Tangled Up Hearts

by Hughes, Deborah

  “We were discussing how family violence is on the rise because people have separated themselves from God and church,” Paul added.

  This was all very nice, but Alyssa wasn’t in the mood to discuss such a deep subject. She motioned towards a passing waiter and took another glass of champagne from his tray. “Thanks.” She sipped at it and turned to see that Trisha and Jack were heading for the cake table.

  The music stopped and everyone turned to watch them cut into the beautiful three-tiered creation. The piece Trisha turned to offer Jack was quite large and he opened his mouth into ridiculously wide proportions. She managed to stuff most of it in and then he made a great show of licking the frosting from her fingers. Once her laughter was under control, he cut a small piece for her then turned to address the crowd.

  “I'm going to have to watch her diet. Can't have my new bride getting fat." His eyes danced merrily when Trisha put her hands on her hips in feigned outrage.

  “You should have thought about that a couple months ago.” Everyone laughed at her reply, including Trisha. She was not embarrassed with her condition. She was very proud of it in fact.

  “That’s another problem with today’s society. People no longer wait for the wedding to consummate their love.” Gramma Lynn sighed heavily and shook her head in regret. “Babies are hard on a young couple just starting out. Those two young ones are not going to have any time to enjoy each other before they must deal with such a big responsibility as a child.”

  “They seem to love each other very much, Gramma Lynn, and look quite happy about the pending birth. It is not our place to judge,” Paul said gently.

  Gramma Lynn patted his arm. “You are far too liberal my son.” She was not to be swayed from her stance on the matter.

  Now that the cake cutting was done, Jack placed the two empty champagne glasses in front of him then held up a finger to Trisha, indicating she wait a minute. He knelt and pulled a small cooler out from under the table. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he lifted a carton of milk out of it and filled their champagne glasses.

  Trisha took hers with laughing protest. “A small sip of champagne is not going to hurt anything, Jack. Whoever toasted to their future with a glass of milk?”

  “We do, that’s who.” He lifted his glass high in salute. “To the three of us and the glorious future we will share together, now and forever.” They downed the contents of their glasses then Jack grabbed his bride, bent her low on his arm and kissed her long and thoroughly.

  Alyssa watched their antics with much amusement. They were a great pair, those two. How very lucky they were.

  Once Jack let her go, Trisha righted herself, made a great show of straightening out her dress, then picked up her bouquet. “Okay, girls! You know what's next." She motioned to the center of the room. “I want all the single ladies out on the floor. Let’s see who is next.”

  With both Paul and Gramma Lynn urging her on, Alyssa reluctantly went to join several other hopeful girls gathered in front of Trisha. Two of them were girls who worked in the daycare center Trisha owned, Jaimie and Madeline. Both were in their early twenties and had boyfriends. Another of the girls was an older cousin who probably would never marry as she just wasn't interested in settling down and the remaining three others were from Jack's side of the family.

  Knowing that both Jaimie and Madeline were hoping to someday marry their boyfriends, Alyssa hung in the back. She wasn't interested in marriage. Her life was too messed up with Cole for her to be thinking about hooking up with anyone.

  Trisha waited until everyone was in place, then after a quick sweep to see who was standing where, she turned her back on them. Alyssa saw that searching glance and knew instinctively what Trisha was up to. Although the eager girls in front of her were standing in her way enough to keep the flowers away from her, she quickly crossed to the opposite side of where Trisha saw her standing. No way was she taking a chance on catching anything but a great view of the girl who did.

  The flowers flew through the air as if equipped with a honing device and landed very neatly into Alyssa’s shocked hands. Although she would have let them fall to the floor, she thought they were going to hit her in the face so she raised her hands to protect her eyes and suddenly the flowers are in her reluctant grip. Her dismay was found to be quite amusing and there was a great deal of laughter as Trisha swung around to see the results. When she saw Alyssa holding the bouquet, she jumped up and down clapping wildly, making the crowd laugh harder.

