First Class Voyage (First Class Novels – A Contemporary Romance Series) Read online

“I’m sure that Derek and David will be fine with switching up the cabins.”

  “I’m pretty sure that Derek won’t mind not sharing a cabin with his mother,” Matt added, a slight smirk forming.

  “I don’t understand what happened!” Janie sighed.

  “I do!” Katy exclaimed. “Maureen changed the cabins around. It’s not like Mark and I haven’t lived together for the past three years or anything!” She was still unable to see the humor in the situation like Mark did.

  He sat down next to Katy and rubbed her back. He knew his mother well enough to know what she was trying to do. He and Katy had been engaged for three years now and they still had not set a wedding date. His mother was trying to force their hand, turn the screw, some good old fashioned prodding. But Mark also knew his fiancée and it wouldn’t work with her. The more you pushed, the more Katy would dig in her heels and not budge. This cabin fiasco was just another reason Katy wouldn’t set a date. She didn’t want Maureen interfering.

  Matt picked up the phone and asked for their cabin steward to come to the state room. In just a minute or two there was a knock on the door. Matt answered it and explained to the young man there was a slight mix up in the cabin assignments and would he please turn this room into a king room instead of two singles. He took Janie by the hand and Mark escorted Katy out so the beds could be reconfigured.

  As the two couples walked down the hall, Katy muttered that she needed a drink. Matt agreed and they all headed up to the Lido deck and the bar.

  *****

  Patty sat in her cabin and rocked Christopher ‘til he fell asleep. She had shooed Matt and Janie out to enjoy the warm sunshine and then had read Ella her story and then put her down for a nap. Now Christopher was sound asleep and she could unpack her suitcases.

  The offer to come on the cruise had been very generous. She and Maureen got along well enough, and the opportunity to spend more time with her daughter and Katy was one she would not pass up. Patty had three daughters but always considered Katy one of hers as well. And after Katy’s mother died tragically in a car accident, Patty had tried harder to make herself available to Katy, to step in and try to fill the void left behind. She had spent the past few weeks staying at Matt and Janie’s apartment and had loved every minute of it. She had spent lots of time with Janie and Katy and the children. She liked to be a hands-on grandmother, but with Janie now living three thousand miles away, it made it tough. Her grandchildren lived in New York and Atlanta and so she took every opportunity to spend time with her family.

  With her two grandbabies sleeping peacefully, she unpacked her clothes and hung them in the closet, ready for two weeks of sun and relaxation. She was there to take care of the children so Janie and Matt could have some time together, something she figured they needed after the difficult pregnancy Janie had lived through. The angels were smiling on their family, allowing Janie to give birth to Christopher without any additional complications. Yes, they had been blessed with the addition of this beautiful baby boy. And now they could relax and spend two weeks without the business of life getting in the way.

  *****

  Janie sat at a table by the pool with a lemonade in her hand and watched her boys laughing on the other side of the deck. She was happy to say that they fit in well with the Lathem boys, especially Tim and Ben, Matt’s youngest brothers. They were all together having a good time and Janie sighed as she lifted her face to the sun.

  Matt sat down next to his wife and took a long drink of his beer. He reached for Janie’s hand.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Janie smiled and nodded,“I was just thinking how nice it was to see the boys get on so well. I know it’s been a few years, but still, I admit I was worried.”

  “The boys are actually men,” Matt chuckled. “And I think that this is the way it was supposed to be.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “This is supposed to be our family now.”

  Janie smiled. “You’re right,” she agreed.

  “Of course I’m right,” Matt laughed.

  “What are you right about this time?” Katy snickered as she sat down at the table, Mark at her side.

  “About how well our boys have just blended in with the Lathem clan,” Janie said.

