“It’s her mom and some mystery lover,” she said. “Emmie thinks that is her father but we don’t know for sure. The date on the back seems right though.”
For the first time Gabe turned his attention to the guy in the picture. He squinted and jerked the photo closer to his eyes. Ava walked out of the room just in time to see him turn the photo, look at the date on the back, and then drop it on the table like it was on fire. He stood and ran his hands over his face. Then he put the flask up to his lips and took another long swig with his eyes closed. He replaced the cap and put it in his pocket.
“What’s wrong?” Ava asked as he paced the floor.
“Just getting ready for tonight.” He tapped the flask he’d just put in his pocket. “You look beautiful, doll,” Gabe said then pulled her in for a long slow kiss. She seemed to buy the act. He was glad that she couldn’t tell what he was feeling right now. Anger, hurt, confusion. He didn’t want her to feel any of this tonight. He didn’t want her to question him about that picture, so he kissed her until he was sure the word photograph wasn’t even in her vocabulary. This was going to be her night. He refused to let some old photograph ruin what he’d worked months to plan.
Chapter Two
Emmie closed her eyes and blinked a few times, then took another look around the room. Nope, she wasn’t dreaming. If she didn’t know better, she would swear she had been transported to a real European castle. The reception hall was amazing. The room was full of women in ornate costumes and men in well-tailored, three-piece suits. Save Silas at her side, she saw no one she knew. Everyone there seemed to be moving around her, engaged in conversation, dancing, or laughing without noticing their surroundings, like it was just another day. She couldn’t move in the beauty of the room that surrounded her. The entire ceiling billowed with arches. It was as if she was in a stone tent. Intricately decorated tiles covered the ceiling and floors. Gargoyles sat on the top of each marble pillar, watching the gluttony of the festivities below. Various types of pumpkins and candles decorated the tables that surrounded the room.
She was drawn from her gawking as Silas wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her nearer to him. Emmie at first was startled by his spontaneous show of affection but then realized she had been blocking the main aisle and a server carrying a tray full of desserts moved around her in a hurry.
“Sorry,” she muttered to him but he was too far away to hear. She turned to face Silas. “I was just…” Emmie started but with wide eyes and a smile she opened her hands up to the room, “I’ve never been anywhere quite like this.”
Silas gave the room a glance. His face impassive, he shrugged in indifference.
Emmie rolled her eyes and laughed at him. “Oh, come on. This is beautiful. Surely, even you can admit that.”
A grin played at the corner of his mouth and he fought the show of emotion. He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her even closer. She could feel his breath on her ear as he spoke, “It doesn’t compare to you.”
His eyes met hers for a moment. Then he looked up and nodded at someone across the room. Emmie followed his gaze. It was Trick and a group of guys she didn’t recognize. As they got closer she understood why. Their voices were thick with accent. One was Irish but the others were all from the north, Chicago she guessed by the familiarity they showed Silas and Trick. A few of the guys clasped Silas’s arm in what she could only assume was the manly version of a hug from an old friend. The guys became lost in a conversation about big city business.
Silas seemed to be the center of the conversation, although he didn’t talk as much as some of the other guys. They would say something, he would comment or give his opinion. She was surprised to see the way they all watched him, waiting for his reaction. For a while she smiled from person to person and pretended to be following along. But soon she became self-conscious as the conversation heated up. It also didn’t escape her notice that she was the only female in the group. A few of the guys would periodically glance over at her politely as they spoke and she could see the curiosity in each of their eyes. No one introduced her. She picked up a couple of their names—the Irishman was Willem and she thought there were a Michael and Peter in the mix. She gave up trying to learn their names when three or four more joined the group.
Emmie glanced between the shoulders of the men surrounding her in hopes of seeing Ava’s family but she had no such luck. She turned around and spied a waiter a few columns back handing out glasses of punch.
“Excuse me,” Emmie muttered quietly to no one in particular.
