Kissing the Maid of Honor

by Robin Bielman

  With the hired photographer doing a proper job, Luke enjoyed gathering people together for fun and candid shots. Vanessa and Hayden dazzled guests with their energy and constant focus on each other. Luke’s parents laughed and touched each other like young people in love. Sela’s parents, too. He captured those moments numerous times.

  When he finally found the one subject that convinced him there was more to life than traveling the globe taking pictures, his fingers tingled with nervous energy.

  Sela threw her head back and laughed. He focused on her profile and snapped a picture. She covered her mouth with her hand and whispered something to Erin, then lifted one bare shoulder and rubbed her chin against it, her gaze almost reaching him. He clicked. And clicked. And clicked. Every move she made enthralled him.

  Luke roamed around the room, his eye behind the camera, until he got close enough to hear her conversation. The sound of her voice did crazy good things to him.

  “Ladies? A picture?” he asked, unable to keep his distance any longer.

  They gathered around Sela, and Luke had to concentrate on getting everyone in the picture with her. The moment after the camera flashed, the traveling mariachi band separated him from the group of women. Boisterous “saluds” sounded from the bar, and Vanessa linked her arm with his to steer him toward another part of the restaurant.

  Dammit. He’d been a second away from talking to Sela. He looked over his shoulder. She watched him through the crowd, her lips slightly parted like she was about to mouth something. He raised his eyebrows right as a large man blocked his view.

  A thousand obstacles could stand in his way. Before he left Cascade he’d tell Sela he loved her. He just needed to make sure she believed it.

  …

  Sela looked around Crem’s at all the happy faces and swallowed the thickness in her throat. She bumped Vanessa’s hip and squeezed her hand. “I can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow.”

  Vanessa squeezed back. “I can’t either. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. Wish me luck.” She let go of Sela’s hand and she and Hayden walked to the front of the bakery where Meredith had set up a table with champagne and toasting glasses.

  Mr. and Mrs. Foster greeted them with hugs and kisses. The foursome turned to their standing room only guests.

  “Thank you all for coming tonight,” Mr. Foster said. “I admit when my wife decided to make this a progressive dinner, I had my doubts. But the restaurants have been amazingly supportive and the food top notch. So I’d like to thank them first and foremost for making this a night we won’t soon forget.”

  Cheers and applause sounded. A few whistles and woots.

  A camera flashed. Sela willed herself to keep her eyes on Mr. Foster.

  If she even glanced in Luke’s direction, she’d lose what little willpower she had left. She’d missed him so much these past four days.

  “I’d like to thank Paula and Reed for welcoming us into their family and hosting the wedding on their property tomorrow. I stopped by earlier today and let me tell you, it’s going to be spectacular.”

  Sela clapped along with everyone else.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. Luke. He appeared to be inching closer with side steps meant to be nonchalant. A few more zigs and zags among the crowd and he’d be at her side.

  Crap. She had nowhere to go. A proper maid of honor wouldn’t miss a second of the speeches.

  And if she were honest with herself, she didn’t want to miss being close to him. She’d avoided him all night, caught between her desire to be with him before he left for Chile and her pride.

  As usual, her heart and head were at odds with each other.

  Crem’s employees wove through the room passing out small glasses of champagne. She accepted one and then focused back on Mr. Foster.

  “Hayden. Vanessa.” Mr. Foster put a hand on his son’s shoulder and looked adoringly at both of them. “There’s a quote I like to recite. It goes ‘there is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage.’” He paused, looked down at the floor, and pursed his lips before resuming. “For almost thirty years I’ve been blessed with a good marriage. A happy marriage. Love isn’t always easy, but it is simple. Respect each other. Be kind to each other. Listen. Know you can speak freely and the other person won’t judge. And most importantly, Hayden, remember these two words: you’re right.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Vanessa,” Mr. Foster continued. “We couldn’t have picked a more wonderful girl for our son to fall in love with. Thank you for making him happy.” He kissed Vanessa’s cheek, then raised his champagne glass. “To Hayden and Vanessa. May their life together be full of romance, laughter, and…” He looked at Mrs. Foster and they both said, “Children.”

