Текст книги "Recovery"
Автор книги: L. B. Simmons
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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 7 страниц)
The second I set my foot down on the ground, my sense of smell is assaulted by the overwhelming smell of fish. Fish and flowers. Grimacing, I make what I can only assume is the most unattractive face imaginable and pray no one has noticed the bride has finally arrived. I close my eyes and shake my head in a pitiful attempt to rid my nose of the awful fragrance. It’s everywhere. I can feel the blood draining from my face where it seems to be forming a tight knot in my stomach. When I attempt to swallow, I find it damn near impossible. My throat feels like I just downed a bucket full of glue.
Ah pregnancy, how I’ve missed you.
“Oh my God, Alex, are you okay?” Harlow slams her door and rushes to where I’m standing. Well, attempts to rush. Her expletives get increasingly worse as she stumbles over almost every piece of gravel that she comes across. “Goddamn it,” she mutters, adding an extra “Fuck it” before removing her shoes and tossing them on the car.
“Only for you, Alex. Only for you do I do these things. These heels are gorgeous and here they are, being battered by rocks because you just had to get married at the lake. I get it. I can be sentimental too, but my shoes…”she trails off as she turns her head to the hood of her car.
“Harlow, I love your shoes, I really do, but, I’m about to lose my breakfast here. How the hell did I ever find this scent appealing?” I shake my head again, but the jarring of my brain seems to only antagonize the nausea. My teeth clench tight, sealing my mouth shut. This is going to be a major problem during the vows.
I brace myself against the car, willing my brain to get the message to the little guy running the tilt-a-whirl in my stomach that this ride is closed. A light breeze blows and I wince in preparation for my next intake of air, but as soon as it hits and I breathe it in, my body relaxes.
The blood knotting my stomach is redistributed. My jaw unclenches. Tilt-a-whirl guy’s evidently on break.
I take in a long, deep breath.
I know that smell. The scent is unmistakable.
Leather and soap.
I pivot myself slowly, keeping my arms bent behind me against Harlow’s car just in case I need the support. Which definitely works to my advantage, because the moment my eyes take in my husband-to-be, my knees go weak.
Good. God.
I mean, Blake is always handsome, no matter what he’s wearing. T-shirt and jeans, button-up and khakis, plaid pajama pants, nothing at all…
The corner of my mouth lifts slightly as the thought crosses my mind.
But Blake in a tuxedo? Absolutely breathtaking.
His hair styled perfectly, lightly gelled back away from his face, little sections still perfectly messy as they flip out from behind his ears and curl away from the nape of his neck. Black jacket, fit to perfection over his broad shoulders. Crisp white button down which, unfortunately, is covering his rock hard stomach – the one I can’t wait to run my fingers all over later. Black bow tie wrapping itself around that neck that I can’t wait to kiss and nibble on later…
I see his mouth moving, but all I can focus on are his full lips. I really want to taste those lips.
Damn hormones.
“Alex, I asked if you’re okay.” I force my blank stare away from his mouth where I just started focusing on his tongue.
“What? Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” My eyes keep trying to make the journey back down to his mouth, but I manage to keep them above nose level. Which is not easy…
“You’re as white as a ghost. Do you need a drink? You look…nervous. Absolutely beautiful, but nervous. ”
“NO!” Harlow and I shout simultaneously. Harlow stifles a giggle and clears her throat. “I guess I better go. Alex, good luck my friend. Blake, I would grab that drink if I were you. You’re gonna need it.”
She whisks her shoes off the car and slides them on her feet. “I’m going to go find Trace and give you two some much needed alone time. I haven’t seen my man all day, and I’m sure he’s going into withdrawals.” Her eyes bounce back and forth between Blake and my stomach. “Yeah, so…I’m out.”
Harlow marches her way to where Trace is standing, his arm stretching for her and a grin on his face. She stumbles one more time before completing her trek. I smile in spite of her clumsiness; I can’t help but hope that I’ll be attending her wedding soon. She and Trace have been dating since the night at George’s bar, when I more or less told Blake I didn’t need him to save me, which, in retrospect, couldn’t be further from the truth. My grin widens as I watch them together. I know her time is coming soon, and it makes my heart swell with happiness. After a couple of seconds, I turn to Blake. My smile fades when I see the concern etched on his face.
“Are you okay?” He reaches out and runs his knuckles down my cheek, then places his hand on the back of my neck while continuing to stroke my face with his thumb. I tilt my head into his hand and inhale deeply.
