Page 61

As they packed, Rhett’s phone chimed again and again with social media alerts. News of their wedding was spreading fast. She swallowed the urge to ask about staying a few more days in Key West. They’d barely scratched the surface on all the lovely things to do here. But Luca was making life difficult for her staff and she wouldn’t let them suffer any longer than necessary. Once she returned, she could explain her marriage and send him away.

She shivered, thinking again about what the research team had turned up. Luca had been so pushy from the moment he saw her. Would she have been able to fend him off without Rhett’s help?

“You okay?” Rhett asked, zipping up his suitcase.

“Fine. Sometimes I get chills when I’m tired. It’ll pass.” She should tell him the whole story, but after last night shewas more reluctant than ever. What if the facts changed the way he looked at her? What if instead of seeing her as strong, he discovered she was weak at heart?

“I should talk to Dad,” he said when his phone buzzed with yet another social media alert.

Oh, she wasn’t looking forward to facing any of the Ellingtons. “Do you think he’ll be super angry with me?”

“You? Not a chance,” Rhett assured her. “And I’m sure he’ll leave any scolding to the aunts. But he’s likely our best ally for smoothing over any issues with your parents.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” She nibbled on her lip. “They’ll probably handle it poorly at first. Because of me, not you,” she said. “But they respect your family and they’ll come around.”

He walked over and opened his arms. She stepped into the hug. “But I’m not Italian and I have no intention of taking you back there to run a company you’re not interested in.”

She chuckled. “Which is more than half the reason I married you.”

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go call the parents.”

In his office, he adjusted the camera so they would both be in frame, then he sent a text message. A few minutes later, the video call link came through. “Ready?”

“No,” she confessed on a bubble of panicked laughter. “Don’t you want to talk to them privately?”

“I’d rather we present a united front from the very start.”

“All right.” She smiled and braced herself for whatever might come.

Rhett joined the call and a moment later, Forrest Ellington’s face filled the screen. Handsome and fit, he was simply a more mature version of Rhett. She’d always liked him, and as a kid she had thought of him as an uncle.

“Hey, Dad!”

“Good morning.” He grinned. “Your sister tells me you have news.”

Rhett chuckled, lifting his hand to show the wedding band. “Yup. We’re married. I take it Harper told you because social media has been blowing up?”

Forrest cocked his head. “Harper came to us so your mom wouldn’t see the news online first.” He turned and called to his wife, Darlene. “Come meet our daughter-in-law.”

Mrs. Ellington hurried into view, taking a seat beside her husband.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hey yourself. Hello Trina. You look lovely. Welcome to the family.”

The greeting was warmer than she’d expected. “Thank you,” Trina said. Sitting close to Rhett helped settle her nerves when she wanted to fidget. “I know it must be a surprise,” she began.

“It hit us out of the blue too,” Rhett continued. “But it’s exactly what we both want.” He graced her with a dazzling smile. “We’re happy.”

“And now you’re pulling us in after the fact to soften the blow for her parents?” Forrest asked.

“You have been friends for years,” Rhett pointed out shamelessly. “A little support would be nice.”

“Trina, you can’t possibly be afraid of your father,” Darlene said. “Your mother on the other hand…” Darlene didn’t finish the comment, but her smile was bright and friendly.

“She will be hurt,” Trina admitted. Under the table, Rhett pressed his knee to hers, offering comfort.

“I’m sure they’ll eventually understand we only did what was best for the two of us,” he said.