The next morning Ty was awake before the sun and excited about it. She was running on a little more than two hours of sleep but no one would be able to tell by the way she practically skipped down the hall, a smile on her face. She threw open the swinging kitchen doors and danced to the fridge. This early in the morning the only people awake were the security guards and she had her pick of leftovers in the fridge.

She grabbed a few things that could be appetizing this early in the morning and set off for her final destination. She was approaching the doors leading out to the deck when someone reached out and grabbed her around the waist.

"Were you followed?" Hudson whispered in her ear.

She grinned. "I'm clean." She turned in his arms and saw him scanning the hallway seriously. "Having fun?"

"I always wanted to be a secret agent," he admitted.

Her smile grew. "And did sneaking out of your room this morning fulfill that dream?"

He nodded seriously. "There were some close calls but I made it out."

She smirked. "I'm sure it was super hard to get past drunk sleepers."

"Russel likes to sleepwalk when he is drunk," he corrected her. "There was a close call but after a little singing he went back to sleep."

Ty threw her head back as she laughed at the thought of Hudson singing a drunk Russel a lullaby.

"Shhhh," he scolded her until his gaze focused more closely on her and softened. Hey," he said quietly, leaning in close.

"Hey," she said, her laughter settling as she reached up on her tip-toes to kiss him.

As he pulled back he playfully scanned the hallway before he nodded towards the door. "All clear, let's move." He took her hand and led the way to the doors.

The sky outside was just starting to turn from the dark indigo blue of night into a lighter blue as the first streams of light crested the horizon. Ty took the lead once they were outside and led Hudson to the very front of the ship facing east.

When they had said goodbye the night before he had asked if there was a chance he could see her before the rest of the Hamilton Group was awake. Ty had told him it would have to be very early. He said he didn't have a problem with losing sleep if it meant spending time with her. She had known exactly where she wanted to take him.

The furthest corner of the deck offered a stunning view of the sunrise. This was a widely known fact the crew shared with passengers but Ty knew about a little corner not quite at the front that would allow them to see the sunrise and stay out of sight. She didn't think she would find any of her co-workers wandering around this area at this time of morning but she still wanted to be careful.

Ty found the little corner and they tucked themselves into it as the first rays of the sun appeared in the sky. They rested back against the wall and Hudson wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close until she was resting against his chest.

"Tell me something about yourself," Hudson said quietly as they watched the sky change from blues to pinks and yellows.

"Like what?"

"Hmmm...tell me about someone who had a big impact on your life?"

"My grandma Rue," she answered immediately, a smile coming to her face as her grandma's cheery face popped into her head. "She was one of the greatest people I have ever known. I told you how I don't fit in with the rest of my family but when I was around my grandma Rue I felt like I fit with her.

"I remember the first time I felt that. I was eight and I was helping my mom clean out my grandma's attic and we were sorting through papers when my mom found all these papers about flight school and found a pilot's license with my grandma's name on it.

"It turned out that while my grandpa was gone fighting in the war my grandma got her pilot's license but she had never told anyone. She just did it because she decided to. I remember my mother looked like her like she was crazy but I remember feeling like I had a connection with someone in my family for the first time."

"She sounds like an amazing woman," Hudson said.

"She was."

He playfully nudged her with his lips. "Is this you telling me that you are going to get your pilot's license?"

Ty laughed. "She had her plane, I have my boat."

"It is quite a spectacular boat but if you ever thought about learning to fly I will remind you I am in the airplane business."

She chuckled. "I'll hold on to that piece of information. Now, what about you? Who is someone who has had a big impact on your life?"

"That would be Professor Connors, he was one of my professors in business school."

"Business school?" Ty quickly ran through all the details she knew about Hudson but couldn't remember him ever mentioning college. She sat up so she could look at him. "You went to college?"

He smiled at her disbelief and nodded.

"But...I thought you ran a part of your family's business until you decided to start the airline?"

"I did, but I also went to college for business."   

"Did you ever sleep?" She joked.

