Mace’s face was unusually serious. “Do I? I almost lost my brothers. That doesn’t make me feel strong. To be honest, I’d rather face that son of a bitch alone.”
“Tough shit,” Nate said. “That’s the price you pay for caring about people.”
Mace cursed under his breath. “Fine. If we can’t go in there and declare war, we can at least go in there and get shitfaced. And ogle the catering crew while they trot around in those skin-tight black pants. Mmmm. Sweet.”
Nate slung the gear bag over his shoulder without replying. So Mace had also noticed how good Elisa looked in her catering outfit. And so? Mace had as much a right as anyone to notice. Certainly as much right as Nate.
Rising to the bait would just open him up to more ridicule.
4
Elisa wished she had a few spare seconds here and there to stare at Nate. Tonight was her last chance. These memories had to last her. For the rest of time.
Besides, Nate was so gorgeous tonight. Looking away from him felt like a tragic waste. He filled out that classy, well-cut gray suit so perfectly. Those thick, broad shoulders, tapered waist and strong legs. But then, he looked good in everything she’d seen him wear. And he’d look especially good in nothing at all.
Good thing she was too busy to dwell on that extremely dangerous thought.
She circled the room like a shark, nudging and hustling her crew along. Nate was always there, in the corner of her eye, which made her resolve to appear serene and confident. Not sweaty, wild-eyed and desperate.
A locally famous group from Seattle, the Vicious Rumors, was playing the music. They’d just recently broken out on the national scene and hardly ever did weddings anymore, but Anton knew everyone in the music scene from his high-profile career as a famous DJ. He’d pulled strings and called in favors. As a result, the music and dancing were great.
Demi came over to hug her at one point, flushed and radiant from dancing and champagne. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done,” she said. “You guys were amazing. The food, the decorations, the catering. It’s my ultimate wedding reception.”
Elisa thought about the bus ticket in the pocket of her jacket, and tears welled into her eyes. “I’m so glad you liked it,” she said. “The whole staff loves you and wishes you well. We all think you deserve the best.”
“Well, I got it. And I’m so lucky to have you.” Demi hugged her again, even more tightly. “And this is probably the wrong time to ask you this, but I will anyway, because I’ve drunk too much champagne and I just want to put it out there. I’ve been wondering if you’d consider going into partnership with me.”
“Partnership? You mean…but what kind of partnership?” Certainly Demi couldn’t refer to a financial partnership. Not when her current resources amounted to a roll of cash she’d saved up from her tips.
“Don’t answer right now. I just wanted to you to think about while I’m away. We’ll talk when I get back. But working at the restaurant is much better since I have you there to help me. The two of us, together—it feels like home, you know? I just want to make that into a permanent arrangement.”
Now tears were seriously threatening her mascara. “It feels like home for me, too,” she said, with absolute sincerity. “I’ve loved being here, with all of you.”
“Good,” Demi said. “I’ve just been thinking, if one perfect thing can come true, why not ask for another one? Maybe there’s no limit to the good things you can have. You can’t know until you try, right?”
“That’s one way of looking at it,” Elisa faltered. “Thanks for asking. I just—”
“No, no. Don’t answer now,” Demi said quickly. “Don’t worry about anything now. We’ll work out the details later. We’ll have all the time in the world.”
A romantic ballad started up, and she saw Demi looking up at someone standing behind her. She turned to find Nate standing there.
“May I have this dance?” he asked.
Elisa had carefully prepared for this, and she had a whole list of polite brush-offs ready. Suddenly they were all gone from her head. “Ah….”
“Go ahead,” Demi urged her. “Dance. Enjoy yourself. You deserve a break. And we can all wait a few more minutes for the fruit and the dessert buffet.”
Then Eric walked over, smoldering at her. Demi gave them an apologetic smile and melted into her new husband’s arms as he swept her out onto the dance floor.
Nate looked down, his eyebrow tilted up expectantly. “So? What do you say?”
Elisa backed away. “No,” she said shakily. “No, I can’t. I have to go make sure everything’s good with the wedding cake. I told you. Too busy.”
She wended her way through the dancing couples, her eyes stinging and her face hot. No way could she put her arms around that man, right out in public, and sway to slow, romantic music, not while she was all worked up and emotional.
She would fall apart and start sobbing. She just knew it.
It was hard enough, running away, not saying goodbye to her friends. Demi was going to feel so hurt, and her sweet offer made everything ten times worse.
It was partly the bond she’d formed with Demi that had kept her in Shaw’s Crossing for so long, even when it was safer to leave. She trusted Demi, and felt trusted in her turn. Although she’d hidden the truth of her entire personal history. All of it. Name, family, place of origin, social security number, profession, marital status.
Everything she’d said about herself was a lie. Demi deserved honesty. And Elisa would never be able to give it to her, as long as she was caught in Gil’s trap.
It was embarrassing to have fallen for Gil’s slick act. To not have seen through him for so long. But then again, she’d been so used to Dad’s cool disapproval. When Gil started showing it, too, it had felt so familiar, she hadn’t recognized it as abuse.
Not until she had narrowly escaped being murdered.
Don’t think about that now, for God’s sake. Focus.
Back in the kitchen, she threw herself into frantic organization. The set-up of the fruit and dessert buffet, the choreography of the trays of espresso. Busy, busy.
The wedding cake was wheeled out to much fanfare, and the crowd gathered around to hoot and whistle appreciatively as Demi and Eric sensually fed pieces of cake to each other. Then the cake went back to the kitchen, and Elisa followed it to supervise the cutting and the serving.
After that, the reception devolved into a hazy blur of laughter, tearful hugs and kisses. Eventually, Demi and Eric came down from the upstairs suite, having changed into their regular clothes. The crowd followed the newlyweds outside to Eric’s Porsche to see them off. The car was slightly battered and scratched from its misadventures up at GodsAcre, when Eric and Demi had tangled with Kimball’s murderous crew, but if anything, that seemed to make Eric and Demi like that car even more. Almost as if the car was on their team and had the scars to prove it.
Elisa pushed her way to the front of the crowd and gave Demi a tight, shaking hug. “Thanks,” she murmured. “For everything. I’m so lucky to have met you.”
Demi hugged her, then pulled back, puzzled. “Hey,” she said. “Are you all right?”