“I’m aware.”

  “We shouldn’t let that go to waste either.”

  “It’s not going to waste.”

  “You’re still going?”

  “Of course I am. I saved for a year to pay for that trip.” A trip I had no interest in, I might add. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  “Who’re you going with?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  He moves toward me.

  I take a step back. “Don’t come any closer to me. I want you to go.”

  “Can’t we at least talk about this?”

  “Do you remember me asking you that same exact question when you told me you couldn’t go through with the wedding and that we needed a break from each other? You said, and I quote, ‘There’s nothing to talk about.’ That’s my answer, too.”

  “I’m sorry, Gianna. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

  I’m in utter disbelief as I stare at his face, which is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Did I ever really know him? “What did you think would happen when you canceled our wedding and walked out of my life? Did you think I’d be so despondent that I’d take you back no matter what? That’s not going to happen—now or ever. In fact, I’ve discovered you did me a favor.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “We weren’t meant to be.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is true, or you wouldn’t have done what you did.”

  “I regret that. I freaked out. I handled it badly.”

  “Yes, you did, and now you can either pay the venue or pay me. One way or the other, you’re going to keep that promise to me even if you broke every other one. Now please go.” I step aside so he can walk by me. Only after he’s past me do I realize I’m holding my breath. I’ve never been afraid of him before, and I’m not now, but I’m also not entirely sure I shouldn’t be.

  “I’m not paying the venue or you.”

  My heart sinks. “Then I guess I’ll see you in court.”

  “You have no case,” he says with a mean edge to his voice.

  “I have the promises you made and the text messages to prove it. My lawyer is very confident we’ll win.” I’m so thankful for Elena and Milo in that moment that I could nearly weep. “It’d be cheaper for you to deal with this now than to let it drag through court.”

  He stares at me for a long intense moment. “You really won’t consider giving us another chance?”

  “I really won’t.” I’m amazed that none of this is the slightest bit upsetting to me when I was devastated after he canceled the wedding.

  “I thought I knew you, Gianna.”

  “Likewise, Jared. I guess we’re both disappointed.”

  I’m so proud of myself for how I’ve handled this encounter. I walk away from him without looking back, and once I’m inside the house, I lean back against the locked door and release a deep breath. Then I laugh. It’s amazing to realize I felt absolutely nothing for the man I should be married to.

  What a relief to know that relationship is so over as to be dead and buried. I pull my phone from my pocket and walk to the sofa as I type a message to Elena, updating her on the encounter with Jared.

  Two seconds after I send the message, she calls me. “Are you all right, honey?”

  God, I already love this woman and the way she mothers everyone. After four years of fiercely missing my own mother, she’s like a burst of sunshine in my life. “I’m fine, thanks.”

  “I can’t believe he had the nerve to come to your home. I’ll speak to his attorney about that.”

  “I think I took care of it.”

  “Do you feel up to telling me what he said?”

  “He’s not going to pay the venue, and he asked if I’d consider giving him another chance. He said we could reschedule the wedding and not lose the money. It was very satisfying to tell him thank you, but no, thank you.”

  “I’ll bet,” she says with a laugh.

  “Nothing says romance like ‘hey, honey, let’s tie the knot after all so we don’t lose all that money.’”

  Elena laughs again. “No kidding. I’ll reach out to his attorney and ask him to advise his client to stay away from you or we’ll request a restraining order.”

  “God,” I say on a sigh. “I can’t believe it’s come to that. I thought we’d be leaving on our honeymoon next week.”

  “Did you cancel the trip?”

  “It’s nonrefundable.”

  “Did you pay for that?”

  “I did.”

  “I can amend the suit to cover the cost of the trip.”

  “That’s all right. I’m trying to decide if I want to go on my honeymoon alone.”

  “I’m so sorry this has happened to you, Gianna. Milo told me you lost your parents, too. That’s a lot.”

  “I’m starting to fear I’m living under a dark cloud.”

  “That’s not true. With all you give to others through your work, I believe you’ll eventually come out on top.”

  “Any time now,” I say with a laugh.

  “One thing I’ve learned in my life is that there’ll always be highs and lows, but usually, there’re more highs overall.”

  “That’s good to know. I’m deeply grateful for your help.”

  “I’m happy to do it. Try not to worry. We’ll get this resolved so you can move on.”

  “That’d be nice.”

  “If he shows up again, call the police. He’s got no business at your home. Not anymore.”

  I walk into the kitchen and take a wineglass from the cabinet. “No, he doesn’t.”

  “Be safe, Gianna.”

  “I will.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  After we end the call, my phone rings again with a call from Milo.

  “Hi there,” I say to him as I pour a glass of Chardonnay from the bottle I’ve got going in the fridge.

  “I was with my mom when she called you. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Gianna…”

  “I’m okay, Milo. I promise. I held my own and got off a few good retorts that made me feel good about myself, especially after he suggested we reschedule the wedding so we won’t lose the money.”

  “He actually said that?”

  “Yep.”

