Now, more than ever, she wished she’d brought a date to the wedding. If only Grayson could’ve waited until after the wedding to break up with her. It had been over two months since she’d last talked to him, but not long after breaking up, he’d updated his status on social media to in a relationship.
Her vision blurred as her daddy escorted Taylin to the middle of the ballroom. Her sister looked like a real princess, whereas Ashlee still only played the part of a princess. Believe it or not, she’d landed a job playing the part of different princesses for Princess Parties Inc. since quitting her job at the theme park. The specialty company was owned by her mother’s friend and had been the perfect job for Ashlee.
Taylin’s face looked radiant as the first strains of the music began. Ashlee quickly blinked away the tears. It was selfish to only be thinking of herself. This was Taylin’s moment, and she wanted to share in her sister’s happiness. The mellow voice of Tim McGraw floated on the air, telling the story about the love a father has for his daughter. This time when tears blurred Ashlee’s vision, it wasn’t due to self-pity. It was because of joy. Her sister looked gorgeous.
Ashlee glanced across the ballroom and saw Luke watching his bride. The guy was totally smitten, and Ashlee knew her sister would be happy.
A warm hand slid around her waist, and Ashlee glanced over at her sister-in-law. “You doing okay?” Addie asked softly.
“Yeah, these are happy tears.” She sniffed and tried to smile. “I’m just gonna miss her.” Her voice cracked. “We’ve been so inseparable our whole lives, even when we haven’t lived with each other. It just feels like our connection is gone.”
“I thought the same thing when my sister got married.” Addie tightened her hold. “Even though we’re not twins or even close in age, we still had a special bond. But if anything, our relationship grew. It will all work out with Taylin. You’ll see.”
Hoping Addie was right, Ashlee watched her daddy plant a soft kiss on Taylin’s forehead as the song ended. Then he stepped back as Luke took his place. So Close, the song from the movie Enchanted, started, and the couple danced as husband and wife for the first time. The lyrics, both romantic and intimate, were perfect as the couple swayed to the music, their gazes locked on one another. On the last measure, Luke lowered his head and kissed his wife.
After the clapping and cheers died down, the DJ congratulated Luke and Taylin and then announced the dance floor was open to everyone. Couples drifted to the floor, and Ashlee stepped away from her sister-in-law when Chase invited his wife to dance.
“Let me have Izzy,” Ashlee said. If she had her niece, she wouldn’t feel like a wallflower, waiting for someone to ask her to dance. Luke’s groomsmen were all married, except one. Jake was cute and all, but he was a bull-riding playboy, and Luke had already warned Ashlee not to be taken in by his charm. So far, Jake had focused all that charm on Taylin’s friend from work.
“Thanks, Ash.” Chase transferred his daughter to Ashlee before taking Addie’s hand. “Ready?”
“I should probably put my shoes back on,” Addie said with a grimace.
“Nah, I like my woman barefoot and pregnant.”
Addie laughed. “It’s kind of pathetic that that’s the most romantic thing you’ve said to me today.”
“Well, Mrs. Nichols, I better fix that right now.” He pulled Addie into his arms, twirled her once, and then leaned down to whisper in her ear. Ashlee couldn’t hear what he said, but whatever it was, it must have been good. Addie giggled, rose up on her toes and pressed a lingering kiss to Chase’s mouth.
If she didn’t love her brother and his wife so much, she’d hate them for being so ridiculously in love, even after six years of marriage.
“Your mama and daddy are embarrassing me,” Ashlee said to Isabelle. “Should we go get some cake?”
“Yeah, cake!” Izzy said, hugging Ashlee around the neck.
The kitchen staff had already cut most of the wedding cake, and Ashlee selected the biggest piece, complete with a hot pink flower on top. “Dibs on the flower,” Ashlee told her niece. It was the only thing that might stain Isabelle’s dress, and Ashlee wasn’t taking any chances. She’d seen the way the three-year-old ate, and it wasn’t pretty. The white cake wouldn’t do too much damage, but the decorative-pink confectionary would definitely leave a stain. Plus, the edible flowers were made of white chocolate candy clay, not rolled fondant. And they were delicious.
