Taryn shot him a look that was one step shy of “duh.” “Geez, Kane. Today is her wedding day, and Rebecca is the center of attention – not exactly her comfort zone, right? Not to mention her folks – who she hasn’t seen in more than twelve years – just show up out of nowhere. No wonder she’s zoning out a little. It’s probably what’s keeping her sane.”
He’d considered the same things, and yes, there was some truth to Taryn’s words. But he was her safe port now; he felt it every time she reached for him, felt her relief when she touched him. Throughout the evening he’d barely left her side, not that he was complaining. He loved the fact that he could do this for her.
No, those things might explain the look in her eyes when she looked at the guests, or her brother, or her parents, but not when she looked at him. That was something entirely different. He knew it, felt it with the instinctive certainty he had with all things Rebecca.
“It’s not that. She’s got something else on her mind. Something she hasn’t shared with me yet.”
“Still recovering from last night, perhaps?” she added mischievously. “Judging by the way we had to scrape her out of the dumbwaiter this morning, I have a feeling you expanded her horizons, so to speak. Maybe she needs some time to adjust.”
Kane couldn’t completely contain the smug, arrogant look on his face. “Her horizons are just fine.”
Taryn laughed, but there was a glimmer in her eyes, one that only strengthened the feeling he was missing something.
“And I think her mother’s picked up on it, too. I feel like everyone else knows something that I don’t, and I don’t like it.”
“Hmm. Sucks for you.” Taryn avoided his icy death stare and looked over to where Rebecca was now being led around the floor by Sean. “She certainly is glowing tonight, isn’t she?”
“Taryn,” Kane warned, his voice low. “You know something, don’t you?”
Jake appeared, taking her hand and tugging her out of Kane’s grasp. “Really, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, laughing as they danced away.
“Fuck,” Kane mumbled.
“Sorry, you’re a married man,” Nicki said, suddenly taking Taryn’s place. “And about damn time, too. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
Kane narrowed his eyes at her, sensing that she, too, was having a bit of fun at his expense. “Nicki, what’s going on?”
Her pale, silvery eyes sparkled like crystals. “I’m dancing with the groom. I believe it’s tradition.”
“Nicki...”
She ignored him. There seemed to be a lot of that happening this evening. When had he lost control? If there was anything he could count on, it was the ability to command and instill fear in others at will. That no longer appeared to be the case.
Nicki would say nothing more. Sean reclaimed his bride, and Lexi took her place as Ian laughed loudly at something Rebecca said as they danced on the opposite corner of the floor.
He half expected Lexi to make some taunting comment as well, but she didn’t. She simply told him how happy she was for him and Rebecca. The sincerity, the warmth in her eyes touched him. No wonder Ian was so protective of her.
“Marriage agrees with you,” Maggie said, her green eyes swirling. Michael had mentioned the bizarre phenomenon once or twice, but Kane had never really taken notice before. In fact, he tried not to think too much about Maggie at all since her “dreams” of their ill-fated mission in Northern Europe last year. Kane was smart enough to know that there were things on this earth he did not understand, and Maggie was one of those things. As long as she took care of his brother – which she did quite well, in fact – that was all he needed to know.
It was hard to look away; the effect was hypnotizing. It wasn’t a commanding stare, either, like he knew his was. It was one you wanted to look into, one that compelled you, invited you, promising the answers you sought. Even as he let himself be drawn in, they grew brighter before shuttering.
“You too?” he said, suddenly feeling as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Maggie smiled and winked. “You’ll get nothing from me, Kane Callaghan, so you best not even try.”
When he saw Jack kiss Rebecca’s cheek, saw her bow her head and nod to something the old man said, he was more than ready to reclaim his bride. All of his brothers had danced with her, as well as his father, her brother, and her father. Yes, he knew it was tradition, that with each dance they were forming an unspoken bond with her, accepting her as part of the family. He had done the same with his brothers’ wives, and had been amused by the fierce, watchful gleam in their eyes as he had done so. Now, he understood, and it was they who were now watching him with amusement.