  Jack let out a whistle and stepped forward. “Trisha, my dear wife, would you please come here?” He placed a chair in the center of the dance floor and motioned his hand toward it with a low bow. “I would very much like to get my hands on that garter you have hidden up that lovely dress.”

  Trisha sank into the chair and lifted her leg until her foot rested on his bent knee. “Well then, come and get it, my dear husband.”

  Grinning with enthusiasm, Jack took his sweet time in locating his prize. Trisha’s face took on a deep red hue as his hands traveled further under her gown. Finally she'd had enough of his antics and gave him a gentle swat upside the head. "I think you missed it, Jack!"

  Laughing at her feigned outrage, Jack made a surprise face and glanced around him. “Found it!” He pulled out a pair of lacy black panties and shook them triumphantly in the air. Trisha gasped with shock then started laughing.

  As the crowd roared with laughter, she waved her hands about defensively. "He was hiding those up his sleeve.” Her eyes narrowed playfully as she wagged a finger at her husband. “Now that you’ve had your fun, will you get this garter off my leg?”

  Jack grinned. “It would be my pleasure.” Once again he knelt before her and slid his hands under her dress. This time he pulled out a lacy blue garter. "Thank you, my dear!" He held out his hand to assist his wife up from her chair then promptly bent her over his arm for a long, smacking kiss. Trisha flailed about in the pretense of trying to escape then staggered from his embrace when he let her go. Grinning at her antics, Jack gave her a wink and turned about to eye the surrounding crowd. “Okay, guys. It’s your turn.”

  Several men stepped eagerly forward but Cole was not among them and Jack noticed it immediately. “Hey, Cole, where are you hiding, buddy?”

  Everyone looked about for the missing Best Man and then someone called from the back of the room. “I got him.”

  Thomas pulled his son through the throng then gave him a gentle shove toward the group of single men waiting for him to join them. Cole took his place among them but he did it with a show of reluctance and exaggerated horror. “I am not in any hurry to get hitched.” His eyes met Jack's, one brow lifting in challenge. “As far as I’m concerned, you might as well keep that garter.”

  “Speak for yourself, old man, I’m more than ready for the ole ball and chain,” Michael, a cousin of his, told him. Several women booed his word choice and he held up his hands, laughing. “I’m joking, I’m joking.”

  Jack turned his back to them. “Okay, guys, here it comes!”

  The garter went flying and smacked into Cole’s face, falling down onto his folded arms. He stared at it and shook his head ruefully. The crowd roared with more laughter. Jack swung around and burst into loud gut-wrenching guffaws, even throwing in a snort or two. “Guess the fates that be have determined a different road for you, my man.”

  Alyssa watched with a sinking heart. She knew what came next and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Not one single bit.

  Jack patted the seat of the chair Trisha just vacated and motioned for Alyssa to join him. “Come along my dear girl.”

  Alyssa walked toward him with leaden feet and sank into the chair. Her heart was fluttering like mad and she wanted to fan herself. Of course she couldn't do that so she just sat there and tried to pretend it didn't matter that Cole was about to put his hands up her dress.

  Cole stepped forward, a muscle twitching in his cheek. His eyes burned into hers when their glances tangled and th
en he knelt before her.

  Alyssa couldn't move. Worried that her breath was going to come out in a pant, she held it in and watched him with a warning in her gaze.

  Cole reached for Alyssa's leg, his fingers sliding over the silk stockings she wore, taking note of how incredibly soft and delicate she felt against his palm. He broke out in a sweat. Lord help him. How was he going to get through this? Figuring it might be easier if he kept his head down, he soon learned that the sight of her legs was not going to help. So he closed his eyes. But then his wild imagination took over. So he opened them again. It was a rock and hard place situation.

  Despite the turmoil going on in his head, he had to keep going. So he pulled her sandal from her foot and set it on the floor. She had a very pretty foot and it took extreme willpower not to give in to the urge to massage it. Sweat broke out on his brow and he felt it trickle down his temples. Since he couldn't think what to do other than play it out, he made an exaggerated show of wiping his brow. The amused audience gathered around them laughed and called out encouragement for him to get on with it.

