LOVE on The Horizon (Breaking The Rules #1) (24 page)

The moment I opened the door, a very annoyed flight attendant was waiting to greet us on the other side.

With arms folded, she asked, “Sir, can you and your companion please go back to your seats?”

“
Sì, signora
. We’re so sorry. She was feeling sick and asked me to help her. Do you have some club soda for her? That would help settle her stomach,” I said, laying on the accent a little thicker than normal.

I felt Rebecca’s face press into my back with another fit of giggles escaping, causing us both to shake from the onslaught. Reaching behind me and squeezing her arm had her full-out belly laughing.

What had gotten into her?

“Uh-huh. If I had a penny every time I heard that excuse…”

“Um…too much turkey?” She stood staring at me, debating in her head what course of action to take.

Childhood memories of standing before Sister Maria Elena, after being busted for smoking in the schoolyard, flooded my mind.

Her face softened and she sighed loudly. “I’m exhausted, and I really just want to get home to my family. Happy Thanksgiving.” She moved aside and motioned with her arm toward our seats. “I’ll bring that club soda to you. Please buckle up.”

Like two petulant children, we walked back to our seats with our heads bowed down and Rebecca clutching her shoe. The only other passenger in first class looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the show.

Once we were buckled, my heart was still pounding in my chest when Rebecca said, “We seriously need to do that again. That was so much fun.”

If I made it to my thirtieth birthday with this woman, it would be a miracle.

We’d arrived late last night and checked in to The Ritz-Carlton. We decided Fort Lauderdale would be our home base for obvious reasons, but renting a place wouldn’t make sense. Once we were up and running, we’d never be here. So, I felt it best to buy a small condo to have at our disposal. Until we found something suitable, staying at the Ritz was an indulgence, albeit a necessary one.

Of course she argued, claiming the Hilton would suffice fine at a lot less money. I appeased her by taking the most modest room the Ritz offered, trading space for luxury.

After the debacle of meeting our families, I wanted to spend every day as stress-free as humanly possible.

Ricky arrived an hour ago, loaded up with coffee and breakfast for us. The smile on Rebecca’s face when she finally reunited with her friend was priceless. I was grateful to him for being so good to her, for being there no matter what.

Their relationship was easy and comfortable, like they’d known each other for years. I guess just like you knew when you’d met your soul mate, and time had little to do with that connection once it occurred, the same applied when meeting your best friend.

He had been laughing for six minutes—nonstop cackling. I take that back; he’d only stop to suck in a breath before resuming his cackling.

My fiancée had been giving him a blow-by-blow from the moment we stepped out of Newark Airport, through the chaos at the Stanton’s—punching Sam in the face included—to our tryst in Flight #5690’s lavatory.

“I’m so glad this is amusing you,” I admitted, rolling my eyes as I did.

“Oh my God, this is priceless. I may have to write a book. Hell, they made that awful movie, what was it called?” He looked at Rebecca, searching her face. “You know, the Thanksgiving that went terribly wrong? Robert Downey Jr.? God, he is so hot.”

“
Home for the Holidays
.”

“
Home for the Holidays!
” He shouted, raising his palms as he did. “Stupid movie, this would be much funnier.”

“Ricky.”

While dramatically drying his tears of laughter, he turned his face to look at me. “Yes?”

“We have a lot to do.”

“Sure, boss, my bad.” He composed himself and handed us each a folder. “Okay, I spoke to my accountant. We need to decide on whom we want to go with soon, but in the meanwhile, he was happy to help. He said if you paid Rebecca’s loan outright, you’d get killed in taxes.”

I eyed Rebecca, who shook her head in disagreement. I had warned her not to argue with me, and she didn’t, but without words, she continued to make it very clear how she felt about me paying off her loan.

“So? What do we do?”

Ricky moved his gaze from me to Rebecca before saying, “You get married now.”

“Now?” she asked. “As in
now
?”

“Yep, now.”

“Okay,” I responded immediately. This was a no-brainer for me.

