She lifted her hand toward me. “Ville, have you—”
I took the hand and squeezed. “It’s all handled. As soon as you guys leave tonight, I’ll take over.”
She gave me a smile that warmed me on the inside. I could tell she wanted to say something more, but she ended up with, “Thank you.”
“Of course.”Anything for Emery.I didn’t need to say that out loud, she knew.
“Okay, we ready?” the photographer asked, and I stepped away from her again.
Demi and Luke’s first dance as a married couple was to Wren playing guitar and singing his songWhere the Creek Flows. It was a love song, of course, and one of his biggest hit ballads.
I stood by the wall to one side, watching as people got teary-eyed and Demi and Luke saw nobody else but each other. As it should be. They looked so good together.
“Mommy looks like a princess!” Aria exclaimed from where she was sitting between Jenn and Luke’s mother.
I chuckled and stepped outside the barn to check on the guys.
We all had our designated spots, including me being inside the barn the whole evening, but I was still running everything and wanted to stay in touch throughout the evening. It wasn’t as if we were wearing earpieces or something; this wasn’t that sort of an operation.
Abigail was inside, too, and Jenn had told us both to take turns getting our meals from the food trucks while everyone else was eating. I was glad she hadn’t tried to make me sit with the family. I wouldn’t have. I had my priorities.
There were speeches. Excellent food. Dessert. Dancing. All the usual wedding things. It was a lovely, perfect evening, and by the time things started to wind down, I realized I’d never finished that conversation with Emery that I’d started earlier.
It didn’t matter now. I was going to kidnap him soon enough.
I stood to the side, watching the proceedings when Demi and Luke got ready to leave. Abigail moved to a better spot to watch after Wren like we’d agreed, because it was time for me to go, too.
As Demi slipped into the car that would whisk them to grab their bags from the house and then to Denver for their mini-moon, she found me in the crowd and gave me a look as if to remind me of my task.
I smiled and nodded, but I didn’t need to be reminded.
She reached out, and Luke stepped aside, letting Emery lean into the car to hug her one more time. Then he hugged Luke, too, saying something to him that made Luke’s eyes glisten.
A few seconds later, the car door closed behind him and Emery stepped back wiping his cheeks.
I dodged a couple of people, took Emery’s hand, and pulled him with me.
“W-What?” he asked, startled.
“You’re coming with me,” I said firmly, and continued to pull him to the side of the barn where I had parked the truck.
“Ville, what are you—”
“Nope. Do as you’re told, Emery.”
His mouth snapped shut and fire flared in his eyes. Then his phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out just as I let go of his hand to open the door for him.
He let out a choked-up sound and showed me the screen. It was a message from Demi.
Do as you’re told, Emery.
It was as if she knew him or something. I chuckled and pointedly nodded toward the seat I wanted him to take. He sighed, but I could see a small smile playing on his lips as he got in. As I rounded the truck, I saw Nick peer out from the barn’s service door in the back. He gave me a thumbs up, and I lifted a hand in return.
“What’s going on?” Emery asked, suspicious as fuck.
“Nothing much,” I lied easily. The second time I’d lied to him, but it was for a good cause. Not that he believed me for a moment.
I drove us to the ranch house. “Let’s go change.”