"Barely. But I am glad that I decided to go to college."

"And Professor Connors?"   

"He taught a couple of my classes the last few semesters and he was my favorite teacher. He was the first person who made me actually think about doing something outside of the family business. He would always listen to any idea and he asked the best questions.

"I actually went to him when I got the idea for the airline. I knew he would ask the right questions and I figured he would tell me it was a bad idea. Instead, he told me it was a great idea and asked if he could be my first investor. Now, he is on my board of advisors."

Ty listened in amazement as he talked about this world that was so foreign to her. "Wow, so you're a little brilliant," she said.

He shrugged. "Only a little."

She laughed. "Tell me more."

"About?"

"Anything. The airline. College. You are a fascinating person Mr Hamilton."

He laughed like she had told the boldest lie, but did comply with her wish. As the sun continued to climb, they continued to share bits and pieces of each other until reluctantly Ty got to her feet.

"Come on," she said, offering Hudson her hand. "I have to go."

"What's on the agenda for today?" He asked as she pulled him to his feet.

"For you, a beach in the Bahamas." She motioned to the island to their left. "For me, the Batcave and party setup."

"Kate and Grant didn't plan an event today?"

She smiled at his disappointed tone. "There is a big party tonight. But the group is on their own for the day. Will you be able to handle that?" She teased.

"No," he grumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist as they headed towards the doors. "The only thing I hate more than 6AM workouts is sitting on the beach."

"They rent jet-skis," she offered as encouragement.

"Are you sure you don't need to be there? The group might not be able to find their way to the jet-skis."

She laughed. The jet-skis were one of the first things you saw when you reached the island. There would be no problem. "Well, if the group has trouble I'm sure you can step in and help. We just finished talking about how brilliant you are."   

"You were the one that said I was brilliant," he argued. "I said nothing of the sort."

She laughed at his cute antics and kissed him. "I'm sure you will all survive and I'll see you tonight at the party."

"Fine," he said, stealing another kiss from her. "What's this party tonight going to be like?"   

"Very big and very fancy. Kate requested that I pull out all the stops to create a huge final celebration before everyone leaves tomorrow morning."

"Hasn't this whole cruise been a THE celebration?"

She shrugged. "You know them better than I do."

"And I still don't have the answer." He held the door open for them and they walked quietly back up the hall they had snuck down an hour before. They reached the end of the hall and stopped. Hudson's room was left and Ty was going right to get to the cafeteria.

Hudson both her hands and kissed her. "I'll see you tonight?" He questioned.

She nodded. He went quiet as he thought about something. "You said you will be setting up for the party this afternoon?" She nodded. "Where is this party happening?"

"The Captain's Lounge."

"Okay," he said like they had just agreed on a plan, then he kissed her one more time and left.

Ty was an hour into setting up for the party when she looked up and saw Hudson entering the Captain's Lounge. She wasn't surprised. He had left her that morning with an intent look in his eyes. She had been hoping he would come up with a way to be with her before the party that night.

"Mr. Hamilton," she greeted him as he came to stand beside her as she oversaw the projection screen being put together.

"Ty," he nodded formally. "This party means a great deal to my brother and Kate and being the kind, selfless brother that I am, I decided to take it upon myself to consult on the setup and make sure everything is perfect for them."

She smiled. "How thoughtful of you. If you'll come with me I can show you all the plans I have for the party."   

"Excellent."

Hudson followed her to the back corner where Ty had all her papers scattered about on the table.

"If you look here you can see that I have put a lot of careful thought into making this the best party..."

"Yeah, yeah," Hudson said, waving a lazy hand over the papers. "It looks good. And so do you." He reached out and brushed his hand against hers.

"You're just saying that because you had to spend time with Hank," she teased.

He nodded with a grimace. "Yes, but also this cotton polo looks great on you."

She laughed. "You are the first person to ever think that?"

He shrugged and looked at her like he would think she was beautiful even if she was wearing a trash bag.

"Ty, do you want the screen here?" Someone called out.