  “Here! Here!” echoed around the bakery.

  Sela took a sip of her champagne. She wiped a hand underneath her eye.

  “Hey,” Luke whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her neck. “You okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “Nice speech.” He stood close enough that they touched.

  She ran blood pressure numbers through her head to distract her from his body heat and beach and bar soap scent. One twenty over eighty. One forty over ninety. Eighty over sixty. “Very nice.”

  “You look beautiful tonight.”

  “Luke. Please.” She couldn’t do this. Words like that after a speech like that. She wanted things. Big things. Forever things. And Luke wasn’t the forever kind of guy. He wasn’t the shout-it-from-the-rooftops guy either and wasn’t that what she really wanted? A man as gutsy with his words as he was with his actions.

  “Please what? I—”

  “Shh,” she said. “Your sister’s about to talk.”

  Hurry up, Vanessa.

  Vanessa and Hayden linked arms and surveyed the bakery, love and excitement plain to see on their elated faces. Vanessa beamed at her future in-laws as she thanked them and the guests. “Next we want to thank our bridal party. If you all will come up here, we have something special for each of you.”

  Sela took quick strides to reach Vanessa. Hayden gave out handled dark wooden cases—poker chips she guessed from the size and shape—and Vanessa handed out small blue Tiffany bags.

  “Thank you,” she said, hugging Vanessa.

  “Open them,” Vanessa said.

  A collective sigh sounded from Sela and the other girls when they pulled out small silver heart pendant necklaces.

  “I hope you’ll wear them tomorrow.” Vanessa clasped her hands and brought her elbows to her sides. “Thank you for being the best bridesmaids ever.

  “Lastly, we want to thank you, Mom and Dad.” Vanessa raised her flute. “You have made this dream of mine come true, and I love you so very much. Cheers.”

  “Cheers!” Sela and the rest of the room shouted.

  After one more sip of her champagne, Sela put it down. She ran her fingers over the pendant and lifted the chain so she could wear it.

  “Allow me.” Luke brushed her hair to the side and over one shoulder. His fingertips left a trail of tingles and she shivered. His hands, big and strong but gentle, lifted the necklace. Without thinking, she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck.

  His front made contact with her back. His mouth hovered at her earlobe. Her body melted against his. “Do you know how hard it is for me not to kiss you right here? Or here?” His words scorched her skin as his lips moved from her ear to her collarbone.

  He draped the necklace around her neck. She held the pendant in place on her chest while he worked on the clasp. He seemed to be having difficulty, so she tilted her head forward.

  “You’ve got me shaking like a schoolboy, Sela Sullivan. I think about you every second of every day. I want to strip you out of this dress so badly it hurts.”

  Oh, God. She wanted that, too. But it didn’t change anything. The simple fact remained he was leaving town after the wedd
ing and who knew when he’d be back. He let go of the clasp.

  She tugged slightly on the pendant to be sure it was secure and spun around. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He angled his chin down and damn if she didn’t forget she stood in a room with seventy-five other people when she looked into his emerald eyes. “Can we go somewhere private and talk?” he asked.

  “I…I can’t.” She stepped back, her nerves scattering in a hundred different directions.

  “Look, I—”

  “Sela!” Paula approached with lines etched around her eyes and mouth. “We need you. Dan’s brother Jim is having difficulty breathing.” She took Sela’s arm.

  “Did you call 911?” she asked, following right behind Paula.

  “We did. An ambulance is on its way, but he looks… He looks…”

  “Like he’s about to burst,” Sela said, finding Jim sitting in a wooden chair against the front wall of Crem’s. One hand pulled at the collar of his dress shirt, itching his neck, the other was braced on his knee. His wife stood beside him, her eyes wide with fear.