  “Wow. That takes some balls.”

  “Like I said to your mom, nothing says romance like that, huh?”

  “You deserve so much better,” he says softly but intensely. “So much better.”

  “You’re right. I do.” An idea comes to me in a rush of adrenaline and emotion that nearly takes my breath away. Before I take even a second to think about whether I should, I share the thought with him. “Milo…”

  “Yes, Gianna?”

  “How would you feel about recuperating on a cruise ship rather than at home with your family?”

  “Would you be on that cruise ship with me?”

  “I would.”

  “Then I’d feel very good about that. In fact, I’d feel great about it. You’d be saving me from full-on family suffocation.”

  “And you’d be saving me from going on my honeymoon alone.”

  “When do we leave?”

  In the background, I hear his mother ask, “To go where?”

  “Hang on, Mom. I’ll be right there. Sorry, Gianna. I’m back.”

  “We’d leave on Sunday morning and go to Fort Lauderdale. The ship leaves Sunday afternoon and comes back next Saturday. We have stops in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, St. Martin and Montego Bay, Jamaica.”

  “That sounds amazing.”

  Suddenly, I’m excited about the trip again, knowing he’ll be coming with me.

  “Do you think the doctors will freak about me doing something like that right out of rehab?”

  “You’ll be with a highly qualified nurse.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Why don’t you mention it to Dr. Northrup the next time you see him? If you could maybe just say you’d be going with a friend who has medical training, that’d be good.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Another thought occurs to me. “You have a passport, right?”

  “Yep. My parents took us to Italy for Christmas a couple of years ago.”

  “Was it amazing? I’d love to go there.”

  “It was. Best trip ever, but I have a feeling my next trip will top it by a mile.”

  “Not sure about that.”

  “You’ll be there, right?”

  “Yes…”

  “Then it’s already the best trip I’ve ever gone on.”

  * * *

  MILO

  “You’re doing what?”

  For a second, I worry my mom might pass out when I tell her I’m going on Gianna’s honeymoon with her. “You heard me.”

  “You’re in the hospital, Milo. You can’t go from the hospital to a cruise ship.”

  “Who says? I’m in rehab, not the hospital, and Jason says I’m doing great. Besides, I’ll be with a nurse.”

  “What can she do in the middle of the Caribbean, or wherever you’ll be, if something goes wrong?”

  “Nothing will go wrong, Mom. I’m fine.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  “So noted.”

  She’s stopped by with breakfast on her way to a check-in with her oncologist.

  Just as she’s about to say something else, Jason walks in with his team of residents in tow.

  “How’s my number one patient doing today?” he asks. “Oh, hey, Elena.”

  “Morning, Jason. I need you to talk some sense into your number one patient.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “He thinks it would be a good idea to go on a cruise two days after he leaves rehab.”

  Jason’s brows furrow, and my heart sinks. If he says I shouldn’t go, that’ll be that. “A cruise, huh?”

  “A friend, who’s a nurse, invited me on an already-paid-for trip after her travel companion backed out. I thought I could relax and recuperate there as easily as I could at home.”

  “It won’t be as easy as being at home,” Mom says. “Tell him, Jason. He’s not ready to travel like that.”

  “He’s cleared to go home from a medical standpoint, so I can’t tell him not to go.” To me, he adds, “Again, I’ll remind you that you’d be risking a setback if you tried to do too much too soon.”

  “I’ll take it as easy as I would at home. Nothing but rest and relaxation, and I’ll keep doing all the PT exercises every day. I promise.”

  “And you’ll continue to wear the brace.”

  “I’ll continue to wear the brace. I’ll prove it with tan lines above and below it.”

  To Mom, Jason says, “He’s young and strong, and he’s bounced back quickly. I’m okay with his plans if he takes it easy.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “I don’t like this,” Mom says.

  “I’ll be fine, Mom. I promise. I really want to go.” I hope I don’t have to remind her I’m almost twenty-seven and can do whatever I want. Not that I’d ever say that to her after what I’ve put her and the rest of my family through over the last few weeks.

  “You’re long past the point where I can tell you what to do,” she says, sounding defeated. “I just think it’s a lot so soon after what you’ve been through.”

  Jason removes the brace to check my incision and does the same basic neuro exam he’s performed every day since the surgery. “You’re doing great, Milo. You’re still my star patient.”

  “Hear that, Mom?”

  “I heard it.”

  “I’ll process the discharge paperwork for tomorrow morning,” Jason says.

  A resident hands me a business card that has a date and time written on it for my follow-up appointment with Jason in three weeks.

  “Hey, Jay,” I say as he prepares to follow the residents from the room.

  “What’s up?”

  “Thank you for everything. For saving my life and my mobility and taking such good care of my parents while you were taking good care of me.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time.”

  “We’ll be thankful for that—and for you—for the rest of our lives,” Mom tells him.

  “You guys have a good day, and don’t fight after I leave,” Jason says with a grin.

  We laugh as he exits the room.

