He kissed me, deep, slow and sweet.
When he was done, he didn’t move his mouth from mine when he said, “You’re gonna have to be patient with me, Kitten. This isn’t fuckin’ easy.”
At his admission, my blood pressure settled, I put my hand to his face and whispered, “Okay.”
His eyes travel ed my face and down, his arms gave me a squeeze and he whispered. “Babe, you look great.” I eyed his tux. “Not as good as you.” Then I pul ed out of his arms, grabbed his hand and went on, “Now, let’s go get your Moms.”
His brows went up and he didn’t move even though I was tugging at his hand. “My Moms?”
I went back to him, lifted up on tiptoe, put a hand to his chest and touched my lips to his. “Don’t ask, just go with it.” He shook his head but he fol owed me to the dining room anyway.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Confession
Stella
I was standing in a corner with Ava and Luke listening with half an ear to Ava doing everything she could (and seriously failing) to get Luke to dance but watching the dance floor with frightened eyes.
Tom and Lana were cutting a rug. Tom was flinging Lana around while Nick (who was Indy’s DJ) played The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Jump, Jive an’ Wail”.
I already knew Lana could move but Tom was something else. He couldn’t just boogie, he could boogie woogie. He might be a bit older but the man was strong. He flipped Lana around like she weighed as much as a wet towel.
They’d been nearly inseparable since the dancing started (after Lee and Indy’s first dance and the father-daughter/mother-son dance and the wedding party dance, of course) and I wondered how Mace would feel about his mother hooking up with Indy’s dad.
“Stel a.” Luke’s deep voice came at me.
“Uh…” I muttered, eyes stil glued to Lana and Tom, mind stil engaged with images of Mace going berserk.
“Earth to Stel a, come in Stel a,” Ava cal ed.
My body jerked and I turned to Luke and Ava. Luke was looking at me. Ava was looking at the dance floor.
“Do you think Mace wil go bal istic if something happens between Tom and Lana?” I blurted.
Luke’s eyes moved to the dance floor. Ava’s came to me.
“Crap, I hadn’t thought of that,” Ava breathed.
Luke’s gaze came back and he asked, “They’re al adults, including Mace. Why would it be a problem?”
“Mace can be unpredictable,” I told Luke.
At my words, Luke threw his head back and let out of bark of laughter like I was being funny.
I was, by the way, not.
Ava and I stared at him.
When he was done laughing, his dark blue eyes were dancing and he informed me, “Mace is the one of the steadiest men I know.”
I stared at him a beat wondering if he knew a different Mace than I knew then I mumbled, “Obviously you’ve never pissed him off.”
Luke started chuckling and said, “Nope. Try to avoid that.”
“Shit, what do you think Indy wil think of Tom and Lana?” Ava put in and we al looked back to the dance floor.
Indy was dancing with Malcolm and as our eyes hit them, Malcolm swung Indy out and she col ided with Lana. Both women’s bodies tumbled, Tom’s arms went around Lana, Malcolm jerked Indy into his before she could fal . Indy and Lana’s gazes locked, Indy burst out laughing and gestured to Lana. They pul ed away from the men and started swinging each other around.
“Don’t think she’l mind,” Luke muttered.
I smiled at Ava.
The wedding had gone off without a hitch. This was mostly due to Tod’s impeccable planning. It was also partial y due to a number of off-duty but stil uniformed Denver Police checking everyone’s names against lists Tod made for them and patrol ing the Red Rocks Amphitheater and facilities so no one was kidnapped or shot at which would have ruined the vibe for sure.
Indy and Lee had been married on the Upper Terrace at Red Rocks with nothing but the panoramic views as decoration. There were no flowers, no ribbons, no urns, just some chairs set up and only the romantical y-clad Rock Chicks, the angelic Indy, the Denver skyline and the red rocks formations setting the scene.
It was perfect.
They could have had the reception there but Indy and Tod decided not to because they didn’t want folks getting snockered so far away from a taxi cal .
Indy had said that Lee wasn’t into “this wedding business” but I found myself thinking he changed his mind when Tom guided Indy onto the terrace. You could hear al the air being sucked out of the night sky when his eyes settled on her.
She was smiling at him and looked as calm and serene as she had al day.