But if she were honest, when all things were considered, she was a lot like her father, and he merely existed as an empty shell after the death of her mother.
She was afraid to love for that reason only, so it was just as well she couldn’t trust anyone to love her for herself or whether they wanted her for her land.
Since that choice was completely and forcefully removed from her control, she intended to put it behind her and carry on with her life.
Mr. Knight could have fun with the land he clearly so desperately wanted, given how he went about obtaining it.
Glancing once more around her tiny apartment, she carried her bags out, locked the door, and loaded her equally small car that had seen better days.
She didn’t take a moment to stall or think. She was afraid she would second-guess herself and change her mind about going on a seven-day, girls-only cruise with her friends when she had gotten married just thirty-six hours before. No, her suddenly being married wasn’t going to change anything about her life.
She and her friends had worked extremely hard to save up for the trip, and finally, the day had arrived. It was the first time in five years that she had taken time off from the bakery and she planned to relish every moment.
So, what if they could still only afford the standard package, the lowest tier of accommodations: it was a luxury liner, and they were resolute about having a blast.
Determined to push aside the new, very much-unwanted marital status of her life, she parked her car, gathered her luggage, and entered the port.
Yes, she was extremely early, but it was better being here than in her apartment when his car arrived for her.
Dragging her suitcase with her, she decided to check in before she got some coffee. She also sent texts to the friends' group chat to say she was ready and waiting and they all should hurry up. Not one of her friends was going to believe she was married. Maybe she wouldn’t even bring it up. It was bound to spoil her cruise. And the idea of losing her virginity on said cruise had come up more than once in her head but that happening was an impossibility for her now. She somehow couldn’t bring herself to do it now.
Dammit.
She dropped off her bags with the luggage handlers and headed to the cruise terminal for check-in.
“Ms. Rose?” A smartly dressed check-in officer approached her, smiling broadly.
“Yes,” Everleigh said slowly, a frown deepening on her forehead.
“If you’ll follow me, I’ll help you embark and show you to the lounge area, where you can relax and freshen up until departure.”
Everleigh knew enough about that kind of special treatment not being common.
“I’m actually going to wait for my friends,” she said, glancing around the terminal. Also, it was far too early to embark.
“Your friends will be taken care of as well. This way, please.”
“Okay,” she said, then quickly texted her friends’ chat that she was embarking, and they really should hurry up. Maybe it was a perk for choosing the Black Opal cruise line. Who cared? Her holiday was finally going to start.
She was taken on board and directed to a beautiful lounge setting that shone with mahogany finishes and smelled like lavender.
A fruit basket donned a table and a bottle of champagne chilled next to it. There was also a box of imported chocolate and an array of nuts in crystal vases.
She twirled around the room and breathed in the luxury. She was fully aware their cabins would look nothing like this waiting area. None of her friends were swimming in money and they had saved hard for the trip.
Well, she was here now, and she vowed that Parker Knight would not intrude on her thoughts for the duration of the round-trip cruise from New York to the Bahamas.
She eyed the comfortable sofa and realized she hadn’t slept at all in twenty-four hours. Not since getting married the day before. She gratefully sat down and was enveloped in sheer bliss as she sank into the soft couch.
She allowed herself a moment to close her eyes, just one moment before she would force herself to splash some water on her face to wake herself up.
One moment turned out to be much longer. Somewhere along the line, she had lain down on her side for maximum comfort and when she awoke, she was completely disoriented. It took her a while to get her bearings.
But as soon as she realized she was on a ship, her level of excitement started to increase. She was finally on a much-deserved holiday with her favorite people. She wasn’t going to bring the baggage of her life with her on this trip, mostly because it would still be there when she returned.
She was going to have fun if it killed her.
Except something felt off.