Looking around, Ashlee spied an empty table and started toward it. She didn’t realize the table was right next to where Beau sat with his grandmother until it was too late. Rejection from him was the last thing she needed right now.
“Y’all come on over here,” Miss Barbara said with a wave of her hand.
Beau watched Ashlee through narrowed eyes, and she got the vibe he wasn’t happy with his grandmother’s invitation. The guy needed to chill. Yeah, she was into him… really into him, but she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the tenuous friendship she had with him. Or used to have with him. It was a fine line she’d learned not to cross. She may have ventured close a time or two, but she would never breach the invisible barrier unless Beau did so first.
His face was all hard lines, a clear indication Beau wasn’t anywhere near crossing the line.
Anyone else might have been intimidated by his glower, but not her. She gave him a flirty smile and chose the seat next to him. “Hey, thanks for saving us a seat.” She started to pull the chair back, but Beau shot to his feet and took over the job.
“No problem,” he mumbled as he scooted her chair in. Instead of retaking his seat, Beau rounded the table to sit on the opposite side. Ashlee tried not to let it bother her too much. His obvious avoidance meant he either liked her and didn’t want to, or he didn’t like her and wanted her to get the message.
Izzy wanted her own chair. She also didn’t want to share the cake with Ashlee. After removing the flower, she pushed the plate in front of the little girl and handed her a fork. “Try not to get any on your dress,” Ashlee said when Izzy dropped the fork and dug into the center of the cake with her hand.
“Too late,” Beau said with a laugh when a big glob of white frosting landed on the toddler’s dress.
“That will come out.” She grimaced. “I hope.”
“It’ll come out,” Miss Barbara said. “By the way, you look absolutely stunning in your dress. You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Ashlee glanced up and caught Beau watching her, but he quickly looked away. “That’s kind of you to say.”
“It’s the truth.” Miss Barbara nudged her grandson, who was staring out at the dancing couples. “Beau, hasn’t Ashlee grown into a beautiful young woman?”
The muscle in Beau’s jaw flexed as he shifted in his seat and met Ashlee’s eyes. “Yes, ma’am. She’s very young.” His jaw tightened again. “And pretty,” he said, almost as an afterthought.
“Ah, thanks, Beau,” Ashlee said wryly. She wasn’t sure what his deal was, but it was kind of funny.
He nodded his head and then turned back to watch the dancers.
“Taylin makes a beautiful bride,” Miss Barbara said. “I suspect you’ll be next?”
“Yep, just waiting for Prince Charming to show up.”
That got Beau’s attention. “I thought you told Isabelle Prince Charming is a toad?”
“What I meant to say is you have to kiss a lot of toads before you find your prince. So far, all of them have remained toads.” She grinned mischievously. “But I’m sure if I keep up the kissing I’ll eventually find him.”
“That’s the spirit,” Miss Barbara said with a laugh.
Beau held her gaze for a few seconds, like he might say something else, but in the end returned his attention to the dance floor. If he was so enthralled with the dancing, then why wasn’t he out there? Really, it wasn’t fair that the guy was the one to do the asking. If they didn’t dance, it was because they didn’t want to. If a girl
didn’t dance, it was because she wasn’t asked.
She caught sight of Taylin and Luke swaying to the music and remembered her perfect, southern-bred sister had asked her husband to marry her. So why couldn’t Ashlee do the same thing?
As the final measures of the song played out, Miss Janie joined their table. She chuckled when Isabelle shoved another piece of cake into her mouth. “I see someone’s enjoying the cake.”
“We were supposed to share,” Ashlee said, attempting to wipe the frosting from Izzy’s mouth without much success.
The song changed to a familiar upbeat tune by Miley Cyrus, and the three-year-old started bouncing to the rhythm.