“Marco.”

“What? It’s happening anyway.”

“He’s right, doll. It’s happening anyway. For financial reasons, it would make complete sense to get married now. Then your debt becomes his debt, his fortune becomes yours. It would make the financial process so much easier on us.”

“But…our families. They are not happy with us right now. This would devastate them.”

“Don’t tell them. You’re adults. Elope.”

She turned her gaze to mine. I raised my brows confidently. “I’ll marry you right now,
bella
. When things calm down with our families, we’ll either tell them what we did or we won’t. We can decide that later.”

“This won’t help my gold-digger status,” she grumbled quietly. Emotions had her eyes welling up with tears.

“Hey, stop. I know the truth, Ricky knows the truth, and eventually my family will as well. I’ve told you this. And, if not, their loss.”

“Can I interrupt?” Ricky asked. Before we gave him permission, he immediately said, “
Fuck them
.” Folding his arms defiantly, he then rolled his eyes impatiently for good measure. “Jesus, does it matter? If I worried about the opinion of every person I knew, I’d never leave the house. I never met his family, but I know enough about them to say they love him. It’s when there isn’t love that you need to worry. Reactions, even as asinine as theirs, when done because of love, can be repaired. It’s the lack of love that ruins relationships, never to be recovered. This holds true for your crazy-ass family, too. Remind me to never get stuck in a room with Sam, by the way. Jesus, that man needs a good stiff one. I’d help him lose his attitude.”

“Ricky.”

“What?”

“Focus,” I said, trying to reel him back in before he went on one of his rants.

“Fine. Back to getting married…all you need is a few rings, someone to marry you, a romantic setting, and me. I’ll be your best man, maid of honor, and witness all rolled up in this sexy package. Think about it.” He reached into his bag and pulled out two different folders, one pink and one blue. “Back to business. In these folders is a list of our confirmed investors.” We both silently scanned the list, some names looking familiar, and one that shocked me. “How did you get Sofia?”

“Gianni did. He called me and said after you guys left, they had a conversation and both agreed this is a fantastic idea. She spoke to her husband, and they both want in.”

Rebecca looked at me hopefully. “That’s good, right?”

I nodded with a huge smile. “Yeah,
bella
. That’s really good.”

Ricky took us through the different loan options, tasks required to incorporate our company, and the legalities of all becoming partners. He’d really done his homework in these past few weeks.

As he detailed the different appointments he made for us to see the mega yachts within our price range, I said, “Ricky. Thank you.”

He flashed me his toothpaste-commercial smile. “You’re welcome. You’re like a brother to me. You know that. I’d do anything for you.” He shifted his gaze to Rebecca and added, “And for her as well.”

Once Ricky made his crazy suggestion, it was hard for me to focus on the business part of our meeting. My eyes wandered to my engagement ring as I imagined a wedding band sitting right beneath it.

Of course I wanted to marry him as soon as possible, and of course I worried our families would hate us for it, but Ricky was absolutely right.

Marco and I made a promise to each other that, no matter what, it was him and me. Nothing else mattered but us, and I had to consider that now more than ever. We were on the threshold of our future. Changes and opportunities were lying right outside our door, and it was time to step through and turn our visions, dreams, and wants into reality.

“Any ideas on names?” Ricky asked, breaking in to my daydream. It was a good one, too. In my mind, I clearly envisioned Marco dressed in a classic black suit. I was in a simple yet elegant ivory gown, and our backdrop was the ocean. Over the sound of the waves, we’d promise to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of our lives.

It was an awesome visual.

“No, do you have any suggestions?” Marco asked me.

“I haven’t even thought about it.”

“Well, I have a few options,” Ricky began. “How about RMR Luxury Journeys for our corporation name, and for our yacht,
Bella Viaggi
?”

“I love it!” Marco exclaimed immediately.

“What does it mean?”

“Beautiful Travels. It’s perfect, Ricky.”

Ricky beamed with pride. “I agree. It is perfect.”