  Too many people were huddled around Jim. “Luke?” Sela said, and he immediately knew what she wanted because he cleared people away.

  She knelt in front of Jim. “It looks like you’re having an allergic reaction to something.” His face was beet red and swollen.

  “I’m habbing dithiculty beething,” Jim said between gasps.

  “Can you open your mouth for me?” she asked.

  Sure enough, Jim’s tongue had swelled. She undid the top buttons of his shirt. His chest was red, too. “This has never happened to you before?”

  Jim shook his head.

  “Okay, Jim, just relax as much as possible. You’re having an anaphylactic response, probably to something you ate.” She looked up at Paula. “Can you find out if anyone has an EpiPen on him or her?”

  “EpiPen,” Paula repeated.

  “Yes.” Sela took in Jim again. “Any abdominal pain?”

  He nodded.

  “These are all normal symptoms of anaphylaxis and once the paramedics get here and give you epinephrine, you’ll start to feel better. Hang in there just a little while longer, okay?” She squeezed his arm. “This isn’t a life-threatening reaction, and you’ll be breathing easier soon, I promise.”

  He blinked through puffy eyes. Sela glanced around. Luke had engaged most of the onlookers in quiet conversation. She couldn’t find Vanessa and Hayden and closed her eyes in thanks. Better that they enjoyed the end of their party than be worried about Jim.

  “How is this possible?” Jim’s wife asked, wringing her hands.

  Sela cast what she hoped were sympathetic eyes at Jim’s wife. “Allergies can happen at any time. There’s often no rhyme or reason. Food allergies aren’t as common in older adults, but it happens. Did he take any new medication this evening? That’s also a trigger.”

  “Not that I know of.”

  Jim shook his head. He scratched his upper arm.

  “No EpiPens,” Paula said, rushing back.

  “That’s okay,” she said. “The ambulance is here.” Red lights flashed outside the window. “You did great, Jim.”

  The paramedics hurried into Crem’s and took over. Jim’s wife gave her a big hug. “Thank you,” she said. And damn, that felt good. To be the person to help, to keep Jim calm and breathing, to put the smile back on his wife’s worried face.

  Sela backed away and bumped into someone. She didn’t have to turn around to know who. The magnetism between them wouldn’t let up no matter how hard she tried.

  “Nice work,” Luke whispered.

  “Thanks.”

  “He’ll be okay?”

  Touched by the concern in Luke’s voice, she turned around. Everything he’d told her about his accident, and the unspoken things she’d figured out for herself, flitted through her mind. Her stomach clenched. Every time she thought about his injury, or possible future injuries on the job, her insides buckled and her heart physically ached. If anything ever happened to him…

  “Hey.” He lifted her chin. “Are you okay?”

  She blinked away her worries. “I’m fine. And Jim will be fine. I have to go.” She twisted and dashed out of Crem’s.

  “Sela, wait.” Luke followed, but she didn’t stop.

  Her heels click-clacked along the sidewalk. The sounds of people and emergency instruments and fun and life quieted until she rounded the corner and all she heard was the pounding of her heart on the empty side street. She stood still.

  Luke’s warm hands landed on her shoulders. She leaned back against his chest and felt the tempo of his heart.

  “I came to a realization tonight,” she said. “I love being a nurse more than I love being anything else.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and stayed quiet. Her body softened, dissolved into his. In this position, his front to her back, she could tell him.

  “I’m Jane. I’m the single girl living in Cascade writing about love and life, and I thought I wanted to write for a national publication one day, but I don’t. I don’t want to hide behind a persona anymore. I don’t want to be this girl and that girl. I want to be me.”

  Luke’s breathing hitched. “I love you.”

  She spun around. “What?”

  His eyes shone with the kind of sparkle reserved only for fairy tales. “I love you.”

  “But how can you? You said you didn’t want to settle down with me.”

  “That was taken out of context. What I meant was, with you, I’m not settling. I’m on the greatest adventure of my life.”

