Who Wants to Marry a Billionaire? (21 page)

       Her arms
circled around his neck, her hurt foot dangling limply over his arm.  Her head
fell against his shoulder, and she could breathe the smell that was Daniel.  It
was comforting, his arms around her felt like they belonged there, and somehow
in that moment, she knew things would be all right. 

       Daniel eased
her into the backseat of the jeep, putting the seatbelt over her, before
tossing the keys to Arturo.  “I don’t have any idea where we are going, and I’m
going to sit in the back with Nina, to keep her foot from banging around.”  He
slid in on the other side, and put her feet up in his lap as she leaned back
against the door.  A flock of parrots fluttered by, getting ready to roost for
the night, and Nina smiled.  Soon they were whizzing through the fresh mountain
air and Nina took in big gulps of it.  Daniel carefully held her legs like they
were made of glass, but didn’t presume to do anything else.

       When they
got to the little hospital in town, Daniel picked her up and carried her in.  A
young nurse watched the scene wistfully; it was romantic, like something from a
telenovela.  Daniel and Arturo were shooed away from the treatment area, and
after a while a doctor came out.  He went to Daniel.

       “Señor,
your wife has a minor concussion, and I’m afraid her ankle is going to be in a
cast for the next six weeks, but she’s doing fine if you want to go see her
now.”

       His wife. 
Yes, he did want to go see his wife.  Daniel gave Arturo a look that any man
would understand before breaking into a run.  Nina was propped up on a hospital
bed, the cast on her foot still drying.  He pulled the curtain around her bed,
grabbed her hand and pulled off the emerald ring.  Nina stared at him, unsure
what the gesture meant.  Taking her hand in his, he said, “I know sometimes I’m
a stupid jerk, and forcing you to be my fake fiancé was both the worst and best
decision of my life.  Please forgive me for everything I’ve done that’s hurt
you, and please believe that I was not involved with the woman in the
pool—someone did that to hurt us.”

       Nina
looked at him numbly, but she felt her head nodding up and down as she
whispered, “I trust you.”

       Daniel
laughed as a tear ran down his face. He held up the ring, “Nina Alves, I love
you and I want to spend the rest of my life becoming a better person with you. 
Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

       Nina
started laughing and crying all at once, “Yes Daniel, yes—I will marry you.” 

       Daniel
slipped the ring on her finger, and stood to lean over the bed, giving Nina the
most memorable kiss of her life. 

       Daniel
ripped the curtain open. He wanted to share the happiest moment of his life
with someone since everyone back in Boston already thought that they were
engaged.  Arturo, the doctor, and two nurses had been eavesdropping, and seeing
the smiles, they broke into applause. 

Chapter Forty Two

       Daniel
had Nina’s cast in his lap, as they drove back to the resort. 

       “It’s
kind of weird that we don’t have anyone to tell, isn’t it?”  Nina mused.  “You
should call Boris.  I’ll call Rita tomorrow when I’m a little less dazed.”

       “Boris! 
Good idea.  I know he’ll approve.”  Daniel punched the autodial on his phone.

       Back in
Elsa’s hotel room, Boris was standing over her as she wrote out everything, a
full confession of her sins.  His phone rang, “It’s Daniel. Don’t you say a
word…”

       “Hello.”

       “Hey Boris! 
I’ve got some really, really, great news!”         

       “Yeah
boss, what’s that?”  Boris glared at Elsa and she put her pen back to the
paper, continuing to write.

       “Nina and
I are engaged, I mean like, for real!  We’re really getting married.  I’m so
deliriously happy, I just had to tell you!  Now it’s full steam ahead for a
real wedding!”  Nina gestured that she wanted to say something too.  “Hold on,
Nina wants to say something.”  He passed her the phone.

       “It’s
true Boris.  It’s all been a big misunderstanding.  I guess love trumps
everything else. Oh, by the way, I have a broken ankle and a concussion, but
everything is okay!  Big hugs.”  She handed the phone back to Daniel.

       “I’m
really happy for you boss.  I’m glad everything has worked out.  Let me know when
you’ll be coming back to Boston.”

       “Okay, we
still have a few loose ends here, but we’ll talk soon.  Bye.”

       Boris
narrowed his eyes at Elsa as he looked around the hotel room.  He spotted an
ashtray and a book of matches and brought them over to the table where Elsa
sat.  He lit a match, then pulled her confession away from her, and set in on
fire.  Holding the corner of it as he burned it over the ashtray. 

       “Nina and
Daniel are getting married, for real. They are in love, and happy, and nothing
is going to change that, do you understand?  They never need to know the truth.”

       Elsa
gasped in surprise as Boris torched what she had written, “But…why?

       Boris let
go of the paper, as the last bit turned to ash.  “Because some secrets are
better left buried.”  He lowered his voice, “But don’t you ever forget what I
know.”

