Barefoot Bay: Silhouettes on the Sand (Kindle Worlds Novella) (15 page)

He was watching her. Every eye in the church was on Liza, except Chase’s. He hadn't looked away. Every time C.J. glanced in his direction, their eyes met, and her toes curled. Maybe she could look for work in New York. Find an excuse to run into Chase. Or maybe she should put away pie-in-the-sky dreams and come back down to reality. Her pretend time was nearly over.

* * *

The moon shone brightly over the beach. Liza's mom had argued to hold the reception at her country club, but Liza had loved the idea of an intimate beach wedding. A challenge with a guest list of almost five hundred people and another excellent reason that a country club reception would be the most logical locale. Except when marrying an Ivory. Anything was possible for an Ivory. It was a privilege Chase had been well aware of since he was old enough to make sense of the world around him. And one thing he'd learned from watching his grandfather and grandmother was that nothing was too much for an Ivory man to arrange if it made the woman he loved happy.

Nate had immediately worked everything out, including convincing the Colonel that the Ivory guest list didn't need to be five-hundred strong. A company from upstate was brought in to set up a tent suitable for Barnum & Bailey on the only section of beachfront property large enough to support the slightly—barely—smaller crowd for the reception. Now sneaking a quiet moment alone under the moonlight, Nate and Liza had never looked happier, and they'd looked pretty damn happy before.

"Make up your mind yet?" Greg handed his brother Chase a cold bottle of beer and followed his gaze to the lone couple dancing on the sand.

"Thanks." He accepted the drink. "About what?"

"C.J."

Chase shifted his attention to the shoreline and the torches forming a trail to the beach. With some kind of gauze fabric tied out of the way, the tent offered a breathtaking 360-degree view to the water and surrounding resort. Despite the size of the crowd, the ambiance was somehow intimate, romantic, and exactly the setting that his new sister-in-law had wanted. Even if she and Nate had slipped away from it all for a few minutes for a private dance. The resort's wedding planner had done a fabulous job. She'd even easily appeased the Colonel's few demands and still gave Liza her dream wedding.

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about it," Greg continued.

"No. I'm not."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Now? Nothing."

Greg's bottle stopped halfway to his mouth. "You're going to give her up?"

Chase was an Ivory. There was no reason he couldn't move heaven and earth for the woman he loved. Whatever it took to make her happy, he'd do it. Even if it meant living in Maryland. He set his own bottle on the table beside him. "I've never given up on anything in my life."

Seated on the opposite side of the dais from Chase, casually exchanging glances had been impossible without obviously leaning forward and staring at him. The last dinner plates had been cleared, and the band announced the dance for the bride and groom. C.J. almost had tears in her eyes when she noticed Nate singing along with the band. She didn't have to read lips to know he was repeating every word of John Legend's love song "All of Me" to his new wife. When they moved around far enough, C.J. could see Liza singing back. They might as well have been the only two people in the room.

For the next song, Five for Fighting’s "100 Years," the bridal party was called onto the floor. Nate and Liza never took their eyes off each other, and C.J. ached for one dance with Chase. The romantic melody filled the air as she spun into Mitch's hold. Liza's maid of honor was dancing with Chase. Beth was paired with Greg. Another soulful rhythm kicked in, inviting all the guests to dance, and C.J. found herself searching for Chase but dancing with Greg.

The next round of songs slipped into something loud, pounding, and every person under fifty was on the dance floor moving about. Arms flailed and legs kicked, and C.J. searched the masses for any sight of Chase. Every time she caught a glimpse of him, either someone was whisking him off to dance or into a quiet corner to talk. If he wasn't the one ushered away, then she was the one escorted to the floor. Every Ivory relative—and there were plenty—deemed it necessary to visit with her in motion. A few even dared to share their childhood escapades with Chase and a few more to sing his praises. She didn't need to be told what a great guy Chase Ivory was. She already knew that.

After what had to be at least an hour or more of nonstop dancing, C.J. slipped away and made it halfway to the dais to sit and rest her tired feet, when Beth looped elbows and spun her about. "They're going to cut the cake now."

"Can't we watch from a table?" C.J. pointed behind her. If she ever agreed to be in another bridal party, she would ditch the trendy heels for a pair of sneakers with a solid arch support. Combat boots even if she could get away with it.

Beth shook her head. "Not if you want a good view."

All night C.J. had had a bird’s-eye view of the newly married couple. Truth was, she'd had just about enough of the sappy lovebirds. Not that she wasn't happy for them—she was—but watching them became more and more painful as the evening progressed, while any hopes of connecting with Chase continued to decline.

Standing front and center of the growing crowd, C.J. spotted Chase crossing the room, his brother Greg at his side. Chase’s gaze drifted from left to right and then stopped when it settled on her. One side of his mouth tipped up in the beginnings of a smile, and her muscles clenched in heated anticipation of his next move. He'd taken two, three steps, at the most, in her direction when his mother slid between him and his brother and, winding her arms in each of theirs, stopped them in place.

Disappointment doused the sparking embers and left a hollow pressure in its place. Time was running out.

* * *

"It's a beautiful wedding." Millicent Bainbridge Ivory slipped in between Chase and Greg, looping her hands tightly into their elbows. To an outsider it would appear nothing more than a loving gesture between mother and sons, but Chase knew his mother was using her two eldest sons as an anchor. Attending any event with the entire Ivory clan, especially one in which his father would be present, held the potential of being an emotionally shattering experience for her.

