Burned (7 page)

“Ha,” I said. It was a nice effort to relieve me from my guilt, though it didn’t work. I suddenly remembered that I was the one that should be reassuring him. I pulled myself together and gave him my best smile.

“You have nothing to prove to these people. Remember?” I patted his chest reassuringly. He nodded. “There’s no reason at all you for you to be nervous about seeing them. If they haven’t made time for you, it’s their loss. You need to go in there looking like you don’t give a damn. Understand?”

“You’re right.” He shook his shoulders, making an effort and visibly shaking off the tension. “I have no
reason
to give a damn about what
anyone
thinks of me. I don’t have to talk to anyone I don’t want to talk to. I can leave whenever I feel like it.” I nodded, encouraging him to continue with his own pep talk. “I have a fabulous date. I might,” he frowned, as if he didn’t believe what he was going to say, “even have a good time tonight.”

I laughed. “You never know. You might just decide you enjoy my company. I’ve been told I can be pretty likeable when I want to be.”

“You are definitely likeable and you are great company,” he said. He took my hand in his and gave it a tug as he led me down the hallway. “Let’s get going and see where this night takes us.”

Jake’s leg bounced up and down with frenetic energy. I clamped my hand down on his knee, pressing it into stillness. I glanced at him and raised my eyebrows. He hadn’t been kidding. He really,
really
didn’t want to be here. He gave me a sheepish look but didn’t bother even trying to fake a smile.

I gave his knee a squeeze and left my hand right where it was. With gentle pressure I kept it in place. Even with his knee stilled, I could feel his tension.

The wedding was over. The rows ahead of us were being summarily dismissed. We remained seated in the last row as we impatiently waited our turn. The wedding itself had been beautiful. The ocean was the backdrop. The glowing orange blaze of the sun shone down on the water making it glisten like liquid gold. The timing had been expertly planned. It wouldn’t be much longer before the sun would have descended enough to make it difficult to look into the horizon.

The day had cooperated beautifully. There was a gentle breeze and a brilliantly colored sky. It was striated with shades of peach, plum, and a glowing amber.

Behind us, I heard the music start up. An orchestra of course.

The reception would take place on the sprawling lawn behind us, under a canopy of white. The grounds of the historic hotel were surrounded by an award winning garden. A floral scent lingered in the air.

When we’d arrived, Jake had insisted on having the usher seat us right away. It was his blatant attempt to avoid having to mingle with anyone. His reprieve was about to end. It was almost our turn to be dismissed.

His knee gave a sharp little jump under my palm.

“What do you think we’ll get for dinner?” I whispered as I leaned in close.

“What?” He frowned at me in confusion, my question taking him by surprise and taking his mind of everything else. Just as I had meant for it to.

“I’m guessing something completely pretentious. Liver pate, caviar…tripe?”

He arched an eyebrow at me. “Tripe?” he asked incredulously.

I shrugged. “I could really go for a bacon cheeseburger. Maybe we’ll have to head to the café when this is all over.”

“I think that at the very least, you deserve a burger when this is all over.” He smiled ruefully and my heart tumbled a bit. I hated that he was so uncomfortable. I was happy to provide a distraction in whatever way I could.

As I looked around, I could see how this might be a bit overwhelming. I’d been to my share of weddings but none as huge or as elegant as this one. The decorations alone probably cost as much as my car.

I had spent the better part of the time trying to ignore the glare from a gorgeous brunette across the aisle. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I gave Jake a gentle nudge. “That wouldn’t happen to be the notorious ex, would it?”

He didn’t have to even look. He just nodded. I realized he obviously had noticed her too.

“That would be her.”

“Huh,” I said with a grin. “Have you seen the evil looks I’m getting from her? It’s so obvious she’s jealous I’m with you.” I thought that would give his ego a much needed boost.

“Nah,” he said with a chuckle. “If she’s giving you evil looks it’s because she’s pissed I brought a date that’s prettier than she is.”

I swatted his shoulder playfully. “Why, Mr. Thompson, you are just full of compliments tonight!”