“I love it, too,” I admitted. My heart swelled with how much I loved it. It was a constant reminder of Marco’s love for me as well as how far we’d come together.

When Ricky volunteered to order up lunch, Marco lifted my hand to his lips and placed a kiss on my ring. “Come outside.” He led me to the balcony. The breeze blew my hair across my face, and he gently pushed it away, tucking it behind my ears. “Talk to me,
bella
.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” His brown eyes widened expectantly. “Yes, as in, yes, I do, you may now kiss the bride?”

“Yes.”

In an instant, I was wrapped in his arms, engaging in a Hallmark movie-worthy kiss, complete with a backward dip.

“Mrs. Rebecca Anne Puglia. Sounds beautiful, no?”

“It does. I’m in this, Marco, in every way. It’s you and me.”

“You and me.”

“And me…” Ricky said, walking out onto the balcony where he found us embracing.

“Yes, Ricky…and you.”

“I still think you made a good choice. The ladies look fantastic in this one.”

I looked down at my boobs and blushed. “Stop looking at them.”

“Sweetie, as your maid of honor, it’s my job to make sure you buy the right dress, and you did. The other one you were considering squashed them. This one lifts and separates. Very nice.”

Although I laughed at his reasoning, his teasing wasn’t calming my nerves. My hands shook as I smoothed the fabric over my torso. It was a beautiful dress, just as I envisioned it. I decided on a strapless gown in plain ivory silk that skimmed my curves and flared in subtle folds at the knee. My hair was long and loose, the way Marco loved it. A pearl-encrusted comb pulled the sides back and off of my face. I wore a simple string of pearls around my neck and matching earrings on my lobes. Both were a wedding gift from Marco, delivered personally by my “maid of honor.”

“You’re trembling. Don’t be nervous; he’s going to love it.”

“I know. I’m not nervous,” I lied. He folded his arms and I quickly added, “Okay, I am nervous. But I’m excited, gloriously happy, sad…with a pinch of terrified.”

“I get the excited and gloriously happy, but let’s discuss the sad.” He knew why, but he was still going to make me say it so he could yell at me again. “Well?”

Dragging in a deep breath, I looked away and admitted, “Because our families should be here to witness…”

“And they will be, the next time,” he interrupted me again. “This one is for you two. This one is a special merging of your souls, private and personal—and just for you. You guys have been getting it from all ends—first Sunset, then the Puglias, and then your brood. You both deserve to do this for you. They’ll all understand, and if not, they’ll eventually accept it.”

“I guess.”

“No guess. I’m right. Okay, now let’s discuss the pinch of terrified.”

“What if I’m forcing him to give up so much and it doesn’t work out?”

“Why wouldn’t it work out?”

I threw him an incredulous look. “Couples break up all the time over meddling families. It’s scary.”

Ricky came to stand beside me and wrapped a supportive arm around my bare shoulders. We stared at each other in the reflection of the mirror, his frown morphing into a warm smile. He knew my nerves had nothing to do with Marco. What I worried about was that, by doing this without our families, it would worsen our predicaments.

“Sweetie, everything worth fighting for in life is scary. That’s what makes it worth it. You two are rock solid, and as long as you concentrate on that, any outside influences can’t take you down.”

“I guess.”

“The next time you respond with ‘I guess,’ I’m going to force you to go shopping with me.”

“No. Okay, I promise. Anything but that.”

“Good. I’m glad I can still bribe you so easily.

I heard what he was saying, but it was hard to agree. Although we had spoken to our families over the phone a few times since we last saw them, things were still very strained between us.

My mother has been relentless in trying to talk us into coming for Christmas. I explained we were busy with the business, and it wasn’t a good time to come back yet. But, I promised we would after the new year. His family had the same arguments, playing the Christmas-in-Italy-was-something-I-had-to-experience card.