God, I love this man.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Harlow’s just being Harlow, you know how she is. That being said, I do have something to tell you. But, I’d like to give you a little something first.”
Blake’s eyes light up as a mischievous smile spreads widely across his face. “Wait…I have something for you too. Hold on.”
Whipping around, he races down the gravel path to where all of our guests are congregating and runs right up to Nycole, leaning to whisper something into her ear. A huge smile extends across her face while she nods her head at him, clapping her hands excitedly as they head off together…somewhere. What are they up to?
I take in another breath. My senses must have acclimated themselves to the floral fish smell because now I barely smell anything. Shielding my eyes, I peer out over the lake. The bright orange sun seems to be sitting right on the water, with its reflection dancing on the ripples passing just underneath it. I glance at the old familiar wisteria trees as the light breeze blows the branches ever so slightly. Our cove. At sunset.
Absolute perfection.
“This is where your daddy first kissed me. Twice.” I lightly graze my hands over my tummy. It seems hard to believe that it’s only been seven months since he kissed me on the cheek, right here. The same place he kissed me when we were twelve years old. It only seems fitting that we come together as husband and wife right where it all started.
Full circle.
“And now we have to tell him about you, little lovebug, so hang tight. I’ll let you know what happens.”
I whirl myself around, opening Harlow’s car door to fetch Blake’s present. The silver wrapping definitely won’t be giving anything away. I could have wrapped it in baby covered paper I suppose, but I really hate pastels. Immensely.
Closing the door, I turn back around just in time to see Blake coming back up the path, beaming from ear to ear, holding a shiny white package in his hands. Perfectly wrapped, of course, with a gorgeous silver bow tied around it.
I can’t help but smile as he approaches. “Nice wrapping job there, Blake.” We laugh together as we exchange gifts. “Well, who goes first?” I ask him, holding the box to my ear while gently shaking it back and forth. It’s light. Interesting.
“Ladies first, of course.” He gestures at the gift. “But, before you open it, I just want to tell you that you look absolutely amazing, Alex. I have never seen you look so beautiful. Now that you actually have color in your cheeks again,” he finishes with a trademark chuckle and a lingering kiss to my temple.
“Thank you, Blake. You also look amazing, as usual. I kind of want to jump your bones, actually.” I press into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. Hearing a soft growl from him in response, a smile breaks across my face and my heart picks up its pace. “We’ll have plenty of time for that later, Alex.” He snickers lightly under his breath. “Go ahead, open your present.”
Unthreading my arms, I grin up at him before ripping the paper to shreds. I’ve always been a little too excited when it comes to presents. Quickly turning around, I set the box on the hood of the car before opening it. As I lift the top, and see its contents, I let out a little laugh. Yeah, Nycole definitely helped with this.
Inside the box is a white t-shirt with iron-on pink glittery letters that reads:
“Blake! I love it!” His light green eyes shift from mine to the shirt.
“Well obviously it required a feminine touch, so I recruited a little help. GI Joe didn’t turn out so well, but hopefully Nycole’s master craftsmanship will ensure that you’ll have it forever. Go ahead, take it out. Let’s see it.”
After giving him a quick hug, I turn back to my gift and begin to pull the shirt out of the box. As I lift it up, a smaller box falls from its folds. Surprised, I give Blake a sideways glance. “What’s this?”
“It’s your real present.”
Intrigued, the right side of my mouth curves into a smile and I gaze back down at the velvet covered black rectangle lying in front of me. I reach for the box and excitedly flip it open, only to let out a gasp when I see what it holds. “Blake, you shouldn’t have!” I exclaim, peering down at the teardrop shaped diamond earrings and matching solitaire necklace. “They’re beautiful.”
Moving in behind me, Blake places a soft, warm kiss on my neck and nuzzles behind my ear. My whole body immediately begins to throb.
“As are you,” he says, taking the box from my hands. He removes the necklace and I stay in place so he can hook it around my neck. Facing back around, I remove my old pearl stud earrings, placing them in the box while Blake hands me the diamonds. I slide them into my ears with a smile. Something New. Well, I have something new for him too.
“Your turn, mister. Open yours.” Childlike expression full of excitement fills Blake’s face. My hands instinctively rub my stomach as my nerves cause it to flutter. He delicately unwraps the gift, completely opposite of my earlier paper carnage, to expose a small, square box. As the top creaks open, Blake’s eyes broaden and his brow shoots up, the smile on his face slowly falling as the realization of what my gift is telling him becomes clear in his mind.