       Boris
walked over to the mini-bar and found a split of champagne.  He popped the cork
and poured two glasses, handing one to Elsa.  “To Daniel and Nina,” he toasted.

        “To
Daniel and Nina,” Elsa agreed.

Chapter Forty Three

       Nina was
surprisingly quick on crutches and Daniel chased her up the path to the
restaurant.  Arturo was there with a lawyer, and a stack of legal contracts. 
They sat down, and a waiter served them some delicious Panamanian coffee. 

       Arturo
smiled broadly, “Are you ready?”

       Daniel
nodded, “Yes, yes I am.  I have a real fiancé, a real resort, and a real
friend.”  He clapped Arturo on the shoulder. 

       Nina
giggled as she sipped at her coffee, “This is so exciting!”

       “Well,
you’re still going to have to learn about the resort, don’t think you’re
getting out of the work just because you’re going to be a blushing bride, “
Arturo teased.

       Arturo
and Daniel picked up pens and began signing, as the lawyer blabbed away and
pushed papers under their noses. 

       Finally,
it was done. 

       Nina
leaned over and kissed Daniel, “It is, as they say, a win-win.”

Epilogue

       Boston’s
Logan Airport was a swirl of activity, and Terminal E, the international
concourse, was alive with people from a score of countries.  Nina thought for a
moment how she was becoming one of those people, confidently moving through the
world.  She absently munched on a piece of lobster that had fallen out of her
sandwich as she sat in one of the airport restaurants with her family, having
lunch and killing time. 

       Reuben
swallowed a bite of his clam roll, “It’s too bad I’m off crutches now, we could
have had duels.  But only two more weeks, Hop Along, and then you’ll be
liberated from the plaster.”

       “Thank
god,” Kennedy said, pretending to be dramatic, “It’s bad enough I had to
contemplate cutting a leg off of a Valentino suit for the engagement party,”
and then she punched Reuben.

       Vickie
looked indulgently at her three children and Kennedy, who had been absorbed
into the Alves clan.  “Well, everyone is going to be totally recuperated in
time for a December wedding.  We’ve got six months to figure it all
out—including the ‘plus ones.’”  She patted Kennedy’s hand.

       Rita
smiled, “I’ve always liked the idea of winter weddings.  I mean…
everybody
gets married in June.”

       Nina
shrugged, “Well, it’s easier for people to get time off during the holiday
season, and Daniel and I just aren’t interested in waiting any longer than
that.  We’ll need to be back in Panama right after the first of the year, and
frankly, the less time there is to turn it into a Broadway production, the
better!”

       “A
wedding is kind of like performance art, huh Nina?” Reuben joked. 

       “Look,
the only performances I’m interested in are from you and Rita…at school.”  Nina
punched her brother.

       “What, am
I the punching bag today?  You girls are tough!”  Reuben laughed.  “I’m looking
forward to a brother-in-law so I’ll have an ally!”

       Rita
raised an eyebrow.  “You’re making it sound like it’s guys against the girls. 
Last time I checked, none of us were planning some kind of Amazonian uprising.”

       “Come on,
a wedding?  It’s
totally
about women running the show.”  Reuben pinched
Nina’s arm, “Men are just the arm candy.”

       Nina
swatted playfully at Reuben before putting her hand over her heart, “I’m going
to say it once, and only once, for the record, I vow that I will not become a
Bridezilla.”

       Vickie
looked at her watch, “Rita, It’s time for you to get through security.  We
don’t want you to miss your flight!”

       “You have
your passport sis?”  Nina asked.

       “You’ll
call as soon as you land, right?” Reuben asked.

       “Passport?
Check.  Boarding pass? Check.  Over-concerned family? Check.”  Rita smiled. 
“I’m going to France, not Mars!  I’ll be back in eight weeks.  And Dominique’s
family is going to look in on me.  I’ll be fine.”  Rita gave hugs all around,
saving her sister for last.   She held Nina by the arms, “If there’s anyone who
will stay on an even keel while planning a wedding, it’s you—and I trust
Kennedy to not make us wear stupid bridesmaid dresses!” 

       Nina felt
a teeny bit weepy as she squeezed her sister.  “No ruffles, no pink, and no
tantrums, I promise.”  She let go of Rita and wiped at the corner of her eye as
she smiled, “This is going to be the most stress-free wedding Boston has ever
seen.”

       They
waved as Rita disappeared through security, and turned to leave.  Nina
remembered the last thought she had before falling on the rocks in Panama: life
wasn’t improved by excess, life was improved by doing meaningful things—and
life was improved by love.  That was it.  She felt grateful for all the love in
her life and realized that the world was indeed a beautiful place. 

-The End-

Thank you for reading Who Wants to Marry A Billionaire?

You can read more about Nina and Daniel soon in Book Two!