Curse Jessie and Duncan for showing her the things she could have someday. Now nothing else would be enough for her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Duncan stood next to Liam, wishing all the while he could be sitting next to Ami on her bench, watching the proceedings while holding her close. Or even standing in Liam’s place watching her walk toward him down the aisle.
He’d only known the woman for a bit over a month, but already he wished she could be his forever. All the guests had arrived, and they were just waiting for the music to begin, indicating Lorna was on her way. He’d caught a glimpse of Mairi when she first arrived, holding on tight to some bloke who looked unhappy to be there. Duncan looked at Ami then and saw her smiling at him as if she were enjoying herself immensely.
She was very different from any woman he had ever dated before, and he wanted to find a way to make it so they could be together. With his work in the final stages of the project, he couldn’t leave yet. And she needed to get back to her school. It wouldn’t be a good time to ask her to stay.
He could ask her where their relationship was going. They could do the long distance thing for a little while. They could see how it went until he was at a point where he could close up the research project and relocate to be with her.
Tonight, at the reception, he would ask. He would see if she wanted to make a go of things, or if it would just be a fun vacation romance for both of them. The thought of it being over saddened him. He caught her eye again just before the music started, indicating Lorna was about to walk down the aisle. Ami smiled brightly at him, and then she turned with the other guests to watch the bride. He only glanced at Lorna for a moment before he looked back at Ami.
She was who he wanted. A short term romance would never do for him. He wanted the whole thing. The bride walking to her groom. The life partner to work through the hard things in life. The mother to a tiny baby that he could hold and love and see himself in the future. This woman had turned him into something he never dreamed he’d be. And yet he loved every little idea of it.
He turned his attention to Liam and Lorna, watching as they gazed at each other. He listened to the words the minister spoke, invoking heaven’s blessings on them, encouraging them to cleave to each other and none else and to begin their family in all honesty and devotion. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife and allowed them to kiss, Duncan looked at Ami again. She put her thumbs up and grinned, making Duncan chuckle as she worked her way deeper into his heart.
***
With the official ceremony over, Ami waited for a moment, not sure what to do next. She watched as the couple walked down the aisle together, holding hands and smiling or speaking to the guests lining the pews. Duncan stepped down from the steps where the wedding party had stood for the ceremony and joined her. He offered her his hand, a look of contemplation in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.
She smiled up at him. “You looked fabulous up there.” She glanced over to where the bride and groom were. “Almost better than the groom himself. It’s a good thing there isn’t a lot of superstition about outshining the groom like there is the bride.”
Before Duncan could reply, an elderly woman from behind them spoke up. “Duncan, love. It’s good to see ye. How about ye save a dance for me? We’ve got some catching up to do.”
Duncan smiled, but Ami could tell it wasn’t completely genuine. “Of course, Mrs. McLeary.” The woman left and Ami watched her join Mairi and visit for a moment before the two of them left the chapel after the bride and groom.
“Shall we go?” Duncan asked. “The wedding supper is just down the street in a garden area.”
“Should we walk then?” Ami asked.
“Och, no. We’ll drive. It’s a bit farther than a walk.”
They were some of the last out of the church. Ami wondered why he was holding back instead of rushing with the wedding party to do his part as the best man. Maybe he didn’t have a lot to do. Or maybe he didn’t really know what he should be doing.
“What else are your duties as the best man stand in?” Ami asked. “Will you have to give the toast at dinner?”
Duncan’s eyes widened. “I didna think of that. I’d better get something figured out just in case. Thanks.” He kissed her cheek, took her hand, and led her to his car.
He didn’t speak as they drove. She knew he was probably thinking of what he might say and she didn’t want to distract him so she kept quiet. When he parked the car, he pulled his phone out. “Maybe I’ll be able to find a blessing poem to read.”
“I think it would mean more just coming from your heart. And I’m sure you could do it. Don’t fret. Just get up there and say what’s on your mind. Who knows, they might not even have you do it.”
Duncan looked at her and smiled. “I’m so glad to have found ye. Thanks for the advice.”
“Oh, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you sing them a song? Do a quick and short toast if that’s needed, but sing to them.”
Duncan contemplated it for a moment then smiled again. “Excellent idea. I’ll have to see who they’ve got playing.”
He got out of the car, opening the door for her. He tucked her arm into his as they walked down the stone pathway to the garden behind an old building. In the center of the large back lawn area, a huge white tent was set up. A good idea with the potential for rain at any time of day here.
Though the sun was still up, it was getting closer to evening. The area would look stunning when the garden lamps lit up and the twinkling strands of lights encircling the poles and tree trunks turned on.
“It’s beautiful here,” Ami said.
“Aye, it is.” Duncan squeezed her hand where it rested on his arm. “We’ll have to go for a walk around the garden after dinner.”