Wide eyed, he stares.
And he stares.
And he stares.
Finally, his eyes let go of the box to find mine. A huge knot in my throat forms when they finally meet because staring back at me are those gorgeous light green eyes filled to the brim with tears.
“Are you sure, Alex?” I give him a slight nod. Smiling a bewildered, crooked smile, he looks back down at the box. I move in closer to him, wrapping my arm around his waist and snuggling my body into his, placing my head against his chest. Holding each other, we both stare at the solid silver diamond shaped charm that simply reads “Baby on Board”. I laugh silently, remembering my joke in the car with Harlow. Soon after, my silent snicker turns into full on laughter as a thought crosses my mind.
I lift my head off of Blake’s chest and peer up at him from underneath my eyelashes. Memories of all the charms he’s given me since we were kids enter my mind, my crucial mistake becoming clear. “Blake, I totally just gave myself a present. I’m such an idiot! I get two and you get nothing? That’s not fair. I’m so sorry. I swear to God, this baby is sucking the brain cells out of my head already.”
Blake simply shakes his head and swallows back his tears. He places his finger under my chin, tilting my head back just slightly before he speaks. “Alex, you’ve given me more than you could ever imagine. There’s nothing more perfect than this moment, right now.”
Leaning down, he brushes his soft lips against mine. The tenderness of his kiss sends a wave of pleasure rippling through my entire body. I wrap my arms around his neck and part my lips ready to accept his warm, soft tongue into my mouth…
“Ewww!” Three sets of high pitched giggles immediately follow. “Blake and Mommy, sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…”
My lips miss the warmth of Blake’s when he pulls away slightly, pressing his forehead against mine. With heavy breaths, we stare at each other until the serenade is over.
“First comes love, then comes marriage,” more giggling, “then comes baby in a baby carriage.”
Laughter erupts and we can’t help but join in. “Welcome to fatherhood,” I say, removing my arms from around his neck. “You can kiss your privacy goodbye.” After lacing my fingers through his, I turn around to face my little devils.
I lock eyes with my brown haired beauty, Nycole. The huge, dimpled grin on her face brings a content smile to my own. Reaching my arm out for her, she walks over to me and leans her body into mine, wrapping her arms around my waist. I place my cheek on the top of her head and squeeze her tight. Taking in a peaceful sigh, I think about how nice it is to see her being a kid again. With Blake around, she eased back out of her grown up role rather quickly, and I couldn’t be happier to see my little girl being a little girl. All is as it should be.
Releasing Blake’s hand, I turn to face her. “You look beautiful, Nyc,”
“Thanks, Mom. So do you.”
As the breeze blows lightly, I raise my hand to move some of her long, curly hair away from her face and tuck it behind her ear. She smiles, happiness filling her eyes. Signaling for her to turn around, I watch in amazement as she spins slowly. Her dress is a white sleeveless solid satin top, with a matching dusty rose satin sash similar to mine and a double layered white tulle skirt. When she does an about-face, I catch the shine of her light layer of lip gloss and my mind strums up the image of my little girl in her own wedding dress one day.
With tears surfacing in my eyes, I break my stare from Nycole to find Kyndall standing just behind her. She sheepishly smiles, and with her arms behind her back as she swishes her dress back and forth, I know she is anxiously awaiting her compliment. As Nycole steps aside, I take a small step forward and reach both my arms out to gather her in a tight embrace. Releasing me, she steps back and curtsies. “Kyndall, you look absolutely gorgeous.” And she does. The sun hits her eyes just right, bringing out the flecks of light green mixed in with her greyish-blue irises; her light brown hair loosely tied back with a rose ribbon matching the sashes. Although their dresses are identical, where I see Nycole as a future bride, Kyndall exudes only youthful innocence.
“You look gorgeous, Mama. You turn around too!” she giggles. I twirl in a full circle for her, smiling at Blake when our eyes meet during my revolution. Completing my turn, my eyes lock on Rylie in the distance, crouching down in a small patch of grass and picking a yellow dandelion. At least, I hope that’s what she’s doing. I bend down and kiss Kyndall on the forehead before making my way over to the youngest of my girls.
