by Claire Fogel
Smiling, he held out his glass. “Here’s to your Mom and Dad, may they be happy forever.”
“I’ll drink to that. Thanks, Sean.” I took a sip of the bubbly stuff and sneezed.
Sean laughed. “Have you ever had champagne before?”
“Only once, and all I had was a sip. Do I have to drink the whole glass?”
He grinned. “If you don’t like it, I can take it off your hands.”
I took another sip and handed it to him. “I think I’d be better off with lemonade.”
He finished one of the two glasses, got up and headed for the drinks table. He was back in no more than thirty seconds with my lemonade and a plate of tiny sandwiches.
As we munched on sandwiches, he said, “I’ve been to a few weddings with my folks, but this wedding has been incredible. The words the Elder read to your parents were beautiful. My mom actually had tears in her eyes.”
“Yes, I thought the ceremony was lovely. And can you believe what Amy did for this party? She did an amazing job. You and Kevin did a fantastic job with the lights. Our yard looks like something out of a fairy tale.”
“Speaking of Amy, here she comes.” She and Kevin appeared out of the crowd and grabbed two more chairs to sit down with us.
I hugged her. “Amy, this is amazing. The food is perfect, and the lights were a brilliant touch. Where’s the wedding cake?”
She grinned. “I’ll bring it out in a little while. I just wanted to make sure everyone had something to eat first. It’s a big cake, so I’ll need someone to carry it out here for me. Volunteers?”
Kevin raised his hand immediately. “I’ll be happy to carry it out here for you. Of course, you realize this means I get as many pieces as I want, right?”
She laughed. “Right, Kev.”
We were both giggling at that point. Kevin and Sean just looked at each other and grinned.
Through the crowd, I saw Ryan and Lora and waved them over. They were both in their normal green tunics, looking like a matched set.
“Pull a couple more chairs over here, Ryan, and sit with us,” I said.
I introduced Lora to Sean. Kevin had already met her at the dining hall in Elvenwood.
“How’s your head?” I asked Ryan. I was glad to see the bandage was gone.
“It’s all right now, just a bit of a headache.”
Sean asked Ryan, “What happened to your head?” He had never heard what had actually gone down at Van Horn’s on Thursday.
Ryan looked at me. “Well, Gaynes knocked me out while I was watching Cara. I don’t even know what happened after that. Maybe Cara can tell us.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay, since you’re all here, I’ll tell it once. But after tonight, I’ll only talk to the police, and only if I have to. The whole thing will be giving me bad dreams for quite a while.”
They all nodded, and I told them everything, from the moment I realized Ryan was missing, to seeing the police and fire trucks pulling into Van Horn’s loading dock.
Ryan said, “I saw you before you went home, Cara. Your face was a mess. But you look perfect today. How did that happen?”
I smiled. “Kathleen happened. She spent the next day at our house healing my face.”
Sean and Kevin were just staring at me, wide-eyed. Amy looked stricken. “Uh, Cara, did I hear you say dragon?”
Oops. We’d never told Amy about Rowenna. Her eyes were suddenly too big for her face.
“Um, Amy, why don’t we get together tomorrow, and I’ll explain.”
She nodded, looking a little shell-shocked. “Okay. Come to my house. That way, if I faint, you won’t have to carry me too far.”
Kevin was trying hard not to laugh, so I gave him a look.
He put his arm around Amy and hugged her. “Sorry, Red. It’ll be okay, trust me.”
Amy whispered to him, “She said dragon, didn’t she?”
I rolled my eyes.
Sean squeezed my hand. “You really took Gaynes down. You’re amazing.”
Ryan nodded, looking serious. “I should have been able to help you. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “Ryan, if he hadn’t knocked you out, he might have shot you. That’s what he threatened to do to the others. I couldn’t let him hurt my friends.”
Grinning, Kevin said, “I want to hear how you kicked him in the head again.”
I gave him a look. “Amy, please give him something to do before I have to kick him.”
