One Funeral (No Weddings Book 2) (27 page)

Daniel held up a cake knife. “We’re here to carve this beauty up to the guests. You didn’t think we would miss this, did you?”

Grinning, Chloe shrugged. “You’ve been talking nonstop about this dragon cake since you hired us. Nothing in the world would’ve stopped us from supporting you on your big day.”

Cade had become enraptured with all the intricate details of the cake. He bent over, examining one of the smaller boats. The carved “wooden” sides were iced in various colors, depicting the same bright colors often painted on the dragon boats used in the festivals.

Curving around the back of the piece, Cade took measured steps, admiring the main dragon, eyes widening. “Wow, Maestro. I remember your experimental dragon section from my first time in your kitchen, but I had no idea you’d transform that idea into something so amazing.”

“Thanks.” I beamed a huge smile, unable to contain my joy at how impressed he was with my work. I’d done the piece for me, because my heart burned to create the vibrant idea in my imagination, but approval from the one person in the world who’d come to mean more to me than any other eclipsed the personal accomplishment.

“Ms. Martin, can we get shots?” A photographer pressed forward, flanked by several others.

“Of course.”

“All four of you would be great.” The photographer motioned to me, Cade, Daniel, and Chloe, and we posed for a couple of shots.

“Now could we have just you, Mr. Michaelson, and Ms. Ling?”

The petite owner, with her hair pinned up and wearing an ornate, blue brocade dress, stepped forward. Three more flashes went off.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like a few more of just Ms. Martin and Mr. Michaelson.” The photographer moved off to the side, stepping closer.

I glanced up at Cade. He and I had never posed for photographs alone. Cade only glanced down with a warm smile and pressed a firm hand to my lower back, stepping closer to me.

A flashbulb went off as we looked at each other. Surprised, we turned to the photographer. A few more photos were snapped in rapid succession.

“Great. Thank you, Mr. Michaelson. We have everything we need.”

Cade led me to the far corner of the room and opened a side door, ushering me through. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“But what about the party? What about your sisters?” A cool breeze danced a lock of hair across my face before blowing it back again.

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about them. They’ve got it covered. Want to be spontaneous and live in the moment tonight?”

Mischief glittered in his dark eyes, illuminated only by the red lanterns hanging from the eaves. The fun boy who’d grabbed my hand and dragged me down to a boathouse to steal a scull for an afternoon of fun had returned. Only this time it was night, and Cade’s mood seemed more intense.

Grinning, I nodded. “Yeah. Take me on an adventure, Cade Michaelson.”

He laughed and pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.

“That’s my girl.”

W
e sped off into the darkness on Cade’s bike, and I closed my eyes, pressing my body flush against him. His warmth seeped into me, and I felt content holding him tight, lost in our own world, oblivious to the cold air currents and the sounds of other vehicles.

Soon, even the background sounds faded. We slowed, turning.

“Close your eyes, Maestro,” Cade shouted with a turned head.

“They already are.” I snuggled deeper into him.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his back. “Good. Keep ’em shut.”

We leaned slightly as he turned again. The bike bounced over a bump, and we slowed further. I gripped his body tighter as we came to a stop.

“No peeking.”

I laughed as he cut the engine. “I promise. Eyes shut ’til you say ‘open.’”

Graceful took on a whole new meaning as I tried to dismount the bike with my eyes shut. I flailed, even while he held me, pulling me off. Finding solid ground under my stilettos, I calmed a bit.

I obediently kept my eyes shut while he unfastened the strap under my chin and lifted the helmet off my head. As he straightened my hair a bit, I tried not to laugh. Then I remembered his sisters being noticeably absent from the restaurant the moment we began eating. “Please tell me this isn’t some surprise party. It’s not my birthday.”

With a low chuckle, he took my arm. “Nope. No party. Although it is a surprise. Hence the whole eyes-shut thing.”

I grunted, suspicious. But I was also excited, butterflies fluttering under my ribcage.

“Lift your feet as you walk. I don’t want you tripping and tumbling us both.”

Feeling ridiculous, yet trusting him when he promised we had no audience, I marched my legs a little higher as he led me across a soft surface. Scents around us were familiar, damp air, grass, or plants around. The breeze carried the occasional sweet fragrance of orange blossoms, which was unusual for the Northeast, although a neighbor of mine did have a couple of dwarf citrus in pots on her porch.

We rounded a bend, and the angle of the ground changed, leading us in a gentle downslope. After another dozen paces, Cade came to a halt.

“Ready, Maestro?”

I grinned. How would I know? I had no idea what to prepare for. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Open your eyes.”

Waiting another beat, I took a deep breath and opened them slowly. I blinked and looked around, trying to process the makeover done to my backyard.

A dozen white lanterns hung from low branches of the trees, their inner lights flickering. Another dozen or so Mason jars hung among them, fat beeswax candles burning inside the thick, clear glass. More candles in jars lined a path, leading down to the water.

I wandered forward to see candles floating on the edge of the water, evenly spaced apart as though they’d been tied together, buoyant on surfaces that resembled lily pads. When I turned back toward Cade, I gasped, my hand flying over my mouth.

A large tent had been erected on the lawn. The gauzy white mosquito netting was pulled back and tied on either side with braided silk cords. Varying-sized candles were lit outside the tent, mounted on rocks or bricks. Large colorful pillows were strewn about the ground on the outside of the tent. Inside, the floor looked like a fluffy cloud of material. A single small wooden table in the back corner held an illuminated gas lantern.