She looks picturesque as the sun is setting right behind her head, bringing out the highlights in her curly hair. She’s sitting on her haunches, the bottom of her dress surrounding her body. She looks like she’s sitting in a marshmallow. I giggle to myself. If anyone would be sitting in a marshmallow, it would definitely be Rylie.
Her thick rose sash tied in a big bow, with little matching roses sewn onto her tulle overlay, makes her the most beautiful baby flower girl. Well, not baby, she’s five now…as she likes to remind me every day. Her hair is perfect, with two tiny braids lying on top of her head, one on each side, coming together in the back and tied with a matching rose ribbon. As I approach her, she looks up at me and all I can see are her trademark dimples. She stands up and hands me the flower. “It’s for you, Mommy. You can put it in your hair, then you’ll look like a real princess.”
I accept her gift and slide it into my hair, right above my ear. “Better?” I ask her.
“Much better! Now you’re as pretty as Cinderella!” She hugs my leg, and then looks up at me with her huge brown eyes, brows pressed together in obvious frustration. “Mommy, when are you gonna marry Blake? We’ve been here forever! I’m ready to go home!”
Blake belts out a ridiculously loud cackle from behind me and I can’t hide my own smile as I run my finger down her cheek, then graze the top of her nose. “Well, I guess we should get started then, shouldn’t we?” The girls let out an excited shriek, jumping up and down. I happily point them in the direction where the guests are starting to take their seats. “Go to Harlow!” I yell after them adding, “And don’t run!” before one of them falls. That’s all we need right now, one of those little scratches that in their mind is a huge, gaping wound which will only be healed with a band aid and ice cream.
Not that I ever do that.
Turning back to Blake, I glance up at my sexy husband-to-be and reach for him. He saunters towards me with all the confidence in the world and takes my hand into his.
Just when I thought he couldn’t get any sexier…
As soon as I turn to lead us towards the lake, I’m suddenly whipped around and my body folds itself into Blake’s as he wraps his arm around my back. Dipping me gently, he brings his face to mine. My eyes once again find his perfect mouth, my lips parting to give him entry. He plunges right through them and when I feel the warmth of his tongue I let out a moan. Holding onto the lapels of his jacket, I pull myself closer to him, raising my body until my chest is flush with his. My tongue enters his mouth on a massive exploring expedition, claiming every single inch as my own. When I hear him groan in response, I figure it’s time to stop because I can feel his excitement, which reminds me that we really need to discuss the mandatory one-hundred foot policy during the nuptials.
He brings me back to a standing position and ends the kiss with a light, feathery soft peck to my lips. “Wow,” I sigh, still trying to catch my breath.
Blake raises his hand to move one of the curled sections of my hair off of my face. I reach back to make sure my bun in still intact, and find it’s still holding strong. Not that I’m surprised. Harlow put a whole package of bobby pins in the thing.
After a few seconds of gathering ourselves, Blake offers his arm, and I loop mine through, hugging his massive shoulder as we walk together.
“Last chance to back out,” I say smiling up at him.
“Nah,” he simply states. “I’ve been waiting to call you mine my whole life, and tonight I plan on showing you just how mine you are.” The air is sucked out of my lungs as I come to a standstill.
He says nothing else, just leans over to give me a sensual kiss on the neck before leaving me on my own to practically orgasm in front of our family and friends. I can hear him laughing as he walks away and a grin breaks across my face.
Jerk.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, surprisingly. Other than thoughts of literally tearing the clothes off of my husband entering my mind every other second, there were no other real distractions. The girls were the perfect flower girls, and the path to my new happy ever after was completely covered with beautiful red, dark pink, and white rose petals.
As it should be.
In typical bride and groom fashion, Blake and I were to be brought to the reception in a white limousine…alone. However, after the girls spotted our form of transportation, I knew we would have company. And I didn’t really mind…then.
Now, however, it’s a different story. Every part of Blake’s body is calling to mine. Every brush of his arm against mine, every graze of his hand on my leg, the delicate way his fingers caress the nape of my neck; every movement ignites a scorching, pulsating wave of want and desire that I just really need to extinguish. With him. Like, now.
Not helping with my overall frustration level is the damn window that keeps going up and down, up and down, up and down. I love how my children act like they’ve never been in an automobile before. It never ceases to amaze me. Maybe I should let them venture out in public more often.
“Mommy, where are we going? I thought we were going home,” Rylie whines, dragging out the last word.
“We’re going to a party,” Nycole answers with an exhale, the whining obviously grating her nerves as well.
