Page 84 of If This is Love

“Thanks.” Sabrina said briskly, her hands flying to her neck while she averted her eyes to the floor. It was a simple, long strand of white pearls wrapped around her neck three times, but it lookedreallyexpensive. The pearls were like mesmerizing, luminescent orbs, and the three strands sat delicately against her collar bone and beautifully complemented her strapless, amethyst-purple cocktail dress and elegant blonde chignon. “Is Frankie here?”

“Yeah, she’s…” Liza started to say as her gaze drifted across the group of friends at another man who’d just stopped next to Brennan, and then she looked at Sabrina again. “We put her at our table.” She paused, looking at the man talking to Brennan and then back at Sabrina a few times. “Did you just get here?”

“No.” Sabrina scoffed, touching her pearls again. “I just haven’t seen her yet.”

“Did you just get here?” Connor asked the man who’d joined him and Brennan.

“Okay, well, I’m going to go find her,” Sabrina said quickly, eyeing the man they all seemed to know, but whom I hadn’t been introduced to yet, and then she spun on the balls of her feet and strode away.

I took advantage of not knowing who he was to turn and whisper in Gabe’s ear—just so I could indulge a little more in that scent of his. “Do you know that man talking to Brennan and Connor?”

Just like I secretly hoped he would, Gabe turned his face toward mine, his lips hovering next to my ear. “That’s Carson McDermott. He’s a friend of Riley’s. One of these upper-crust folks.” He paused long enough to flick a glance in the direction Sabrina left. “He’s a good guy but he’s kind of… um… I can’t think of a classy way to put it.”

I held back a laugh, holding him close to me.“You don’t have to always be classy. Just tell me.”

Half of his mouth quirked with a smile as he leaned in closer and lowered his voice further. “He’s a total manwhore, and it just occurred to me that it’s within the realm of possibilities that he’s hooking up with Brina.”

I fought against gasping. “You think so?”

Gabe hesitated a second before looking at Carson and Connor and then in the other direction at Sabrina. “Yeah, the more I’m thinking about it, the more I think so.” He huffed under his breath. “Idiot.”

“Hey, babe, go take B. and get refills for Skye and me. We’re going to do the toasts,” Liza was saying just as she set her hand on my shoulder, letting it linger there. “Come with me, y’all. I had atinyhunch you guys might be coming together, so we put you both at the main table.”

I waved at the other three as I let Gabe lead me to the table behind Liza. She gestured at our seats and then excused herself to prepare for the toasts, and Luke and Chloe were approaching the table just as we were. I barely recognized Luke all gussied up in a tux with a white jacket and black bowtie. I hadn’t ever seen him wear anything other than flannel shirts or t-shirts with old jeans, and he was looking pretty handsome. With both of them wearing fine suits, Luke and Gabe resembled each other a lot more and honestly cleaned up well enough that one might think this regal old mansion was their family estate.

Chloe already looked every bit the beautiful, blushing bride in an ivory cashmere sweater dress with a wide V-neck and loose batwing sleeves that sat delicately on her shoulders. The waist was high and fitted to her slender figure, and I suddenly recalled the secret, scandalous, completely mischievous reason why she was wearing that dress. And why Luke was wearing a white dinner jacket in a sea of men in black suits. And why the engagement party was taking place at this old mansion in the first place.

But I kept my composure because there was no way Gabe would find it as funny as I did. I just silently enjoyed the feeling of being on the inside of a private joke because it meant I’d made some really good friendships—something I was afraid I might not have again after leaving where I was before. Besides, one of these sweet but impish friends was surely going to spill the beans about it to him before the night was over anyway.

“Hey,” Luke cut through my thoughts in an accusing but playful tone. He stared at us as he pulled out the chair for Chloe. “What’sthisall about?”

Gabe offered his hand to me after pulling out my chair, and I sat. “Don’t make it a thing, Luke.”

Luke nudged Chloe’s chair toward the table and then lifted his hands passively, smirking with good humor. “I’m not making it a thing, bruh.” He dropped himself into the chair next to her, setting his elbow on the table so he could rub his finger across his mouth like he was trying to hide his smile. “Hey, Ruth.”

I gave him a warm smile. “Hi, Luke.” I smiled at Chloe. “Hey, Chloe. You look beautiful, sweet friend.” I gestured at the room. “This is already the best party I’ve ever been to.”

“Oh mygosh,” Chloe gushed, her seafoam green eyes sweeping around the room before looking at me again. “This party isinsane. I don’t even want to think about how much money Liza and Skye spent on all this, but it’s seriously so… so…” She closed her eyes and shook her head for a second before looking at me below drawn brows. “I just don’t know how I suddenly deserve so many ridiculously nice things like this.”

“Aw, friend.” She was in the chair next to mine, and I set my hand on the side of her arm. “Of course you deserve all this. You’re getting married! It’s a big deal, and something so beautiful that it would bewrongto not have a celebration this beautiful.”

“Yeah.” She smiled warmly at me. “I’m so glad you came.” Her eyes briefly flicked to Gabe and back to me. “You look freakingstunning, Ruth.”

“Thank you. I was a little worried about this dress being too… you know…” I dropped my voice to a whisper, leaning close to her. “Sexy.” I sat up straight again, laughing lightly. “But I think that’s okay for a party dedicated tolove.”

“You said it, sis,” she said, picking up her champagne and clinking it against the water glass at my place setting. “Here’s toallthelove.”

I snickered, picking up my glass and tilting it toward her. “I’ll drink to that.”

The sound of silverware tapping crystal echoed across the room, and the quartet slowly drew the music to a close.

“Hi everybody,” Liza said sweetly from the front of the room holding a champagne flute and a silver spoon, smiling like a grade school teacher waiting for her class to settle down. “We’re going to start with the toasts because I have a feeling this party’s going to get rowdy quick. You know, because Luke.”

The guests collectively chuckled, and Luke lifted his crystal lowball glass. “Yeah, I’m only on number two, and after these toasts, shots aretotallygoing down…” He paused dramatically and then added, “…my gullet.”

A bunch of men in the room laughed loudly and hooted, and Gabe smirked. I smiled at him, and he looked at me, returning my smile, and my heart filled with so much warmth that I couldn’t help giving the top of his knee an affectionate rub under the table. Just as I started to slip my hand away, he clasped it, and I folded my fingers between his, curling my hand around his and resting both on my lap out of pure habit. It was how I’d always held Michael’s hand at church social functions, and once I’d done it, it felt so natural and nice that I couldn’t even stray a thought for overthinking.

“Okay, okay, yes, we all know you’re going to make the most of this celebration, as you should,” Liza was saying from the front of the room, now with Skye standing next to her, holding a champagne flute and grinning from ear-to-ear at Chloe and Luke. “Anyway, so we’re going to do some toasts, so I thought it would be fun if we told how we met you both, and—”

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