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Paige turned her attention back to what was now an empty table. Scanning the area quickly, she spotted her brother and his new love on the dance floor. They fit together perfectly. Again that tinge of jealousy pricked at her, but she would not let it soil how happy she was for all her siblings and their soul mates. Not only did Craig and Kate’s silhouettes fit together like two pieces to a puzzle, Paige had never seen Craig look so good on a dance floor. The two bodies swayed as one, and then when she least expected it, Craig would twirl Kate out and back into the fold of his arms. Every time Kate’s smile grew, and Paige would swear she could see the bright twinkle in the woman’s eyes all the way across the room.
She had to agree with Grams. No way those two were going to make it much longer without self combusting. Yep, her money was also on a June wedding.
“Look.” Her grandmother pointed across the hall. “Eve’s lining up to toss the bouquet.”
Glancing in the direction her grandmother’s finger pointed, Paige spotted the line-up. Apparently, the coordinator gave up on her father.
“Go on.” Grams nudged her arm.
“That’s silly.”
“Maybe. But it’s your sister’s wedding. Go.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Paige saluted the family matriarch and took her place in a long line of giddy single women waiting for the longstanding, and in Paige’s mind, silly tradition of the one to catch the bouquet would be the next to marry.
Standing as far away from the line as she could and still looking like she was eagerly participating, Paige listened to the countdown.Three… two… Someone beside her screeched so loudly in anticipation that Paige wondered if she’d be able to hear the rest of the night. The disc jockey called outoneand Paige decided maybe the girl hadn’t screamed all that loud after all. Barely lifting her hands, preparing to clap for the lucky—or unlucky—winner, her heart nearly leaped to her throat when the throwaway bouquet landed squarely between her hands.
Snapping her gaze upward, she spotted her sister grinning at her like the cat who’d eaten the canary. Great. This was all she needed. For the rest of the night everyone and their grandmother, especiallyhergrandmother, was going to be ragging her about being next to wed. All the fuss and fawning on Craig and his new love would be forgotten as she’d be new fodder for the gossips. Oh well.
“See?” Her grandmother came up beside her. “Wasn’t that fun?”
“Yes, Grams.”
“Now you’ll have to keep your eyes open. Maybe Mr. Right is here and you just haven’t met him yet.”
“Thanks, Grams.” She refrained from shaking her head or gagging. She already knew every available bachelor on the Houston social registry and was less than enthusiastic about the prospects of finding a forever love anytime soon. For now, her only focus was growing the winery. Romance would have to wait. Glancing down at the round white bouquet in her hands, she got a sweet whiff of the floral scents, closed her eyes and fighting that twinge in her gut again, for just a second, let herself think,if only.
