Kat called me at seven the next morning, a few minutes after Adam had left.

"It's our last day on the beach," he'd told me as he dashed out the door. "We need to make an early start to get the lighting right."

My spirits plummeted as the door closed behind him. There were three days of filming left, and I was marking the time off on a calendar in my head. I'd have liked nothing more than to bury my head in the sand until it was over, but no way would Kat allow me to do that.

"Get up, sleepyhead," she said, way too perky for that time in the morning. "I've booked us massages in the main building at eight."

I stifled a groan. "Sounds great."

"Careful, don't show too much enthusiasm."

"Sorry. I'm not feeling myself at the moment."

"Tell me you're not still clinging to that crazy notion that Adam's doing the dirty?"

Yes. "No, of course not."

"Callie, I know you're my best friend, but sometimes I want to shake you. I'll be over in half an hour. Make sure you're dressed."

I sighed and rolled out of bed. At least if I was busy with Kat all day, it would keep my mind off other things. With that in mind, I took a quick shower and twisted up my hair, then threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. I'd just shoved my feet into a pair of flip-flops when Kat hammered on the door.

"You'd better be up," she yelled.

There was no subtlety about Kat. Not only was I wide awake, but the guests in the villas either side undoubtedly were too.

"I'm ready," I said, opening the door. "And your cheerfulness is hurting my brain."

"Today's going to be a good day," she insisted. "Trust me, you'll love it."

The last time she'd said those words—two years ago when she'd talked me into going dry-slope skiing with her in England—I'd ended up with a twisted ankle and a scraped elbow.

I trailed behind her as she walked to the long, low building that housed the hotel reception, a couple of meeting rooms, and the health suite. She turned right when we entered and started down a corridor.

"I thought the beauty rooms were that way?" I pointed in the other direction.

"Nope, this is definitely right. I checked last night."

Except we didn't end up in a treatment room. Kat flung open a set of double doors and...

"Surprise!" she shouted, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands.

I stared at her like she'd gone quite mad.

"What's all this?" I hissed.

People were milling around everywhere. Racks of dresses took up one side of the room, and what appeared to be a beauty salon had been set up on the other. An intimidating lady with a clipboard and an earpiece strode towards us.

"It's the stuff for your wedding. Isn't it great?" Kat couldn't keep the grin off her face.

"My what?"

She lifted my left hand and pointed at the ring. "Your wedding. You know, to the man you've been engaged to for months?"

What? I felt faint.

"We need a chair over here," the clipboard lady yelled.

One was thrust behind me, and I collapsed into it. A wedding? But we hadn't even set a date.

"I don't get it. What wedding? Kat? What wedding?"

Kat crouched down in front of me. "Adam wanted to get married sooner rather than later. He knew how busy you were with the charity, and he could see how important that was to you. So he thought he'd organise everything himself as a surprise."

"I'm getting married?"

"Yes."

"Today?"

"Yes!"

I was speechless. During these last few weeks, I'd begun to fear we'd never get married, and Adam had arranged this? A whole freaking wedding?

"Callie? Are you okay?" Kat asked.

I barely heard her.

Planning a wedding was a mammoth task, and Adam had done it all himself as well as starring in a feature film. I hadn't lifted a finger to help. Logic said I should be thrilled, but what I felt was guilt.

Kat gripped my arm. "Say something, Callie. You've gone pale."

Hysterical laughter bubbled from my lips. "Is this what Adam was doing? All those phone calls? The late nights? The emails?"

She nodded.

"I've been thinking such awful things about him."

I couldn't help it—I burst into tears.

Panic flashed in Kat's eyes. "If there's anything you don't like, I'm sure we can change it."

Kat wasn't the only person worried. Behind her, the clipboard lady stood wide-eyed in horror, and most of the other people were staring at me too.

"It's not that. I just feel terrible that he did so much work by himself."

"It's a good thing I'm here to shake some sense into you. Adam's been having a great time with this. We all have."

"What do you mean, 'we all have?'"

"Uh, me, Mo, your mum, Dave. Even Persephone's been sticking her oar in."