He shrugged but he wore a smile. “I’m just telling the truth.”

I shouldn’t have felt a little flutter in my chest at hearing those words, but I did. Our row stood and we joined the flood of people spilling out onto the lawn. Jake gripped my hand in his. I was under no allusions that it was a romantic gesture. He had a death grip on me, as if I was his life preserver in this potentially tumultuous sea of people.

Before I could remind him that this ordeal was half over, a pretty little blonde, probably a few years younger than us, bolted out of the crowd.

“Jake!” she cried as she threw herself at him.

“Hey, Maggie!” he said in greeting. Then he mouthed, “My sister.” He hugged her back and she stepped to the side, eyeing me curiously as he released her.

“I’m so glad you showed up. I figured you’d find an excuse not to come.”

“Are Mom and Frederic here?” He looked nervous as he scanned the crowd.

Maggie put her hand on his elbow, it was a reassuring gesture and I knew right then that I liked her. “Mom’s here, somewhere. Dad had a business conference out east that he couldn’t get out of.”

Jake nodded and he visibly relaxed.

“Who’s your friend?” she asked. Her curious perusal of me had turned wary. Instead of finding it offensive, I was slightly amused at the obvious protectiveness that she felt toward her older brother.

“Oh, sorry. Maggie, this is my friend Lanna,” he said.

“I’m here for moral support,” I whispered.

She smiled as she gave Jake a questioning look.

“You know I hate these things,” he said. “She was nice enough to come with so I didn’t have to show up like some dateless loser.”

“You’re not a loser,” we both said at the same time. We looked at each other and both smiled.

“Yeah, well, thanks,” he said as he shook his head at the two of us.

She looped her arm through his. “Let’s go find our table.” She motioned for me to follow.

“Uh, Mags, I’m pretty sure we aren’t sitting together. I’m actually surprised I was even invited to this thing. I’m probably seated at the table reserved for the other black sheep.”

“You mean like our dear cousin Jax, who decided to give up his high-powered job to join the Peace Corps? Because you’d be absolutely right. Fortunately for you, while you waited to be released out of the dreadful last row, I was busy rearranging.”

He frowned at her. “Rearranging what?”

She beamed at him. “Place cards, silly! Jax is now sitting next to mom and
I
,” she said dramatically, “am sitting next to you.”

A laugh slipped out of my mouth. “I love this girl,” I said to Jake.

She looked at me and gave me a huge grin. “Well, how rude of them to think I wouldn’t want to sit with my big bro.”

Since the day was glorious, tables were set out across the sprawling lawn. Maggie led us to a table that was as far from the head table as we could get and still have a place to eat.

It was fine by me. I actually liked the spot just fine. It was out of the way. Jake pulled out my chair. My place card was blank. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

“I sent in my RSVP with a plus one but I didn’t give a name,” he explained. “I’m sure it had the wedding planner in a tizzy.”

“Feeling optimistic, were you?” I teased.

Maggie laughed. “Hardly. He was planning on not showing but didn’t want anyone to know.”

Jake scowled at her.

She made a shooing motion. “Go get us some punch,
pleeeeeease
?” She batted her eyelashes innocently at him.

He warily eyed the mass of people that stood between us and the punch table.

Maggie sighed loudly. “Stop acting like a ninny. You’re my big brother. I’m supposed to look up to you. Go,” she said, “brave the pretentious nitwits in the crowd and bring us some drinks. I bet Lanna is parched.”

She gave me a look that begged me to go along with her.

I gave Jake an apologetic look. “I could use a drink.”

With a sigh of resignation, he took off.

Maggie’s playful look instantly drifted into a look of sadness as she watched him go. When she lost sight of him she turned to me. “I really hate that he’s so self-conscious around these people now. They have no right to look down on him. On the other hand, my dad made such a show of convincing everyone that Jake turned into a miscreant, I almost can’t blame them. But they should know better. They should know my brother better than to believe that.”

“I agree. I don’t know him well, but I don’t think I’ve ever met a nicer guy.”

She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table. “He said you were a friend, but what are your intentions with my brother?” I was about to laugh until I realized she looked pretty damn serious.

