Safari Island Shifters: The Complete Collection(59)

The dinner was all business, as Bunny had promised. They went over the menu one more time and then talked about life on Safari Island. Bunny was concerned that Clem would be lonely. Parker assured her that Clem would make friends quickly and he would always be around.

At the end of the meal, Clem kissed her mama goodbye and told her to wait at the bus stop.

“Could we talk a minute?” she asked Parker.

“Sure.” He bade Mrs. Blue farewell and led Clem to his office. Once the door was closed, he kissed her. “I’ve been waiting three months to do that.”

“What’s this future you were going on about to my mama?”

“I realize I could have let you in on this sooner, but I think you’re my mate. No, I know you’re my mate. But you can say no if you like. I don’t want to force you into anything.”

“Mate? What does that mean?”

“It means that you’re the one for me. We don’t have to get married today or anything, but I’d like that down the line. It means that I love you.”

Clem grinned from ear to ear. “Mate. I could get used to the sound of that. I think…I think I love you too.”

Parker kissed her again. “No pressure. You’re going to be spending months living close to me this fall and winter. You don’t have to say it back now.”

“I want to. I’ve missed you this whole time. I didn’t think you even liked me, what with the way you rushed me home that night.”

Parker groaned. “I know. I’m an idiot. I was fresh off a breakup and I didn’t think I was ready to start anything new. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

“It’s okay. You have a very long time to make it up to me.” Clem pressed herself against him.

Parker kissed her back passionately before he stopped and stepped back. “Your mother is waiting at a bus stop for you. There’s no way I’m fooling around with you now.”

Clem laughed. “You sound like you’re afraid of my mother.”

“I am! Mothers don’t usually like me.”

“Shut up. Just be yourself and she’ll love you too.”

“I hope so.” Parker kissed her one more time before seeing her out.

Bunny mercifully didn’t mention their relationship again that night. Over the next few days, she made cryptic remarks, but she didn’t ask Clem much. Which was great, because getting the food ready for the wedding was a feat. Parker had been training all the staff on the island, but Clem was still very nervous. They had been invited to the rehearsal dinner and it was packed with press. There were lots of jokes about the last rehearsal dinner and questions about some kind of protest group.

There was a lot of security at the event and Parker was watching her like a hawk. Luckily, the event went off without a hitch and Clem breathed a sigh of relief. The wedding was even easier.

“I can’t believe I was worried about this,” she told Parker halfway through prep that morning. “This was so simple.”

“Thanks to all our hard work,” he said. He raised his hand. “I want to thank our wonderful staff one more time for all the hours they’ve put in these last few months.”

“Yes!” Clem clapped her hands and spun around to look at everyone. “Thanks to all of you. I can only hope I get people half as professional at my own wedding.”

“These people will be working our wedding,” Parker said into her ear as everyone clapped.

Clem blushed. That wasn’t what she’d meant, but it was a nice thought. The island was where they had met and where they were going to work together. With luck, it would be where their relationship would grow.

But she wasn’t going to think about that now. She still had a big day ahead of her.

*

“That was so romantic.”

She and Parker were sitting on the dock. The newly married couple had just left the reception to many rounds of applause. The dining service had gone off without a hitch. She and Parker had answered millions of questions and posed for many pictures. This was going to be huge. She knew the magazine wouldn’t start running the pictures until the winter or next summer, but it didn’t matter.

They were going to be featured on so many websites. Their menu was getting rave reviews from everyone.

“You know, I think we have something here,” Clem said.

“I would hope so.” Parker put his arm around her shoulder. “I thought I’ve made that pretty clear.”

“Not that.” Clem pushed him playfully. “I mean this wedding stuff. Maybe we could do exclusive catering together. Charge an arm and a leg to have someone fly us out and cater an event.”

Parker’s eyes lit up. “We could do only four, maybe five events a year. Keep it very exclusive and the price very high.”

“It wouldn’t lower our status, and we’d get to do something fun together every few weeks.” She was getting excited about it. “I could stay on Safari Island for longer, maybe, and still get to do cool stuff outside Blue Ridge.”

Parker nodded. “I’m not going to be opening anything new for a long time, but this would be a great way to keep my name out there.”

“Everyone wins!”

“Beautiful, a brilliant cook, ambitious, kind, intelligent and with a great head for business,” Parker said in awe. “Is there anything you can’t do?”