  Cole slipped the garter over her lovely foot then began the agonizing journey up her long, shapely leg. Sitting as she was, her dress draped well passed her knees, it wasn’t long before his hands slid out of sight. Alyssa moved slightly, catching his attention and he made the mistake of lifting his head to look at her. As their eyes connected and held, he took in how dark they'd become and noticed that her soft lips were slightly parted. She was doing her best to control her breathing and that affected his own.

  So, she wasn’t as impervious to him as she would like him to believe. His hands slowed as he passed her knee. Her eyes widened, distress evident. Since the garter was hooked around his thumbs, his fingers were free to curl around her leg and he took great pleasure in that as he continued the slow movement up to her thigh. Alyssa squirmed again, her unease growing. He gave her a slow wolfish smile causing a roar of amusement to go up in the crowd. God, he’d almost forgotten them. Teasing Alyssa was not doing him any favors, however, for his own body was responding to the sensual play.

  Alyssa was sure she was going to have a heart attack for that traitorous organ was jumping madly in her chest and any time now she was going to start panting. Panic rose within her. Cole had gone quite far enough. Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a wide, slow smile then lifted her bare foot to Cole’s chest and shoved as hard as she could.

  His surprise prevented him from recovering fast enough and Cole went sprawling backwards. But he didn't go alone for his hands instinctively tightened around her leg, pulling her along with him.

  Alyssa gasped with shock as she was jerked from the chair, her hands catching her fall just enough for her not to slam too hard onto the floor.

  The crowd went absolutely quiet.

  When Cole realized that he'd pulled her along with him, he let her go and went sprawling onto his back. He lay there for a few stunned seconds then pushed himself up on his elbows and looked at Alyssa in uneasy silence. She stared back, looking just as uneasy. The silence was deafening.

  Cole’s mouth twitched. Alyssa’s did the same. And then they both burst out in laughter. It took only a second before the whole room was roaring along with them.

  Trisha watched the whole episode with complete absorption. She knew her brother and Alyssa were affecting each other in a dangerous way and was quite enjoying the show. But when Alyssa shoved him with her foot and he took her with him, she gasped in horror, sure a fight was going to ensue. Stunned beyond belief, she stared, open mouthed, as they lay sprawled on the floor contemplating each other. At first she couldn’t comprehend it when she heard the sound of their laughter, especially when she was expecting a full-fledged wrestling match. As relief washed over her, the humor of it all hit her and she was soon laughing so hard tears streamed down her face.

  Cole pushed himself up from the floor, brushed off his tux then offered his hand to Alyssa. She took it immediately and once she was on her feet, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “I deserved that. Thank you.”

  Alyssa pulled back enough to smile up at him. “It was my pleasure, Cole.” They stood that way for several seconds and then realizing they still had their arms around each other, Alyssa pulled hastily away. Not knowing quite what to do now, she looked around for her safe haven. She found Paul, his eyes dancing with amusement, standing a short distance away. With a murmured “Excuse me.” She made her way to him post haste.

  “Well that was certainly different.” Paul put a hand on her back as he walked with her to the table where Gramma Lynn was still sitting.

  “Yes, wasn’t it though?” Her heart still hadn’t calmed down. Nor could she breathe. The air felt stifling and hot. Fanning a hand before her face, she tapped Paul’s arm and nodded toward the terrace. “I think I’m going to go out for some fresh air. I’ll be back shortly.”

  "You want me to come with you?" Paul made to follow her but she waved him into a chair.

  "No, no. I'll be right back." She needed to be alone for a few minutes and somehow get her equilibrium back.

  Though the early spring often presented chilly evenings, the night air was unnaturally warm. A fact made even more so since there wasn't even the slightest breeze going on to cool things off. Alyssa moved along the garden pathways while her mind spun through the images over and over again of Cole kneeling before her, his hands on her leg, his fingers caressing her skin. How was she ever to cool off if she couldn't get that out of her mind?

