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“Just as well,” Aaro offered, by way of comfort. “She’s too young.”
Petrie’s gaze swung around swiftly. “How young?”
“Oh, nineteen, twenty, I think. Put her out of your mind.”
“Right.” Petrie took another swig, passed the flask back. “Right.”
Aaro slid it into his pocket. “I’m going to go stalk Lily Parr now. Go watch the ceremony, man.” Petrie looked like he was rooted to the ground. Aaro slapped the guy’s shoulder, remembering the healing bullet wound too late as Petrie flinched “Hey,” he said. “Breathe.”
A ghost of a smile flashed across Petrie’s face as he held up the noxious diaper. “With this thing in my hands?”
* * *
Lily focused intentlyon the string ensemble in the back of the conservatory, playing the wedding processional with great verve.
It was hard not to stare. The muscians were very easy on the eyes. Six drop-dead gorgeous chicks in plunging sequined evening gowns. And they played their instruments beautifully, too. Go figure.
Lily could not believe she’d talked herself into this. Yes, she needed to express her gratitude to the clan, yes, she did need to wish Edie and Kev the best, yes, she owed Tam congratulations for her baby.
And yes, she needed to speak to Bruno.
She’d thought, why not do it all in one fell swoop, and move on from there? Liberated and lightened, with new clarity of mind. Right.
Wrong. It wasn’t going to be like that. She was in deep shit.
She’d tried to be unobtrusive. She’d swept the hair up into a fuzzy roll. Worn smoky charcoal gray, but the beaded gown was pretty. She’d painted her face carefully to mask her pallor. Rented her own car for a sure getaway. This Parrish mansion, one of many, was located out of the city. She’d hung back in the bushes until the processional began so that everyone else would be already seated inside the old fashioned glass conservatory where the ceremony was being held.
She’d lurked by the door. She had no intention of going to the reception afterwards. As if. But in spite of all her efforts, Sveti had spotted her. And of course, the girl jumped up, waving, and ran down the center aisle like a pink tinted gazelle, dress fluttering behind her like fairy wings, her face lit with one of those incandescent smiles, so that everyone had to rubberneck to see who she was running towards.
And Lily was so very busted.
Sveti hugged her, and dragged her up the aisle to where all the other McCloud women and kids were sitting. She was forced to field big smiles of welcome and a ripple of fierce whispering. Liv was there, and Zia Rosa, too, all jubilant smiles and winks. There were a number of women she hadn’t met yet, holding babies and toddlers, exchanging speculative glances. The McCloud men were all up front, standing up behind Kev, along with Bruno. She tried not to look, but her gaze was sucked to him. And Bruno stared straight at her. Shockingly gorgeous in his black tux. Thinner. Sharper. His dark eyes burned.
The eye contact stopped her breath. Her face went hot. Everyone watched her blush. Well, not everyone. Some people were probably watching the bride and groom. Kev looked so happy. Edie was the most beautiful bride Lily had ever seen. She wore a draped chiffon thing, with bias cut ruffly edges that perfectly suited her tall, graceful form. Her long hair flowed loose, accented by vaporous bits of lily of the valley.
The couple gazed at each other, hands linked. True lovers who’d passed through all trials and danger, and had finally come home to each other. They shone together. They were literally bathed in light.
It made her heart burn and ache. Jealousy was unseemly, in the face of such perfect happiness, but she wasn’t an angel or a saint. Good thing tears were appropriate at weddings. Tough to tell the difference between heartfelt good wishes and plain old rancorous envy.
Tam stood up with the bride, along with a pretty young girl who had to be Edie’s younger sister, from the looks of her. Tam was looking trim and elegant, in spite of having given birth to her daughter Irina three weeks before. News of that event had filtered back to Lily, in spite of the shields she’d put around herself. Tam studied Lily, her expression hard to read. It looked like approval. Showed how much Tam knew.
Everyone seemed to think a happy ending was guaranteed. But she’d gone over it a thousand times. She’d been so sure. Positive she and Bruno were linked, heart and soul, to the end of time. And when she realized he didn’t trust her, that he didn’t believe her, well.
She just wouldn’t be able to survive that a second time. And if it happened once, why not again, when she least expected it? In spite her discovery. She was still reeling from it. Riding a hormonal roller coaster.
Lily broke eye contact with some difficulty, Tam being Tam. She scanned the crowd until she found Val a couple of rows behind her. A tiny baby swathed in hot pink chenille was draped on his shoulder over a burp rag that protected his elegant black suit. Rachel was beside him.
Val gave her a nod, a smile. Rachel bounced and waved. Lily’s throat tightened, looking at the tiny baby. She was so glad for them. At least some stories had happy endings. And not just this one. There were two rambunctious black-haired toddlers crawling all over Zia Rosa’s and Sveti’s laps. The very kids she and Bruno had pulled out of King’s burning house. So Bruno had gotten custody of his little siblings. Something good had come of all this evil. There was that to cling to.
She dragged a Kleenex out of her purse. Bruno stepped up behind his brother, to give him the rings. Their gazes crossed. No getting away. They stared at each other while Kev and Edie exchanged their vows.
Lily didn’t hear a thing. She was trapped in an airless, invisible prison. All she saw was Bruno’s face. All she heard was her heart, thudding. Emotions rose up, swelling out of control. Threatening to burst out in some inappropriate, badly timed way, a sobbing fit, a fainting spell, a freak-out. She’d worn low heels, in case she ended up running. And waterproof mascara. The gummy stuff weighed her lashes down like they’d been painted with tar.
Then Kev and Edie joined in a clinging kiss so joyful and inevitable, the room broke into cheers, howls, applause. Everyone rose to their feet, yelling and whooping. So happy that these two fine people had found such joy together. Something snapped. Tears poured down.
Oh, shit. Not now. She jerked loose of Sveti’s hand, and ran towards the back of the conservatory, out into the garden, pointing herself blindly towards the parking area—
A hand seized her arm, bringing her up short with a jerk.