She slipped between two of the men standing behind her, barely brushing against their arms. They parted to let her by. When she reached the open space a few feet away she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Emmie put her hands on her waist and ran her fingers down the length of her skirt. The peacock feathers were soft and light against her touch. The dress was beautiful. Ava was right; her black dress wouldn’t have held a candle to this one.
The waiter had one glass of punch left when she neared him. He turned away from her. “Hey, wait. That one is mine.” She skipped up to him.
“Sorry, miss. I didn’t see ya comin’,” he said.
She smiled and found a little bit of comfort in his country accent.
“It’s fine,” she smiled, “thank you.”
He stood there for a second watching her drink the first sip and then turned. She realized if he turned and walked away again, she would be alone in this crowded room again. “So,” she called after him, “where are ya from?”
He frowned at her and then answered, “South of here, miss. LaRue County.”
“LaRue County, I know that. My stepfather had an aunt that lived there. JoBerta Catrel,” Emmie said, leaning her back against the ornate stone column.
The man’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, I know the Catrel’s. Dairy farmers, right?”
“Yes,” she smiled and took another sip from the small glass. She’d half expected it to be spiked but it was just a normal fruity punch. The guy’s expression fell to a frown as he stared behind her.
“Looks like you’re out of drinks, maybe you should be making your way back to the kitchen to refill,” Silas’s voice drew near her.
“Yes, sir,” the guy nodded his head and headed back toward the kitchen without saying goodbye.
Emmie turned to face Silas with a smile. “It’s a small world.”
“Is that so?” he asked, his face indifferent.
“He knows Ronnie’s family,” she said, pointing at the guy as he walked away.
Silas frowned and nodded. It was obvious he wasn’t really listening. “Why did you leave?”
“I umm…” she couldn’t think of a good reason and laughed awkwardly, “just needed to take a breath, I guess.”
Silas nodded again then spoke looking straight ahead. “Well, I’d like you to meet my friends.”
“Sure, of course. I’d love to.” She finished the glass and put it down on the empty table nearest her. He picked up the glass, held it close to his body, pulled a silver flask and poured a small amount into the cup. He pushed the glass into her hand.
“To help you catch your breath.” He bit his lower lip and glanced around. “Go ahead, honey. Sip a little piece of home.”
The warm apple pie coated her throat and sent heat through her body. She licked the last drop of moisture off her mouth. She let out a breath and relaxed her shoulders. Looking down at her, Silas’s face had spread into a wide grin. When he smiled like this he really favored Trick. He took the glass from her and put it back on the table.
“Thank you,” she said.
He nodded, kissed her on the forehead, and put his hand on the small of her back, leading her to the group of guys again. This time when they arrived he never moved his hand from around her waist. The Irishman looked at her with surprise. The conversation silenced as they entered the circle again. Silas introduced her to the group. Their names mixed together in her mind almost as soon as she he
ard them: James, Willem, Peter…
Emmie smiled and nodded her head, “Nice to meet you.”
“N-ice to meet you too,” one of the guys said in a horrible mock of her accent. The rest of the circle erupted in laughter. Emmie smiled at their joke, doing her best not to let it deflate her.
“Ha, ha,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“So Silas, you found a nice girl from the hills?” the guy asked.
“Shut up,” Trick said quickly to the guy.
Emmie looked at Silas to find him glaring. He clenched his jaw before speaking, “Peter, you will speak to her with respect.”
Peter’s face fell and he looked at Silas in shock. “Yeah, I was just joking, Silas.”
“You’ll apologize, now,” Silas said, never looking away.
“Yeah, I’m sorry ‘eh? I was just playing around. It’s nice to meet you Emmie.” The guy shrugged and stepped back from Silas. “Didn’t mean no disrespect.”
Silas dismissed the guy by turning away from him. He pulled his arm away from her briefly to pull a cigarette out of his vest. He lit it, staring down at her the whole time, trying to determine if she was okay. Silas took a long, slow draw from the small white stick before he spoke, “Ignore him.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “He was just teasing.”