  Just ahead she caught sight of the miniature golf course and with a small murmur of delight, she headed toward it. Several golf clubs were stacked in an outside receptacle and she pulled one out then reached in the basket for a ball. As she headed to the first hole, she couldn’t help but remember the times she and Trisha played this very course, though it had been several years since they'd done so.

  When she leaned down to place the ball on the tee hole, her head went into a dizzy spin and she staggered unsteadily, nearly losing her balance altogether and nose-diving into the grass. She found this delightfully funny and broke into a fit of laughter which made her balance even more precarious. Glad nobody was around to witness the spectacle she was making of herself, she drew in a deep breath and fought to get her balance back. Obviously the champagne was starting to catch up with her. How many glasses did she put down anyway? Three? Four? Wishing she still had one more, Alyssa shook her fuzzy head to clear it and made ready for her shot. Several false starts and then she was slicing the club through the air, smacking the small ball with a hard whack and sending it flying. Only its flight path came in direct contact with the windmill and the darn thing came whizzing back at her. Squeaking with alarm, Alyssa ducked just in time.

  Behind her, someone clapped. “That was beautifully executed. If it weren’t for that windmill, you would have been on the green.”

  Alyssa swung around. “Why thank you, Cole. You may be my sports commentator any time.”

  He bent down and picked up her errant ball. “Perhaps you should try another ball. It may cooperate better.”

  Smiling despite herself, Alyssa held out her hand. “I’m very stubborn. I think I’ll stick with that one.”

  Cole reached for another golf club. “Mind if I join you?”

  “No. Of course not.” Surprised by the request and even more surprised with her answer, Alyssa managed to keep her expression neutral. If it killed her, she was not going to let him see how much confusion and excitement he stirred within her.

  Cole placed her ball back on the tee and stepped back. "That first shot was practice. Make this one count."

  Determined to show him how good at this she actually could be, Alyssa was gentler this time and the ball went neatly through the small door of the windmill, coming to rest only a few inches from the hole. She crowed with triumph.

  Cole gave her an approving nod. “That was very nice. Now stand back and watch a pro at work.”

  They moved from hole to hole in
a very enjoyable game. Although Alyssa suspected Cole was a better player than he was letting on, she didn't push the issue. She felt too good to argue the fact that he didn't need to hold back with her.

  When they were down to two holes and the score was tied, however, she decided to put an end to his generosity and wagged a finger at him, stamping her foot in feigned petulance. “There's no need for you to throw the game, Cole. I can win without you’re being so gracious as to think you must let me.”

  Cole’s brow lifted in protest and he placed a hand over his heart. “You wound me. I’m doing my utmost to achieve an embarrassing victory.”

  Alyssa threw him a skeptical glance. “Hmm. The only thing you are going to achieve is the agony of defeat.” It took three shots to make the hole. Cole got a hole in one. He gave her an “I can’t believe it” shrug and grinned.

  They moved to the last obstacle which was a huge green frog. The player who hit the ball straight into the frog's mouth won a prize. Usually a free game. Cole stood back and waved a hand for her to have at it. "Give it your best shot."

  Alyssa shook her head. “Oh no, you go first.” When he made to decline, she waved away his protest. “Please do. I want to see a pro in action.”

  Cole sighed. “Okay then. Stand back and be amazed.” He missed quite miserably and frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand it. I always make that shot.”

  Alyssa laughed. “Too bad. Now you step aside.” She aimed carefully and swung. The ball went straight for the frog’s mouth and a light lit up to proclaim her win. Alyssa jumped up and down in her excitement. “Oh my gosh! I did it. Cole, I did it.” She turned to share her excitement with him, her smile turning to laughter when she saw that he stood smiling, his blue eyes lit with amusement over her excited reaction.

  Or was there more burning in there than laughter? Her heart began to pound hard and heavy and it wasn't because her ball had just gone down a frog's throat.

  “Yes, you did." He stepped towards her, his eyes bright with intent. "I believe the winner deserves something for such an excellent showing.” Gently he grasped her arms and pulled her against him.