Love Unrehearsed

He reached across the table, took my hand in his, and pulled it to his mouth, placing a tender kiss next to my engagement ring.

Chapter 26

Marry Me

Ryan’s escape from celebrity life only lasted so long. He’d stopped looking at scripts and considering multimillion-dollar roles, which worried me more than he could have ever realized. I knew his career, his A-list status, could only take so much before it would be too late to revive. Fortunately, the premiere for the second Seaside film, Day of Dawn, sucked him right back into the spotlight.

It was almost as if he’d never left. I didn’t realize how much I’d come to miss his hectic lifestyle until we didn’t have it anymore. I missed Mike and Marie even more, and I was grateful that Ryan had another junket to get through so we could all be together again.

I was so glad that the premiere was in ll.A.

It made making secrets deals that much easier. While Ryan was occupied with the press, I met with two influential producers and negotiated a

two-hundred-thousand-dollar purchase. I had to sell all of my family’s vested interests in the wineries to do it, but investing in Ryan’s future was worth it.

Everything had gone off without a hitch.

Things continued to look up two weeks later when we were in Berlin. Mike had stormed into our room, Marie tight on his heels, a grin the size of Texas plastered on his face.

“You will never believe this shit,” he announced, holding out his phone. “I just got a message from my buddy, Nix, who does security out in ll.A. If this doesn’t brighten your day, I don’t know what will.”

I’ll never forget the smile on Ryan’s face when he heard Nix say in his message that David Ardazzio, forty-five, was arrested today and charged with possession of 3.5 grams of cocaine.

Justice had been served. We were all able to put that horrible incident behind us.

But that was four weeks ago. I was now looking out at the breathtakingly beautiful blue water from the lanai of our gorgeous beachside villa in the Maldives, getting prepared to make my final walk as a single woman. My groom was off in his parents’ villa, probably feeling just as nervous as I was.

“Your hair looks awesome,” Marie said, spraying to hold it in place. She had twisted my hair into a loose ponytail, fluffing it out to make it look even thicker.

I lightly swatted at her. “Not too much spray. I want Ryan to be able to touch it without it breaking off or getting his fingers stuck.”

Tammy had my sandals in her hands, smiling as if she had a secret. “Shoes or no shoes?”

“You’ve got to go barefoot, Taryn,” Janelle answered. “It’s the only way.” Tammy smirked. “Well, you may choose not to wear them, but you have to at least read them.”

Read them? “What are you talking about?” She was really excited when she handed over my brand new Stuart Weitzman strappy bridal sandals. I turned them over, seeing a handwritten note penned on the bottom of one of the shoes.

You’re my best friend, You’re my love, You’re my life.

I can’t wait to make you my wife!

Love, Ryan

My breath hitched as his message sank in.

I covered my mouth, holding back from sputtering. I had envisioned the man I would marry one day, and Ryan had transformed that image into an unbelievable dream. I wasn’t nervous anymore. I knew with absolute certainty that my Ryan wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Tears dripped down my cheeks as I handed the shoe over to Ellen so she could see her son’s sentiment.

Tammy was already reduced to a pool of tears, spurring me to cry harder while I was reprimanded for ruining my makeup.

A few minutes later, Ryan’s mom un-covered my dress. It was white silk and had a thin ribbon crisscrossed over the open back.

I received four nods of approval when I first tried it on but my teeth chattered now as I shimmied into my dress.

Janelle unwrapped my three solitaire diamond necklace—my “something new” wedding gift from Ryan. I had my mother’s beaded hair comb that she wore when she’d married my dad, tucked into the top of my loose braid—my something old. As much as I wished my parents could have been alive to see me on this special day, I knew that they were looking down on me. They were be in the sunrays that cracked through the clouds and the warm breeze that tickled my skin.

Jill had a small box in her hand. “This is from Joe and me. Thank you for letting us be a part of your day, Taryn. It means the world to your father and to me that you’ve included us.”

I hugged Jill, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for being here.” She touched my face and smiled. “Go on.