  Her legs shook. “You can’t love me. Your job is dangerous and you don’t live here and you have women all over the sidelines.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted into a sexy smirk. “Again. Taken out of context. I never said anything about me. Although when I mentioned Cascade, I meant you. Athletes have accidents all the time, too, you know, and trust me, a woman would much rather give some TLC to a professional athlete than a professional photographer.”

  I wouldn’t.

  But this was too much. She started to hyperventilate.

  “Sela?”

  She waved her hands in front of her and took a few very deep breaths in. Out. God, how she loved him back. But could she stay behind when the chance always loomed that he might not come back? Could she live like that? Wondering and waiting to hear his voice?

  “I’m sorry, Luke.”

  He regarded her with such intensity it took everything she had to add, “Please, just let me go.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You may kiss the bride.”

  Luke clicked his camera. Under the large white canopy, the ocean in the backdrop, greenery with white, red, and pink roses decorating the platform, the unscripted ceremony pictures might be some of his best work yet. Over the past few weeks he’d discovered he enjoyed taking static photos as much as he did those in motion. Athletes on the go gave him an adrenaline rush, but the challenge of catching that one precious moment in a person’s expression gave him something more—fulfillment.

  Vanessa and Hayden broke apart, guests rose to their feet, the piano player hit the keys. Luke put his camera back around his neck and watched Hayden tuck Vanessa’s arm in his for their walk down the aisle.

  He took a step forward and came face to face with Sela. He smiled, turned, and gave her his arm.

  She looked stunning in a pale pink strapless chiffon gown with a, what did Erin call it, sweetheart neckline. He didn’t care what it was called. It accentuated her curves beautifully.

  They’d been civil to each other all day, putting Vanessa and the wedding before their relationship. And it was a relationship. The most passionate, interesting, important relationship Luke had ever been in, and he planned to prove it to her later despite what she’d said to him last night.

  They walked down the white runner, sparks skittering on his arm where they touched. The cool ocean breeze picked up her floral scent and filled the a
ir with her fragrance. He took a deep inhale through his nose. Guests smiled at them, lightly touched their arm or shoulder. Sela seemed relaxed in his hold, her body content to be next to his. Gratitude filled him.

  Sand stretched on either side of them when they reached the end of the aisle. To their left was the giant reception tent, to their right the guests who’d started to mingle after rising from their ceremony seats. They went straight, through the French doors of his parents’ house to gather with the rest of the wedding party.

  Sela flew at Vanessa the moment they were inside and embraced her with the kind of affection that made Luke’s heart swell. “Congratulations, Mrs. Foster.” Then Sela hugged Hayden before turning back to him.

  Her twinkling eyes and slightly parted pink lips made his pulse leap. The urge to kiss her threatened every ounce of control he had left. Even though it had been days since they’d kissed, he could still taste her. And he wanted more. So much more.

  Screw it. With Vanessa and Hayden distracted, he stepped forward, brought her flush against him, and kissed her.

  She kissed him back before pushing him away. Her eyes wide now, the twinkle turned to flames. Her chest rose and fell, matching his own ragged breathing. Her eyelashes fluttered as she composed herself. She looked like she was about to say something when the rest of the wedding party filed into the living room.

  For the next hour they posed for pictures with one of the hired photographers. Being on the other side of the lens wasn’t his favorite place, but he carried on.

  Not too difficult when Sela stood in the same shot.

  The wedding coordinator, a tall, dark-haired woman who had the uncanny ability to be scarce one moment and then present the second she was needed, clapped her hands and announced it was time to head into the reception.

  As planned, they assembled outside the tent and waited for the band to announce their entrance. Sela stood quietly beside him with her hands at her sides. He touched his pinkie finger to hers. She darted a sideways glance at his torso and returned the gesture.

  Baby steps, Luke told himself.

  Each coupled bridesmaid and groomsman entered the tent one at a time in front of them. “You ready?” he asked, just before it was their turn.