“Go, Izzy.” Ashlee wished she had her phone with her so she could capture the moment on video. The little girl grinned and twisted side to side as the beat pulsed over the speakers. “I should take her out on the dance floor,” Ashlee said. “This is too good of a song to sit out on.”
Cleaning up her niece the best she could, she picked her up. “Wanna dance, Izzy?” She spun the little girl around, making her giggle.
“Do it again!” Isabelle said.
Ashlee did another spin and then kicked off her shoes. She caught Beau watching her, a small smile playing at his lips. Deciding he needed to join in on the fun, she and Izzy danced their way in front of him. She sensed his discomfort right away. Most people would back off, but Ashlee wasn’t most people.
“Come on, Beau, and dance with us.”
Chapter 4
Beau knew he should’ve left the table the second his grandmother invited Ashlee to sit with them. He was still trying to get a grip on how much she’d changed and his unwanted reactions to those changes.
“Come on, Beau,” she said, rocking back and forth with Isabelle, “and dance with us.”
The simple request shouldn’t make him so nervous. He’d danced with her before, like at Chase’s wedding, and it hadn’t been a big deal. His eyes skimmed over her, and he swallowed. Then again, she hadn’t been wearing a dress that hugged her body to perfection.
“No thanks, I think I’ll just watch.”
“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun.”
He was tempted to say yes. Boy, was he tempted. Instead, he shook his head. “Maybe later.”
“Okay, but you’re missing out.” Her light blue eyes sparkled as she lifted one arm above her head and sang along with the lyrics. “So I put my hands up, they're playing my song ...”
His heart thumped against his chest to the beat of the drums as he watched Ashlee and Isabelle dance their way onto the ballroom floor.
“For goodness sake, Beau,” his grandmother said, nudging him in the arm, “get on out there and dance with your friends.”
Taylin and her new husband had joined in the fun, dancing with their little boy. Chase and Addie had even stayed out on the dance floor, although Addie’s dance moves basically involved holding one hand over her belly with the other one pressing up against her back while Chase danced around her.
Beau tried really hard not to look at Ashlee, but her vibrant personality lit up the dance floor, making her hard to ignore. He wasn’t the only one drawn to her. She now had a group of children surrounding her, copying her dance moves. The kids were all dressed in matching dresses or shirts and ties, so he guessed they were her nieces and nephews from her two older sisters.
The song was nearing the end when his nana nudged him again. “All right, I’m going.” He stood up and made his way toward the Nichols’ clan.
“Hey, man.” Chase bumped his fist against Beau’s. “Let’s see if you’ve still got it, because I know I do.”
“Got what?” Beau didn’t really want an answer. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.
“Hang on,” Chase said. Turning, he jogged over to talk to the DJ. He came back a moment later and grinned as the first notes of the new song played over the speakers.
Beau recognized it right away and shook his head. “No way, dude. You’re on your own.”
The music started to crescendo and Chase wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, come on, man.” He did a Michael Jackson move he’d perfected back in high school. “Let’s show my nieces and nephews how it’s done.”
Beau shook his head again, but knew he was going to give in. “Whatever.” He loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt. “You owe me big time,” he said, moving to stand next to Chase.
“Cool.” Chase glanced at his family. “Y’all ready for this?”
The group went wild, especially the adults who recognized the tune sung by a popular boy band nearly two decades ago.
Beau waited for their cue, wishing the other two band members, Jackson and Drew, were here to do it with them. However, the moment he and Chase did the first bye-bye-bye in perfect synchronization, their audience went wild.
Beau was surprised he remembered every step, especially since the last time he’d done the choreographed dance had been for their senior assembly nearly seventeen years ago. Even more impressive, he and Chase were still in pretty good shape. On the final bye-bye-bye, Beau decided to end the dance the way he’d done it for the assembly and threw a back flip.
“I can’t believe you can still do that,” Chase said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
“I can’t believe it either.” Beau felt a twinge in his back. He hoped he hadn’t pulled anything major.
