Page 102 of The Wedding Toast
Looking around again, he smiled when he saw Reaves and Alara talking.They were standing on the very edge of the circle of light cast by the lanterns that had been strung all around the formal lawn.
"Maybe there's some hope," he added.
Trick followed his gaze and nodded."It looks that way to me.And what about you?I like Callie a lot."
Ollie let out a short laugh."So do I, but I can't seem to get a minute with her."
"I'd figure that out if I were you.She's the kind of girl you make time for."
Ollie nodded his agreement, but it wasn't as though he hadn’t been trying.
~ ~ ~
Darlene spotted Elena standing alone, watching Xander and Tori, and Hannah and Grady, who’d all moved out onto the dance floor when the band started to play a slow ballad.
She went to stand beside the other woman and gave her arm a squeeze.“It’s good to see all our babies grown up and getting on with their lives, isn’t it?”
Elena turned to her with a sad smile.“It is.I was going to say that they’re not my babies, but you understand.”
Darlene nodded.“Seems to me that Jacob, Xander, and Hannah, all treat you like a mom.They love you, and you love them.At the end of the day, that’s what family means.”
Elena nodded gratefully.“I like to think so.”
“Well, now you don’t just have to think so, you can know so.And if anyone questions it, you can tell ’em that’s how it is because your bossy new in-laws say so.”
Elena laughed.“You’re not bossy.You’re wonderful.I love to think of you as family now.”
“Me too,” Darlene agreed.“I think Jacob and Becca are going to take off soon.Slade just came back and gave Jacob the nod, so things must be ready around the back.I think the band knows too – they’re playing more slow songs.”She nodded to where Jacob and Becca were now dancing with the others, swaying slowly to the music, lost in each other’s eyes.
“I might just have to find my Chuck and get him up there.You should …” She hurried forward when she saw Walt sitting at one of the tables nearby.
“Get up and dance,” she told him.
He gave her a puzzled look but didn’t resist as she towed him over to Elena.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment until she laughed.“Just get out there and dance, would you?You’ll do me and Chuck a favor so we’re not the only oldies on our feet.”
She watched with a big smile on her face as they moved out onto the dance floor – she had high hopes for those two.
Chuck spotted her just before she reached him.He was sitting on the low stone wall, watching Becca dance with Jacob.The rest of their kids were sitting around one of the tables.They hadn’t mingled much, but they were enjoying themselves.
Chuck got to his feet and curled his arm around her waist as he guided her onto the dance floor.
“I thought you’d never ask, love,” he said with a wink.
She batted his shoulder.“You know damn well I wasn’t going to let the evening end without getting you up on your feet.”
“And I’d never call it a night till I got a dance with my honey.”
He held her close, and she rested her cheek against his shoulder, watching the couples around them as they shuffled to the music.
“You met Reaves’s dad, Charles, yet?”he asked.
She laughed and swatted his shoulder again.“You saw me talking to him, didn’t you?You’re a jealous old fool.”
His arms tightened around her.“Not jealous, love.I just wondered if you had any regrets.You could have moved someplace like this when we were young.Could have married yourself a Charles and lived on a fancy estate instead of getting saddled with old Chuck and the farm.”
She leaned back so she could look into his eyes.“We both know I was trying to get out of Dodge when I met you.But deciding to stay – to be with you?Best decision I ever made.”
