had no interest in soothing or caring for me.
I glance at him, expecting him to pull back and realize what he’s doing, but he doesn’t. His eyes stray to mine, and they’re calm and steady, too. He isn’t afraid or intimidated by any of this.
My body relaxes and my shoulders loosen.
I relax under his hand and let myself feel it.
Safety. And I swallow, picturing for a second what it would be like to always have this.
To feel safe. To have someone in my life who wants me to feel safe.
I have always wanted a relationship deep down.
I know I was never going to get that with Tyler. He wasn’t half the man Cal is.
And that’s when it hits me. This might just not be pretend anymore for my heart.
That complicates things.
Wilby brings me back to reality as he continues his checklist. “I’m surprised that the paparazzi haven’t found you yet. This is really good. But I’m just surprised.”
“I know,” I say.
“And honestly, even more shocked that Tyler didn’t leak your location to mess with you,” Wilby adds.
I stare down at my coffee. “I’m not sure he knows.”
Cal stiffens and jerks his head up. His eyes narrow and jaw clenches. He sweeps his gaze around us as if searching for the paparazzi threat that isn’t here. His voice is sharp as he says, “That’s unsettling that he would do that and risk your safety.”
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Cal remotely anything other than chill surfer dude.
Right now, he’s alert, tense, and protective.
My heart patters wildly in my chest. I’ve never had someone care that much, to the point of anger, so naturally, it does dangerous things to my attention-starved heart.
“Everything about Tyler is unsettling,” I say quietly.
Cal looks over at me, moving his hand, as the brief anger melts away to concern flickering across his face.
He doesn’t pry but pours me another water from the pitcher that’s sweating at the center of the table.
He’s always making sure we have food and something to drink, specifically me. I love that about him.
Wilby watches this too and seems to file it away. “Oh, hey, good news. That turd is officially moving out of your penthouse. I’m going to have the locks changed and have it deep cleaned. I also ordered a new bed. It’ll be here next week.”
“You think of everything.” I smile appreciatively, feeling relieved.
“It’s my job,” Wilby says as he continues to type.
“You’re getting a raise.”
Wilby grins and keeps typing. “Excellent.”
“This guy is a miracle worker,” Cal states, smirking.
“You have no idea,” I say. “Right-hand man.”
Wilby closes his laptop with a decisive snap. “Okay. Everything is locked and loaded. You are winning, Silverlyn. Period. Tyler the turd and your skank sister will not be getting your company. Our plan is foolproof.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“It’s going to be fine. We’re sticking to the plan. I gotta run and figure out my B&B situation. Since I extended my trip, they are saying there’s no room. I’m hoping to get in at the Palms. Thanks for breakfast, Cal.”
“No, problem,” Cal says.
“Thank you!” I call. “Let me know about your room situation.”
And somehow, I feel so much relief when he says it’s going to all be fine.
Because right now everything feels more than fine. It feels pretty great.
I need to work off some of my nervous energy. Birdie’s off with her Bees doing God knows what. I clean her cottage and get it sparkling. It smells like clean laundry and lemon cleaner, which feels wildly productive for someone like me whose life is currently a massive shit show.
I’ve got her bedding switched out and mine in the washer. I’m folding towels when Birdie comes in from the porch with her purse over her shoulder. “Well. If this isn’t a treat to come home to. What are you doing, sugar?”
“I’m anxious,” I say. And I clean and organize when I’m feeling anxious.
“I know. You have a lot going on,” she says as she hangs up her purse. She saunters over, takes out the jar of iced tea, and pours two glasses. “Come sit down.”
I reluctantly fold the last towel and set them all in the basket.
“Well,” she says gently. “I bet you didn’t see your trip playing out this way.”
“Nope.” I laugh as I take a sip of my tea. “But here we are.”