Page 106 of Love and Other Trials
She silenced him with a gentle hand to his mouth. The very idea made her ache. “Never! Elizabeth and Stephan are meant to last forever.”
He pulled her to him again, his hands gripping her like he was never letting go. Which she was fine with. “I thought so. Glad the pelicans reminded you.”
“I didn’t need reminding.” She needed to see his face as she said this. “You and I got pissy with each other. It happens. Doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
“Ditto,” was all he said amidst the tenderness in his eyes. “I want to go on the record and say that I’d do anything to get your grandmother’s house for you, but if it doesn’t happen because nothing has gone according to plan—the pelicans drove that home and then some—I promise we’ll find our own home and make new happy memories there for our family.”
She melted just like the broken ice sculpture lying on the ground beside the lone koi in the pond. “I’d like that.” With that beautiful promise, they were back on firm ground. “And I have no idea how Tiffany’s wedding dress got in the back of your car. Or how the irrigation system at this resort could have backed up. I also don’t know how a…what is a flock of pelicans?”
He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. “I actually know this one. A squadron.”
“How military of them. Which explains their tactical precision today. Anyway, I don’t know why a squadron of pelicans decided to pick out the koi from our symbolic little wedding pond. Or how any number of things happen at Deverell family functions. What I do know is that you did not do it, and I’m sorry that for a minute there, we were at odds about it. All right?”
Nodding, he cupped her face in his hands. “All right. Since we’re offering confessions, I might have had a stick up my butt a little like Jeffrey said. Sorry about that.”
She patted his very famous ass, the one that had been named the best buns this side of Biloxi. “Everything all right back here now?”
“Elizabeth…”The word was positively electric. “Keep your hand there and find out.”
Then he was lowering his head, and she was rising on her bare feet to meet him and kissing him with an urgency that reminded her love was everything, and life was precious, even in the midst of disasters.
Just like Grandma always said.
TWENTY-SIX
Dax was backin sync with his girl, thank God.
A gator might have interrupted their first kiss, but it was the pelicans who’d brought them back to the truth of how they felt about each other. Still, he’d rather avoid all animal or fowl interference in the future. At this point, he and Ariel were never going on a date to the zoo. Or a circus for that matter. Because lions were no joke.
Now all he needed to figure out was whether he was still best man. Jeffrey had spread the news to the groom’s party that Tiffany had her wedding dress back. But he wasn’t budging from Dax’s side—not only for Ariel’s sake, he’d told him. Jeffrey knew how the Deverells could get under your skin.
Only Jeffrey didn’t realize it wasn’t the Deverells that had his guts in knots. It was Rob. What the hell was he going to say about the dress? Ariel had pleaded with him, but it was hard to break his code.
“If it helps any,” Jeffrey broke in, “you might consider that you’re not lying. Only delaying the truth. Also, I might point out that we don’t know the full truth yet.”
Dax slid him a glance as they walked to the groomsmen’s suite. “No, we don’t. You sure you don’t have any dark thoughts about me taking the dress and then feeling guilty about it?”
Jeffrey snickered. “It crossed my mind for a half sec, but you’re too smart to have put it in your car. That dress would have disappeared for good. Ariel was too tired and stressed to think it through. That happens after prolonged exposure to the Deverell women.”
He appreciated hearing that. After Ariel had come to his defense during their very own Hitchcock’sThe Birdsmoment, he’d let go of his hurt. He’d never seen a point in holding a grudge. But Rob did. Even when it made no sense.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” At the door, he straightened his shoulders—like he was appearing before a commanding officer. “You don’t need to go in here with me.”
“Yes, I do.” Jeffrey nudged him aside with a wink. “If you’ll trust an ally, let me do the talking. After the wedding ceremony, you and I are going to head to the lodge and look at the security feed for the parking lot.”
He gripped Jeffrey’s shoulder, liking the addition of another ally to his party, one Ariel loved with all her might. “I was thinking the very same thing.”
“Consider me your Watson.” Jeffrey touched up his cravat and straightened his emerald green glasses. “We’ll clear your good name, Captain Hotpants, don’t worry. Now, let’s face the crazy groom.”
With another dashing flick of his head, Jeffrey opened the door and sauntered inside. Rob was sitting sprawled in a tall throne-like chair with the lucky bottle of bourbon in his hand. Carson and Perry were sitting on the cream leather couch. At their intrusion, they pocketed their phones and put their hands on their thighs, poised for action. Dax only nodded in their direction.
Jeffrey smiled brightly. “You heard Tiffany’s wedding dress was found, right? We’re just coming to check and make sure you’re ready. Ariel is with Tiffany and the others. I’m waiting for the text telling us when you can go out to the wedding arbor.”
Rob grunted and took another pull of bourbon. “Where in the hell was the dress?”
“In a place you’d never expect,” Jeffrey bandied back. “We’re still looking into how it got there. Now…is everyone ready? Because when we get the text to go, we need togo.You flyboys are used to that, I imagine.”
Carson and Perry slid to the edge of the couch, poised to grab Rob. “We certainly are,” Carson replied. “Rob?—”