“Sounds like a wonderful idea.” She looked forward to spending a little more time with him alone. Although she didn’t mind crowds, the more she was with him, the more she wanted him to herself. And after watching all the wedding stuff, she wanted time to decompress and come to terms with the end of her trip and the end to any relationship with Duncan.
She’d be going home in three days and she’d never felt more confused in her life.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Duncan didn’t realize how busy he’d be as the stand in best man. He managed to find someone who could play music to accompany him in the song he’d sing for the couple. He spent some time looking at wedding toasts online, but none of them seemed to fit what he wanted to say about Lorna and Liam.
He thought about what Ami had said, and knew it would be best if it all came from his heart. Yet his heart was so full of Ami, he didn’t know if he’d be able to make any sense trying to give a toast to his friends.
When the time for the toast came, Ami leaned over close and whispered in his ear. “You can do it. I believe in you.”
Her confidence buoyed him up, and he stood and walked to the front to a portable podium with a little microphone. He held up his glass that somehow he managed to have with him. Then he looked at it and remembered Ami wrapping his fingers around it.
“When I woke this morning, I had no idea of the surprise waiting for me when I arrived at the wedding, but I can say, I’m honored to be a part of this moment with Liam and Lorna. I’ve known both of them for quite some time. At first, when they began dating, it didn’t seem like anything but fun would come of it. Yet before long it was easy enough to see that they were meant for each other.”
Duncan thought of the truth of it in his own experience with Ami. He met her eyes and spoke the next words. “Many didn’t know if it would actually work for the two of them. What with her traveling so often for work, and him more of a set in stone kind of guy, but they made it work. They put their relationship first and let whatever else in life work out the way it would.”
He looked back at Liam and Lorna, but wanted to keep his eyes only on Ami. “When I first got the announcement that these two had decided to wed, I was a little con
fused. I mean, I knew both of them really well. Even dated Lorna myself, though she didn’t seem to like me as much as she obviously does Liam.” He nodded at Liam, who leaned close to Lorna enough they could rest their heads together. “But the more I thought of it, the more I realized, if ye really do love someone, ye will do whatever it takes to make them happy and to work things out.”
Duncan looked back at Ami for a moment before scanning the crowd. He turned his attention back to Liam and Lorna. “And though yer lives may not always have everything go perfectly for ye, I pray to God that He may bless ye with everything good He possibly can, and that the two of ye can weather any storms life may throw at ye for yer growth. Because we all need a little rain in our lives now and again. May your love for each other be the light ye need to bring the sun back into yer days.”
Duncan raised his glass, indicating he was done with the toast, and the others joined him, a few making quick wishes of luck and happiness to the couple. Duncan took a short drink and pulled the microphone out of the podium. “And just because I can, I’ve decided to sing to ye.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The ripples of excitement at Duncan’s announcement made Ami smile. Apparently his talent was well known. She couldn’t wait to hear his voice again, especially singing a love song at a wedding. The music began. Duncan looked at the musician and then at the couple as he began to sing. Less than a few bars into the song, he met her eyes and seemed to be singing to her.
The song was familiar, one she had heard on the radio countless times and even played at weddings before, but the way he sang the words gave her a feeling there was more to it than just the words. Duncan’s emotions behind the lyrics pierced her heart. She stared at him, wondering if he were singing to her or to the couple.
She looked at Liam and Lorna, who were too busy staring at each other to notice that Duncan wasn’t even looking at them. She focused her attention back on Duncan. With the intensity of his gaze, she began wondering if his toast was meant for her as well. She’d known they were getting more and more involved with each other, but she still figured it would just be over when she went home.
Now she wasn’t sure. She watched him carefully, trying to search his actions for any clue that would give her an idea of what he really meant. She’d read too much into a relationship once before, and it had burned her enough she didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
As the song came to an end, Duncan met her eyes once more and she felt the surety that he had meant the words for her.
The thought worried her. Could they make it work? Wouldn’t it just be easier to let it end and remember how wonderful the trip was, but not try to worry about a relationship that spanned an ocean and half a continent?
Before Duncan could rejoin her, he was stopped by a couple who waved him over to their table. It was obvious he knew them because he pulled up a chair and talked with the older couple for a few minutes.
Ami was relieved for the time she had to gather her thoughts around her. She shouldn’t let her imagination get away with her. She didn’t have to ruin the fun of the night by imagining things that weren’t really there. Duncan had fun with her, sure, and he sang beautifully. No arguing that. Although the words held a lot of meaning, he was a born performer. It wasn’t directed at her. She had to believe that.
Ami visited with the people at her table for a moment before one of the couples got up to dance. Ami glanced around for Duncan and saw him standing up with the old lady who had found him in the church. Mrs. McLeary had come to claim her dance and Ami smiled. Duncan caught her eye at that moment. He shrugged and then grinned at her. She waved happily at them and immersed herself in watching the guests.
As a waiter brought by some drinks, she shook her head, knowing she needed to keep her wits about her completely. She decided to take the opportunity to find the ladies room. When she came out, the song had changed. She glanced around looking for Duncan and saw him dancing with another woman, only a little younger than the first one who’d snatched him.