“A potty? For me? Are there going to be presents?” Rylie excitedly starts bouncing up and down on the seat. I put my hand up to my mouth as I’m suddenly overcome with nausea due to the vigorous, extremely unnecessary movement.
Fire: extinguished.
“A party, Rylie. A par-ty.” Nycole answers back. “And not for you. For Mom and Blake. And no presents for you. Those are also for Mom and Blake.”
“Oh.” Rylie stops bouncing and looks up at me, batting those mile-long lashes. I know what’s coming before she even asks.
“Can I help you open the presents, Mommy?” She adds a tilt of her head and deepens her dimples with a smile. I know this technique. I’ve seen it used many times on both grandparents and unsuspecting strangers.
“If you stop bouncing on the seat, I’ll let you open all of them. How about that?” I hear Blake laughing under his breath while running his fingers across my bare shoulder.
Pilot light: lit.
“Aww, how come she gets to open all the presents?” Kyndall asks.
“I’m sure we can find a couple for you and Nyc to open somewhere.” I give her a quick wink and the frown on her little face transforms into a worry-free smile.
“Mommy, you already said I could open all the presents.” I exhale a deep breath knowing this is about to turn into a thirty minute argument and screaming match, most likely ending up with no one opening any presents.
Before I can answer, Blake chimes in, “How about we divide the presents and everyone gets to open the same number? That way no one gets left out.”
“Okay.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nycole and I exchange wide-eyed glances. Well, that was easy.
The limousine slows to turn into the parking lot where our reception is to be held, an upscale bar that Blake and Trace just purchased together. A business investment they called it.
Sure.
Blake ended up selling his business in Colorado, turning a nice profit and did, in fact, take over his father’s ownership of Morgan Construction. When he’s not scouting out the new duplex sites they’re bidding on, I can usually find him here, working on the bar. He just finished gutting the interior, replacing the bar tops with a beautiful dark, oak wood and the floor with tiles of a similar shade. A real man’s bar. It’s turning out beautifully, just as all of his work does.
They decided to call it, The Office. Laughing for weeks, both Blake and Trace were genuinely pleased with the pure genius of their naming convention. Such masterminds to allow their patrons the ability to evade any possible interrogation from their wives or husbands regarding their whereabouts. Normally I’d be offended, but seeing as though my husband would literally be at the office, I couldn’t really complain about the name. The incessant joking that went on and on and on…yes. But the name? That I left alone.
I’m pulled from my thoughts as excited giggles erupt from all three of my girls when the chauffeur walks around to their side and opens the door, letting them out with a deep, gentlemanly bow. Wow. We really need to tip this guy extra for the royal treatment. His smile is genuine as they each curtsey in response before they take off, running full speed to where Harlow’s waiting for them.
“Harlow! We got to ride in a limousine! It was so cool!” they all shout to her. She opens her arms and they ram into her, each giving her a hug. Squeezing them for a few seconds before letting them go, she responds excitedly, “That is cool. Why don’t we go inside and check out Blake and Trace’s new place? I hear it’s pretty cool too.” She gives me a quick wink before turning and herding the girls inside.
I lean back into Blake for a brief, quiet second before taking the chauffeur’s waiting hand just outside the door. Stepping out of the limo, I smooth out my dress while waiting on Blake to join me. A second later, I feel his hands glide across my hips as they make their way to rest on my stomach, along with his moist, heated breath right behind my ear.
Damn him.
He places a delicate, yet very erotic kiss just behind my ear. I’m practically convulsing when he chuckles deeply, removes his lips and releases me from his hold.
“You’re going to have to wait, Mrs. Morgan. We have guests to entertain.”
“Do we have to?” I draw out my words. “I’d rather entertain you.”
“All good things come to those who wait… and to those who don’t whine like five year olds while doing so.” I elbow him in the side.
“Fine! Let’s get this over with.” He laces my arm with his. Walking toward the bar, the murmur of the crowd and the music drumming inside causes me to pause before entering. Blake lowers his hand from the door handle.
“You okay?” he asks, giving me a concerned once over.
I nod and throw my arms around his neck. “I just…well, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you, Blake, for loving me. Thank you for loving my children. Thank you for asking me to be your wife. Thank you for making me happy. I love you more than you could ever possibly know.”