Ty pursed her lips annoyed she had to leave the moment but she had a job to do. She left Hudson at the table and spent the next fifteen minutes figuring out the best place for the projection screen.

Once everyone felt like they had found the best spot she gave them their next jobs and looked around for Hudson. He had taken a seat at the back table and had his feet propped up on a chair as he looked through her papers.

As she neared the table he stood. "You put a lot of thought into this party," he said, motioning to all of the notes Ty had made and to-do lists.

She shrugged. "It is my job."

Hudson scanned the busy room for a moment before he looked back at her. "If you need me to go I will. But I would like to stay."

"You would rather spend your last day of the cruise cooped up in this lounge instead of relaxing by the pool?" Given the option, she would always choose sunshine.

He shrugged. "I would rather be in that cramped storage closet all afternoon than at the pool if it meant I got to be with you."

Ty laughed. "That was cheesy," she said, "I guess it's a good thing I'm in the mood for some cheese."

He gave her a judgmental look. "Really?" He said, crossing his arms. "I'm the cheesy one here? That line was awful. 'In the mood for cheese'? Really? At least my cheesy line included a compliment for you." He shook his head like he couldn't believe he was choosing to be around her.

"So if I want to use a cheesy line it has to include a compliment?" She clarified, still laughing.

"It wouldn't hurt."

She boldly moved closer, knowing that there was nothing professional in the way they were standing so close but for the moment not caring. "In that case," she said, dropping her voice low. "I would rather set up this party with your hot face around than without."

He scrunched his face like he was deliberating something. "I'll give you a four out of ten. 'Hot face' is pretty objectifying."

"Four out of ten!" She pulled away in indignation as Hudson laughed.

He shrugged like there was nothing he could do about it. "I'm just being honest. But don't worry. I'm sure you will improve. I'll stick around so when that great cheesy line comes to you, I'll be here to hear it."

"You'll be the first person I say it to."

"I better be the only person you say it to," he corrected.

"Sure," she said. "Now, I better get back to work. If you keep out of the way, you can stay."

He saluted her and took a seat at the table as she left. As she moved to check on the bar she noticed Johnny leaning against the tall counter.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the Batcave," she said, greeting Johnny.

"I'm on my break."

"So you decided to come help me out?" She joked as she grabbed the drinks list off the bar.

"No. I came to ask how last night ended, but from what I just saw I can guess things are going just fine between you and Hudson."

Ty looked over at Hudson at the table. He folded a piece of paper. She looked back at Johnny and shrugged. There was no point in denying anything. After Hudson had dragged Johnny all over the boat to find her it was clear Johnny understood what was going on.

She smiled. "Yeah, things are good."

"Good," he said. He hesitated before he continued. "I also came here to say I'm sorry for all the confusion. If I had known you liked Hudson I never would have even mentioned Ally kissing him."

Ty waved away his apology. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know and I know you weren't trying to hurt me."

He nodded and let out a relieved breath. For a moment Ty thought about how sweet it was that Johnny came to apologize, but the moment ended when he got a devilish look in his eyes.

"Ty Bennett breaking the rules. I never thought I would live to see this day!"

She shook her head. This was more like the Johnny she knew. She could only guess how many years he was going to hold this over her head. She shoved his arm as she rolled her eyes.

"It's not like I never break the rules."

"You break the small rules that no one cares about. But this..." He motioned to Hudson. "This is about the biggest rule the cruise line has and here you are bravely flaunting your rule-breaking."

"You're so dramatic," she laughed.

She knew she didn't have to worry about threatening him to keep quiet. Johnny would never tell on her but she knew he would be calling in favors the next couple of months for keeping his mouth shut.

"Now leave," she said, pushing him towards the door. "I have a party I need to set up for."

"And what's Hudson's excuse for being here?" He waved his eyebrows suggestively.

"He's consulting on the party. After all, the groom is his brother and he wants to make sure everything goes perfectly."

"Sure," Johnny laughed. He gave her one more knowing look before he left.