"Persephone made me wear a bright yellow dress when I was her bridesmaid!"

I still had nightmares about that dress. I couldn't go past a field of buttercups any more without having palpitations.

"Don't worry, we didn't let her near the outfits. We gave her party favours and invitations."

"Invitations? Who's coming? What about my family?"

Just then, I heard a commotion in the corridor.

"Look at the chandelier, Dave. Isn't it huge?" my mum exclaimed.

"This place is so hot. I'm sweaty already."

Oh, great. Persephone had come all the way to the Maldives.

"I like you hot and sweaty, my little munchkin."

Who the heck was that? And why did Persephone giggle? My sister never giggled. Maybe she'd removed the stick from her ass to get through airport security.

"They're all here," Kat said. "Your mum and Dave, Persephone and her muscle man, and Adam's family."

"What about—"

"Even your father. Adam had a detective track him down. He and your mum have promised to be nice to each other."

I sagged in relief. I hadn't seen much of him over the years, but it wouldn't have been right to get married without him there.

"What about a dress? I haven't tried anything on."

"Adam measured your clothes, and there's a seamstress here to do the final fitting. You've got three dresses to choose from."

I clapped my hand over my mouth. The thought of Adam rooting through my closet with a measuring tape made me giggle.

"I can't believe this is happening? Is this really happening?"

Kat grinned at me. "It really is."

The clipboard lady stepped forward, glancing at her watch. "Are we good to go?"

Kat raised her eyebrows at me, I nodded, and all hell let loose. A swarm of beauticians, hairstylists, and make-up artists descended, and two hours later, I'd been plucked, coiffed, and polished to perfection.

My fingers came to my mouth as one of the stylists held the dresses up in front of me. Kat smacked my hand away.

"Stop biting your nails. You'll ruin your manicure."

The dresses were all beautiful. "Did you choose them?" I asked her.

"I shortlisted six, and Adam picked the final three."

It was a difficult decision, but I picked the ivory strapless one with a floaty skirt and delicate beading on the bodice. I held my breath as Kat helped me into it behind a screen.

"Will it do up?" I asked.

"Of course it will. Have faith."

It was ninety-nine percent perfect. A quick alteration or two later, that grew to a hundred.

As I stood in front of the mirror, my thoughts turned to Adam. Where was he? What was he thinking? Was he as terrified as me?

Nica—the clipboard lady—turned out to be a wedding planner extraordinaire. Honestly, her efficiency scared me a little. Soon, Kat and Persephone stood beside me in thankfully tasteful peach dresses, and Mum held Annie in a matching outfit.

"Pretty!" She clapped her tiny hands and made a grab for my tiara, but I managed to dodge out of the way.

Then my father stepped into the room, dressed in a morning suit with a corsage stuck neatly into his buttonhole. The others melted away to give us a few minutes.

"My little girl. You look beautiful."

"Hi, Dad."

He gave me a sad smile. "I know I haven't been much of a father, but I couldn't have hoped for a more perfect daughter."

Mum always said he wasn't cut out for fatherhood. A wandering spirit, she called him, never destined to stay in the same place for long. But he was still my dad.

"I'm glad you came," I whispered.

He squeezed my hand. "So am I."

Nica appeared, and she looked as if she meant business. "Are you ready?"

"I think so. Is it normal to be this nervous?"

She chuckled. "Absolutely. Every bride is. This is the start of the next phase of your life."

I tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "I can't wait."

"That's the spirit. I'll just call the photographer. We want to get some shots of you in the hotel gardens before you get into the water."

"I'm sorry, what? The water? What water?"

"Nobody's told you yet?"

"Nobody's told me anything."

Kat rematerialised, and I wondered if there was a good reason she'd been keeping out of strangulation range.

"Your ceremony's going to be underwater," she told me. "Isn't that exciting?"

My blood slowly trickled down to my feet. "How on earth can we get married underwater?"

"The minister's going to be diving with you, and you'll write your vows on diving slates," Nica explained.

"Is that legal?"

"Yes, one hundred percent."

My first reaction was one of shock, but then I took a moment to think about it. We'd come full circle. I'd fallen in love with Adam underwater, and now I'd marry him there.

