Page 21 of Wishes on Wildflowers
Stay in an oblivious corner, probably surrounded by strangers? Or go sit with Linnea? Jasmine sighed and scurried after her friend. “Sorry about that.” She slid into the chair at the end of the table.
Linnea raised her eyebrows and gave her a significant look. “Your life is going to be miserable until you deal with him. You know that, right?”
Jasmine took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What are you suggesting?” Sarcasm was hard to tamp out of her words. “Is this something I need counseling for? How to get over a guy who dumped me eight years ago?”
Linnea’s eyebrows remained elevated. “Maybe, if that’s what it takes. At the very least, you could talk to Rebekah. We wouldn’t want her psychology degree to go to waste.”
“I’m fine.”
Just then Adriana and Myles slipped into the chairs across the table from them. Linnea stretched her hands out on the table, palms up. “Let me see that ring, girl.”
Adriana laid her left hand on the table as Myles chuckled and leaned back, his arm stretched across the back of her chair.
“Oh, that’s gorgeous,” breathed Linnea. “Good job, Myles. When’s the big day?”
Jasmine smiled and murmured congratulations of her own. She was happy for them. She was. Too bad she couldn’t get the same bubbly euphoria happening that seemed to befueling Linnea these days.
Adriana and Myles looked at each other.That look.Just like the one Eden and Jacob had shared coming down the aisle as husband and wife. “First weekend of June,” said Adriana with a chuckle. “Unless I can convince Myles to jaunt off to Vegas some weekend before then.”
Linnea gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
Myles rubbed Adriana’s shoulder with his hand as he grinned. “You’re right. We wouldn’t, much as my fiancée applies all the pressure she can to get me to agree. We’re waiting for school to be out, so we can get away for a week or two.” He turned to Adriana, the warmth in his brown eyes evident. “It will be worth the wait.”
“Who will keep the kids?” asked Linnea.
“The children’s other grandparents have offered,” said Myles. “They picked the pair of them up half an hour ago, too. We wanted them to experience the wedding, but we don’t want to finish this evening with a curfew. We’ll drive out to Cheney to have Easter dinner with them after church tomorrow.”
Jasmine smiled in spite of herself. Adriana’s daughter, Violet, was a real handful at the best of times. So it was just as well if her mom and soon-to-be-stepdad could enjoy an evening out from time to time.
Jasmine felt the swish of air as an arm and a black sleeve stretched past her shoulder. She shifted slightly away, recognizing that woodsy cologne.
“I’ll just set these hors d’oeuvres here,” came Nathan’s voice. “Shay will be around shortly to offer drinks.”
Why had Jasmine sat at the end of the table? It was almost like she invited Nathan’s attention, not that he looked at her or addressed her in any way. His sleeve brushed lightlyagainst her shoulder as his hand retreated, and she dared to breathe again.
Adriana’s gaze followed Nathan for a few seconds before she turned back to Linnea. “Who’s that? Someone Hailey and Kass hired to cater the reception?”
Myles chuckled, and Adriana elbowed him. “It’s just that I know everyone in Bridgeview, and I don’t think I know him.”
Jasmine managed a shrug but hopefully looked casual. “Just a guy they hired, I guess.”
Linnea laughed as she leaned across the table. “He’s the guy Jasmine used to date in high school,” she said. “Nathan Hamelin.”
Adriana’s eyebrows rose at that, and Jasmine stared straight into them. Challenge accepted.
More guests filled their table and the tables around them. A few minutes later, Jasmine’s dad took the microphone and welcomed Jacob and Eden Riehl for the first time. Everyone clapped as the smiling couple entered and took their seats at the head table. Linnea blew a kiss to Logan as he settled into the chair beside Jacob. He winked back.
Jasmine closed her eyes. Bring on the food. Because she couldn’t very well make her escape yet. Certainly the meal must be delicious. Everything Kass and Hailey made always was. But to Jasmine, it all tasted like slightly flavored cardboard this evening.
Soon enough, the tables had been folded up and put away. Chairs were arranged around the outside edge of the large space, with extras stacked in the storage room. Jasmine eyed the door as the DJ set up in front of the center’s Tesla power wall. Could she make a break for it now? How long would Linnea rail at her later if she did so? Maybe herroommate would be too full of gushing over how handsome Logan looked in a tux and about his smooth dance moves to give Jasmine that sort of talking-to.
Jasmine glanced at Linnea across the room, and her roommate was looking straight at her. Drat. She’d never get away with it. Maybe she could get a dance or two in with Peter and some other safe guys before skittering out the door early.
She took a deep breath and looked around the room. Nathan appeared in front of her all black and blond and gorgeous with those gray eyes looking right back at her. Not only could she not allow him to wear gray, apparently black was out of the question, as well.
“May I have this dance?”
“No, no. You may not.”
