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I shake my head. “I never thought I’d beinThe Plaza Hotel, much less a guest at a wedding here.”
“It was a beautiful wedding—but then, I knew it would be. Beau and Elsie would not settle for anything less than perfect.”
And it is. From the flower and glass chandeliers to the cabbage rose centerpieces on every table. Soft pink and lavender lighting carries throughout the room, making everything slightly glow. Elsie had a hell of a time settling on her wedding aesthetic, but all the work paid off and everyone was having a wonderful time. There’s drinking and dancing, but the bride and groom have vanished again.
“Think they’re going at it in another bathroom?” Lily asks.
I laugh. “Lily!”
“What? You don’t think they keep disappearing for sex?”
“Of course they are, but I’d rather just be happy to think of them as happy, and not think of the details.”
She shrugs and smirks. “And you and Everett? Do you think something like this might be in your future?”
I sigh, trying to shake off the melancholy. “You know what Cormac said as well as I do. Everett is not the marrying kind.”
“Yeah, but he has been known to change his mind. Cormac was very shocked when Everett decided to move to Somerset Harbor and take the management job with MacMillan Corp.”
“He surprised me with that, too. But I don’t want him to feel like he’s losing his identity just to be with me and Owen. It’s not right to ask him for this.” No matter how much I want it.
“You two have been together for how long now?”
“Four months. But in some ways, it feels like forever and like we just met. Weird, right?”
She smiles and shakes her head. “Not to me. That’s how I feel about Cormac. My point is, maybe he’ll change his mind about marriage, too.”
“When it came up, he was pretty adamant about never getting married. Granted, it only came up while we were watching a kid’s cartoon, but he was set on the idea that marriage isn’t for him.” I shrug. “I’ve decided to make peace with it. Things are as good as they can be. I have my man. We’re buying a house together. We spend every waking minute that we cantogether. Do I really need a piece of paper from the government to prove he’s mine?”
Right then, Beau and Elsie walk hand in hand back into the ballroom, obviously having just had sex. Her cheeks are pink, and his bowtie is crooked, something Beau MacMillan would never stand for under any other circumstance. People clink their forks to their glasses to make them kiss. Which, of course, they do.
Lily shakes her head. “Don’t they get that this is why they vanished last time? Fork clinking leads to kissing and kissing leads to sex. If they want to see the happy couple, they should stop clinking.”
“You’re just cranky because you can’t drink.”
“Yes, I am.”
I smile at her. “Don’t be a wedding grinch. At least Elsie wanted her bridesmaids in nice dresses.” We’re both in fitted black gowns with low necklines and a thigh slit for dancing. I was surprised Elsie had asked me to be in the wedding party, but she insisted since I was family.
His entire family has been like that. The moment they knew about Owen and me, I’ve been invited to every family event and my social calendar went from non-existent to full overnight. At first, I wasn’t sure about any of it. It seemed so odd to have such a wide open definition of family. I mean, Owen, sure. But me, too?
More to the point, my wardrobe lacked for the right attire. Yacht and summer are not verbs where I come from. Thankfully, Everett has decided that gifts of clothes do not count as making me a kept woman. It rubs against my pride, but I want to be a part of his family, so I let him. Plus, I love my new clothes, so that helps.
Cormac strolls to us in a sharp tuxedo. “Might I steal my bride, Aria? She has some dancing to do.”
“Of course, Cormac. She’s in a grinchy mood. Maybe you can help.”
“I will do my best.” He whisks her away, and I can’t help but be a little jealous. Their kids are with their mother, and they begged us to let Owen stay with them instead of his grandparents. I’m so happy he has cousins he adores. But with Lily gone and Owen back in Somerset Harbor, I’m left wondering where Everett’s gotten off to. He and his brother Beckett are the mischievous sons in the family, and though I’m not too worried about them causing trouble, I miss Everett and wish he were here with me now.
Everyone dances beautifully under the colored lights. It’s almost like a movie. Well, everyone but Lily. As I stand near the edge of the dance floor, I hear someone ask her friend, “Is she drunk? Or having a seizure?”
“Neither,” I offer. “That’s just Lily.”
She chuckles. “Thanks. I was about to dial 911.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Just then, a warm body presses against me from behind, and I smile, because I know this body as well as I know my own. Everett murmurs in my ear, “Enjoying the party?”