"When I met Adam, I did say I was going to be more adventurous."

Kat gave me a hug. "Here's to another adventure."

Half an hour later, I stood on the beach. I may not have looked like your typical bride, but the white fins I was wearing did add a certain something to the outfit. Nica had even managed to find me a white BCD and regulator to continue the theme.

As the wedding march played from hidden speakers, I started my walk across the sand with my father at my side. He took me up to the water's edge, then handed me over to Mo, who'd agreed to swim the rest of the way with me underwater. Kat would be my underwater bridesmaid, and Adam was already down there with Gabe as his best man.

I waved to my family and Adam's too—his parents and brother had made the trip—and my pulse rocketed as I sank beneath the waves. Someone had marked out the way with shells, and up ahead, I could make out a metal altar decorated with pink and cream roses to match my bouquet.

The sight of Adam watching me as I floated down the makeshift aisle made my breath hitch. Then I remembered my training and made myself exhale. Having my lungs explode on my wedding day would be all kinds of awkward.

Adam wore a grey suit, and he took out his regulator to grin. Show off. When I got close, he grabbed my hand and helped me to hover beside him.

The minister held up his first slate, and we were off. All I had to do was hold up my vows in turn and then write "I do" at the appropriate moment. My handwriting wasn't usually that bad, honest. Adam gripped my hand tighter as he mirrored my words and added a wobbly heart at the end.

As with everything else he'd chosen, my ring was perfect, a simple white-gold band patterned with roses. As he slipped it onto my finger, I knew it would stay there for life.

The minister held up his final slate, and we got to the part I'd been waiting for.

You may now kiss the bride.

I spat out my regulator and threw myself at Adam. As we ran out of air, I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw Kat had brought a slate of her own.

Get a room!

Oops.

Before long, we walked out of the sea as man and wife, wearing matching smiles. Our families were waiting for us, and rose petals fluttered through the air as we shrugged out of our BCDs.

"Thank you," I whispered to Adam, as he swept me up in his arms and carried me along the beach.

"Anything for you, babe."

"Anything?"

"Uh, yes? What did you have in mind?"

I leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

He squeezed me tighter. "Definitely that. How do you feel about skipping the reception?"

"We can't. Kat wouldn't let us miss our own party. She'd set off the fire alarm or send the clipboard lady to fetch us."

"You mean Nica? Yeah, I see your point—we'd better go."

We managed a few moments alone in our suite—okay, an hour—and I wished I'd still been wearing my veil when we finally made it to the reception. Even a coat of foundation couldn't hide my red cheeks.

Adam's brother was outside the marquee, lounging against a palm tree. He was a blonder but more dangerous-looking version of his more famous older sibling. Having the pair of them here together had raised the temperature on the island a couple of notches.

He gave us a knowing smile as we passed.

"Not a word," Adam told him.

Luckily, I soon forgot my embarrassment when we started dinner. It had been ages since all my family and friends were together in one place, and even Persephone seemed half-human. If I'd known going to boot camp would have such an effect on her personality, I'd have enlisted her in the army years ago.

Mum spent most of the time dabbing at her eyes with a hanky. Dave had brought a supply with him and dished them out at regular intervals. She had him well trained.

"It was so beautiful, dear," she gushed. "Like something out of the movies."

"Thank fuck we didn't need a retake," Adam's brother muttered from the other side of the table.

Despite the heat, the cake was stunning. Each of the tiers was decorated with hand-painted fish and shiny pearls made out of icing, and it even had a model of a bride and groom in scuba gear. Adam and I held the knife together as we cut through the bottom tier, and when the knife hit the board, his lips met mine.

Guests? What guests?

Only when Kat yelled, "Have you found her tonsils yet?" did we stop. My cheeks burned once again, but Adam didn't care. Far from it. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself.

Later, as the sun went down on the most amazing day of my life, the waiters dished out champagne and Adam proposed a toast.

"Here's to the future." He held up his glass. "And to my beautiful wife."

"To the future," everyone echoed.

I couldn't wait to see what it would bring.