The Beach Wedding (Married in Malibu Book 1) by Bella Andre, Lucy Kevin

said anything more about getting back together—not since that day in her office. She should be relieved. And yet, if she was being totally honest, she was more than a little disappointed by how quickly he’d given up.
    “Take off your shoes,” Jason suggested once they were a yard or two from where the waves lapped at the sand. He was already kicking his off. “Feeling the sand between your toes is the best way to relax.”
    Liz knew she should keep her shoes on to maintain at least some sort of professionalism, but how could she resist his urging to feel the sand squishing beneath her feet?
    “You’re right,” she said after a few barefoot steps. “It really does feel better like this.” Earlier, she’d been able to appreciate the beauty of the beach around her—the lapping of the waves, the calls of the seabirds, and the sounds and scents of the sea. Now she could feel the way the sand gave way beneath her feet, tiny grains falling from her skin every time she took another step.
    “Just one more thing,” Jason said with a smile.
    Liz realized his intent a moment too late. Before she could protest, he pulled her a couple of steps sideways so that they were ankle-deep in the water. “It’s cold!” she exclaimed. But both of them were laughing together as they splashed along the edge of the surf.
    When the light faded, the beach air would eventually cool, but for now it was still a typically warm Malibu afternoon. Out on the water, a handful of surfers were making the most of the waves, and a few couples and families were walking along the sand, but Liz barely noticed any of them. Instead, she was totally attuned to how good it was to be with Jason—and how she wished this moment could go on forever, a perfect little bubble of happiness under the setting Malibu sun.
    “Do you want to talk about what’s got you feeling stressed?” Jason asked.
    “Everyone is working so hard, but sometimes it seems like we’re all getting in each other’s way,” she admitted with a sigh. “And while I did manage to find a band who’s available—a great band—it took me three hours of going through all the possibilities online and talking to a dozen managers.”
    “But you found them eventually,” Jason pointed out. “You made it work. You’ve always been good at finding ways to make things work.”
    “Maybe,” Liz said, thinking about their relationship again. Because she hadn’t been able to find a way to make that work, had she? For so long, she’d wanted to believe she’d done the right thing.
    But had she given up too soon?
    “Definitely,” Jason countered. She was amazed that he had so much confidence in her, such a strong belief that she could achieve anything. “No one else would have taken this on. And no one else would have done such a great job. Which is why I arranged a bit of a surprise for you as a way of saying thank you.”
    He led the way down the beach to a secluded spot hidden by the remains of an old wooden pier. There was a picnic cloth set out and a hamper on top of it.
    “You arranged all of this in the time it took me to get here from the office?”
    He grinned. “Actually, I was planning to do it soon anyway.”
    “For another one of our fake dates?”
    When he frowned at the word fake , she suddenly wondered if this beach picnic was meant to be more than just a thank-you or a paparazzi-fooling setup.
    Was he trying to woo her again for real?
    But all he said in response was, “Something like that.” It certainly wasn’t enough to answer any of her silent questions.
    As he began to set out the picnic, Liz’s heart squeezed even tighter. There were a few of the standard elements, like a bottle of champagne, but what caught Liz’s attention were the herbed and toasted grilled cheese sandwiches, the hot dogs, and the muffins with chocolate sprinkles on top. How many times had they eaten exactly this when they’d been together? Not elegant food, not fancy food, just culinary