"Hey, honey. You're missing work. They just need to let me go home." Christine wiggled, shoved at the EMT's hands, and patted Adam's cheek. "I'm okay."
"Let them check you over." Charlie almost chuckled as the EMT rolled his eyes and sighed. "Ku'uipo, Ku'u 'I'ini, be still."
"With the cell phone confusion, we'll wrap this up fairly quickly," Marsha continued. "Ben is speaking to your corporate investigators now. Kathy's already making noises about wanting an attorney, so she's aware we have her cold. We'll stay in touch."
"I want my hibiscus." Christine pushed aside the ice pack and caused the EMT to throw up his hands. "When can you get it?"
"She's dazed, maybe a bit out of it," the EMT muttered and moved to replace the ice pack. "She may even need a sedative."
Christine shoved at his hands. "I am not. I want my hibiscus, the sapphire one, the history one. Right now. Or soon as possible."
Charlie stared at her. "You want the ring? But you never said yes."
"Geez, Jergens, you aren't usually so dense. Yes, I'll marry you. I'm taking a chance. You take it too. Gimme my ring."
He grabbed her, sling, bruises, and all, and kissed her so deeply applause, whistles, and cat calls, reminiscent of their greeting in Hawaii, broke out around them. When he finally released her lips, he leaned his forehead to hers. "I love you, my Christine."
"I love you, Charlie." She grinned and sagged in his arms. "Let's go home."
Adam slapped him on the back. "Welcome to the family, Dad. But there's no way you're ever borrowing my car again."
Chapter Fifteen
One Year Later
"She wanted the purple orchids. Nothing would do but those." Christine sighed and reached for the telephone. "Even Crystal and I tried to tell her she didn't want them on the cake of all things. Now after we fly them in from the other island, she wants the special order blue orchids instead which leaves us stuck with one hundred purple orchids she doesn't even want to look at. Tell me again why we decided to do this?"
Charlie took her hand and kissed it as he kept his gaze on hers. "Because we live in paradise, we're excellent organizers, and they swore they just wanted a simple beach wedding."
"This wedding is anything but simple," Christine muttered as she dialed the number she knew by heart.
Charlie laughed and tugged on her hand until she leaned across the table to meet his lips with hers. "Suggest they elope like we did. We can do a small, just-the-two-of-them wedding. You and I can be their witnesses. Sunset would be perfect."
"I can only wish." Christine abandoned the phone to kiss him again, deeply, stirring passion and almost making her forget who she needed to call.
Breathless, Charlie pulled away first. "I have to be in a conference call with our newest couple in ten minutes. Want to clock out and meet me in the store room?"
"Ten minutes is never long enough." Christine grinned, raised his hand to her lips, and licked each finger. Charlie muttered something in Hawaiian as she released his hand. "I'm not a tease."
"The hell you aren't." Charlie stroked his lips with the finger she'd tasted, making her heart skip two or three beats. "Come on, Ku'u lei. Ten minutes."
"The new couple seemed so excited when they scheduled, I bet they'll be early." Christine sighed. "So a very reluctant no, but a promise for something wonderful later. I have to call Crystal about the change in orchids for the cake, and you have to start with our new couple. I'll be in as soon as I can."
"Don't be long." Charlie stood and winked before he pulled her Australian scarf from his pocket. He sniffed it, his gaze on hers, intense and filled with sinful promises. "Crystal's a pro. She can handle this. I have other plans for you."
Christine tried to still her wildly pounding heart. All the things they'd done with that scarf, and he still carried it around with him daily. How could she not love this man? She watched him walk into the outer room, laughing as he put an extra wiggle into his hips. "You're aware I'm watching you leave the room."
"You bet." He closed the door behind him.
"I took a chance on you and look how it worked out," Christine murmured and then dialed their cake specialist.