The Wedding Adventure

Nephew, cousin, distant relative. It didn’t matter. The Armstrongs were so wealthy they made Travis Drummond’s net worth seem like milk money. But even better was the family itself, something Travis couldn’t give her.

The Armstrongs were a large, extended family of movers and shakers who made millions and headlines. And royalty since Christina Armstrong had married His Serene Highness Prince Richard De Thierry of San Montico. A princess for a cousin-in-law. Now that would make family get-togethers interesting. Oh, family get-togethers…

Cynthia dreamed about being part of a big, loving family. She hated not having any siblings. In theory, she was part of a family. Reality, however, was another thing.

“Why haven’t I heard about Cade Armstrong?” she asked.

“Cade Armstrong Waters,” Henry corrected. “He keeps a low profile. Avoids the press. Some call him the black sheep of the family, but you won’t meet a more perfect man.”

“I thought you were the only perfect man?”

“If only.” Henry laughed and waved to a mutual friend. “Cade’s sister got married on Valentine’s Day. You may have heard of her. Kelsey Armstrong Waters Addison.”

“Addison? As in Addison Resorts and…” Cynthia grabbed Henry’s shoulder. “She’s the wedding consultant to the stars.”

His eyes gleamed with amusement. “Could come in handy if something developed between you and her brother?”

If something developed… The Armstrongs probably had a big Christmas gathering with a huge tree covered with lights and ornaments and a formal sit-down dinner with all the family in attendance. She could almost smell the scents of pine, vanilla and cinnamon. Almost hear the sounds of conversations, laughter and singing. A warm glow flowed through her. With Cade and the Armstrongs, she would never have to spend Christmas alone while her parents took yet another “second” honeymoon.

Cynthia’s heart pounded. She wanted to surround herself with love, cocoon herself in a family. The Armstrongs were a ready-made one with lots of aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews and cousins. They were also rich. She would never have to worry about being poor again. This was everything she’d ever wanted and it sounded too good to be true. “Does Cade have any ex-wives, clinging ex-girlfriends or children I should know about?”

“None of the above.”

Excited, she glanced around. “So where is Cade?”

“Over by the waterfall.”

A buff blonde, wearing only a Speedo, stood next to the cascading water. His wide, overdeveloped shoulders would look silly in a suit or tuxedo, but that didn’t seem to bother the bevy of beauties hanging on his every word. Cynthia gulped.

Immediately, she felt guilty. She knew better than to judge a man by his appearance. That’s all anyone had ever done with her. Still… “The blonde?”

“I’m not sure who that is.” Henry led her to the other side of the waterfall. A man with wet, dark hair slicked back from his high forehead stood alone. A pineapple cup hid his face. “That’s Cade Armstrong Waters.”

He was tall. Over six feet. He wore a white T-shirt and green-and-blue plaid swim trunks. He didn’t have the other man’s muscles, but Cade looked solid and strong.

He lowered the pineapple, and Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief. Cade was good-looking in a geekish sort of way. His small wire-rimmed glasses made him look smart, like a professor. Or a husband. And a father.

He was not a man she would lose herself in. Thank goodness. Cynthia wanted to be a better parent than either of hers had been. Her children would always know they were loved.

On second glance she realized he really wasn’t a geek at all. His hair was too long to call him clean-cut and the angles of his face made him look rugged, more than a little dangerous. She swallowed. Hard.

“Like what you see?” Henry asked.

All she could do was nod. That scared her a little. Cynthia remembered Cade came with all those other Armstrongs, and she didn’t feel as bad.

Henry laughed. “Better than Travis?”

“Maybe.” She forced the word from her dry mouth and adjusted the hibiscus in her hair. “Let’s go. I’m ready for Cade to fall in love with me.”

Cade Waters stirred his drink with the multi colored paper umbrella. He was getting another headache and wanted to call it a night. Nothing about this party interested him. Not the gourmet food, the open bar or the women. Okay, he didn’t mind the sarongs or the bikinis, but these women usually wore a lot more clothing and coordinating accessories. Not to mention a pound or two of makeup so they could look “natural.”

This wasn’t his scene. It had been once, a long time ago, but never again. He was a different person now. Money—Armstrong money—had not only destroyed his parents’ marriage, but had also ruined Cade’s chance for happiness.

Yet here he was.

Cade glanced at the pool on the other side of the waterfall. He’d already swum more laps than he could count which explained why he was so thirsty and hungry, but he preferred being in the water to air-kissing and socializing with people he didn’t like, much less respect.