He wraps his arms tightly around my waist and lifts me from the ground. “Alex, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to see that beautiful smile on your face. I love you and I love your girls.” He gently sets me back on my feet. “I love him,” he places his palm flat against my stomach, giving me a presumptuous grin. “This is my life now. And it should be me thanking you for giving it to me.”
With tears in my eyes, I say the only thing I can.
“Our life. This is our life, Blake.”
The corners of Blake’s mouth turn up into a subtle smile. He nods, accepting my words, and repeats them to me with firm resolve. “Our life.”
Together we open the door entering, not as two separate people, but as man and wife joined by the enduring bonds of love and family.
Crash landing myself in the seat right next to Harlow, who’s sitting at a table by herself, I can’t help but feel a little let down by the lack of reception regarding my dramatic entrance. She’s definitely focused on something or someone on the dance floor. So, since she’s not paying attention, I decide to call even more attention to myself.
“Jeez, I’m so freakin’ tired.”
She barely glances at me, then looks back to the dance floor. “Well, you better figure out something. I’m pretty sure Blake has plans for later tonight, so I really don’t see any rest for you in the near future.” She laughs to herself. It must be nice to have yourself as your own audience, constantly.
Harlow continues her scanning. “Who are you looking for?” My eyes follow hers, grazing over all the bodies moving to the thumping music.
“Tatum. Trace’s sister.” She pauses her manhunt, looking back in my direction. She starts to speak, but then smiles, her eyes shifting directly behind me. I hear Trace’s deep voice as he approaches the table. “My baby sister.” He strides right beside me, leaning to give Harlow a kiss on the forehead before taking the seat next to her. As he sets his beer on the table, I take a brief moment to absorb how truly handsome this man is. Dark black hair styled to look messy, but not. Dark perfectly arched eyebrows with a matching set of dark lashes, outlining his crystal clear blue eyes—the same eyes currently regarding my best friend in a way that I prefer not to think about. Ever.
Taking her hand into his, he brings it to his lips, placing a small, sweet kiss on her knuckles before turning to face me. “Tatum. A big pain in my ass right now. I love her, I do. But she’s absolutely out of control right now. She won’t talk to me, she won’t talk to anyone. Ever since our mom died, she’s on a mission to ruin her life…and her liver.” He focuses his gaze on the dance floor, brows furrowed together in obvious frustration as he continues speaking.
“I’m surprised she agreed to come, but in all honesty, it would have been more of a surprise if she declined a party with free alcohol.” He lets out a long breath and grabs the beer bottle in front of him. I remember Harlow telling me Trace was bringing his sister as his plus one since her attendance was obviously mandatory. With his downtrodden expression, I suspect his invitation was mainly for his own peace of mind.
Looking to Harlow for further explanation, I get only a slight shrug of her shoulders. She takes a long gulp of her Pinot Grigio before once again looking toward the crowd. Lucky ass.
I glance down at my water and silently curse its lack of taste. And alcohol.
“Which one is she?” I ask.
“See the long, dark haired beauty, in the middle there?” She lifts her hand, pointing her index finger towards the middle of the floor.
I raise my eyes from the glass in front of me and narrow them, perusing from person to person. They eventually land on one girl in particular who seems to stand out from the crowd. Mainly because she’s the youngest person dancing. “The one in the royal blue, skin tight, minidress?” She finally turns so I can see her face and she’s absolutely stunning. She looks almost identical to her brother. Same light, pale blue eyes. Same dark black hair. Same everything. “How old is she?”
“Twenty-three going on twelve.” Harlow takes another sip of her wine. Trace chuckles under his breath and nods his head, sitting back and taking a long draw from his beer, clearly in agreement.
“Really?” I wipe the condensation from my glass and look back over at Tatum, watching her move from person to person, dancing suggestively. Until, that is, she makes eye contact with my girls, who are seated in a booth with Nancy and John. For the first time since watching her, I see a genuine smile. She walks over to introduce herself from what I can tell. Leaning over, she whispers something in Rylie’s ear who responds with a beaming smile and a nod of her head. She crawls her way out of the booth and once on her feet, makes her way to take hold of Tatum’s outstretched hand.
Rylie waves for Kyndall and Nycole to join them and Kyndall jumps right up, always one for a good time. Nycole, however, seems more hesitant, but after some coaxing from her sisters, she stands up and joins them. They all walk with Tatum, hand in hand, to the dance floor and after forming their own little circle, they begin to dance. Tatum claps and cheers them on, speaking only to them and shooing off any and every inebriated male that dare try to interfere.