After she calmed down, Amy took Kevin into the house to help her bring out the wedding cake. “Your last birthday cake was the inspiration for this one. I hope your parents like it.”
“I’d better let my parents know the cake is being brought out. Let’s go find them.”
Sean and I threaded through the crowd looking for Mom and Dad, who were surrounded by Elven couples.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Amy’s bringing out the wedding cake,” I told the Elves. “This is one of our customs. You won’t want to miss it.”
The empty food trays had been cleared away and Kevin placed the cake in the middle of the largest table. Amy waited until she had everyone’s attention and gently removed the silver dome covering the cake. She smiled at the ooh’s and ahh’s filling the air.
The cake consisted of three tiers with white fondant icing, decorated from top to bottom with flowers. Roses, daisies, violets, pansies, and ivy twined around all three tiers. It was the most beautiful cake I’d ever seen. My parents were speechless.
Finally Mom said, “Amy, this is a work of art. How can you expect us to cut into it?”
Laughing, Amy said, “I think it will taste as good as it looks. And you have to cut into it so you and your husband can feed cake to each other.”
She looked at my father who looked a bit confused. “It’s traditional, Mr. B.”
Mom was smiling as Amy handed her the silver cake knife. Two pieces were cut from the top tier and my parents fed pieces of cake to each other.
“Amy, you were right. It’s delicious,” my dad said, grinning.
All smiles, Amy proceeded to cut pieces of cake for all the guests, serving them on beautiful glass plates with silver forks. I thought it was all very elegant. Of course, I should have known Amy would never stoop to paper plates and plastic forks.
Amy kept cutting pieces of cake until everyone had been served. Some of the men, Elves and human alike, had come back to the table for seconds, which didn’t surprise me. The cake was fantastic.
Standing next to my best friend, I whispered, “Good job, Amy. Incredible cake.”
Grinning, she whispered, “Kevin’s had three pieces already, and here comes Gabe for his third piece.”
Gabriel bowed to Amy, smiling as he took another piece of cake. “I think I’ll have to marry you,” he joked. “Neal’s loss, my gain, Red.” He winked at her and walked away with his cake.
I looked at Amy. “Neal’s loss? What did he mean?”
She lost her smile for a few seconds. “I’ll tell you about it when I see you tomorrow.”
As the food trays were removed, the caterers brought out two silver urns, one for tea and one for coffee. Amy hadn’t missed a thing. Guests were finishing their cake and serving themselves tea and coffee. Groups of people sat around the sides of the yard while others walked around chatting.
I was pleased to see Sean’s parents talking with his grandfathers. Mr. McKay looked truly happy to be speaking to his father and grandfather after so many years.
Mr. and Mrs. Strauss were talking with an older Elven couple, while Amy and Kevin were talking to Kelly O’Rourke, Kevin’s dad. Chief O’Donnell had stayed long enough to have a piece of cake and then left to go back to work. He confided that his job would be a lot easier now, and asked me to thank Rowenna for her assistance. I promised I would.
My parents stood near the front of the yard, talking to Conor and Arlynn when I heard my mother’s surprised, “Oh. Hello, Betty.” Kevin’s mom had stopped by, carrying a beautifully wrapp
ed box.
“I realize I’m crashing your party, but I know you were married today and I wanted to give you this. It’s an antique and I think it will look wonderful in this lovely old Victorian house of yours.”
Mom said, “This is so sweet of you, Betty. Thank you. I think you already met Brian.”
My father bowed. “Miss Sinclair. It’s nice to see you again.”
Kevin’s mom said, “Well, I just wanted to offer my congratulations to you. Kevin’s around here somewhere, isn’t he?”
They say timing is everything. The crowd behind us parted and Kevin and his father were clearly visible. Betty Sinclair turned toward them and stopped short. “Oh,” was all she said.
She saw Kelly standing with Kevin, and Kelly saw her.
Betty shook her head, turned and walked out of the yard.
Mom and Dad looked at each other. My father said, “She didn’t know he was back?”
Mom raised an eyebrow. “I guess not.”
