Page 30 of Last Minute

An ugly feeling rises through my chest and up my throat, but I swallow it down. It lodges in my chest, a sharp ball of resentment for the choices my mom made all those years ago. Leaving Dad. Leaving me.

The quartet transitions into playing the bridal march, and everyone stands. Ellie clutches my arm as my mom begins to walk down the aisle. Though I’m supposed to be looking at the bride, I look down at Ellie.

Her megawatt smile soothes the sharp edges of bitterness in my chest, and I release the tension in my shoulders. I’m doing this for her.

My mom moves down the aisle, but I don’t pay attention to her. All my focus is on Ellie.

A thought niggles at the back of my mind that I need to pay attention, that I have a job to do and I can’t forget what I really am to Ellie. But the officiant asks us to take our seats, and I push that thought to the back of my mind as Ellie beams up at me.

We sit and I slip my hand into hers, resting it on my knee. I absently brush my thumb across the back of hers as we watch my mom get married.

“I had heard how extravagant American weddings are,” Ellie says an hour later as we tuck ourselves into a corner during the cocktail hour, “but that could have been a royal wedding in Brysard. Maybe not my brother’s wedding—that’s sure to be a spectacle—but something fit for a baron or a viscount.” I note and tuck away my thought that Ellie didn’t include her own future wedding in that list. Ellie takes small sips of her champagne as I do the same from my sparkling water. “Are they always this big?”

I shake my head. “No, my parents’ wedding was much smaller.” I remember the few pictures we had of that day in a photo album Mom used to keep on the coffee table. “My mom and dad got married young, and they didn’t have the funds to pull off something like this. Which is why she must have pulled out all the stops for this one.”

I find myself frowning as the crowd parts and the newly married couple enter the room. I turn away as everyone applauds to find Ellie watching me, a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes on her face.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go? We came. We sat through the ceremony. I can check it off my list.”

I soften my features as I take in Ellie’s concern. “No, we can stay. You need to get the full American wedding experience. Besides,” I edge closer and touch her elbow lightly, “I owe you a dance.”

Ellie’s face flushes red, but she doesn’t move away. “That you do.”

We hold each other’s gazes until a shrill voice cuts through the air and both of us turn toward the sound.

“Erik! You came!”

I hold in my groan as people’s heads turn toward the bride and groom as they make their way toward Ellie and me. A wave of “congratulations” follows them as they smile and nod, but they continue walking until my mom is pulling me into an awkward hug, pinning my arms to my sides.

I step back as soon as her grip eases, and I put a protective arm around Ellie’s shoulder, turning us just enough that Mom stops before she can embrace Ellie in the same way.

“Congratulations, Mom,” I say, my voice coming out flat. I turn to her new husband. “Congratulations, Jamison.”

Jamison extends his hand, but I don’t reach for it. Jamison’s smile slides into a forced expression as he drops his hand back to his side. He clears his throat and says, “We’re so glad you could make it, Erik.” He glances away from me to Ellie. “And who is this?”

“This is Ellie.”

Ellie leans forward and shakes hands with Mom and Jamison. “Lovely to meet you. Congratulations.”

She retreats back beneath my arm, and I brush a reassuring hand over her bare shoulder as Mom leans toward Jamison. “Ellie is Erik’s client,” she says, quieter than she called my name a minute ago, but not quiet enough. Ellie stiffens under my arm, and whatever halfway pleasant expression is on my face falls away to a flat look.

“Mom,” I say, my tone indicating it’s time for her to shut up and move on.

She looks back to me, somewhat sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Erik, I just think it’s so exciting that you’re a bodyguard.” She lowers her voice on the last word, but the few people around us still look over with raised eyebrows.

Jamison looks about ready to continue the conversation, but as he looks at me and takes in my darkening expression, he wraps an arm around my mom, pulling her away from me and Ellie. “Come on, Shannon, we should mingle with the other guests.”

Mom sputters a little bit, obviously not wanting to be pulled away, but she regains her composure, noticing the other guests around us watching. She straightens and allows her new husband to lead her away in the direction of another group of guests.

I down my flute of sparkling water like it’s a shot to an amused chuckle from Ellie.

“Do you need something stronger to get you through the festivities?” I look down at Ellie with a deadpan expression, but she just laughs. She slips out from underneath my arm, but stays close, eyeing the few guests who glance over more frequently than they did before. I casually turn us so her back is to the other guests, allowing me to watch those guests with a little more interest.

Oof,” Ellie says, and I break eye contact with another guest who is looking at Ellie with a little too much interest. “I can see why you stayed away.” Ellie’s eyes go wide before she scrunches up her face to laugh. It draws my attention to the freckles across her nose that match the ones splashed across her bare shoulders, and I give into the temptation to touch her again.

I brush my hand down the back of her arm from the shoulder to her elbow before gripping it and pulling her closer to me. Her laughter stops, and I lean my head close to hers so I can speak directly into her ear. “But now that we’ve said hi, we can avoid her the rest of the night and actually enjoy the festivities.”

The curve of her cheek brushes mine as she smiles. “Perfect.”

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