  Katy turned to look at the group of very attractive young men across the deck at the bar. There were Janie’s twin sons, Adam and Tyler. They were almost twenty-five years old. And there was Derek, Katy’s son, who had just turned twenty-four. He had been living in New York for the past two years and was working with Mark, his soon-to-be step-father, and loving it. His degree in engineering was perfect for his job in MEL Holdings. He had started at the bottom and was working his way up, no nepotism allowed, but he wanted it that way. He didn’t want anyone to ever question whether or not he had earned his position with the company. He loved Mark and enjoyed working with him. He had learned a lot and saw his future in the family business.

  Katy’s eyes moved past her son to Paul and Tim, Matt and Mark’s younger brothers. They were a bit older but treated the younger men like equals. Ben and David rounded out the group. They were the Lathem ‘middle’ children.

  Katy’s view was blocked when Andrew and Rory joined them.

  “Did you guys get the cabin situation all sorted out?” Andrew smirked.

  Katy humphed and rolled her eyes.

  “Yes,” Mark replied. “The stewards are rearranging our room now.”

  “What was mom thinking?” Andrew shook his head.

  “No point in trying to guess,” Matt shrugged. “You just never know.”

  *****

  Peter shoved the empty suitcase under the bed and grunted as he stood up.

  “Don’t you dare throw your back out before we’ve even left the dock,” Maureen warned.

  Peter chuckled, “I’m fine. I can hobble after you for the next two weeks without any problem.”

  Maureen put the last of her things into the bathroom and stood and looked around the suite. “I think this will do very nicely for the next fourteen days, don’t you think?”

  Peter nodded and sat down on the sofa. Maureen came and sat next to her husband.

  “Happy late anniversary,” she smiled.

  “And to you too.” Peter kissed his wife on the cheek.

  “It seems like finally our boys are all growing up,” she said.

  “They’ve been grown up for a while now,” Peter chuckled.

  “Well in years maybe,” Maureen huffed. “But Matthew is all settled, and Andrew too. If Katy would just set a wedding date then Mark would be married off as well. Three out of seven is a start.”

  Peter shook his head. “Let them live their own lives, Maureen. They’ll figure it out.”

  Maureen shot a glance at her husband. Men, she thought. You just don’t have a clue!

  *****

  With the safety briefing completed, the ship’s horn sounded and edged away from the dock, heading for the warm blue waters of the Caribbean. Patty had brought the children up and the whole family stood at the back of the ship and watched the city of Miami get smaller and smaller. There was laughing and hugging and a toast to Peter and Maureen. The breeze whipped through the ladies’ hair and the Lathem family vacation had officially begun.

  Andrew and Rory were playing with Ella and Katy was cradling Christopher as the ship picked up speed and headed south. The family was loud and happy and Janie sat back and watched with a big smile plastered to her face. Maureen slipped into the chair beside her and shivered.

  “Why don’t you go inside, Maureen. We can all meet for dinner in a little while.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t want to miss out on watching my children and grandchildren have a good time,” Maureen smiled. “I know I see you often, but I just can’t get enough of you all.”

  “I understand what you mean,” Janie nodded.

  Maureen pulled her sweater a little tighter and Katy walked over to join the women. She saw Maureen shiver again and she pulled
off her jacket from around her waist and draped it over Maureen’s shoulders.

  “Thank you, dear,” Maureen smiled. “But it is too cold for me. I think I will go in.”

  Maureen stood and patted Katy’s hand as she handed her back the jacket. Then she leaned in and kissed her sleeping grandson on the cheek and she and Peter made their way inside.

  “I love her, you know, but she can be so infuriating,” Katy sighed.

  Janie smiled. “I don’t know why she changed the cabins, but all is well now, right?”

  Katy nodded and took a sip of her cocktail. Rory ran over and asked if he could hold the baby. Katy handed Christopher off and he headed back in the direction of Andrew and Ella.

  “I hope they can get a baby soon,” Katy said.

  “Me too,” Janie agreed. “They will make the most wonderful parents.”

  *****

  Dinner was an ordeal to say the least. As the entourage arrived at the dining room, the hostess’ jaw dropped open. She quickly regained her professional demeanor and smiled as Peter and Maureen stepped towards her.