Maybe Ty should care that Johnny knew the truth, but she was too happy to care. For the first time ever she had found someone she really liked. Yes, he was leaving in the morning, and yes he worked in Germany and she worked on a boat and never had cell service but those were problems for tomorrow.

She directed her attention back to setting up for the party but she didn't focus so much that she forgot about Hudson. He stayed at the table somehow content to watch the setup happen and Ty found ways to make it back to his corner as much as she could.

By the time Hudson had to leave to get dressed for the Hamilton's last dinner, he had made a nice little space for himself at the table. Ty had ordered food and drinks for him and halfway through the afternoon he had left and returned with a book, although Ty joked he wouldn't ever get far in the book if he kept getting distracted by her but he had just shrugged with a happy smile.

"But do I really need to change?" Hudson said as Ty pulled him up from the table. "I think I look fine."

"The restaurant is formal attire only," she said.

"And...?" He asked like he was unaware of the swim trunks and tank top he was wearing.

"And...as cute as you look, the hostess won't let you into the restaurant dressed like that."

"That wouldn't be the worst thing."

"You can't stay here," Ty said.

As much as she had enjoyed being able to sneak back to the table to see him while she worked, the next hour was going to be chaotic with the last-minute setup and she didn't want any distractions. Hudson was a big distraction.

She gently pushed him towards the door. "Go! You'll see me in a few hours once dinner is over and everyone comes here for the party. Besides, I have to focus on finishing the setup and grab dinner. I won't be any fun to be around."

"Wait," he said, pushing back against her. "Is this the last time we'll be together without the rest of the Hamilton Party?"

Ty stopped pushing as she realized what he was saying. This was the final night. The final morning was always busy and chaotic and Ty knew there wasn't a chance she would be able to sneak away to say goodbye to Hudson. It was all hands on deck for the final morning.

So this was their goodbye, but she wasn't going to let Hudson know that now. She was already having a hard time getting him to leave. She also wasn't sure how she felt about facing the end of the week and saying goodbye to Hudson. She had never been great with goodbyes, hence running away from home.

"I'll see you tonight," she said confidently. "And I will be there to help the group get off the boat in the morning."

"I said without the Hamilton Party," he corrected her.

"They aren't that bad," she countered. "Hank has really grown on me. And Bianca..."

She let the words hang in the air as she realized she couldn't finish the sentence. Her feelings on Bianca were about the same as they had been on the first night. Wary that Bianca was going to make her job harder. Even now, with just one night left, there was still that risk.

"Hank grew on me," she repeated.

Hudson chuckled and Ty used the distraction to push him closer to the door.

"I have work to do and you need to change," she told him.

"Okay, okay."

He held up his hands in surrender as she walked him to the entrance to the Captain's Lounge. But he paused just outside the door. He looked around for a moment before he pointed to something just outside the lounge.

"What's that?" He asked.

"What?" Ty asked.

She stepped out to see what he was talking about. He pulled her just past the door and out of view of everyone in the lounge and kissed her then left.

**********************************************************************

Veilige reis! (Afrikaans)

That's it! Show of hands, who has a tooth ache from this cuteness? Let's see if you can still type while being in an overdose of sweetness.

Okay, I get it. You were put through emotional distress and this is actually just the soothing ice cream you needed to heal the wounds that were caused. That's fair.

But let's be honest, it was not that deep of a wound. I mean, I've left some deep scars before and wayyyyy worse than this. Some of you have trust issues because of me. Hopefully that's only in books and not in life...

If it's in life, sorry. Stick with me and I'll keep giving you book therapy which will also still cause you to have trust issues so how that evens out doesn't might make sense but books are healing... Most of the time.

The real question is why you do keep coming back to my books if they cause you to have trust issues and give you emotions damage? I mean to me, this seems like a You problem. So maybe stop blaming me and my characters. This is on you, admit it.

Haha! Now that I've made you question why you do come back to me! Vote, comment, follow!

Heads up, as this is a summer romance read we are heading into the last chapter plus epilogue.