Other charming items were set up in small arrangements. Several three-section oriental screens were placed in key positions, shielding us from prying eyes. A bistro table and two chairs sat between the tent and the sparkling tree. Beside it was an ice bucket on a stand with a slender bottle chilling inside. On the ground, near one corner of the tent, lay a collection of potted flowers and votive candles.

Beyond it all, was my cottage-style house, the lights turned low inside, a few candles lit along the wooden railing of the deck.

“Wow, Cade. This is…”

He eased into my side, his warmth bolstering me. “You like your surprise, then?”

I turned fully to him, nodding. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

Candlelight from every direction cast a dim glow on his features. His rugged good looks had turned fierce with the intensity of his gaze. “You’re the beautiful one. I wanted to bring you somewhere you felt comfortable. Happy.”

Confused by his seriousness, my brows drew together. Yet as I gazed up into his eyes, a steadying comfort washed over me that I’d not felt before. Protected by this man and cared for in a way I’d never experienced was only part of it. Trust pulled me the rest of the way there. I believed in more than just Cade. I’d come to believe in myself first, which made all the difference.

A smirk twisted his lips. “Ready for more adventure?”

Excitement sparked through me. When I’d closed my eyes and trusted Cade implicitly, he’d led me to this moment. Not one cell in my body dared to balk now. “Sounds wonderful.”

He grinned wide and grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the candlelit path. “Perfect. My plan was to continue celebrating here, privately. Make up our own festival, our own traditions.”

I skipped ahead, pulling him faster down the path.

He chuckled, jogging to keep up. “Careful in those heels, Maestro. No twisted ankles.”

On the tiny dock Granpop had built eons ago, four pillar candles were situated in a group on the corner. Two white paper lanterns lay beside them, along with two unlit candles and a utility lighter.

Cade squatted beside the materials. I sat near him, dangling my feet off the dock. And as he fiddled with the candles and lighter, the puzzle pieces began to click.

“Were your sisters MIA tonight at Summer Palace because they were setting this up for you?”

He paused with his project to cast me a sidelong glance. “For us. And yes, they have natural talent at setting up parties—even the private kind.”

I twisted fully around, resting a hip and bent leg on the wooden surface. “What about what Ling had said? Did you ask her to do the dragon cake?”

He froze, staring at the lighter in his hand for a second before glancing up at me. “I asked her to do the whole event.”

I gaped, turning to fully face him, tucking my feet underneath me. “Why would you do that?”

He abandoned the candles and lighter and knelt beside me. “You wanted to make your dragon cake. And the longer I know you, the more I want everything you want. Your dream became my dream, and I wanted to make it happen for you.”

My voice came out the barest whisper. “You arranged the entire festival at Summer Palace…for me?”

A hard nod. “I did. I would do anything for you.”

I tilted my head. “So our dinner at Summer Palace and this, here privately, is a date?”

A wicked grin curved his lips. “Sure as hell is. How did it feel when you didn’t know what was happening?”

I thought back on the last couple of hours. “Comfortable. Relaxed. Fun.”

He leaned closer and slid his hands into my hair, cradling my head. His lips brushed along my jaw, skating up to my ear. “And how does it feel with the two of us here alone, now that you know this is a date?”

His hot breath danced over my ear, shooting a shiver down my spine. I swallowed hard, trying to clear my head. But then I let go, not thinking it all. “You and me, with nothing but romance all around us, makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

“I’m the lucky one.” He leaned back on his heels, then pressed in for a gentle kiss. Soft lips brushed mine, tempting with a promise of more to come. “And good. I was hoping to make you feel like the luckiest girl in the Greater Philly area. So I overshot a bit.”

He pulled away on a wink, and I laughed.

Off to the side, he busied himself again. “These paper lanterns are Chinese sky lanterns. There’s a festival in Taiwan where thousands of people gather all along the waterline and launch these into the air. I read that casting up a lantern can symbolize letting go of our past selves and getting new ones.”

I straightened out, facing the water, dangling my legs down again as I listened. With a deep breath, I tilted my face up to the glittering starlit night. Cade brought both of the now-lit lanterns over and took a seat beside me on the dock.

He smiled, handing me one. “For us, I thought they could symbolize our new beginning.”

In cradled fingers, I held the delicate lantern by its paper sides. “Do we make a wish?”

Holding his in the same manner, he laughed. “I don’t know what others do. We can do whatever we want. It’s our adventure.”

“Then, I say we make a wish.”

I closed my eyes.

I wish for us to be amazing together—now and always.

After a slow exhale, I opened my eyes.

Cade counted down. “Three. Two. One.”

At the same time, we released our miniature hot air balloons, and they floated up into the sky. Together, they caught the same air current, his chasing mine up into the dark night.

In slow motion, I let my upper body collapse back, crossing my arms under my head. Cade did the same as we watched our two little lanterns disappear. “That isn’t illegal, is it?”

“Probably.”

I laughed. “Breaking and entering with the boathouse. Theft of a boat.”

“Scull,” he corrected.

“Scull.” I laughed. “Now we have arson on our consciences.”

“I was assured that under the right conditions, those babies would fly straight up into the sky. The oiled paper and framework supporting it is supposed to be biodegradable.”

“What are the right conditions?” I squinted, barely following the drifting lights as they veered far left.

He shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m really glad they’re flying high instead of torching a neighbor’s house.”

I snorted. “Delinquent.”

His soft laugh made me smile.

I turned my head, watching him as he stared up. Then I gazed into the sky again. “I can’t see them anymore.”

“They’re up there, floating together on an adventure just like us—because we set our past selves free.” His hand found mine, and we laced our fingers together above our heads. “I’d like to go there someday.”

I furrowed my brow. “Where?”

“Taiwan. We can be among the thousands setting their lanterns aloft.”