His free hand went down the length of her arm and grasped her hand. “We’ve had this conversation before. I don’t like you teased.”
Her mind went back to that discussion. They had been at Ava’s, just after their first kiss. Her heart sped up at the memory. His hand with the cigarette came up and brushed her temple. He exhaled the smoke away from her, then leaned down to brush a kiss on the spot he’d just touched.
“Well, if it isn’t Emmie Shimmy dressed up like a pretty peacock.” Vince came up behind Silas. Ava’s older brother was standing next to a small blonde she assumed was Kate, his fiancée. Kate was dressed as a valentine. Her red dress was adorned with hundreds of hearts and a small cupid was fastened to her right shoulder.
“Emmie, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Kate put out her hand.
Emmie smiled and reciprocated the polite greeting. Ava walked up behind Kate. She looked lovely in her pumpkin dress. The bodice fit like a glove and her ballerina-styled jack-o-lantern skirt bounced as she skipped toward Emmie with outstretched arms.
“Oh, you look beautiful,” Ava said, embracing her friend. “I see you’ve met the goons.”
“That’s a good way to describe them. You look fantastic. The dress fits you like a glove,” Emmie said. Silas positioned himself just at her side but turned to talk to Vincent.
“That’s all thanks to you,” Ava said. The three girls fell into an easy conversation. Kate questioned Emmie on how she had created this or that on Ava’s dress. She seemed kind, which was good—Vince deserved to be with a nice girl.
When Gabe arrived a few minutes later, he handed Ava a glass of punch. Then he turned to Emmie and gave her a strange expression like he had no idea what to say to her.
“You look lovely,” he said, leaning in to give Emmie a hug. His arms wrapped around her back and squeezed her tight. When he pulled away slowly, his mouth was set in a grim line. After a short pause he greeted the others. She frowned at him as he turned around. Emmie wondered what was with warm embrace?
Ava shook her head at Emmie and smiled. “He has been so emotional all night.”
Chapter Three
The music came to an abrupt stop. Gabe walked up to the stage. Emmie glanced curiously at Ava but her face was marked with the same confusion as Emmie’s. Gabe’s eyes scanned the room for a moment before he spoke into the microphone. After a deep breath of courage he grinned, found Ava, and begin to speak.
A dawning of realization descended on Emmie. Her mouth dropped open. This was it. Right now… Now. She could hardly hear his words as her eyes searched for Ava. Emmie had never in her entire life seen Ava more genuinely surprised. Her mouth was frozen open in a little “o”. Her eyes were huge. Her fingers were fidgeting with some of the orange tulle of her skirt. Ava never fidgeted. Gabe’s speech ended and he reached down and pulled Ava up, onto the stage. She nodded. Hugging. Laughter. Applause. He did it. And she said yes. Ava was engaged.
Emmie tried to get close to Ava but the room was crowded with people pushing their way closer and closer to her. Apparently everyone here was related to her or friends with her from Chicago or Louisville. And they felt entitled to speak with her at that moment. Ava was glowing. Gabe had set it up perfectly. Ava would want the show. The production. The planning. The location. The family. The friends. He’d done it perfectly. Emmie smiled and released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Ten Minutes. Twenty Minutes. Half an hour. Time passed and Emmie sat at a table and watched the room move around her. Her nice waiter friend she’d met earlier dropped off a cup of punch as he passed by. Emmie scanned the room for Silas but he had stepped out with a friend just after the proposal. James was it? Maybe Willem, Emmie couldn’t remember. The feathers of the beautiful peacock dress were starting to dig into her stockings, like little pins poking her skin. This was clearly not supposed to be a dress to sit around in. Emmie stood and stretched her legs, scanning the room for someone to talk to. Ava was now standing with a group of girls about their age. Each costume was more adorned than the next. There was a queen, a deck of cards, and an angel. Ava caught Emmie’s eye and waved her over.