For years, he’d declined Henry’s party invitations, much to the dismay of his cousins who loved partying with the generous billionaire. Cade had struggled to move beyond being just another one of the Armstrong cousins. People expected Armstrongs to succeed, and Cade would. He would succeed on his own terms without the help of the Armstrong name or money.

Unfortunately this year he wasn’t in a position to say no to Henry Davenport. Call it blackmail, call it desperation. Henry had waved a sizeable donation to Cade’s Smiling Moon Foundation with one stipulation—Cade had to attend the birthday party. If he came, did not solicit any of the other guests for donations and stayed until the end of the festivities, Henry would give him a check for one hundred thousand dollars.

Cade had had no choice but to attend. His foundation needed the money. Running a nonprofit agency was more difficult and more expensive than he had imagined. He’d been struggling to make ends meet and if he wasn’t careful Smiling Moon might become Frowning Moon and bankrupt if he didn’t get a couple of big donors like Henry Davenport.

His parents wanted him to walk away from the foundation and start over with a new venture. Or better yet, return to law. But Cade couldn’t. He wouldn’t do what his many times divorced parents did when things got tough—leave. He wasn’t like that. He wasn’t like them. Whether they knew or cared, the kids helped by Smiling Moon would have one adult who didn’t abandon them. He would stick it out until the end. And if he had any say in the matter, there wouldn’t be an end.

Cade was willing to do anything to keep the foundation going and make it a success even if that meant spending a weekend with a bunch of social climbing, money-burning, socially irresponsible partygoers, a few of whom he was related to on his mother’s side. He would overlook Henry’s obscene display of wealth. Cade almost passed on taking one of the expensively filled goodie bags each guest received until he realized he could auction it off at his summer fundraising dinner. Provided they survived until the summer. But the designer backpack containing a handheld GPS locator, Swiss Army knife, a dive watch and oyster shells containing pearl earrings or cufflinks depending on a guest’s gender would bring a good price.

Henry approached with a wide grin. “Having fun?”

Cade chose his words carefully. Henry had enough money to make a real difference to the foundation. And if the billionaire birthday boy decided to become a full-fledged patron… Cade smiled at the thought, his first smile in the past forty-eight hours. Or was that forty-eight days? “It’s been…interesting.”

“Happy to hear it.” Henry motioned to an attractive blonde. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Not another one of Henry’s women. Cade sipped his rum and coconut concoction and grimaced at the sweet aftertaste. Give him a shot of whiskey or a beer. Can or bottle. Not a froufrou umbrella drink served in a hollowed out pineapple.

“This is Cynthia Sterling, a close friend of mine. Cynthia this is Cade Arm—”

“Cade Waters.” He glanced over his pineapple at Henry’s latest “friend.” Cade knew what to expect and he wasn’t disappointed. Perfectly cut, dyed and styled blond hair fell past her bare shoulders in gentle waves. Flawless ivory skin, made so by the skilled hand applying her makeup and/or the numerous spa treatments—wraps, peels, facials—she no doubt received regularly, glowed beneath the ballroom lighting. Generous, full lips painted red and able to pout on cue. A deep maroon sarong gave a tantalizing glimpse of the curves underneath and begged to be removed. Cade summed her up in three words—a total nightmare. “Nice to meet you.”

She extended her arm and batted her eyes. The hazel-green color with gold flecks looked natural, but could be a high-tech pair of contact lenses. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

The words flowed from her collagen-injected lips like honey. Warm, slow, seductive. Cade managed not to laugh. He’d known too many women like Cynthia Sterling. Trophy-wife wannabes. Gold diggers. Nothing beneath the perfect outer package. His cousins had married and divorced women like her. Hell, some of his Armstrong cousins were this type of woman.

But Cynthia Sterling was as far from Cade’s type as they came. He knew what he wanted in a woman. Exactly what he wanted. Exactly who he wanted.

Maggie.

But she’ll never be yours, a little voice mocked him. You screwed up. Cade took another sip of his drink.

“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” Henry said.

Before Cade could say a word, like no, Henry disappeared into the crowded ballroom. Just when Cade thought the party couldn’t get any worse…

“So,” Cynthia said. “Have you known Henry long?”

Maybe if Cade didn’t answer she would go away. He didn’t want to be rude, but he wanted to be left alone. Thinking about his ex-fiancée always put him in a rotten mood. He pressed his lips together.

“Henry and I go way back.”