“Baz Luhrmann has nothing on you.” He picked up two mint juleps from a passing cigarette girl and handed one to his cousin. “I don’t think anyone would mind one drink.”
Nathan accepted his and grinned. “A toast,” he yelled, and the people nearest them quieted. “To my cousin, for having the good sense to leave the planning to me. Happy birthday, Caleb!” He raised his glass.
A chorus of “Happy Birthdays” came from the crowd as they raised their glasses. Caleb tapped glasses with Nathan, and they both took a sip at the same time. Smiles all around. A great and wonderful energy floated in the air.
“You like it?” Nathan asked, choked up by emotion.
“I know I’ve been a massive buzzkill while you were planning this, and I’m sorry. You are a genius.” He pulled his cousin into a hug and patted his back.
“Oh, good.” Nathan discreetly swiped at tears. “Because I didn’t get you anything else.”
He laughed. “You did good. Proud of you.”
A twinkle entered Nathan’s eyes. “Wait till you see the fireworks.”
“Fireworks?”
Instead of responding, Nathan’s gaze moved toward the top of the stairs. As if his body could sense Didi’s arrival, Caleb’s heart pumped faster. He turned to face the steps to the ballroom fully to find Didi scanning the crowd.
Caleb’s heart skipped a beat. She took his breath away in a beaded dress in a color similar to the blushes she got when he teased her. The fringe at the hem moved when she did. The beads scattered down the front caught the chandelier light and sparkled. Drop earrings dangled from her ears while a headband brought attention to the soft waves of her hair. Seeing her all dressed up was stunning.
On anyone else it would have just been a dress, but because Didi wore it, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. His father’s words about his mother came to mind, Every time she entered a room the air grew lighter. He had never understood what JJ had meant until this moment.
As if an invisible force pulled him to her, Caleb handed his drink to Nathan and moved toward the stairs. He never took his eyes away from her.
A step below where she stood, he stopped and took her hand. He brought the back to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against the soft skin. Her scent comforted him the instant he inhaled. Her presence gave him the unlimited endurance he needed to get through the night. She whispered his name in greeting, and he looked up to see that her smile had softened. It was the smile she reserved just for him when they were alone.
Climbing the last step so he could meet her on even ground, he placed the palm of her hand against his chest.
“You feel that?” he asked.
She nodded, matching him stare for stare.
“It hadn’t started beating until you got here.”
His words granted him the blush he so craved. “Happy birthday, Caleb.”
“Happy now that you’re here.” He eased closer to her side until his lips touched the shell of her ear. “You look beautiful.”
“You like the dress?”
“Like is too weak a word for how I feel about you in that dress.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “I almost want to carry you out of here just so no one else will get to see you but me.”
“As much as I would like to do that, it’s your birthday party. What would they think if we just up and left?”
He frowned and gestured to the crowd below. “They’re all too drunk to notice.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips—a quick, soft touch that ended too soon. “Nate promised really good cake. Can we stay long enough for that?”
“Why, Diana Alexander, are you handling me?” he insinuated with a grin.
She nodded boldly, not bothering to hide her manipulation. Then in a whisper, she told him, “And you still need to unwrap my present.”
“Is it anything under this dress?”
Gasping in shock, she slapped his chest. “Caleb Parker, behave.”
“You in that dress is making it very difficult.”
Biting her soft pink lip, she laced her fingers through his. “Come on, I want to see the band Nate promised.”
Unable to resist when her eyes brightened with excitement, he escorted her the rest of the way down to the ballroom floor.
“Why is no one dancing?” she asked, looking at the empty dance floor.
Caleb smiled. “We can easily fix that.”
She mirrored his smile and allowed him to guide her to the center of the floor. He pulled her into a gliding step. They moved as if meant for each other. Something in Caleb knew this to be true. Didi was his the same way he was hers. He moved his hand from her hip to the small of her back, closing the already small gap between them. Looking into his eyes, she swayed. He loved the trust in her gaze.