She greeted her friend with a squeal of excitement and a little hop. Ava spread her fingers wide to show off the diamond on her left hand. The ring was beautiful. Emmie had almost forgotten what it looked like. A large sparkly diamond encased by rows of smaller diamonds, spiraling out from the center. It went almost up to her knuckle. The deck-of-cards lady shrieked so loud Emmie actually jumped a little. The queen watched with jealous grin.
“Congratulations, Ava. It’s lovely,” Emmie said, wrapping her friend in a hug.
The queen laughed. “You mean best wishes. It’s bad luck to say congratulations to a bride, dear.”
Ava rolled her eyes at the queen. “Thanks. Did you know he was going to do this? I know you love your secrets but if you’ve been keeping this from me I will tar and feather you…”
Emmie laughed. “Nope, I had no idea.”
Well, that was a half-truth. She had approved the ring choice. But Emmie wasn’t sure Gabe wanted her to know that. It was probably better that this moment just be about the two of them.
The angel’s eyes widened and she spoke, “Oh, so you are Emmie? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Emmie smiled unsure what to say. She really hadn’t heard about them. Ava rarely ever talked about her friends from Chicago. Fashion, shopping, parties, boats, and boys yes. Friends, almost never.
The deck of cards smiled and looked at the queen. It was the queen who spoke first. “Oh, Emma. You are the seamstress. You make the loveliest clothes. We love her costume.”
“Yes, it is lovely. I actually need something new for a Christmas party at Pete’s firm. Do you work for hire?” the deck of cards asked.
Emmie frowned for a moment. Their words were kind but something about their tone was off. It felt mocking. Was she for hire? She was recently without a job. She could easily make dresses for these girls but something about her pride made her pause before she answered.
Ava put her arm on Emmie’s shoulder and smiled. “No, she is not for hire. She made these for me as my friend, not my seamstress. Emmie is just getting ready to enroll in college. Isn’t that right?”
She jutted out her chin and grinned as she spoke. That answered Emmie’s earlier question. The queen and deck of cards were being condescending earlier.
“That’s right. I’m enrolling when I return. Just finished up the paperwork on the train ride here,” Emmie said without reservation. Okay, that was an outright lie. She actually wouldn’t be permitted to enroll until the next year in the fall semester. That was if she could convince them she wasn
’t too old. Most girls started right out of high school. But, these girls would never know that. After tonight she would probably never see them again.
Ava introduced the girls: the queen, Liza; the deck of cards, Hannah; the angel, Jemma. Emmie noticed the angel seemed younger than the others. Maybe not yet twenty.
She nodded and extended her hand after the introduction. “Nice to meet you, Emmie.”
“Likewise,” Emmie said.
“I’d love to hear more about your college. I’m trying to convince my family that’s my path after high school. I’ve already started the preparatory classes. Maybe you could help me with my argument,” Jemma said.
“Sure, I’d be glad to,” Emmie shrugged, that little white lie nagging at her conscience. Not only was the paperwork not filled out, but she was also unsure if they would even let her in or if she had enough tuition money. She made a silent resolution to check on those things as soon as she got back home.
There was something about Jemma that Emmie liked. She was different from the other two women. Ava opened her mouth to say something but paused as she looked around Emmie. Emmie’s eyes followed her friend’s gaze and saw that Silas was walking to their table. As he got closer his face split into a wide grin, one of his rare smiles. His eyes lit up. Emmie felt her heart leap as he walked toward her.
Past her, he walked past her, picked up the angel and spun her in a circle, laughing out loud. The angel squeaked, “Si.”
Emmie tried to smile but it came out as a frown. Si?… Si? Okay, so she didn’t like this girl. The angel had given him a nickname? She stared up at him as he kissed the girl on each cheek before he put her down. She felt a fire of jealousy and hurt, burning in her gut.
“Silas. I have missed you so much. I wasn’t sure you would be able to make it. Trick said you’d been so busy down there.” The damn angel hugged him again. Like he had just returned from some war. This was too much, the final straw.
Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) Page 2