Kevin and his dad walked up and joined us. Kelly looked acutely uncomfortable.
Kevin put one arm around me. “I’m afraid Mom’s gonna have a few words for me tonight, short stuff.”
Conor shook his head. “I’ve heard there’s always some drama at a wedding. Kevin, it’s not really your problem. The problem is between your parents.”
Kelly nodded. “He’s right, Kev. If she wants to yell at someone, you can tell her where to find me.”
Kevin said, “I think I’d better go home and get it over with. Mom’s probably upset. Cara, tell Amy I’ll be back early in the morning to pack up everything for the caterer to pick up later in the day. I think she’s busy wrapping up all the leftover food, which will probably end up in your kitchen.” He grinned. “Although, I did my best to see there wouldn’t be too much left over.”
Mom started to walk away. “I should help her.”
I grabbed her arm. “Mom, don’t worry about the food. I’ll help Amy put everything away, including what’s left of that gorgeous cake. You and Dad just relax and enjoy yourselves while our guests are still here.”
Kevin hugged me, Mom, and Arlynn, shook my father’s hand and Conor’s, and headed for home.
Mom looked worried. “Poor Kevin, caught between two parents who can’t stand each other.” She took my father’s arm and they walked to the rear of the yard where Jason and Rob were still playing music the Elves were enjoying. Ryan’s girlfriend, Lora, was singing along with them, and the younger Elves were all seated around them. The sun was going down and the lights in the trees and shrubs created a romantic atmosphere. I saw my father pull two chairs over near Jason and he and Mom sat down to enjoy the music.
After Amy and I finished putting the leftover food away, we joined the group listening to the music. Looking around, I realized I hadn’t seen Adam all day. I’d thought he’d be at the wedding, but I never caught sight of him in the crowd.
Finally I spotted him at the edge of the woods, leaning against a pine tree, listening to the music. I stood and circled the group sitting around Jason and Rob, and walked into the trees where I’d seen him.
“I’ve been looking for you all day. Where have you been hiding?”
He smiled, making my heart flutter a little. I scolded myself severely.
“I’ve been around. I did congratulate your mother and father right after the ceremony, but I’m not fond of crowds, which is something I think we share.” He gave me a rueful smile. “I saw you, flitting from one group to another like a pink butterfly.” He chuckled. “You were busy greeting everyone. And I didn’t want to get in Sean’s way.”
I groaned. “Oh, come on, Adam. You wouldn’t have been in anyone’s way.”
Grinning, he said, “I doubt Sean would have seen it that way.”
“Well, I missed you today. Did you get anything to eat? You would have loved those little sandwiches.”
“I did indeed. They were excellent, as was that beautiful wedding cake. Amy is a real artist when it comes to cakes.” He chuckled. “Can you imagine the masterpieces you could create if you just learned to cook?”
I rolled my eyes. He was still laughing. When he stopped laughing, he said softly, “Seriously, Cara, girls dressed in pink, who are as beautiful as you, should never be expected to cook.” He looked down at me with so much affection in his eyes, I felt weak in the knees for a few seconds.
“I’ll be sure to pass that thought along to my mother.” I thought I heard my voice shake just a tiny bit. I felt a sort of tension between us that I wasn’t used to.
He took my hand and moved us behind the pine tree he’d been leaning against. The look on his handsome face made my heart start fluttering a little. He seemed somehow unsure as he put his hands on either side of my face. His eyes went to my lips as he slowly bent down to kiss me. My heart pounded as his lips met mine.
Unexpectedly, there was a roaring in my ears. The ground dropped away from beneath my feet. Voices from the party went silent. The earth had stopped revolving around the sun. It seemed that we were completely and utterly alone.
As his lips moved over mine, I felt weak but unbelievably happy. If he hadn’t been holding me, I would have fallen. My heart pounded like a hammer.
I’d dreamed of this. Adam was kissing me the way a man kisses a woman he loves. Finally, I reacted by wrapping my arms around his slim waist and pulling him closer. His arms went around my back, caressing me gently. The taste of his lips was intoxicating, even better than fruit punch laced with vodka. I thought I could spend the rest of my life just kissing Adam.