And yes, he spoke to his sister, Isabella, but the tension between them remained. Isabella did admit that she wasn’t speaking to Clara. Yet, she still hadn’t warmed to me. She may never do so, and that saddened me to think about. The same held true for Sam and me. Sam apologized the one time we spoke over the phone, but he was sure to tell me he didn’t agree with my choices. Apparently, stubbornness was a dominant trait on both sides of our families.

The past few weeks weren’t all filled with angst. We found the cutest apartment and had fun furnishing it with things we picked out together and loved. We also saw several mega yachts, making our new venture so real and so exciting.

I had to pinch myself daily, wondering what I did to deserve all the good. I also wondered if what we were going through with our families was just a small payment for all our happiness. The combination had me blinking back the tears that threatened.

Ricky noticed the emotions I was fighting and took charge. “Enough overthinking. I can tell your mind in running a mile a minute. It’s time to become Mrs. Puglia.”

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“
Benissimo
.” He took my hand, grabbed my bouquet, and led me to the door. “Your prince awaits, princess.”

My friend was a hopeless romantic, and his persistence was one of the main reasons Marco and I decided to break the rules and go for it.

I so desperately wished Ricky could find someone to love, but more importantly, someone who could love him back the way he deserved. He once teased he was destined to be the matchmaker, but I truly felt he just hadn’t met his match yet.

Ricky was quite the catch. His generosity was borderline excessive. He had a ton of money and, combined with his huge heart, it made him a real-life Santa Claus—a gorgeous one. He was a very handsome man, even more so when he smiled. His blue eyes twinkled, one cheek lifted higher than the other. His looks made women swoon wherever he went. Most of the time he was oblivious to the way people stared.

“Stop pussyfooting around…for now. Tonight, you can ‘pussyfoot’ all you want for your hubby.”

“Pussyfoot?”

He shrugged, “Sounded good. Stop stalling. We have a wedding to get to and then a honeymoon to escape to.”

“Where is he taking me?”

“Nice try.”

When we got to the French doors that led to the beach, Ricky wrapped my arm around his and winked.

The instant Marco saw us, he beamed with a huge smile. He looked so handsome in his simple black suit as he watched us walk toward him. I hadn’t seen him all day. He stayed with Ricky last night, a small tradition Ricky refused to bend on since we really weren’t following many others. We were exchanging vows on the beach in front of the Ritz with a minister present and Ricky playing the role of every other wedding guest.

We didn’t have music, except for my tiny bouquet, we didn’t have flowers, or even an altar, but it was still the perfect setting. The crystal blue ocean, the sound of the waves crashing a few feet away, and the gentle December Florida breeze provided all we needed to make our wedding beautiful.

Some of the hotel guests started to gather in a semicircle to witness the wedding. Ricky walked us proudly through the strangers until we reached my groom. He kissed my cheek and shook Marco’s hand before moving to stand beside him.

“You look beautiful,
bella
,” he said directly into my ear.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

The minister smiled when we both turned our gazes toward him. Ricky had contacted the officiant who often performed ceremonies for Sunset Cruise Lines. Having known Marco for years, Reverend Russell was thrilled to perform our ceremony, as long as we were flexible with his schedule. Of course we were, so here he was in Fort Lauderdale one week before Christmas to officially marry us.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca a few weeks ago, and Marco, you’ve made a most spectacular choice.”

“I agree.” Marco glanced down at me and winked.

“That day you both explained what type of ceremony you ‘needed’ this to be, I found it interesting during your explanation you both sounded almost apologetic with your requests. I thought about that long and hard since our meeting. I guess, with the way our society places so much emphasis on the actual ceremony, the reception, the flowers, the photographer, who can blame you? So many important moments occur in one’s life, and a wedding probably ranks up there within the top three.

“But the moment we should be focusing on is the joining of your souls, your beings in the holy state of matrimony. And to be honest, it shouldn’t matter if you accept the sacrament in a church or a temple or on the beach or a street corner. What should matter is the commitment you are making to each other, the promise to love, respect, and honor each other, the decision to spend the rest of your lives as a team. A successful marriage is not about finding someone to live the rest of your life with, but instead about finding someone you can’t live without.