  “Imagine being able to operate on someone’s neck and spine and know what the hell you’re doing,” I say to Mom when we’re alone.

  “I can’t. He’s brilliant.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  She checks her watch. “I’d better get going.”

  “Don’t leave mad with me—or Gianna.”

  “I noticed you didn’t tell Jason you’re going with her.”

  “She works with him. She asked me not to say too much about who I was going with. And don’t be mad with her for asking me.”

  “Of course I’m not mad with her. It’s very nice of her to invite you. I’m annoyed with you for giving me something new to worry about.”

  I hold out my hand to her.

  She comes over to take hold of it.

  “Don’t worry. I promise I’m fine. I’m going to be fine. And I’m very, very excited to be going on a trip with her.”

  “You haven’t even been on a date with her, and you’re going on a cruise together. You young people today do everything ass-backwards. Are you laughing at me?”

  “Sorta?”

  “Stop that.” She leans in to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be back later.”

  “I’ll see you then. Don’t be mad with me.”

  “Oh, Milo,” she says with the starting of tears, “don’t you see? I’m so thankful you lived that I could never be mad with you again.”

  Amused, I raise my brows and give her a salty look. “That’s good to know.”

  “Don’t become unmanageable now. You’ve always been my easy one.”

  “I’ll do my best to keep my golden child title.”

  “You do that. And please… don’t think I’m not happy about you and Gianna, because I am. She’s a lovely girl, but she’s been through a lot.”

  “I’m fully aware.”

  “Take care of your big, beautiful heart in all this, you got me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “All right, then. I’ll see you later.”

  “Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too, sweetheart.”

  After she leaves, Derek, the therapist I’ve secretly nicknamed Satan, comes to get me for my first round of PT for the day, but even that can’t dampen my good mood. I’m on top of the world knowing I’ll be taking off with Gianna in three days for a week of fun in the sun.

  Chapter 10

  GIANNA

  Asking Milo to go on my honeymoon with me counts as the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I start to panic during my shift about people at work finding out I invited a former patient to go on the trip with me.

  In my nearly three years at Miami-Dade, I’ve worked so hard to cultivate a stellar professional reputation. It would kill me to do anything to mess with that after busting my ass to make a name for myself at the hospital. Doctors often ask for me when they bring patients to our ward because they know they can count on me. I’d hate for it to get out that I’m taking a trip with a former patient, but knowing how things work in this place, it’ll be tough to keep a lid on news like that.

  And if it gets out? Will I mind being the source of workplace gossip?

  Not if it means I get to spend more time with Milo.

  That kind of recklessness is so not like me, but after what I’ve been through the last few years, I just don’t care. And that, too, is not like me. I always care more than I should about everything, which makes me a great nurse. But sometimes it causes me to give too much of myself to people who don’t deserve it.

  Like Jared.

  I gave that relationship my all for the two years we were together. I put up with his passive-aggressive mother, his borderline-creepy father, his whiny sister, her bratty kids and his obnoxious fraternity brothers because I wanted to make him happy. Look at where that got me. I’m tired of bending over backward to make everyone else happy, like I did for my brothers after our parents died.

  I left college at the University of Florida where, other than the tragic and traumatic disappearance of a suitemate my freshman year, I’d been enjoying being a Gator. I moved home to Miami so my brothers could finish high school without being uprooted. I finished college as a commuter to Florida International University, which is a very good school, but it’s not the University of Florida.

  What I got in return were two boys who wanted nothing to do with me as their guardian and years of arguments, battles of will and many sleepless nights while I juggled school, housework, laundry, grocery shopping, taxi service and anything else they needed. I went to every one of their games, had their friends over, took them anywhere they needed to go and did what I could to fill the horrible void in all our lives by sticking to our family traditions.

  For all they could’ve cared.

  But hey, they got to finish high school with their friends. Someday maybe they’ll get a clue about what I gave up to be there for them, but that hasn’t happened yet, and I’m not sitting around holding my breath waiting for them to realize it. I don’t resent them. I swear I don’t. I did the right thing coming home to live with them, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  However, I’m ready to be a bit selfish. Being around Milo makes me happy. It’s that simple. Whether anything will come of it remains to be seen, but I like him. I like the way he makes me feel special and seen and a little off balance, but in a good way. The best kind of way. Hindsight has painted a picture of my relationship with Jared that I don’t particularly care for, and now that the heartbreak has faded, I’m relieved we didn’t get married.

  I would’ve put my heart and soul into making that marriage work, but he wouldn’t have. I can see that now in a way I couldn’t in those first shocking days after he told me the wedding wasn’t going to happen. Embarrassment was my primary emotion then. Having to tell a church full of people was the worst. But being married to him would’ve been far worse. I’ve had nothing but time to pick through the remnants of that relationship, the way a homeowner would look for what was left after a tornado leveled their house. In the bits and pieces, I haven’t liked what I’ve realized about how I bent myself into a pretzel trying to fit into his life, while he made no concessions at all toward me.