Suddenly his hands were on my shoulders, pushing me away. I looked up at him, shocked at the sudden distance between us, wondering why he’d stopped kissing me.
We were both breathing hard as I reached for him again, but his arms kept me at a distance, a distance I didn’t want.
His expression was tormented, guilty, and I didn’t understand. I knew he’d liked kissing me as much as I liked it. Why did he look so unhappy?
His hands still holding my shoulders, he whispered, “Cara, forgive me. I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“Why?”
“I’m so sorry,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“You don’t understand.” He closed his eyes briefly.
Looking over my head, he said, “I think your father’s looking for you.”
I turned to look into the yard, but my father was by the porch talking to Conor.
When I turned back, Adam was gone.
I thought I heard his soft voice from a distance, “Good night, love.”
I stood there and tried to get my breathing and heartbeat under control, missing the feel of his body pressed to mine. I realized that he’d left because he was afraid he’d kiss me again. Which would have been fine with me, but I guessed he was thinking about our age difference. I didn’t care about our age difference. It wasn’t important. I sighed deeply, closing my eyes, waiting for my heart to stop pounding.
When I felt sure my legs would hold me up, I walked into the yard and returned to my chair next to Amy.
She looked at me and said, “Are you all right? You’re really flushed.” If I was flushed, it went all the way through me.
“I’m okay.”
“Where did you go?”
“I was looking for Adam.”
She giggled. “From the look of you, you must have found him. What happened?”
“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay, but come over early. I’ll make breakfast for us.”
I nodded and smiled. I wanted to keep it all to myself, at least for tonight.
Most of the Elves had already left. I knew those returning to Elvenwood wanted to get back before it was completely dark. The younger men were probably just returning to camp tonight. Amy’s parents had just left after thanking my parents for sharing their wedding day.
Sean and his parents had spent a lot of time talking to Sean’s grandfathers and to Conor. It l
ooked like a wonderful family reunion for the McKays, who were the last to leave.
Mr. Callahan had finally run out of film and had gone home, promising to have all the pictures he took developed in a few days.
I walked out with Sean and his parents, both telling me they’d had an absolutely wonderful time. They got into their car and Sean kissed me good night before sliding into the back seat.
Adam had been right. When it came to kisses, there were big differences.
When I got back to our yard, Mom and Dad were sitting on the porch, sipping champagne and holding hands.
When I walked up on the porch, my father said, “Why don’t you join us.”
I yawned. “Thanks, but I’m really tired, Dad. I’ve got a date with Amy early in the morning. She’s making breakfast, so I think I’ll go to bed now.”
I looked out at the yard, still looking like a fairyland, lights glittering in all the trees.
Mom said, “I think I’ll leave these lights on tonight. It’s all so pretty, I can’t bear to turn them off.” My father chuckled, smiling at her.
I kissed them both good night. As I went in the door, I said, “Good night, Mrs. Blackthorne. Good night, Dad.” I heard them both chuckling as I went upstairs.
Ralph was already snoring at the foot of my bed. I got out of my dress, pulled on my oversized t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and got into bed. As I lay there, I thought about Adam.
My father had asked me several times if I was in love with Adam. I’d always said I didn’t know what it felt like to fall in love. But I knew now.
I was in love with Adam Wolfe.
Naturally, my dreams were full of Adam that night. Nice dreams. Naughty dreams. Great dreams. Needless to say, I woke up early in a really good mood.
I took a quick shower, dried my hair, left it hanging down my back, and pulled on a pair of jeans and my red sweatshirt. There was no longer any reason to avoid wearing bright colors. Adam said I looked good in red. I would wear red often.
Mom and Dad weren’t up yet, so I left a note telling them I’d be at Amy’s, and left the house quietly. When I peeked out the kitchen window, I didn’t see Adam or anyone else out there. I ducked outside quickly to grab one of the pots of mums for Amy.