Page 91 of Rio's Release

“We’re going to find a table,” Zig says.

“Here, take these with you,” Rio says, passing him and Blue our drinks. They wander off into the crowd, and the others follow.

When our plates are filled, we find the rest of our group.

The guys are already chowing down with gusto.

“This is the best wedding I’ve ever been to,” Mauler says around a mouthful of taco. Nods of agreement from the others go up all around the table.

Eduardo makes his way from table to table, welcoming guests, and soon he’s at ours.

“How’re you holding up?” Rio asks him.

He chuckles. “I’ve barely had time for a drink.” He looks over his shoulder. “Soon I have to dance with my daughter.”

“Everything is beautiful, and your daughter is lovely,” I say.

“Thank you, my dear.” He points across the dance floor. “That bridesmaid there is her sister. Luckily, she’s onlyseventeen, and I won’t have to worry about her getting married anytime soon. She is forbidden to date until she is older.”

I look over and spot the girl. She is beautiful, perhaps even more so than her older sister. Glancing around the table, I see all the guys take note of her.

Eduardo pats Rio’s shoulder. “You and I should have a cigar and a drink before you leave tonight. Yes?”

“Absolutely.”

He nods and moves off to the next table.

After the couple’s first dance and the dances with their parents, the floor opens up to the rest of us.

Rio takes my hand. “Come on. I want to dance with the prettiest woman here.”

It’s a slow song, and he takes me into his arms. Muted lighting falls on us like a golden kaleidoscope, and it’s magical.

From the never-ending dancing, the lively mariachi music, to the amazing food and desserts, it’s a celebration that goes well into the night.

They cut the cake and serve it, and Eduardo makes it over to our table, with a bottle of tequila and two glasses.

Some of the guys are on the dance floor, dancing with the many available single women. I can’t help grinning, watching them.

It seems more than one lady, even some of the older ones, are taken in by their bad boy charm and apparent dancing skills.

They also seem to get along with the other men here, some of which Rio told me were Eduardo’s employees who were here the day of the fire. I can imagine they would be friendly to the men who stopped to help save the place from burning down.

When they light up cigars, I excuse myself to go find the ladies' room and exit the tent into the fresh night air. There’s a wooden boardwalk set up leading to a set of porta-potties up on a trailer. It’s quite nice. They even have a little women’s lounge set up with velvet chairs and bottles of water.

After washing my hands, I step around the wall into the lounge area to sit and adjust the strap on my heels. Three young women enter and go to the large mirror, checking their makeup.

“Did you see the younger one with the blue eyes? He danced with Luisa.”

“Did her older sister see?”

“Consuela is too preoccupied with her groom to notice what her little sister is doing.” And then her voice drops, and I strain to hear the gossip. “She snuck off with him. Did you see? They headed into the pecan groves.”

“Oh, my. What is she thinking? If her father finds out, that boy is dead.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Did you see who they are? Those leather vests say Saint’s Outlaws MC. They’re in a biker gang. And their president is a good friend of Eduardo. They helped with the fire.”

“Still. That is his youngest daughter. It’s an honor thing.”

---