  “Good evening,” she said.

  “Hello,” said Maureen. “We need a table for seventeen.”

  “Just a moment,” she said, and quickly hurried away to speak to a gentlemen in a smart looking uniform.

  After a few moments, the maître d’ ushered them to their table, apologizing for the delay. The family was seated and menus given and dinner was underway. Ella sat between Janie and Patty but wanted to sit with her Daddy. Musical chairs ensued and finally everyone was settled, again. The wine bottles were opened and the bread basket passed around and conversation centered on what everyone was doing the following day. The waitress arrived to take their orders and after that chaos was completed they returned to discussing plans for their day at port.

  Paul sat quietly as plans were discussed. Matt noticed his brother sitting with his arms folded leaning back in his chair. He hadn’t had much of a chance to spend any time with him since he had returned home. He would need to remedy that. He could tell there was obviously something weighing heavily on Paul’s mind and if he could help, he would.

  4.

  DAY 2 – KEY WEST

  “Daddy!”

  No response.

  “Daddy, wake up!”

  Matt felt a small chubby but determined finger trying to pry open his eyelid.

  “Daddy’s awake,” he mumbled.

  “Open your eyes!” Ella was now using two hands on Matt’s stubborn eyelids.

  “Ella! Daddy’s sleeping,” Janie ran to the bed and grabbed the tiny hands away from Matt’s face.

  “Not anymore,” he grumbled.

  Matt opened his eyes and Ella squealed and tried to jump on the bed. She was not successful, so Matt lifted her up and snuggled her under the blankets with him.

  Janie picked up the phone on its second ring.

  “Yes, Maureen. We are all up.” Janie turned to Matt and grinned. “Breakfast at eight will be just fine. Bye.”

  There was a knock on the door of the adjoining room and Janie opened it and Patty stepped into their room.

  “How did everyone sleep?” she asked.

  “I miss my bed,” Matt muttered.

  “Breakfast is at eight,” Janie smiled at her mom.

  “Let me take the baby while you get ready,” Patty offered.

  Janie handed off the tiny bundle and Patty headed back to her room, shutting the door behind her. Janie went and sat next to Matt on the bed. Ella peeked out and giggled.

  “Wish you would come back to bed,” Matt growled.

  Janie grinned and kissed his cheek.

  “Time to get up. Your mother has a full day planned.”

  *****

  The sun was streaming through the window reminding Mark and Katy it was time to get dressed.

  “Let’s do that again,” grinned Mark.

  Katy was still trying to catch her breath, little beads of sweat on her forehead. She laughed as she rolled off him and onto her pillow.

  “That was fantastically wonderful, as usual,” she smiled.

  Mark kissed her cheek. “You are fantastically wonderful.”

  “I love you.”

  “Mmm. I love you too,” he smiled and kissed her again.

  Katy sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She turned to Mark, gloriously naked and leaned over and kissed him.

  “It’s time to get ready for a fun day in Key West with your mother,” she sighed, but smiled.

  “Why can’t we just go to the beach by ourselves?”

  “Because she says today is the day we all have to spend together on the island. The rest of the ports we are on our own to play as we please.”

  Mark frowned. “Well, at least there will be all of us there to share the joy.”

  Katy chuckled.

  *****

  Andrew stepped out of the shower and opened the bathroom door. Rory was sitting on the bed deep in thought.

  “You okay?”

  Rory looked up and smiled. They had been married for almost four years and together for nearly fourteen. Andrew knew every expression he had.

  “I know that things are very different now than say, twenty years ago, but I still wonder. Our income is above average, we both have great jobs and we own a nice apartment. But will someone pick us to adopt their baby? I mean, we’ve been waiting for over a year.”

  Andrew sat down next to Rory on the bed and sighed. He had wondered the exact same thing a million times.

  “The right one will. And, we can always look at adopting a child a little older. Our lawyer says that is always an option.”

  Rory smiled at his husband and nodded.