“Wow, that was a pretty good move for an old man,” Addie said with a wink. “You two made me laugh so hard I thought for sure it would put me into labor.”
Chase stopped laughing and shot his wife a concerned look. “But you’re not, right?”
“No.” She rubbed a hand across her abdomen. “But I probably need to find a bathroom.”
Ashlee stepped next to her sister-in-law and handed off Isabelle to Chase. “That was pretty dope. I really hope someone got y’all on video.”
“I don’t,” Beau said, putting his hands on his hips to catch his breath. “If any guys from my unit see this they’ll never let me live it down.”
“Oh, we got it on video,” Taylin said with a laugh. “Y’all are forever immortalized.”
“Awesome,” Chase said, giving Beau a fist bump.
“Awesome,” Isabelle mimicked, holding up her fist for Beau. He gently tapped his knuckles against hers and then wiggled his fingers as he pulled away. The little girl giggled. “You’re funny.”
“I think someone likes you,” Addie said when her daughter asked for Beau to hold her.
“Yeah, the girl knows a good thing when she sees it.” Another song started and Beau volunteered to keep Isabelle while Chase escorted his wife to the restroom. The little girl wanted to dance, so Beau joined the dance floor with Ashlee and her little entourage. He hadn’t had this much fun in a long time and it made him realize how much he missed his friends and family.
Chase returned to get his daughter, and Beau stayed out on the dance floor with Ashlee, playing and dancing with the other kids. They had fun together and it felt like old times.
A slow song came on, and he considered asking her to dance. After all, they were friends. He turned to seek her out amongst the sea of nieces and nephews and pulled in a hard breath. One of the groomsmen, Beau thought his name was Jake, stood in front of Ashlee with his hand held out in an invitation. Beau’s earlier brotherly feelings were replaced with an emotion that felt a lot like jealousy.
Before Ashlee accepted, she looked his way and their gazes locked. Ashlee had always been so easy to read when it came to her feelings for him, and it was clear she still liked him. While his awareness of her was far different than it had ever been before, it didn’t mean anything. Couldn’t mean anything.
Although he could tell she wanted him to come over and ask her to dance, he wouldn’t start something he had no intention of finishing. Schooling his emotions, Beau forced his lips into a smile and broke the connection by glancing at his watch. When he looked back up, Ashlee and Jake had disappeared into the throng of danc
ers.
Feeling oddly out of sorts, Beau turned around and spotted the refreshment table. As he crossed the floor to get a drink, he spied Kate Taylor at the edge of the gathering. He’d talked to her briefly after their Nsync impersonation and Chase was right. Kate was still a nice girl. Maybe he would ask her to dance. Beau veered his course toward her, but stopped when another man stepped in front of Kate and led her out to the dance floor.
He felt a twinge in his back as he continued on his trek toward the refreshment table. He had a feeling tomorrow morning he was going to feel muscles he hadn’t used in a long time.
After getting a glass of lemonade, he leaned against the wall. As if his brain had a one-track mind, he immediately zeroed in on Ashlee and her dance partner.
Irritation worked its way through him as he observed how close they were. His fingers curled around the glass when he noticed how low the guy’s hand was on the small of her back. If he lowered it another inch, Beau was going to have to intervene. It was something he would’ve done before, so maybe he wasn’t feeling jealous at all. Maybe it was just his brotherly instincts kicking in.
“You look like you’re ready to punch something,” Addie said.
Startled, Beau nearly dropped his glass. He hadn’t even noticed Chase’s wife standing next to him. “Hey,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t repeat her comment. “Can I get you a drink?”
The corners of her mouth quirked up. “I said you look like you’re going to punch something, not that I want punch.”
“Ha ha.” He lifted the glass and finished off his lemonade. There was no reason to lie to Addie, not that she’d buy it anyway. “That guy Ashlee’s dancing with is getting a little handsy. I was just thinkin’ about the options if he lowers his hand any further.”
Her smile grew. “Right.” She patted him on the arm. “Glad you’re still looking out for my sister.”
Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3 Page 4