“My intention,” I said honestly, “is to be sure that he has a good time tonight. And if that should happen to include making his money-hungry ex a little bit jealous, so be it. She deserves to see that Jake’s a great guy, all on his own. It would serve her right to realize she was an idiot for tossing him aside.”

She nodded slowly, apparently needing to process what I’d said. “Thank you. I’m glad he finally got himself a girlfriend who sees that.”

“We’re not—” I cut myself of as I realized there was an echo from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and Jake finished “—dating.”

“Right,” I agreed. “We’re not dating.”

“So you implied with the friend bit,” Maggie admitted. “But you
should
be dating. I like her,” she said as she vaguely motioned my way. “Do you like her Jake?”

I laughed. “Yeah, do you like me, Jake?” I teased.

His cheeks turned pink but he smiled. “I suppose you’re not so bad.”

“Oh,” Maggie said with a sigh, “here come the ruiners of all things fun.”

“The, um, what?” I asked in confusion.

“The old people,” she clarified unhappily. “We’re sitting with at least a dozen old people. Prepare to be bored beyond your wildest dreams. Aunt Millie and Uncle George will talk for hours about the state of their bunions. The wedding planner put them back here, at this table, because their voices carry. Actually, they holler because they are all half deaf. She didn’t want to ruin the fun for everyone else.”

“Nope, just us black sheep,” Jake said as he carefully placed the cups of punch in front of Maggie and me.

“I’d rather be a black sheep than a lemming,” Maggie said. “And when it comes right down to it, I think you would too.”

~*~*~

“Time for me to mingle,” Maggie announced. “And I think it’s time for you two to dance.”

I thought that was a fabulous idea. I’d learned more about pacemakers, liver spots, and incontinence than I’d ever wanted to know.

I looked hopefully to Jake.

“Do you dance?” I asked.

“Do I dance?” he repeated. “Does it count if I just put my arms around you and sway to the music?”

“Yes,” I said with a laugh, “that definitely counts.”

“Then I’m an
excellent
dancer.”

Maggie hurried off to find a few of her cousins that she was close with. Jake and I made our way to the dance floor. We stayed on the outer edge.

“You never congratulated the bride and groom,” I said quietly.

“Trust me, it’s my wedding gift to them to keep my distance.”

I gave him a stern look. “I doubt that. They invited you.”

“It was good manners to invite me,” Jake said. “They probably thought I’d reciprocate the good manners by declining. Clearly, I did not.”

“Clearly,” I said with a smile. “Are you glad you came?”

He nodded. “I am. I’m tired of being snubbed by everyone. I don’t want to be part of this crowd again, but I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing I was edged out of it against my will.”

“Then let’s just try to enjoy the rest of the evening,” I said.

We continued to sway to the music. Jake held me so close we were touching. I had no complaints. If anything, I wanted to press even more tightly against him. It felt good to have his arms around me.

My fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. His eyes involuntarily fluttered closed for a second. When he opened them again…I thought just maybe he was feeling a little bit of what I was feeling.

Or maybe he wasn’t.

I really had no idea.

I knew who I
was
invoking some emotion from.

Darby, chest heaving, eyes narrowed, gaze zeroed in on Jake, was clearly fuming on the other side of the pavilion.

“Someone is not a happy girl,” I said sarcastically. I tried to take a step away from Jake, just in case that was what he wanted but didn’t feel comfortable pushing me away. He didn’t let me put space between us. He kept his arms looped tightly around my waist.

Jake cast a quick glance toward his ex.

“Do you still feel something for her?”

He scoffed. “Oh, when I see her, I feel a whole lot. Not one of those feelings is good. Not after what she did to me. Not after I figured out what kind of person she really is.”

“Considering that she’s the one that ended things, she sure doesn’t look like she likes seeing you with someone else,” I said.

“Too bad for her that I don’t care what she thinks.”

“I kind of care what she thinks,” I said.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Why?”

“Because I don’t like her.”

“You don’t
know
her.” He wasn’t scolding, simply reminding.