  “We just have to be patient,” he said.

  Andrew held Rory’s hand and hoped they could both be patient.

  *****

  Paul had his own cabin. His ticket had been booked after everyone else’s because he didn’t know if he would be able to join the family. He had promised his mother he would try his very best and when he had called her a few weeks ago to say he would be coming on her anniversary vacation, she had squealed into the phone. So he got his own room. He was glad about that. Not that he planned on having company, or that he didn’t want to share with one of his brothers or his not-so-new step-nephews, but the difficult decision of his future weighed heavily on his mind and the peace would hopefully help him to sort things out. He had a lot to decide and not a long time to do it.

  Paul looked in the bathroom mirror as he shaved. He was a Navy Seal and very proud of the last ten years he had served his country faithfully. He never questioned a mission; always performed to the best of his ability and always believed in the cause. Whatever he could do to ensure the safety of his family and his country was of the utmost importance to him. But he wanted a wife, a partner, a lover, a best friend. And he wanted children. Ella had reinforced his desire for children. He wanted to be a dad. He smiled every time Ella called his brother, Matt, daddy. He wanted that for himself and he couldn’t have that and his Navy career.

  He needed to make a decision. Or had he already made it?

  *****

  Maureen had rented a grand cabana on the island to spend the day with all the family playing and eating. The family was met at the pier and escorted the short distance to a beautiful white sand beach with clear turquoise water. There was a large wooden cabana that came with staff and food. Maureen was pleased.

  Within minutes, clothes were stripped off revealing bathing suits and a day of fun ensued. Swimming, hot-tubbing, dancing, eating, and laughing were the activities of the day. Maureen sat in the shade and watched her family together. Much of her time was spent with Ella reading books and playing with her dolls. Janie snapped several photos of the two enthralled with each other.

  Katy draped her arm over Janie’s shoulder as she took another picture.

  “You will always be the favorite, you know,” she smiled.

  “What? Why?”
Janie frowned.

  “Because you gave her Ella,” Katy smiled.

  “No…I…I’m sure…”

  “It’s perfectly fine,” Katy smiled. “I’m not upset. I’m thrilled Maureen is happy and has grandchildren.”

  Janie sighed, “If you had children with Mark…”

  “Stop right there!” Katy laughed. “Not gonna happen, but yes. If we had a baby I know she would love it just as much.”

  “She loves you Katy. She really does.”

  “In her own way I know,” Katy smiled. “Just not as much as she loves you.”

  Matt slipped his arms around Janie’s waist and didn’t give her a chance to respond. Matt kissed her shoulder and Janie leaned back into her husband.

  “Let’s go swim,” he said and pulled her towards the water.

  Katy watched them go and looked back at Maureen. It had been three years and while she knew she was accepted into the Lathem family, she was sure Maureen didn’t really approve. And Katy didn’t know how to change it. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. There had been a barbecue prepared with lots of delicious food to eat and the most beautiful water Katy had ever seen to swim in. She waded into the water and closed her eyes. Heaven.

  *****

  They could see the ship from the cabana and could see the line of passengers returning to it. Soon it would be time to head back. It had been a marvelous day and Maureen and Peter sat in the shade and watched their family. They were truly blessed with their boys and now they had Janie and Katy as daughters, along with three grown boys and the two little ones for grandchildren.

  Peter held his wife’s hand and smiled. “You did good.”

  “We did good,” Maureen smiled.

  “And it’s time to get on with this vacation.” Peter stood and helped his wife up. “Time to get this bunch back so we don’t miss our ride.”

  5.

  DAY 3 – AT SEA

  This was not the first cruise Peter and Maureen had ventured on. In fact, since Peter retired over ten years ago, they had taken several cruises all over the globe. So when it came to days when they were at sea, Maureen knew exactly how to spend the day…Trivia games. Not only were the cruise lines excellent at buffets and transporting passengers from one port to another, they had excellent staff that filled the days at sea with activities and trivia was right up Maureen’s alley.