“That Duncan is a charmer isn’t he?” A woman’s voice from in front of Ami said. She looked to see who might be talking, but wasn’t sure until she saw Mrs. McLeary nod as she answered.
“Sure is. But he’s always been that way. I’m surprised Lorna and Liam invited him to the wedding, actually.”
“Why?” the first woman asked.
“Ye heard him. He and Lorna used to be a couple. But he’s no one for commitments. He couldn’t even make things last with his latest girlfriend. You remember Mairi, right?”
“Aye, I do. She’s a dear. I can’t believe they didn’t work out. Mairi is perfect for him. Much better choice than that foreigner he brought to the wedding. She is nice enough from what I’ve seen, but she just doesn’t seem like the kind that could keep Duncan on the straight and narrow.”
“Don’t think anyone could keep him on the straight and narrow,” Mrs. McLeary said. “If he’d just give Mairi another chance, she could manage. I still don’t know why he let her go. And did you see who Mairi brought with her? He’s nothing compared to our Duncan. I’d bet she’d leave with him if the chance arose.”
Ami looked over at Duncan, who caught her eye and waved from the dance floor. The women in front of him seemed surprised and glanced behind them. When they caught sight of her, both of them jumped, stammered something unintelligible, and moved away, leaving Ami to stand there looking at Duncan.
When the music ended, she had managed to get her emotions under control a little. By the time he reached her, she had a smile on her face that she thought could pass for genuine.
***
“Will ye save me?” Duncan asked. “Please don’t make me dance with another one of these ladies.”
“Ah, why not?” Ami asked. “You look so dashing with them.”
“But I’ve only got eyes for you. And if ye don’t dance with me, I might die a little inside.”
“Well, we can’t have ye dying at a wedding,” Ami said, trying to add a little accent to it and not doing too bad. “That would be bad luck for the new couple. Especially if their first best man came down with the flu. Too much for the couple to overcome.”
“Exactly.” Duncan leaned his head closer to hers and met her eyes. “Please save us all from such a fate.”
“I’ll do my best,” Ami said. “But I’m feeling a bit of pressure. Hopefully you can pull through.” She put her hand in his and followed him to the dance floor.
“With ye by my side, I think I could survive most anything,” Duncan said.
Ami stiffened for a moment at first, but soon melted against him. He loved the feel of her close to his heart and thanked the musicians for picking a slow song now. He held her one hand close to his chest between the two of them while resting his other hand on her hip. She had her free hand resting on his arm as they danced, looking into each other’s eyes. After a moment she looked away and watched the crowd around them. He looked to see if anything particular caught her attention, but he almost felt like she was looking for someone. He saw Mairi and Mrs. McLeary talking over by a table. Mairi shook her head and moved over to her date. The two of them left the tent. Mrs. McLeary threw her hands up in defeat and returned to her friend.
Duncan looked down at Ami, who had been watching them as well. “I wonder what that was all about,” he said.
Ami glanced up at him, a strange smile on her lips. She shrugged. “Who knows?”
Duncan pushed the other women out of his mind and just enjoyed the one in his arms. As the music ended, he kept hold of her hand. “Can we take that walk now?”
“Ah, you just want me to keep all these other women away from you, right?”
“That’s only a small part of it. Mostly I want to keep all these guys eyeing you away from ye and keep ye to myself.”
Ami looked at him for a moment, and then nodded and walked forward. He fell into step with her. He waved at someone who had motioned for him to come join them, but he ignored t
he offer and walked out of the tent with Ami.
The night was beautiful, with no clouds in the sky. A rare surprise. The stars were just beginning to peek through the darkening blue of the sky.
“I think clear skies are what I’ve missed most from home. You can rarely see the stars here. Although the green and color here will be missed, I’m looking forward to going home.”
“Are ye sure ye have to go home so soon?” Duncan asked.
“Yes. I can’t change my flight without some hefty fees. And I still have to get some things ready for the coming school year.”
Her words were soft and simple, but underneath, it felt like there was something he didn’t understand. He walked with her to a little path between some trees. She held his hand, but she wasn’t clinging to his arm in the usual way they had walked over the past few days. He could feel her pulling away from him. He didn’t like it.
They needed to find a place to sit, where they could talk and he could find out where they were going. Maybe the way she was acting was a clue. Maybe she didn’t want anything more from him than a fun time. Maybe she wanted some memories to look back on from her trip, but nothing permanent that would interfere with her real life at home.
The first bench along the path was occupied by a couple sitting close and talking so they continued on the path, not speaking. Duncan pulled her closer for a moment, but she pulled away after a few steps. She seemed to be trying to disguise her actions by studying something off the side of the path, but he couldn’t see anything that would have caught her interest.
“Beautiful garden, don’t ye think?” Duncan asked, hoping to get her to open up and say something.
Never Trust the Rain (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 9