Tonight his mother had held up well. She'd smiled and laughed, and more than once Chase believed she truly had been enjoying herself. A time or two he'd spotted a shimmer in her eyes that sent chills through him or his siblings. The last thing anyone wanted was for Millicent Ivory to have a meltdown at her son's wedding. So, more than once, when he'd have preferred to cross the room to hold the woman who he had yet to proclaim his love for in his arms, he'd stayed at his mother's side instead. As had his siblings. A circle of protection.

The one saving grace was his father had had the good sense to attend sans wife number four. And bless Liza, she'd gracefully skirted around all the traditions that might normally require the mother and father of the groom to stand side by side. No spotlight dance, no mixed family photos. Liza had carefully maneuvered every staged photograph to keep the mother and father of the groom on separate sides and yet not once did it seem out of place. She was a mastermind; no wonder Nate called her Wonder Woman.

Chase pretended to watch the cake being cut, but, as he'd done all night, one eye shadowed C.J.’s every move. Every dance. Every smile. Every laugh. If he didn't get to hold her soon, he would very likely punch the next guy who approached her. Regardless if he was family.

Like truly civilized adults, the cake cutting and feeding went off without a hitch. Though Liza did tease, as if she were going to shove the whole piece in Nate's face, she instead lovingly inched a bite into his mouth. When Nate slowly closed his lips around her finger, sucking in the small piece of cake, every woman in the room said “Aww,” and every man inwardly groaned.

"I still can't believe there's a woman alive who could tame my baby boy." Millicent withdrew her hands from her sons and, lifting her chin, straightened her shoulders and moved forward. "I think I want to give my new daughter a hug."

Without looking back, Millicent strode off, and Chase thought he'd never seen his mother looking more like the woman he remembered as a young boy.

"It's almost midnight," Greg said, also watching his mother's back.

"What? You turn into a pumpkin at twelve?"

Greg rolled his eyes and turned to face his brother. "This party ends at midnight, bro."

"But they just cut the cake."

"That was for show. People have been eating those little mini-cupcakes since supper ended."

Chase had eaten a few himself. They were surprisingly delicious. If what Greg said was true, then Chase was running out of time. "I gotta go. Take care of Mom."

Greg bobbed his head, and Chase hurried off to the band leader.

* * *

C.J. stood rooted to the floor as Chase hurried across the floor toward the band and not to her. Had she been the fool, overplaying the importance of the little charade in her mind and her heart? The deal was done. Chase had wired the balance of the money to Bev's account yesterday before the banks closed. Spinning carefully about, C.J. made her way to the dais. She'd retrieve her small purse, go to the villa, pack, and be gone before the happy couple made their exit.

Tomorrow morning the family would gather for a final breakfast at the resort before sending off the newlyweds on a month-long honeymoon at some secret destination in the South Pacific. It was the only event that C.J. hadn't been scheduled for. Early on Chase had announced she'd be returning home Sunday. Her week was over.

"I've been looking for you."

She didn't need to turn around to know Chase stood only inches behind her. His warm breath on the back of her neck sent chills scurrying down her spine.

"Dance with me?" he practically whispered.

Over her shoulder, C.J. looked into those dark blue-gray eyes. Nothing on this earth could have made her say no. Without a word she nodded.

Chase’s fingers laced loosely with hers as he led them to the wooden floor. In the distance the music played a slow, easy tune. Familiarity tickled the back of her mind. Tingles traveled up her arm and spread warmly to every nerve ending. On the floor he swirled her into his arms. Not nearly as close as she would want but closer than she'd hoped for five minutes ago.

"I can't keep my eyes off of you," he sang softly.

Daring to lift her head, she listened, really listened to the song playing. "You and Me" by Lifehouse. Emotions she'd been battling were stirred with every lyric. From the ticking clock to tripping over his words to how beautiful she was. Her heart almost stopped. Air felt trapped in her lungs, and yet she continued breathing. Her feet still moving.

"I can't take my eyes off of you," he repeated as the song slowly came to an end. "It's almost midnight."

"Is it?" she whispered, barely able to find her voice.

"Our business deal will be over."

She saw so much heat in those smoky blue-gray eyes. "One week," she mumbled.

"I'd like to renegotiate."

They were still on the dance floor, but their feet had grown still.

"Something more personal."

"
Personal
?" she repeated.

"And permanent."

"
Permanent
?"

A lazy smile teased the corners of his mouth. "Why are you repeating everything I say?"

She considered answering the same as earlier in the week, but playful banter wasn't coming. "I don't want to misunderstand."

"I'm asking you to be mine. Stay with me. Please?"

"Just for tonight?"

His eyes widened slightly at the same time the bandleader called for all single women to come to the front before the last dance of the night.

Blinking slowly, he shook his head. "I'm saying this all wrong, aren't I? The Colonel and Mimsy fell in love at first sight. Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Slowly she nodded, never taking her eyes off his. "I think I do."

"So do I." He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "When you can answer without any doubt that you know you do, I'll have a new question for you."

Emily and Beth drew up beside them, Beth dragging a younger cousin beside her. "Come on, C.J. Time for all us single gals to duck the bouquet."

"She's not available." Chase didn't bother to look away from her. "Are you?"

C.J. faced Beth. "Sorry, but you'll have to avoid the bouquet without me."

Emily looked terribly confused, but Beth smiled like the Cheshire cat and hurried off to the rows of women lining up center stage.

Still holding on to him, C.J. blew out a stuttered breath. "This could get complicated."

"Turns out I like complicated." Chase kissed her forehead. "I guess we do have a lot of logistics to work out."

Her eyes fluttered closed. "I'm very good at logistics. And a few other things."

"I have some talents to share too." His eyes flashed to a stormy steel color, and his grip on her tightened. "I love you, Cassandra Jane."