Page 39 of Very Special Forces

"Did youtell him that?" I asked.

"Oh,yeah. I said he should move on and not dwell on the past. What wasdone was done and he needed to make himself happy. It was the firsttime he cracked a smile that night. A month or so later, he metJulia."

"Only amonth later?"

"Yeah. Itold him that I knew there was someone decent around the corner forhim and he should move on and never look back. Now look at them!"Ruby grinned as Bryce leaned in and kissed Julia on the lips to asmattering of applause. "I'm really pleased for him. He deservessome happiness after all the crap his ex put himthrough."

Iwatched the couple pull apart and beam at each other. Then Brycelifted his glass and said he thought it was time for a proper toastand where was the champagne? he added, shooting a look toward thebar.

"That'sus," said Ruby. "Grab a tray and start circulating while I putglasses on the bar."

I tookthe tray and weaved my way through the closest guests, makingpleasantries and encouraging them to take a glass. After the speechwas over, I planned on circulating again, but this time, I wouldhave some subtle questions for the guests. So far, I hadconflicting reports of Bryce. Jas thought he wasn't treating Juliaproperly; Lily and Ruby thought he was great. And me? The looks Igot from him made me uncomfortable and I couldn't deny what Ioverheard.

Everytime I returned to the bar, Ruby had a new tray ready for me andLily eventually joined us, ensuring everyone had a glass in theirhands within minutes and all the empties haddisappeared.

Takingup my position behind the bar again, I waited for Bryce to finishraising and waving his arms, encouraging his guests to quiet down."I just want to start by thanking Lily for graciously offering usthis room for our engagement party... yes, thank you, thank you!"He laughed to the whistles and smattering of applause. "Lily, thankyou again for saving our party. We don't know where we would bewithout you and we really appreciate it. As soon as I knew thisroom was free, I had to book it."

Lilysmiled and waved while the guests applauded.

"I'msure all of you know our story by now," Bryce continued. "Thisbeautiful woman walked into my life and changed it in an instant. Igot up that day, thinking it would be just another ordinary day atwork. Nothing would happen. I would eat lunch at my desk. Go home,the usual stuff. Instead, when I was getting a sandwich from thecart outside my office, who should turn around and throw hersmoothie down my shirt than this wonderful person?" He tucked hisarm around Julia's shoulder and pulled her in while sheblushed.

"I couldhave gotten mad but instead, I took one look at her and knew I hadto ask her out to a dinner where they served the drinks in sippycups. I'm kidding. I'm kidding! But I did ask her out to dinner andwe laughed at her klutzy moment. I changed my shirt, of course, andshe's never admitted that she threw that smoothie deliberately overme, but I think we both knew it was fate." Bryce paused, lookingdown at Julia with such reverence and love that it was likeeveryone else faded away around them. If I hadn't overheard thatconversation only minutes before, I would have probably looked asthrilled as everyone else. Well, almost everyone else. The oldergentleman in the corner with his arms crossed didn't look overlythrilled either.

"Who'sthat?" I asked Ruby.

"Who?"

"Armscrossed in the corner. Gray hair."

"Thebride's dad. He got here while you were on break."

"I'mgoing to take him a drink," I said, noticing his emptyhands.

"Okay,I'll be here sobbing at the speech." Ruby raised a tissue to hereye and dabbed carefully. I suppressed the urge to eye roll andgrabbed a glass of champagne, placing it on a tray and maneuveringmy way around the bar before walking over to the man.

"Can Ioffer you a drink, Mr. Atwater?" I asked, showing him thetray.

Heglanced at me and shook his head. "No, thanks."

"Movingspeech," I said, nodding to the couple. Bryce smoothly segued intoa tale about their first date, which had the small crowdlaughing.

"Umm-hmmm," said the man.

"Isuppose he's not good enough for your little girl," I said, smilingto show I was teasing. Except I wasn't. Julia's father looked likehe'd rather have been anywhere else but here.

Thistime, he looked directly at me and reached for a glass. "Damn righthe's not."

"Heseems to think a lot of your daughter." I moved to standshoulder-to-shoulder with him, so we could both observe thecouple.

"He's full of hot air. All talk, no substance. You notice howthe story is really about him?" Mr. Atwater tipped his glasstowards them. "He's not said one nice thing about her. Oh, I knowit sounds funny and romantic but it's all in relation to him. She'sbeautiful buthegot her. She spilled her drink buthedidn't get mad.He'snot holding itagainst her but reminds her all the time she's a klutz. She's not,by the way. And if you ask me, what about this sudden need to getmarried after only a few months? Why so fast?" He looked directlyat me, his forehead furrowed with worry lines before he seemed toremember himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that. Justforget it."

"Sir, Idon't want to step out of line here, but have you spoken to yourdaughter about your concerns?"

Mr.Atwater sighed. "Yes, but she says I don't know what I'm talkingabout. Kids these days. They don't seem to realize even us oldfolks were young and romantic once!" He glanced across at me, a wrysmile on his lips. "We couldn't admit our mistakeseither."

"Is thatwhat you think this is? A mistake?" I asked softly.

"I thinkif she marries him, it will be the biggest mistake of my daughter'slife. Excuse me. I see my brother and his wife." He pulled hiswallet from his pocket and dropped a twenty-dollar bill on thetray. "For your trouble," he said before walking away.

---