“Life isn’t about a few special moments. It’s about millions and millions of moments, both good and bad, that all fuse together to create a colorful life. The absence of your families and friends shouldn’t change the meaning of this moment. If anything, it created the reason to have another moment, where you share with them what you already know and have here today.

“So promise me, when you leave here today, it’s not the guilt that should consume you but the love you feel for each other that should fuel you to continue to create more and more beautiful moments.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes, and the moment she blinked, they rolled down her face. In a simple gesture, I reached over and wiped them away one by one.

“Are you guys ready to become a team?”

We both nodded and repeated the traditional vows we’d decided on for our very nontraditional wedding, but we added a few of our own.

“Marco, I love how my name sounds from your lips. I love how you can make me breathless with a smile. Whenever you don’t understand one of my American slang comments, I love how you get this little frown line right here…” She reached over and smoothed a fingertip between my eyebrows. “But most of all, I love how I feel so safe and warm and cherished when I’m with you.”

“
Bella
, I love how my name sounds from your lips. I love when you giggle. I love watching you sleep, especially when you snore.”

“I don’t snore.”

“Yes, you do. I love when you ask me a question and your head tilts to the side.” I leaned in closer and lowered my voice to a whisper. “I love your adventurous side,” I said, waggling my eyebrows. She giggled adorably. “But most of all, I love your heart, your spirit, your goodness.”

We smiled at each other as Reverend Russell instructed us to exchange rings. We chose traditional, plain platinum matching bands—she insisted that we match. After a closing blessing, I waited eagerly for the traditional command that would give me permission to…

“You may now kiss your bride.”

While staring into her eyes, I took her bouquet and handed it to Ricky before placing both hands on her face.

“Rebecca Anne Stanton Puglia, I love you more than anyone on this entire planet.” I searched her face, finding so much love and emotion in her eyes that it took my breath away. The intensity of my serious stare scorched through to her soul. She mimicked one of her own, taking hold of my heart and jolting it in my chest from just the look in her eyes. Slowly a dazzling smile altered her features, prompting me to seal my lips over hers in one long, hard kiss. Clapping around us, and Ricky’s hooting, did little to stop me from kissing my wife.

Christmas was a week away, but her simple declaration of “I do” was the best gift I had ever received in my entire life.

She was mine.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion it made it hard to speak. I’d never felt that way before. I participated quietly as Ricky insisted on capturing a few traditional pictures. Rebecca smiled throughout, but I could tell by her slightly trembling hands something was bothering her.

If I had to guess, it was the absence of our families that still weighed heavy on her mind. While Ricky chatted with the reverend, I asked her and she surprisingly disagreed.

“That’s not it. I’m at peace with our decision.”

“Then what’s wrong?” I placed a hand on her cheek, urging her to tell me. When her big blue eyes focused on mine, it sent another jolt right through me. “
Bella?
”

“It’s because I love you so much it actually hurts.” She placed her hand over her heart and rubbed firmly against it. “Right here… just the thought of being apart for any reason causes panic to swell inside me.”

My knees almost gave out from her admission. “That’s exactly how I feel, too. It’s almost too scary to enjoy.”

“Exactly.” She nodded, her eyes widening with a combination of love and fear and every other emotion we were both being flooded with.

“Well, there’s one simple solution.”

“You also feel I should handcuff you to my wrist?” Her eyes crinkled at the corners with humor.

“That is most definitely something we need to do!” I widened my eyes enthusiastically. “But no, that’s not what I was going to say. I’ll never leave your side, and I won’t need handcuffs to keep me there.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her into my body before crushing my lips to hers. A faint clicking sound distracted me enough to pull away.

Ricky stood within our personal space while taking picture after picture. When we both turned to look at him, he kept snapping without apology, waving a hand and commanding, “Keep going. Don’t stop on my account.”

And so we did.